You know that your childhood was different when this Thanksgiving you are sitting at the dinner table eating your Thanksgiving turkey at your parents home (the home I was raised in), and your Dad says "Ricky, reach up there and kill that roach crawling on the wall". Without any hesitation Ricky crushes the roach with his hand, wipes off the residue and continues eating.
That sort of thing didn't garner a second thought when I was growing up but now, older, wiser, and better traveled, these events leave impressions. Not on me actually; Gana brought up the roach incident to me because obviously I fell into the memory of my childhood and the roach killing was quickly passed over. But for Gana, who grew up in a more "privledged" setting, it made an impression.
Life is good. All of it! Enjoy all the pieces of it because it fits into a large puzzle.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
The singing mutts...all of us!
Haley and Matthew went to Colorado for a vacation and left their singing muts with Gana and me. Here's three singing mutts (and me) on the left. What you don't see is our other dog Jack singing in the adjoining room. You see Jack is afraid of small spaces and will not walk down the hall to our bedroom. So while the 4 of us sing in the bedroom Jack is howling in the next room.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Uganda images
Our trekking guide on the trail.
View from the trail
Our group treking on a slope
View of the trail
Another view of the trail
Baby gorilla
Big male acting...like a big male.
Our gorilla trekking group. See Gana on the left keeping her eyes on the gorilla in the back? That is the same gorilla as below.
Tree climbing lions of Isasha Park
Chimp at Kibale Forest
Woman on the road in Bwindi Impenetrable ForestUganda update
View from Ndali Lodge deck.
I must say a few more words about Ndali Lodge; this is one of the most interesting locations in all of Africa. It sits at the top of a ridge and on one side is a beautiful crater lake. On the other side of the lodge is the hillside that slopes down to several more crater lakes. They have created something special as a stop between Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth Park. I’ve included a picture taken from the lodge looking out over the dining deck to the crater lake.
While at the lodge we tracked chimps in the nearby Kibale Forest. This was a pretty easy walk. It took only about 30 minutes of walking to hear the chimps and then it was a matter of quietly walking toward them. They don’t really like people to get too close and getting shots of them while they are on the ground is usually difficult. However, with patience and a good guide we were able to find several on the ground which we followed and got some decent photos. I’ll attach several.
Guests staying at Ndali can choose other activities as well. The lodge owns 1,000 acres so there are guided nature walks on the property. Guests can also choose to take a boat ride on the lake. This is a great way to see some interesting birdlife. Swimming should be really good in the lake however there is a risk of bilharzias. Aubrey’s sister also owns a vanilla producing farm and there are guided visits to see the vanilla making process. Finally there is the school that adjoins the lodge property. Anyone visiting Uganda needs to give themselves an unexpected treat and visit a school. Many times the Head M
aster will allow you to address and interact with the students. This is a must do! They are also adding a spa. I see this as a place where clients should spend at least two nights. Some clients should spend three nights but I’m sure some clients will want to move on to the game parks. This is a great place to relax, unwind, and really enjoy the beauty of this area.The next day we headed out in our Landcruiser with our trusted driver David. David is a character and probably the best driver I’ve ever had the privilege of using. He is a devout Catholic and he tells the story of his father building a church at his home town near the Kenya border. His father didn’t finish it so David went on a fundraising mission with his church in Kampala. He raised over $4,000 for the church, which is amazing when you consider how little money anyone has. Anyway, he bought the cement, wood and other materials and delivered them to the church. The Catholic Diocese heard about this and questioned why he did not just give them the money and then they would have done the job of procuring the materials. David laughed at this as he said the diocese would have taken most of the money for themselves.
The drive today was from Ndali to Queen Elizabeth National Park where we are staying at Mweya Safari Lodge which is right on the Kazinga Channel. The drive was supposed to be about 5 hours but we managed to do it in 7. But David does not rush his driving and he is very careful, which I appreciate. We passed quite a number of cattle herds of Ankoli Cattle. They have the HUGE horns, bigger than any I'd seen. Here is a pic of some along with a pic of the herd boy I asked to make a face.
Below, a look at the our "roads less traveled".
Our landcruiser is equipped with an electronic fridge so we always have ice-cold drinks. The highlight of the day was when David found some people working a “still” making some homemade gin. We stopped and the owner gave us a tour of his “operation”. There was the pit where bananas and molasses were mixed together for fermenting. There was the 55 gallon drum where the “mash” was then put in the drum and boiled. There was the tube running out of the drum, into the stream (which cooled it) and then into a 5 gallon jerry can where it came out clear. I was offered a sample by the owner out of his own cup. I took a sip. It was not too bad! Not too good either, but hopefully it was potent enough to kill and the bacteria on the old man’s tin cup.
At left, the home brew still.
We arrived at the entrance of Queen Elizabeth National Park and David popped open the top of the LC (landcruiser) so we could do a game drive to Mweya Lodge. On the drive we saw buffalo, waterbuck, warthog (many), a hippo on land (unusual), many birds, and a family of giant forest hogs.
The forest hog is probably uglier than the warthog and almost twice as big…so it stands to reason it should be twice as ugly...call him "double ugly".
These hogs are hard to find as they usually stick to the thicker vegetation so I count this sighting as lucky. We also saw one of the biggest leopards I’ve ever seen. There is no off-road driving in Uganda parks so we couldn’t get close to him…probably got about 65 yards away. This brings me to one of the things about Uganda parks I do not like. There does not seem to be any private areas. All our game drives are on the main parks roads. Usually this is not a problem but everyone uses the same roads so there if very little chance to use the roadway to follow the spoor. On several occasions I saw lion tracks on the road but the tracks played out as usually there was tire tracks over the spoor. There seems to be no attempt to follow spoor in this park.
When we were in Murchison Falls Park we picked up a Uganda Wildlife Services ranger and he was a decent guide. Very knowledgeable about the park but he too didn’t seem too interested in trying to follow spoor.
When we were in Murchison Falls Park we picked up a Uganda Wildlife Services ranger and he was a decent guide. Very knowledgeable about the park but he too didn’t seem too interested in trying to follow spoor.
We arrived at Mweya Lodge late, probably around 6 pm. Just enough time to get the lay of the land before dark. We were put into a room with a king sized bed so that was nice. Rooms were OK with good views across the Kasinga Channel. Food here was excellent.
The next day Gana opted for the spa. I went on an early morning game drive. We were the first vehicle out of the lodge and I used the spotlight while it was still pre-dawn hours. Within 500 yards of the lodge we saw lioness hunting, probably warthog. She continued into the bush and we couldn’t follow her. Today I saw tons of Ugandan Kob , buffalo, warthog, along with a smattering of elephant. The area we drove in today is the mating grounds of the Ugandan Kob. Kob were everywhere. Kob are similar to the Lechwe found in Botswana and Zambia only a bit darker in color and probably a bit smaller. Some of the park had been intentionally set fire as a pre-emptive fire control measure. In the burned areas where it was turning green the game was really congregating on the green shoots. On the newly burned areas it was just black with no real photo ops.
We returned to the lodge at about 9:30 for breakfast. After breakfast I too utilized the spa and got a massage. The cost for the hour massage was about $25. It’s a bargain.
This afternoon we went on a boat ride on the Kasinga Channel. This is a really, really, good boat ride. Can’t tell you how many animals we saw but it was a bunch. Hippo, buffalo, crocs, elephant plus more birds than I could count. The only downer on the boat ride is there are about 25 people on the boat so it gets a bit crowded to take photos. I found out later that there are smaller launches that Mweya Lodge owns and we could have gone on one of them. I did see one of these boats near ours and again this was frustrating as the smaller boat got closer to the game and the pilot varied his time at each spot to give everyone a chance to get hour so clients can actually stay out as long as they want. Our boat ride lasted exactly 2 hours. Not a minute more.
I would have gladly paid at least double the price to be in the other boat. Our clients will want the better viewing from the private launch. These launches are also available for charter by the hour and I could have easily taken my time and spent the entire afternoon on the channel. The viewing is actually that good.
Today is our anniversary. Hope we have many more. The lodge had prepared a happy anniversary cake but the spelling on the cake was “Happy Anniversery”. It was a very nice jesture. We had a nice dinner and went to bed. And in the famous words of Forest Gump “and that’s all I’d like to say about that”.
We wake up on the morning of the 28th, have breakfast, pick up our packed lunch, and then take a tour of the lodge. They have three private suites that are stand-alone and probably would work well for Ker & Downey clients. There is the “Queens Cottage”. This is the largest and the best. Then there is the Presidential Suite which is similar and adjacent to the “Queens” but a bit smaller. Then there is the other private suite (can’t remember name while I am typing). So first choice would be Queens, followed by Presidents, then “other” suites, and then finally the lodge. The lodge also has rooms that adjoin so that could be an option for families on a budget.
We left the lodge at about 7:15. There are two routes we could use. The shortest route is paved road but if we take it then we have to miss Ishasha Park and the tree-climbing lions. The short route is about 6 hours and the long route is about 8 hours. We opt for the long route and the tree-climbing lions. It actually worked out to about 10 hours driving. I’ve noticed that Uganda’s do several things; they are rarely on time, and they underestimate driving times. Our driver David is never late, but don’t listen to him as to the driving times between lodges. They are never accurate.
The drive, though long is rewarding as we did see the tree-climbing lions. Some pics are included.
We stopped for lunch at a town and went into the upstairs portion so we could have a good view of the surrounding area. Starting this afternoon, our drive takes us on some dirt roads that traverse mountains. There are no bridges here so the roads go around the mountains. The sights are interesting as well. None of the kids wear shoes, and I doubt they own any. Everyone here has a plot of ground where they can grow corn, potatoes, bananas, sorghum, cassava, melons, carrots, onions, and other things. They live day to day but live in a region where they have fresh produce daily. David tells us that the children standing on the side and waving at us are asking for bottles. This is unusual as they are not asking for money. He says they like the water bottles as they can use them to urinate in at night so they don’t have to go into the cool night air. And then they can wash them out the next day and put water in them to take to school or into the field to tend cattle or goats. From then on we start saving out bottles to find some needy-looking kids to give them to.
We arrived at our destination, “Clouds” at about 5:30 and all I can say is, it is heaven on earth. It is run by Gary and Tamarra; South Africans who have the client service thing down pat. They introduced us to our private butler and private house attendant. Our butler would wait on us hand and foot.
Our first dinner was in our suite. There was a large group of American women in the lodge and Gary thought we might feel uncomfortable sitting at our private table. After our long drive a private dinner was welcome. To our amazement our attendant had written with flowers on our bed “happy anniversary”. Spelling again wrong but what a great first impression.
The staff here are obviously happy as they all smile and greet you like long lost friends. Food was superb. Everything here is 5-star plus.
They just built a spa so Gana makes an appointment for a post gorilla trek full body treatment. We went to bed ready to get up early and begin our drive to the park headquarters for the gorilla trek.
We left in the morning with a packed lunch, gloves and water at 7:15 since it is a 45 minute drive to the park headquarters. The lodge gives you the gloves so that when you grab vines to pull yourself up you don’t get stuck by the vines that have thorns. We also took our gaiters as I thought they would come in handy (they did).
Upon arrival at the park headquarters we met our guide and fellow trackers. The 6 others on the track were all Europeans in their 20’s making Gana and I the elderly couple. We were asked if we wanted a porter and both Gana and I quickly accepted. The porter rate is $15 per person. Only one of the youths hired a porter. At 9 we headed off in the direction the apes were last seen the previous day. It took us about 1 ½ hours to get to that point only to discover the apes had moved. So off we went, cutting a new trail. This was arduous with the guide slashing brush, climbing up and pulling yourself up with vines, and then holding onto vines as you sled down the slope. We crossed a stream and then headed back up the hill. Finally, the guide made contact with the spotters who were sent out at daybreak to find the gorillas. The gorillas were just up ahead. With renewed vigor we pushed forward. Cutting the new trail took 2 hours but we were there. The gorillas heard us coming and vocalized to let us know they were there. Finally we found them. This group is 34 strong but in the thick jungle it would be difficult to see more than a few. Fortunately we were rewarded with good viewing of several large males, several females and a youngster. Photos attached.
One of our party made a move that was too quick and one of the big males made a mock charge with teeth bared. I missed the photo op but the sight if engrained in my mind.
After an hour with the gorillas we left and started the assent to the top of the mountain. By this time the sun was hot and this made the trekking difficult. But we were now only 1 ½ hours from our starting point; the park headquarters. Back at the park headquarters we all exchanged email addresses so we could share photos.
This was a great experience.
The next day Gana opted for the spa. I went on an early morning game drive. We were the first vehicle out of the lodge and I used the spotlight while it was still pre-dawn hours. Within 500 yards of the lodge we saw lioness hunting, probably warthog. She continued into the bush and we couldn’t follow her. Today I saw tons of Ugandan Kob , buffalo, warthog, along with a smattering of elephant. The area we drove in today is the mating grounds of the Ugandan Kob. Kob were everywhere. Kob are similar to the Lechwe found in Botswana and Zambia only a bit darker in color and probably a bit smaller. Some of the park had been intentionally set fire as a pre-emptive fire control measure. In the burned areas where it was turning green the game was really congregating on the green shoots. On the newly burned areas it was just black with no real photo ops.
We returned to the lodge at about 9:30 for breakfast. After breakfast I too utilized the spa and got a massage. The cost for the hour massage was about $25. It’s a bargain.
This afternoon we went on a boat ride on the Kasinga Channel. This is a really, really, good boat ride. Can’t tell you how many animals we saw but it was a bunch. Hippo, buffalo, crocs, elephant plus more birds than I could count. The only downer on the boat ride is there are about 25 people on the boat so it gets a bit crowded to take photos. I found out later that there are smaller launches that Mweya Lodge owns and we could have gone on one of them. I did see one of these boats near ours and again this was frustrating as the smaller boat got closer to the game and the pilot varied his time at each spot to give everyone a chance to get hour so clients can actually stay out as long as they want. Our boat ride lasted exactly 2 hours. Not a minute more.
I would have gladly paid at least double the price to be in the other boat. Our clients will want the better viewing from the private launch. These launches are also available for charter by the hour and I could have easily taken my time and spent the entire afternoon on the channel. The viewing is actually that good.
Today is our anniversary. Hope we have many more. The lodge had prepared a happy anniversary cake but the spelling on the cake was “Happy Anniversery”. It was a very nice jesture. We had a nice dinner and went to bed. And in the famous words of Forest Gump “and that’s all I’d like to say about that”.
We wake up on the morning of the 28th, have breakfast, pick up our packed lunch, and then take a tour of the lodge. They have three private suites that are stand-alone and probably would work well for Ker & Downey clients. There is the “Queens Cottage”. This is the largest and the best. Then there is the Presidential Suite which is similar and adjacent to the “Queens” but a bit smaller. Then there is the other private suite (can’t remember name while I am typing). So first choice would be Queens, followed by Presidents, then “other” suites, and then finally the lodge. The lodge also has rooms that adjoin so that could be an option for families on a budget.
We left the lodge at about 7:15. There are two routes we could use. The shortest route is paved road but if we take it then we have to miss Ishasha Park and the tree-climbing lions. The short route is about 6 hours and the long route is about 8 hours. We opt for the long route and the tree-climbing lions. It actually worked out to about 10 hours driving. I’ve noticed that Uganda’s do several things; they are rarely on time, and they underestimate driving times. Our driver David is never late, but don’t listen to him as to the driving times between lodges. They are never accurate.
The drive, though long is rewarding as we did see the tree-climbing lions. Some pics are included.
We stopped for lunch at a town and went into the upstairs portion so we could have a good view of the surrounding area. Starting this afternoon, our drive takes us on some dirt roads that traverse mountains. There are no bridges here so the roads go around the mountains. The sights are interesting as well. None of the kids wear shoes, and I doubt they own any. Everyone here has a plot of ground where they can grow corn, potatoes, bananas, sorghum, cassava, melons, carrots, onions, and other things. They live day to day but live in a region where they have fresh produce daily. David tells us that the children standing on the side and waving at us are asking for bottles. This is unusual as they are not asking for money. He says they like the water bottles as they can use them to urinate in at night so they don’t have to go into the cool night air. And then they can wash them out the next day and put water in them to take to school or into the field to tend cattle or goats. From then on we start saving out bottles to find some needy-looking kids to give them to.
We arrived at our destination, “Clouds” at about 5:30 and all I can say is, it is heaven on earth. It is run by Gary and Tamarra; South Africans who have the client service thing down pat. They introduced us to our private butler and private house attendant. Our butler would wait on us hand and foot.
Our first dinner was in our suite. There was a large group of American women in the lodge and Gary thought we might feel uncomfortable sitting at our private table. After our long drive a private dinner was welcome. To our amazement our attendant had written with flowers on our bed “happy anniversary”. Spelling again wrong but what a great first impression.
The staff here are obviously happy as they all smile and greet you like long lost friends. Food was superb. Everything here is 5-star plus.
They just built a spa so Gana makes an appointment for a post gorilla trek full body treatment. We went to bed ready to get up early and begin our drive to the park headquarters for the gorilla trek.
We left in the morning with a packed lunch, gloves and water at 7:15 since it is a 45 minute drive to the park headquarters. The lodge gives you the gloves so that when you grab vines to pull yourself up you don’t get stuck by the vines that have thorns. We also took our gaiters as I thought they would come in handy (they did).
Upon arrival at the park headquarters we met our guide and fellow trackers. The 6 others on the track were all Europeans in their 20’s making Gana and I the elderly couple. We were asked if we wanted a porter and both Gana and I quickly accepted. The porter rate is $15 per person. Only one of the youths hired a porter. At 9 we headed off in the direction the apes were last seen the previous day. It took us about 1 ½ hours to get to that point only to discover the apes had moved. So off we went, cutting a new trail. This was arduous with the guide slashing brush, climbing up and pulling yourself up with vines, and then holding onto vines as you sled down the slope. We crossed a stream and then headed back up the hill. Finally, the guide made contact with the spotters who were sent out at daybreak to find the gorillas. The gorillas were just up ahead. With renewed vigor we pushed forward. Cutting the new trail took 2 hours but we were there. The gorillas heard us coming and vocalized to let us know they were there. Finally we found them. This group is 34 strong but in the thick jungle it would be difficult to see more than a few. Fortunately we were rewarded with good viewing of several large males, several females and a youngster. Photos attached.
One of our party made a move that was too quick and one of the big males made a mock charge with teeth bared. I missed the photo op but the sight if engrained in my mind.
After an hour with the gorillas we left and started the assent to the top of the mountain. By this time the sun was hot and this made the trekking difficult. But we were now only 1 ½ hours from our starting point; the park headquarters. Back at the park headquarters we all exchanged email addresses so we could share photos.
This was a great experience.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Uganda, the Pearl of Africa
Gana and I started our journey in Uganda just a few days ago but we’ve already had some great experiences. Riding a ferry ( of sorts) across the Nile River was one, driving 10 hours on wet and slippery backcountry roads is another, stopping on the side of one of these back roads to taste the local home-grown gin brew was unique, seeing and photographing chimps at Kibale National Park was special, meeting Aubrey the owner of Nbali Lodge and his fiancé Clair was a gift, and just being here on our 34th wedding anniversary is special in and of itself.
Right now I’m sitting in our room at Mweya Safari Lodge which is in the Great Western Rift Valley looking out over the Kazinga Channel . The Kazinga channel is a narrow waterway several hundred yards wide that separates Lake Edward from Lake George. Obviously these lakes did not get along well so their separation via the Kazinga channel by Mother Nature kept her siblings, Edward and George in check. This afternoon we took a boat ride up the channel. It’s a two hour ride full of buffalo, hippo, elephant and myriad numbers and varieties of birds.
Photos I’ve included are:
-cattle herder boy who came to our window
-chimp from the Kibale forest
-lizard image from Mweya Lodge
-three buffalo (I’m fond of buffalo)
I’ll report back in a couple of days. And today is our 34th anniversary. Gana has been stuck in the Mweya spa all day. I’ve of course been doing safari things, like looking at animals, reading about animals…and getting a massage.
Our favorite place to stay by far has been Nbali lodge. It is located on the rim of a crater lake and the views are absolutely stunning. And, it is owned and run by Aubrey and Claire, a most fun and interesting couple. It's at least worth 2 if not 3 nights.
Right now I’m sitting in our room at Mweya Safari Lodge which is in the Great Western Rift Valley looking out over the Kazinga Channel . The Kazinga channel is a narrow waterway several hundred yards wide that separates Lake Edward from Lake George. Obviously these lakes did not get along well so their separation via the Kazinga channel by Mother Nature kept her siblings, Edward and George in check. This afternoon we took a boat ride up the channel. It’s a two hour ride full of buffalo, hippo, elephant and myriad numbers and varieties of birds.
Photos I’ve included are:
-cattle herder boy who came to our window
-chimp from the Kibale forest
-lizard image from Mweya Lodge
-three buffalo (I’m fond of buffalo)
I’ll report back in a couple of days. And today is our 34th anniversary. Gana has been stuck in the Mweya spa all day. I’ve of course been doing safari things, like looking at animals, reading about animals…and getting a massage.
Our favorite place to stay by far has been Nbali lodge. It is located on the rim of a crater lake and the views are absolutely stunning. And, it is owned and run by Aubrey and Claire, a most fun and interesting couple. It's at least worth 2 if not 3 nights.
Cheers,
I’ll touch back in a couple of days.
I’ll touch back in a couple of days.
Friday, July 10, 2009
One Cavalier Dude
Why is it this "dog" thinks he is the owner of us? When he comes in a room it's like he is marching in to the music "Here Comes the Chief"! What a crass, aloof, over-bearing, haughty, ungracious little canine he is!
During the week we drop him off at Mom and Dad's house so that he can entertain them by barking incessantly to those that dare to walk on "his" street in front of their house. That's good for a laugh or two as he scrambles from one room to the next as the walkers progress along the street.
Dare to enter Mom and Dad's house at your own risk...when the Generalisimo is in residence. Just last week Butch Greebe was stopping by to have a visit with Dad. Unfortunately Mom was out of the house and Butch entered with the Generalisimo hot on his heels...barking, nipping and just making sure that Butch knew who owned this property. When Butch was not paying the Generalisimo enough attention the little brat took a nip at his leg.
Butch, in case you read this...I don't know who's dog that is. I don't think anyone owns him and he just swam the river from down south and ended up in the neighborhood. Everyone around here just tolerates him, and I suggest you do the same.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A Hole in One
I started playing golf when I attended Texas A&M University. I needed to take a required physical education course so I chose golf...and I was hooked. But before then I had "played" golf only a couple of times. On one of those occassions playing with my brother Tommy and friend Gary I recorded my first hole-in-one. Hole-in-one's are so rare that it seems the event is burned into your memory. At least that's the case with my first one back on a Monday morning in 1974. We were on the 6th hole in Bellville, a short par 3 of about 150 yards. I chose to hit a 7 iron, borrowed from my brothers bag of Louisville Slugger irons he received as a signing bonus with the Cincinnati Reds. As I practiced rehearsing the shot I remember taking a lot of turf with my practice swings. Being a novice I thought that was what I was supposed to do. Anyway, unbeknownst to me, the course superintendant was standing about 20 yards behind me watching me destroy the teebox and he started walking in my direction, no doubt to confront the turf-basher. While walking toward me I took a mighty swing at the ball with my borrowed 7-iron. As is usual with beginners my ball took off low and to the left edge of the green but was cutting back to the middle...and the flag. Well, as the ball left the face of the iron, old John, the course superintendant, started in on me how he had 150 golfers yesterday in a tournament and all together they did not do as much damage as I had just done. I looked at John and then turned around just in time to watch my ball hit in front of the green and then by some divine intervention take a couple of hops and roll into the cup. A hole in one. Needless to say that ended the tongue-lashing from old John. To this day I still play in Bellville and old John is even older now, at 92, and still playing golf. I remind him of my first hole-in-one only occassionally. He remembers it vaguely so I try to keep the memory fresh for him.
This brings me to the present day, Sunday May 31st at Blackhorse Golf Course, South Course, a 1:28 tee time with Bobby Kramer, Zeb Hughey, and David Frost. David was visiting from South Africa and as a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council and an advisor to Golf Digest South Africa, he gets to play a lot of great golf courses. Bobby is a good friend of mine. Zeb is Bobby's friend and now a friend of mine.
I was playing pretty good golf through the first five holes, being even par for the round. At the 6th hole; an uphill, upwind par 3 of 135 yards, I was trying to decide between a hard 9 or a cut 8 iron. The green slopes from back to front pretty much so any shot to the back of the green was going to result in a fast downhill putt. However a shot short of the green would result in a fairly straightforward uphill chip. I decided on the hard 9. To help the shot fly a bit farther I played the ball back in my stance a hair and decided to hit a low draw. I hit the shot just as I intended. It started about 2 yards to the right of the hole and hit the green about a yard past the flag and spun back toward the hole...then dissappeared.
At first I just stood there in disbelief. What had happened? And then David I believe said "It's in the hole! A hole in one!" I high-fived everyone but still a bit numb I couldn't find any words to capture the moment. It was a good looking shot. But I've hit a lot of good looking shots that don't find the hole. Why this one? Who knows. But God smiled on me that day and said "Ok, today is your day, enjoy it, and share it."
And so I am.
This brings me to the present day, Sunday May 31st at Blackhorse Golf Course, South Course, a 1:28 tee time with Bobby Kramer, Zeb Hughey, and David Frost. David was visiting from South Africa and as a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council and an advisor to Golf Digest South Africa, he gets to play a lot of great golf courses. Bobby is a good friend of mine. Zeb is Bobby's friend and now a friend of mine.
I was playing pretty good golf through the first five holes, being even par for the round. At the 6th hole; an uphill, upwind par 3 of 135 yards, I was trying to decide between a hard 9 or a cut 8 iron. The green slopes from back to front pretty much so any shot to the back of the green was going to result in a fast downhill putt. However a shot short of the green would result in a fairly straightforward uphill chip. I decided on the hard 9. To help the shot fly a bit farther I played the ball back in my stance a hair and decided to hit a low draw. I hit the shot just as I intended. It started about 2 yards to the right of the hole and hit the green about a yard past the flag and spun back toward the hole...then dissappeared.
At first I just stood there in disbelief. What had happened? And then David I believe said "It's in the hole! A hole in one!" I high-fived everyone but still a bit numb I couldn't find any words to capture the moment. It was a good looking shot. But I've hit a lot of good looking shots that don't find the hole. Why this one? Who knows. But God smiled on me that day and said "Ok, today is your day, enjoy it, and share it."
And so I am.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Mother's Day
This past Sunday was Mother's Day and actually our family is going to celebrate my mother's birthday and Mother's Day this coming Sunday May 17th. So this past Sunday I'm at Mom's house just to wish her a Mother's day on the actual day and my sister Mary walks in. It was a bit of a surprise for Mom and Dad to see Mary as she's usually busy with kids things and school. But it was nice to see her.
While Mom and Dad were in the other room, Mary, in a hushed tone so Mom can't hear asked, "did mom tell you about leaving Dad in the car at the mall?" Well, no she didn't, and Mary went on to explain what happened.
Mom and Dad went to the mall in Katy one day. For those that don't know, Dad can't get around very well so when they go out Mom wheels him around in a wheel chair. Being German this wheeling Dad around is like witnessing the German Blitzkrieg right here in Texas. Don't get in Mom's way when she's pushing Dad! Mom needed something this day from the mall so she loads Dad and the chair in the car and drive to Katy. Dad decides that he'd rather just sit in the car and wait on Mom as she said it will take her just a minute. I think he was afraid of being pushed in another "Blitzkrieg" movement as he is the tip of that "spear". So Mom leaves Dad in the car...with the windows cracked about an inch to let in air...with the engine turned off...and with the car keys in her purse. Of course, she'll just be gone a minute...what could go wrong?
Well, the overcast skies cleared and what was a cool day started to become a real cooker...especially when sitting in a parked car with the engine off and no a/c, and the windows only cracked an inch or so. Of course the errand that will take "only a minute" turned into more minutes than planned and when mom exited the mall she heard police sirens. Of couse she said "I wonder what's going on?" Only to find out that all the police were surrounding HER CAR!
While Dad was doing his impression of a baked chicken, he also had the presense of mind to honk the horn and thankfully the police heard it and responded. Not sure why Dad just didn't open the door and get some fresh air but then again I've never been in a rotisserie oven before.
Several things some to mind when I think about this incident. Did Mom think Dad would get in the drivers seat and drive off with the car; hence she took the keys with her.
Or did she think someone would steal the car AND Dad?
Anyway, that's Mom...you gotta love her.
While Mom and Dad were in the other room, Mary, in a hushed tone so Mom can't hear asked, "did mom tell you about leaving Dad in the car at the mall?" Well, no she didn't, and Mary went on to explain what happened.
Mom and Dad went to the mall in Katy one day. For those that don't know, Dad can't get around very well so when they go out Mom wheels him around in a wheel chair. Being German this wheeling Dad around is like witnessing the German Blitzkrieg right here in Texas. Don't get in Mom's way when she's pushing Dad! Mom needed something this day from the mall so she loads Dad and the chair in the car and drive to Katy. Dad decides that he'd rather just sit in the car and wait on Mom as she said it will take her just a minute. I think he was afraid of being pushed in another "Blitzkrieg" movement as he is the tip of that "spear". So Mom leaves Dad in the car...with the windows cracked about an inch to let in air...with the engine turned off...and with the car keys in her purse. Of course, she'll just be gone a minute...what could go wrong?
Well, the overcast skies cleared and what was a cool day started to become a real cooker...especially when sitting in a parked car with the engine off and no a/c, and the windows only cracked an inch or so. Of course the errand that will take "only a minute" turned into more minutes than planned and when mom exited the mall she heard police sirens. Of couse she said "I wonder what's going on?" Only to find out that all the police were surrounding HER CAR!
While Dad was doing his impression of a baked chicken, he also had the presense of mind to honk the horn and thankfully the police heard it and responded. Not sure why Dad just didn't open the door and get some fresh air but then again I've never been in a rotisserie oven before.
Several things some to mind when I think about this incident. Did Mom think Dad would get in the drivers seat and drive off with the car; hence she took the keys with her.
Or did she think someone would steal the car AND Dad?
Anyway, that's Mom...you gotta love her.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Pets
Sara has a new pet; Baxter, a King Charles Spaniel. Actually she has two names; Baxter Cheyenne. The Cheyenne part comes from the name of our first dog; Doctor Rusty Cheyenne (Doc). Doc was a Brittany Spaniel and he was a special dog. I've heard it said that if you can have one great hunting dog in your life then you should be happy. Doc was that dog.
But Doc had a lunatic side to him, and I don't want that transferred to Baxter through "physoctic name transferrance"...I made that name up but I'm sure some dog whisperer thinks its a real thing. You see, Doc was so attached to Gana that he would worry himself crazy if she was not with her. He eventually found the only windown in our home not locked and would push the window up with his nose and jump out into the lawn. Great plan, but that window was on the second floor of our home. We had red-tip photenias planted right where Doc would land. He did this so often that he'd worn out a little landing strip on the ground from his recurring crash landings. And the red-tipped photenias; I'm just glad we didn't come home one day to find them to be dog-tipped photenias.
Now Randy has issues. Randy is Sara and Haley's Chihuahua they got while in university and then since they couldn't split the dog when they parted after school, well of course Gana and I now are the caretaker of Randy. No person owns Randy. Randy is the master and commander of our "ship" and makes sure anyone walking within a quarter mile of our home knows to keep away. What a yapper! While Gana and I are off to work Randy spends his days with my Mom and Dad...keeping people away from their home and scoffing up the bits that fall (with Mom and Dad's help) from the table at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I see God's plan in Chihuahua's. He made them small for a purpose. Just think if they were the size of a pit bull, they'd have to be declared a lethal weapon. And then they'd probably STILL want to sit on your lap all day. Here's a picture of Randy doing what he does best.
We have two other dogs, but their stories will have to wait.
But Doc had a lunatic side to him, and I don't want that transferred to Baxter through "physoctic name transferrance"...I made that name up but I'm sure some dog whisperer thinks its a real thing. You see, Doc was so attached to Gana that he would worry himself crazy if she was not with her. He eventually found the only windown in our home not locked and would push the window up with his nose and jump out into the lawn. Great plan, but that window was on the second floor of our home. We had red-tip photenias planted right where Doc would land. He did this so often that he'd worn out a little landing strip on the ground from his recurring crash landings. And the red-tipped photenias; I'm just glad we didn't come home one day to find them to be dog-tipped photenias.
Doc's antics were quite extraordinary. Here's a short list, the detailed accounts will have to wait:
- The vetinarian's pet bird...doc IS a bird dog.
- The neighbor's pet rabbit...I guess there were no birds around.
- Romancing from afar...taking care of his family obligations.
- The bus ride to school...why didn't that bus driver see Doc walk onto the school bus?
- The Thanksgiving feast...and why it is a good idea not to leave turkey scraps in the garbage.
Now Randy has issues. Randy is Sara and Haley's Chihuahua they got while in university and then since they couldn't split the dog when they parted after school, well of course Gana and I now are the caretaker of Randy. No person owns Randy. Randy is the master and commander of our "ship" and makes sure anyone walking within a quarter mile of our home knows to keep away. What a yapper! While Gana and I are off to work Randy spends his days with my Mom and Dad...keeping people away from their home and scoffing up the bits that fall (with Mom and Dad's help) from the table at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I see God's plan in Chihuahua's. He made them small for a purpose. Just think if they were the size of a pit bull, they'd have to be declared a lethal weapon. And then they'd probably STILL want to sit on your lap all day. Here's a picture of Randy doing what he does best.
We have two other dogs, but their stories will have to wait.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Frio River
Went to Leakey Texas and spent a couple days on the Frio River at the cabin of a dear friend. Gana and I had a ball! First, the weather was not great with off and on windy and chilly conditions, but the skies were absolutely a gorgeous blue and the Frio was crystal clear.
It's clearer than tap water! We went into town to buy some grub for the cabin. Gana already informed me she was not cooking (no big surprise there) so I picked out my rations of rat cheese, tomatoes, wheat bread and diet green tea, paid the lady and headed out.
Now this being my first trip through Leakey did not prepare me for the traffic jam in this town of 300+ citizens. The traffic problems were caused by a never ending stream of yuppie, leather clad, bandana wearing, balding bikers with their leather-skinned biker-babes attached to the back seat. For some reason they all have to "goose" the engines at different times so one cannot travel within 5 miles of any hill country road without hearing a cacaphony of biker engines. It's an interesting phenomenom this biker boom; and one I'm not a part of.
Also competing for the traffic congestion at the one light in town was the Corvette convention. These are the yuppies that would be riding the Harleys but their biker-babes don't like to get their hair messed up so they choose the Corvette as a more convenient method of clogging up the back roads of Texas. It's really strange to see 30 or 40 Corvettes motoring through the countryside; it's like seeing a train pass on the tracks with the difference being that these cars are connected by some mysterious bond that forbids them from passing one another. It's odd. It seems to me that one acquires a Corvette to go fast yet these guys were content to ride slowly through the countryside like they were on a joyride out from the old-folks home.
Back to the Frio. Gana and I hunkered down for the night. We bought the DVD "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and plugged it into my computer and sat down with a delicious toasted, rat cheese and tomato sandwich. It don't get any better than this.
Saturday...we slept in. Or at least Gana did. I lurked around outside trying to take photos of the birdlife and unload the Kayak. 
After Gana woke we ported it to the river and put her afloat. I was first in. What a great way to travel up and down the river. Next was Gana's turn. This time she stayed afloat as the picture at left indicated.
After Gana woke we ported it to the river and put her afloat. I was first in. What a great way to travel up and down the river. Next was Gana's turn. This time she stayed afloat as the picture at left indicated.About 2pm or so we loaded up and went riding around the hillcountry. Our destination was not important so we headed in the general direction of was Kerrville. It was a great drive on a beautiful but windy day. Harley riders and Corvettes were passed on many a road. We returned to the cabin on Frio around 6 pm.
About 6:30 Gana and I walked up to the rapids to check them out. 
On our walk up I saw some Axis deer getting ready to cross the Frio. I hurried up to a spot where I could photo them and snapped some shots as about 20 deer crossed, well actually jumped over the Frio at its narrowest part. Below is one of the photos. The deer was backlit by the sun so it is dark but it makes a nice outline against the shimmering Frio.
On our walk up I saw some Axis deer getting ready to cross the Frio. I hurried up to a spot where I could photo them and snapped some shots as about 20 deer crossed, well actually jumped over the Frio at its narrowest part. Below is one of the photos. The deer was backlit by the sun so it is dark but it makes a nice outline against the shimmering Frio.After the deer crossed we went on up to the rapids, sat down and relaxed. What a peaceful way to spend a late afternoon.
For dinner that night we had...grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. Did I tell you they are my favorite? They are best with a bit of salt, pepper and garlic added. Heavy on the garlic and pepper is ok by me.
The next morning we packed our bags, loaded the kayak and headed home. Thank God for good friends and opportunities for peaceful thought. They are both welcome.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Kayaking 101
Three months ago I purchased a used sit-on-top fishing kayak...which has been sitting in our storage room gathering dust and varmits in need of temporary housing. So Gana and I are chilling from Christmas and New Year's festivities and we get the idea to take the kayak on its maiden voyage.
First figuring how to mount the racks on the car and then loading the dang thing is enough to make a person give up water sports. But I think this being our first time caused a few headaches on its own and I'm sure the subsequent loadings will be easier...let's hope.
We arrive at a nice 5 acre lake owned by Gana's sister and husband. My idea is that if the lake needs to be dredged to find a body then a 5-acre lake will certainly be easier to dredge than a large impoundment or a river or the Gulf of Mexico.
So assured that at least they can find the body I set off. Of course, to make things more difficult, winds are gusting to about 40 mph with the occassional white-cap on the small lake, so it was rough. But after a lap or so around the lake I started feeling very comfortable.
So next it was Gana's turn. I exited and Gana jumped in at an area of the lake that was out of the wind so it was fairly calm...initially. She was a bit wobbly at first but she seemed to get the hang of it...until she hit the open water. That's when the SS Gana went awry. I turned my back and then a loud piercing scream punched through the wind. I turned and there was the kayak upside down but no Gana. In a couple of seconds her head popped up so I knew she was ok, but off I go running from the opposite bank to save my lady in distress. But about halfway around I see Gana standing on the bank, sopping wet, shivering, and shouting at me about my taking so long to come to her aid. In my defense, it's difficult to run during a bout of uncontrollable laughing.
Of course, we didn't think to bring extra clothes but fortunately we had the key to the lake house. Gana went inside and returned wearing a table cloth with a electic extension cord holding it all in place. That's my girl!
Reloading the kayak was much easier this time. Good thing else this could have been the first and last voyage of the SS Gana.
First figuring how to mount the racks on the car and then loading the dang thing is enough to make a person give up water sports. But I think this being our first time caused a few headaches on its own and I'm sure the subsequent loadings will be easier...let's hope.
We arrive at a nice 5 acre lake owned by Gana's sister and husband. My idea is that if the lake needs to be dredged to find a body then a 5-acre lake will certainly be easier to dredge than a large impoundment or a river or the Gulf of Mexico.
So assured that at least they can find the body I set off. Of course, to make things more difficult, winds are gusting to about 40 mph with the occassional white-cap on the small lake, so it was rough. But after a lap or so around the lake I started feeling very comfortable.
So next it was Gana's turn. I exited and Gana jumped in at an area of the lake that was out of the wind so it was fairly calm...initially. She was a bit wobbly at first but she seemed to get the hang of it...until she hit the open water. That's when the SS Gana went awry. I turned my back and then a loud piercing scream punched through the wind. I turned and there was the kayak upside down but no Gana. In a couple of seconds her head popped up so I knew she was ok, but off I go running from the opposite bank to save my lady in distress. But about halfway around I see Gana standing on the bank, sopping wet, shivering, and shouting at me about my taking so long to come to her aid. In my defense, it's difficult to run during a bout of uncontrollable laughing.
Of course, we didn't think to bring extra clothes but fortunately we had the key to the lake house. Gana went inside and returned wearing a table cloth with a electic extension cord holding it all in place. That's my girl!
Reloading the kayak was much easier this time. Good thing else this could have been the first and last voyage of the SS Gana.
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