Cognitive Dissonance...

...is truly enjoying a warm fire on a cold morning - while at the same time disliking cold mornings.

But hey, I'm not the only one...Kitty's right there with me.

As is often the case during this otherwise wonderful month, summer is having some trouble finding its way to our neck of the woods.

So here we are on the last day of May, sitting by the fire and hoping today might warm up to 59 degrees.

Sorry to say, we've decided next year we won't open the pool until the Memorial Day weekend.

Too much junk falls into it from the trees...

...and too many cold days to actually use it.

Lots of work and expense, not enough fun to make it worthwhile.

Heavy sigh...

Continuing with the cognitive dissonance theme, there is one other circumstance when a cold morning is acceptable, nay, preferable...

...to a warm humid day.

Yep, when I'm on the links, flailing away with my hickories.

And so it was this week when I sallied forth.

Alas, while I continue to hit pretty well from the tees and fairways, I'm still befuddled by the short game.

It only takes one foozled shot around the green to move me from bogey or better - a win in my book - to double bogey or worse.

So I'm not scoring as well as I'd like, but it's still an enjoyable early morning stroll through the countryside.

And they're about to get even earlier, as the 1st tee times from now on will be 7 rather than 8 am.

Yikes.

Before we leave the subject of hickory golf...

I've mentioned <The Hickory Hacker> before.

His real name is Christian Williams and he describes himself as both a golf historian and avid enthusiast.

Below is an explanatory quote from his blog:

"For those of us who have found a connection to this game through avenues other than athletic ability, our enjoyment of golf is derived from a deep reverence for its history, its rules, and its ability to make us better people."

Hear, hear!

One of the fun things he does is give modern low compression balls - suitable for hickory clubs - period correct "mesh pattern" covers (similar to the JH Taylor ball used in the 1920s):

Those are Titleist TruSoft low compression balls with their new "old timey" mesh pattern look.

You may be wondering what the big yank is, but to those of us practicing the black art of hickory golfery, this is très cool.

He's also working on a line cut version, similar to gutta percha balls...

...but finding molds at a reasonable price...

that's an obscene price for a mold that will do one ball at a time

...ain't easy.

If he does manage to pull this off, he'll be my new hero.

Hey, don't laugh; that's no small thing.

Other than Superman...

...Mighty Mouse...

...and Bad Orange Man...

...heroes have been in short supply.

I was going to spend some time waxing disgusted at the soulless charlatans of the lunatic left...

...but then I thought, "why stink up an otherwise perfectly good blog entry?"

Let's 23 Skidoo instead:

at Larry's cottage:  trees vanquished, job done

lakeside vista

love the rising mist on the mirrored water

doorbell image of Boo Boo from Larry's neighbor at the lake

Catherine and Rodger from Alaska stopped by our place for some food and fellowship

they brought flowers...

...and dinner.  yes, that does say "moose".

hardscape continues to bloom...

...as do our irises in the courtyard.

Loki lurking

Since I started this blog entry we've magically morphed from May into June.

Can't tell by the weather; it's just as cold this morning as it was yesterday.

But hey, it's June.

That's the official start of meteorological summer, so drop whatever un-summer type stuff you've been doing and get with the program.

No excuses!  Commence summerization procedures immediately before it's too late.

And on your way out the door, take this command from God's Word with you:

15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

    - Ephesians 5:15,16

Ain't that the truth.

later, mcm fans...

Happy Resurrection Day...

..."He is not here: for He is risen, as he said.  

Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

   - Matthew 28:6

I hope you and yours experienced a joyous Easter Sunday.

As the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15, if not for the resurrection of Christ, we of all people would be most miserable.

But because of His sacrifice on the cross, "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Romans 8:37)

Happy Easter, y'all.

Turning to affairs of state:

If you seek a pleasant peninsula...

...you're gonna need a different governor. 

That's normal person and Trump aide Natalie Harpe on the left, and apparently someone with the mental acuity of a 4 year old on the right.

Sorry to say, that's our beloved governor here in Michigan, Wretched Dimwitmer.

You see now the depth of our problems.

It's natural to ask, "what was she thinking?", but that's giving her way too much credit.

No doubt the tangled jumble of neurons misfiring in her brain tapped into her primal fear:

"What if my progressive pals see me kiss the ring of Bad Orange Man?

"I won't be allowed to play with them anymore!"

Thus her knee jerk reaction to hide behind her folder when the White House photogs arrived.

One of the hallmarks of great leaders is the ability to think on their feet and make good decisions.

By way of contrast, what WD did is normal behavior for a half wit.

Obviously incompetent, she shouldn't be allowed anywhere near actual power.

Ah, Springtime!

While a young man's fancy may turn to love, this old man is all in for...

...you guessed it: hickory golf.

And more specifically, pre-1900 hickory golf:

What's a spoon?  A brassie?  A lofting iron?  And where's the golf bag?

All these faskinatin' mysteries and more are sure to be revealed.

Well maybe, if I feel like it and if you're paying attention, neither of which is certain at this point.

For now, let's just dissect my 1st round of the season, shall we?

Ewww...looks like my 1st round of the season, so let's just skim the highlights instead.

That's it; the one and only highlight of today's round, just before I teed off on the 1st hole and ruined the whole thing.

In a previous post, I mentioned if we lived in a perfect world I'd pick up where I left off last year - with nothing but pars and bogeys.

Using that metric, it is safe to say we do not live in a perfect world.

There's plenty to get excited about on the political front, but I say we just fuggedaboudit and 23 Skidoo:

new welcome mat

spring decor

I'm sensing a theme here

if I get tired of being incompetent at golf, I can always switch to being incompetent at bowling

karen and I enjoying a candlelight dinner, sans food and drink, apparently

resurfaced a green this weekend...one more to do this year.

almost tulip time

Easter Peeps - they're not just for breakfast

magnolias are almost ready to pop

We haven't much time here on planet earth.

It seems like we do in our younger years, but then we blink and find ourselves 50 years down the road before we know it.

In the space of that eyeblink, our youth will have fled, we could have married, had kids, welcomed grandkids, worked for five decades and retired.

It's all blue sky until one day when it's not, and then eternity is right around the corner.

"The days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

       - Psalms 90:10

So what will you say when you stand before your Creator and are called to give an account for your life?

If we're wise, we will humbly plead the blood of Jesus Christ, who died on Calvary's cross in our stead, that we could be forgiven and have life eternal with Him.

It is an old saying, but true:

"The Greatest man in history had no servants, yet they called him Master.

"Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher.

"Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer.

"He had no army, won no military battles and committed no crime...

"...yet kings feared Him, He conquered the world and they crucified Him.

"He was buried in a tomb, yet He rose again and lives today.

"His name is Jesus."

Do you know Him?

Happy Easter, mcm fans...

We've Finally Embraced...

...the rule of law.

Thank you, Bad Orange Man.

The best thing about this?

Even though law enforcement and the judicial system have been weaponized by the current administration against their political enemies - Trump, Maga republicans, J6'ers, pro life advocates -

- it could never happen to you.

Right?

Ah, the Summer Solstice...

...the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere...15 hours and 20 minutes of daylight 'round these parts.

Hopefully you made good use of the time, since the days are shortening as we steadily <perigrinate> to...

...well, you know.

Of course, not everyone is capable of making good or even rational decisions about how to spend their time:

<lunatics at work>

But then again, nothing says "I'm a serious person who's saving the planet!" quite like defacing ancient monuments.

Yes, I see it now; it’s all so clear:

Vandalism = good stewardship of our environment.

I don't know about you, but I'm totally convinced; whatever they're smoking should be mandatory for everyone.

And speaking of doing really important stuff...

Auld Mac, proprietor of <The Auld Golf Society>

...I was attacked by my local links twice this week.

The first time I emerged victorious, 1 up (won 5 holes, lost 4).

The 2nd time I took it on the chin...

...1 down (lost 5 holes, won 4).

Notably - after the sting of flubbing an easy chip onto the 9th green (thus losing the hole and match) subsided - I can honestly say I enjoyed both rounds immensely.

Why?

In match play scoring it's me against Mr. Links, not stroke count.

With pre-1900 clubs and guttys, bogey or better is a win for me; double bogey and up is a win for him.

It's essentially 9 separate contests and total score doesn't matter.

Even if I blow up a hole with a snowman or worse...

near the green in 3, chip over the green (4), chip onto the green (5), then 3 putt...yep, that's a snowman

...I put it in the rearview and get after the next hole.

This probably makes little sense to modern golfers where stroke count is everything.

But to a hickory golfer, match play was standard stuff.

Rule #1 in the USGA "rules of golf" in 1920 stated -

"The game is played between two sides"

- i.e., match play.

Rule #1 in the USGA "rules of golf" today states -

"Golf is played in a round of 18 or fewer holes on a course by striking a ball with a club"

- i.e., stroke count.

Anyway, the evil Mr. L and I are all square...

golfing in WWII...avoid the bunkers at all costs

...with the battle scheduled to be rejoined next week.

Don't know about you, but I'm gonna 23 skidoo:

tiger lilies in glorious bloom...

...along with fresh daisies and perennial geraniums

the loki sphinx

breeze block and tiger lilies

yucca in bloom in the desert of our front yard...

...and the garden of our courtyard

The opera may not be over 'til the fat lady sings...

...but I've already burned through a third of my "Fridays off during the summer".

Be present in every moment and always embrace the truth:

later, mcm fans...