Saturday, November 7, 2015

RV fire

An amazing true story.  We met David and Brenda here in Fountain Hills last year.  This is an extreme example, but characteristic of the relationship that RVers automatically have with each other, even before they know each others' names.

http://www.outsideourbubble.com/rv-fire-a-dogs-tale-an-act-of-rver-heroism

Friday, November 6, 2015

Department of Redundancy Department

Heard at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship:  "I'm going to hit a provisional ... just in case."

*For the non-golfers, a provisional ball is a second ball that is hit ... just in case ... the first one turns out to be lost or out of bounds.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Charles Schwab Cup

I kept score for Michael Allen today.  He’s a nice guy, lives in Paradise Valley.  Shot even par, 1 bogey 1 birdie, on 15.  One of the amateurs had two birdies before that, and ended up with three, all on par 3’s.  Michael is chatty, and mentioned his failure to contribute several times along the way.

He’s not a long hitter, by tour standards.  He was trying a new driver, Taylor Made M1, 12 degrees.  It worked good, he liked it.  He got it to hit the ball higher, so he could go over the bunker on the 3rd hole.  He hit it 12 times, and every single one went as straight as a laser, not a foot of draw or fade.  It was amazing.  It has two adjusting weights, set at right angles.  He had both of them all the way in one direction, for higher ball flight.

Mike and his caddy Steve have been together two years.  Steve has been caddying on Tour for 44 years.  He’s worked for Nicklaus, Norman, and some other big names.  They get along well, lots of joking together.  On 17, a downhill, downwind par 4, Mike told his teammates how last year he had completely missed his drive, into the bushes in front of the tee.  Steve was across the tee and didn’t hear, and as Mike addressed the ball Steve reminded him “248 to clear the junk” – an outcropping of rocks in the middle of the fairway.  Mike said “What junk?”.  After the shot, which flew maybe 249, he gave Steve a little razzing, and I said “At least he didn’t say ‘75 to clear the bushes’”.   

This is the only gallery we saw all day.
 

 
The weather was awful, cloudy and cold and windy, with passing episodes of precipitation.  Flagstaff got record snow today.  The only thunder and lightning was off to the East, and moving away from us.  When the hail started, we took out our umbrellas.  I didn’t bring my golf umbrella, because with the radio and the headset and the handheld computer, fanny pack, pencils, and scorecard, I was out of hands and pockets to carry stuff, so I brought the little one that folds up to the size of a “big unit” hot dog, and it has a loop on the handle that I could thread the fanny pack belt through, and hang it behind me.  So as Mike opened his gigantic Nike golf umbrella, he said to me “Nice umbrella ... sweetheart.”

I got a better picture of my favorite cactus, a magnificent specimen of the rare crested saguaro.
 

 
And after we waited out a rain squall on 18, there was a huge double rainbow.
 

 

The sun will come out tomorrow.