The Appropriate End of 2019

     The last time we played was also probably the last time we would be able to play this year.  With 2019 coming to an end in a few days, and with no decent weather days, this journal is winding up.  This was the round that had our regular threesome and ended up being warmer than I expected.

     We chose stroke play, and I took two pops on each nine vs. Bruce.  I started well.  I went par, par, double, par, bogey, and that’s when it unraveled.  C.J. and I got so far behind with stroke play that we chose to start over with a new game, and since Bruce was playing so well (he shot a 41 on the front), C.J. wanted the two of us to take on Bruce in match play on the back nine.  This really is going to end up being the last round of this year, unless some miracle happens in the last days of December and we have a warming trend.  Not likely.

     Here’s how it happened.  Bruce started off with a par on hole #10, and C.J. and I were all...

The End of the Tractor Story

Written on 12-26-19.

     The tractor driver saw it coming, and although it was well below where he was sitting, he dodged to the left in his seat for safety.  The ball bounced off the one of the big tires, and it made a sound like a red playground ball bouncing off the pavement.  Poink!  Instead of flying off into the desert and some miserable or impossible lie, it bounced toward the green and stopped on the fringe near the famous rocks.

     Leave it to Bruce to have a shot that hits a tractor and ends up just off the green.  I wish I could write that Bruce sunk his shot from just off the green for a par.  That would be an incredible story!  My first thought at that moment, however, was that Bruce gets all the lucky bounces, but I know that simply isn’t true.  He has had his share of wacky, awful bounces, too, but his game is a super example of the more he practices the luckier he gets.

     He rolled his putt for par too far past the hole, though, and then he missed the comeback putt for a bogey, but I am pretty sure that the bounce off the tractor gave him a much better score than he would have earned if his ball continued on unimpeded by the tractor tire.

The Beginning of the Tractor Story

Written on 12-14-19.

     I am in our computer room, and it’s a cloudy December day.  We attended the funeral/life celebration of Kirk Carpenter’s wife earlier today.  It was beautiful; she appeared to have lived a great life in her short 51 years.  It hit close to home, because that’s how old young Belinda is.  We are so fortunate and fragile, and I take none of it for granted.  

     We didn’t know her, had never met her, but we showed up to support Kirk, of course, one of the most resilient people I know.  What he has had to put up with these past two years with the shooting at the high school, with deflecting the blame for what happened with a certain person, and with his wife’s illness and eventual death has been astounding.  He has strength of character in endless reserve, although he wouldn’t say it.  He’s a super example of a human being, and I am proud to say I know him.

On to golf…

     We played yesterday at Pinon Hills, and it was so fun.  I thought it was going to be a really chilly round (brrrrr), but after we got going at 12:50, our tee time, it was really pleasant.  I even took off my sweatshirt for about nine holes in the middle of the round.  The sun came out a few times, and I could feel the warmth on my face.  Eric could not play again due to a tweaked back, but at least he got another invite.  It was our usual golf threesome, and we finished right at dusk, just in time to see a vibrant, Bronco orange sunset from the parking lot.

      I want to write about the incident that happened on hole #6, actually on a different day.  It happened when Eric came out to join us for nine holes.  Eric got the par to win the hole, which I did write about, but what I haven’t written about was what happened to Bruce, or rather, what Bruce did.  

     His tee shot came up short.  We were playing from the teeing grounds that are down below this time around.  We’ve been playing there more often recently.  On this day, about five people were working on the landscaping around the picturesque rocks by the green.  They were digging around the rocks, and making room for smaller gravel-type rocks.  They had shovels, gloves on, and they had one guy on a tractor.  We all teed off despite them working near the back of the green.  They didn’t seem to mind…or even stop for us to play through.  Bruce lined up for his second shot and let it go.  It shot out sideways, though, and headed straight for the tractor.  He shouted, “FORE!” but it happened so fast.

To be continued in the next post...

Happy 29th Anniversary, Belinda!

Written on 11-24-19.

     Well, this is spectacular!  We are staying in the Sunrise Casita at Blue Lake Ranch for our 29th wedding anniversary.  How did we not discover this place before?  Belinda mentioned we might want to stay at the place where Kelly and Rocky got married, but we would have to do a little research first.  We wanted to go somewhere, do something.  After a quick Google search, here we are.

     I don’t want to sound like a brochure for this place, but hardwood floors, a gas fireplace, southwestern decor, outdoor patios, gardens, vigas, latillas, and much much more comprise the many things that make this place special.  We’ve got it all to ourselves, too.  The Sage and Sunset casitas that are next door are completely vacant.  We just came back from breakfast, and we only saw one other guest.  It’s as if we have it all to ourselves.  Oh, and the veggie frittata was sublime.

     Last night, we ate at the Kennebec Cafe, and of course, our thoughts were with Dale.  He would have approved...