The bit of the poem seldom remembered:

“…sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.”

Excerpted from “The Road Not Taken.” Emphasis added by me.

– Robert Frost

woods

Rebel XT ISO 400 at 60
55mm

There’s a park down by the river, not far from my house, where I enjoy taking walks after work. Well – ok – where I occasionally enjoy taking walks that don’t involve golf clubs. Still, it’s a beautiful place to walk and watch the seasons change. Finally change….

within

Rebel XT ISO 100
55mm at 60 f/5.4

From inside the New York Public Library.

 stairs

From in front of the NY City Public Library before a meeting this morning.

library

Rebel XT ISO 200
55mm

New York! In town for a short conference and hoping to get time to go to The Strand.

bustle

Finally a little life in the yard. And yes, the white in the background is snow. I’m ignoring that stuff.

spring

Haven’t been posting – fighting a nasty cold.

I play golf. Yesterday afternoon was the first day really warm enough for golf, and I played my first round of the year.

Michigan has beautiful, plentiful golf courses. The problem? Winter. Good Lord, the winters here…. But each Spring, my friend and golfing-partner Mike and I would go reclaim our home course. For seven years, as best friends, we played the first round of the season together. And we couldn’t this year.

Golf is not some occasional thing for me – my Grandfather took the field next to the house (he farmed for a living) out of production to make a driving range for himself. Golf is a serious addiction in my family. Here, in Michigan (frozen tundra), I have learned to play in the cold; and in the summer, I get to work by 7:30 so I can be on the golf course by 4.

Mike couldn’t be with us to play the first round this year. We lost him to a severe stroke at the end of last summer. Mike brought me back to the sport, reminding me what a well-struck shot feels like singing out in the middle of the fairway. He brought me back to the powerful good that closing off the struggles of this life to simply play and enjoy being out of doors can do for the mind. I’ll never forget him for that. And when I made the shot pictured below? I laughed. I’d hit my 3-iron straight down the middle of #10 to about 90 yards from the green. The next shot I stuck right at the pin (even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then). And the little “tap-in” birdie pictured below made me think of what Mike would have said by way of congratulating a good shot: “How come you don’t do that on league night when it counts?!?”

I laughed out loud.

You weren’t playing with us Mike, but you were there. Thanks pal; you are much missed by the entire Brookshire golf-addict crowd.

For Mike:

Detail from an OECG original.

sun’d glass

There’s a wooden bowl in my living room where, when I come in from an overseas trip, whatever small currency is left in my pocket gets dumped. I like keeping coins from other countries, and sometimes I decide the smaller bills are worth keeping too. I always figure I’ll land there next time with some local currency in my pocket – want to go back anyway, right?

The Francs and Deutsche Marks, the Lira and Guilders… well, I kinda ate it on that, but am happy to have them. Same thing happened with the CFA a few years ago. Still, I like having the old coins. Remembrances of fun trips.

travel

Rebel XT ISO 100
f4  1/30 55mm

By the way – it’s snowing here. I’m not kidding. Maybe 2-4″  (a little over 10cm max) tonight. Spring? They call this Spring? Sad….