Tuesday, May 16 – The Jubilee Course St. Andrews Links 1897

The days have arrived for us to play the St. Andrews Links beginning with The Jubilee Course.  Jubilee is the third of the St. Andrews Links – preceded by The Old Course and The New Course (1895).  It was officially opened on June 22, 1897 when Mary Macgregor, the wife of St. Andrews Provost, struck the first drive.  On a day of national festivities to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne, Mary’s club, specially designed in the workshop of Old Tom Morris, was festooned with blue, white and red ribbons.

Although the Old and the New courses have changed little, the Jubilee is in its fourth incarnation.  It began as a pitch and putt course for ladies until its prime location between the New Course and the sea made it perfect to convert to a championship 18 hole course.  Today Jubilee is considered to be the most challenging course on the famous Links!

To mark the course’s centenary, the Jubilee Fountain, the insignia of the course, was installed beside the first tee – moved from its original location at the side of the first fairway of the Old Course.

Opened in 1897 in honor of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

Bring on the Jubilee Links.

It’s just about 10:32 and time to hit that first ball on another beautiful day – –

Jubilee 1st tee with the clubhouse and the Old Course Hotel in the background

So..how many pot bunkers are out there that I can’t see from here?

Did you notice in the prior picture my hair is laying nicely over my headband?  Well – what happened here – – –

Wind picked up today to about 35 mph. E had to hold herself steady with her putter while the wind provided her Trumpian hairdo.

Don’t you just love it when the skies are predominately blue with puffy clouds and it looks wonderful?!?!?  But that gale force wind is buffeting you all over the place.  Fortunately the wind didn’t pick up until part way through the back nine – so, we survived.  But – that back nine sure was interesting!!

Jubilee was a good warm up for Wednesday.  A nice dinner and evening at Playfair, which turned out to be excellent and one of our favorites, and we were ready for The Old Course;-)

Wednesday, May 17 – The Old Course St. Andrews Links

At the heart of The Links is The Old Course – the Home of Golf where the game was first played 600 years ago.  To prepare ourselves we had lunch at the clubhouse and enjoyed one more Sticky Toffee Pudding – –

Scottish Energy Bar?

And then we were off.  There is not much more to say about this course – it is just awesome and we were given yet another beautiful day.

Our turn on the home of golf.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club sets behind the 1st tee.

Please don’t muff this one. Just keep your friggin head down.

Lots of spectators. Old Tom Morris’s historic shop in the background.

Oh thank goodness, we both made it off the tee and got to the green without landing in the Swilcan Burn (creek)

More gorse….

More deep bunkers…

OH NO – we both managed to end up in this big mutha.

And just like that we were at the Road Hole – #17.  Gary decided NOT to cut the corner and go over the hotel –

– – But – first lost ball of the day in the hotel grounds.

Then we were at the 18th – ready to walk down the fairway in the footsteps of golfing legends and cross the Swilcan Bridge.

What a beautiful sight from the 18th tee.

This was very moving and great fun to cross this piece of golfing history.

Never expected to see our shadows on this trip – so couldn’t resist.

E contemplating her shot over the Valley of Sin to the 18th green. No problem;-)

And then – we were done;-(  It was an awesome day to be celebrated for years to come, I’m sure.  We had only one problem – in our excitement to get to the course via the shuttle we forgot to ask how late it ran.   Turns out – not late enough!  Fortunately that great room with the little bathroom was only little more than a block away.

This caddie carries TWO bags;-)

An incredible stay in St. Andrews.  The town was lovely, the room was extremely handy and the golf was AWESOME!

But – there is more to come so don’t go too far.

E & G – we’ll be back

St. Andrews – often the first thought is “The Home of Golf”.   Indeed, it IS thanks to St. Andrews that the game as we know it exists today.  AND, it’s here that one finds the jewel in the crown and spirit home of the game – the Old Course.  Famed worldwide, the Old Course is confirmed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest golf course in the world.

King David I of Scotland granted the Links land to the people of St. Andrews in 1123.  From that time to this, the people of St. Andrews have had the right to use the Links.  When golf began to be played on the Links is not known for certain, but it was well enough established by 1457 that it was banned by King James II, who worried it was distracting his men from archery practice at the time of invasions from England!  Although both James the III and IV continued the ban, James IV eventually gave in and had golf clubs made for himself in 1502 (wouldn’t you like to see those babies??).

The Old and New (1895!) courses that we see and play today were created by ‘Old’ Tom Morris who is celebrated for his pioneering work in course architecture.  He was also a fantastic golfer – setting the Open record as the oldest champion, 46, in 1867 at Prestwick.

St. Andrews first hosted The Open in 1873, and the championship returned to the Old Course for the 29th time in 2015 as it now returns every five years.  For many years St. Andrews players dominated the championship, as their local knowledge gave them an edge.  But this changed following the victory of Bobby Jones in 1927.

Today film stars, sports celebrities, presidents and prime ministers come to St. Andrews eager to take their place on the first tee.  Playing the Old Course is a privilege, but in the true Scottish tradition of the game this privilege is not the preserve of a few.  St. Andrews Links remains public land allowing thousands of ordinary golfers (E & G) the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong ambition and to follow in the footsteps of golfing heroes.

As public land – the Old Course is closed to play on Sunday so that the residents (and visitors) can walk the course.  This gave us the perfect opportunity to leisurely get wonderful pictures of the first and 18th fairways with the British Golf Museum, the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse and the Monument to the Martyrs of the Reformation in the background.

The view from the championship tees on 18th hole with the R&A Clubhouse on the left and the Swilcan Bridge on the right.

Amongst this wonderful history are the humps and bumps of the Himalayas 18 hole putting course adjacent to the second tee of the Old Course.  This is for children and adults alike – –

The Himalayas is a challenge.

Next stop – the British Golf Museum to learn all about the evolution of golf and the opportunity to putt with period clubs and old ‘feather’ balls.  Lots of education – and lots of laughs if you read some of the quotes – –

It was hard to putt we were laughing so hard;-)

St. Andrews is rich in history beyond golf – and we were off to find some of it.

St. Andrews Cathedral was (and still is even in its ruinous state) Scotland’s largest and most magnificent medieval church.  When consecrated in 1318 it was the largest building in the country and dominated not just St. Andrews but the whole of Scottish religious life.

Then – the Protestant Reformation and dissatisfaction with the established church led to unrest.  In 1559 John Knox gave such a fiery sermon in nearby Holy Trinity Church that the congregation was roused to rip down the rich trappings of the cathedral.  By 1600 the cathedral looked much as it does today.  Materials from the cathedral were utilized in other buildings around the village until finally protected.

St. Andrews Cathedral.

The cathedral was built over a period of years from the front to the rear.  One can see that at one point in time the architecture changed and even new window shapes were utilized – from a more pointed top with inset supports to a more rounded arched type frame.

Completed in 1272.

Of course we had to climb St. Rule’s Tower, built around 1130 – all 108 ft – for great views of the town of St. Andrews, the coastline, our next stop the Castle and the  golf courses in the distance.

We climbed the very narrow circular stairway of this tower..

…to take advantage of the views.

The cemetery on the grounds of the cathedral contain the graves of Old Tom Morris – the creator of the Old and New courses – his son Tommy Morris (who died at the age of 24 after winning the Open 3 times) and the rest of the family.

Most of Old Tom Morris’s family is buried in this spot.

Just down the road from the cathedral is St. Andrews castle, which played the roles of bishop’s palace, fortress and state prison during its 450 year life.  It’s bottle dungeon was one of medieval Britain’s most infamous castle prisons and really – NOT a nice place to be;-(  But, the location was advantageous and the views now are beautiful.

The Bishops Castle.

St. Andrews is also home to Scotland’s oldest university which envelopes the entire town.  It is most notable in recent history as where Prince William and Catherine met – now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge;-)  Today there seems to be a bit of an initiation going on below the castle walls – –

These lads stood there for a very long time while numerous things were poured over them.

A full days worth of wandering in the village.  Now we must get our rest as golf is calling again tomorrow.

We finished up the day with a final pass of the R&A clubhouse.

The sun is setting – the lights are on at the R&A – and we look forward to another day.

E & G ready for St. Andrews;-)

Friday, May 12 – It is time to head to St. Andrews through the Kingdom of Fife – an enchanting region of gorgeous coastal towns, ancient royal palaces and the spiritual home of golf!  The countryside along the way was just as we had envisioned – green, lush, colorful and beautiful!  The grape seed plants were in full bloom creating wonderful yellow ‘blankets’ in the fields – –

The bright yellow accenting the ‘kelly’ green fields was stunning!

The drive from Edinburgh to St. Andrews was only 1 1/2 hours – but, we had the entire afternoon for the trek.  So – why not take the scenic road and see the coast in the famous East Neuk of Fife?!?  Here the little fishing villages dot the coast like pearls on a chain – Elie, St Monans, Pettenweem and Anstruther.  The lunch destination was a recommendation – the BEST fish restaurant in the Kingdom of Fife in the adorable fishing village of Anstruther – –

The marina in Anstruther.

A warning was attached to the recommendation – ‘don’t let any appearances scare you off – it is the BEST’ (and very SMALL)!  We were lucky to get a seat;-)

The fish and chips were yummy.

While the countryside was as envisioned – the roads were even narrower than anticipated, resulting in very interesting ‘warnings’ – –

Funny sign…but VERY accurate.

The Annandale House – just 2 blocks from The Old Course – was to be our home for the next 5 days.  It really was a charming place run by wonderful people – Fiona and Paul – who took very good care of us.  The room was huge (by European standards) with three beds and a lovely bay window looking out to the North Sea.  A bit of remodeling had been done to this very old building to make it livable by todays standards – including bathrooms in all the guest rooms – although a wee bit small – –

Much smaller than Magic – not much room for Gary’s knees!!

Saturday, May 13 – FINALLY!  Time to get out on a course and play golf.  First stop just over the Firth of Tay – the Championship Course at Carnoustie Golf Links;-)

Carnoustie – a new sign for a VERY old course.

The game of golf has been played in Carnoustie for well over four centuries.  The first indication that the game was being played in the Angus town can be found in the Parish Records of 1560 when the game of ‘gowff’ was mentioned.

The Championship Course has hosted seven Open Championships, one Ladies Open and one Seniors Open – AND will host the Open Championship again in 2018!!  It is generally regarded as the toughest of the Open venues with the toughest closing stretch of holes anywhere – especially the last four holes (remember this when I tell you about the wind!!).  Open Championship winners on this course include Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington – – followed closely by EAB and GCD;-)  (For E’s golfing buddies – the course has a slope and rating for women of 77/140 – YIKES!!!)

Let’s get started –

A HAPPY couple – who managed to avoid the plentiful gorse…..

….the yellow flowered bushes with nasty thorns.

As you can see from the pictures – we had clouds, patches of blue sky, a bit of a mist which led to a few raindrops, beautiful sights and views of the North Sea.

The North Sea looking east from Carnoustie.

Beautiful patches of blue sky on the way back in with the hotel in the background.

The weather was quite kind to us.  Even though we “experienced all four seasons during the day” (as they love to say) – there was almost no rain and the wind did not really come up until THE LAST FOUR HOLES!!!  (Remember what I said above about those holes?!?!)

An incredible day and we lived to write about it;-)

Sunday, May 14 – Kingsbarns (because it is where the Kings barns housing his livestock were located).

A mere 15 minutes from The Old Course of St. Andrews sits a newer model of the traditional Scottish seaside links golf course that offers scenic sea views from every hole as one plays along almost two miles of North Sea coastline in the town of Kingsbarns.

This course is consistently recognized in the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World and will host the Women’s British Open Championship this August (2017).  (Sadly – EAB will not be playing in that tournament;-( )  This course is also consistently rated the ‘Favorite’ by all of our friends who have played golf in and around this area.  It reminded us very much of the Bandon Dunes courses in Oregon.

Again – as you can see from the pictures – the weather was unbelievable, blue skies and all – and the views were stunning.  G especially enjoyed the day as he had a harem – we were paired with 2 lovely young French women (who were REALLY good golfers).

Kingsbarns Clubhouse. Beautiful course, layout, setting AND weather!

The views distract from the golf;-)

Lots of bunkers up there. Some you could see before you landed in them.

G & E both had caddies for all the rounds of golf played.  There was only one problem here at Kingsbarns – E’s caddie was too tall and kept pointing out ‘targets’ or ‘landmarks’ that E could not see because she wasn’t tall enough.  At one point he said to aim at a particular bunker – nowhere to be found by E, who told him to get down to her level and find something she could see – –

He tried to be E’s height;-).

Par 3. Lots of bunkers, lots of gorse.

Spectacular views and weather all day long (notice the sweater is gone).

Really – for those of you who have played over here – these pictures are NOT photoshopped.  The weather was that beautiful!!  As was the course.

The days/rounds at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns were each enjoyed for their own personalities and histories.  The Open in 2018 at Carnoustie and the Women’s Open in August at Kingsbarns will each be watched with great anticipation as we see the pros walk those hallowed steps and play each hole that gave us such fits and pleasure;-)

E & G looking forward to the St. Andrews courses

Here comes the “Bucket List” trip – a golfing adventure to Scotland and Ireland.  The reality of this long planned trip begins to sink in when the clubs are packed and shipped —

Once the clubs are on their way, it is our turn.  After a mere 24 hours, we arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland for a couple of nights to get our body clocks adjusted.

In our one FULL day to wander Edinburgh we walked the ‘Royal mile’ – with all its shops – on our way to Edinburgh Castle, taking in the beautiful sights along the way —

Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline of the city today and has probably done so for almost 2,000 years.  Recorded inhabitants were on the hill in 100 AD, due to its strategic position.  Buildings were erected and modified for hundreds of years as the Scottish royalty made this their home.  The complex includes housing for the queens and kings, dungeons, a chapel, battlements (complete with canons) and anything else a royal palace needs.

Queen Mary of Guise, champion of the Catholic faith against the Protestant Reformation died here in 1560.  Her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, gave birth to James VI here in 1566 (he later followed Queen Elizabeth I to the throne as King James I in 1603 and united Scotland and England).

The Castle today houses the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny (no pictures allowed😔).  Also, the ‘parade grounds’ in front of the castle are the site today of the famous Tatoo.  Another tradition dating back to 1861 still followed today is the firing of the ‘One O’clock Gun’!  This was done historically to allow ships in the Firth of Forth to set their maritime clocks before setting sail.  Today,  it is just fun for all the tourists to see —

By now we were ready for afternoon tea.  So – off to The Balmoral for a wonderful, relaxing, delicious afternoon☺🍾👏 — yes, that is the Balmoral in the background —

And, the tea was ‘lovely’ and ‘scrumptious’!!

Now – E & G on to St. Andrews and GOLF⛳🏌️‍♀️🏌️👏👏

Wait!!  These months are when time is spent in Scottsdale – NOT in Magic on the road.  Not so fast my friend.  There are too many activities and NONE are to be missed.

This time Magic got a ‘pass’ and Marriott provided the bed and shower as the Lexus was loaded with the golf clubs, the food bag and a couple of suitcases and driven to – – Las Vegas, baby;-)  The primary event was a regional volleyball tournament that niece Demi was playing in – but, we always ‘layer in’ whatever else comes to mind!  This time it was visiting, golfing, eating, and visiting with friends (Eileen and Tom)  AND celebrating G’s 70th b-day!!!!!

HMMM…where is the hole and how far do we have to hit it to reach the fairway?

Once the BAD group (Barb, Andrew & Demi) arrived, we were off doing some of the LV ‘sights’ – including the ‘High Roller’, which provided great views of LV – –

Step aboard the gondola of the High Roller ferris wheel.

Demi’s cheering section taking in the views of Las Vegas.

COOL!!!

Time for some serious game.  Over 150 courts on the floor of the convention center!!  If this doesn’t give one a headache – nothing will;-(

What a cacophonous cavern!

Demi the libero – some serious concentration.

Gotta get home – Sunday is Easter brunch at our house with the family.  It was a nice morning on the patio to eat and relax but the heat of early afternoon chased us all inside.  Everyone take 5 – as next up is ‘Heads Up’.

The Moms and BAD group.

A friendly game of Heads Up.

WHAT

Lots of other activities fill up the time between trips, volleyball, family celebrations and holidays.  Like more golf!! E played in her club’s member/guest with friend Laurie – AND they won for the second year in a row;-)

McDowell Mountain Champs;-)

We took a cooking class with neighbors Karen & Doug – –

G tossing the Thai noodles.

And we both spent a LOT of time as volunteers at the Musical Instrument Museum!!  One of our favorite shifts is working the latest special exhibit – Dragons & Vines – which displays 30+ guitars (also banjos and mandolins) that have incredibly beautiful inlay work.  Just can’t get enough of this place.

One of the eight PRS Dragon guitars included in the Dragons & Vines Exhibit.

While other parts of the country are experiencing some vicious weather and/or digging themselves out of those last dumps of snow – we are enjoying the wonders of the desert spring – –

The Argentine Giant Cactus blooms are stunning.

The yucca are in full bloom.

AND NOW – the next stop in our whirlwind spring is St. Andrews, Scotland!!!

Excited and packing – E & G

No grass grows under our feet – so it was time to hit the road in Magic for a new adventure in St. George, Utah.

But first – a three day stop in Mesquite, NV;-)  Regular golfing buddies from Salt Lake (Rheta & Tom) drove down to meet us to visit, enjoy dinners, golf, visit and golf!!  We had a couple of nice dinners at the Bus and a couple of *&%^$&* rounds of golf!!  But, the catching up was delightful and relaxing (thank goodness).

Then it was time to move on to St. George for a wedding and all the festivities that go with.  Magic was to find a new home for a couple of days – Snow Canyon State Park.  What a beautiful place that we were to experience for the first time!  BUT – there was a slight scare.  There was no way Magic would fit into our reserved spot;-(  The wonderful rangers at the ‘sold out’ Park were very accommodating, though, and found us something we could work with – but still a tight fit – –

Our ramada was squeezed in between the two slides!!

But – the views from our spot were awesome!!

We looked straight up the canyon.

The wedding festivities were many, but we still had time to investigate the Park – including hiking the Canyon, which was stunning!!

Magic wasn’t the only one with a tight fit;-)

The colors of the rock were fascinating – all the same rock, but the chemicals made them red or white.

Mother nature’s sculpting was awesome!

Down into a lava tube – maybe!

Other wedding guests?

A round of golf at Entrada was also on the schedule for a few of us.  The landscape here was incredibly striking – the red rock to the black lava to the emerald green of the course was breath taking – –

Gary lost many balls in the lava beds.

And finally – the main event.  Molly and Kyle tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony at The Ledges Golf Club.  BUT – we got a ‘first look’ as the wedding couple appeared out Magic’s window doing their pre-wedding photos;-)

Out the front window of the coach – the bride and groom were on a  photo shoot!

What a wonderful week!  But – again – all good things must come to an end.  Good-byes were said and Magic headed home one more time.  Spring was around the corner and who knows what might come with it?!?!?

E & G exhausted from another fun filled week;-)

Back on dry land and back to ‘reality’.

The Shoe Crew (Daughter Heather and family) moved from Lemoore, CA to Ridgecrest, CA.  They, too, are embarking on new adventures.  With a Navy retirement after 20+ years, son-in-law Christian obtained a job with a Navy contractor in Ridgecrest – so the family was off to new digs.  And, we went to check out the new home and surroundings.

Our first stop in all our travels is the Visitor Center.  Ridgecrest was no exception and we had quite a morning – –

Checking out the Visitors Center in Ridgecrest, CA.

So…what time is it really?

Buds.

Thinking of Keith while trying to replicate the infamous family “butt shot”.

A horse/burro rescue operation is also nearby.  We were given a ‘tip’ to go get a bag of carrots before our visit.  It sure made us popular!

The burrows loved the carrots.

Where are my carrots??

When we finally got back to Scottsdale – there was lots more volleyball with niece Demi –

More volleyball..

The cheering section is always there;-)

This family has a lot of February birthdays that finish with Mother Dorthy’s.  This year was the BIG 85 celebrated with family and Phyllis (who reaches 85 also)!!

The whole fam-damily.

Bookends at 85;-)

Celebrations are fun – especially with family.

From us to you – E & G

The New Year brought something exciting and new to us – a cruise.  The only way E was to ever get G on a boat was to include some kind of music – thus a 7 day Jazz Cruise in the Gulf.  We departed from Ft. Lauderdale – so our ‘cruising cousins’ Julie and Mike came from Sarasota to spend a few days visiting, giving us cruise tips and to see us off.  We had several days of sightseeing, eating, visiting, eating, visiting – you get the drill!  One adventure before the BIG cruise was a river boat ride along the inner coastal – –

Thanks to Cousins Julie & Mike for showing us the sights around southern Florida.

With lots more animals – again different from our norm – –

Big time reptiles.

Why would anyone do that???

And LOTS of BIG yachts!!!

Several Magics could fit on this yacht.

Finally it was time for us to board and to be on our way.   The cruise was acquired thru a silent auction at a fundraiser for The Musical Instrument Museum.  So, you can imagine there was LOTS of music.  And there was – Jazz from noon to midnight every day going in three different venues (sometimes 4).  One could come and go if trying to see another act at the same time – whether vocals, drums, brass, strings – it was all there.

Leaving Ft. Lauderdale for a week of great music.

Sometimes outside around the pool – –

There was always music – even at the Pool Parties.

And lots of venues inside – –

In the ships theater and many other spots, both large and small..

Although there was plenty of listening to do onboard, we also had the opportunity to see several Mayan ruins on the daily excursions.

Costa Maya was a “Disneyland Port” –  an area constructed specifically for the cruise ships.  And we suspect specifically because the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins were just opened to the public (in 2002) with no way to get people to them!

Chacchoben was a Mayan settlement that flourished about 350AD, but dates to 200BC.  The site was officially reported in 1972 and excavated and restored beginning in 1994 and continuing today.  A short bus ride away from the port we saw this ancient history.

Chacchoben Mayan Ruins in the Yucatan.

Even older than us!!

The ruins were something to see – Costa Maya, not so much;-(

Next stop for us was Cozumel and the Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins, which are a UNESCO site.  Again – quite an experience.  We could have easily spent a day here but, the ship’s schedule did not allow that.  In fact – this was the biggest disappointment of the trip as we traveled 7 hrs only to have 50 minutes at this site:-(!!!  It was something to see and, as said, a whole day here would have been wonderful.

Chichen Itza was one of the largest pre-Columbian cities and existed from 600AD – 1200AD.  It was a major regional capital, centralizing and dominating political and economic  life in the northern Maya lowlands.  Due to its size, population, and period of existence the architecture here is diverse.

El Castillo – the main Temple at Chichen Itza.

It is amazing how advanced they were in their building and incorporating the sun and astrological calendars into their structures.  During the spring equinox the sun hits the right-hand ‘steps’ of the building and create a ‘light’ serpent down the edge of the stairs ending at the serpent’s head at the bottom.  AMAZING!!

This site was a HUGE complex!  Unfortunately, we only saw a portion of it – and saw that in a rush.

The old marketplace.

Lots of carved images.

The Great Ball Court – one of 13!

If you are ever in Cozumel – do NOT miss this.

As is true of all good things – this too had to come to an end.  But, there was still one more day of Jazz, good food and new friends.

One of our favorites – Cyrille Aimee.

A champagne farewell with friends.

The music was wonderful and the Mayan sites were something to see.  All in all – G said he would do it again.  In fact – we are already signed up for a Panama Canal cruise next April;-)  Who knew?!?!

E & G Sailing off into the Sunset

It is good to be home during November and December in order to spend the holidays with the family.

First up was Thanksgiving – with a good compliment of Family AND beautiful weather!

Thanksgiving dinner at Barb and Andrews.

The ‘Girls’

It seems that one barely turns around after Thanksgiving – and there is Christmas!!  Dinner was at our house with the Phoenix family – and a good time was had by all – –

Christmas dinner – before.

Maestro Elizabeth and her ‘whistle blowers’ had a post dinner concert.

Who can’t follow the baton??

Then we were off to Lemoore to celebrate with the Shoe crew – –

Granddaughters Kira, Haley and Olivia – are ready.

Haley got a VB from cousin Demi;-)

Olivia and Kira got bikes from Gramma and Gramps;-)

More off key whistling.

A good time was had by all here, too.

One more celebration – bring in the New Year in Scottsdale – –

Bring on 2017…

….complete with horns and sparklers.

And so – another year ends and a new one begins.  Wonder what new adventures will be had?!?!?!

Happy 2017 to All – With Much Love From Elizabeth & Gary

There are so many adventures and activities written about as we journey around the country in Magic – you all might think that when we get home we just sit on our keesters until we are off again.  WRONG!!  The activities in Scottsdale match those on the road – just different venues and different sights.

Golf is a mainstay – at a minimum the courses around town see us EVERY Monday and Thursday – and sometimes E plays Ladies Day on Tuesday.  And, even here there is ‘wildlife’ to see —

A gallery of birds lined top to watch our steller golf.

One day a week we try to get our exercise outside instead of in the gym by hiking one of the mountains around town.  They may not be the 1,000 – 2,000 vertical feet we get in Park City – but they get the heart rate up just the same.

Lots of signs…which way do we go?

We also get back in to our volunteering routine at The Musical Instrument Museum – the best museum EVER!!   E spends 3-4 days a week there between giving school tours and wandering the galleries or monitoring the special exhibits and G spends a couple of days there, too.  An evening or two a week may be spent there, also, for some great concerts in a fabulous theater;-)

Volleyball games played by niece Demetra also come back on the calendar.  The fall includes the high school team games during the week followed by ‘club’ ball on Saturdays through the spring.  This year she played on the Pinnacle HS Freshman team –

Volley Ball at Demi’s High School.

Sometimes the cheering section grew to include both Grandmothers (as well as Mom and Auntie) – –

Some of the cheering section.

Another good get.

It is really FUN when our friends that we play golf with in Salt Lake come to Scottsdale to play golf for November – and celebrate all our birthdays.  (We also get our Canadian neighbors back for the month to golf.)  Not that we need any of those reasons to party!

Birthday wishes for Rheta, Elizabeth and Laurie. Thanks Linda and Jim.

And – just as is true on the road – the end to every day is beautiful sight;-)

Just one of many beautiful desert sunsets this winter – from our patio.

So – there is no slow down in activity here.  Every day is lived to its fullest;-)

E & G – on solid ground