Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, but no Chevrolet

Just a few weeks back I picked up a little leaflet at a grocery store check-out line - the Bellingham Bells baseball team's 2014 game schedule.

One of the best things about my old neighborhood - the one I was driven from for keeping my bicycle in my living room - was living a block away from the box office at Joe Martin Stadium. Summer evenings I could have a light dinner after work, then stroll over to the gate at about 6:30, buy a $6 ticket, and enjoy a cool evening in the bleachers. It's a delightful little nostalgia trip.

The Bells are members of a regional minor league comprised of teams including the Rogues from Medford, Oregon, the Bend Elks, the Everett Merchants, and the Walla Walla Sweets and Wenatchee AppleSox. Some Canadian teams play as well: the Kelowna Falcons and the Victoria HarborCats from Vancouver Island. The players are college-team players from as far away as Hawaii, Florida and Georgetown University, who board with local families during the summer.

Last Sunday, after uncovering the leaflet among the heaps of paper scraps on my desk, I noted the Bells' final home game of the season was coming up on Wednesday, July 30. Fan Appreciation Night, with fireworks after the game. My last chance for an excursion this summer.

This time I left Ferndale at about five on my bicycle. I could have taken the bus in, but as I have mentioned so many times before, there is no bus service back home after seven in the evening.

Something decisive happened here, but I was
too busy fiddling with my camera to catch it

Joe Martin Stadium has a recently remodeled red-brick grandstand with the traditional food and beer concessions, but unfortunately the seats face in to the setting sun. My favorite spot is in the bleachers along the first-base path, where you can get a wide-angle view of the whole field. You can also get sun-burn on your right arm and the right side of your face, but after sunset it gets very chilly. You'll need some fleece layers and maybe a seat cushion if you stay the whole nine innings on the aluminum bench seats.

The Bells take the field after their win

The final score

The Bells held the Rogues scoreless until the final inning, scoring three runs to win the game. They still have nine away-games in August, but the win on Wednesday means Bellingham will host the regional play-offs later in the summer.

whoopee!