Great US Golf Destinations Attract Some Wild Vistors

I hardly blame the family of felines.

After all the Scottsdale golf course where they were spotted relaxing recently has been called one of the most picturesque courses in the world.

The mother mountain lion and her two cubs were spotted on the fourth hole of Desert Mountain Club's Cochise Course... as the lounged on the fairway of the 546-yard, par-5 hole.

Linda Borman, a resident of Desert Mountain snapped several beautiful photos of the big cats and described the sighting as rare... a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.  And that's probably a good thing for those who play the course regularly. As beautiful as they are I don't suppose they make good playing partners.

The desert of Arizona isn't the only top US golf destination where commanding creatures occasionally crawl the fairways and rest in the rough.

Though global golfers booking Orlando golf packages may feel that the only fauna they're likely to encounter will be in some way related to a mouse called Mickey it's not particularly uncommon to see a alligators sprawling in the sun at Orlando area golf courses.  In fact I've heard from a reliable source that hole 6 at Bay Hill is home to a rather impressive reptilian resident who makes fairly regular appearances on course.

Our gator on 6 at Bay Hill http://twitpic.com/41hqlrless than a minute ago via Twitpic   Favorite | Retweet | ReplySam Saunders
samsaunders87

The fact is we share the planet with what?... 2 million or more different species?  It's only natural that some of them are going to be attracted to the same types of environments we are.  For golfers visiting new locals I think the best advice would be to use reasonable caution, expect the unexpected and enjoy the occassional encounter with a wild visitor.

Read more: azcentral.comazcentral.com * nileguide.com

Hope chest - Episode 146 - The Knitmore Girls

Listen here:


This week's episode has been sponsored by:

Abstract Fiber's crew just got a chance to try Schacht’s new travel wheel, the Sidekick. What a fabulous wheel!! We were impressed enough to become dealers. The Sidekick will start shipping in May and you'll get four bumps of our FABULOUS fiber free when you order your Sidekick from us. Reserve yours now at AbstractFiber.com .



Spin! Spin! Spin! The Purlescence Purl Girls are pleased to announce presales on Schacht's newest wheel, the Sidekick, the first folding travel spinning wheel from Schacht. We're expecting our first shipment of Sidekicks in early May. Call us today to reserve one for your very own with a modest deposit. As always, we have loads of wheels and looms in stock!




Explore the New World of Knitting on Opening Day with Anna Zilboorg. Take classes from the most talented designers in the Knitting Universe. Shop-till-you-drop in the largest fiber market in the South. See the hottest new knit designs at the Fashion Show or take to the runway yourself -- showing off your knits during the Student Banquet. If you love knitting, YOU CAN'T MISS THIS! Go to KnittingUniverse.com/Events for all the details. If it has to do with knitting, you will find it here. STITCHES South is open to the general public April 15th-17th. For more information please join us online at http://KnittingUniverse.com/Events/ or call 1-800-237-7099.

Shownotes will be posted after Camp KIP.

Those last two inches -- or when do you stop?

MBA types talk about "the 80/20 rule" (you get 80% of the results with 20% of the work), and "diminishing returns" -- those last hours or, depending upon how obsessive you are, days or weeks you spend polishing and perfecting a project. From a business point of view, those usually aren't worth making: they don't bring in any more money than turning in the project without them would.

But for an artist, it's different. It's really hard to know when to do that last polishing and how long to do it. I'm really curious to know if other people have rules about that. I used to polish EVERYTHING to perfection, and now I'm realizing, especially with client work, that if the client isn't going to pay me for that time, and doesn't care anyway, that it's simply not worth it. I force myself to stop when it's good enough....most of the time.

Sometimes, I just fall in love with the project and keep working and perfecting until my hourly rate has dropped to -- well, we won't go into that. But increasingly, these days, good enough is good enough.

With my own writing, it's a lot harder to stop, let go, decide, finish --whatever you want to call it. The rule I used to go by is when I'm not definitely making it better but am just making it DIFFERENT, it's time to stop. But now I'm trying to stop sooner than that -- when I'm proud of it, and it still feels fresh (as opposed to when I can't stand to look at the damn thing one more time).

A short piece is done if:
*it says everything I wanted it to say
* everything in it interests ME
*I can read it out loud without my voice faltering or my insides quailing and wincing
* every word is the best I can make it

For novels, though, it's different. A first draft gets only the first....a second or third draft only the second; and unless there's a pretty good chance of the book being published, I don't think it's worth getting it to the "every word" level. Better to spend the time moving on to something else -- for artistic/creative AND financial reasons! WEll, most of the time. That's what makes it hard--I never really know.

Do you?

Navarino Dunes Revealed - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12

Not surprisingly, the recent release of EA Sports' spectacular new Tiger Woods game was all about Augusta National.  After all, even the most casual golf fan is intrigued by the Masters and by the cloistered, velvety-green sanctuary of a course that hosts it each year.

But the latest edition of the Tiger Woods franchise features a number of other new courses as well. These will undoubtedly be discovered and enjoyed by gamers of all stripes as the novelty of strategizing Amen Corner and winning the green jackets wears off (I imagine it does wear off eventually?)

One of the newly featured courses, is Navarino Dunes at Costa Navarino, the naiscent eco-resort complex on the southwest coast of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece.

 

Designed by two time Masters winner Bernhard Langer, the championship course has been opened less than a year but has already received stellar reviews for it's spectacular setting (panoramic ocean views) and sublime service (on course delivery of iced towels).

I've written about golf in Greece... and the development of Costa Navarino... over the past couple of years as the course took shape among the olive groves, and resort villas appeared in clusters on the surrounding hills and I hope to get there in the not too distant future. In the meantime I'm looking forward to playing the course virtually and getting some practice in for the future trip.

Henri Stenson playing Navarino Dunes on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12

from the BRG archives: To the Moon and Mars

HAVING THE FIRST WORDS

Guess what FedEx left at my house yesterday? Need a clue? Just want me to tell you the answer? Okay…TEAM MOON: HOW 400,000 PEOPLE LANDED APOLLO 11 ON THE MOON—and it was inscribed by the author, Catherine Thimmesh. It was my prize for submitting the funniest entry in Book Buds “Famous First Words” contest. Anne Boles Levy asked contestants to come up with the words we thought an astronaut would exclaim when stepping foot on Mars for the very first time.


I suppose you’d like to read my snarky entry:

The sky is pink.
The rocks are red.
There ain’t no birdies
Overhead.

It’s bare. It’s bleak.
Don’t see no plants…
Or other green
Inhabitants.

It’s desolate.
The air is scant.
Except for me—
No life’s extant.

It’s dusty, dry.
I need a beer.
Houston,
Get me outta here!

I actually entered two poems—but Anne liked this one better than my parody of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

A LOQUACIOUS ASTRONAUT WAXES POETIC AFTER STEPPING FOOT ON MARS

Whose planet’s this? I know I know.
His home’s on Mount Olympus so
He will not see me stopping here
To go exploring to and fro.

The polar ice cap’s very near.
I spy three skaters. Drat! I fear
Some other life forms came before.
I’m NOT the first Mars pioneer.

I see a Super Star Trek Store…
And garish neon signs galore!
There’s garbage everywhere I tread.
Don’t want to be here anymore.

This trip’s a bust to “Planet Red.”
Yo, Earth, give me the go-ahead
To visit Jupiter instead,
To visit Jupiter instead.


Now…back to the MOON! Figuratively, that is, not literally. In addition to being a poetry geek, I am also an astronomy buff. TEAM MOON is my kind of book. Even a young child who can’t yet read could get lost in this book just looking at the amazing photographs. (I know a young grandnephew who is going to get a copy of TEAM MOON for his birthday in two weeks. He’s an astronomy buff like me.)

I wrote Anne yesterday to tell her I had received my prize. I also said I just might have to write another poem for the occasion. But…I have sooooo many old moldering poems in my files that I was able to pull this one out to post today. The following poem is now dedicated to Anne and Catherine Thimmesh.


MARY HAD A LITTLE MOON
(Another old moldering poem by Elaine Magliaro)

Mary had a little moon.
It shone just like a star.
And everywhere that Mary went
She brought it in a jar.

She sneaked it into class one day,
Which was against the rule—
But teacher smiled because it was
The brightest thing in school.


First published November 1st, 2006

Book Flavors: Leo Landry

Author/Illustrator: Leo Landry
Book: Space Boy

APRIL: An Original Acrostic

Well, Mother Nature is playing an April Fool’s joke on us who live in Massachusetts today. It’s snowing here! This is actually the third day of snow we’ve had since the beginning of spring. It’s hard to think about April showers and May flowers when the world outside is cold and white.

This weather isn’t going to quell my excitement though. Today we begin National Poetry Month. A number of kidlit bloggers have special things planned in celebration of poetry. Jama Rattigan is doing her Poetry Potluck Series at Alphabet Soup again this year. Greg Pincus is hosting 30 Poets/30 Days at GottaBook for the third year in a row. I’m proud to say that Greg invited me to be one of his “30 Poets.”

I thought I’d post an original APRIL acrostic for you today. I’m going to think GREEN!

And now, spring settles in,

Pitches her green tent.

Robins return, fruit trees burst

Into bloom, and the sun

Lays her warm yellow hands over the earth.

********************

At Wild Rose Reader, I have a conversation with Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell about their exciting new project PoetryTagTime.

You’ll also find an extensive list of links of resources for National Poetry Month at Wild Rose Reader.

Amy has the Poetry Friday Roundup at The Poem Farm.