Oldtime Baseball

While the Door County Baseball League holds itself out as one of America's oldest, continuously operating, amateur baseball leagues it doesn't hold the pole position.  It's pretty close, though.

Founded in 1914 the National Amateur Baseball Federation is the absolute oldest.

Followed by the Boston Park League founded in 1929.

Who is the absolute oldest is a matter of some controversy and dispute as a consequence of amateur vs. semi-pro, reorganizations and continuity. 

The Door County league was founded in 1931 and does hold an unbroken record of never missing a season.  It survived the Great Depression, managed to continue playing for the duration of World War II and the COVID pandemic.  Not many amateur leagues can make that claim.

So, even though it's not the oldest, this year is its 95th season of uninterrupted, small town  amateur baseball.  Which is a big claim considering the county's population (give or take) has grown from 18,000 people in 1930 to 30,000 people nowadays.

Photo - Kolberg Braves 

So if your visiting on a weekend and want to hop in the Mule with us and drive down the road about a mile to Kolberg for some Sunday afternoon baseball there's a good chance you and your sweetie can catch a Kolberg Braves home game.  Admission, a couple of beers and a hotdog might set you back $20 (all-in) so it's a bargain by any measure.

That's what made America Great!  

You can learn more here.

Smokin' For Paws

Yesterday afternoon we went over to the Brussels Town Park  to check out the 2026  Smokin' For Paws Rib Cook Off.  This is a sanctioned event and it's outgrown the vacant lot adjacent to Rouer's Grand Slam as the field of competitors is growing.

There were 27 teams from Wisconsin and neighboring states; most being professional competitors along with a few really talented backyard enthusiasts.

 

Funds raised from this competition are to support the acquisition of a service dog for placement with a worthy veteran or first responder along with supporting our local BUG Fire Department.

Feeling a BBQ pork-induced coma coming-on we returned home for nap.

While I can't guarantee it I'd be willing to bet this competition will return next year even bigger and better.

Stay-tuned and check out Face Book if you subscribe for interviews and coverage via Let's Go Door County!

Play Ball!

What a way to spend a perfect Sunday afternoon. 

Home field for the Braves is just down the road a piece; consequently, Sunday afternoon baseball is perfect. 

Kolberg over Maplewood 3-0.

Feeling more like summertime every day…

 

Dump Run

This Chevy Silverado pick-up still runs like a champ.  And it will be celebrating its 29th birthday in September.  That was when it rolled-off the assembly line in Flint Michigan in 1997.

We take care of our vehicles and tend to run them until the wheels fall-off.

It's spring-cleaning time around here so when making a trip to the town dump it's always a delight to rock some Marshall Tucker on the cassette player.

Who do you know has a working cassette player anymore?  Much less, a cassette tape collection.... 

 

Post-Blizzard Report

Just got home following some folderol with our curling friends in the naked city.  And it is stunning to see how much of the snow deposited over 48 hours a week ago has melted. My sump pump rejoices.

And a bigger hand to everyone else who toiled under stressful conditions to keep roads and essential services open.

Cheers!

 

Sockdolager!

Forecast was for a cessation of snowfall by 4 PM. Took these shots before 3:30. The sun is shining and the wind continues to howl out of the north. Gusts up to 60+ MPH are absolutely brutal. 

 

 

Look like we got at about 27-30 inches on the level. Reports suggest Sturgeon Bay got 35+. 

The drifts are amazing.

 

Businesses, schools and churches are closed with many of the town roads impassable. We’re on a county road and will get further attention after the state highways are completed. No power outages for us but half of the statewide total is confined to the peninsula. 

 

Waiting on our plow guy to take a stab at clearing the driveway so I can fetch the blower from the machine shed and finish digging out. 

 

Winter Storm Elsa was a whopper two day nor'easter; a real Sockdolager! 

About Those Signs Of Spring

Spoke too soon about springtime.

When you live half-way between the equator and the North Pole the month of March can throw you a curve ball from time to time.

Woke-up today to this.

Business has been brisk at the bird feeders all day with the arrival of more of the summertime species in the past week.  So doggo and I went out to top them-off and deployed an additional two suet feeders.

Presently it looks like there is 8 to 10 inches of snow on the level, with another 18 to 20 in the next twenty four hours.  We got a regular nor'easter on our hands with winds coming off the lake gusting to 40 miles per hour.

Snug here with a nonstop fire in the wood burner since last evening.  We even had bacon with breakfast; because, there's a blizzard going on.

No power outages (yet).

Everything is closed except the local watering hole  Come to think about it the only way to get there is by snowmobile.....  

 

Peninsula Still Life

This is singularly the best photo to come across my device in quite a while.

Quintessentially, Door County Winter.....

photo credit - Rosann Hollinger (click on image to enlarge)

   

Friday Music

 

Last Thursday brought the fourth visit to the Door Community Auditorium and second performance for us.

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives knocked another ball out of the park.  

If you’re a fan of old school country, Mole Lake Blue Grass Fest, a Stones tune composed at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios or Fender Telecaster surf music; Marty delivers!

Intimacy of Gibraltar High School Auditorium is bonus.

Fast Fact:  Yes, the bassist for Marty Stuart's band is Chris Scruggs, who joined in 2015.  He is the grandson of legendary banjo player Earl Scruggs and also plays guitar, steel guitar and drums.

Strict copyright enforcement restricted photos and video of last week's performance; nevertheless YouTube delivers with a four song set list......

Front to Back

A sunrise

And a sunset

When you live in flyover country the views over the horizon are generally pretty nice.... 

Another First

Thirty-one years I've been here on the Peninsula and I've never had a personal encounter with a tick.  Almost anywhere else in the state of Wisconsin is an altogether different story - mostly involving wood ticks.  But here?  Nada.

Until last weekend. 

This is a deer tick. 

A first. 

It's a blood-feeding arachnid; and we picked a half-dozen or so off the dogs following our hike on the Ledge last weekend.  

This is the first time we've personally been witness to ticks on the peninsula.  Heretofore, I always assumed my personal experience was evidence that Door County was low on the margins of tick sightings and tick-borne illness.  A little bit of internet sleuthing suggests tick-borne illnesses have been on the uptick (pardon the pun) of late.

The trend for the tick population on the peninsula is increasing, as evidenced by a significant rise in both tick-borne illnesses and related hospitalizations in recent years. Contributing factors likely include an expanding tick population (mild winters), improved reporting and increasing numbers of outdoor enthusiasts recreating in tick habitats.

These buggers are exceedingly small and difficult to spot.  You're likely to feel it before you see it. 

This is a black-legged tick - Ixodes scapularis.  And it is the primary vector for Lyme disease in the eastern and Midwestern United States.  There's some additional scary-sounding diseases this arachnid will share with you; including, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, Powassan virus disease, and ehrlichiosis associated with Ehrlichia muris eauclarensis.  Consequently, we'll likely have to take greater precautions treating outdoor footwear and clothing and be extra vigilant with tick risk exposures.  Ugh.

Friday Music

After years of attempts to lure the California Honeydrops to the Door Community Auditorium; last Saturday this group knocked the ball out of the park with two incredible sets and a lengthy encore featuring their hand-clapping, hip-shaking brand of jazz, funk and retro-soul in a high-energy celebration of performance art.  Just like a New Orleans club without having to take the trip.

From humble beginnings in the Oakland subway the group was founded by frontman Lech Wierzynski and drummer Benjamin Malament.  The band's name was inspired by the 1930s jug band, The Tennessee Chocolate Drops.

The band doesn't follow a set list; rather taking improvisational inspiration from requests shouted from the audience letting the music lead them on a one-of-a-kind experience for each performance.  The band now features an octet of talented musicians  that really put a performance together on the fly without skipping a beat.

This was singularly one of the best concerts we've enjoyed at the cozy and intimate venue of Gibraltar High School.

One word - FUN!

Field of Dreams

Just down the road from where we live you will find our local Field of Dreams in the tiny town of Kolberg Wisconsin.  It's a regulation ball park with a small set of bleachers, a new fence and backstop along with a new concession building including bathrooms.  Home to the Kolberg Braves - included in the lineup of teams belonging to the county's baseball league.

We spent yesterday afternoon with friends for the last game of the season.  What a spectacular summer afternoon in the shade with a cold beer or two, brats, peanuts admission and parking for a fraction of the cost of VIP parking at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

Braves over the Bays - 7 to 0. 

 

Kolberg defeats Sister Bay to bring home another Peninsula County League Championship!

 

Sunset

click on image to enlarge

 

Big sunset in big peninsula sky.

Nicely-groomed trail too, eh?

 

Ruby Approved….

Belgian Days

The 64th Annual Brussels Lions Club Belgian Days festival is in the books.  For a small town the Belgian community sure knows how to throw a party; and party they did.

Supported by a boost in attendance, preliminary gross sales for the park concession stand, food and beverages set another record.  And it was a thirsty crowd with 86 half-barrels of beer along with an additional four kegs of hard cherry cider emptied.  Since introduced a year ago the sale of vodka-infused (Class B permit) seltzer and lemonade adult beverages - such as Carbliss, NÜTRL and Mike's Hard Lemonade sales have exploded to enhance the festival's bottom line. 

When was the last time you got to step-up and show-off your strongman skills?

You can at Belgian Days.

And Sunday closed with some traditional peninsula country music magic to include our own local Modern Day Drifters... 

Belgian Days

By the time you read this I'll be pulling my first and last shift as a volunteer at the Brussels Lions Club 64th Annual Belgian Days.

The festivities begin with a parade that begins at St. Francis and St. Mary Church, winds thru town and makes the final turn to land at Brussels Town Park.  There will be the last of boys and girls youth tournament baseball and softball.  The last of the food and beverages.  The last band as well. We're hopeful to sell out of everything with the exception of a few remaining kegs of beer.  

With all hands on desk, taking everything down comes-together pretty quickly.  And after everything has been cleaned and stored the opportunity to kick back with your neighbors and finish-off the last of the beer with a beautiful peninsula sunset is an appealing prospect.  Sure, there will remain some odds and ends to be performed on Monday; but the heavy lift will be in the rear view mirror.

Once we have an after action report I'll endeavor to report some of the results of this once a year fundraiser.  Brussels Lions don't host a periodic brat fry at the grocery, sell roses, chocolates or other stuff for fundraising.  Our club does everything in one fell swoop. One and done.  I'm not implying it is better; but it works for us and our unique circumstances.

In case you're wondering here's pricing on beverages

And this is what making the third batch of booyah looks like.  Naturally that is wood fired cooking....

 

 

Belgian Days

The Brussels Lions Club 64th Annual Belgian Days kicked-off on Friday afternoon with two ball fields hosting youth teams from all over for a weekend tournament. It is a big deal for youth baseball and softball in northeast Wisconsin to travel here for a weekend of ball.  How big a deal you ask?  I am told organizers have more applicants than slots.  My only regret is that as a working volunteer I did not have time to sit in the stands and watch play on one of the two fields and take some action photos.  Maybe another year.

As for the fundraising for the Lions Club I am also told that the preliminary numbers are looking better that last year - and naturally other prior years.  Anecdotally, I can tell you that with two bands on the schedule for Saturday sales were brisk for the first shift (mine) which has traditionally been slower-paced.  Time will tell. 

The first band on-deck was Carbon Road.

A high energy keep em dancing act they were a high energy production.  Song selections ranging from the 60s to current pop, country and full tilt Rock 'n Roll. Five multi-talented musicians with years of experience converge on the stage to present a professional, interactive and crowd pleasing show.  Outstanding vocals!  Website including playlists here.

Here is their opening number....  

 

Edit to add - Second band on tap was Star Six Nine.  

Established in 2008, Star Six Nine has played everything from the big stages at Summerfest, to Festivals, to Bars and even backyard BBQs. Winners of the 2019 WAMI Cover Band of the Year and nominated many years prior to that.

3 lead singers and WAMI nominated musicians keeps the night interesting, paired with great sound and lights!

Rock? Pop? Country? They bring it to the stage.

More about the band including their playlist here.

Yesterday's opening number and kudos to the little kids.  Belgian Days is a family-friendly event after-all.... 

Belgian Days

The Brussels Lions Club 64th Annual Belgian Days kicked-off yesterday afternoon with two ball fields hosting youth teams from all over for a weekend tournament. 

All kinda food and beverages including Belgian specialties such a jutt, trippe and Belgian pie. There is Booyah too.  And live music all weekend long including two bands tomorrow and another on Sunday. 

Boogie and the Yo-Yoz returned this year for a Marquee 30th Anniversary performance.  As part of their milestone celebration, Boogie and the Yo-Yoz are hosting a select series of shows that feature special appearances by past members who helped shape the band’s legacy over the past three decades.  Belgian Days is one of them!

I rose early today to get over to the town park for Belgian Waffles and breakfast trippe. 

If ever you plan a trip to the peninsula be sure to mark your calendar as Belgian Days is always held the second weekend of July.

 

Look for me; there's a good chance I'll be behind the bar serving adult beverages.  

 

Belgian Days

The Belgian flag flies proudly this weekend…

 

First Pony Car

 

From the 4th Annual BUG Firefighters Car and Motor Show there is a 1966 Plymouth Barracuda - easily identified by the distinctive fastback wraparound rear glass.

Based on the Valiant the Barracuda launched on April 1, 1964. The new model used the Valiant's wheelbase, hood, headlamp bezels, windshield, vent windows, quarter panels, doors, A-pillar, and bumpers; the trunk and some of the glass was new.  The greatest effort was put into creating its ginormous rear window, a collaboration between Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) and Chrysler designers that created the largest ever installed on a standard production car to that time.  The fold-down rear seat was a novelty at the time.

The power train was identical to the Valiant's, including two versions of Chrysler's slant-6 engine.  The highest-power option for 1964 was Chrysler's all-new 273 cu in (4.5 L) V8 equipped with a two-barrel carburetor producing 180 HP.  1964 was the first for the Barracuda and also the last year for push-button control of the optional Torqueflite automatic transmission.

Later generations, like the third generation introduced in 1970, moved to the Chrysler E-body platform and featured more aggressive styling and muscle.

Fun Fact - The Barracuda launch beat the Ford Mustang by two weeks; it's the first

Pony Car.