Bravery for Boondocking

Written on 5-31-2020.

  I did play better, but more on that in a bit.  It’s the final day of May, and we are in our “Baker Street” near Bandolier National Monument.  We chose to be brave and give boondocking a first try, and this is our second night here now.  I write “here now,” but we are in a different spot tonight.  The spot we stayed last night is just down the road from this one.    

Belinda, Kody, and I wanted to get out of town, and we wondered where we could go and who could we visit, and that was when we realized that the nearest kid was Matt in Santa Fe.  We packed up last minute on Saturday, and we were on the road around 4:00.  I thought it would take about an hour to get everything ready, but it took closer to two.  We just have a lot of things to think about like what food to bring, remembering to fill up the water tank, what technology and books do we want, and getting Pika set up inside with plenty of food and water while we are gone, and much more.  But, here we are, and we prepared well.        

It’s been both fearful and fantastic.  It is fearful, because we didn’t know where (or even if) we would find a spot.  And, if we find a spot, will it be legal to stay there?  Pretty scary.  

It was fantastic when we did find a spot, and when we saw others campers doing the same thing, we knew it would be fine/legal.  We are in a national forest, so it’s all good.  We are worried more about going camping during the whole coronavirus thing, also.  We noticed businesses are beginning to reopen around the state, though, albeit slowly, and we saw some campgrounds are opening, too. 

We didn’t let the fear stop us, and here we are.  Visiting Matt was great.  He needed a break from the boredom of not fighting fires, and he was so happy to see some people he loves.  Seeing Kody was a bonus.  They had a heartfelt reunion, and I captured it on video to send to Danielle.  She was sooooo jealous, of course.  We wished we could all be together, but the reality is she’s flying out to Fairbanks, Alaska for thirty days starting tomorrow at 1:00.  

One child is leaving to go to Alaska, and  the other one is planning his big return home.  James has decided that he would end his time in New Zealand after four years of work there.  He turned in...

It's My Ninth Birthday!

     Belinda, Kody, and I are on our way to visit Danielle, and we are staying in our Alto at Willard Bay State Park.  The truth is I forgot completely about my birthday today.  Has it really been nine years since I had my brain surgery?  Amazing!  Danielle was the first one to wish me a happy birthday, so it is most appropriate that we are on our way to go see her tomorrow.
     As far as golf goes, I am deep into my swing change.  I have had my lesson with Luke, and I spent the entire morning yesterday at the range getting videos of the new swing.  I wonder if it would have helped me to beat Eric in the match I wrote about here...

Written on 5-26-2020.

Well, no birdies.  And, a tough loss to Eric.  That’s not what I had planned, but like I told him during our round, it is just the beginning of this summer season.  We will get better.  Although it was a loss, I always take away the positives, so here are the good things that happened.

Eric did what it took to win, so kudos to him.  The final blow was a bogey on the tough par five #17.  He was in the bunker below the green with his third shot, and he blasted out to about four feet.  He missed that one, but a bogey was all he needed.

We would take turns having a good hole and then a blow-up hole, so the score went back and forth multiple times. It was a different kind of match play.  The first six holes were worth one point each, the second six were worth two points each, and the last holes were worth three points each, except for the last two, which were worth four and five points.  He won 21 to 19.

He wanted to add bonuses on the back nine with long drives and closest to the pins, so we did that, too, for one point each.  I got the only bonus, though, with the longer drive on #13.  It was easily 20 yards ahead of his, and it was one of the longest drives I have ever had on that hole.  That drive helped me get set up for a par and a win.  

I also got a par and a win on holes #1 and #4.  My chipping was decent, and that’s how I earned that par on #4.  I didn’t earn another par until #11, though.  My drive went across the cart path and settled in some dirt, but I had a great approach, hitting down on my ball with my 8-iron and sending the ball right over the flag.  I got a bogey on #15, and Eric, unfortunately, hit two tee shots into the canyon there.  

I also got a bogey on #3.  My tee shot went left, and I could barely advance the ball from the craggy grass over there.  I got my ball into the rough just off the fairway from there, though, and I hit a beauty with my 8-iron that also went right over the flag.  That’s what Eric told me, because he could see my ball’s flight, and I couldn’t.  I nearly got a par save, but that first putt barely missed at the last second.

That’s about it.  I look forward to playing better on Friday.  

Until next time…

Graduation, Bisti, and a Tournament Itch

Written on 5-22-2020.

It’s close to dusk here, and I can hear the a cricket chirping.  That’s not the only thing chirping, though.  The mama or papa bird is making a “chiirrup” sound, and it is in between feedings when it makes it.  Both parents have made a threatening sound, too, a kind of clicking noise, and they have dive-bombed Pikachu to protect their babies.  They don’t actually attack her, but they threaten and come close.  

Their babies are looking like normal birds now.  A lot less ugly, but I wonder how they all fit in there now that they are nearly full grown.  I hope we don’t see a dead bird soon down below, but I just don’t see how they are all fitting in there now.  I can imagine a sibling giving a little shove in frustration soon.   

Today was graduation day, but it was different, of course.  They hosted a “drive-through graduation” due to the coronavirus, and it turned out to be a huge parade winding its way through downtown, across the bridge, and ending at the middle school track and field.  We didn’t go, but I saw pictures and videos on FB.

Written on 5-23-2020.

We went to the Bisti Badlands today, and it was great!  I have wanted to go ever since I learned of the name due to the Bisti Writing Project.  I didn’t even know where they were located until years later.  I knew they were in the area, but I didn’t know where, or how close to Farmington.  

We did a little recon mission today to see where we could park the Alto and boondock.  We should go soon, possibly later this week, before it gets too hot.

B, Kody, and I packed a lunch, some water, his leash, and some entertainment if it was too windy, and we drove the truck out to the Bisti.  As we started on our hike, we didn’t understand why there weren’t walking paths.  Couldn’t we get lost?  Turns out we found...

Eric's Back!

Written on 5-16-2020.

It’s a sleepy Saturday afternoon at the Swope house.  B and I got our one task done for the day, installing our new screen door in front of our French doors, and it looks and feels fabulous.  Amanda came over to check it out, and she responded in the best way.  She wonders why we didn’t we do this years ago?  It brings the outdoors in, and it really helps move the air for better ventilation.  It has a real quality feel to it, and it snaps solidly in the middle.  Why didn’t we do this earlier?  Probably money.  Glad we have it now.

B and I tried out the new FATMan Approved Restaurant for lunch today.  Just supporting local during this whole shutdown thing.  I played my Lumosity App again today, of course (doing my best to keep my streak going), and it said when I was finished that I have now played 66 days in a row.  I add two days to that number, like I have said before, and that gives us 68 days since this all began.  It probably will be another 68 days, too.  Although businesses all around the United States are beginning to reopen with restrictions and rules.  Will there be a second wave after that?  Only God knows.

On to golf…

I didn’t write the other day who won between Eric and me.  It was close.  He let me choose the game, so I chose stroke play.  I thought he should get six strokes, so I gave him pops on the three most difficult holes on the front and the back.  That turned out to be the right number, because he beat me by one stroke.  He shot a 104 to my 99, so he won this round.  

If we had chosen the most long drives, he would have won that, too.  He outdrove me on #13, #14, and #18, and those are the ones that really stood out.  It’s possible there were more.  He drove it really well that day, and my drives were decent.

We had another little game we were playing, but we were working together on that one.  I guessed we could shoot a best ball score of 89.  We didn’t meet that goal, though.  We shot a 93.  We just weren’t as sharp as I thought we would be.

I am going to call Hillcrest again tomorrow to set up another tee time for next week.  Maybe this time, we will shoot a better score.  I also plan on watching an event with Dustin, Rory, Rickie, and some other guy tomorrow.  It’s a fundraiser for Covid-19.  I’ll write again while that’s going on.

Until tomorrow…