How would you like to wake up to these views every day?
Makes it hard to recall what it's like back home!
Today, we decided to play at Ridgewood Lakes. It's only about 5 minutes from the houses that the Florida golf guys rent, but we had never tried it. Price is probably part of the reason....the rack price today was $60, but we got a half price special bringing it within our preferred range. In March the rack price will be noticeably higher.
But it is a very attractive course, with lots of water.
On the hole above, we teed off on an island tee halfway across the bridge.
On the hole below, Bob's second shot took a bad bounce to the right and the ball trickled into the water. He took a drop and, with a mid iron, hit the ball into the hole. Routine par. Disgusting!
A second chip-in later in the round from just off the green and I just shook my head!
But I think the reason Bob chose to do this is because the greens had recently been aerated and were bumpy. He had four, three putt greens to inflate his score today to 88. Terrible!
I, on the other hand was at a disadvantage. My body quit after nine holes and my head finally joined it after fourteen. So, now I'm 1-5. My friend Andy is concerned about this record but I think he needs to broaden his perspective. There are pros on tour who won't win at all this year. And I have won once and come in second five times! As Trump would say "I'm amazing! Probably the best golfer you have ever seen."
More pictures of the course.
Some fallen trees and debris were still evident from the September hurricane.
This tee shot ended up ten feet from the hole. (Note to Tuesday golf group... Bob would not be allowed to enter the par three Dogmeat contests.)
Same hole....forward tees to the right.
We were told after we moved ahead that we had parked the cart right beside this guy.
And there was the usual complement of water birds, including this Wood Stork.
And the Egret in the background of the picture below.
This course would be beautiful in the summer when the grass is no longer dormant.
We were four tired puppies after we got home. Lois prepared pork chops, Mardi smashed potatoes, Bob did the dishes and Bud gathered and put out the garbage. And then we entered a zombie state, which hopefully will wear off by morning. Didn't finish yesterday's card game.
Tomorrow is a rest day.
We all needed extra time to recover from the long day yesterday so it was early to bed and a relaxed start to the day.
We played The Reserve at Orange Lake today. Just one picture, looking back at #10 as Mardi successfully explodes out of the greenside bunker.
The only score I will report today is Bob's 85...his first game since October. We're expecting improvement!
OK. My record is 1-4. Nuff said.
We played Phase 10 after dinner. We were all too tired to finish. Mardi is leading, the rest of us are tied for second (or last..take your pick).
It's a short story day, but I must confess we are spending some time watching CNN. What a zoo!
First let me expand on that Walmart washroom experience.
Lying awake at 4 a.m. my strange mind tried to deal with the case of the black children (I decided that I can't call them "boys" because that is a somewhat derogatory term to black folks). Assuming that their family is Christian, I am pretty sure that, barring something serious, they will be accepted into Heaven. And then I wondered what would happen to the white supremacists who are against them. I pictured St. Peter saying "You have attended church faithfully, and you have repented your sins, but you have been heard calling Christian natives 'drunken Indians', and Christian Hispanics have been called "rapists and murderers", the small Chinese Christian community has been called "slants and chinks", and the black Christian community has been called "monkeys" and other vile terms which I choose not to repeat.
Those too are sins, which you have refused to repent.
So, why don't you go to Hell?"
St. Peter, you made my day, I thought, as I was finally able to clear my mind and get back to sleep!
At 5:30 a.m. the alarm went off, and it was time to get ready to take Jo-Anne to the airport. We dropped her off at 6:45 a.m., the end of a very enjoyable week. Then, Mardi and I headed for a McDonald's just three kilometres away, returning to the airport cell phone parking lot for a one hour wait for Lois and Bob's plane to arrive.
Back at the resort, we unloaded, then Lois and Mardi did a shop, while Bob and I headed over to the practice area for chipping and putting practice. Matt and I are pupils of Coach Bob's chipping methods, regularly chanting "thank you Bob" after a successful chip shot.
Today, the pupil beat the master at chipping and putting. Alright, so he had been up since 2:30 a.m. Tough! That doesn't factor into the result. I'll take my victories however I can get them!
No pictures today. Tomorrow the four of us play the Reserve here at Orange Lake. I'll take the camera.
Up at 7:15 to prepare for golf. Outside temperature was -1C. So, our first order of business was to phone the course and cancel. Wimpy, but smart!
Before I move on, I must recount an uncomfortable experience that I had yesterday in a Walmart washroom. I followed three young black boys, aged about 10 to 15, neatly dressed, with cornrows, into the washroom. Inside, they did not head for the urinals and I wasn't sure what was going on. I went to the urinal ahead of them.
While I was standing there another white man came in, and since the other urinal had just become available he motioned for them to go ahead. One of the boys said "It's OK, I don't mind waiting".
As I left the urinal, the oldest boy told one of his brothers to go ahead. First, I was upset with myself for not recognizing what had been going on. And second, I was horrified that it was necessary in this country for their parents to teach these decent young men to yield to the white man. Very unsettling! This will be with me for a long time.
Back to today. I had been in need of a haircut for a couple of days, so took the opportunity today to get buzzed....literally! No pictures of this boy for a couple of days!
The ladies went for a brisk walk in the cool air this morning.
We left to pick up Jo-Ann at 4:30 and headed for Disney Springs. The usual boat ride and stroll back to Raglan Road. Perhaps because of the cold day, the place was buzzing. We waited for over an hour for a table.
An Irish family was performing outside so we spent the wait productively.
The boys enjoyed their gig.
And did some dancing as well. That's their mom's head in the picture. Must be proud! The oldest boy played the concertina, while the middle one played banjo and guitar and the youngest the drum and a flute. Dad played guitar, violin and a couple of versions of Irish bagpipes. Excellent entertainment!
Inside, the show was good as well. An all female Irish group performed.
And the Irish dancers brought up some new troops from the audience as usual.
And right beside us......
This is Jo-Anne's last evening with us. We mail her home in the morning.
It's been a busy week. We've hit most of the local highlights and enjoyed our time together.
Tomorrow we are to have Jo-Anne at the airport by 7 a.m., then Bob and Lois Reid arrive at 9 a.m. and a new adventure awaits.
My friend Andy Hardy has commented that he is concerned about my 1-3 golf record and is encouraging me to pull up my socks. It's OK Andy, I have figured out a way to avoid losing at golf - beg off! Pleading that after yesterday I don't have a lot left in the tank, I have changed the plans for today - we're going to Bok Tower Gardens instead. My already dismal record will be preserved for one more day.
Another comment, this time from Jo-Anne: "If we were living in a land of equal opportunity, there would be a Hand & Foot rematch at 7 a.m. instead of 7 p.m. by which time Mardi's partner is practically brain dead."
There are two problems for me with this plea:
- When is 7 a.m.? I thought that they had eliminated that time from the clock!
- Now that I know I have an advantage at 7 p.m. (I'm brain dead all day - it's a fair fight if Jo-Anne is the same way) there is no way I would change the time.
We headed for Bok Tower Gardens at about 10:45 a.m. Edward Bok was the publisher of the Ladies Home Journal. He lived by a mantra, etched into his brain by his Dutch grandmother as he left Holland at age six.
And his own take on it.
From his home nearby in Florida he would often walk to the top of Iron Mountain. At 280 feet above sea-level it was the highest point in central Florida. He eventually bought the property and decided to create a park that would meet those goals. He hired the very best to build his tower and gardens - the landscape architect had created the Washington Mall for example - and gave the finished product to the people of Florida.
Mardi and I bought memberships for Leu Gardens in Winter Park last February and they have reciprocal rights here, saving us each the $14 entry fee.
As you enter the gardens you pass over this exposed stone walkway. It's my favourite spot - walking on it is like having your feet massaged.
The bell tower is a beautiful blend of pastel stone and iron.
Carillon concerts are held at various times during the day and you can watch on closed circuit TV as the Carillonneur makes magic with the 60 bells in the tower.
The performance started at 1 p.m. sharp as you can see by the clock.
and lasted half an hour.
While the area around the tower is lovely......
the whole park is beautiful and peaceful.
After the concert, we had lunch at the licensed cafe on site and then resumed our exploration.
Even at this time of year, colour is to be found.
It was a wonderful day, and the weather was perfect.
After we left Bok Tower Gardens we made a stop at Davidsons of Dundee, the citrus candy makers. I bought lots of candied ginger (last year's supply lasted into November - hopefully what I bought this time will keep us going until we return next year).
We picked up Jo-Ann for dinner and headed to Miller's Ale House, but the fresh lobster special was not available. So, Jo-Ann and I settled for a pair of lobster tails each.
Our Hand and Foot opponents were pretty cagey - one bought the steak special, the other bought the lobster tails, a huge baked potato for a side, and split it to make surf and turf.
I'm not allowed to discuss who won the two games of Hand and Foot that we played afterwards. but Jo-Ann and I are still undefeated!
Nevertheless, Mardi and I are still friends.
While the decision to forego golf and go to the Bok today turned out well, tomorrow is a different matter. It is dropping to -2C tonight and by our 10 a.m. tee time it is forecast to be +2C. rising to 12C. Yikes!
We spent the day at the Circle B Bar Reserve.
Admission is free. The "Discovery Centre" is very educational, and the extensive reserve is a wonderful experience.
We didn't see nearly as many alligators as in previous years, but did see a half dozen large ones.
And we saw the monster 20 footer (well, part of him - from 75 yards away).
We saw wild pigs last year, but a highlight today was seeing a litter of piglets beside the path.
The sow was about 75 yards away, eating at the side of the marsh.
Apparently, she had been there for over half an hour. She must have grown up on the reserve and become used to humans close by because she never showed any concern about her litter. I waited patiently for another twenty minutes and she finally started back to the litter.
The recent cold snap had killed hundreds of Tilapia (not surprising- they're foreigners - illegal immigrants as it were).
Resulting in dozens and dozens of Black Vultures overhead and in all of the trees along the water's edge.
And on the ground, eating fish.
They don't leave much behind.
Saw lots of other birds, including these Roseate Spoonbills.
And White Pelicans.
Lots of Great Blue Herons, including this one on its nest. Note the head of one of its chicks showing above the nest.
A pair of Barred Owls a long way off.
Purple Gallinules.
The usual mix of Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Limpkins.
Plus Anhingas drying their wings. Nicknamed Snakebirds (only their neck and head are above water when they swim), they resemble, but are apparently not related to, Cormorants.
Other sightings:
And a curtain call for Mrs. Pig and family.
We were at the Reserve for over four hours and each walked more than five miles. All in all, a wonderful day!
We picked Jo-Ann up on our way home and brought her to Orange Lake for dinner and two more games of Hand and Foot. Modesty prevents me from commenting on the results.
Tomorrow we hope to golf.
