Day 3566

It was a nice day for a golf tournament. The weather was warm, but not too hot. There was a nice breeze which I enjoyed, but it might have made things challenging for the golfers. We had a good turnout this year and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. It takes a lot of work to put on a golf tournament, but this has always been a good fundraiser for the dogs. It's hard to believe that Dalmatian Rescue has been doing this for eighteen years.

This years tournament was held at Tour 18. They call this place a replica course. Each hole duplicates a hole from famous golf courses like Doral, Sawgrass, and Augusta. Seems weird to me, but the golfers seem to like it. While the teams played, Janet and I drove around the course in a cart and took their picture.  I haven't done this in a while and I must have slowed down a bit. I remember taking over three hundred pictures at previous tournaments. Today I only took 200.

This evening I discovered that an airline pilot we've known for years likes astronomy as well as Dalmatians. I've known about his dogs for years, but I've never known about his telescopes. I told him about our recent trip to McDonald Observatory and we shared a few observing experiences. It's a small world. I didn't really think I'd run into anyone else who was equally fond of Dalmatians and astronomy.

Jenga's new family brought him to the golf tournament. He looked great and seemed very happy with his new life. Quite a few people brought their dogs with them today and almost all of them were familiar faces. They got their start in the rescue program and have all found wonderful homes. It's fun to see how well these guys are doing. They've come a long way since their life at the kennel. I knew some of the golfers today, but I think I recognized more dogs than people this afternoon.

I still don't really understand the appeal of golf. It's expensive to play and difficult to master. My shoulders are so wrecked that I don't even think I could swing a golf club. Lifting my arms above my head isn't something I can easily do anymore. That being said, I'm still in better shape than many golfers. To each his own, I guess. I'll skip the golf clubs and keep looking for dark skies and a good telescope.

I should sleep well tonight. It's been a long day. Tomorrow we'll visit the Dalmatian Rescue kennel again. We'll be taking Jasmine to the vet to begin her heartworm treatment. I'm not sure what I'll begin. It's a new week. I'm sure there's something that needs attention.

Sweet Pea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1384

What a busy day! I removed yesterday's rain water from the roof as soon as I got up this morning. When the roof was dry, we ate breakfast, and then it was off to the Dalmatian Rescue golf tournament. This year's tournament was held at a course where every hole was a replica of some famous golf course in Scotland. The clubhouse was supposed to be a replica of a famous Scottish clubhouse as well. You certainly couldn't have proved it by me. The golf course looked just like every other North Dallas golf course to me. There must be hundreds of golf courses scattered throughout the Dallas suburbs. They all are designed so that people can buy homes overlooking the course. Why anyone would want to live in a gated community overlooking a golf course in the middle of nowhere is a mystery to me. The club we played at today was so far away, it seemed like we were halfway to the moon.

I don't play golf myself. My job at these events is to take pictures of all the golfers and put together a slide show that the players can watch during the dinner and awards ceremony that takes place after the tournament. I get in a cart and drive from hole to hole until I have captured all the golfers doing something that looks like they know what they're doing. Some of the golfers are quite good. Others, not so much. Everyone seems to have fun at these charity tournaments though.

A lot of people bring their dogs to the Dalmatian Rescue golf tournament. The dogs are initially excited by the fresh air and large expanses of green grass. They think they are going to a dog park. When nobody will let them off leash to race around the golf course, the dogs turn their attention to the buffet table. Dot and Dash got to eat all sorts of things that aren't on their regular menu today, but they still got bored quickly. Golf tournaments last a lot longer than a dog's attention span. By the time the day was over, Dot and Dash were so tired that they slept all the way home in the car.

Occasionally, I think it might be interesting to learn to play golf, but I don't really think it's my game. I'm a lefty for one thing, and can't even hit the ball off the tee with right handed clubs. It's an expensive game as well. I can think of dozens of things I'd rather do with my money. It's definitely a game of skill, but I get bored spending an afternoon on a golf course. Even taking pictures of golfers gets boring after eighteen holes.

I'm glad today's tournament was a success. The weather was perfect. All the golfers seemed to enjoy themselves and many of them said they'd return again next year. Most of the silent auction items got bids. This is Dalmatian Rescue's big fundraiser of the year and when the event is a success, it goes a long way toward helping the group continue to rescue dogs like Dot and Dash.

Sweet Pea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day