Saturday October 18, 2025

Sunday October 19, 2025

When I came out of church at noon, Main Street was busy with the Autorama taking place. The weather forecast had called for heavy rain and storms beginning around 3 p.m., so I suppose people wanted to get in and out of town before the bad weather arrived. We ended up getting quite a bit of rain — 1.15 inches in all.

Would tonight be the first time in history that the Seattle Mariners won the pennant, putting them in their first-ever World Series? No! The Blue Jays dominated Game 6, winning 6–2. For at least one more day, the Mariners will remain the only team in baseball never to play in a World Series.

Saturday October 18, 2025

The Autumn Leaf Festival kicked off today. I spent most of the day working off and on, putting things away and tidying up the dining room and kitchen. Hannah had a volleyball tournament that lasted all day, then hurried home to get ready for Cranberry’s homecoming with Landon. Since there was no baseball tonight, I was able to turn in at my usual time—8 p.m.

Thursday October 16, 2025

Mark and I got the kitchen painted today and just started on the dining room before we ran out of paint. I’ll pick up more paint tomorrow morning, and we plan to finish the dining room and wrap up all the painting.

We also drove up to Home Depot and picked up some molding to go around the kitchen counter.

Tonight was the KSAC championship in volleyball. It took four sets, but Keystone dethroned Clarion-Limestone. Keystone is a very athletic team that makes few mistakes. Before the match started, the KSAC All-Stars were announced and called out onto the floor.

Additionally, the District 9 seeding and playoff brackets were released. C-L will be seeded fourth, while Keystone will be the top seed. C-L will have a bye and will play the winner of North Clarion and Clarion. That game will be at Clarion-Limestone next Thursday. If C-L wins, they will likely have to travel to Port Allegany for the District 9 semifinal. If they lose, their season will be over.

In baseball, it’s looking like the Dodgers are going to run away with the postseason. They’re up three games to none on the Brewers and have a chance to wrap that series up in front of their home crowd today or tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays beat Seattle to tie that series at two games apiece. So far, the visiting team has won all four games in that series. 

Wednesday October 15, 2025

While I was at the Y this morning, Missy—who was down there too—told me that Brody was in the pool doing physical therapy. So I looked down from the windows above, and sure enough, there he was. I even got a picture of him. Behind him was a group of elderly women doing water aerobics, and I teased Brody that he was working out with them.

Mark came in for a couple of hours in the afternoon and started cutting in the painting around the trim and edges. I had spent a couple of hours in the morning wiping down the walls and ceiling and removing things so we’d have plenty of space to work.

In the evening at Tippin Gum, it was the KSAC semifinals. C-L played Clarion in the first match, and in the second match, Brookville played Keystone. The two winners were to move on and play Thursday night for the championship—there’s no consolation game. C-L beat Clarion in straight sets (25-20, 25-22, 25-16). Hannah had a good night and was recognized as the player of the match, but there was also a lot of strong play from her teammates. I thought Kaylee Smith had a very strong game.

In the nightcap, Keystone won in straight sets over Brookville, so it’ll be C-L versus Keystone tomorrow night. C-L is looking forward to another shot at the Lady Panthers who will enter this match undefeated on the season.

In baseball, Seattle got a home game and was hoping to go up 3–0 over Toronto, but Toronto blew them away. That series now stands at two games to one.

Tuesday October 14, 2025

I patched some nail holes in the dining room and did a few other small prep jobs to get ready for painting the dining room and kitchen. Mark came in and put tape around the cupboards. We had planned to start painting today or Wednesday, but when I went up to Sherwin-Williams yesterday to buy a couple of gallons of paint, the clerk told me they’ll be some $30 off per gallon if I wait until Friday. All the brushes and other supplies will also be 40% off then.

I’ve got about half a gallon of paint to get started on Wednesday, but I’ll hold off on the rest until Friday and save about $70 overall.

Frank was at Walmart and saw big turkeys selling for 97¢ per pound and he bought two turkeys over 20 pounds and put them in the freezer down in the garage. 

 In baseball, the Brewers played the Dodgers again tonight and lost again—dropping both home games. Now they head to Los Angeles, and the Brewers are in big trouble. Seattle will play on Wednesday night, and they lead Toronto two games to none with the next three games at home.

Sunday October 12, 2025

Monday October 13, 2025

There were two MLB League Championship games today. The Dodgers beat the Brewers to take a 1-0 lead in the series while the Mariners won again at Toronto to lead the series 2-0.

The ALL-KSAC VOLLEYBALL team was announced.

MVP: Kaylee Smith (Clarion-Limestone)

FIRST TEAM

Marley Kline (Clarion), Isabella Brandon (Keystone), Hannah Beggs (Clarion-Limestone), Kaylee Smith (Clarion-Limestone), Kinsley Freeman (North Clarion), Maddy Dehart (A-C Valley)

SECOND TEAM

Addiwyn Campbell (Clarion), Samantha Whitling (Brookville), Elaina Carrico (Redbank Valley), Kyler Freeman (North Clarion), Emily Matz (Moniteau), Addison Say (Keystone)

THIRD TEAM

Naomi Venesky (Karns City), Katherine Burrows (Keystone), Palynn Lindermuth (Brookville), Avery Coe (Cranberry), Lilly Shumaker (Keystone), Sayge Brunst (Moniteau)

Saturday October 11, 2025

Of course, I slept in after being up so late Friday evening for that 15-inning game. At 1 p.m., I listened to some of the college volleyball broadcast, as Danny was doing his first play-by-play. In fact, he was alone at the broadcast table and did a great job handling it all himself.

There was one baseball game this evening — the Cubs at Milwaukee. The Brewers won 3–1 and will now play the Dodgers for the right to go to the World Series. The American League Championship Series will begin Sunday evening with Seattle at Toronto

FanGraphs lists the following probabilities to win the World Series as the LCS begins: Dodgers 43%, Blue Jays 27%, Mariners 18%, and Brewers 12%. I’ll be happy with any of the three winning — the Brewers, Mariners, or Blue Jays. I just don’t want the Dodgers in the World Series let alone to win it!

Friday October 10, 2025

I took some items out to Lue for her church’s rummage sale — a few ALF glasses and several vases. Since it was Clark Township cleanup day, I also had loaded up some things to toss in the dumpster while I was there. As I was finishing up, Jared pulled in with his trash.

What a game between the Mariners and the Tigers! I stayed up for the whole thing — it went 15 innings, and the Mariners won 3–2. It turned out to be the longest winner-take-all postseason game ever. Both teams had chances here and there, but the pitchers kept finding ways to get out of trouble until that 15th inning. The game lasted over five hours, and I finally got to bed at 1:10 am.

I’m really hoping Seattle makes it to the World Series, and if not them, then Toronto. Now those two teams will face each other, and one of them will be playing in the World Series that starts in two weeks.

As I watched baseball, I checked in on the Central Clarion game. They were hosting Bradford. Well, it wasn’t much of a game as Central Clarion won 86-0. 

Thursday, October 9

Danny and I headed down to Clarion Area for the final regular season volleyball match of the year, and later Rick caught up with us there. What an exciting match—it was well-played from start to finish. All three sets were close, and at times it looked like Clarion would take each one, but C-L came through in the clutch every time, winning 25–22, 25–21, and 27–25.

In the opening set, C-L trailed 22–19 before gaining the serve to make it 22–20. That’s when Hannah stepped to the line and served for the final five points, finishing it off with an ace to seal the 25–22 win. Hannah had 10 kills on the night, but her overall play was very good—as was the team’s. The return of Kaylee Smith made a huge difference; the team looked much more in sync with her back on the court. Marley Kline also had a standout performance with 20 kills, 16 digs, and two aces.

So Keystone will end up as number one in the regular season, with Clarion-Limestone number two, Clarion Area third, and Brookville fourth. Next Wednesday at Tippin, Clarion-Limestone and Clarion Area will meet again in the semifinals of the KSAC Championship, while Keystone will take on Brookville. The consolation and championship games will follow the next night.

After the match, Rick, Danny, and I stopped by Applebee’s to grab something to eat.

Wednesday October 8, 2025

I got up a little later this morning, probably because of staying up late watching baseball last night. The walk along the Route 66 trail felt good—peaceful, quiet, and just what I needed to start the day. I got back with just enough time before the prayer meeting, and it was a good time of sharing and lifting one another up.

Afterward, I turned my attention to the dining room, finishing up the job of clearing it out and taking pictures off the wall. It feels strange seeing the room so bare, but also good knowing I’m getting closer to painting it. 

The rest of the day belonged to baseball—four games in all. I really wanted Seattle to win, but they came up short. Now they’ll have to face Skubal again on Friday night in a do-or-die game back in Seattle. The Cubs and Phillies both won to stay alive, but the highlight for me was Toronto’s win. The Blue Jays knocked out the Yankees, which means they move on to play Sunday against the winner of Detroit and Seattle.

Even if Seattle doesn’t make it, I’ll still have Toronto to root for. Between the two, I’d love to see Seattle go all the way, but either one would make me happy. There’s something fun about following teams you enjoy.

Monday October 6, 2025

The C-L volleyball team played at Keystone tonight in a matchup of two undefeated teams in KSAC play. Although the two teams were fairly even, Keystone came out on top, sweeping C-L in three sets by scores of 25–23, 25–23, and 25–19. With the win, Keystone finishes the regular season undefeated and will enter the KSAC tournament next week as the number one seed.

CL still has one more league game left, against Clarion on Thursday. I was very impressed with Keystone—they were athletic, skilled, served well, and had a balanced team. They can be beaten by C-L or Clarion, but it will be tough.

In baseball, the Dodgers beat the Phillies once again and now head back to Los Angeles with a 2–0 lead in the series. The Phillies are in trouble, and so are the Cubs, who lost 7–3 to Milwaukee. That series shifts to Chicago with the Cubs trailing two games to one. Both series are off on Tuesday and will resume Wednesday.

Sunday October 5, 2025

After church today, we had a meal in honor of Debbie Miles, who will be leaving her position as office manager. It was a nice time of fellowship and appreciation for all she’s done for our church.

Once again, the Yankees were overmatched by the Toronto Blue Jays. The final score was 13–7, with Toronto taking a 2–0 lead in the best-of-five series. Twenty-two-year-old Trey Yesavage struck out 11 Yankees over 5⅓ innings of no-hit baseball—a postseason franchise record. He’s only been in the majors for a few weeks, making his major league debut on September 15, 2025, and I’m sure fans in Toronto will be talking for years about what he did today.

I couldn’t stay up for the late game, though I really wanted to see Detroit and Seattle. Seattle edged out a 3–2 victory to even the series at one game apiece. The next two games will be played in Detroit. 

Frank and Lue had a long, hard day. Their cruise ship docked early in the morning. They exchanged planes in Bradenton and that plane to Pittsburgh was delayed more than four hours.

Saturday October 4, 2025

After I got back from the Y, I went up to the church where they were having a workday. There were people working both inside and outside, and I joined the outside crew. We were raking and shoveling off all the old mulch since the plan is to get rid of it this fall. In the spring, I believe the plan is to put stone down instead.

After that, I came home and worked on my Sunday morning lesson, then spent about an hour outside blowing leaves off the bank and mowing them up with my riding mower.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was all about baseball, with four playoff games on the schedule. The winners in the first games of the best-of-five series were the Dodgers, Brewers, Tigers, and Blue Jays.

Friday October 3, 2025

Around midday, I went to Brookville to pick up the ham for the church dinner this Sunday, which will take place right after the service. It’s a goodbye meal for Debbie Miles.

There was no baseball today, as we’re between series—the Wild Card round and the League Championship Series—but there will be four games on Saturday.

I hope Hamas accepts the peace deal. I’m so tired of thinking about those poor people starving, losing their families, and having nowhere to live. I’m ready for the rebuilding to begin and for peace to finally come.

I also glanced at the cruise locator and noticed that the Frank and Lue cruise ship seems to be heading back toward Florida and Port Canaveral. When I looked, they were just off the coast of Cuba. 

Thursday October 2, 2025

This morning, Lue texted me to let me know she had received word from the church that C.V. Curll had passed away. Later in the morning, while I was at Bible study, Jimmy Carl came into the church and shared the same sad news—that he had been in surgery, apparently to remove some cancerous tumors, and tragically, he bled out on the operating table.

I taught Bible study for Jason today, focusing on chapter 3 of Zephaniah.

Tonight, Hannah and the volleyball team were down at A-C Valley. Danny didn’t ride with me, but he came to the match with two friends and sat with me on the top row. CL won in three straight sets.

The first set was a nail-biter. They fell behind 20–16 but rallied to pull out a 28–26 win. The second set was another close one, with CL winning 25–20. They then closed out the night in convincing fashion with a 25–15 victory in the third set.

According to YDL Sports Network, “Hannah Beggs had a monster night, swinging for 21 kills to go with 8 digs. Kalyssa Ferguson added 8 kills and 11 digs, while Corinne Hepfl chipped in 5 kills and 14 digs.”

The Wild Card Series ended tonight in Major League Baseball. Detroit finished off Cleveland. The Yankees will move on, sending Boston home, and the Cubs took care of San Diego. That leaves us with eight teams. On Saturday, Detroit will be at Seattle, Chicago will be at Milwaukee, the Dodgers will play at Philadelphia, and the Yankees will be in Toronto.

Wednesday October 1, 2025

If Mom were still alive, today would have been her 90th birthday. 

It was another very nice morning for walking the Route 66 Trail. I did notice some leaves scattered on the ground, but the bulk of them are still clinging to the trees.

I spent about three hours on church work—an hour preparing for Thursday morning’s Bible study and then another couple of hours helping someone in the church who was having some trouble.

In the afternoon and into the evening, I settled in to watch baseball as the playoffs continued. Los Angeles beat the Reds, eliminating Cincinnati, and now the Dodgers will travel to Philadelphia to begin the best-of-five series on Saturday. Meanwhile, Cleveland evened their series with Detroit. Boston and New York are now tied, as are San Diego and Chicago. All three of those series will be decided on Thursday. 

Tuesday September 30, 2025

This morning started with a trip to Oil City for my dentist appointment. My dentist is well past retirement age, but he keeps on working. I’m glad he does, because he’s not only good at what he does but also someone I genuinely enjoy seeing. There’s a steadiness about him that makes me feel like I’m in good hands.

I made it back home just in time to catch Cleveland’s first Wild Card game against Detroit. Unfortunately, Tarik Skubal was dealing, and the Guardians just couldn’t solve him. Detroit took the game, and in fact, all the other Wild Card matchups ended up being decisive as well. The Cubs knocked off the Padres, the Red Sox got the better of the Yankees, and in the nightcap, Shohei Ohtani showed once again why he’s must-see baseball—smashing two home runs to power the Dodgers past the Reds.

In the evening, I picked up Danny and we headed to C-L’s final home volleyball game of the season. This was C-L’s pink-out night and they honored and supported Gene Smith. He and his family were in attendance. C-L swept Karns City in straight sets, winning 25–10, 25–21, and 25–10. Hannah didn’t rack up as many kills as she usually does, finishing with five, but she made up for it with her strong serving, adding four aces. She didn’t play bad at all, she just didn't get the opportunities.

Now the real tests lie ahead. Their last three matches are on the road. This Thursday at AC Valley, and then next week brings the big showdowns: undefeated Keystone on Monday, followed by the always-intense rivalry match against Clarion on Thursday. The season is building toward a dramatic finish.

For the next month, with the baseball playoffs and World Series happening, I’ll most likely be going to bed later, getting up later, and updating my webpage later each day.

Sunday September 28, 2025

I preached the sermon today entitled Lessons Learned. After the service, our church held its annual meeting.

What a final day of baseball’s regular season! I had six games going at once, all with playoff implications as the postseason begins Tuesday.

The Toronto Blue Jays capped off a strong 2025 campaign by winning the American League East — their first division crown since 2015. They edged the Yankees on a head-to-head tiebreaker, sealing it with a convincing 13–4 win over Tampa Bay in their finale.

But oh, those Guardians! The Cleveland Guardians delivered one of the greatest comebacks in MLB history, rallying from a 15½-game deficit in July — the largest ever overcome to win a division — to capture the AL Central. Even as late as September 3, they still trailed by 10 games. A torrid hot streak, combined with Detroit’s stumble, set up a dramatic final week. After pulling even with the Tigers and holding the head-to-head tiebreaker, Cleveland officially clinched when Detroit lost on September 28. Then they put an exclamation point on it with Brayan Rocchio’s three-run, walk-off homer in the 10th against Texas. Truly a historic, storybook finish that made the Guardians instant legends.

Saturday September 27, 2025

I spent the morning working on my sermon and then headed outside in the afternoon to mow up the leaves that had already fallen.

The Cleveland Guardians won today and clinched a spot in the postseason. They still have a chance to win the division on the final day of the season—either with a victory on Sunday or if the Yankees lose.

Today was Rick and Barb’s 50th wedding anniversary. I told them how remarkable it is—and how increasingly rare—to see a couple celebrate such a milestone.

Friday September 26, 2025

Today I went over to the other side of River Hill again to walk on the Route 66 Trail. Afterward, I came back home to work on the sermon for Sunday.

Frank and Lue are leaving Saturday for a cruise in the eastern Caribbean, but they got word today that the itinerary has been changed. Because of the hurricanes, they’ll now be heading to the western Caribbean instead.

In baseball, the Yankees and Blue Jays both won and remain tied for first place in the AL East with just two days left in the season. Over in the AL Central, Cleveland and Detroit both lost, keeping them tied as well.

Thursday September 25, 2025

After Bible study, I met with Jason and Stan to prepare for the annual meeting on Sunday. Later, C-L had a volleyball game at Redbank. Danny drove in to ride down with me, and we left an hour early so we could grab dinner at Joe’s before the match. Rick also came up and joined Craig, Alisha, Tenley, and Maddox at Joe’s, sitting at the next table to ours.

Redbank gave C-L all they could handle, handing the Lady Lions their first dropped set of the season in KSAC play. The final score was 3–1 (25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16). The team was without Kaylee Smith, who received a good report today that her injury is only a sprain. She may be back in a couple of weeks. In her place, Regan Love stepped in as setter and performed well, dishing out 33 assists. 

Hannah had a career night, finishing with 21 kills.

Wednesday September 24, 2025

I watched most of the college volleyball game where Danny was serving as the color commentator. The Golden Eagles pulled out the win in five sets.

At the same time, I was keeping an eye on baseball, and it turned out to be a huge night of news in MLB. First, I had to follow Paul Skenes. I was really hoping he could finish the season with an ERA under 2.00. No Pirate in the Live Ball Era had ever thrown enough innings to qualify for the ERA title and ended the year below that mark. Skenes started the game at 2.03—and he did it! He tossed six shutout innings to close the year with a sparkling 1.97 ERA.

The other headline came from Seattle, where the Mariners clinched their first division title since 2001. Cal Raleigh added to the excitement by joining the 60-homer club, hitting two more in his 11th multi-homer game of the season.

Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the Guardians’ magical run kept rolling. They beat Detroit again to move one game ahead with four to play—effectively two games up thanks to owning the tiebreaker. Cleveland is an incredible 18-5 in September.

Tuesday September 23, 2025

I had a full slate of church meetings today—some in person and others over the phone.

This evening, Danny went with me to the home volleyball match against Forest. He wanted to brush up on the game since he’ll be the color commentator Wednesday evening when the Golden Eagles host Slippery Rock. C-L swept Forest Area 3-0 (25-10, 25-5, 25-9). Kaylee Smith was injured early, but Regan Love stepped in and shined with 22 set assists and six aces. Hannah added 9 kills and 7 aces of her own.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians beat Detroit and their ace Tarik Skubal to pull even with the Tigers for first place. Since Cleveland also secured the season series, they actually hold a one-game lead with just five days left in the MLB season. It’s a remarkable comeback, considering the Guardians were 15½ games out of first place on July 8.

In other baseball news, Major League Baseball announced today that starting next year, the automated balls-and-strikes system will be used for challenges. Each team will be allowed two challenges per game.

Monday September 22, 2025

The fall equinox arrived today at 2:19 p.m., and for the first time in a while, we finally got some rain. Piny Dam measured a little over ¾ inch by midnight, with more expected into early Tuesday. The rainfall brought down plenty of leaves into the yard. My day was packed with meetings and phone calls—virtually nonstop from start to finish—so by the time I had a chance to catch my breath, the day was already over.

Sunday September 21, 2025

I watched parts of the memorial for Charlie Kirk while also keeping an eye on the Steelers game and the Cleveland Guardians. The Steelers beat the Patriots 21-14 or should I say the Patriots beat the Patriots. Meanwhile, the Guardians’ 10-game winning streak came to an end. Fortunately, Detroit lost as well, so with one week left in the season, the Guardians remain just one game behind the Tigers. The two teams will face off in Cleveland for a three-game series Tuesday through Thursday.

Saturday September 20, 2025

I decided to put another coat of stain on the front steps today. Once that was finished, I got out the riding mower and mulched up leaves. 

Afterward, I settled in to watch some baseball. The Guardians have been on a tear—winning a doubleheader for their 10th straight victory. With the Tigers dropping five in a row, Cleveland is now just one game out of first place. Starting Monday, they’ll host Detroit for a three-game series that could decide the division title.

I’ve also been pulling for Seattle to win the AL West. They beat Houston again tonight and now hold a two-game lead over the Astros with eight days to go in the season.

Meanwhile, Danny has begun working some of the college sports broadcasts. Tonight, he was the color commentator for a soccer match as the Golden Eagles hosted IUP. Lue sent me a link, so I tuned in for a while and enjoyed hearing Danny comment on plays and share stats throughout the game.