And you guys don't think it rains in Idaho! 

Once again

Yep. You guessed it. I played golf again today with my friend John. It was largely good and I shot about what I normally do. I didn't make any huge mistakes, nor did I make any spectacular shots. Just kind of run of the mill, safe golf.

The one annoyance that I did face was having a single golfer teamed up with us. That wouldn't be a bad thing, normally, but I got the distinct feeling that this guy was taking WAY too much interest in me, if you know what I mean. It really didn't help my concentration when he kept making sure that he stood nearby me whenever he could, and whilst I was walking he drove his cart right beside me and tried to make personal converstion and kept probing for details about me. He ignored my friend John and the other guy that joined us on the back nine. He kept asking personal questions and scoffed when I gave vague answers. "Oh, so you don't want me to know anything about you?" He said.

Granted, I'm cute, (OK, really cute) but I'm not gay. Nor do I have any problem with gay people, I just didn't like the attention. I finally made a point (when he was trying to find out where I lived) that my wife (now ex-wife, but I didn't mention that part) and I had moved to this area when there was no construction and now things are really booming.

He did leave me alone after that, and I appreciated that he respected/recognized my sexual orientation (or he just gave up). It just took to long for me to get the point across, I guess. Probably wasn't his fault, he was just trolling.

But, I did shoot much better when he stopped paying attention to me. Maybe next time I won't dress so nicely. Maybe the ballerina costume was kind of misleading, although I do tend to putt better when I'm dressed for "Swan Lake."

JUST KIDDING!!

OK, this is truly a fun picture. This juvenile robin was sitting in the rosebush outside my kitchen window. The poor little guy/gal can't fly yet, so it kept screaming for its parents, who aren't far away and keep bringing him/her food to eat. This little one really knows how to sit very still if someone it doesn't know is looking at it. 

What Might be the Topic? Golf, of Course!

Surprise, surprise! I played golf again today. I didn't do very well, but did force myself to try to use my new putter that I've previously not done too well with. Scotty did very well today (Scotty Cameron Red X). I was putting really well, and drained a 10 footer or so for a birdie on the last hole. I had many 30 - 50 foot putts that I managed to get w/in a few inches of the cup. Of course, I had some 8s thrown in there as well, so my overall score was 102, which peeves me, especially since my putting was very good. The sandtraps were my downfall today, so now I know what I need to work on. (Another thing I need to work on, that is.)

I've been wondering all weekend why my throat and lungs are kind of burning. Today I found out. Towards the end of the back 9 a strong wind kicked up in advance of a thunderhead. This course has a lot of pine trees on it, and the pollen was coming off the trees in huge, thick yellow clouds. The whole valley must be choked with pollen, and choking me in the process.

Thanks to the wind, sand, and heat, I now have a nice coating of grit stuck to my sunscreen. I think a shower is in order. Then maybe grill a couple of chorizos, have brew, and call it a weekend.

Not a very interesting post, I know, but for a change we didn't have any horrific weather to talk about. Just a gorgeous day, up until the wind on the last couple of holes.

I Miss You

The air is cool tonight

the bright lights of the city
surround me
I have nowhere to go and
nothing to do

It would be so much better
if you were here

I walk down to the pier
and have the crab guy crack some crab for me
in the hubbub of the tourist throng

While I'm waiting
I get some clam chowder in a bread bowl

I look out at the bay,
and wonder how the Mariners will do tonight

Wishing I had a life

This is a portrait of the legendary Bob Wills that I did a few years back. I'm not sure why I'm posting it now. The medium is a slab of 1 inch thick wood, carved out with a scroll saw. Not your typical portrait, but I wanted to use my new scroll saw for good, and not evil. (I'm not really sure how you can use a scroll saw for evil, though.)

Some detail to show that this is indeed sawed out of wood. 

Flowers by my pond. 

Flower. Not much to say about it. 

Chive flower. Today was good for taking pictures. Overcast and slight mist/rain. 

This is blurry, but I thought I would share it anyway. Mr. and Mrs. Quail having a snack. 

Golf in the muggy afternoon

Geez oh Pete! I thought after all our rain and the cool weather we were having that golf today would be a piece of cake! Not so. It was about 80 degrees with about 90% humidity. Everything that could stick to me did so. Bugs, sweat, my shirt, pants, parts of the sky, anything that could stick did.

The highlight of the day for me was seeing a very nice looking Bull snake on the 8th hole tee box. He or she was very polite and didn't move until we were done hitting the ball. I then Shooed it off into the weeds, not wanting the next group to become freaked out and kill it. It was a very polite snake, and quite beautiful. Not too big, only 3 feet or so and kind of skinny.

Such is golf in Idaho.

My Favorite Things About Golf

People never ask me, "So why do you love golf so much?"
In case they ever do, I've come up with a list:

1) The chance to be with your friends (and sometimes meet new friends) who will not only support you, but will give you shit when you play beneath your ability
2) Having a chorizo on the turn when you are lucky enough to play in Basque country
3) Cracking open a cold Heineken halfway down the last fairway (You can't drink any earlier because it will screw up your game)
4) Having your friend John putt at imaginary holes, and never let him live it down
5) To feel alive as your twilight years approach, knowing you will never be on tour, but knowing that it doesn't matter anyway
6) To hit that shot in a million that keeps you thinking that you might be able to get on tour, like the 5 iron I hit and curled around a tree and over a bunker to within 10 feet of the cup this Saturday.
7) Because the smell of grass on a rainy day is just so damned good
8) Because it beats the hell out of work, no matter how bad you shoot
9) Because you can hug your friends when they make a good shot, and they will hug you back when you miss an easy shot

Golf In May

In Idaho, you never can depend on the weather, but today was good. It was partly cloudy and nicely warm. I shot a 92, which isn't great, but considering my last few rounds, it was pretty good. I was happy to play with my good friend John, and this time he didn't beat me. We had Chorizos at the turn, and all was right with the world. The sky was partly cloudy, mostly nice, and it even became a little hot. That's when the delirium set in.

I was partially dehydrated; the sun was hot.

We were on a short par 3 with no hazards but sand on the left and right of the green. As I stood over the ball, the ground began to swirl. I realized at that point that I had had no beef jerky for over 12 hours. There were no beers to be had anywhere.

I turned to John and asked him if this was really fair. He confirmed that it was. Knowing that the Pope had died just recently, I tried to focus on the shot. Visions of hamsters dressed in lederhosen danced through my brain. I stepped back to focus on the shot and tried to get some rhythm going. In my mind was playing "Missed Me" by the Dresden Dolls.

I swung my club. Miraculously, the shot landed on the green within 10 feet of the cup. I turned to John, but he had become a moose dressed in purple underwear. I knew at that point that I needed water.

Trying the only skill that I could remember from my cub scout days, I ran to the nearby 7-11 and bought a couple of bottles of water. What would I have done without such cub scout training?

I drank deeply from the bottled water, John returned to a human, and all was good...except the rest of my game, when I was somehow convinced that I was John Stuart Mill, who was not a very good golfer. Luckily for me, I did win every discussion with John regarding Economics for the rest of the afternoon, although, to be honest there were no discussions of Economics.

I think next time I'll drink more water ahead of time.

Or maybe I'll stay home.

Some sort of flower I have growing in my kitchen. It seems to be happy.