Books For The Road - Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story

Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story was a book I had planned to read for a long time and finally decided the time was right. It was the beginning of baseball's preseason and we were going to the first few games in Goodyear, Arizona. A far cry from the atmosphere in which Mordecai Brown played back in the early 1900s.

Brown came from Terre Haute, Indiana, and ended up playing a good part of his career for the very successful Chicago Cubs. Back in a day when everyone in baseball seemed to have some sort of nickname, Brown's name, Three Finger, came from the shape of his pitching hand. When he was a small child, he'd lost his index finger in a farm machine. With amazing determination, Brown overcame the disability and became one of the greats of baseball history.

The book is written by Cindy Thomson and Scott Brown who are distant cousins of Mordecai Brown. The beginning pages tell the reader of their discovery of their relationship and how they came to write the book.

This is not a book for a casual read. While entertaining in its own right, it is a book for baseball buffs and those serious in learning more about baseball history and its players. It is filled with a lot of statistics from many of those exciting games the Cubs played back then and of course stats from Brown's career. There is a very interesting section toward the end which speaks to just how Brown was able to pitch so well without an index finger.

Mordecai Brown was eventually immortalized in the Hall of Fame and with a statue dedicated to him just a few years ago near his birth place. He was remembered as quite a gentleman and a man who cared about his community and the people he met along the way. Something I wish we'd see more of in today's athletes.

Arizona - Goodyear Ballpark

Following our plan to escape at least part of the winter weather of home, we arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, for the sole purpose of enjoying the first sign of spring--Indians' baseball preseason opener. It was also a good excuse to see what Arizona was like. We've heard it's become another Sno-bird retreat and retirement area.

First things first: The preseason opener! The weather was perfect for baseball. At least I think it was. The climate is so dry there, it made me wonder how it affects pitching and hitting. We arrived at what we thought was an early time (an hour before first pitch) but found the parking lot already filling up. We later learned that the earlier birds got a special pass to get autographs from players.

The Goodyear Ballpark was very much like some of the minor league parks we've been to in our area. Smaller more intimate than a major league park but not as intimate as the old ballpark in Winterhaven where the Indians used to have their spring training. The Winterhaven park also had a little more covered area where you could get out of the sun. Fortunately, Bob had purchased tickets in what was considered the club area. It was the only spot guaranteed out of the sun and while the temperatures weren't all that warm, the sun was brutally strong and you could burn quickly and easily.

Slider, Mr. Redlegs (the Reds' mascot) and Goodyear's mascot, Zizzy, who looks like a cross between a cactus and a baseball, all greated fans and of course provided antics throughout the game time. Goodyear's park also has a taco-chili-lime race in place of the hot dogs at Progressive Field.

There was a lot of hoopla for the opening day. Goodyear's mayor reiterated how happy the city was to have the teams there. The high school marching band performed. Sky divers dropped into the field with the American flag and flags representing both teams. And then the play began. . .

The Indians were ahead to start with but as players and pitchers came in and left the game, the Reds caught up. In the end it was a tie. Not a bad way to start I guess. The Reds would go on to take two more from us in the series but we did get to see one win against the Kansas City Royals.

While we enjoyed watching the games, we did miss the atmosphere of the former spring training home in Winterhaven. It was our ballpark. We didn't share it with another team. Goodyear gave me the feeling that we were there using the Reds' facility. The only shaded part where our seats were was behind the Reds' dugout. When I visited the gift shop, I had to pass through most of it filled with Reds' merchandise before I found the Indians' things way in the back. Of course they don't have to worry about any rain delays. It hadn't rained in the Phoenix area all year. Did I mention it was dry? It was also dusty. And the last day we were treated to sand and tumbleweeds blowing past us as we headed to our car after the game. I think I really prefer Florida for retirement and baseball.

Wordless Wednesday

Maui - The Road to Hana

One of the most favorite things to do when you visit Maui is to drive the curving, winding road to Hana on the east side of the island. The first time we did it in a Miata convertible but this time we were glad for a roof over our heads. The road to Hana takes you through a rain forest and, well, it's best to expect at least a little rain in a rain forest. But we had rain that day most of the way.

You pick up the road just past the airport in Kahului. There are all sorts of places you can stop and get a picnic lunch to take with you. You will want to be prepared with something to eat along the way since there are few places that offer food.

We enjoyed our CD of the Haleakala trip so much that we decided to buy another one for Hana and listen to it this time as we drove. Unfortunately we didn't do our homework ahead of time and bought the first one we saw offered at the Hana Bay Picnic Company in Paia, a little town at the start of the road to Hana. It was $17.99 and came with a poor map, a few pictures of some plants and animals, and a recorded guide that turned out to be more of a stop-here-for-an-opportunity-to-buy narration. I'm convinced there was a lot more history and culture and tradition that could have been given along the way. (Since our return, I found the R2H guide which may be better. It also has a digital download. There are samples to listen to at the website.)

Hana is the destination but the enjoyment is in the drive getting there. Along the way are many places of interest to stop including a surfers' beach, an area where taro farming was popular, waterfalls, hiking trails, beautiful vistas, and much more.
The groves of African tulip trees with their bright red-orange blooms provided a striking contrast to the greens of the forest along the way.

The little town of Hana has a few things to see including a beach with black sand created by the lava rock. And just beyond Hana is the other side of the Haleakala National Park, the Kipahulu Visitor Center. You will need a pass to park there but its good for both the top of the volcano and this park as well for three days unless of course you are a senior whereby you purchase a lifetime pass to all National Parks for the same rate of $10.

The bad news for us was that we had little sunshine for pictures. The good news for us was that with the rain comes wonderful waterfalls! The Wailua Falls is probably the largest one nearest the road. Others are a short hike on a trail but with the rain and our limited time (we did this on the day we were to fly out of Maui in the evening) we opted not to do any hiking. At the Kipahulu Visitor Center, is the `Ohe`o Gulch pools or Seven Sacred Pools. When the area is not flooded or rushing with water as it was the day we visited, you can swim in the lower pool.

Had we more time, we would have also continued on past the park and revisited Lindburgh's grave. He is buried in a small churchyard just before the road becomes rough stone and dirt and continues on around the base of Haleakala--not recommended for rental cars and especially without four wheel drive. So most visitors turn around at the park after taking a short walk to see the Seven Sacred Pools.

On our way back to the airport, we stopped once again in Paia and had a light dinner before turning in our rental car and getting on our flight to Arizona. Next stop: Indians' Spring Training Camp!

Maui - Sunrise at Haleakala

We have been to Maui several times and have always been told, "you have to see the sunrise at the top of Haleakala!" Well, this trip we determined we would do it--even though it meant getting up at 3:45 a.m. to drive to the other side of the island and all the way up the volcano to the 10,000 foot summit. Little did we know it would take two tries.

Our first attempt to see the sunrise was considered our trial run. We knew we were probably in trouble when less than halfway up the volcano, the clouds began misting our windshield. We watched the temperature gauge on the car indicate that the outdoor temps were falling the higher we went. We started out at 68 degrees F and dipped to 38 degrees by the time we were to the top.

Windy, wet, and cold, we stood looking east into a shrouded crater and sky that only got a bit lighter as the time of the sunrise came and went. At least, we agreed, we now knew that we could actually be awake enough to enjoy the sunrise should we try again.

And try we did. Successfully! We waited for a day that was forecast to be less windy and cold and hoped that the cloud cover would not descend on the volcano again. The alarm went off at 3:45, I started the coffee, stuck our banana bread breakfast in a bag, and got dressed. Our coffee pot was neat--a stainless steel that acted like a thermos so we just grabbed the pot and took off for our two hour drive.

This time the skies stayed clear as we ascended along with hundreds of others. You don't want to wait too long to get your spot at the top or you'll be disappointed. The parking lot was almost full when we arrived about 45 minutes before actual sunrise time. We didn't go all the way to the summit, about another 100-150 feet up because we were told by a ranger that it was a better view from the visitor's center just below the actual summit.

We found a spot behind two shorter people--the railing that lines the crater there was already lined up with people. The horizon was showing a tinge of beautiful bright color. Fearing to lose our spot and not wanting to miss a moment of the action, we stood there watching all the changes in the sky as the sun came closer to the horizon.

The crater was filled with clouds that had settled in overnight making it look like a huge bowl of whipped cream. But the sky was clear, the temps were only in the mid-40s, and there was very little wind. The amazing thing was how quiet it got the closer it came to sunrise. Hundreds of people literally holding their breath in anticipation.

As soon as the sun crested, behind us the native Hawaiian rangers began a chant to welcome the new day.
Awaken/Arise
The sun in the east
From the ocean
The ocean deep
Climbing (to) the heaven
The heaven highest
In the east
There is the sun
Awaken!

Of course the chant was in Hawaiian and very melodic. The volcanoes of Hawaii are sacred to the native Hawaiians and we have seen in the past on the big island of Hawaii, offerings of fruit and flowers displayed for the goddess Pele.

With apologies to Pele, I think that God's display of the sunrise took first place in my heart that morning.

Maui - Sunsets

Our condo in Honokawai, Maui, faced west and gave us front row seats each night for a spectacular sunset. We enjoyed them so much that we only ate at a restaurant one night--making sure we still had a view of the sunset, of course.

I wondered why the sunsets were so beautiful. I remembered that the ones in Moorea, French Polynesia, were as well. Did it have to do with the Pacific ocean? The atmosphere around the islands? I went searching and found an article about the colors of twilight and sunset that had been printed in Weather Wise magazine. What I gleaned is that as the sun's rays lengthen, the light is scattered by particles in the atmosphere. If the area has a lot of smog or pollution, the rays are blocked more than scattered. So much of the color comes from this scattering.

A lot of the drama comes from the clouds. The best sunsets (and sunrises) have a few clouds. The clouds are often backlit and then as the sun sets, they reflect the colors that are scattered by the sun's rays hitting those particles in the sky.

Now that's probably not a real scientific summary of the article but you can read it for yourself if you're interested in a little more detail. The pictures I took each evening as the sun set were all different. The sky changed as the sun lowered and the illumination of the clouds came after the last bit of the sun dipped below the horizon. So, different nights, different clouds. Different rays scattered each minute of the sun set. All of it led to a peaceful end to our day.

Maui - Whale pec slapping

The pectoral fin of a humpback whale can be up to 15 feet in length. The size/weight of the pectoral is about 1/3 of the size/weight of the whale which, for an adult, can be 52 feet in length and 30-50 tons in weight. When that pec fin slaps the water everyone and everything around it knows.

On our first whale watching expedition, we came upon a whale that seemed to be just enjoying his swim. He would roll and lift his pectoral and slap it down in the water creating a huge splash. The splash is what got our attention and we headed in his direction. Some say the pec slapping is a form of communication. Others say the whale is just enjoying his leisure swim.

The whale we observed seemed to fit the latter category. He even got on his back and extended both pectorals in the air as if he were going to do the backstroke. We watched, fascinated. These creatures never cease to amaze.

Some tips for those of you who might want to go whale watching in Maui. There are all sorts of companies eager to take you out. Be sure you check out what kind of boat you will be on. Some of them are semi-inflatibles which means the top of the boat is like a rubber raft. It may not be the best way for you to travel if you are prone to motion sickness. There are also catamarans and large boats resembling passenger ferries. We prefer the larger boats and on both of our trips to Maui have used the Lahaina Cruise Co., aka Hawaii Ocean Project.

Time of day is not necessarily important for seeing the whales. You will see whales--especially in February. The whale season runs from December through May. What we found though is that it seemed easier to spot the whales earlier in the morning because of the angle of the sun and temps were cooler than on the late afternoon run. Both the first run and the last afternoon run are a reduced price and there is a package deal if you have the time to do seven trips during your stay. The package deal worked for us.

Don't worry about where you sit on the boat. Everyone ends up getting out of their seats and walking around for the best whale views. Topside is generally best because you can get a panoramic view without too much trouble. The lower deck on some of the boats is very easy to get around as well and you can position yourself out of the sun mostly--unless of course the whale shows up on the sunny side.

The guides on board are very informative and know their stuff about whales. They put it in terms most of us can understand, i.e. "a whale is the size of a schoolbus."

And of course, there are lots of trinkets available to buy with much of the proceeds going to fund whale research. This was emphasized. I believe the owner/captain of the fleet is committed to making sure legitimate researchers are funded.

Hana Ho! Thar she blows! Whatever the lingo, it is an amazing experience.