Little Balls For Cancer

Mark, Lyle, Andy and Bundy strike a pose

For the eleventh straight year I recently took part in the Terry Fox Golf Tournament and although we remained dry, everyone had a bad hair day thanks to the gusty winds.

The forecast heading into the day was calling for wind gusts up to 80 km/h, rain and cool temperatures. Luckily we only saw a few brief drops of the wet stuff and thanks to being dressed for the day it wasn't all that chilly after all. However the winds didn't disappoint which made for some tricky club selections.

OK, the truth is we usually try to win the tournament as I think we've won it at least four times in the past but there were a couple of teams that may have brought in a few ringers which meant our chances were very slim. But other than bragging rights, the real reason we play is to raise money for the cause...cancer research.

Well, we didn't win. In fact we struggled all day long in the best ball game and eventually finished at one over par. It's the first time in eleven years that we didn't have a single birdie the entire round. We weren't the only team to struggle.

It was amazing how many times we'd hit what appeared to be an excellent tee shot only to have the wind swallow the ball up and drop it or move it no where near the trajectory should have taken it. Mother Nature had our number and all we could do was keep our hats from blowing off and shake our heads in disbelief.

For the second year in a row our team consisted of Mark Adams, Lyle Williams, Andy Koetstra and myself. We had a lot of laughs as we struggled along and over $8000 was raised for the cause. I don't know if they'll be having the tournament next October but if they are, you can bet we'll be there again.

They Seem Smaller

Flying Tackle
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

This past week I finally had a chance to get up to my old high school and check out some football action. Of course the last time I had the shoulder pads on was in October or November of 1986. Ya, I know I'm old(er).

Of course I brought my camera along with me to see if I could grab some shots of the action and I did.

I was hoping to see the senior football game as it's usually a bit better for photographing but it was the early game and by the time I got there after work, the junior team was already playing.

One thing I noticed right away was how small the players were. Some were really small compared to the others. I don't remember our team being that small when I was that age but maybe they were. I do know our senior team was much bigger. In fact, I think our offensive line (myself included) averaged about 240 pounds. We were a force to be reckoned with for sure.

Football was the only reason I went back to school for Grade 13 and a fifth year on the gridiron. I was quite emotional after the final game came to an end. The tears were flowing, partly because I knew I'd never play again and also because on the second play of the game I pulled my groin muscle and finished the game in agony. There was no way I was coming out of the game. The coach used a whole roll of tape around my thigh to help minimize the pain but it didn't do a whole lot.

I was quite some time recovering from that injury but looking back I know I made the right choice. I would have regretted leaving the game and watching from the sideline. Some great memories from those days.

Camping Season Ends

Enjoying The Sunset
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

On the final night of their camping season, I visited my parents at their trailer by Lake Ontario. Of course I was promised a tasty roast beef meal so I couldn't say no to that.

After supper I packed mom and dad into the car and took them for a drive through the park. Our hope was to see some deer but sadly there weren't any to be found. Thanks to the cull of the deer in the park a few years back, the numbers continue to be quite low and sightings are very rare compared to past years. Don't get me started on that though or we'll be here a long time.

Any-who, on the way back to the campsite and our last campfire of the season, the sun had set and left an amazing orange glow on the horizon. The sky was almost entirely void of clouds which normally wouldn't be my choice when it comes to photographing a sunset but I couldn't resist.

The folks got out of the car while I was snapping some shots and walked over to the shoreline. I moved in behind them and managed to capture a few images of them silhouetted against the orange horizon. I thought this one looked particularly good.