A New Routine

Written on 7-26-26.

        We just took Rowan and Benny back to James in Cuba at the Del Prado Restaurant. That’s part of the new routine.  Belinda and I used to meet Bev at a small park in front of a bowling alley in Alamosa to do our exchange with our kids.  

Here are the details of our new routine: Matt and Becca will bring them to Cuba and drop them off with Eric and Amanda.  Our part is to bring them back, and that is what we just did.  It was great to see James, albeit briefly.  

Rowan and Benny were both such good boys this weekend.  Rowan is really growing and comprehending more.  One moment that was really funny to me/us was when I asked Rowan if he had seen the small, red car, and he shrugged and put his hands up in the air.  He also pretends to blow his nose.  He’ll hold the tissue up to his nose and make breathing noises.  It’s adorable.  He did that at church with me last night.  

We are looking forward to many other such Aztec Summer Camps here in Aztec.  That’s what we are calling them.  

On to golf…

Herman (not his real name) reached out to me last week to ask what I was doing.  I said I could play either Monday or Tuesday evening.  He replied, “That’s great, and I will play with you anytime, but I was wondering if you could work with my granddaughter on her volleyball skills.”

Oops!  I didn’t read his message very well.  Anyway, it worked out that I could help her on Tuesday night at San Juan College.  He had asked if I would be willing to work with her before, and I always said yes. 

She is a shy 8th grader (about to be), and her name is Ashley (not her real name).  I didn’t know what to expect, but she was a great listener, and she had a wonderful work ethic.  I put her through her paces, and I got an idea of what she needed to work on.  It was typical stuff for that age group: serving tosses, passing, and setting technique.

She said her mom played in Farmington, and she had learned some of her skills from her.  At the end, we played the ‘pepper game,’ because it’s a fun way to tie everything together.  We started playing it as a game with points when Kelly and I ran our Spike Doctor Clinics. 

My HUGE Comeback at Hillcrest

Written on 7-12-26.

        He duffed it!  He also double-hit it, and he quickly turned and asked if it was legal.  I told him that it was, but he figured it out at the same time.  That’s something I would usually do (a double-hit).  That didn’t help his situation much, though.  His golf ball skittered across the green and back into the deep grass.  He would have to manage a great up and down just to tie me now, so I felt a bit of relief.  I also knew that he could still pull it off.  He’s done some wild things like that before.

Thankfully, this wasn’t one of those times.  I had done it.  I had pulled off a HUGE comeback, and it was truly miraculous.  I surely thanked God afterwards.  

We went from not playing to playing, and I had gone from not winning to winning.  My, how the tables turned for this.  

I forgot to show Grant my favorite view on the course on the teeing grounds on #15.  I was so focused on our competition.  It didn’t matter.  He said he truly enjoyed the golf course.

Our Skins Game at Hillcrest

Written on 7-10-26.

        It’s a Friday, and I have no work.  B went paddle boarding this morning, and I went to Ancient Grounds, the restaurant on Main Street where Ramsey Realty used to be.  She joined me when she was done, and we have been relaxing at home since.  We watched a couple of more episodes of the Netflix show called I Will Find You.  It’s been relaxing, but I have felt a weight on me all day.  I am grieving.  

Rob chose to take Kody’s dog bed that we inherited from C.J.  It was great to catch up with him.  I called to see if he wanted it back, but he told us it was ours now.  I asked if he knew anybody who might want it, but he couldn’t think of anyone.  That’s when I texted Rob and Danielle.  Rob’s dog, Frankie, will get the use out of it next.

I should do more, but I need a day.  It’s a relaxing day, and I need it.  I am using writing to keep busy.

Back to golf…

I was one point behind when I wrote last time.  Thankfully, Eric and Grant pushed one point by tying each other on hole #16.  I struggled to a 7, but they both got double bogeys.

We came to #17, and I remembered the...

Dogs vs. RC Boats

Written on 7-5-26.

        It’s the day after our country’s big 250 year birthday celebration.  It’s 3:01 in the afternoon, and many family members have left.  James and Casey just texted to let us know they made it home.  Rob and Danielle, Char, and Kyle left close to the same time, so now we only have the Edgertons and the Frings here.  Matt, Becca, and Benny go home tomorrow, and so do we.  It was beautiful chaos, but now it’s quieter.  

I’m tired.  We stayed up until midnight last night.  We were sitting around the fire pit telling stories until the Frings came back from the fireworks show in Bayfield.  Kyle made tater tots for the diehards who stayed awake.  Eric and Amanda couldn’t make it and turned in early.  Thus, the grogginess I am feeling. 

One of the best activities this time turned out to be RC boats vs. dogs that I mentioned before.  I think the dogs won, but the firefighter boat I bought was a survivor.  Indie is really fast and has sharp teeth, so she racked up the kills faster than Paws did.  The boats with all of their damage got water-logged and slower, too.  Danielle said it wasn’t fair to encourage the dogs to chase the boats (not that it took much encouragement) and then yell at them when they would catch them.  I agree.

I compared it to King Kong grabbing biplanes out of the air and stopping them dead, although they would still roar and attempt to get away.  One quick chomp translated into a twenty minute break, inches of duct tape, or a possible prop repair.  It also included lots of laughter from all who witnessed the carnage.

Back to Kody again for a bit.  We gave James and Danielle the final inheritance money from Mom and Dad this weekend.  All of the kids got some monetary surprises this holiday.  Eric and Amanda gave each couple some fun money for their anniversary, too.  They said 35 years of marriage taught them that it’s great to go do something fun as a couple.  

We gave our kids the money, and Casey, with her special sense of humor, said later, “We can call this the ‘Kody Inheritance.’  She can have some great comments.  And, also very appropriate.

Until next time…

How Kody Left Us

Written on 7-4-26.

        Happy 4th Of July and Happy Semi-Quincentennial!  Wow!  250 years of America.  How long will this experiment live on?  

We are back at the cabin again for another big celebration, and everyone is here, at least all of the normal characters.  We have some other guests here as well.  Debbie and her daughter Kacie sp? are here today.  Grandma Arrou came up for today only, too, and Char is here, but I would consider her more of a regular.  She just walked by with one of those water bladder things on her back.  She must have filled it up at the river.  She said she planned to go for a hike to Lake Eileen.

  *I stepped away, because the RC firefighter boat I bought on Amazon for $60.00 got crushed in Indie’s jaws.  Ha!  No big deal.  It was bound to happen.  If you play with Kyle’s dogs, eventually you’ll get the jaws of death.  Kyle was chasing Paws and Indie and squirting them with the little firehose, and Indie turned on on it.  Significant hull damage was done with her sharp, little teeth, but I think it has a chance for a recovery.  Good ol’ duct tape.

We just gave our kids...

We Say Goodbye to Our Dog and Best Friend Kody

Written on 7-3-26.

This is sad and hard to write.  Kody died last night.  Sigh.  He was throwing up a few days ago, and he was listless again.  He didn’t want to eat, and he hardly drank, too.  It was hard to watch.  It wasn’t diarrhea this time.  He had a few rounds of that the past couple of months, but those got straightened out.  He was given antibiotics and the “hydration hump” to help him get rehydrated.  We sprinkled a probiotics powder on his food, too, to help get him back on track.  He perked up and went back to normal soon after.  Not this time.  

Belinda thought it was the same thing, and she tried to get him into the vet two days ago, but they didn’t have their tech, so the only appointment she could arrange was for this morning at 11:30.  That turned out to be too late.  I don’t know if it would have made a difference, though.  He got worse exponentially last night, so we called for emergency services.

We could get him in at 7:00 PM in Durango, so we took it.  We didn’t have a choice. 

Skins at Hillcrest Continued

Continued from 6-28-26.

        I was discouraged at the turn.  I was a little low on energy, too.  I stopped at the new snack stand and ordered a brat for $5.00.  I still had half of the homemade breakfast burrito that Eric mostly put together for the three of us that morning.  I helped a little.  They had cut-up steak bites from the steaks that Grant made for our dinner the night before.  Yummy!  

Still, I needed more food.  I did bring a yogurt and a Fairlife protein drink, but they were gone already.  While I was waiting for my brat, I was discouraged and having all kinds of weird (yet normal) thoughts:

A Warm-up Practice Round Before Hillcrest

Written on 6-28-26.

        I am relaxing on our bed after a weekend in Vallecito with the Banashes and the Edgertons.  It was so wonderful.

  

*The LPGA is going on the TV in the background.  It’s the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and Brooke Henderson is leading at -10.

  

Golf has been very good to/for me lately.  I had a moment of despair, but it went away quickly. 

First, though, it is Matt Frings’ birthday tomorrow.  Kyle wished him a happy birthday today by mistake.  That was funny.  Danielle took out Rob for his birthday in Santa Fe last night.  They looked handsome and beautiful in the pictures she sent.  

Noah proposed to Courtney (Kelly and Rocky’s daughter) this weekend, too.  Those pictures were amazing!  He had a professional photographer standing by.  They make a beautiful couple.  Will there be a wedding in Rob and Danielle’s future?  Kyle and Mel’s?  Probably? Possibly.

On to golf…

*The TV has switched coverage to the Travelers Championship.  Scottie Scheffler is leading by one stroke over Viktor Hovland, -20 to -19.

Eric called me yesterday to go practice at Pinon Hills on Thursday morning before we played at Hillcrest.  It’s a real turnaround after what I thought about how he felt about golf lately.  He just needed to play to find out where...

Hot, Hot Father's Day at Paliza Near Ponderosa, NM

Written on 6-21-26.

        We are the the Paliza Campground just past Ponderosa, NM, and we are at the Owl Group Site (1 of 2 group sites) this Father’s Day.  Belinda found it and booked it for the Swopertongs, and it has been incredible.  We have an entire campground all to ourselves with multiple spots, bathrooms, and a huge pavilion.  It’s a good thing we have so many spots, because we have six parties.  I’ll say who they are by the order in which they came.  The first ones here were James, Casey, and Rowan.  They picked a spot overlooking the group site.  Then Belinda, Kody, and I came and took the spot next to them.  Next came the Edgertons and the Frings.  Eric and Amanda drove here with their RV.  Matt, Becca and Ben came in two separate vehicles.   They had just spent  some time up at the cabin in Vallecito, and that’s why they had their GMC truck and their Kia.  Kyle, Mel, and Kyle’s dogs came with his Maverick and its cool, little set-up after that.  Finally, Rob and Danielle came a few hours later, since they took the long way from Santa Fe.  

All in all, six spots were taken.  Lots of choices, thankfully.  Oh, and it was...

Herman Reunion

Written on 6-6-26.

        Our Mom and Dad’s wedding anniversary has come and gone.  It was June 1st.  They would have been married 63 years.  They got married in 1963.  Bev, Guy, and I acknowledged it in our Sibateers’ text thread.  Then John, Mom’s brother, texted us later that night.  That was thoughtful and sweet.  He said he was there when they got married, but we were not.  Such a kidder. 

B and I are camping in the most marvelous place today.  We have finally made it to Creede, CO, to visit Todd and Zoe and their quaint cabin.  We are off Miners’ Creek Road, and they have owned 10 acres with the creek that runs through them for 21 years.  I am sitting above the creek now in my camping chair.  Ah, life is sweet.

We took a hike for about an hour and a half this afternoon.  We trudged up Rat Creek Road, and we saw remnants of mines from years ago.  It took longer, because we would stop to hear the stories of their past hikes with Natasha and her friends.  They have owned the property for...

Gene Torres Golf Course

Written on 5-28-26.

        We drove, and we talked some more.  We even used part of that time to talk about politics.  We drove past the campground to go to Las Vegas, so we would be less than an hour away when we were done.  I drove an awful lot that day; Eric, the twins, Kody and I drove to Rob’s house in Santa Fe for dinner that night, too.

The pro recognized me from our phone calls.  He said Apple Maps has done this to other people.  We grabbed some breakfast burritos before we played.  Greg treated, since I had driven so much.  Then we played.

The course was rough.  It had weeds and grass growing in the bunkers, and the sand was more like gravel.  It was patchy and similar to the “dog track” (Carter’s words for the course we played in Colorado Springs).

We had fun, though.  We played decently.  He had many bogeys from the start, and the he cooled off more near the end.  I had a triple, a double, and a bogey on the first three holes, so I foolishly said I would get a par on the next hole.  Nope, another double. I managed two pars on holes six and seven, though.  I would have had a par on the par 5 #8, but I had a blind shot to the green over a hill.  If I would have hit the same shot towards where I thought the flag was, I might have had a par…or possibly a birdie.  I made a long putt for a bogey there, though.

Afterwards, we went to the famous bakery there, Charlie’s Spic and Span Bakery, to grab some goodies for that night’s dinner.  The chocolate eclairs were delightful.

I have a day off on Tuesday, so I might finally get to play with Herman (not his real name still).  I will be sure to let you know.

Until next time…

Memorial Day Becomes Familial Day!

Written on 5-27-26.

        I have been busy.  I’ve been working, and that now includes the eBay stuff.  It’s not really work, but it keeps me busy at times.  I had to deal with the sale of some of our cameras this month.  We sold our two Canon digital cameras, and we also sold Dale's Nikon camera with all of its extra lenses.  That was a cool item.  

We had some problems with the lesser expensive Canon.  The buyer found some scratches on the lens, so I just sent him a refund tonight.  I’ve enjoyed learning about eBay.  I like the challenge of learning something new.  Just like the garage sales we have had, it’s great to get rid of stuff we don’t want and get some cash for it, also.  

We just had all the kids here for Memorial Day weekend.  We were able to spend lots of time with our little man.  He is walking everywhere now.  We took him to the splash pad here, but it ended up being just a warm-up this time.  Later, I know he will enjoy it more.

I never got to see...

That's Better!

Written on 5-3-26.

        It’s the Sunday before May 4th, the HUGE Star Wars date of the year.  May the 4th be with you all…tomorrow.

Because it is not the 4th, I am going to catch up on some more golf for this entry.

Back to golf…

I have been saving the scorecard from when Guy was here until now.  That was the round we played at Riverview with the father and son duo from Gallup.  When we played the back nine, we had to leave early, because we had to get to the Edgerton’s house for some hors d’oeuvres.  Eric wanted to see and visit with Guy while he was here, so we arranged a 5:30 meetup at their house. 

After we played this hole, we left to make it there on time.  It was hole #16, and I had played pretty well during this round, like I wrote before.  This hole was no exception.  I launched my drive to the area past the cart path.  I have never done that before from the blues or the whites.  This drive was from the whites.  I was left with a pitch of 80 yards.  I got my ball to about 20 feet to the right of the hole.  I made a good faith effort for my birdie putt and ended up finishing with one final par with Guy.  Phew!  It was a relief to play better in front of Guy after the disaster at the “public Augusta National.”

I have not played since then, but I did try.  I reached out to Herman (not his real name) on Friday last weekend.  He told me his son-in-law and his daughter had drawn tags for turkeys up in the mountains.  That’s twice now he has responded he was going out of town.  No big deal, though.  I should be playing more than I am. 

Patrick (last name) told me he was ready to play after his back surgery, and I had planned to include him, but I chose to get stuff done at home instead.

I have been working out regularly.  My ten workouts with Matthew (last name) ended two Tuesdays ago.  I have managed to keep up with it, though, but I don’t go as hard as I do when working out with him.  

I weighed myself today, and I am down to 209.4!  Happy to be in that range again.  This past round with Matthew included better eating for better results.  Diet has so much to do with weight loss.

I wrote about this today, because I can hear golf calling me.  Hey, Patrick!  Where have you been?  I miss you.  

My hope is to get into a routine for this summer.  Go to work, go play golf after.  I can see myself playing on Fridays when I don’t have shifts usually. 

Until next time…

My First Birdie of the Season

Written on 3-29-26.

        It’s a Sunday afternoon now, and Belinda and I are parked in our front entry with Kody.  He is lying down between us.  

I moved inside to watch the PGA.  It was the Houston Children’s Open, and Gary Woodland won!  He hadn’t won since the U.S. Open in 2019.  Now, he is a five-time champion on the tour.  He had a brain surgery for a lesion.  He then had PTSD off and on.  So glad to see another recovery from a brain surgery, of course.  He is an inspiration to many, and I can include myself.  It’s wonderful to see another golfer come back.  I was thankful to come back and just be able to play again.  Imagine getting back to the winner’s circle after something like that.  Good for him.  So inspiring!

When Guy and I played, I managed a birdie on the first hole on the back nine.  Here’s the description of my first birdie for the year 2026!  How fun that I was with Guy when it happened.  

Riverview Golf Course-Hole #10-Birdie #1 of 2026  

I was hammering my driver, and this hole was no different.  The scorecard says it’s a 340 yard par four, and I hit it to 90 yards.  It’s also slightly uphill.  My ball was in the middle of the fairway, and I could see the red marker for 100 yards plainly, because I was just past it.

I chose my pitching wedge for the approach, and the ball was above my feet a bit, so I choked down on the club.  Two things could have happened to cause my ball to end up a foot away from the hole.  I couldn’t tell, because I was below the hole, and I couldn’t see.  One, my ball could have landed off the green and hit the hill.  Then it may have rolled down and settled just past the hole.  Two, it could have landed and rolled forward.  I feel it was the former, because it felt long when I hit it.

Who cares?  Either way, it was a tap-in birdie for the first one this year.  Hooray!

Until next time…

The Siblings' Visits!

Written on 3-26-25.

        It’s quiet time here at the Swope household.  B is resting next to me in our bed on a Thursday afternoon.  The Lamberts are here!  Daryl is watching a movie in our living room while Adi is being forced to take a nap in Danielle’s old room.  Not sure where Bev chose to have her quiet time.

Our visit with Guy was great…just great!  He got to spend some time with the kids and Rowan in Albuquerque, but we decided to drive back to Aztec on Friday night.  That was wonderful for two reasons.  First, Rowan and Casey still felt awful from the same cold that Belinda had.  Belinda still has it, but it’s only an occasional cough now.  Second, we got to wake up in Aztec, so Guy’s stay felt longer here.  

We had breakfast at Rubia’s, and it worked out so well, because I saw three guys from...

The Siblings are Coming! The Siblings are Coming!

Written on 3-16-26.

        I am sitting next to Belinda at the Bluff Resort.  A gas fire pit is blasting away in front of us, but the sun is going down, so the heat feels really good when it blasts us intermittently.  A cool breeze is blowing in our faces the rest of the time.  The sun is leaving the highest cliffs above us, and it is making the greatest contrast with the rock faces that are already in the shade. 

We survived (and thrived with) our little man, Rowan, this past weekend.  This was the first time (hopefully of many) when he came to spend two nights with us.  That gave us one full day with him.  Becca drove Ben and Rowan to Cuba to be picked up by Eric and Amanda.  We drove them back yesterday to have James and Casey pick them up again.  We have such a team!  Go, Swopertongs!

I just checked the...

Continuing My Star Wars Trading Cards Saga

Written on 3-8-26.

        The next set of red series cards were bought in Denver somewhere near the capitol building.  That is my vague recollection.  It was maybe in the 90’s?  I think Belinda was with me.  Joe, possibly, too?  The guy selling them was very reluctant to part with them, but Joe or I pointed out some flaws, so he sold them to me.  I felt like I got the better end of the deal.  Finally, I had a cleaner set of my favorite series! 

Most of the stickers are from my childhood. Some of them came from my two recent purchases from Comics Warehouse in Albuquerque (#11) and eBay (#5, #9, and #10 from the blue series, a better #20 from the red, and #28 from the yellow).  Because I opened the packs right after buying them all those years ago, they escaped the fate of the gum stains that many new collectors get.  The ones I bought are clean copies, too.

Speaking of clean, I did find a brown lunch bag in my top dresser drawer after I graduated from high school.  Inside were mostly untouched Empire Strikes Back trading cards.  I had forgotten (and lost interest) by that age, but I was chuffed to find them.  Here were spotless cards (no unsightly lines across the backs) that were from my favorite Star Wars movie.  All was forgiven for my Mom (not really, because I don’t really blame her), the keeper of all things, because she was the one who saved these incredible treasures.  What an amazing find!

Until next time…