We're A Week Early...

...but we're embracing Fall. 

Ok, we're embracing <meteorological>, not astronomical Fall (yet), and why not?

The weather has quite suddenly turned and Time's inexorable forward march shan't be stayed.

In a week we'll be celebrating the less popular of summer's twin bookends, Labor Day, and no amount of whining will rewind back to Memorial Day.

So instead of wasting time, crying about the end of summer...

...we've vowed to welcome the change of season and not miss a minute of Autumn.

At least that's what we're telling ourselves.

Have you heard the dems' latest "word of the week"?

"Chilling."

It's like they're one large slimy single celled organism overspreading the fruited plane...a sticky layer of something unpleasant in which you do not want to step.

But it keeps them all on the same page, all thinking the same empty thoughts, all parroting the same mindless phrases, auto regurgitating their party propaganda whenever a live camera is present.

And what's so "chilling" this week?

The FBI's raid on the home of former National Security Advisor, <The Walrus>.

Long story here, but he was being investigated for leaking classified information when he released his flop of a book back in 2020.

When the Biden Clown Crew assumed power in 2021 they shut down that investigation and focused their attention on five key issues of national import:

1) imprisoning J6'ers;

2) prosecuting grandmothers praying outside of abortion clinics;

3) classifying Catholics and concerned parents as terrorists;

4) ensuring that mentally ill men could beat up women under the auspices of organized sport; - and most important of all -

5) destroying one man:  Donald J. Trump.

So when the Biden administration launched an unprecedented raid on the home of a former president and the FBI stormed Mar-A-Lago, did the legacy media consider that "chilling"?

Au contraire, mon ami!

Far from chilling, it was Thrilling!

They weren't weaponizing government forces against their political enemies!

This wasn't a third world dictatorial abuse of power to harass and ultimately arrest your political opponent who might replace you in a free and fair election.

No, no, no!

They were saving democracy! because - remember - No One Is Above The Law!

We all needed to just "calm down", "take a breath" and "let the legal system do its job".

Eventually, against all odds and to their utter dismay, it actually did.

Trump was exonerated and reelected in a landslide victory.

Dems - who now have an approval rating of 19%* - could not conceive of the possibility they would fail in their efforts to bankrupt and imprison Trump.

Nor could they entertain the possibility there might be consequences for opening the Pandora's Box of lawfare.

Back then they were blazing new and exciting trails in "FA".

Welcome to "FO".

* scary to think in a group of 5 people, 1 of them is suffering from the brain eating virus of "democratitus".  Important safety precaution: don't get any on you, and always remember to delouse after any contact, incidental or otherwise.

You're going to love this week's HGU, mainly because it's short.

And why is that?

Because after last week's unmitigated disaster, anything had to be an improvement.

And this week's win - 1 par, 7 bogeys, 1 double bogey - for an acceptable 5 and 4 victory - was satisfying because I did it using my original pre-1900 playset:

l to r: long spoon from the tee, short spoon from the fairway, lofting iron around the green and in sand traps, putter for the green.

Only one major misstep on my nemesis, #8 - foozled a chip onto the green with my lofting iron, which led to that disappointing double bogey.

No big secret on my improvement since last time...a week of getting over a cold, some steady practice of the Vardon basics, and realistic expectations while on the links.

About those expectations:

When Vardon was asked how much golf you should play to keep in practice, he replied "there's no need to play more than 36 holes a day".

Right.

How does 9 holes per week sound?

Scaling back my expectations to match my time and talent is helping me relax, enjoy it more, and play a little better.

It's that time, so hold on to your hat as we take a running jump...

please, make it stop

...at 23 Skidoo:

a little sunlit cloud action from up north courtesy of Larry...

...and a gorgeous rainbow over the lake courtesy of his neighbor

verdict: life in solitary confinement for refusing to bloom where he was planted

I gather this is the rabbits' commentary on the quality of my golf game

another escapee from Meijer Gardens

Woody dropped in for a visit while Karen and I were sitting out front the other evening

just because I like this picture of Loki

Chippy hanging out by Lady Baysweep in our courtyard

did I use this one already?  it was captured by one of my daughters-in-law while on vacation in Florida a few weeks ago

Karen and I are off on a little adventure today, a round trip to the northlands on a quest...more to come next week.

In the meantime, I leave you with this truth from God's Word:

33  The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.

  - Proverbs 15:33

later, mcm fans...

As A Literary Giant Once Opined...

...<"I shoulda stood in bed."> 

Yep, that's me all over today, and lately Mondays are when I publish my weekly blog entry.

Alarm sounded at 5:45 for my early tee time, but felt like a sack of potatoes that fell off the delivery truck in rush hour traffic.

Was just about to roll over and fuggeddaboudit but then I mentally checked the calendar...

...and experienced a rising panic that my golf season is rapidly disappearing.

So...against my better judgment I dragged my sorry carcass out of bed, downed a sudafed and an Xtra strength tylenol with some espresso then tallied ho to the links.

Big mistake.

Did you know being off by as little as an 8th of an inch can be the difference between hitting straight...

...and searching for your hooked/sliced ball in yon hinterlands?

Like this blog entry and literally everything else I attempted today, that was a frustrating exercise in futility.

So e'en tho' I planned to wax coherent if not exactly eloquent on subjects as varied as the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and its impending resolution, my hickory golf round and the reason some people like whiskey and cigars...

...while others are stupid, none of that is going to happen.

At least not today.

But wisdom from God's Word is always relevant:

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility."

    - Proverbs 18:12

later, mcm fans...

Ever Notice How "Accountability"...

...seems like revenge to the perps?

The <Russian Collusion Hoax> and its perpetrators have been exposed by the release of previously classified documents.

Now the Department Of Justice is working to hold them accountable for their criminal actions.

In a sane world this is known as "justice", but to the propaganda arm of the DNC (read: mainstream media) it's "The Trump Retribution Tour".

See how that works?

When Democrats break the law, invent crimes and throw everything including the kitchen sink at Trump, they're "saving democracy!"

When Republicans expose their criminal deeds and hold them accountable that's "revenge".

Call it whatever you like; they did the crime, they should do the time.

And it's not just about the attempted coup in 2017 and beyond; the Lawfare fanatics better lawyer up as well.

<Big Tish> is in the crosshairs...

...along with <Pencil Neck>...

and let's not forget everyone's favorite attack dog <Jack Smith>:

All of these people are guilty as sin.

They lied, they cheated, they used their power to unjustly target one man over and over and over again.

There's an old saying:

"If you take a shot at the King, you better not miss".

They missed.

Last man standing...

...and then there were none: 

So here we sit, tiger lilyless.

As if that's not bad enough, I found this while cleaning off one of my greens:

Second week of August and already the acorns are FALLing?

Rats.

But speaking of greens (see what I did there?  great segue...) it's time for everyone's favorite feature, the HGU:

Henny Youngman once joked, "The other day I broke 70...that's a lot of clubs."

Ok, that isn't hickory golf; I just threw it in here for fun.

He hit out of the bunker, then turned and did that, apparently unconcerned he was on national TV.

Why?

Because he watched his ball splash, taking his chances to advance in this year's FedEx playoffs with it down to Davey Jones' locker.

As one of the commentators remarked after he snapped his custom made $400 iron over his knee, "he was going to reshaft that club anyway".

Right.

Thankfully in my world a flubbed shot is not that costly - I remain employed and so far still receive a paycheck - though I have been tempted more than once to emulate his behavior.

Not so much this week, however.

Due to the severe drought we're experiencing I saved a few bucks on my round.  They're offering $10 off...

that tiny white circle in the sky is a full moon

...for obvious reasons.

The scorched earth look is in now apparently, and it does add about 10 yards per drive since the ground is so hard.

Started better than recent rounds, going bogey, par...

my birdie putt on 2 where I happily "settled" for par

...par, bogey on the first 4 holes.

Should have won the match on #5, 5 and 4, since I was on the fringe of the green in 3.

Credit my first double bogey to my ability to magically turn what should be a 2 putt into a 3 putt.

As Strother Martin opined in "Hard Times"...

..."Some are born to fail, others have it thrust upon them."

Managed to duplicate this depressing feat on #6, but righted the ship on 7:

Good drive, but then hit my brassie over the green and had to chip on for my 3rd shot.  A 2 putt for bogey, and that was the match, 3 and 2.

We don't talk about #8 in polite company, but did bogey #9 on the way out, which left me with a final tally of 2 pars, 4 bogeys and 3 double bogeys.

Not my best round, but better than I've done recently.

We soldier on.

Accept no substitutes!  Time for the gen-u-ine 23 Skidoo:

who needs "girls gone wild"...

...when we've got "Hibisci Gone Wild"?

ok, roll up your tongues and stop gawking, move along now...

vanilla / strawberry hydrangea starting to lean into their inner strawberries

there's one in every crowd who just can't follow instructions

Watched a special on the great Ben Hogan the other day.

He was born into poverty in 1913 in rural Texas.

When he was 9, his father committed suicide with a .38 revolver in his living room.

Ben had just walked into the room when his dad pulled the trigger.

It's impossible to overstate the devastating effect that tragedy had on the young Hogan.

One obvious and immediate impact on their family was financial, so he and his older brother Royal became "newsies"; young boys selling newspapers on street corners, in train stations, wherever they could.

Little Ben heard he could make more money by caddying, so at age 11 he walked the 14 mile round trip daily from his house to the course and back.

He was small and so not often picked; to overcome that he saved his last newspaper of the day and spread it under him as he slept in a sandtrap overnight.

His reasoning: if he was the first one at the course, they'd have to pick him to carry clubs.

It worked, and thus began his lifelong dedication to endless toil and unflagging effort in his quest to achieve his goals, all of which coalesced around the game of golf.

Nothing ever came easy for Ben Hogan.

Too poor to play amateur golf - "You can't eat trophies," he commented years later - he turned pro at age 17 in 1930.

But professional golf in the 1930's was a hardscrabble, knockabout life.

Most didn't make it; those that managed to hang on eked out a living on meager winnings.

Hogan was no exception, and many times had to go back to menial jobs to make ends meet.

By the 1940's things were starting to look up, but then his career was interrupted by World War II.

When he was discharged from the Army Air Corps in 1945 he jumped right back into life on the road, chasing his golf dreams.

In 1946 he finally won his first major tournament, and went on to have great years in 1947 and 48.

Then in January of 1949 he and his wife Valerie were driving in a dense fog when suddenly right in front of them and in their lane was an oncoming Greyhound Bus.

It had pulled out to pass an 18 wheeler and struck them head on.

At the last second Ben flung himself in front of Valerie to try and protect her.

That selfless act did 2 thing: prevented Valerie from receiving severe injuries, and undoubtedly saved his own life.

The steering wheel was rammed into the back seat by the impact and the engine thrown into the front seat.

Ben took the brunt of the trauma, suffering many broken bones and life threatening injuries.

Doctors warned if he lived, he most likely would never walk again.

Hogan standing beside the remains of his wrecked car

Golf - obviously - was a thing of the past for him.

Except of course, it wasn't.

16 months later, in the "Miracle at Merion", Hogan won the 1950 U.S. Open.

Hogan's iconic 1 iron onto the 18th green that allowed him to par the hole and force a playoff, which he won the next day.

He went on to become one of the greatest golfers of all time, and years later he was asked about his difficult upbringing.

He responded by saying, "I feel bad for today's youth because they've had it too easy.

"I know tough things; I've had a 'tough day' all my life, and I know I can handle adversity.

"I could never have achieved everything I did if not for those tough days to begin with."

Food for thought:

Champions are rarely chosen from the ranks of the unscarred.

And some encouragement from God's Word:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

    - I Corinthians 10:13

later, mcm fans...