"We hold these truths to be self-evident," penned Thomas Jefferson so many years ago, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
A noble thought and true.
But what happens when an enemy arises determined to abrogate your God given right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?
What do you do then?
If you want to remain alive and free, you fight.
As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the timid or the weak."
Thank God in heaven for the brave men and women who, throughout our history, have heroically fought - and died - for our nation's freedom.
President Reagan said it best:
If you ever see a turtle on a fencepost...
...you can be absolutely certain of one thing: he didn't get there by himself.
And so it is with us: we are free today, but only because others who have gone before paid the price in blood.
On this holiday weekend, please take time to remember them, and give thanks.
The Twins Report from my coworker:
They are progressing and gaining weight - both boys are over 4 lbs now - but the most recent issue is ROP (retinopathy of prematurity).
ROP is an eye disease that can happen with babies born too early.
There are five stages, with 5 being the most serious, often leading to blindness.
Right now the twins are at stages 2 and 3, so there's real concern.
Please continue to pray for healing and good health for the twins, and pray for the doctors and nurses who are caring for them.
In more mundane fare, I'm now employing the tools of my ignorance at a new (to me) golf course:
There are actually 3 separate 9 hole courses: Smoke, Fire and Blaze.
As their names suggest, "Fire" and "Blaze" are the more difficult courses (longer, more hazards) and can be played as either 9 or 18 holes.
The one on which I'm flailing away is the bunny slope of the three:
From the mid 1800's / to early 1900's - the gutta percha era of hickory golf - it was common for 18 hole courses to be 4500 to 5400 yards long.
That means a 9 hole course between 2300 and 2700 is just about perfect for my hickories and guttys.
So how am I doing on this hickory friendly course?
I've only played it twice, but so far it's a mixed bag, primarily due to my insistence on using my brassie.
I love the looks of this club, I love the feel of it, and I've worked hard at learning to swing it.
And swing it I have, probably 1,000 times or more this spring in my backyard using wiffle golf balls.
I'm happy to report I've seen significant improvement.
In my backyard.
With wiffle golf balls.
On the actual course with guttys?
Well...not so much.
Almost every drive is a worm burner, a fade or an outright slice.
And my distance - which should be 150 to 170 yards - is pathetic.
I hit farther and straighter with my driving iron.
To add insult to injury, today when I teed off on 7, a chunk of wood broke off the heel of my brassie.
Ok, it's old like me, and sometimes things break, but really?
As Bozo the Faux Prez mumbles...
I've repaired it with wood filler, so we'll see if it lasts...but I'm this close to using it for firewood.
One more outing with Mr. Brassie, and that's it...there are a finite number of times I can walk 9 this summer, the point of which is some exercise, some solitude, and a pleasant stroll through the countryside.
Two of them are already in the rearview mirror.
If, after next week's effort, I still can't hit it with some consistency, it's 3 strikes and out.
I'm calling it quits with Mr. B and switching to Big Bertha (my driving iron).
In spite of all that nonsense, I still did ok today and enjoyed my round.
Allowing for a few mulligans sprinkled here and there, I had several chances to 1 putt for par today...
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| def should have been a par, but rimmed the cup and settled for a bogey |
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| far enough away I was happy with a 2 putt |
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| same here...2 putt for bogey |
...swung my irons with some proficiency and managed to 2 putt every green.
Next week's outing tells the tale...Bobby Jones?
- or -
Stay tuned.
As the gorgeous month of May draws to a close, we start the countdown...
...3 months of lovely outdoor weather straight ahead, and all the summer fun that implies.
Don't waste it! Life is not a spectator sport.
Put down your phone, get off the computer, turn off the TV!
Get out there in the real world where you can see and smell and hear and taste and touch God's creation all around you.
Enjoy what blows your hair back...
...boating, fishing, camping, biking, hiking, golfing, swimming, tennis, cookouts, reading by the pool, singing by the campfire, dancing by starlight...
...whatever it is, as the Roman poet Horace opined, Carpe Diem!
And while you're screwing up the courage to get started on your exciting summer itinerary, let's stroll through the Parting Shots department:
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| the DNR recently did a controlled burn up around Larry's cottage, so... |
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| ...time for s'mores |
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| it's true, just before Al Gore invented the internet |
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| let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter... |
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| a view of the courtyard |
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| and another |
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| and one more |
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| hardscape area is starting to bloom |
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| more to come |
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| morning fire by the lower patio |
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| relaxing by the pool |
As you hit the exits, a reminder from God's Word:
A promise God made to Noah after the flood, so enjoy it while it lasts, folks.
later, mcm fans...
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