The 2010 Flames hit the road for four games away from Manchester this weekend. Today it was a morning trip to Hudson, NH and then an evening visit to Randolph, Ma. Tomorrow they hit the north country of New Hampshire. In Hudson this morning, the Flames skated to a 4-2 win. Tonight, though they ran into a feisty Crimson squad that out-skated the Flames, and upset them, 2-1.
It was -15F in Wolfeboro when the 2010 Flames arrived at Pop Whalen Arena early Saturday morning. The cold temperatures didn’t hinder the Flames but it did do a number on the Zamboni. Later on Saturday night the Flames visited Tri-Town Arena for a game with the Monarchs for 113th time this season. Sunday afternoon the folks from Berlin made the long trek south for a battle with the Flames at West Side Arena.
The 2010 Flames had a pair of weekend dates with the Boston Jr. Terriers, which meant an afternoon game on Saturday, and then a Sunday morning game, both in Rockland, MA. They played the games at Mark Bavis Arena. The first game was not pretty but the Flames came alive in the final period scoring 3 goals in two minutes, and getting a 5-0 win to begin the weekend.
All game long, the 2010 Flames were on the attack in the offensive zone. They hounded their opponent, and pounded the net with shots of all descriptions. On Sunday they finished each of their two games, with the puck, in the zone, and never allowed either team to pull their goalie in favor of a sixth attacker. The Flames received timely, quality goaltending throughout their run to a 5-0 record in the tournament. In the championship game, the 2010 Flames beat Presque Isle, 2-0 to capture the 2021 Winter Classic NH Tournament title.
You know you might be playing an early morning hockey game when you play the game, finish, and then look outside to see that it’s still not fully light out. Well, the Flames showed up to play the first semi-final game against the Monarchs at 7am. The 2010 Flames advanced to the finals with a 3-0 win over the Monarchs.
With Christmas and now New Year’s Eve behind us, we all returned to Tri-Town Arena in a brand new year for the last game of pool play in the 2021 Winter Classic. The 2010 Flames played the Central Maine Hornets in an evening match up.
Happy New Year!!! Welcome to the year, 2022. Here in hockey land we only know one way to start a new year, and that is to spend some time at a local ice rink. Today it was the great old barn in Concord, NH for a game between the 2010 Flames and the Concord Capitals.
Well, it turns out that when you have very little down time during Christmas vacation week, even an afternoon game might seem too early. Maybe it was just me. Either way, the 2010 Flames were ready to go and skated to a 7-1 win against the Berkshire Bruins.
Any morning activity during Christmas vacation week makes for an early morning, and today was an early morning. The 2010 Flames played their first game of the Winter Classic Tournament at 8:20am over at Tri-Town Arena against the Monarchs. The Flames woke up slowly, and by the second period, they were up to speed, eventually winning the game, 6-2.
Amidst an odd time in our history, an oddly scheduled weeknight game during a vacation week, was played between the Monarchs and the 2010 Flames. The game was played at West Side Arena before a packed house of 71. While the parents spent the first period confirming what day it actually was, the game featured a whole bunch of nothing clicking on the ice.
After some wonderful late-nights visiting with family and friends over the the past few days, there wasn’t a soul in my house that wanted to rise and shine this morning. Not on the morning after Christmas. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what we did.
Not even the bright lights and ice of an old rink can brighten a moment quite like the glow of a dozen smiles
I entered the space and walked to the boards and the glass, I lit up, forgetting for a moment all of life’s trials.
For there on the ice were our 11-yr old players, their siblings, team coaches and the hardy hockey parents
A fun spin on a practice slot that felt like kids of all ages having fun, a timely endorsement of perseverance.
I thank the Lord for the gift, the opportunity found in each new day.
And on some mornings, the gift opens in its’ glory, impossible to look away.
Night to day Four minutes apart
There I Can’t Wait To Be.
It was early this morning, cold and dark, and I was humbled in prayer
For my Uncle I asked that God’s will be done, was he better here, or up there?
Sunrise colored sky. Beholder’s gift, mine.
They say that there are at least two sides to every story.
But so many only see what they see in some sort of self glory.
On a cold December afternoon, a mix of clouds and sun in the sky
We went over the river and into the woods, just the twins and I.
It might have been eight or more weeks ago that I started thinking about this piece. It has likely changed its form within my wandering brain several times since then, but finally I arrived at some words to put down. Random thoughts, lyrics, lines of poetry, and words have surfaced during long drives and sleepless hours in the early mornings.
Just when the hours were no longer fitting into each day. And many nights found me weeping, head in my hands. Thoughts were reactive and words seemed only for display. All creative energy was emptied just meeting demands.
This morning I came outside to find this little treat. A canvas of sorts, so detailed, so neat.
Once in awhile I come upon a scene that tugs at me along the way. One I cannot pass without stopping long enough to hear what it has to say. Torn from where ever I…
I may not own a kingdom, or even a castle if truth be told. Oh but there is joy whenever I cross that simple threshold. I am not a royal, or high-ranking, and certainly not…
The Old Farmer (2014) The Old Farmer Too On a walk over a hill, alongside a green field, I saw the old farmer again just the other day. He didn’t look up as he walked,…
In the depths of darkness in the silence of the night, you know exactly what you do. Yet the sobbing mass we see is only there to tug on the heartstrings of those invested in you.
From the west, they gather but delay their approach until the right time of day Some see them coming while others notice too late and just try to run away.
Maybe it’s just me but for most of my life I never really stopped to think about heroes. I mean I had all kinds of sports heroes I guess, but I certainly didn’t think of these people, athletes, or whomever as heroes. When I was young I enjoyed Saturday morning cartoons and the Super Friends, but that wasn’t realistic to me. There were cowboys from TV shows and black and white movies that I wished I could be. And there were my favorites, the Indians, the Native Americans, the people that were already on this continent that I really wanted to be. I fell in love with the images and stories of these people.
Did you ever hurt so much that hurt just felt like it was a fixture, a part of every day?
Did you ever hurt so bad, that the colors of life looked changed, like shades of grey?
How is that the roads run to the places from where we come? But we see what we want and it differs from.
Last night I awoke from a deep sleep with words spilling from what’s left of the corners of my mind. I laid awake in bed for an hour or two and recited words to myself as I formulated thoughts. This morning I knew I would have some time to sit and put something together. And this, from the perspective of a young boy, with some twenty plus years of adult insight, is what I came up with.
It has been brought to my attention recently that I am not a parent. Not a good parent, or a bad parent, just that I have not been counted as a parent at all.
It’s been a year now, 12 whole months since a miraculous life here on earth expired. I remember the weeks leading to the day that we all knew would come sometime. There was so much support, many prayers and efforts, regardless of being tired. Amid the details though, it wasn’t too difficult, a beautiful love, to find.
It’s been a year now, 12 whole months since a life here expired. I remember the weeks leading to the day that we all knew would come sometime. There was so much support, many prayers and efforts, regardless of being tired. Amid the details though, it wasn’t too difficult, a beautiful love, to find.