Happy Easter, Y'all...

...it's the weekend we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Because of what He did on Calvary's cross - 

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

                   - Isaiah 53:5

- we can have peace with God through faith in His Son.

I hope you have experienced that reconciliation in your life, and wish you and yours a very blessed Easter.

I should not be allowed to talk to people sans supervision...

...but more on that later.

Know what those are?

They're called "featheries" and they're the type of golf ball used in the first half of the 1800's.

They're made of leather and stuffed with - you guessed it - feathers.  Lots and lots of them.

Then they're sewn shut and "finished" yielding a playable golf ball that's about 1.8" in diameter and between 1.2 to 1.4 ounces.

By way of comparison a modern ball is 1.68" in diameter and 1.62 ounces - and a McIntyre gutty (the kind I play) is about 1.7" and 1.34 ounces.

So featheries are a little bigger and a little lighter than modern balls, but about the same weight as a gutty.

They're also mostly, but not necessarily perfectly, round.

How do I know all this?

Simple; I'm very, very smart.

No?  Not buying it?

Ok, I talked to the good folks at <hickory lane featherie> -

Denny and Cathy in 1840's garb at their featherie golf outing

- who are very helpful and uber knowledgeable.

They should be, because they make each of their featherie golf balls by hand, just like the old masters from 200 years ago.

As I said, they're playable balls; in fact, they're one of only two brands that are approved for play in the National Hickory Championships (pre-1850 "featherie" era).

devotees of the featherie era putting on a "green".  note the marked difference between greens back then - a place on the course where a hole was located - versus today's well defined, super manicured, smooth as glass versions.

So...what does any of this have to do with my 1920's era hickory golf hobby?

Funny you should ask, since that's the subject of this week's blog entry.

And it's a bit of a tangle, so first, a golf history lesson:

From 1800 through 1850 or so, the featherie ball ruled supreme, and clubs were predominantly long nosed woods with names like "play club", "long spoon" and "baffing spoon":

Around 1850 the gutta percha ball was introduced...

...its main advantage being that of its hard shell durability and some increased distance.

Clubs retained their basic long nose spoon shape, but became sturdier and heavier.

Also, irons like the "smooth face lofter" (about a 7 iron) and "rut irons" or "track irons" (used to get balls out of wagon tracks that often criscrossed public land golf courses)...

...started popping up.

By 1900 the gutty was being pushed off the stage by wound core balls due to vastly improved distance, and club makers once again adapted.

The long nose spoon shapes morphed into the driver / brassie woods that you see in my bag (above) and irons became much more common.

Finally, due to the advent of metal shaft clubs, the hickory era ended around 1935.

And that, of course, was the end of golf as we know it.

(I've heard rumors there are still a few participants here and there, swinging clubs made of super springium carbonium composite materials...

...and whacking jet propelled balls, which - let's be honest - is about like firing them from a cannon, so obviously no one really cares about modern golf.)

So...why does any of this matter?

Because my hickory playset is comprised of 1920's era clubs, but I hit gutta percha golf balls from the 1850-1900 era!

I know; I'm scared, too

Now, I'm not positive this brazen historical faux pas has thrown the stars out of alignment...

...but I do know it has stuck in my craw for quite a while now.

And as it happens, when I was procuring a driver from a fellow hickory golf enthusiast, he mentioned he'd participated in a <featherie golf event> last year...

video taken by <The Hickory Hacker>

...raving about how relaxed it was and how much fun everyone had.

Placing the blame squarely on him -

(I can't be blamed for stuff just because I do it, can I?)

- he nudged me along a journey that so far involves purchasing a couple of Hickory Lane featheries...

...and committing to building an historically accurate gutty era playset (which has the double benefit of working for featheries as well).

My new playset - which, Lord willing, should be complete by July or August - will consist of a play club (driver), long spoon (fairway wood), baffing spoon (around the green), and smooth face lofter (the only iron), all supplied by <Kelly Leonard>, a clubmaker extraordinaire from Canada.

He specializes in gorgeous 19th century clubs from the featherie and gutty eras; I purchased this putter from him back in 2017...

...when I was just getting started with hickory golf.

Kelly even supplied the period correct clubs for the award winning movie Tommy's Honour:

Worth a look if you haven't seen it yet.

What all this means is I will soon be able to play historically accurate golf from the 3 best eras of golf:

Featherie, 1800-1850, using Hickory Lane featheries

Gutta Percha, 1850-1900, using McIntyre Park guttys

Vintage Hickory, 1900-1935, using a modern, low compression ball (like Callaway Super Softs)

I'm hopeful this personal golf era correction will yield a significant improvement in cosmic harmony and therefore usher in an unprecedented age of world peace and universal prosperity.

No need to thank me; just doing my bit.

Now, if for some unexpected reason that does not happen- 

(and sadly, we must allow for the outside chance it won't - or perhaps even the likely chance it won't - ok fine, for the you-can-bet-the-mortgage-that'll-never-happen chance it won't)

-then at least I'll feel better about assuaging my CDO:

As I said to begin this segment, I should not be allowed to talk to people unsupervised because I end up doing stuff.

Ok folks, time to 23 Skidoo, and last one out's a rotten egg:

rotten /rŏt′n/

adjective

1. Being in a state of putrefaction or decay; decomposed.
2. Having a foul odor resulting from or suggestive of decay; putrid.
3. Made weak or unsound by rot.

Sounds unpleasant, so better get a move on...

a friend from work attended the Monster Jam recently...

...he's the one with the ball cap on

taken with my reto 35mm from our backyard...can't wait for some leaves on those skeleton trees

more from the backyard golf course

That, dear reader, brings us to the end of another excitin' foray into the world of blogging excellence:

Don't act so surprised; someone had to win it, and Cousin Jed said hands down we had the best bribe blog.

So take that.

later, mcm fans...

Look! Down In The Dumps...

...it's a wimp!  it's a wuss!  it's Unhappy Man! 

Yes, I know it's a repeat...like a bad Spring cold, he shows up every year around this time.

After lolling around indoors and stuffing my face for the past 4 months - cookies, pie, cake, chips and cheese, mac and cheese - hey, anyone hungry besides me? - the bill has now come due and it's time to pay the piper.

I hate that guy.

So it's back to trudging through the desert of the diet, with my usual goal of losing 10 to 15 pounds.

But it is the jumpstart I need to get ready for the outdoor season of "functional fitness"...

...when working around the yard will help me reach my goal weight.

It's also the kickoff to the annual battle that pits the mistress of the landscaping...

...against the reluctant beast of burden...

hey, I know that guy

Let the games begin.

In my last blog entry I noted this is the first time in my memory that Spring actually appears to have sprung early.

Well hold the phone, this note just handed me:

Turns out the rodent is right...while I was sleeping, this happened:

looking out my office window

Ok, so it wasn't just under the cover of darkness; it snowed off and on for pretty much the whole day, which is even worse.

the courtyard

there are daffodils under there somewhere

A half foot of the white stuff.

That's just rude.

Predictably, Mother Nature's shenanigans have put a damper on my hickory golf activities...

<Old and Young Tom Morris>, circa 1875

...but hopefully only for a few days, as there are 40's and 50's in the forecast.

And though it's never stopped me in the past, I really can't complain about this "winter that wasn't".

The weather has been so mild, I've practiced outside with my hickories more than every other winter combined.

As a result I'm very comfortable with my 40" brassie now, something that didn't seem possible not that long ago.

Another month before I can be out on the links again; can't wait.

Time to 23 skidoo, y'all...

"puppy yoga" as demonstrated on the today show.  wonder if they feel as foolish as they look?

pals

the ol' homestead, taken with my kodak brownie starflash

ms. deer checking out the new snowscape

looks like winter, but that's a spring sunrise

In Memoriam: Ryan, February 1981 - March 2021

As we approach Easter, a reminder from the book of Isaiah, written 700 years before the birth of Christ:

later, mcm fans...

Our Promise To You:

Politics is such a dirty business; I always feel the need to shower after talking about it.

'Twould be lovely to ignore it; unfortunately, we do so at our peril.

The truth is your freedoms are being abrogated by Washington's Uni-Party...all those <rich men north of Richmond>, regardless of whether they identify as an elephant or a jackass.

So what are you going to do about it?

As our Declaration of Independence states:

1) God gave us rights: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness;

2) We institute Government to secure those rights;

- and -

3) Government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed.

And that, kind reader, is where we come in:  giving our consent via voting in elections.

Our job as responsible citizens is to tune in!

Hold your nose if you have to, but be informed so you can make a good decision.

The quality of your life - and the future of your country - depends on it.

In happier news, it's St. Patrick's Day...

...and we're going to party like it's March 17th!

Because, you know, it is.

A word to the wise:  avoid green beer; your insides will thank you.

Stick to...

-or-

...in moderation, of course.  Slainte!

And whate'er ye do, durst ye not forget to sing <Danny Boy> wi’ your muckers.

In the photography department, I had pictures developed from my Reto 35mm, Brownie/Hawkeye 126 film, and Brownie/Starflash 127 film.

A few of the Reto 35mm pics:

I told him to stay out of the picture, but would he listen?

it's aht...y'know, nature and stuff

cool, serendipitous effect of the camera lens and sun angle

love the <shadow play>

Some from my Hawkeye 620 film camera:

Karen made that wrap for modesty's sake...love the gold belt

all 6'6" of #3 son after breakfast at the Grille

next time I'm going to hold the camera still when I click the shutter

practice makes mediocre in my case

And a few from my Starflash 127 film camera:

1st pic taken with my Starflash

gotta hold it still when pressing the shutter!

a favorite shot with all my cameras...I just like that stuff

my financial advisor reviewing the books

It's official; I need to stop buying vintage cameras.

If you won't 23 skidoo, I guess I'll hafta do it for ya:

hickory golf knows no season

when my drive landed here I said I couldn't do it again if you paid me a million dollars...

...now I'd like my money, please.

I warned you!  didn't I warn you?  you know I warned you.

not sure how, but he actually sleeps like that.

for the first time I can remember, it appears Spring really has sprung early

And speaking of Spring, here's a reminder from God's Word:

"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land..."

  - Song of Solomon 2:11,12

later, mcm fans...