May the 4th be with you.
It was with the skypilotclub.
Barbecue, birthday bash and club fun.
First appearance of the Skypilots (the band).
First playing of the club song: Skypilot.

Oh say can you see . . . we pledge allegiance to . . . liberty and justice for all . . . truths to be self evident . . . created equal . . . by dawn's early light . . . crown thy good with brotherhood . . . pursuit of happiness . . . rocket's red glare . . . flag is still there . . land of the free . . . home of the brave . . .


And the Beat goes on . . . we were certainly with the fourth. Birthdays galore. Louis Armstrong. James Cagney. Ann Landers. Dear Abbey. Casa Babbs. Rachel Babbs. The U.S. of A.

*****
Sunshine Kesey knows how to hula that thing and is smiley about it, too.

*****
Phil Dietz on the left and Ray Sewell on the right.

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John Swan, in a contemplative mood . . . Casa Babbs (birthday girl).

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Rachel Babbs, another birthday girl. . . . . . . . . . . .Curtis King and Faye Kesey

 

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Kris and Simon Babbs. Yes, they are having a baby so there was also a baby shower on the 4th. Got started about noon with the traditional lighting of the barbecue fires, filling the air with the smell of wood smoke. The singing of the Star Spangled Banner and the raising of the flag. The slapping on the grill of burgers and hot dogs and chicken and ribs and beef slabs next to tables laden with salads and melons and casseroles and pies and cakes and over there under the tree an insulated box full of cups of ice cream made by Chuck Kesey at the Springfield Creamery. Music, eating, chatting and baby showering till dark when with no lights to see by, everyone went home or retired to their tents and campers to spend the night.

*******
. . . . . . . . . Dancers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


. . . . . . .Lugers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kissers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Swingers . . . . . .

Next day there was a massive cleanup party and the barbecue went on.

-- this report submitted by Cap'n Hookeye the third.


OLD PAGES

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2002

They call themselves the Wolfpack, the only team to wear tye-die shirts. Coed in an all-boys league. They can hold their own. Just graduated from the eighth grade, next year they are in high school. Over the weekend they played in a big tournament, in the age fifteen boys bracket. Held their own. One team was clearly the best. The CG Poachers. Romped through the tourney undefeated. The Wolfpack tied once and won the rest. Sunday they met the Poachers head on. The Wolfpack went down. Five to two. But it wasn't over yet. They had to play again for the championship. Three hours later, in the evening.

Some of the Wolfpack didn't want to play. A few of them were headed out with their families on vacation. A couple others were hurt. Two or three just didn't want to play that team again. But the game was on.

We met at the field at five-thirty for a six o'clock start. Five of the Wolfpack showed up. Two girls and three boys. Not enough players, they had to forfeit. But one of the other teams in their bracket, KS United, said they'd join in and play with the Wolfpack. The Poachers said, sure, we'll play you and if you win we'll give you the trophy. That's how confident they were.

They played like it too. The Wolfpack was losing 2 nil at the half. Then, early in the second half the Wolfpack scored to make it 2-1. The Poachers scored again, seeemingly putting the game out of reach. 3 to 1. With only five minutes to go, Nate, the Wolfpack goalie, now playing striker, put in a header. 3 to 2, Now only a couple minutes to go and like a bolt thrust to the gut, the speed merchant from KS United, now playing with the Wolfpack, beat everyone down field and fired a strike past the goalie and the game ended. A tie, 3 to 3.

The poachers disdained a shootout. They weren't going to take any chances losing their first place trophy. The Wolfpack and their new team-mates from KS United lined up for the second place medals. It was a surprising, uplifting end to a hard-fraught tourney.

-- Cap'n Ken


June 21, 2002

The longest day of the year, 17 hours of sunlight in Oregon. Great day to have your love life foretold because the veil between the seen and unseen world is thinnest today; also the yin is waxing over the yang and the women have decorated a tree and are dancing around it before they go bathing in the Nile Valley which is being flooded, so whew, have some beer and cheese and chill out with happy thoughts of today and the anticipation of a full moon coming up on Monday.

--Cap'n Ken

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