Wordless Wednesday

weird weather..

We've been having yo-yo weather...to say the least.  One day it's hot, the next rainy...and yesterday it was terrible for Ladies Day golf... darn cold, blustery and rainy. 

Look at the colours of this geranium ... definitely what I would call red velvet .... so pretty..... went out in my 'jammies and a big, old, men's raincoat and snapped some pics of rain covered petals...

Who can believe the moss growing between the paving stones? ... ridiculous... we hardly see that here..... 

 Today it was supposed to be only about +21C so we went to hit some practice balls at the golf course.  Boy... it felt much hotter than that and by the time I went in to the washroom, my face was beet red!  The guys stared at me in the clubhouse and said...are you alright?  You are getting very red.... I said, oh, I always get pretty red in the sun.  But, then I saw me in the mirror..hahahha...no wonder they looked worried!  My hair was plastered to my forehead...  some was sticking out to the sides...what a wreck.  I splashed my face and arms with cold, cold water ...and felt more human.  Whew.... we staggered to the car feeling totally out of it and couldn't believe it when the car thermostat said it was a whopping +31 C !!  No wonder we felt wiped out and waaaay too hot.  Somebody can't predict our weather AT all. 

Here's one for you Serena.... our old fashioned Clematis is full of blooms right now.

We came home and poured a glass of juice with ice ...and a splash of white wine .... and sat in the shade on the patio....wow was it good to be out of the sun .... 

Golf is coming along.  Even with my high handicap (well, maybe because of it, actually) .. I am winning money on ladies days.... another $25 yesterday.   AND.... I broke 100 last week.   Plus, got a birdie!  Wooohooo... perseverance is paying off!  I know it won't mean diddly to those who don't golf...but, I "done good" girls!  I'm much happier with me this week.  Starting to feel more confident and am hitting the ball better... probably the other way around.  Because I'm hitting it better, I feel more confident.  Yep. That's how it goes alright. 

I must remember to take my camera again...there have been some incredible evenings when we have been out at almost sunset...and... silly me with no camera.  How I wish I could show you what I saw when I turned around to look behind us as we walked up the 9th hole the other night.....ohhhh... it was so beautiful.... 

One more with raindrops.... my portulaca.  This year I planted different colours than I usually do... lots of bright fuschias and pinks...., even some oranges have shown up ...which I don't usually like...but, they are all pretty ... I have been calling these my Japanese-y pots.  Blue pots with vivid colours... purples, pinks, oranges, blues and some wonderful lime greens ....colours I normally wouldn't put together...but, they work.  Like some colourful kimono .... ..

try your luck...

Here is an opportunity to win a sweet little bear from a very talented Lithuanian bear maker.  I've been enjoying the photos of her creations on Flickr for awhile now ... (she is also a talented photographer) ..... and have had her on my blogroll for some time so I know when she updates her blog.... to me it's easier than being a follower.  I notice the darker print on my bloglines list when a person updates a blog...and can hop right over to check out what is new.  Scrolling through the follower list has always seemed more fiddly  to me... but, I do add my name as a follower if I have a chance to win by doing so!  I'm cheeky that way sometimes....

If you love little bears... go to her blog and check them out... enter your name for a chance to win this little guy....

photo of the week..

Right now it seems our photo group is on hiatus ...just a minute..must go Google that word to make sure it applies..... back in a minute....

Yep.... perfect... a break ... that's what we're taking... summer break more or less....

Anyway.... thanks bloggy buddies for all your comments on my whine about learning to golf.  All taken into consideration, even the ones about giving up, but only briefly on those.... becuz, this is something I absolutely DO want to do.

It is like several other things in my past that all of a sudden I just had to do and eventually did manage to do at least  to my own satisfaction.  I had always wanted to shoot a bow and one day overheard a conversation of some archers.  I was almost too shy to ask...but, finally just forced myself to turn around and tell them I had overheard some discussion about archery and wondered blah, blah... which led to me finding out where and when and eventually going to the club.  And, finally, even on to a bit of competition... and a medal!  I get easily embarrassed it seems and it does make it a bit difficult to go forward with some things...but, if I really want it...I just have to slog onward with pink cheeks and neck.... til I finally relax enough to just be there doing it and having fun with it.

Then, there was motorcycling.  I love motorcycles. I had ridden behind on so many bikes for plenty of years.  Finally, after one particularly gruelling trip of over 2200 km on a particularly uncomfortable tiny extension, laughingly called a pillion "seat" .... which caused my knees to be up around my ears.... and which after hours, hurts!   ... I proclaimed that I was never riding behind anybody again.  I was riding my own darn bike next time.  Well...I didn't have a bike or a license... but, Mr. BV said... "alright..... get on with it then" and went right into the house to find a cheque ... for lessons.  Whoops... me and my big mouth.  So...I learned to ride.  In my 50's ....

And, now... it's golf.  Every day someone else on a motorcycle bites the asphalt because a driver in a car doesn't see them.  So, I'm selling the bike because the traffic situation is getting too crazy and Mr. BV worries about me when I ride off by myself.  He happily bought me a golf membership so that I would "please do something less dangerous".  I've loved golf since I first tried swinging a club back in the late 80's just walking around with a group of guys on a small golf course.  Sure wish I had begun this as a kid though... same as motorcycling.... but.... there is hope even for us oldsters.... it can be done.  At least well enough to enjoy a walk in the beautiful park-like settings.

All of the ladies, and even the guys, (who are pretty great golfers) that I have met so far are more than helpful and encouraging.

My sister and Mr. BV are my greatest cheerleaders and always have such clever suggestions. Our Mom used to be our biggest cheerleader as kids and even into our adult lives.  Always so encouraging.  Perhaps because she had dreams and aspirations; most of which were never realized, even in the tiniest way.  The one thing she did do that amazed and confounded us all was some acting.  She loved to sing, dance and act.  I think that was her secret dream .. but, the war came along; she made some very poor choices and the rest was mostly rotten history. However, one day when we were still kids.. she joined a little theatre group.  HUH? we couldn't believe it.  Nor could dear old Dad. He was not pleased of course.  He was insanely jealous of her, never allowed her nor wanted her to be around other men without him standing right there.... and so, the third war was on.  Anyway.. short end of the story... she loved it... learned lines like nobody's business and was a great little actress.  Her first year with the troupe she got actress of the year... and made three enemies within the acting group ..  they felt she upstaged them... was written up by local critics as being pretty darn amazing.  But, she only got to do a few years of that before the situation at home became too much of a problem to continue.  I remember how nervous she was...how she even managed to buy some special deodorant that actually stopped her from sweating because she soaked straight through costumes.  How she managed to cope with all odds to do something she so longed to do even though her insides must have been screaming.  My Mom .. my hero.... and she always said to us kids...if I can do it, anybody can.

She taught us all to dive the same way...  she didn't even know how to swim really, but could do the sidestroke enough to stay afloat for a bit.  Dad was teaching us to dive, but in his typical drill sargeant manner... basically killing us off and making us kids cry by the end of it.  She stood on the platform, glared at him.... and dove into the water in a perfect imitation of his perfect dive and from his letter perfect (of course) instructions. Her first dive in her life.  Boy, oh, boy...if Mom could do it..so could we!  I stepped up, did mine and the rest of the kids followed suit.  Hah! ... we all spluttered to the surface and swam back to shore or the dock... laughing and crying.... there you go Dad, dammit!

This week, after getting some help from one of the pros...and hitting a lot more balls..... (I even have a small callous if you can believe it!) .... I feel quite a bit more confident.  It's still a bit nerve wracking for me.... but, soon, I hope I can just go there and wander around in total bliss....

On Saturday night it is what we have been calling "date night".   It is mostly couples golfing and there are plenty of times for just two at a time.... how wonderful.  It feels like we own our very own private course.  It is so peaceful... so quiet... it's beautiful.  Afterwards... drinks and a light, late dinner... what fun.

The sunset was spectacular the other night. The sun a brilliant, almost fluorescent, fuschia.  And I didn't have my camera!   On the 6th tee a little deer was nibbling on some foliage...she just moved quietly further up the hillside... I was so happy she didn't get frightened and have to bound away..... we've seen another down nearer the river..or perhaps it was the same one....

A baby muskrat lives under the bridge on the walk over to the little island green...soooo cute....

and the flowers and plants....  amazing right now.... the colours....!!

Taking my camera again next golfing day....

today, I better get out there and do some digging in my own garden.... not much is getting done around this yard seeing as I am never home anymore.

Oh, and...guess what?  You know that old saying about "if a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear"?.... same thing with flowers blooming....  yes, they do still bloom even if I am not around to notice it right away.

Look what I found growing in my very own garden!  The most beautiful, soft custard yellow mini carnations!  First time this plant has bloomed and I've had it years.  I even moved it half way through the season because it didn't seem to be doing much ...I thought it would probably just croak, but, I guess it likes the new spot.

I seem to have lost my "muchness".....

... just as the Hatter told Alice she had lost hers.  Somewhere in there... "poke, poke"....

I used to have more, so much more.  Muchness that is.  Where did it go?  When did I become so spineless?  So panicky at the least little thing? Sigh..... it's not only golf, but at the moment, that is the key thing.

Trying to learn how to golf is taking its toll.  My confidence is non existent and I feel sick to my stomach just driving over to the golf course to play on ladies day.  It's ridiculous.  I'm hoping if I say it all aloud... and also to myself many times over...I'll get over it.....somehow...miraculously.  At least, so far....quitting is not an option.  I want to do this.

I even took a lesson, and felt quite confident for a day or two with my newly acquired knowledge ... .....but... somehow I've either forgotten what the pro said..or am not doing it quite correctly...or... well, who really knows what's happening.  All I know is that on Tuesday morning, when I went to play...I almost sneaked back to the parking lot and drove home.  I couldn't hit a damn ball off the practice mats even before we teed off...and I was in total panic mode by the time I had to introduce myself to my fellow golfers.

Somehow I did have a good enough first tee ball and some subsequent decent shots to the first hole and the butterflies madly flopping around and dying in my stomach disappeared.... but, I never did seem to feel relaxed with my swing for the day's round.  Probably was the mound of dead butterflies.

All I want to do is be able to play a decent round of golf...to feel confident enough to step up to my shot and not even have to think about it...just whack the damn ball and be happy with my result.  I wonder if that will happen?  Two years ago I was hitting the ball much better.... some little thing has happened to my swing and to my brain ...I think..... but, who really knows what is happening.

I belong to a beautiful course; the world is my oyster and yet, I seem to be allergic from the way my stomach is reacting.......

Maybe I'll just eat cake instead.... if you want a piece too .... go here...... this one's especially for you Shashi....finally got around to putting on the recipe.

And, on the Frabjous day.... when it happens...I shall Futterwacken ... vigourously!


                                                                                    

maybe even out on the island green....