Well, so much for consistency.......

My round today got me out of that boring 80-81 routine.  I shot a 46 - 42 = 88 at Iroquois GC.  And, I had my first triple bogey in several rounds, with a big snowman on  par 5 #6. That hole I had a good drive, good 3 wood, then pulled my 7 iron, hit the cart path, and jumped into the high weeds out of bounds. I was playing pretty good until that happened.  Then it was all down hill. Oh, I still had some good holes, but overall, it wasn't a pretty round.  I double bogied #18 for I think the third time in a row.  The same way...push my tee shot to the right of the green, flop a shot up, then 3 putt.  I love to finish my round with a 3 putt.  My handicap on Thursdays is 10. So my 88 nets me a 78.  I'm sure our team didn't win any money today even though I didn't stay around to find out. Besides my out of bounds ball, I had one ball end up in the creek and had to drop out for a stroke.  Those of you familiar with Iroquois know it's those concrete creeks.  That's the first time I've been in one of those since I can remember. Oh well, I'll have to work to get back to those low 80 scores.

Dealing in 'High Finance'

I save a lot of stuff.  My regular readers know this.  I've got a basement full of different collectibles and, some might say, junk. This is one item I've saved for 43 years.  Why? I guess because it struck me funny then, and I still think it's neat.  It's the smallest check I've ever received. 

Sears mailed me my refund while I was in Vietnam.  You'll note on the envelope that it cost them 10 cents to mail this check for 5 cents.
Sears is the same company that, when Mary Lynn and I were in Fresno, turned me down for a credit card when I didn't want one in the first place.  We were shopping in Sears when this young lady walked up to us, clipboard in hand, and asked if we'd like to open a charge account with the company.  I politely declined, not wanting a Sears Charge Card.  She insisted, telling me how handy it would be, and I would really help her out if I'd sign up because she could win a prize for the most people signed. Well, I didn't really want a card, but finally I said OK, I'll go ahead and sign up.  I figure I'd just cut up the card when I got it anyway.  Well, filling out the application she noted that I was in the Navy.  "Oh, I'm sorry sir, but we won't give a credit card to anyone in the military!".  Well, I'll be damned!  I didn't want a crappy card anyway, and now she's gone and insulted me.  But, this is their check, never cashed.  I hope it messed up their books for years!  I've never much cared for Sear's anyway.

Wilderness Hiking in the Inner City

For quiet some time now I've been wanting to hike to the top of Cochran Hill Tunnel.  Just to see how to get up there and what it looks like on top of the Interstate.  Today I decided to do it.

I drove around the park and around the hill trying to find an access. I thought there would be one around the dog run on Cochran Hill Road, but I couldn't see any.  I stopped in the parking lot and looked around, but couldn't see that there was any paths.  So, I parked in the little lot off Lexington Road and decided to walk around to see if I could find a way up there.  Walking up Lexington Road there was a 10' high chain link fence just off the road, but as I walked along, the fence ended.  I decided to go cross country.  So, I headed up this steep bank and into the woods.  Ah, this will be an adventure.

I made my way through the trees and underbrush, not always in the direction I wanted to go, but in the direction the openings would let me go.  So, after a short while I'd been turned around so many times I knew I'd never find my way back in the same direction I'd come.  So, in the true adventurous spirit, I pressed on.  Back in the trees I found this area that hand sandbags and erosion curtain.  They were laid out in squares and rectangles, not like they were holding anything back, but like they were sectioning off plots.  I wondered if I'd stumbled on someones private 'Pot' farm.  It really kind of worried me, as nobody knew where I was or what I was doing.

There were also a lot of these red plastic cups turned upside down, like the were covering some type of plant. None in rows, but just scattered randomly around, all the same way.  I didn't disturb them.  I was tempted to look under one, but decided I'd better just leave them alone.  Not knowing what the heck this area was, I also decided it might be best if I just got the heck out of the area.

I started making my way up hill, as openings would permit me, and I could see a clearing through the trees, so I worked towards it.  I came out onto a path.  So I followed it to the right, I thought 'away' from Lexington Road, and I came out on top the Cochran Hill Tunnels!

I took this picture, but I don't know if you can see the roadway down below. I tried to catch cars coming by so it would be more visible, but with my delayed action camera I couldn't be sure of when it would actually snap the picture.  But, you might be able to see the roadway on the 'wide screen'.

The path I was on was directly behind the 'dog run'.  So I followed the path a little ways, going away from Lexington Road to see if it had an access near the dog run.  It seemed to just go further into the park, so I turned around and headed the other way.  At this time I met several bicyclist mountain biking through this pathway. It was a nice path, but seemed pretty hard to bike.  Lots of roots, rocks, little turns, up and down steep hills.  I'd rather be walking.  So I followed the path I assumed was leading me towards Lexington Road area.  I was right!

After following the path for several hundred yards it came out onto Cochran Hill Road, right at Lexington Road.  There was this sign at the head of the trail, which I failed to notice when I'd driven by earlier looking for an access.

So, now I know how to get to the top of Cochran Hill above the tunnels.  If anyone wants, I can lead an expedition.

Tuesdays at Shawnee GC

My golf game slipped and fell a little today.  I just couldn't seem to hit those fairway irons when I needed to.  It didn't take me long to double bogey a hole today, either.  I doubled #2 and #3, then hung on and didn't double bogey a hole until #17.  I think that's two weeks ina row I've doubled #17, and I did it the same way.  A decent drive, chunked fairway shot, then dropping it in the greenside bunker.  Blast out onto the green in 4 and 2 putt.
It was really hot again today.  Walking 18 holes takes a lot out of you.  I thought it wouldn't be to awful bad on the front nine, but the humidity was so high it was sweltering right from the start.  I shot a 40 - 43 = 83 today.  Still keeping me in a consistant pattern with my previous 10 rounds.  My handicap on Tuesdays is still at 14, which surprised me.  My handicap on Thursday was 11, and may have dropped  another stroke since last week.
This was round 26 for the year.

Bob and the night visitor

Once again during the night my squirrel traps were being pummelled by an unknown source.  I would find my traps upside down several feet away from where they sat waiting to catch a curious and hungry squirrel. I knew a larger animal was after the peanuts.
So, out comes the heavy artillery...my big varmit trap.  It took three nights, but here he is. See all the grass inside the trap?  I guess they try to dig their way out and pull all the grass and dirt around the trap they can get their hands on and pull it inside the trap.  They don't get out, but they sure make a mess.
I took this raccoon to my usual opossum release point, across from the Mellwood Art Center, on Mellwood Avenue, and let him go.  Hope he makes new friends their and won't think about coming back to the Goddard Neighborhood.

THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FISHING CONTEST!

The World Championship Fishing Contest was held this evening in Spencer County, Kentucky.

The competition was fierce.  The tournament was open to men and women of all ages.

The bank was lined with competitors.  Each one concentrating on their line and just exactly what bait would give them the edge.

Old timers sat around bragging about how big the fish were that they used to catch.

The really top fishermen kept on their toes, awaiting even the slightest nibble on their lines.









But, in the end, only one would come out on top. The Champion....The best fisherman in the world...

                                                         GRAMPY!

A little metal detecting to go along with golf

I 'm  easing back into metal dectecting a little.  I think I'm a little out of practice.  The weather has been so hot and the ground so dry it hasn't been good for metal detecting.  With the temperature down and the ground wet,  I did get out this morning to detect a little.

As I said, I think I'm a little out of practice.  I didn't find much.  Other than a bunch of pieces of aluminum cans, pictured at right  is all I found.  I detected at Chance School.  I looked along the gravel road above the gravel parking loop.  And, everything I dug up I had to dig through gravel.  It was an area I wanted to check, but it just didn't yield anything.  A small piece of aluminum, broken off something, a copper strap, that I broke in half getting out of the ground, and a Cub Scout neckerchief tie.  It was fun, and I wish the weather would allow me to detect a little more often.  It got hot so soon this summer that my Spring detecting was a very short season.

A model of consistency

Bad Bob has played consistent golf the past month or so.  My last nine rounds are 81-81-80-80-80-85-78-80.  My round today, 39 - 42 = 81, was almost double bogey free.  I had one, on #18, which was my 9th hole because we started on the back.

I just can't get that double bogey free round completed. Today was windy and the course was really sloppy wet.  I don't know the official amount of rain we had last night but I know we had several inches.  It was hard on many of the holes to find a place in the fairway that wasn't 'casual water'. I don't think the greens had been cut today, either, and they were pretty hard to judge any speed of your putts. I walked the 18 holes today.  It wasn't real hot, nice breeze, but the humidity from the wet ground really made you sweat, or perspire. And that zapped your energy.  But, all in all, I'd have to be satisfied with an 81.  Once again, it lowers my handicap without me winning any money.  That's not good.
But, that's the story of round 25 for the year.

Golf Lessons

Well, Erin has already one-uped me.  I've never had a golf lesson in my life, and I don't need any snide remarks about it.  But Erin had a lesson today and did really well.  She was the only one who actually made a 'nice' putt.  Only one other girl made a putt and that one was 'skulled' and would have gone off the green if it hadn't hit the pin and dropped in.  Erin's was the perfect speed and plopped in on the last turn of the ball.

The first thing they did was talk about golf.  Explaining what "par", "birdie", and 'bogey' means.  How playing golf is a sport you can enjoy all your life even when you get old.

They were taught  the proper stance and where the ball should be in relation to your feet.  You should never take more than two putts per green.  If you don't make the first putt it should be close enough to the hole to make the second one.  She really stressed how important that was.  Two putts are OK, but you never want to 3-putt!  This is the distance of the putt Erin made.

Then they practiced chipping.  Erin can tell you, just like she told Mommy and Daddy when she got home, "Keep you weight on your left foot and the ball between your feet". 

Then they practiced 'pitching'.  And Erin can tell you "you need to pitch the ball sometimes when you need to get it over high grass on sand"









After the lessons Erin and I practiced putting .  It was amazing how much she improved in just 10-15 minutes of putting.

A Stormy Day for Tuesday Golf

It's getting hard to do anything these days without dodging rain showers.  Today's golf at Shawnee GC had about a 20 minute rain delay.  A storm came through when we were getting ready to tee off on hole #14 so we took refuge in a storm shelter.  It didn't last very long, but half the people in our league quit and went in to the clubhouse.  So, after we came in on 18 we were informed that our back nine didn't count.  They would only count the holes that everybody finished.  Seems to me they should have forfeited.

                                                              

This is the picture I took today of the same view I posted a couple of weeks ago.  I'll post the picture again below so that you can compare the two and see how much the course has recovered.  Not a whole lot, but it's making some progress.  A lot of the Bermuda Grass is starting to fill in because of all the hot weather, so there's more grass in the fairways you can find to sit your ball on.

This is the old picture.  You can tell the grass has grown in some, but still has a long way to go.

But, back to today's round.  It didn't take me long to blow my double bogey free round today.  I doubled the 2nd hole.  I've managed to stay pretty consistant, though.  I shot a 40 - 41 = 81 today. I've managed to stay around 80 my last 4 or 5 rounds.  The Senior Tees were moved back a little further today than normal.  I think they're getting ready for some type tournament and all the tees were back and most of the flags were on the back of the green.  So, with the rain delays and the tees further back, I'd say my 81 is acceptable.  I walked the 18 today and when I finished I was soaking wet.  And not from the rain. I can walk Shawnee in hot weather, but when it's in the 90's I've gotta ride at Iroquois GC.  Even flat, walking 18 at Shawnee takes a lot out of you in this heat.

Round 24 for the Year!

Rainy Days and Camping Trips Don't Mix!

Just got back from a trip to Mammoth Cave National Park.  Mary Lynn and I stayed in a Cottage, but Mark, Kim and the Girls and Grandpa Len decided to tent camp.  The rain  made a mess of that.  After the trip into the Cave today Mary Lynn and I headed home and the rest of the party decided to stick it out to see if was going to get any drier.  We'll see how that turns out.  But, Mary Lynn and I are home now and I'll post a bunch of pictures.

This was the little cottage Mary Lynn and I stayed in. And stayed dry in!  It was small but very cozy.  We were located about a 15 minute walk from where the rest of the family was camping.  We hiked over there to visit Friday night before our first cave tour.

When we got back from our Cave Tour Friday night these deer were grazing along the sidewalk leading to our cottage (upper right hand corner).  When we walked by them they just looked up and watched us as we passed.  They were very much used to people.

Here we were waiting for the tour to begin Friday evening.  It hadn't started raining yet and we were still hoping for a rain free Weekend.  However, when we exited from the cave Friday evening it was pouring down!  We had a pretty long walk uphill back to the Visitor Center in the rain.

Then Saturday morning, for the 8:45 tour, we were on the bus heading for the "Frozen Niagara" Cave Tour.  I took some pictures on the Friday night tour but they are not as pretty as the Saturday morning "Niagara" tour, so I'm just posting those cave pictures.  It was raining steadily at this time.

Mark, Mimi and Erin moving through one of the small walkways during this tour.  There were several places where it was narrow and several places you had to walk  stooped over so you wouldn't bump your head.  I learned to duck about 20 steps into the cave after bumping my head on a low ceiling.

On both sides  were beautiful stalactites and stalagmites formed over thousands of years by dripping water. They were amazing.

This was at the bottom of the "Frozen Niagara".  We had to walk down about 50 steps to the bottom.  I asked, but there was no elevator to go back up!  It was really neat down there, though.  I think Erin and Jillian were very impressed.

Erin and Jillian walking through the passways.  They didn't have to duck at the low ceilings like I did.  Go Figure!

All finished with the "Frozen Niagara" Tour and waiting for the bus to come get us.  We were all a little wet and it was raining.  And, Grandpa Len is really NOT giving the Heimlich Maneuver to Jill.

It was a fun time despite the rain.  I hope the campers can get a dry Saturday afternoon , and if they decide to stay another night, a dry night.  We had to resort to Plan 'B" for dinner Friday night and Breakfast Saturday morning.  Plan 'B' being dining in the Hotel Restaurant!  I don't think any of us were very impressed with the food.  I think our campfire cuisine would have been much better!  I think Erin and Jill were still having fun and they were the ones who voted to stay even though it was raining.  "You don't mind staying in the tent the whole time?" asked Kim.  Erin and Jill had no problem with that.  They said there were plenty of things to do in a tent! So, we'll see how that works out.

Poor Putting leads to an 80 in round 23 FTY

 My putter was broken today.  Two double bogeys today and both were 3 putts!  That along with a couple other 3 putts today and a good round turned into a so-so round.
I shot a 41 - 39 = 80.  Not a bad round at all.  But, it could have been a very good round if I putted decent.  I just didn't feel good over the putts today, no feel for the line or distance.  Sometimes you just get that way.  Several very makeable  par putts missed and 4 or 5 3-putts.
Once again, a pretty decent round, no money, and my handicap getting lower.  I'm down to an 11 on Thursdays now.

Jillian - You still keep cracking me up!

When the girls were in school we'd try to find one day a week we could pick them up.  We'd pick up Jill at 11:30 and Erin at 3:00.  Well, Jill would come back to the house for several hours before we would have to pick Erin up. 
It's been a tradition that they always get a snack to take with them when they leave our house. So, when we'd leave to get Erin we would fix two snack, one for Jill, one for Erin.  Well, Jill would like to make name tags to put on the baggies.  I found this in the car this morning.  One of Jill's name tags for her baggy.  Jill, Jillian, Jilli, Jillybean, Jill in cursive.  Now, this is a pre-schooler!  I wonder if Erin's name tag was the same way?

Round 22 FTY was 'almost' double bogey free

I played my usual Tuesday Golf at Shawnee GC today.  This was two weeks in a row now I've shot a 38 - 42 = 80.  I almost made it through the round without a double bogey, but it jumped up and bit me on hole #17.  Two poor fairway shots, after a decent drive, put me in the greenside bunker.  Blast out in four, miss the putt, tap in for a six.

It was a great day to play.  It sprinkled a little rain a couple of times on the front nine, but nothing to get an umbrella out for.  Then the rest of the round was cloudy and the temperature was in the mid-70's.  Walking 18 holes in weather like this on a flat course....I got home and wasn't exhausted. 
Once again I played well but not good enough to win any money.  If I'm gonna lower my handicap I should at least win a little money doing it!

A Great Sunday at Churchill and Willow Park

I really had a nice day yesterday with the Family.  We went to Churchill Downs, grilled a few hotdogs at the house afterwards, then ended the day at Willow Park dancing the night away!  Mary Lynn and I went to the track with Mark and Kim, Erin and Jill, and met Kevin there.  We had the Seelbach Hotel box seats.  We met Brian and Julie out there.  They had their own box seats from local Councilman Jim King.  We didn't win any money, but had a great time anyway.  This was Erin and Jill's first visit to Churchill Downs.  These are a few of my favorite pictures of the day.

After picking a 23-1 winner, Erin was like the old "E. F. Hutton" commercials.  When she made her picks, everybody listened!  The girls got to pick a horse each race and if either one of them won, they got a dollar to split. I should have just bet on Erin's picks and forgot about mine.

Erin and Jill visited the Paddock.  They loved watching up close 'Their' horse walk by.

My personal favorite of the day.  'My Girls' with the Twin Spires in the background.

Mimi brought her "BIG" sunglasses which the girls liked wearing.  I have several pictures of Erin and Jill wearing them, but I can't post EVERYTHING!

This was the very first time Mary Lynn was asked to dance by a stranger in the crowd.  She must have impressed him with her dancing skills.  But then too, this was the first time she wore her 'twirly' skirt!

Erin danced all night.  If she didn't have someone to dance with she was on the floor dancing by herself.  Here she's dancing with Daddy.  The more acrobatic the move, the better she likes it.

It was a long day for Jillian.  About a half hour before the band stopped she walked over, wrapped herself up in the blanket, and went to sleep.

 

Another Hot Round of Golf.....This time at Iroquois GC

My playing partners today wanted remain anonymous, so I had to disguise them.
This is Hole #3 at Iroquois GC, a par 3, and all four of us made par on this hole.  It plays 140 yard from that tee box.
I shot a 41 - 39 = 80 today, and I rode a cart all 18 holes, another hot day on the course.  This was another 'close' to being a good round.

 The last hole on each nine jumped up and bit me in the butt.  On #9 I topped my tee shot, then topped two straight 3 woods, and took a triple bogey 7!  Then on #18, a par 3, I hit my tee shot off the right side of the green, chipped up with a nice lob shot from well below the green.  But, then proceeded to 3 putt for a double bogey 5!  The only holes I had worse than bogey was 9 & 18.  I did have one birdie, hole #10. 
I left before the other groups got in so I don't know if I won any money today.  We're always the first group out and even waiting on the group in front of us on almost every hole, we finish at least a half hour ahead of the group behind us.  I don't know what they do.  So it's usually a good hour before the last of our four groups get in and I just hate waiting around that long. 
This was round 21 for the year.

Round 20 for the Year......was a hot one

Well....it was hot out there today.  How hot was it?  It was so hot I saw some wino's passing around a Dilly Bar.  I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking.  The farmers were feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs.

I walked 18 at Shawnee GC today.  I shot a 40 - 45 = 85.  Not as good as I've played the last couple of times.  I let a few tee shots get away from me to the right and that caused me some trouble.  I was having a pretty good front nine when my tee shot on #8 went to the right, hit the cart path, and jumped into the weeds.  Double Bogey.  Then I doubled #9.  Finishing the front nine with 2 double bogeys and still shooting a 40.  I don't know if it was the heat causing me to be a little tired and hitting my drives to the right.  I'm sure the heat didn't help, but sometimes you just don't hit some shots good.  I didn't play bad overall, but hit enough bad shots to pump my score up 5-7 strokes.

We'll be playing Iroquois GC Thursday, but I plan on riding then.  It's still supposed to be in the mid-90's and with the hills at Iroquois I'll have to ride a cart or ride home in a hearse.

Love those Willow park Concerts!

Tonight was another great night at Willow Park!  The "Lost Boys" played for 2 hours and were really good.  They're one of my favorites of the season.  There was a large crowd.  Good dancing and great fun!

Judy even got in the act dancing with Erin.  They had a big finish to their dance number!

Uncle George and June made an appearance.  They love these concerts and also love getting the ice cream during the band break.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, aka Mark and Kim, took the floor several times.













It was a hot night, but mostly cloudy helped keep it bearable.  We have a lot of fun dancing, watching other dancers, and watching Erin and Jill have fun on the dance floor.  Both of them have some good moves.

Decorating Gingerbread man Cookies in June

Erin and Kim went camping with the Girl Scouts....sooooo.....Jillian got to have a sleepover with Mimi and Grampy!  We had a lot of fun, but one of the most fun things was decorating Gingerbread Men.  We had 8 of them to decorate, so, Jill and I would each decorate one and Mimi would judge which one was the best.  I lost all four contests!  I thought for sure I'd win them.

Of course, the first thing was to thoroughly clean the mixer beaters after making the icing.

Then to the competition.  I worked hard and I thought I did pretty good.  But, Jillian was up to the task.  Of course, she kept eating the decorations!

Mimi was a tough judge.  I lost the contest with the 2nd from left on top row because it had a frown!
Overall, we did pretty good, don't you think?






I beat Jillian two games of Candyland though and got my revenge!  But, later she beat me in a game of Battleship.