Renning is ready for a new season to get off and running

EMERSON - In my 62 trips around the sun I have come to the conclusion, fall is definitely my favorite time of year.

Think about it, after a hot summer of baseball (which I also love), we get into the time of year when things turn drier and cooler and when it gets a lot more cooler and the bugs are exterminated.

Now, I love me some football but I’m not even close to against some good volleyball and I end up at the state cross country championships every fall.

I never complain about what I’m doing from day-to-day because really, who’s gonna listen to a guy who goes to ballgames for a living.

My Grandpa told me once, “If you’re complaining, 80% of the people don’t care and the other 20% are glad you’re having trouble.”

I have held that belief since he said that, and to this day.

Fall brings the beginning of school, which used to be a big thing because that meant all of the kids in our house were now going to busy for 8-10 hours a day. Leaving the Darling Wife and I some “romantic” time. Well, I was usually at something in the afternoon and this was after COVID when she traveled the 20 miles to Wayne to make a living for us both. All right, I’m selling myself a little short, the Little Lady is a grand “little Lady” but I contributed some cash towards our future... at least for awhile.

I’m telling you, once fall hits, I don’t care who is playing what, I’m going to the best game I can find.

And I did that for awhile.

One time, my old Buddy Erv and I went to three football games in a single day, including our first-ever 6-man football game in Walthill.

I had been to a 6-man game when Sioux County in western Nebraska played some one, but this was the first one Erv and I had gone to together.

After the game against Cody-Kilgore in Walthill, we went to Emerson-Hubbard versus Winnebago in Winnebago.

Cody-Kilgore and Walthill played at Noon and E-H/ Bago was played at 3 o’clock.

After that we went to Ponca to watch them play someone. And the football playoffs were always a reason to get a couple of games in.

Kind of like the old Johnny Cash song, Erv and I went everywhere.

We went to Hartington, Laurel, South Sioux City, Stuart, Creighton, Crofton, Howells, West Point, Beemer, Emerson, Allen, Wayne, oh, you get the picture — we have been all over Nebraska to ball games.

Part of this is therapy as Erv passed away a couple of weeks ago, during the State Tournament in Hartington, as a matter of fact — a state tournament he would have loved.

Lord knows we had some great times, he had to know because he always got us home.

But fall is still my favorite time. I like good volleyball, good cross country and I like golf and football.

Although my heart will be heavy this fall without Erv, this is still the time the cream comes to the top and still the time I love the most.

At least it gets rid of all the bugs and the “no-seeums” at every stadium I go to.

Have a great fall, I know I will. Did I mention Wayne State football and volleyball? I’m sure I’ll run into Laney (Kathol) soon.