Our First Post-Pandemic Forward Game

 

Check out this photo my neighbor took of the sunset yesterday, when she was out walking without me because I had already walked seven miles and was about to talk to Tiffy. It makes our neighborhood look like an enchanted wonderland.

This morning Travalon and I met Jilly Moose and Richard Bonomo downtown for coffee; we sat out in the back garden at Fair Trade Coffeehouse. Rich had a mocha chiller thing that looked delicious but was probably a ton of calories, and as it turned out I went way over my calories for the day anyway. Then Jilly Moose and I prayed a rosary in the church library while Travalon took a long walk by the lakeshore, and then the three of us had a bite to eat at Himal Chuli, Tiffy's favorite restaurant. When we got home, my neighbor said she needed a lot more steps and I said, "So do I!" so I suggested the trails across from the bluff in the nearby neighborhood. The trails are in the woods and are wonderfully shady, and since it's been so dry, they aren't nearly as buggy as usual. When we got to the playground, two sandhill cranes were guarding the entrance, so we turned and went the other way, and when we returned to the playground, they had moved to the other side of it, so my neighbor went down the slide. We ended up spending an hour in the woods, just going back and forth on the trails since there aren't that many. 

In the evening Travalon and I drove to Paisan's Italian Restaurant, where we found Rich sitting out on the patio. It had been a very hot day, but in the shade, with the breeze off the lake, it was lovely. Jilly Moose and Luxuli joined us as well. Then Travalon and I went to Breese Stevens Field to watch the Madison Forward, our local soccer team, play the Richmond team. I was so excited because the Flock were there, singing and drumming like before the pandemic. Here's a short video.

Here are some photos Travalon took of the game.

It was an exciting game with a lot of amazing footwork, but in the end neither team scored, so it was a 0-0 tie. The crowd didn't seem to care - they were just so happy to be back at a live soccer game. And the Flock just sang and drummed nonstop! They had as much energy as the players! That's really half the fun of a Forward game - the infectious energy of the Flock. It just wouldn't be the same without them.

Famous Hat