The soccer report.

Turner's first soccer game was September 9th. League rules state that we don't keep score, we can't play with goalies, and all the kids wear the same color uniform. Red. We showed up for the first game to find a sea of six year olds in red jerseys and black shorts scrambling over eight soccer fields. Andy is the assistant coach, so he knew which field and team of red was ours. Thankfully.

Turner scored his team's first goal. Though we didn't "keep" score, Turner knew that his team lost at game's end. He came ready to play and hustled. Because he played goalie so often last season, I forgot how fast he can move when someone shouts to him, RUN. Though we didn't "keep" score, Turner counted goals and was disappointed to have lost.

Dad pep talk.

Throwing the ball into play. One of his teammates was looking at her dad. Another two were nearly across the field closer to the coach. So Turner tossed is across the line and took off with it.

At the end of the game, players from each side shake hands and sit together in front of their coaches. The coach selects one player from the opposing team to win the spirit award, which is meant for a player that hustles, has fun, and is a good teammate. As soon as our coach explained the spirit award, Turner looked over his shoulder at us with a huge smile. But, he did not win the spirit award at his first game. Though he was an exemplary player, and we told him so time and again.

September 17th, Turner did not win the spirit award either. The kid who won it the first week won it at the second game too. By the third game, the coaches discussed who they were selecting before they announced it to the kids. Better plan.

Turner was a great teammate, passing the ball often and helping his teammates make some goals. When one of his teammates fell to the ground, Turner leaned down put a hand on her shoulder and said "You're okay" as he ran by to throw the ball in.

Feet off the ground!

Weekend hiking club.

The past two weekends we've gone hiking. The mornings are cool, the afternoons are hot (mid 80s), though a breeze is always about. The sun seeks solace in the clouds occasionally, which offers a stark contrast to the desert hiking we've grown to know. This morning, Andy and I get things together twice as fast as last week. We know more about what to bring. We remember the map. And, the capri sun is safely tucked in the camelbak. Turner reads his Pokémon book while we pack and make sandwiches; he finished the 187 pages last night. This is his second time through.

"Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp," Turner says with each step as we descend into the basement. Mid-week we were doing this same routine, and he spotted our basement cricket. This is the cricket who brings us good luck. Wednesday was the first time we've ever seen him, though we've heard him quite a bit.

"Well, whatdya know?!" A shout comes from the backseat. "They're like the baked ones and the wavy ones mixed together." Baked wavy Lays. If you give a kid a bag of potato chips, usually his parents end up eating too many.

We wind through the wilderness, taking in beautiful sights on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Three tunnels through the mountains, winding up to 4325 feet in the air, we arrive at Mt. Pisgah Forest. We traveled here last weekend too, taking a different path. The first forestry school formed here in Pisgah Forest. The land was purchased from Master Vanderbilt, who seems to have owned just about everything around here at one point or another. An hour or more later, we arrive at Black Balsam Knob Road.

On the trail, we hiked the Art Loeb trail through Black Balsam Knob (6,214 feet) to another beautiful outlook at Tennent Mountain (6,046 feet) (elevation is according to our hiking guidebook). This trail is named for the man who started the Carolina Mountain Club. The mountain is name for the man who started organized hiking in western North Carolina. The haze was high given the heat (80 degrees at noon), but the view kept us breathless. After our last hike, Turner requested more rocks and less dirt. This trail allowed him to climb. Rocks piled high in the trail, but also when we'd reach a plateau (knob) with high grass and blue mountain tops fading in the background. So lovely. Other parts of the trail were tall with rubbish that towered over him, but he moved through without fear. Andy and I were wishing for hiking sticks, mostly to scare off snakes. With all the sunshine, it seemed a perfect day for sunbathing and migrating.