Valentine Golf Date

Remember when we shared an 8 lb bag of oranges with Kathy & Woody
in Borrego Springs? We have enjoyed the BEST EVER juice from that
bag of oranges all week! $3 for 8 pounds of Valencia oranges!

Tubac, Arizona: Ever the romantic, DT planned a day on the links to celebrate Valentine's Day. I love him so much.

Only because Jimmy Buffett does not have a show in Tubac, Arizona tonight.

Or any night.

Ever.

We played the course at Tubac Golf Resort two years ago and found a similar (probably the same?) groundskeeper working the first hole on the Ranchero Course:

No bull. Big Guy could have cared less if you were even there. All he wanted to do was munch on the rich green grass.

My Valentine

We were paired today with the cutest young couple vacationing from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. They were probably a bit younger than Lisa and Lenny and had a 14-month-old son whom they had left with grandparents while taking a long golf weekend at the Tubac Golf Resort. After a few holes, we learned the husband had only been golfing 18 months and he scored even with DT. Naturally gifted athlete? Most likely - and he was very handsome.

Tin Cup, starring Kevin Costner, was filmed on this course in 1995. Sorry Kevin - don't be jealous - but I scored 8 on the par 5 hole.

The Tubac Golf Resort has 27 holes and we have now played them all. Looking to the east, you can see the Whipple Observatory (white dot) at the top of the Santa Rita Mountains. Operated by the Smithsonian and the University of Arizona, the Whipple Observatory is the largest field installation of the Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) outside Cambridge, MA.

And here is our 18th hole - the 9th hole of the Anza Course:

Our last hole of the afternoon, and also the first time I had teed-up an iron all day. 85 yards (white X marks my drive point), my 7 iron flew over the pond and dropped a ball mere feet from the hole... where I still managed to three-putt for a 116 - one of my lowest scores in months and months.

Pathetic, for sure, but it's how I roll.

Lisa sent a pretty photo of flowers she received from her boys. I thought the arrangement was so unusual. Leave it to Lenny!

While we were at the Tubac Festival of the Arts last weekend, we came upon a booth selling the cutest little fabric "books" from Fabric Books & Toys (Mariposa, California). They sew adorable interactive books for ages 1 and up. We found a cute fabric farm animal book for Baby Will (Kathy & Woody's eldest grandson) and a backpack/quiet-time book for Baby Leo. All the "parts" are sewn-on with short cords! Clever, safe and engaging.

Little Dude is obviously blown-away by the awesomeness of his Valentine gift.

Meanwhile, in Hawaii...

Dad and Mary are still having a great time on their tour of the islands. Today: a helicopter tour over the volcano on Hawaii, finding Oregon beer at a Hilo pub, and Dad posing in front of a Banyan tree in Hilo, planted by Babe Ruth in 1933... eleven months before my Dad was born.

(I asked DT if Babe Ruth's name was really George Herman. DT looked at me as if I had asked if 1 + 1 = 2.) Then I asked DT how many ounces are in a pint.

I was on top of it this morning before we left for a day on the links. I thawed one organic New York steak (from our butcher at New Seasons Market in Portland) and prepared a home-made Caesar dressing with lots of anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper and olive oil. I tore and washed organic Romaine, grated a bit of Parmesan - so all that needed to be done was a quick grill of the beef and dressing the lettuce and tossing in a few croutons.

The last bottle of champagne remaining from Lenny & Lisa's wedding was popped.

A Very Happy Valentine to All!

Until my next update, I remain, your over-par correspondent.

RV PARK: De Anza RV Resort - 125 really big spaces, full hook-up pull-through and back-ins, free wifi, cable television, bathhouse, laundry, 38,000 square foot clubhouse with indoor heated saltwater swimming pool, restaurant, game rooms, bocce, croquet, water aerobics, rally facilities. Many activities, socials and parties. With the weekly rate, we are paying $35 per night.