Rain Barrel Redux

Rainy day Friday... the barrel back in business! (5/25/13)

This past weekend, at the tail end of our recent late-spring/early-summer "heat wave," I took advantage of the nice weather to unpack our rain barrel from storage and reconnect it to the downspout. It was not a day-too-soon as soon thereafter a band of intermittent showers moved in. Now all I need to do is get some plants in the ground... our outdoor hanging plants will only use so much of the rain barrel's freshly fallen contents!



Before (5/19/13).

After (5/19/13).



 

 

Haiku vs. Haiku... FIGHT!

Teacher examples of Dueling Haiku.

Yesterday in English Class, with AP Language and Composition exams in the rear view window and the upcoming English Regents 11 not posing much of a concern, I began working with my eleventh graders on first analysing, and then writing haiku. While students have been "taught" how to write haiku since kindergarten, I annually like to revisit the from with them, in hopes of sharing some new background information, or at least eliciting from them a poem or two that does not consist solely of seventeen syllables thoughtlessly puked out on a paper ten minutes prior to class.

Writing good haiku takes time. This is what I tell students who insist on the ease with which this particular form is mastered. The challenge here is to impress upon students that simply stringing together enough syllables in a familiar structure (5-7-5) does not mean one is "good" at writing them. Today in class we first started by reading four different haiku by different authors, including Basho.

It is important to remind students that the while the form they (and I) have been taught since childhood is "haiku," it is not purely haiku in the Eastern sense, but more of a Westernized "traditional" Haiku form. The basic rules are well-know: haiku are comprised of 17 syllables, arranged in 3 unrhymed lines of 5-7-5 syllables and the content should evoke or link to the natural world.

In order to mix things up slightly, rather than asking students to simply generate two haiku, I assigned them to develop two Dueling Haiku. A form I found online a number of years ago, a single Dueling Haiku consists of a pair of individual haiku that each focus or express forces, animals or seasons which can be seen as being in opposition to one another.

The use of the word "opposition" in the instructions can be confusing for students as there is no actual "conflict" or coordination between the two poems, only the potential for the reader to sense the opposing/contradictory/differing nature of the two forces, animals or moments. As I explain to the students, while there is no "shared DNA" between the two, there should exist an implied connection that is discernible to the reader. While the two poems can stand alone as well-crafted haiku, when paired together they offer a sens of opposition or express the dual nature of a subject.

At the top of this post are two examples of Dueling Haiku that I wrote and ultimately shared with the class.  Each time I deliver this lesson and assign the corresponding task, results vary. The majority of students can generate three unrhymed lines in a 5-7-5 syllable structure. Not all can write haiku that give pause for reflection on the image.  Often times the resulting poems are quite impressive, and my hopes are that this some images will pop with evocative language this year, too.

Talking Turkey (& Photography)



If you look closely, this wild turkey is making the Facebook "duck face"(5/10/13).

They really can't hide from my camera lens much longer. With Spring in full swing, it has become a tiny bit easier to quickly catch sight of the wild turkeys roaming my mother's back yard. They no longer blend into the grey trunks and barren shrubs as before, and the fullness of their ruddy colors is more vibrant against the greens of opening leaves and sprouting grass.

Back to pecking for seed and other goodies (5/10/13).

In this particular instance, a ten days ago, three of the gang were once again hanging around by the neighbor's back door. The neighbors regularly feed the birds (along with the other neighborhood critters) by leaving out seed and bread. Due to the distraction of an accessible feast, I was able to slink closer to them than in the past. Wild turkeys are by no means "domesticated," actually quite the contrary, as it is my understanding they will charge if the mood hits them.

Craning for a peek in my direction (5/10/13).

I suppose the wild turkey has joined the collection of "common" regional birds, such as the American Robin, Mourning Dove and Northern Cardinal, that interest me as photographic subjects. Some people take pictures of trees and rocks, me, I dig birds.

Teaching Reading & Running Together?

High school Track and Field student-athletes, and the adults who coach them, are fairly set in their ways. This can be seen in their commitment to individualized training groups: sprinters complete drill work with sprinters, jumpers stretch with jumpers, throwers lift with throwers, and distance specialists run distance with one another. Similarly, genre-lovers (especially those who are less adventurous about stepping outside their military biographies, romance novels, or zombie fiction) can subconsciously find themselves pigeon-holing there reading fare.

As both an English teacher and high school coach, I am always on the lookout for selections (technical articles, motivational biographies and commentaries, mostly) to share with my students and athletes. To this point, however, the "great white whale" of Track and Field reading has eluded me. For a number of reasons ranging from the perceived relevancy ("Why would a sprinter read a book about milers?") to interest ("I read in class not at practice!"), my search continues for that book that would be appropriate for those who love to run, jump and throw--especially those who are currently secondary school students. It would be wonderful to find the Track and Field equivalent to Friday Night Lights or The Natural.

The elusive "recommended reading" would be that extended text with a moderate reading level and an explicit appeal to sprinters, distance runners and field event student-athletes, the supposition being: if community reads, such as the NEA's annual Big Read, be used to facilitate a conversation of big ideas at a community, can't the same be done with literacy and sport?

Yes, there are a number of For the most part, there are a number of books out there that may have some appeal to distance runners, chief among these being Christopher McDougal's Born to Run. I recently reread McDougal's book, and as a former (sort of) competitive high school and road race runner, I found the mix of storytelling, social commentary and biography immensely entertaining. More importantly, it was accessible, which is likely what has contributed to its immense success.

Born to Run makes the sport of ultra running, one that can be accepted by any reader who has run races recreationally or competitively in the past an approachable one. Most can appreciate or relate to the idea of running, so the leap from the more traditional distance to hundreds of miles was a believable one. We've all come across crazy athletic types like those mythologized in the book, even if we as recreational athletes have not embraced our sport to the same degree. While a tremendous read, and one I recommend to student-athletes who are intrinsically motivated athletically, as well as academically, it could prove a challenging starting point for the struggling readers who make up the majority of my charges.

The best place to start looking for beginning team reads is likely the most obvious: anthologies. While I completely understand the attraction (short, simple, euphemistic, "inspiring") to certain Chicken Soup-style books, I'd rather have something more... authentic to use. To that end I'll continue this trail by perusing an anthology, Going Long, I bought my own son last year for Christmas, starting with the stories he (himself not a particularly avid recreational reader and high school runner) dog eared. The title implies its emphasis on distance running, reflecting the focus of the magazine (Runner's World) from which the stories were culled, I remain hopeful that there may be something accessible to a range of track and field student-athletes with an equally broad range of reading abilities.

Catching Up in the Courtyard

Not quite the Garden of Earthly Delights, but a worthy natural distraction during a busy school day. (5/9/13)

Any number of times during the course of the school day I'll peek out the classroom window to see what aviary activity may be taking place. Any number of slight environmental factors (whether the lawn is cut, the state of the small artificial pond, if students are out there taking the course I affectionately call "Raking Class") can impact what may be gliding in for a rest. As the name would suggest, our school courtyard is an enclosed area that is somehow populated with any number of types of birds who find their way over the three story square building and onto this small patch of green.


Given the greenery of the courtyard, even the muted red of the Northern Cardinal stands out. (5/9/13)

Last week while teaching class I couldn't help but notice a small, brightly colored male Northern Cardinal briefly flitting around the courtyard at school. The bird captured in both images is the same one, though it's sharp color was much clearly captured in the one above. I am quick to notice colorful birds such as this one as they are not as common here as the more ubiquitous American Robin or the occasional .

Slightly different angle and lens results in more brightly captured red coat. (5/9/13)

In these pictures, the lawn is rather long (it was freshly cut a few days later) and and industrious American Robin can be seen in the images below collecting grass for nest building. I haven't had the opportunity to get down to ground zero to search for its location, but I suspect he is building for the summer. Robins are extremely common regionally, and this type of behavior in my backyard usually means a nest is going up in a nearby bush or soffet.

Just left of center, Robin looks for suitable building material (5/9/13)

The following day, (presumably) the same bird could be seen in roughly the same location scratching and pulling at dead grass and leaves. It occurs to me that any nest that is under construction may be taken down by school maintenance staff, or Raking Class, especially if any nest location is exposed. Reckon it's time to escape the "ivory tower" environs of my second story classroom and look around the courtyard for myself.

Robin certainly is enamored of that shadowy area just beneath the shrub's branches. (5/9/13)

Retro Gaming: Hellboy: Science of Evil (2008)

I can't recall wanting to like a video game as much as I had hoped to enjoy Hellboy: Science of Evil. A fairly recent convert to Mike Mignola's universe of characters (Hellboy in Hell, B.P.R.D., Witchfinder, etceteras.) published by Dark Horse Comics, and a fan of both films, I had not been aware of the previously released Hellboy movie tie-in console game.


When I came across a used copy for $9.99, I snatched it up, excited to get going. So excited was I that I did not even wait to spend the money to follow my traditional pre-purchase ritual of checking online reviews before plunking down $60 on an X-Box 360 game. This was an inexpensive used version, and was, after all Hellboy, so how bad could it me. It was only after returning home and checking online reviews that I became worried. Hellboy would appear to be a fairly reviled gaming experience. Really though, for the price, what did I have to lose?

Sometimes, reviewers are not that far off: as a gaming experience Hellboy: Science of Evil was incredibly frustrating, not just for what it was, but worse, for the potential it squandered.


Chances are great that if you're reading this, you are already familiar with the well-loved characters, and perhaps marginally curious if this game is worth picking up for a certain amount of "fan-factor", so I'll cut to the chase and simply start by mentioning positives and negatives as I experienced them:

• Positives: the story adheres to both comic book and movie "universes," the voice work is done by the actor who portrayed Hellboy in the films (let's face it Ron Perlman, IS Hellboy!), the cut screen graphics are adequate and the characterization (movements and vocals) of Hellboy are solid.
• Not-so-positives: repetitive game play, including some odd game play moments when jumps aren't jumps or necessary objects or paths are off screen and difficult to find, the game play is not very intuitive, repetitive game play, the other characters from the book/movie are missing from the main story (though appearing on the box), this lack of playability of other characters makes the gameplay even more... repetitive.

There are also the standard (for older-generation games) dissolving rocks and melting set pieces, ghost graphics and dead spots. The game play was VERY frustrating and were it not for a gamefaq/walkthrough, I would have given up on this game after the first chapter during which it was impossible to figure out just what I, as the player, needed to find to move onto the next chapter.

Say "goodbye" to the only video game I've ever "walked out of" before it was over...

McQuaid's Senior 8 at 2013 NYSSRA Championships

The conclusion of the Boys Senior 8 semi-final heat won by St. Anthony's (5/10/13).

My stepson Gregory and his school's crew team, McQuaid Jesuit High School, made their annual trip to Saratoga Springs, New York, to participate in the 2013 Scholastic Rowing Championships. Sponsored by New York State Scholastic Rowing Association, the head-to-head sprint finals format makes for an interesting spectator experience, especially for one such as myself who is unschooled in the nuances of competitive rowing.

 

While I greatly appreciate the stamina and technical skills necessary to row (well), this is primarily due to the competitive similarities between rowing and running. Many of the fall season races (and seeding races at this meet as well) are timed races solely for seeding purposes. Like early heats in a track and field meet, those who are expected to move onto semis may give just enough effort to gain a favorable seeding lane. Though I'm certain each team rows all out, not being able to visually see the teams row against one another (and knowing they'll be back hours later for the head-to head) makes the viewing a little less intense.

In the four years that Gregory had been rowing, and attending the Scholastic Championships, this was the first time I had been able to attend. In years past the track team I coach would be competing on this weekend, but due to a new track being installed I was able to make the trip down. I had often heard stories of mud pits, rain and generally in hospitable conditions, so I had expected the worst. Fortunately, the weather was relatively pleasant with only intermittent drizzle and wind--of course, only when racing was commencing. During the scheduled (and unscheduled) breaks in action the sun came out and it was a lovely Spring day.

A bridge to somewhere: the NYS Scholastic Rowing Championship site (5/10/13).

For those who are unfamiliar with the popularity of competitive rowing (like I was until I rooting interest in the matter) the swollen roadway into the park where the boats launched is reminder enough of the number of spectators who turn out. Though the race is at "Saratoga Springs", the rowing takes place on Fish Creek, a fairly large "creek" that flows into Saratoga Lake.

Primo viewing locale for the finish of each race (5/10/13).

For McQuaid's Senior 8 initial heat, I remained at our tent site to take pictures. Traditionally at regatta's there are bridges on which spectators and photographers stand to snap pictures. I sat out the first race with the understanding that I'd have at least the semis to stake out a location on the bridge. McQuaid was fortunate to have a tent location nearly at the finish with no obstructions such as boat docks or overgrown riversides to get in the way of viewing.

Time trial finale (5/10/13).

The return lane for boats that had recently concluded their heat was in between the shore the race, which his why this picture looks like 1) the boys are rowing against girls and 2) going the wrong direction. This image was taken immediately following their heat which is why the oars are up. Soon they will drift below the bridge and turn around for their return to the launch area.

Returning to the launch for a roughly four-hour break before semis (5/10/13).

McQauid families enjoying a choice location and lots of grub (5/10/13).

One of the great selling points for families to get involved with crew is the camaraderie that develops. The center of activity at any high school regatta (beyond the body of water on which serves as the field of competition) is the team hospitality tent. Because parents and rowers regularly arrive during the early morning hours, coffee and bagels are usually available. Throughout the day, two larger meals are served, while drinks and snacks are also on hand for noshing daylong. Families take turns volunteering their time and resources to prepare food for the team and their families. Today's regatta was no different in that the tent offered a place to reconnect with friends and family, as well as serving as a dry "island" in the occasional patches of drizzle that came through Saratoga.

"Fours" and "eights" are derigged for the trip home as teams conclude competition (5/10/13).

In between races I enjoy wandering around the regatta site, or (as I later did) sneaking back to the car for a little nap. While my wife and I were touring the trailer area, I plainly heard an announcer "calling the heats," much like at horse race, through large speakers. I wish this had been broadcast more widely as it raised the level of excitement and gave the event a more professional, lively feel.

The view of spectators from the bridge (5/10/13).

 

The official finish line wherein technology helps determine who the winners are (5/10/13).



The view of boats lining up at the start in anticipation of the start (5/10/13).

From the bridge the racing lanes are very visible. It's the coxswain's job to ensure that the boat stays in it's lane and on course. Most think that the coxswain has the easiest job as he or she doesn't row, but staying the course is not as easy as it appears.


Just like in track, boats (like sprinters) end up seeded where they belong (5/10/13).

Just like a sprint in track, the faster boats earn the right to compete from the center lanes. Unlike track the advantage is clear, in the center lanes, a boat is less likely to be slowed by the wake of its competitors. Note the officials cruising along in "launches." Similar launches are sued by coaches during practice to coach athletes regarding form and pace.



In track we woudl say "everyone ran to their seed" (5/10/13).

Here, everyone rows to their respective seeds (5/10/13).

Gregory and his teammates after the race (5/10/13).

 

It didn't take a trip to the results trailer to know we'd come up just a little short... (5/10/13).

After last year's third place bronze medal-winning performance, which ended with the Boys Junior 8 boat (with Greg), earning a trip to Nationals in New Jersey, anything less than a return trip would be viewed by some as a failure. Despite being disappointed at not meeting that lofty goal, there was still  much to celebrate, not the least of which being the culmination his four years of hard training and growth. The dedication of Greg and his teammates certainly made a believer out of me and fostered for all involved an appreciation and affection for the previously mysterious world of competitive rowing.

Full results from the New York Scholastic Rowing Championships for all races are available here.

My Boy's Second-to-Last Track Meet

Victor High School Track (5/7/13).

Tuesday I travelled to my son Jack's second-to-last regular season outdoor track meet. While there are a few league invitationals left to go such as the Monroe County Championships and Sectionals, dual meets offer an especially interesting viewing experience as they are generally more intimate, with fewer spectators allowing for a variety of vantage points suring any single race. The site for this particular meet was Victor High School, and their beautiful facilities, combined with excellent and picturesque clouds, made for a great day to be outside watching the Fairport Red Raiders compete and snapping some pictures.

Warming up prior to the 1600 meter run (5/7/13).

Off the line in Jack's first race of the day: 1600 meter run (5/7/13).

Lap 2 with team mate Josh Wolf in tow (5/7/13).

Nearly at the 800 meter mark (5/7/13).

Coming down toward the finish (5/7/13).



Jack awaiting his official time in the 1600 meter run (5/7/13).

A huge pack of Raiders turn the 300m mark of the 3200 meter run (5/7/13).

Jack's off hand carry is the result of his motioning to have his teammates pace with him (5/7/13).

Red Raider Olivier Hatta makes a move going into the turn (5/7/13).

Jack and David Grouse come down the final 20 meter stretch to the 3200 meter finish (5/7/13).

Ultimately, neither the team nor my son had the results I am sure they had hoped for. There defeat by a skilled Victor squad was their first of the season, and there were no personal records (PRs) in the offing as Jack had run each event as a "workout" rather than as all-out competitive races. I am confident though that he did feel a measure of success as his teammates ran well and (though I am unsure) may have run personal records as a result as his pacing and supporting them.

Like any proud parent, these last few weeks of my son's high school experience are full of  melancholy  "lasts," and for this I am grateful. Fortunately, after the dust settles on high school, there will be more exciting new "firsts" to look forward to...

Free Comic Book Day 2013 Swag

4 + 4 = 8; eight free comic books collected by my son and I.

My son and I arrived at Comic Etc., my local comic book shop of choice for almost 20 (!) years now, almost 30 minutes early to wait in line for yesterday's 2013 Free Comic Book Day. Given the four-comics-per-customer policy (without which crazy comic speculators would have seized with The Walking Dead in five minutes), having my son come with me was key to maximizing our "take."

This is Comics Etc. first FCBD at their new location on Main Street, and the improved access from the parking lot, nice fellow fanboys around us, and the incredible weather, made waiting go by quickly. It was also my first weekend in May without an early morning track meet to coach in many years, so I was able attend.

Using descriptions taken from NPR's Monkey See online article entitled "Which Comics Should I Get? Your Free Comic Book Day Cheat Sheet" by Glen Weldon here's a breakdown of what Jack and I walked away with:

1. Marble Season – An excerpt from the great Gilbert Hernandez's new semiautobiographical graphic novel. When your kids are done with it, read it for yourself.
2. Dragon Ball and Rurouni Kenshen Restoration – The Viz Comics sampler looks to be the only manga represented on FCBD, which makes precisely no sense, but these two series are hugely popular in Japan, having spawned anime series, films, video games, etc. Don't know if these specific stories make for particularly good jumping-on points, but at the very least you and your kids might get a sense of what all the fuss is about.
3. Bongo Free For All Comics – Dependably great Simpsons/Futurama comics.
4. Atomic Robo and Friends – This is your best bet on Free Comic Book Day. Ask for it if you don't see it. It's great. Fun and funny. Both at once.
5. Aphrodite IX – In a post-apocalyptic world, there be dragons. If you need to know more than that before committing, this probably isn't for you.
6. Kellerman/L'Amour Sampler – Two excerpts from upcoming comics adaptations – an Alex Delaware thriller by Joe Kellerman, and a "Louis L'Amour" Western yarn that's actually a new story. The
7. Walking Dead – You've seen the show and wished they'd stop wringing their hands and maybe kill a freaking zombie already. Now read the book.
8. Mass Effect/Killjoys/RIPD – If you go by the cover, this looks like just another adaptation of a video game, which would mean it belongs up with licensed tie-ins. But it also includes two other stories, Killjoys and RIPD, both of which – but especially RIPD, about a police force that enforces supernatural law – show a bit more promise.

After getting back to the car my son supplied the quote of the day, providing provided a telling point about the intentions of my FCBD--exposing veteran collectors and newbies alike to previously unsampled independent(er) titles: "I notice we didn't get anything from Marvel or DC."



The tables at Comics Etc. were set... for excitement and action!

Wild Turkeys On the Loose!

"Those birds are nasty s.o.b.s," says a colleague in-the-know. (4/28/13).

Stepping into my mother's backyard late Sunday afternoon, I was (for the second time this spring) greeted by a roving band of wild turkeys. They looked to be on a mission.  Quickly making their way down the neighbor's backyard hill, in single-file formation no less, they seemed unfazed by my precesne atop the incline. There seemed enough time to attempt some better shots.



"Single-file wild turkeys" must be an oxymoron, right? (4/28/13).

Picking my camera up from the kitchen table, I headed back outside. Surprisingly the turkeys were not all that startled by the inadvertent banging of the screen door. Two huddled briefly to look around before returning to the rank and file of the roaming quartet.


Wild turkeys cleverly hiding behind a tree. (4/28/13).

During the time I was observing them, about 15 minutes en total, I heard a fifth turkey calling from what seemed to tbe the trees. My mother has previously spoken about seeing them sleeping in the trees. While I looked as carefully as I could, nothing resembling a winkled old man was to be seen sitting in the bare branches overhead.



That's all folks! (4/28/13).

I was momentarily fooled by some old tires nailed to the upper branches of some trees in the distance(?), but failed to catch the sleeping, bleating bird. Clearly acclimated to some human annoyances (as their previous behavior toward mailmen and passersby, as told to me by a colleague, would seem to suggest how they generally percieve us), the four went quickly on there way beyond my mother's yard, likely to return another day...