The third hole on the Lakes Course at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club is 160 yards from the gold tees. There are traps left and right. I used a seven wood to hit a high draw which hit the green. I couldn't see where the ball went, and my partner thought it might have gone in the hole. I agreed, but like a pitcher with a no hitter going in the ninth inning, I didn't want to "jinx' myself. We walked to the green and saw no ball. Josh walked to the hole, looked down, and said, "See." Sure enough there was my ball in the cup.Monday, October 31, 2016
Anatomy of a hole in one
The third hole on the Lakes Course at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club is 160 yards from the gold tees. There are traps left and right. I used a seven wood to hit a high draw which hit the green. I couldn't see where the ball went, and my partner thought it might have gone in the hole. I agreed, but like a pitcher with a no hitter going in the ninth inning, I didn't want to "jinx' myself. We walked to the green and saw no ball. Josh walked to the hole, looked down, and said, "See." Sure enough there was my ball in the cup.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Stories from the road
October 19, 2016
Beverly, Mass.
The air is warm and heavy this morning on Massachusetts’s
North Shore. Soon we will head south to play golf with high school classmate
Tony Jones and his wife Anne. Tony grew up in San Francisco whereas my family
lived near Boston. We have switched coasts, as Tony now lives in Scituate, a
seaside community on the south shore of Massachusetts.
Last night we had dinner with our friend, Cynthia, at Legal
Seafood. Vicki and I had scrod, which was delicious. We encouraged Cynthia to
take a cruise she had been eyeballing. I learned this morning that she will be
sailing to Norway and other destinations in 2017. Cynthia is an accomplished
artist, who seriously began painting in adulthood.
Golf yesterday was fun at the Marshfield Country Club with
Tony and Anne Jones. It was Indian Summer, and the temperature must have been
in the mid seventies. Later we dined at a fine restaurant in Hingham. Tony and
Anne met in Beirut in the 60’s, and their meeting and courtship sounded like
something out of a Hemingway novel.
Tony told a story of giving a ride across many countries to
a penniless man. His rider would slip across the borders and meet Tony on the
other side. Tony paid for many of his meals, and 6 months, after dropping his
passenger in France, Tony received a check in the mail, covering what he had
given the man.
We drove along a number of seaside communities last night
including Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate. The air was clear and the light
sharp. I thought I was driving through a series of paintings. The towns were
classic New England. I can understand why super wealthy people own multiple
homes. There are so many nice places to live.
Stories from the Road
September 28, 2016
Reggio Calabria, Italy
Our guide Tatiana perhaps reflects her culture. She is
accepting of frustrations and unmet goals in way that Americans might not.
However, opportunities are much less in this part of Italy than in America, and
her positions make sense in many ways. She is conscientious and works hard, but
there are limitations to what she can accomplish.
Yesterday we stumbled onto a restaurant in the woods. I
loved the place right away, and upon sitting down, we were greeted by the
owner. He was a handsome, gracious man who steered us to the day’s specialties.
First we had an antipasto of hot and cold items and then a homemade fettuccine
with mushrooms picked that morning. I told him that if his restaurant were in
Del Mar, it would be full every night! He said he heard that comment frequently
from visiting tourists. I only wish I could go back, but we have moved back to
Reggio Calabria tonight.
Last night we ate a locals’ place in Gerace. There were a
lot of guys snacking and drinking wine at the bar, when we arrived. Then they
left, but they came back for more wine later. I assumed they went home for
dinner and returned to chat with their friends. Many of the restaurants in
Calabria don’t have menus. The waiter tells you what he has, and often he’ll
ask the chef to fix what you might want, if it isn’t being offered. It is an
informal and personal way of dining that is attractive.
Yesterday the Caribinieri for reasons unknown stopped us.
They checked our passports, Tatiana’s license and then let us go. Vicki and I
were stopped a couple of times a few years ago in Sardinia. Go figure.
Tonight we ate at our hotel. I was exhausted and not up for
going out, and things worked out well. We had delicious chicken cutlets with
mixed salad and shared a cannoli for desert. I had some ice-cold Tenant beer
from Scotland to accompany my meal. Vicki was the only woman in the dining room
as the other tables were filled with groups of men. Some were staying at the
hotel, but several groups came in from the street. Being in foreign countries
always raises questions about how different cultures do things. It is fun to
think about.
Stories from the road
September 30, 2016
Reggio Calabria, Italy
An hour and a half from the Mediterranean there is a ski
resort! We drove through a National Park, and came to the area, which looked
about the size of a small New England or New York State resort. Later we passed
a number of mushroom gatherers on our way down the hills to a seaside resort
that was very beautiful. Lunch consisted of a shrimp pasta dish for me and
swordfish for Vicki. After lunch I walked into the kitchen and thanked the
chef, who had sent out gratis espressos for us. He was a very nice guy as was
Francisco, our waiter.
Earlier Tatiana took us to her family’s bakery, where we met
her mother and received some bread to take to Sicily. Her mother is only a few
years older than me, but looks much older. She has had a hard life with a
difficult husband and not many resources.
After a few days in Syracusa, we will head back to Rome,
where we’ll meet Matt Zetumer and Lynn Corrin, friends from Del Mar for dinner.
They will have recently returned from a hiking trip in Cinque Terra. After Rome
we’ll be travelling to Boston and then New Hampshire for a week before driving
to the Cape Cod area.
Calabria has been an interesting place to visit. The
beautiful coastline quickly rises into the mountains to produce a stunning
landscape. The region’s natural resources are in contrast to the sense of
economic sluggishness that pervades the area. There aren’t a lot of high-end
places for tourists, but life here is not expensive. Our meals, which were
excellent, cost about half of what they would in the Unites States. The people
of Calabria seem very friendly. Over the course of our time here I only saw one
grumpy person at a lunch spot, and that was I.
Have a good day.
Stories from the road
Hancock, New Hampshire
October 12, 2016
I had a good feeling about the Peterborough Diner, as soon
as I saw it. Maybe it is my cumulated experience of diners. They always seem to
deliver! At any rate I wasn’t mistaken. The roast turkey sandwich that Vicki
and I split was excellent. Our waitress was totally on the ball, and we left
satisfied customers.
The morning has been spent driving through the rolling hills
of southern New Hampshire taking foliage pictures. I thought I had some
excellent ones in the 75 or so I took. However I had neglected to put a memory
card in my camera! Say what? Stuff
happens, and Vicki and I had a good laugh about it.
In our travels we stumbled on the Monadnock Country Club,
and tomorrow we tee off at 10:00 A.M. It is a 9 hole, hilly course that looks
like fun to play. The man at the course was very friendly and told me they
hadn’t been reserving tee times for ten years due to few players.
Last night Mary Rose came to our Inn, and we had dinner
here. Our waitress was excellent as were our meals. I saw an elderly man walk
to the table next to ours for dinner. I immediately thought, “This is
trouble.” Sure enough, at one
point he had a meltdown, complaining he had been waiting an hour and a half for
his food. This was a major exaggeration, and I was impressed how the waitress
kept her cool, as did the two women, who were dining with him. Tonight we’ll
meet Mary Rose for dinner at a restaurant in Peterborough.For Tom
For Tom
When the call of the loon meets us at lake’s shore,
And the mountain winds bring fall’s air,
We’ll call out to you,
We will bring you to the place of the wolf and bear,
We’ll rejoice in the triumph of your spirit.
Stories from the Road
Stories from the road
October 21, 2016
Brewster, Mass.
Low-lying clouds and a light rain have descended upon Cape
Cod at 5:00 PM on a Friday afternoon. We drove down from Mattapoisett along
highway 6A this morning. I have often said that a photographer could spend his
entire career taking pictures along a 25-mile stretch of scenic 6A. The
marshes, the homes, the wildlife; they are all beautiful.
Steve Valle, our host, and Vicki and I went to lunch at Land
Ho in Orleans. It is hard to beat the clam chowder and fresh oysters
there. Later we went to a
well-known ice cream place. While there about twenty elementary school students
came in to buy ice cream and candy. It was Friday, they had money, and they
were all excited. I thought this is a kind of pure joy that is hard to come by
as an adult. Steve took a picture that captured the scene.
On the way out of the shop a local stopped me and said he
had to tell me something he had overheard. One of the kids said to another, “
Did you just text me?” His friend replied, “ I don’t know. What did I say?” The
man and the woman he was with couldn’t stop laughing!
Our friend Tom Hardy should be in the air now on a medivac
flight from France to San Diego. Tom was in the ICU in France for three weeks
fighting an infection. We all are hoping for the best for Tom and Michele, his
wife, who has done an amazing job helping to mobilize his care under the most
trying of circumstances. If everything goes according to plan, Tom should be in
Palomar Hospital by 8:00 tonight. After writing this, I received a text from
Michele that the plane had landed in San Diego.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Stories from the Road
October 3, 2016
Siracusa, Sicily
After walking through some colorful markets teeming with fresh fish, fruit, cheese, and Pike’s Market type guys yelling about their products, we made our way to the local bus stop to head out to some ruins. The bus was confusing in terms of how to pay, and the driver didn’t help much as he was impatient. I gave a Dutch couple a Euro so they could stay on the bus. The woman called me a “doll”, and repaid me at the ticket booth of the ruins.
There was a young Italian guy on the bus, and he was friendly and trying to be helpful. Once a Brit asked him how many more stops, and the young man hit the stop signal, thinking the Brit wanted to get off the bus. I though, Oh,Oh, here we go with the bus driver again, but he didn’t get upset.
After the ruins we took a cab back to the hotel and rested, before walking into the Old Town for lunch. We split an insalata mista and a dish of pasta vongole, which was delicious. Later we stopped for pistachio and hazelnut gelato. Tonight we’ll dine in our hotel, which has a terrific looking restaurant.
Over the years I have learned not to order martinis in Europe. What you typically get is a glass of Vermouth. At the hotel bar I noticed a martini shaker and a martini glass, so I thought I would give it another try. Mistake. The Bartender reached for a bottle of Vermouth and a cocktail glass, before I stopped him. I tried to get him to give me the shaker, but it was not to be. The martini was ok, not great, but at dinner the bartender, now waiter, came alive, and Evan and I ended up doing some Italian bonding. This morning at breakfast he brought us cannolis with fresh, sweet, Ricotta cheese.
Stories from the Road
October 3, 2016
Siracusa, Sicily
After walking through some colorful markets teeming with fresh fish, fruit, cheese, and Pike’s Market type guys yelling about their products, we made our way to the local bus stop to head out to some ruins. The bus was confusing in terms of how to pay, and the driver didn’t help much as he was impatient. I gave a Dutch couple a Euro so they could stay on the bus. The woman called me a “doll”, and repaid me at the ticket booth of the ruins.
There was a young Italian guy on the bus, and he was friendly and trying to be helpful. Once a Brit asked him how many more stops, and the young man hit the stop signal, thinking the Brit wanted to get off the bus. I though, Oh,Oh, here we go with the bus driver again, but he didn’t get upset.
After the ruins we took a cab back to the hotel and rested, before walking into the Old Town for lunch. We split an insalata mista and a dish of pasta vongole, which was delicious. Later we stopped for pistachio and hazelnut gelato. Tonight we’ll dine in our hotel, which has a terrific looking restaurant.
Over the years I have learned not to order martinis in Europe. What you typically get is a glass of Vermouth. At the hotel bar I noticed a martini shaker and a martini glass, so I thought I would give it another try. Mistake. The Bartender reached for a bottle of Vermouth and a cocktail glass, before I stopped him. I tried to get him to give me the shaker, but it was not to be. The martini was ok, not great, but at dinner the bartender, now waiter, came alive, and Evan and I ended up doing some Italian bonding. This morning at breakfast he brought us cannolis with fresh, sweet, Ricotta cheese.
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