What's Up with Michael: July 2022

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Hermosa Beach for AVP Volleyball Tournament

Jackson and Tanner played in the Junior AVP Hermosa Beach Sand Volleyball Tournament on July 9 and 10. We watched them and the professionals (you've seen some of them, or will see them, play in the Olympics), and we visited a couple of botanical gardens.

This is where the AVP Hermosa Beach volleyball tournament will take place tomorrow. The pros will play in this stadium and on courts 1 and 2.

Redondo Beach

The AVP stadium on game day.

Jackson and Curtis take on the team that would become number 2 overall.

Tanner and Braydon take on the team that would become number 1 overall.

Getting autographs on their mini-Wilson volleyballs.

I think this is Chaim Schalk. He and Theo Brunner won the overall men's title.

I think this is Jake Dietrich. He and Hagen Smith were seeded 16 (bottom seed) but beat the number 1 and 2 seeds.

I think this is Theo Brunner.

Annie was really excited to get autographs from Sarah Sponcil and Terese Cannon, the women’s winners. They exited from the back of the stadium, so Annie had to run like crazy to catch them.

Chieko is interested in all things flowers. This is a Tall Kangaroo Paw plant in Hermosa Beach.

SANTA BARBARA

BOTANIC GARDEN

On the last day of the tournament, we watched the boys play their last game at 7 a.m. Then we headed to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

All the plants in the garden are native to California. Redwoods are not native to Southern California, but these are California trees that were planted in 1926.

Wild ginger.

Holly

The Santa Barbara Mission

The mission is getting a new bishop, and this priest is excitedly preparing for the archbishop to come from Los Angeles later today to say mass from this platform and install the new bishop.