Splash - October 2020

The year of 2020 will go down in history as one of the strangest in recent memory.  What I want to remember about this often dangerous and confused world we call home is that I was blessed to call these five my children.  We are having a crazy year, but, we are still the BallTeam.

This photo was James' idea and I want to do it again, but better next time.  This hot was inspired by the Beatles album of similar design, and, of course, my pretty kiddos.

This spot on the side of the road is literally a marshy neck of the Nanticoke River about a click up from my brother's house in Mardela.  Rachel and Samantha took this route to sunbathe on the river's edge, and remembered this spot as pretty and outdoorsy.

We took quite a few pictures on this trip and hit this beauty from all her good angles.

The coastline was crowded with algae.  Thick and green and full of all sorts of thriving bacteria colonies, to be sure.  We didn't get too close.

The sunshine was beautiful; it was clear and humidity-free.  A nice breeze in the air.....don't you love what the sunlight does to JMichael's hair?  He's an angel.

We are guilty of posing on State property.  Testing the guardrails.  Safety first.

This is the strength of the guardrails on this side, closer to the water.  Yup.  It holds, too.

Rachel (22) and Josephine (16).

How time flies....

I love this shot for two reasons - first, Rachel looks glamorous and sweet at the same time; second, Samantha seems to be holding up the universe for her dear sister.

Standing on the deck over the waterfall area.  More quality engineering.  It's amazing how the water is so thick with life and so dense.  You can see growth on the water all the way to the mouth where it meets the Nanticoke.  While we were out and around a guy pulled in and put out on his kayak.  He had fishing gear with him.  On our way out, we saw a guy with what had to have been at least a five pound croppie, by James' estimation.  Rural Maryland is full of life.  It has stuff that bites and stings, true, but it is full of wonder.

the Ball Team

Rachel (22), JMichael (12), Charlotte (17), Josephine (16), and Samantha (21)

Ezamay is ONE

Ezamay loves phones - she will nab yours in an instant if you let her at it.  She is quite the gifted photographer, however, so we are happy let her have it.

A cake for the birthday girl.

Our crowd for the big day.  Ezamay is still not sure what all the fuss is about.

Tanita is Markel's Mom and she threw Ezamay a big one year bash.  There must have been thirty people there, all with presents and tons of decorations and good wishes for our little human, who charmed them all with her sweet personality and infectious smile.

At one, Ezamay is well on her way to conquering the world.  She runs, jumps, climbs and growls more than any other child I know at her age.  She "talks" but we can only understand her when she says, No, or Mam, or Oh my.  So darn cute.

Ezamay answers to Ezamay, of course, and we all have names for our little human.  She is Eze, Louie, Bit, Ezzie Lou, Brownie Bite and baby girl.  Anyway you say it, you can't help but love her bright smile and tight hugs.  Beware, however, she will mean mug you and scowl - all that attitude in a sweet beautiful girl.

BallTeam Homestead

This house sits back from the road about a half mile in a neglected field.  Isn't it sad?

James and I thought it would be great to save this old place by building it out from the inside but leaving the outside as a sad old mess.  Maybe there's a company somewhere, like a house moving company, that will make this house a structurally sound shell, and we can use a huge crane to lift it over the new modern house we build to go under it.

Halloween will always be a blast at our house.