Morning Ride

Murray is a small town surrounded by an infinity of farm fields.....a municipal island in an agricultural sea. We live on the edge of Murray. So, when I want to take a bike ride - as I did this morning - I naturally head west, out into the country. Not as far west as I'd like to head, but that's another story.

There's good bicycling out here, in this flat farm country. If you know where you're going, you could spend all day linking from one quiet, country road to another.

I didn't go quite that far. According to my GPS, I rode 12.5 miles. At one point, I had to squirt water at a large St. Bernard who came galloping after me, and seemed intent on trying to run me off the road. He didn't bark or growl, but when dogs that large chase me, it makes me nervous. He yelped when he felt the water, and retreated to the farm house from whence he had come.

I saw a few houses here and there, but mostly I saw fields. I brought the camera with me, so here's a brief idea of what I mean. There's my bike, and on one side you see a field of drying corn, and on the other a field of soybeans. Corn and soybeans. Those are the principal crops out here, and believe me when I tell you that they are everywhere.

There is one other crop you see a lot; I saw it this morning on my ride:

Recognize it? I didn't when we first came out here. It's tobacco, and pretty soon now slow-moving trucks hauling tobacco will be a common sight on these back roads. Tobacco may no longer be king here in western Kentucky, but it's still in the Royal Court. You see a lot of these fields.

And that's it - my Saturday morning bike ride.

Cheers,

Randy

Wendy Joins A Reading Club

I met Wendy after school yesterday, and went with her into the classroom of a sixth-grade teacher for the organizational meeting of the new Murray Middle School Book Club. That's one big change between the middle school and the elementary school - at the middle school there are various and sundry after school clubs the students can choose from. There's even an Archery Club, which Wendy plans to join when it starts in late October.

To be in the Book Club she will read one of the selected books every month, then give a little talk about it to the other members at the monthly meeting. Since there were only 3 other kids - all fourth graders - who showed up, that may not take long.

This is a natural for Wendy, who LOVES to read. She loves reading so much, in fact, that last year she set a new record for Accelerated Reading points at her school, breaking the old record by something like 100 points. (To get AR points, you must read an approved book and take a comprehension test on it). She got a medal for that, and I snapped this photo right after the awards ceremony:


We're not proud, or anything.

I also held our second soccer practice, and the girls drilled on kinds of kicks, positions, playing goalie, and we had a fun dribble relay, using the plastic cones. Definite progress!
That's it for Waltrip's World. Hope all is well in your world.
Randy

Wendy Loves Her Gymnastics Class

It's a hot, steamy morning here in Murray, Kentucky - 75 degrees at 8 a.m., with 92% humidity. Prelude to a hot, steamy day.
Well, I wanted to report that Wendy's first gymnastics experience was a good one. She received instruction on the balance beam and the uneven bars, and especially enjoyed capering about on the beam and chalking her hands - imaging she was in the Olympics, no doubt! Happily, the wrist she had injured a week ago roller skating didn't bother her. Though there were only three in her class, the room was chock full of leaping, tumbling girls, for the competitive cheer team was practicing at the same time. I liked the fact that the facility has special bleacher seats that the parents can sit in and watch their children practice; her dance studio didn't want the parents watching at all.

At the end of her class, her instructor asked if this was Wendy's first time in a gym class. "Yes, it is", we answered. "Well, she's very strong", the instructor replied.
I shot a few photos, but because our little camera has a little flash - and because this gym is a large gym - their quality leaves much to be desired. Nonetheless, here's a sampling:

Kick-off To Another Soccer Season

Well, another soccer season got off to a rousing start yesterday. I'll be coaching Wendy's U-10 girl's soccer team again, and they had their first practice. Heavy rains in the early morning had us a bit worried, but by 5 p.m. the fields were mostly dry. Looks like it will be a good team. There are nine girls on the team, including three of Wendy's good friends - Sarah, Kathryn, and Mallory.

Today there's a Big First coming up: Wendy's first-ever gymnastics class! She has never had the chance to try gymnastics before - just too many plates on her table - but this time around she decided to give her dance lessons a rest (she's been in dance pretty much since she was 3), which opened the door for gymnastics. She's psyched, especially since we watched a lot of the women's gymnastics during the Olympics, and she was a big Shawn Johnson fan. Her class will involve instruction on the uneven bars, the balance beam, the vault, and the floor - all four of the events they do in the Olympics!

So, this is how her schedule is looking: soccer practice on Monday and Thursday, with games on Saturday; piano/voice lessons on Tuesday, followed by gymnastics; nothing at all on Wednesday - wow, what a concept!; Archery Club on Mondays, once it starts; Girl Scouts one Thursday a month; and of course, fourth grade every weekday.

Well, it's off to gymnastics. Take care, and have a great day!

Randy

Welcome to Waltrip's World!

Hello everyone,

I've decided to create a family blog, a place where family and friends can visit to learn about the latest highlights of our lives, along with a smattering of photos and periodic musings. I may be inspired to make daily entries, so check back often! Just bookmark this link, and give it a click whenever curiosity strikes.

Isn't it amazing how the Digital Age has changed our lives? I can remember a time when a few brief words scrawled in a Christmas card - or an (expensive) wired telephone call - were about the only ways there were to find out about anyone who didn't live nearby. Now, with the click of a mouse, we can send mail across the country or across the world, share photographs and home movies with just about anyone anywhere, and enjoy virtual "front-porch visits" by visiting a family's blog. So, don't be a stranger.......stop on by for a visit.....often.