Gotta Love...

...the beauty of fall golf. 

Even if you're not a fan of the Old Game, you must admire the verdant manicured fairways and the russet autumn colors.

Why, you'd have to be a pointy haired cretin to disdain nature's glorious symphony of arboreal splendor.

(You're not one of those, are you?)

It's truly a visual delight, and my enjoyment of all this vernal grandeur was enhanced by my not too terrible play.

I mean, yeah...I played ok.

Not great, but I managed to tame my slice into a slight fade by the third hole.

And when I teed off on 7, 8 and 9, I was hitting straight or a slight draw.

I even managed 2 legitimate pars and 1 mulligan par.*  The rest were all double bogeys.

However, those were not my fault; Calamity Jane was being temperamental again, thus almost every green hosted my DIY tutorial for...

Almost.

a rare tap in for par

Even I couldn't screw that up, the result of a 40 yard chip shot with my mashie that rolled to within a foot of the pin.

Something about blind squirrels and nuts, I guess.

And I finished the round with a par in the traditional manner: on the green in regulation and 2 putt.

All was right with the world - or at least my tiny little corner of it - when I strolled off the 9th green.

Now if I could just settle my feud with you know who...

the real CJ

No, not her...her:

Calamity Jane.

*mulligan par, as explained in a prior post (Happy Fodders Day), is my name for one do-over any where on the hole, that results in a par.

After a flubbed shot you must recite the appropriate petition to make the mulligan come true:

“O demigods of the golfing netherworld, have mercy on me a hopeless duffer...ignore my previous failed attempt and accept this, my replacement shot in its stead...may it fly straight and true and may we never speak of this again.”

The result - you hope - will be a mulligan par.

For obvious reasons I prefer that name to the more common and perhaps more accurate "cheater's par".

In other news, Karen has been scouting around for an appropriate locale for her youngest daughter's outdoor wedding...

absolutely stunning...and the trees aren't bad, either.

...and her travels brought her to this park near where we used to live.

Gorgeous fall scenery, and seems an ideal spot to say "I do".

No idea if her daughter will agree, but in a few more days all will be revealed: she'll be married on Monday.

Stay tuned.

Just finished watching the 2016 BBC version of Tolstoy's War and Peace.

It stars Paul Dano as Pierre Bezukhov, James Norton as Andrei Bolkonsky, and Lily James as Natasha Rostova.

Celebrated for its in depth examination of Russia's involvement in the Napoleonic Wars...

...as experienced through the eyes of 5 aristocratic families, Tolstoy's 1600 page masterpiece* was a world wide phenomenon when published in its entirety in 1869.

Quickly translated into other languages, it was hailed as a new, albeit confusing, genre of literature, blending history, fiction and philosophical essays into one massive amalgam.

As you might imagine, bringing a work of this scope to the stage or screen is no easy task, but this version from the BBC has done an admirable job.

It's an aesthetic delight on multiple levels, from the glittering ballrooms of the morally bankrupt elite to the bloody battlefields of disorganized Russian military to the agrarian hardships of the beleaguered peasants.

And the acting is top notch across the board, but especially that of Paul Dano as the socially awkward but always sincere Pierre Bezukhov...

...who endures the devastating vagaries of life and triumphs in the end.

This one is definitely worth your time.

*Tolstoy considered Anna Karenina his first true novel.

And now, without even asking your permission, it's time to commit everyone's favorite recurring micro-aggression*...

same park where Karen's daughter *may* tie the knot

gorgeous foliage pic courtesy of Larry...looks like peak up north

missing summer already...from the KBH files

ditto

All Hallows E'en only at the St. James Infirmary:  The Bones Brothers

*micro-aggressions:  a fanciful array of petty infractions imagined by pathetic wimps who've never learned Life is a full contact sport. 

And that Dear Readers, brings us to the end of another foray into blogging excellence (take note: henceforth known as "blexcellence").

We trust your stay with us was satisfactory, and if your plans should ever call for stimulation of the cerebral cortex and unabashed incitement of adrenal hormonal activity, please keep it to yourself.

We run a respectable outfit here.

later, mcm fans...

Why Do We Love...

...April in Michigan?   

Because we can have snow storms and sunshine in the same day.

When it comes to the weather our motto is “keep 'em guessing”.

As unlikely as it may seem, I did walk 9 that day on my backyard golf course.

Looking forward to driving a dagger through the heart of winter and welcoming the month of May.

My co-worker reports his twins are continuing to improve, though it's been a "2 steps forward, 1 step back" dance much of the time.

The good news is, there is progress...they were born weighing 1.3 and 1.7 lbs, respectively; they're now 2.45 and 2.89 lbs.

Keep praying for these precious boys!

In Spring, a young man's fancy may turn to love, but for this old duffer, it's all about...

...well, you know.

Last season someone stopped me as I walked off the 9th green and asked about my clubs.

Besides the usual...

* What are they made of?  (hickory wood)

* When were they made? (1920's and 30's)

* Can I use them with modern golf balls? (only super soft, otherwise I like gutta perchas)

...this gentleman and his wife also wanted to know what they were and why I had those particular clubs in my bag.

I ended up explaining they're what's called a "hickory playset" or "short set", and mine consists of 5 clubs:

1. Brassie

...used from the tee as well as the fairway, and so called because of the metal (sometimes brass) plate on the bottom:

With modern "super soft" golf balls, you should get 200+ yards with your brassie.  If you use gutta perchas (guttys), that's more like 150.

However, this has been my nemesis ever since I took up hickory golf, and rarely have I hit a wood with any consistency.

Part of it is simply the smaller size / surface area of hickory clubs compared to today's weapons:

The smaller size of the old hickory clubs provides both a challenge and a built in excuse if (read: when) I flub a shot.

Be that as it may, this is the year I'm shedding the excuses and mastering this club!

Or at the very least, I'm going to hit it well enough to include it with confidence in my bag.

We'll see if I'm still singing that tune come September.

2. Mid Iron

...roughly equivalent to a 3 iron...150 to 160 yards with modern "super soft" golf balls, 110 to 120 with guttys.

This is a tricky club for me.  I tend to overswing for more distance with my mid iron, which never goes well.

A relaxed swing always yields longer, straighter shots, but then that's true with every club.

3. Mashie

...roughly a 6 iron, this has been my most consistent club...130 to 140 yards with super soft golf balls, 80 to 90 with guttys.

If I could only use 1 club and a putter, this would be my choice.

Why?

Because I usually hit it consistently, so on a 400 yard par 4 I can be on the green in 3 with a chance to 1 putt for par.

4. Niblick

...between a 9 iron and a wedge...90 to 100 yards with super softs, 50 or 60 with guttys.

This is my go to club for pitching when I'm away from the green and need some loft.

It's also what I use to get out of sand traps.

6. Putter

...good ol' Calamity Jane.

And hey, "putter" is the same name we use today.

The guy that asked about my clubs seemed surprised.

"You don't call it a Flarfenbanger or something?"

Sorry to disappoint; it's just a putter.

So there you have it...one man's version of the hickory golf playset.

left to right: putter, niblick, mashie, mid iron, brassie

I've seen some with as many as 8 or 9 clubs by adding  a jigger (about a 4 iron), spoon (lofted fairway wood), driving iron (1 iron), spade mashie (5 iron), or a mashie niblick (8 iron).

And more clubs make sense if you're a serious golfer.  The better player you are, the more tools you can use.

But here in duffer land, more does not necessarily mean better.  With limited time and talent, mastering all those different clubs just ain't gonna happen.

In other words, it's better to be good with a few than bad with a bunch.

If you're interested in building your own hickory playset you could haunt ebay - I trust seller "pygolf" and I'm sure there are other, 100% rated sellers you could try.

Perhaps a better plan is to check with Gary Eley from Hickory Golf Workshop to see what he has in stock.

I've done business with Gary through the years - my first hickory clubs were from the HGW - and have always been very pleased.

Ok everyone, split into 2 groups:

Those that know the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance over here on the right...

...and the rest of you...well, you're excused so you can go learn the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Let's do that Parting Shots thing...

pics taken with my "new" vintage Polaroid 600 camera...

...refurbished by Retrospekt...The Pearl 600

#1 son and crew enjoying the warmth and sunshine of Florida

meanwhile, back here in paradise...

...we're enduring the uncertain climes of the schizophrenic midwest

this guy banged into our window, sat there stunned and befuddled for a few minutes, then thankfully flew away

Thankfully we're (finally) knock, knock, knocking on May's door...the prettiest month of the year, when everything bursts into full bloom.

Everywhere you look you see the evidence of God's handiwork as once again our earth blossoms with new life.

later, mcm fans...

Our Nation's Capitol...

...was recently invaded...by a group of desperate outlaws, captured here on security video under the cover of darkness...

No...wait...my mistake...that's #1 son and some of his progeny...left to right, Micah, Isaac, Tionna and Isaiah.

...pretty sure that's the reflecting pool by the Capitol building...and that's Kyle on the right, Tionna's husband.

A couple more shots of them doing the tourist thing...

...two future residents of the White House...

...and the same desperadoes about to make their getaway...

Micah said the place was jammed with more tourists from other countries than Americans, all there to see what the big yank is.

God Bless America, y'all.

Enjoyed a round of hickory golf this morning...

...and tried out my new putter...that's a replica of Bobby Jones' famed "Calamity Jane" putter from the 1930's.

Jones was the greatest player in the hickory era, and the story goes that he was struggling with his putting just before the 1930 Open...his longtime coach handed him his old putter which Jones then used to sink a 30 foot putt.

He went on to win the Open and thereafter kept it in his bag, eventually nicknaming it Calamity Jane after the 19th Century frontierswoman, scout and sharpshooter.

The 3 bands of whipping on the shaft were the result of Jones' famously volatile temper when he would abuse his clubs after a less than successful attempt, and he shored up the hickory shaft with whipping after he cracked it.

On my replica those are just window dressing, and sadly I did not sink any 30 foot putts today...but I actually did do a little better in that department than I had been with my other one, so I'll stick with CJ for awhile.

Watched a good flick last night, Trouble With The Curve...

...loaned to me by a friend from work.

It stars Clint Eastwood as an aging baseball scout, Amy Adams as his estranged daughter / ambitious lawyer, and Justin Timberlake as a former pitching prospect Clint helped sign who is now a scout after burning out his arm.

Clint is very believable as an old curmudgeon struggling with his eyesight at the end of his career, and the conversational repartee between Adams and Timberlake is fresh and entertaining.

Watch for the scene where Timberlake is attempting to ask Adams out on a date and manages to turn it around so it appears she's the one asking...which pseudo invitation he graciously accepts.

Was not a fan of Timberlake's music, and thought he was a bum for throwing Janet Jackson under the bus during the fallout from their obviously staged "wardrobe malfunction" in the superbowl halftime show, lo these many years ago.

But he has turned into a decent actor over time and handles these types of romantic roles very nicely.

There are some touching scenes in this occasionally dark story, including a gravesite visit that reduced me to tears, and a climactic father / daughter confrontation that finally helps clear the air between them.

Just when you're ready to be done with Clint's misanthropic ways the ship manages to right itself in time for a somewhat contrived but satisfyingly happy ending.

This one won't change your life, but it's a couple of hours of quality entertainment...definitely on my "watch it again" list.

But now it's a gorgeous day out there as we start up summer's swan song and prepare to welcome fall...

...so I'm going to get out in it and see what kind of damage I can do...

later, mcm fans...