No one really knows when it is the middle of summer. Culture, calendar, and heat are the essential ingredients in the summer blender. Some dog days go sun-baked, basset hound slow only then to immediately question, "Where did summer go?" The 2025 campaign has had some scorchers and monsoons, some glory and some guff. Would you want an endless summer without air conditioning? The summer breeze might make you feel fine, but how do you feel when the humidity reaches super sticky and your home is a melting madhouse?
Without further ado, the Midsummer Awards.
Best Picture
Most award shows end with this category. Luckily, this is a blog and I present to you Superman. As parents, we have reached the PG-13 plateau. I can look my 10-year-old and 8-year-old daughters in the eyes and ask them, "Can you handle comic book violence and the word sh** for two hours and maintain your innocence?" Without hesitation, they gave a unified, Clark Kent confirmation. My wife also attended. She gave unneeded confirmation and sat Subaru shotgun en route to the theatre.
Going into this movie experience, I was not a big Superman guy. I gravitate to superheroes who have an animalistic approach - Wolverine, Spiderman, Perry the Platypus (Phineas and Ferb is a phenomenal show). With that said, two thumbs, or claws, or hooves up for Superman. Intense action sequences led to Superman saving the day.
That is not a spoiler. That is what he does.
Get over it.
Best Ensemble
This award goes to athlete superheroes representing animals - the Johnstown Mill Rats. Since their debut season, our family has been a part of the Rat Pack. My girls are frequent participants in the on-field shenanigans. From the Fruit By the Foot, No Hands eating contest to Tug-O-War to catching frisbees in a pizza box, they've showcased their skills on the turf alongside collegian ball players.
Those players have the Rats in position to host a playoff game next Friday. And beyond the players, there is a small army of people who get a Prospect League Team on the field to provide a fun, summertime experience. Caps off to one and all. Special shoutout to the July 3rd pre-fireworks promo video production team. The Mill Rats recreated a classic scene from the 1993 film The Sandlot and it was outstanding.
Looking forward to more fireworks on 8/1.
LET'S GO RATS!
Best Actress
While this blog usually focuses on hometown heroes and hoorahs, the winner in this category is from the Wild West. This June, our tribe visited Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, saving Yellowstone National Park for the grand finale and it did not disappoint. This was primarily because a tour guide named Ash was a woman I would follow to the ends of the Earth. She was a kind, knowledgeable, fascinating human who led us on a 12-hour tour de force of our country's oldest national park.
My daughters will have the memory of observing a cinnamon black bear sitting under a canopy of trees, only to be outdone by a black bear (no cinnamon on this beast), casually climbing the grassy knoll we stood upon. That is when Ash, like a war general, commanded everyone in a 1/4 mile radius to get in a vehicle or risk being lunch. And this happened hours before we ate lunch at a picnic table near Old Faithful.
The Mother Nature majesty moments kept coming all day. From geyser greatness to a lone wolf crossing the road to bison herds in the triple digits, it was an incredible experience. But above all, I want my daughters to remember Ash. There was a moment where my girls stood beside her, watching geysers bubble and boil, creating the wildest of mists. All three of them were smiling into that sunburst mist and it was one of my favorite memories from our Westward Expansion Lampoon of 2025.
Close second - my wife. (Sorry, honey. You know Ash was awesome).
Best Actor
Me (golf clap).
So, I did not drive a single mile through Yellowstone. Probably would have drove us off a cliff. But, I did drive over 800 miles in a single day from Colorado Springs to Bozeman, Montana.
Close second - Superman.
Best Song
How can I write about America's pasttime and Yellowstone and not award The National Anthem? My girls sang the anthem at a Rats game early in the season only to sing it once more at a 27-hole golf contest on the 3rd Saturday in July. That contest is a summer tradition where some of my friends return to Johnstown and pretend to be from Europe (Team Europe). Those who live in Johnstown or somewhat close to Johnstown retain citizenship (Team USA). My daughters sing the anthem every year on the steps of Berkley Hills Golf Course in this Ryder Cup for the Ridiculous.
And despite being a key contributor to Team USA losing every single year (since the inaugural Cup of 2023), hearing my girls sing is always a win.
Best Bet
Depending on how you classify summer, we got one to two months left. Seize every last bit of it. Run those air conditioners as hard as the Rats on the base pads. Recognize that kindness just might be the greatest superhero trait you can have. When you hear the line, "gave proof through the night that our flag was still there", carry an attitude of gratitude from sunrise to sunset. Sing it out.
On a daily basis this summer, I have been awarded. Enjoy more fun in the sun and summer life on the run.
And if it rains, pour gratitude on.
Cheers to community.
