Category Archives: Fun

Vintage Base Ball in Chelsea: 26 July 2014

The Monitor Base Ball Club of Chelsea played a home match against the Wahoos of Royal Oak.

As always, the match began with a bat toss to determine which team would bat first.

(That ball was fair just inside the third base line.)

The match was very close the whole way, but the Wahoos held the Monitors scoreless in the ninth to preserve an exciting 12-11 victory.

This is what a postgame huzzah looks like:

You may have noticed “Tallies for Charity” at the bottom of the scoreboard. The Monitors were collecting donations for Smile Train, an organization that provides cleft lip and palate surgeries to those in need around the world. After the huzzahs, the Wahoos surprised the Chelsea captain with a very generous donation.

It was a great moment.

In fact, the whole afternoon was a rousing success: a large crowd — the largest crowd yet! — showed up to cheer on the teams, the match was exciting, and a worthy cause benefited.

After the postgame photo, they gave kids a chance to hit the ball and run the bases.

Would you like to join the fun? More spectators are always welcome! The Monitors’ next home match is the afternoon of Saturday, August 23, after the fair parade. Come check it out! (The rest of the schedule is here.)

Sounds & Sights Festival Car Show: 25 July 2014

The Sounds & Sights Festival included a classic car show. The show drew a good crowd.

The Dorkestra was providing music for the car show, and they enjoyed some audience participation.

My dad worked more than 30 years in the auto industry, and he enjoys a good classic car. He owned a Triumph a few decades ago, and thanks to a local acquaintance who had his Spitfire on display, my dad got to sit in a Triumph once again. (The Spitfire isn’t the model my dad owned, but it’s still a Triumph.)

He was pleased.

Thanks for opening your car for us, Gary!

Elsewhere in the show, we found the same model he owned a few decades ago.

It’s not often you see this on a car:

Why does a car have a watercraft registration number on it? Well, because it IS a watercraft. That’s an Amphicar, an amphibious car built in the 1960s. As the current registration sticker shows — and as the sign on the windshield stated — the owners still take it in the water! (An image search for Amphicar will turn up marvelous photos of Amphicars in and out of the water. It’s worth a few minutes of your time.)

Sounds & Sights Festival: 25 July 2014

The annual Sounds & Sights Festival continued Friday with fun in the KidZone.

Chelsea Lanes brought its portable bowling alley.

The bear from the Chelsea Teddy Bear Company was out and about.

After that photo, the bear got a big hug.

As always, the balloon creations tent was popular.

This little one waited very patiently for her balloon creation!

The matchbox car derby track provided plenty of action.

The bubble pond was lots of fun. I mean, who doesn’t love bubbles?

Friday’s KidZone fun concluded with an appearance by PAWS, the mascot of the Detroit Tigers!

Young Tiger fans were happy to see him.

PAWS accompanied a reading of Casey at the Bat with his hilarious antics.

Then he borrowed one young fan’s hat, just to see how it looked.

After handing out prizes to kids who correctly answered a few questions…

…he spent some quality time with fans.

He posed for pictures, too.

One of the littlest fans was fascinated with PAWS’ chin.

If you’re wondering if I took the opportunity to get a photo with PAWS…I did. I mean, it’s not every day you get to meet PAWS!

Thumbs up to you, too, PAWS. Thanks for visiting Chelsea, and go Tigers!

Sounds & Sights: 24 July 2014

This week’s Sounds & Sights served as a kickoff for the annual Sounds & Sights Festival, but the sounds and the sights were much like those we’ve gotten to enjoy on the other fun Thursdays we’ve had so far. Like what? Well, like this:

She was having fun dancing to the music of Sel de Terre.

She wasn’t the only one dancing!

This little one preferred to sit and enjoy the music with her balloon.

Elsewhere, there was an artist getting all artistic.

Cold Tone Harvest was by the clock tower.

One little fan was having fun with bubbles.

Tree of Life was at the clock tower gazebo. When Tree of Life brings out its drums, it’s always a party!

Jeff Wawrzaszek was back performing magic by the fountain.

From Grace was at the Sylvan.

As always, the chalk cube was in the middle of downtown.

Blues Dog Inquisition was on the library lawn.

They had some young fans, too.

The Sounds & Sights Festival runs through Saturday night. We’ll be back to regular Thursday night Sounds & Sights events after this weekend, and there are only a few left in 2014! Join us in downtown Chelsea next Thursday from 6:30-8:30pm to enjoy more of the fun.

Sounds & Sights: 17 July 2014

Another summer Thursday in Chelsea, another Sounds & Sights.

The Bluesmatics were on the library lawn.

Even though the weather was beautiful, Stormfront was by the courthouse.

This gentleman appeared to be hungry enough to eat his microphone. He probably should have gone across the street and gotten a Piggy Parfait from Smokehouse 52 instead of snacking on the mic.

Wait, what? He’s playing his harmonica? Oh. Well then, never mind. Carry on.

The Devil Elvis Show was on Middle.

One little music lover was having the best time dancing to the Devil Elvis Show.

He wasn’t the only one.

McLaughlin’s Alley was in the parking lot by the clock tower, which is not an alley. But I guess there’s an alley right next to the stage, so it works. Also, McLaughlin’s Parking Lot doesn’t have the same ring.

The Town Band was under the gazebo.

The Town Band was FUN. It’s like the musical version of a vintage base ball team.

There was face painting by the clock tower fountain.

Who doesn’t enjoy tossing coins into a fountain?

Liquid Plasma was at the Sylvan.

There are only a few Sounds & Sights left in 2014! They happen every Thursday evening from 6:30-8:30 in downtown Chelsea. And don’t forget: next weekend is the Sounds & Sights Festival, with live music through Saturday evening, an art market, and more.

Sounds & Sights: 3 July 2014

‘Twas the evening before the Fourth of July, when all through downtown Chelsea
Lots of creatures were stirring, because it was time for Sounds & Sights.

(What? Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme.)

Comedy at the library is done for 2014, so Coconut Radio was gettin’ all musical on the library lawn.

Johnny Cash tribute band Cash is King was by the courthouse, probably because Folsom Prison isn’t a stage location for Sounds & Sights. (I don’t know if any of the boys in the band are named Sue.)

The crowd was having fun.

Well, most of the crowd was having fun. One little guy decided to take a nap.

Middle Street featured Of One.

The chalk art area once again was a popular destination for kids.

Even the Blue Wheelchair Man got involved! Some kind artist decided to give him hair and shoes.

Escaping Pavement was at Sylvan.

What’s the most Chelsea sponsor a local event can get?

Let’s hear it for corn muffins!

Shari Kane & David Steele were at the Glazier Building.

This little guy’s dance moves were subtle but effective:

The Anthony Lai Band was at the clocktower gazebo.

This photo is from yesterday evening:

This photo is from Sounds & Sights last August:

Sigh.

Human Cannonball was in the alley.

Smokehouse 52 was busy serving Piggy Parfaits to hungry people.

What’s a Piggy Parfait? It’s baked beans, pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and coleslaw, and it’s all in a cup so it’s easy to carry and eat while you’re walking. If it sounds delicious, that’s because IT IS. I know more than a few locals who look forward all week to a Thursday evening Piggy Parfait. If you haven’t yet had one, come to Chelsea next Thursday evening and try one!

Meanwhile, Cash is King was still entertaining the crowd. Several kids had acquired balloon creations and were busy staging what appeared to be sword fights with their balloons…even when their balloon creations weren’t swords. (Never underestimate the power of a child’s imagination.)

I wasn’t kidding when I said the crowd was having fun.

These guys even brought back some vintage dance moves!

Remember the sleepy little guy from earlier in the post? He woke up, and he approved of Cash is King, too.

Don’t miss out on the fun next week! Come check out Sounds & Sights in downtown Chelsea next Thursday — and every Thursday through mid-August — from 6:30-8:30pm.

Vintage Base Ball at Detroit’s Historic Fort Wayne: 29 June 2014

The Monitors and the Merries traveled to Detroit’s historic Fort Wayne to play matches against the Early Risers and the River Belles. (If you’re not familiar with the Fort Wayne that isn’t a city in Indiana, check out the history of the star-shaped fort on the Detroit River.) I’d been looking forward to these matches for weeks. Why? Because these matches were played not on the adjacent parade grounds, but inside the fort itself! Here’s a look at the field from behind home:

The building on the right is the original barracks. The hills lead up to the top of the walls — and provide an excellent viewing angle for spectators! — and the main gate is out of the frame to the right. At the far corner you can see the entrances to two tunnels; keep those in mind (both for later in this post and for another post to come). The quirks of the fort’s field presented a few extra challenges to the ballists, but when it comes to authentic venues for vintage base ball, Fort Wayne is about as good as it gets.

Also notable: this was the Merries’ first-ever full match! HUZZAH!

There was a good play at the plate:

That photo is one of a burst of seven, and the sequence was too much fun not to animate:

Remember the tunnels at the far corner? You can see one entrance in the background of this photo:

The match ended in the rain, but the Merries were all smiles.

Both the Merries and the River Belles have a player with the same nickname. Here are both Half Pints together.

Together, they’re a Pint!

After a brief warmup, the Monitors took the field against the Early Risers.

Here’s another photo with a tunnel entrance in the background:

Note the paved path on the right side of the photo. If a ball was hit hard and bounced on the path, it could bounce near or even into a tunnel. In fact, one hit did make it all the way to a tunnel. Like I said, extra challenges.

Spectators who preferred shade over the view from the walls chose to sit next to the barracks along the first base line.

When a you score a run, you ring the bell:

After the match, some of the kids ran the bases.

One little guy got a ride.

And then my dad posed with a bat, just for fun.

Before I left, I spent some time exploring and photographing the fort. Those photos will show up here soon.