Doubling up

Now that vacations are over and I've got a better handle on my freelance work, it's time to get caught up with a little bit of Hound Central 5.0 housecleaning, namely the past two HC5.0 polls.

As always, I appreciate your participation and patience.

Summer hounding

The first poll inquired about your summer plans, specifically if you'd been hounding at all this summer. Nearly three-quarters of those responding said they would get in a little hounding. Same here.

In fact, Colin's already put together team balls from the Dunedin Blue Jays and Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League. With any luck, he'll add another, from the Charlotte Stone Crabs, before the week's out.

And, with the news that hockey legend Steve Yzerman is the Tampa Bay Lightning's new general manager, we'll be looking for any and all opportunities to build that collection over the summer.

Question: Hounding this summer?

Yes: 22 votes out of 29 cast (75.9 percent)
No: 7 votes (24.1 percent)

Deep thinking

Hound Central 5.0 took a philosophical approach with the other poll, asking if there is more to life than hockey.

Since last August, when NHL players took to a rink at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, hardly a day went by that hockey wasn't a subject. At times, it felt too consuming. That's part of the reason for the recent scarcity of posts -- I'm trying to realize that there's more to life than hockey.

In a way, that's easier said than done. Between Colin's summer hockey program (3-on-3 games, Tuesday night practices and Wednesday skating sessions), we're still pretty busy and hockey-centric. It's not a complain, just a fact of the life we've chosen.

Lately, though, we're finding time for other endeavours. Beyond attending some FSL games, we're looking forward to Colin's summer vacation. We're working on a 10-item list of things to do once school lets out June 9th. Hunting for trains, counting 100 jets, picking blueberries and watching the Barenaked Ladies perform after a Tampa Bay Rays game are among the items.

I'm sure, too, that taking in the Lightning's Young Guns camp, should the team hold one this summer after the upcoming NHL Draft, will make the list. We wouldn't want to get rusty now, would we? We're hoping that Yzerman will be in a signing mood as well.

Question: More to life than hockey?

Yes: 25 votes out of 34 cast (73.5 percent)
No: 9 votes (26.5 percent)