Announcing: Pinehurst # 11 Proposed "T-Town Tee-Time"

A new golf course is being proposed near Pinehurst,

right on the heels of the acquisition of the acclaimed

National Golf Course.  This one would not be in direct

competition with existing courses, but would be closely

aligned with the natural look Donald Ross envisioned,

which has only recently come back in vogue.  This 

course would incorporate all that is natural about the

sandhills and would be totally eco-friendly.  Little or

no water required.  In fact, the browner, the better.

The name for the new venture is still up in the air.

Mid-Murdocksville Links was suggested, but seemed

too long.  So the working project name will be:

T-Town Tee-Time.

Here are four of the proposed natural fairways.

Woe to the golfer who either hooks or slices!

The sandhills provide natural hazards and

challenges, which this course will fully utilize.

The obligatory "Snake Hole."

(Beware when retrieving your ball)

"The Thistle" Hole

"The Pine Stumper"

"Blackberry (B)ramble"

 "The Holly In(n)"

"Putt at Your Own Risk"

(Poison Ivy Hazard)

"Froggy Bottoms"

"Dry (sometimes) Hole"

"Waterfall Hazard"

"Lonely Island"

A tricky approach.

"(James) Tufts of Wiregrass"

Honoring the founder of Pinehurst

"Huckleberry Hacker"

"Scrub Oak Nightmare"

Difficult, but not impossible, as the previous

photo proved.

"Deer Wallow"

Classic sandhills sand.

"Hog Apple Thorn Hazard"

"The Anthill" or "The Antie Oakley"

"Prickly Pear Cactus"

"Out on a Limb"

Don't go for the wrong hole.

"Double Bogie Threat: Cactus AND Ants"

"Wisteria Maze"

If it takes you more than five minutes to find

your ball, it will be overgrown.

"Muscadine Tangle"

"Catbrier Calamity"

"Can't Help Ya Catalpa"

And for the final hole:

"The Rubba Duffer Tub"

At the end of the day, this is what it's all about.

Coming soon?

Fleury, Kirby, Talbert, and Loyd: A reunion-- NOT a law firm

When you go as long as I have without posting a

blog update, you better have a good one.  And I do!

Here is some of the fun from a half-day romp with

seven kids and five adults from the Fleury (Taylor),

Kirby, Talbert, and Loyd families.

The kids take no time to warm up to each other.

These three kids are in toy heaven.

Three quickly turns into five-- we see

this pattern all day!

Evan and Hunter try and excel at the trick

I've been wanting the girls to try-- riding

the Sit-n-Spin together.  They take turns

being the "turner."

Then it's off to the stream.

The kids compared the walk down to a 

walk in the desert.  

But they were rewarded!

It was at least 10 degrees cooler at our destination.

Sticking our feet in is a good start.

What did I tell you?  All seven kids are

in this picture.  There's some kind of 

magnetic field, I think.

Elizabeth is the oldest and a bit bolder

than the others.

Evan realizes that even if he gets wet his

clothes will be dry in no time.  Plus, Grandma

will take care of him in a pinch.

Back at the house, it's almost lunchtime.

So let's see how close we can come to

falling in the pool.

Other attractions are nearby, too.

Only six here-- Elizabeth is off exploring.

 Oh, how refreshing.

Even the baby pool is an attraction because

they have permission to get in.

Our tube phone makes a nice little

scientific investigation.

Everybody has a good appetite for lunch.

Seven kids in the living room, five adults

in the dining room.  These kids are so

grown up lunch was a breeze-- with Judy

masterminding the meal.

I'm not sure Evan explained his fascination 

with Roy Rogers, but Elizabeth is a willing

disciple.  Note the matching shirts that my 

brother Buddy and I wore about 57 years ago.

Seriously.

Yes, even with this seemingly rambunctious

bunch, every one is a book lover.

Hmm.  Could Evan and Amelia have a 

slight crush on each other?

Evan and Amelia.

Evan and Amelia.

Evan and Amelia.

Taking a selfie and cranking up some music.

Yep, we had that much fun.  And we'll do

it again first chance we get!

Eno River calls us back

One year ago, Judy and I made our first visit

to the Eno River State Park, near Durham.  We 

went by a route that led through our beloved

Chapel Hill, then some lightly-traveled back roads

of Orange County.  The drive was quite pleasant.

When we parked and entered our first trail it took

a while to get our bearings.  It turned out we were

on a trail we had traveled last year, but we accessed

it about a half mile earlier (further down-river), and

got to see a lot of new sights.  Here are a few.

The single leaf of a cranefly orchid, a
plant also found on the SFL Nature Trail.

My favorite new sight was this swinging
bridge, the only one on the river.  Judy was
far braver than I was.  

The cables don't seem to be enough of a safety
barrier for me.  The sensation of not having anything
around me bothers me more than either the height
or the motion of the bridge.

I did cross the bridge twice.  Because I had no choice.

A view of the swinging bridge from upriver.

Fews Ford was the first familiar landmark we
recognized from a year ago.  The good thing about
a river is that you can follow it either way and
know which way you're going.  Trails away from
the river require a little more attention to detail.

Spring rains had brought forth much lush growth
along the riverside.

Another result of the rain was a scattering of all
kinds of logs and debris, as the river had overflowed
its banks just the week before.

This notable rock outcropping was adorned by
Mountain Laurel in full bloom.  The river was
also flowing much more briskly than a year ago.
These two factors gave us the feeling of being
along a mountain stream rather than a drowsy
piedmont waterway.  That was a very pleasant
surprise.

The Mountain Laurel.

Check out this video of the rapids.

I think you'll find it scenic and calming.

We did see some canoers, who doubtless were glad
for the challenge of "raging rapids."

 Here are three more lovely plants we spotted.

This is Smooth Solomon's Seal, found on the
"old" portion of the SFL Nature Trail, and possibly
on the part recently improved.  I'll be looking for it.

I think this is Evening Primrose, though I've only
seen it a few times, and that was years ago.

Regular readers of my blog may recall that this
Fire Pink is one of my and Judy's favorite wildflowers.
We are blessed to have an abundance of it on our
property, though it hasn't yet bloomed.

Can you blame me for saying that the next

time the Eno River calls, we'll once again

be quick to pack up and hit the trail?