Getting up to date

   Playing Catch Up!

Since the golfing activity at the beginning of August there have been several more forays out on to the course - although all of them at Cape.

A friend, Anne, moved from her isolated farmhouse at Bosullow into a retirement flat in Penzance which she is gradually adjusting to; Phil needed his shoes-with-a-raise sent over to Korea because he has been a fair degree of discomfort in his back, shoulder and hip recently; I packed in a few other items like toothpaste and deodorant which are always needed... and some chocolate!

Last weekend Bridgie and Bilal came to stay :-) It was lovely to have them here and we managed to fit in quite a bit. Bridgie was struggling with an awful cold but we had some lovely meals out... at the Field House and then Birdies.

The weather wasn't great.. but we made the most of it...

On the way back from Birdies we went via Rosewall Hill, a typical Cornish tor with Granite outcrops...

 Bilal and Bridgie in surfing mode...

and Bilal and I in yoga mode!

On the Sunday B and B spent the morning at Geevor on the mine visit, and after a rest in the afternoon we went to Sennen 

It was very grey but still beautiful.
The sea has created a huge sand bank.

it was fascinating watching the tide race in round it.

We played lots of games too while B and B were with me which was great fun - particularly a version of word mastermind.

The other big thing happening is my neighbour Elizabeth's new extension is being built...well they had to knock down the old one first of course!

You can just see my house in the background. Elizabeth's extension is on two levels so I am planning to extend my little bedroom to incorporate my flat roof. It's not a big space but will make my little bedroom an even more useful space.

The planning application has gone it... watch this space!

I met up with Anthea and Phil and Phil's grandchildren at a heaving Perranporth too.

It was horrendous! But it was good to catch up with Anthea and I enjoyed making 'marble' runs for the tennis ball with the children!

1st August

1st August

It had been a very long day travelling up to Looe but it had been great fun. I managed to get the battery re-charged ready for Wednesday - the 1st of August (the year is moving fast). 

Several Cape ladies were in teams playing at Killiow, a golf course near Truro. Di was our driver today and we arrived in good time to enjoy a welcome glass of prosecco and nibbles before heading out on the course.

This is another course I really like - parkland with the chance to open your shoulders because some of the holes have wide, open fairways. There are also some interesting par 3s.

Killiow gave us a lovely welcome with a cream tea half way round too!

Delightful!

Di, Lindsay and I managed to come in with the Best Visitors score so we were very happy!

It was a happy day.

I'm thinking about taking out a membership there to play with their ladies on a Tuesday...it would mean an hours drive but it is a course I really like....something to think about for sure.

31st July Looe

Looe Gala Day

This Tuesday started early as Jane, who lives at Connor Downs, was going to drive us and she wanted me there for 8.30! We weren't playing till 11.40 but you can never tell how the roads will be.

Anyway we had no traffic and were up in Looe before long and had alovely coffee and bacon bap (HUGE) before the others arrived.

This was their gala day and we were playing a three ball texas scramble.

Looe golf course is lovely, a parkland course with lots of trees and beautiful views over the surrounding area, with glimpses of the sea too.

Jane and played with a Looe lady, Penny. We had a lovely day and came home with three raffle prizes (two edible/drinkable)!

Friday/Saturday

Friday/Saturday

Yesterday we played a Friendly match at West Cornwall Golf Club at Lelant near St Ives. It is a course in a beautiful spot with views to St Ives and Godrevy; it has good greens but is one I don't enjoy playing. There are a lot of fairways that are shared/run across each other and I always feel vulnerable, especially when the ground is so dry and the ball runs miles. However, we took part!

The format was chosen by them and though this is a Friendly it was a Betterball Matchplay competition. For non golfers it's enough to know that it is a challenging format... and we lost heavily. We like to encourage our new players  and  higher handicappers to play in Friendlies but this makes the experience a bit difficult.

The weather was cloudy and windy with the threat of rain but we did stay dry. 

Today, on the other hand was a different matter. We have had the most glorious weather for the last couple of months but today it broke!

Arriving at the club I didn't get out of the car because the rain was torrential! A few minutes later it was like this... and I was hopeful!

We began... I sprinted after my playing partners trolley at the first green when it decided to take off under its own volition! It took some effort!

After a couple of holes the rain came... and we got soaked...then it stopped and we dried off a bit only for it to begin again a moment later!

By the tenth hole we were in torrential rain...and this time we both decided we'd had enough...wet through to the skin!

It was good to get home and get dry and curl up with food and a hot drink!

Some of the ladies carried on playing but the greens were flooded and putting was impossible so the competition was abandoned in the end!

Legs are aching now... so it's time for a rest day tomorrow... when apparently it's going to be even wetter! (It'll do the course good!)

Launceston

Launceston

Yesterday was a real treat... I played at Launceston Golf Club - a favourite in Cornwall!

It is a lovely parkland course, with really interesting holes and par 3s that you can actually reach with an iron. 

The competition was Cornwall Captains v Devon Captains and it was a very happy affair.

I knew my Cornish playing partner and have always got on well with her, our opponent(s) from Devon was/were unfortunate. One of the ladies didn't turn up so she had to play us both!

That made our match very one-sided - but having said that we had a really good time and a lovely meal afterwards!

Today I have had the architect visit with a suggestion for the extension over my flat roof... it's not very big but should make my little bedroom more pleasant!

I've just finished watching today's Tour - scary seeing them race downhill...almost too scary to watch...

...the weather is still glorious... though we started the day in fog! Quite glad of it (it was only brief) as I'm not a lover of really hot weather.  the rest of the uk is sweltering...it's good to be near sea breezes!

this week

22nd July

This last week I've been catching up with myself! 

I had an architect come on Thursday to have a look at my little flat roof. Elizabeth my neighbour is having an extension built soon which will mean that my flat roof over the kitchen will be fairly enclosed. I'd like to make it part of my little bedroom if it is possible... so watch this space!

I have spent a lot of time watching the Open Golf and the Tour de France which have both been very exciting. The chaos at the top of climbs with flares and throwing water and things seems out of hand... something awful will happen on of these days.

I played on Saturday and was pleased with how I struck the ball although I didn't score well!

The course itself is looking wonderful!

I have enjoyed picking flowers from the garden - the honeysuckle smells gorgeous at the moment.

Saturday Golf

Saturday Golf

We had glorious conditions for playing today... and it was a fascinating competition!

On the 9 most difficult holes there were two flags... and you could opt to play to the black flag for extra points!

It's amazing what that can do to your game!!

On one of mine I completely missed the ball on the tee... I don't remember ever doing that before!

Still it was good fun. 

I'm feeling a bit tired and need a bit of a rest... the tennis and the Tour are good entertainments!

Home sweet home

Home

How wonderful it is to be home... and in your own bed!

Beautiful sleep last night and lovely to wake to another sunshiny day...buying fresh local produce from the shops and having Le Tour on the tv... excellent!

More visitors...Bath, golf and a haven.

Bath

Late Sunday (8th) afternoon Gill (Keith's sister) and Geoff arrived at the Golf club to stay for two nights. We had a look around the club and after they had a freshen up, we had a meal together at Cape. 

Gill and Geoff

Unfortunately George was basically on duty on his own with the chef... so it was some time before we ate, but it was very pleasant.

I then brought them up to have a look at my little home and for a quick walk up on the Carn. They were heading for St Ives and the Minack the next day - I'm hoping they had  a good time - I was unable to join them as I was away for a golf competition!

Early Monday morning I set off for Bradford on Avon near Bath. 

I was playing in a ladies pairs competition with Frieda, her husband John had arranged for us to stay at a wonderful B & B called Herb Cottage.

It had a French feel...

...having parked the car... where was the house?

The path wound around the corner...

..it passed by a wee pond with several fish...

and there was Herb Cottage!

It is a delightful place, a haven of tranquility, owned by a special lady, Suzanne.

When I arrived she had just received news that her 12 year old Grandson had had a brain haemorrhage and was very, very poorly. The family live in Sydney so it's very difficult.

That evening I went in to Bath to see Keith and we went out for a meal. He is looking very well and relishing the summer weather! It was good to catch up on what we've both been up to. Keith suggested a place for us to visit the next morning.

  

And so we took up this advice and with Suzanne's added blessing that she thought we'd love it, we headed for Great Chalfield Manor. We had a lovely walk in the gardens, very peaceful.

We were really surprised at the number of visitors there as it is in the middle of nowhere... I've just discovered that it is used in the Poldark Series which is very popular here. Cornwall's tourism has increased because of it... and maybe at Great Chalfield too?

Frieda and I were booked in for a practice round at 2pm at Cumberwell Park... so off we set. It was only a couple of miles from our B & B, and John came round the course with us and made notes for us!

After about 11 holes we caught up the men in front and began to wait to play our shots... so John went to clubhouse and bought us some bubbles!  Just the thing on a hot day!

Waiting on the 13th

 The course was great and we made our decisions about our order of play, teeing off the odd or even holes (it was a foursomes competition where you take it in turn to hit the ball).

We ate at the club after we had finished and then headed back to Herb Cottage. Suzanne and I had a long chat in the evening, she is a fascinating and lovely lady.

The next morning saw us head back to Golf club for the actual competition. I was very disappointed to find it was not well organized - for something connected to England Golf it was a shambles. Only one lady was there to register us, check handicaps, start us all on the right tee...etc etc.

Anyway... we had a good round... except I kept putting the ball in the bunker for Frieda to play out of!

Wonderful (!) soft sand bunkers... and lots of them!

 We also had a few shots where we had to carry over water which was very exciting!

There was a diver collecting balls!

All in all we had a good round scoring 40 points, we were 5th out of approx 40 teams so we did alright! The winning score was 45... if only I hadn't put Frieda in those 5 bunkers!

Now (Thursday) I'm back home... it's good to be back... :-)

Feet up!

Sunday 8th July

Today I have my feet up!

 The Tour de France trundles merrily along on the TV and I am resting. I have a couple of blisters from yesterday's golf - 36 hole Club championship. I was pleased with how I played and was second on gross scores, four shots off the winner. I was striking the ball well, but missed a few putts and twice needed to take a drop when the ball rested against a wall! The course is looking great - running so fast and in places it looks almost burnt with no sign of green. The grass becomes slippery to walk on and the ball just flies! Very exciting!

Most of us sheltered from the sun under our brollies - unusual for Cape to be able to keep a brolly up because it's usually too windy!

So today is rest and recovery!

I have been doing regular yoga stretches for a couple of months and it has certainly helped with my flexibility and any joint aches. 

(I'm sitting on my yoga mat right now with the laptop resting on my stretched out legs!)

The Field House

A Nearby Gem!

The Field House is a local 'home restaurant'. Viv opens on Thursday's and Fridays during the summer... and will do special parties on request. It is her house so it has a very friendly feel.

We had our Golf Christmas lunch there... 

My golf ladies getting set.

Non playing members come too...

We had a fabulous time.

It's a popular venue for such things... Jeannie and Alastair discovered that when we went there for a meal... there was a large group of ladies for their annual get-together.

They were so loud and merry... they were having a ball!

This was The Bears about to tackle the pudding!

That's what I call a pudding!

 Yesterday evening I took both my neighbours for their first experience of The Field House! The food was absolutely delicious. Viv loves making soups and chowders... and slow roasting things in the Aga.  

It was all yummy... my  vegetable and cashew lasagne was superb.

I'm so lucky to have this place nearby and will aim to take any visitors there for a meal!

 Viv's Mum and Dad (Marion and Robin) stored the Campervan for us when it wasn't in use. They kept it in their yard for several months which was lovely of them :-)  They were very patient!

Two years!

Time flies!

It appears that I haven't written this blog post for two years!!!

Where does the time go?

Last year was taken up with captaining the Ladies section of the golf club and Phil's Epic Adventure!

We are re-living it this year with reminders that Keith is posting on our family WhatsApp ... and it's lovely to see. So far he's reached Dover!

I handed over the Captaincy mid January and it took a while for me to unwind from it all.

The boys bought me (and Bridgie) a fitbit for Christmas and so I began jogging...not far, a little every day and I really enjoyed it. After a month or so I bought myself some running shoes... the only problem was... I had pain in my ankles.

First in one.. and then in both... I could hardly walk they were so painful.

This coincided with a trip to Iceland with Bridgie in March. We had the most wonderful time. We were fortunate that Mother Nature showed us the Northern lights, and the landscape was awesome.  I struggled with walking and used Leki all the time... plus an arm if there was one available. But I wouldn't have missed it for the world - it was fabulous.

My last few months as Captain had proved to be quite stressful and the Iceland trip was the start of my 'recovery'. I still wasn't enjoying playing golf but was much more relaxed in myself. The weather was really wet and windy so playing was a struggle.

Then everything brightened up and suddenly we were in sweltering mid-summer sun and now we are in July!

Where has the time gone?

Golf became great fun again with league matches and other competitions.  Today was the semi-final of our pairs knockout competition. 

Judy and I were losing all the way until the 16th where we managed to get back to all square.

We went on to win the 17th which meant we were one up and it was all on the final hole! 

We held on and halved the 18th which meant that we won the match!

It was tightly contested!

Three weeks ago it was lovely to have Jeannie and Alastair here. Tim was here too so they had a chance to meet the grown up version rather than the teen.

We did lots of walking, bird watching... food eating.

Spot The Travelling Bears!

The highlight? Maybe the overgrown path that we had to cut our way through on our way back from Carn Kenidjack!

Nettles, brambles, a host of wildflowers head high made it quite a challenge and we were left with tingling arms and legs from the nettle stings!

Before we started the path we'd met a group of excited school children with life jackets on. 

Yes, in the middle of the moor was a little pond and they had built coracles in the morning and were going to see if they floated in the afternoon!

An intense week of golf followed The Bears' visit and then Paula and Alan came to stay in The Secret Garden. This is a campsite just over the other side of the Carn, small, secluded and quiet.

We did lots of touristy things like visiting St Michael's Mount and doing the Geevor guided tour. It was lovely and, like with the Bears, we had fabulous weather. 

Wonderful exhibit of the mine workings

On Paula's birthday we did the whole Geevor trip including going underground and in the evening we went to see Sense and Sensibility at the Minack.

Perfect!