Summer is moving at a fast pace at the Academy. Like many schools and camps we have many changes and updates as we transition to a new phase of our lives. First of all, one student will be embarking on her middle school adventure and the other one will be entering the pivotal junior year of high school. Independent thinkers and doers who will no longer need this full time principal at home. So we have personnel changes to announce as well. The Real Boss will become the full time Principal of the Academy, so that Wally and I can take our talents to another school and spread our wisdom and tales of adventure with another community whether they like it or not. We are excited to share what we know and to learn from those in the know at where we go.

My father-in-law used to ask me all the time, “Do you think it’s easy?” No, I would tell him, but we are up to the challenge. We have to be. Whatever comes our way we will take it on and smile as we do so. Although, let me tell you this quick story. The Real Boss and her sidekick with the battery that never quits and I were enjoying a fire outside of the storied Beaver cabin in Maine. My daughter decided she wanted to play catch. I knew that it was too dark to play catch. But I have a hard time saying no to her. So, after she threw one pitch to my glove and the grace of God let me catch it, I thought all was right with the world. I was wrong. Faith that the ball will find my glove only goes so far. On the next throw, I lost sight of the ball entirely. I only know the ball stopped because I felt the squishing sound and saw stars and knew immediately that where my nose once was, was now a bloody mess. The noise a water logged baseball makes when tossed into a human nose at a rate of 86mph from 12 feet is nauseating. As I fell to my knees I heard a voice asking if I was ok.

I replied with a definitive no. The warm, purple blood was gushing and I knew I didn’t want to swallow it. Fortunately, my two nurses were in full emergency mode and brought me paper towels, ice and words of comfort. Like, “Are you going to be ok?” And “Should we take you to the hospital now?” And “Do you need more towels?”

I know that when you go on vacation, memorable things are destined to happen. And I guess I am glad that I didn’t have to buy a souvenir from my vacation. My souvenir will be a crooked nose. The swelling will go down, the bruises will fade, but the slant of my Roman nose will forever remind me of our time tin Maine. Unless the Real Boss insists that I see a doctor. In which case I will at least have the memory of the warm blood gushing from my face to remind me of our time in Maine.

It reminded me of my legendary best friend from childhood whose brother happens to be the voice of Sponge Bob. See, we had a game of catch one day in his backyard that ended up the same way. A ball flying into my nose. Blood and tears flowing as I ran down the street to my house from his backyard. So in the span of 40 years or so I have only caught two baseballs with my nose. One from my daughter and one from my childhood chum. Not bad for an entire career of baseball. In fact, I would put both people into a special wing of Bill’s Baseball Hall of Fame. They are the only two people in baseball history to have thrown a ball hard enough into my face to make my nose crack and bleed. No other two people can lay claim to that. Patrick and Maeve will have statures made in their honor. Perhaps they can be bronze noses.

I guess I got off track there. But we all do once in awhile. The message is that it’s been a busy summer. The other student in the Academy has been spotted driving all over New Hampshire and Massachusetts with friends and displaying his readiness for independence. And he seems grateful for football, friends, and a job. Keeping busy and working hard are key ingredients to rowing your boat successfully. And we are lucky that he has found the way to do so in a matter that makes us proud.

Timing has been everything. And when the Academy Ship was seeming to take on a lot of water and hit some stormy seas, we found a safe harbor in the name of Caron. My good friend from Syracuse whose own ship has weathered many a storm came to port at just the right time for us. He entered our harbor with some Red Sox tickets and found time to come to our home for a family feast. The feast his team put out was amazing. It was timely. And it was perfect. Good friends and family coming along and being a part of the ride at the perfect time makes for a fantastic summer voyage. Even better than the meal they made was that his first mate- whose name rhymes with Flora- is a Cat loving person. She cleaned up after our cats so the Real Boss and her sidekick knew their feline friends were being taken care of. See, I had been holding down the fort by myself with my son, and we needed all the help we could get. Just when it seems like you can’t take anymore- you get the help you need. That’s how life works. Stay strong. Stay doing the right thing at the right time. And you will get what you need when you need it.

Like when my friend and his family started serving our feast the other day outside. It started to rain. A little. But we were under a tree and sitting together and laughing and sharing. So we did not get wet. At all.

We kept our heads up. Enjoyed time with friends and family and knew what we wanted. Steak and corn and laughs. And we got that. So we didn’t notice that it was raining. Because in our world where we focus on the positive and keep moving, we don’t get wet. Maybe once in awhile our shorts get wet, but we stay happy and optimistic. That’s how we roll. So when the changes come fast and furious, we are ready. Ready for it all. Except for when the ball is coming at my nose. That might take some time to heal. But time heals all wounds too. You know what to do. Put some ice on it and keep smiling.

Thanks for Coming!