Lazy Friday

This morning started off much like all Florida mornings with the temperature around 70 and bright sunshine. With my cup of green tea I made my way to my favourite reading area on the lanai and searched the sports news to see how Mike Weir was doing in the Bob Hope Classic. Much to my surprise his name stood fourth last in the group of 120. Next I checked to see how Detroit Red Wings made out and they won. My morning was better already.Most of the news after that was about shootings, crime and the housing market which is improving.

Theresa joined me and on this quiet morning a Ra-ta-ta from a woodpecker hammering on the eave trough made any conversation impossible. We have two wood peckers living close by and they love to wake everyone up by pecking on metal surfaces. We both got up and observed the bird which was joined by its partner. Double the pleasure. With nesting in full force we suddenly have the mocking birds coming forth with a variety of melodies all day long. We usually are lucky to have at least one pair nest in our trees. Without a doubt they take the prize for the best songs. They have this habit of sitting on our fence watching for their food to appear. Any flying bug or insect becomes their prey. They have the ability to spot and catch nearly every time. They never eat off our feeder but take regular baths in our bird bath.

In the dry season our bird bath becomes the watering hole for a variety of birds and feral cats. We keep it clean and full of water. So on this lazy Friday morning we are entertained by the creatures who share our little spot in paradise.With no warning heavy fog rolls in and in a matter of minutes the sun disappears and we are blanketed in a surreal environment. If this keeps up I shall be forced to do the list of little jobs posted on the refrigerator. So much for my Lazy Friday.

New Hobby

I have always been interested in boats of all sizes. Last year when I had some spare time and materials from the garage I built a couple of boats for fun. I designed the boats on plywood and developed a plan. For tools I used what I had and although they were primitive it is surprising how you can hide errors with good sanding.

I wanted to build a sword fishing boat so I began to think of the small boats anchored at Lockmans Beach in Cape Breton. With very thin one and two ply wood I managed to get a hull that worked. I used the plywood over ribs and decking from a cigar box to complete the hull and deck. A coke can was used for the props and white piping cut thin for the portholes.

I furnished the area below deck like the fishermen did and left the cabin roof unfastened so you can look in. I have a sail boat finished and it would be described as a island trader. Gaff rigged with three jibs up front made it look like you could really fly along with the trade winds.

My latest effort is going to be a motor cruiser when completed. After that I will have to find a new hobby and build rockets or airplanes or such. Working with your hands is fun and it helps the arthritis.

Cruising The Carribean

I have been away from blogging for about 10 days and have missed reading and writing every day. Theresa and I have been thinking about a cruise with our 92 year old mother as she loves to cruise. We used a line which featured special attention for seniors and we fitted that requirement. It was only a three hour drive over to everglades port and our ship.

Nearly new and carrying 3200 passengers and 1600 crew, the Crown Princess was a great ship. Everything you could dream of was on board. Swimming, golf, exercise rooms and of course 24 hr. restaurant service. The weather was a break from the dreary weather we experienced in Florida for much of January and February. Our ship was smooth and you never realized you were sailing unless you were leaning over the rail looking at the waves going by.

Our first stop was at Grand Cayman where the warm sun made us feel at home. Excellent shopping and prices on this island because there were no taxes and no duty. We were interested in the town and did not shop but were tempted, however the history and sights were really interesting and we were happy with a walk about.

Four other ships were there as well putting the population at 10,000 more than before we landed. These cruise stopovers are very important to the people living on these islands.

The people were very friendly and everyone felt secure and happy to share the day with the local population. Many guided tours are available but we chose to go our own way. As we boarded our ship at 3.30 to move on to the next island we felt well served by the experience we had in the Grand Caymans. We were off to Roatan in Honduras. We sailed all night and arrived there next morning. This turned out to be my favourite place as it was pristine and offered us a glimpse of how the island looked years ago.

Here we walked to the little village and saw the shops with local art and crafts. Everything was well priced but there were few people buying. Most were taking in the tours and experiencing the water activities. Snorkeling, scuba diving and all sorts of other water fun. This day ended as the rest with us returning to the ship for a magnificent meal and dancing. A professional show was performed in the Princess Theatre twice every night. It held 1,000 people and was always filled to capacity.

Theresa and I loved the smaller clubs with different musicians encouraging us to dance. Every night we sat on our balcony as the ship plowed through the blue water and watched the moon. There is nothing better than to spend a late evening with a drink with your loved one and exciting conversation about the day and planning more of the same tomorrow.

Tuesday Golf

For the last five weeks my golf was terrible. I managed to bring my handicap down to 16. This is not the normal handicap but a special handicap whereas you get points for a boogie, a par, a birdie and an eagle if you are very special. My handicap runs around about 18. This means I am a boogie golfer.

This morning I was free from the pain of arthritis and was ready for the challenge. The weather was perfect and our gang of golfers were eager to go after seven weeks of 40 degree weather at starting time. We tee off at 7am. Today the temp was 64 and we were hot to play.

Bets were made and away we went. Since this was a personal experience and there are no challenges to their truth I can say as I wish. However every golfer has a code that dictates telling the exact score. I started off with a par, a boogie and a par. My companions looked at me and said I was in for a good game. All my golfer buddies know that I can be real good for three holes but not for nine or eighteen.

For the next six holes I had two more pars, two bogie's and two others. There is water on the course. At the end of nine I had my best game so far this year with 11 points. At the turn I managed another par, two others and another par. With five holes to go I was focusing, something I forget to do on nearly all occasions. The next five holes give me two more pars and two bogie's and another. There is still water on the course.

I end up with 21 points, my personal best. I was so happy and everyone gave me credit for a game well played. I paid $61.50 to play the game and I made $16.00 for the effort. Golf is a game of bragging rights and for one week and one week only I have them. This was the first and only day I had this honour and I was so proud.

We had a glass of wine and I returned home to tell Theresa of my success but she was telling her Mom about the bargain she received at Kohls so I was quiet, realizing that golf is for the golfers and not the shoppers. In any case I was content to play over my head for once. This will not happen many more times I am sure.

Garage Fruit Baseball.

Florida is home to many professional baseball teams spring training camps. Here in our immediate area we have the Boston Red Sox and theMinnesota Twins. They're about 18 pre-season games and we are able to see our favourites several times. The Toronto Blue Jays are further north but about 2 hours away.

Many people come for their holidays and make it to the park every day to watch their team practising. There is no charge and you can get up close and personal with the players. While here the players take time out for autographs and talk to the fans.

The players work every day and quit after the noon game. There usually is a mad rush to the golf courses and fishing holes. It is reported that there is an economic advantage to this spring training to the tune of some $30,000,000. This helps the motels, restaurants and other venues to be busy.The ball parks that they play in become home to the local triple A teams which play here for the whole season.

These parks have four to six practise fields adjacent to the main field and become magnets for university and secondary tournaments.There is rarely a vacant seat during the practise season and entry to the games are between $14 to $30. Attendance runs around the 10,000 to 15,ooo. When the Yankees come to play Boston they open the gates for hill sitting for $10. This means you can bring a chair or blanket and sit on the grass adjacent to the game and watch. It is surprising how popular this is.

All over Florida the papers are full of the reports and the forecasting as to where they will finish in the fall. It is truly America's sport and a good one it is. Play ball!

Super Bowl

Americans are passionate about sports in general but football in Particular. At the elementary school level football is almost worshipped. Soccer is becoming accepted as football and particularly the girls have embarrassed this game. All you need is a pair of sneakers, shin guards and a ball.Huge crowds come out to support the school games.

At the secondary level soccer is still well represented but football is almost worshipped. The Friday night football game grabs the attention in the press before the game and crowds numbering in the thousands attend. Pep rallies with not only the school team and cheerleaders but parents and former players add to the hype. The local newspapers devote several pages on the sports section with detailed write ups about the players, predictions and statistics going way back to remind everyone about the importance of the game.

For days after the game is analyzed and animated discussions make everyone back seat quarterbacks. I believe that the playing fields are better kept than any place in the town. These young athletes bulk up, some with body building drugs and do everything possible to catch the eye of college scouts who are recruiting for their college.

Many schools are known for the place where a professional athlete attended and the remains a great esprit de corp because of athletic programs.With the strict academic standards being upheld it is a great motivational force for good.

New Orleans won the Super Bowl and a whole city, in fact state was brought to a new level. Maybe the area will heal even more and rise to heights to meet the needs of its citizens and respect from the the country and world. Sports can do that.

Back To School

Library functions have really changed over the years. Our librarian told me that the use has nearly doubled over the past three years. We have a library in each area of our city and each is a full service facility. Theresa and I saw a program that interested us about computers and signed up.

Unfortunately Theresa was unable to attend but I did. It was a pleasant experience and one I wish to repeat on a regular basis. The course was on do's and don't's with your computer. There were 60 places and you had to sign up. I arrived at least half an hour early and the crowd flowed into the seminar room. The room was all arranged and I chose a front seat. I did not want to miss anything.

I looked under several chairs to see if there was to be a door prize. None being there I settled in. The computer Dr. arrived exactly on time and started with a joke. Who owns a Dell computer? Hands flew in the air and he smiled and asked, "who found the farmer?". It got worse but he was great.

The average age of the students was over seventy and they were so enthusiastic. Each owned a computer and said they only owned one for less than five years on the average.

The Dr. went through all the possible items we should know and reinforced these with animated expressions. For one hour he never stopped. He was full of life and info and his audience was captured in his rhetoric. He suddenly stopped and answered questions. People told their horror stories and he explained. At exactly 11:25 it was over. Everyone clapped and he left.

What was remarkable about this was that here you had seniors who were still wishing to learn. They had fun. I remember when we as teachers tried to have our students experience the joy of learning. It is never too late to learn. Educators could learn from this as well. Make your topics relevant, exciting and meeting a need. We old folks were determined to have the Dr. back and carry us further along our learning path to help us communicate.

Thank God It's Over

Yesterday I packed my golf clubs and headed to the Royal Tee for our Tuesday men's golf. It was 6.30 am and the temperature was 3o degrees Farenheit. As I went to my van it was entirely covered in white frost. The bird bath was frozen solid and our roof was a clean white. I took a few pictures and let my van warm up and listened to the radio. The happy announcer declared in a joyful voice that the big freeze was officially over.

What station did I have? I didn't look over from where I sat. I drove the 4 miles to the golf course only to see all the shrubbery and flowers still covered with frost cloth. When I arrived there was a strange stillness about the parking lot. Two cars filled the 200 spaces but I was not influenced. I dragged my 40 pound bag filled with 14 clubs and about a 100 golf balls to the nearest cart and drove to the pro shop.

The Englishman was there as usual and notched my card before telling me that the course was closed until 11 am. I wandered into the cafeteria and bought a green tea and waited. Only my partner Ron showed up for our 7:19 am tee time. Looking at the course it was a winter wonderland with white frost covering the entire length and breath of the course. Egrets large and small huddled along the banks of the lake and two eagles clung to the branch of a dead pine. Steam poured from the manhole and small wild parrots sat with ruffled feathers on the grate.

It was s surreal sight for Florida and I drank the fleeting beauty as the sun would quickly erase this nature painted phenomenon as surely as she painted it.Ron and I spoke little for a while but were both knew what we were treated too. Within half an hour the beauty faded to be replaced by dying vegetation and a scene of sorrow.

People started to arrive and everyone discussed the weather and the fact that the big freeze was over. Because of the hour few witnessed nature's way of telling us the power she possessed and despite the tremendous losses over the past ten days she gave a final indication of her love to all who open their eyes to her beauty.

Tai Chi

For the last thirty years of my life I wanted to do Tai Chi. Tonight I did that. I enrolled in a course for the winter hoping that this discipline would help my flexibility and agility. I saw a detraction in these phases of my otherwise perfect ability to do almost anything.

I attended the first session of my new life saving course and arrived on time. There were two people there as I was early and I sort of moved into the area and assessed the situation. Six was the time that we were told that the course would start and I was surprised that only three people moved into the area of operation.

The instructor called the class to order and I entered. A middle aged man was in charge and two elderly ladies made up the group. I introduced myself and moved to the far end of the room away from the mirrors.

Mister began the group session with some unusual movements which I thought were intended to get someones attention. It did and he stood in front of me and asked me of my experience in Tai Chi. I put up my hands and said I was a virgin and he addressed me as such and the session was in order.

Try to do something with your feet and arms when looking at a mirror and oh so embarrassing. I asked for help and he did give me some individual help and I worried about his intentions because he showed me moves that were really quite interesting.

The hour went quickly and I did get through two forms and I felt I did well but the master said I should practise often during the week and come back with an open mind and a desire to really be a Tai Chi person.

I missed supper for this lesson as it was given at 6 pm and as I returned home and I opened a can of beans and told Theresa I would go back for the second lesson. Those mirrors made me feel very much the outsider but I also felt better after the 75 minute workout.

I may never become a Tai Chi expert but I will have a great experience doing something I thought about for thirty years. Getting old is difficult but fighting it is really an experience you should never regret and take as a challenge.

Falling For Golf

Dundee is a wonderful golf course in Cape Breton. Theresa and I stayed at this golf resort during our summer adventure. It called for rain in the morning but sunny in the afternoon as we debated whether we should keep our 9.30 am tee off time. Being golfers we chose to go anyway. It had rained most of the night and the fairways were pretty well soaked and creeks full with fresh rainfall.

We teamed up with a local who was a good golfer and knowledgeable about the course. He guided us along and explained the little quirks about each hole. When we came to the signature hole he proudly took us to the front of the tee box and pointed to the green some 150 ft below and surrounded by sand bunkers. Running across the fairway was a stream rushing down a grade along what appeared to be an erosion ditch. Keep away from that he explained with a smile.

He and Theresa were safely close to the green but my shot was somewhere down near that ditch. Theresa elected to drive the cart around and I decided to walk down the hill to find my ball. Scrambling through bushes and wet from the still rained on trees and grass I approached the ditch. It was deeper than I thought and wider as well. Actually it was 6+ feet deep and 6 feet wide. The flowing water was about a foot deep . I looked around for my ball and spied it on the other side of the ditch.

I could walk 300 feet up the hill to the cart path or down the same distance and cross through a swamp. Neither entered my head as I was a pretty good jumper in my day. With my 8 iron in my left hand and my putter in my right I crouched and with a mighty effort jumped that ditch. For a second all was well until the ground under my feet gave way. Backward I tumbled and my back came in contact with the bank and my feet pointing skyward gave me no option. I dropped the clubs and reached down to keep from getting soaked and for a moment I was wedged between the two banks supported by my arms , now covered up to my elbows in water.

There was no way out, I had to drop to the water and try to escape. Reaching to retrieve my clubs and at the same time climb out of this mess with some dignity was not achieved. The ditch was as deep as I am tall and I literally scratched and clawed my way to safety. By now I was being watched by my smirking golfing partners. They had little sympathy for my bruised hip and back to say nothing of my embarrassment and wet golfing attire.

As I hit my ball onto the green and trudged up to take my turn putting, I could only say,"son of a ditch".

Old Masters

Golf is a great game for all ages but becomes an adventure for our group of old masters. We play every Tuesday at a golf course that is supposed to be within 50 km and cost no more than $50. A captain is responsible for the arrangements and notifies all about the details. The email is the language of communication and every member of our group has access to a computer.

Our members have more medical conditions than you could shake a stick at but manage to make it to the course on time, or nearly always. We compete for the $16 prize each week and have bragging rights for the 7 days before a new champ emerges because of their 35 handicap. The average age would be 75+ and some well over 80.

I look forward to Tuesday to gossip, exchange medical advice and hear descriptions of the great shot they made during the week. We are a cordial group but little petty power struggles arise when a course is picked not to the liking of some but we live with it.

I think we have good attendance because our wives chase us out of the house so they have some peace and quiet. In any case we old fogies have a good time and miss the game and friends when winter interrupts our passion for golf.

Friendly Golf

Today I played golf with friends for the last time this month. I drove with Jerry who is over eighty but has a professional swing except for the distance. We used a cart today but we had to use the 90% rule we may as well have walked. Our group is called the Oakville Old Masters but they could change the last part of the name to Bastards as we often act that way.

We are grumpy and complain about nearly everything but always turn up the next week for more of the same. Two dollars are contributed each for the best score and with handicaps ranging from 17 to 36 anyone can be a winner. First prize is $16 and when you win it seems like $100 because of the bragging rights.

If you listen to the chatter around the table you get a good overview of what it is like to get old. Every physical condition is described in detail and nearly everyone has at least one to contribute. One of my friends has every imaginable condition but he still comes out to play. I think it is popular to have something wrong to report.

For the most part we are a good bunch and genuinely like each other and I am sure if any real mishap were to occur they would be right there to lend their support. I am not a good golf player but I feel at home with our old foggies and their stories. By the way some of us are pretty good, today Dennis shot a 79. Not bad, eh? When talking to the wives of our group they strongly support the Tuesday outing. I am convinced it to get us out of their way for a few hours. So here is to the game of golf and the people who play it for whatever reason. See you on Tuesday.