Last Saturday Nancy and I drove to Birmingham for an overnight stay with Mark, Jenny, Jackson, and John Michael. Huntsville is $13.50 in gasoline cost north of Birmingham. It seems like it used to be a lot closer than that!

The highlight of the trip was our first chance to see Jackson's T-Ball game. In this league for 5-year-olds, the batters hit the ball off a tee without fear of striking out; the fielders chase down the ball without any thought of getting the batters out; and the runners run the bases hopefully in the right direction and touching each in the proper order. Other than the after-game refreshment, nothing else matters. And that's the way it should be.

Here Jackson, apparently having already picked up on the habits of many major league players, admires his drive up the middle before deciding to run to first base. Looking on appreciatively in the background are Grandma, Dad, Aunt Mary, and cousins Emma and Anne Douglas.