| Life on the Road with Paul & Kathleen: "Not bad for two dumb kids from Ohio" - Proving once again that it's never too late to have a happy childhood | |
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| Our Lazy Daze at Kirk Creek Camp on CA Hwy 1 40 mi N of Hearst's Castle 11/24/03: Shortly after full-timing began. | Foretravel & Toad at Parkview RV Park, Fort Stockton, TX 5/24/06 |
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PickleBall and Judie's Birthday Click to add your comment The Snowbirds who live here at Sunbeam RV Park have many activities planned by and for them. One such activity is something that begins early in the morning (while some of us are doing exercises) and has lots of residents out playing in all kinds of weather. I've never joined courtside to learn the game (that comes some future mañana). Last year I was aware of a "Pickle Ball Tournament", and this year again - the notice went up on the bulletin board announcing the 2010 annual event.  Finally my interest was piqued and I captured a few pictures of the tournament players. I learned that the Sunbeam team was playing a team from Indio, California. These two teams trade off every year. Last year the tournament was held in Indio and this year the tournament was held here in El Centro. Reliable authorities tell me that the Sunbeam team has not been terribly successful in the tournaments. This year, by a score of 19 to 18 they won their first tournament game!  Take the playing court from badminton. A net from tennis. The paddles from table tennis. Mix the rules of all three and what do you get? Pickle ball. The game was invented in 1965 by U.S. Congressman Bill Bell and his neighbor, Joel Pritchard when their children complained they had nothing to do in the summer. The family spent their vacation time on Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound area of Washington. The dads decided to use the badminton court in the Pritchard's backyard. They used a Whiffle-type ball and since the children had a hard time hitting the ball with the lightweight rackets, the dads made rackets that resembled ping-pong paddles only they were bigger. The game was not named after the vegetable, but rather after the Pritchard's cocker spaniel "Pickles" who liked to steal the ball and hide it while the children were playing. Pickleball Like much of the country, El Centro has experienced its share of unusual weather. Several weeks ago we had heavy rains - more than we normally receive. January is the month when we can expect the heaviest rainfall. The annual average precipitation at El Centro is 2.96 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 0.51 Inches. We have gone way over not only the January records, but the annual as well. It does make the farmers grateful and happy to have this unexpected rainfall. Today as I was walking up to the hall I noticed a perfect rainbow in the sky. It made a perfect arch and I hurried back to the park model to grab my camera and document this perfect sight. Even though I went as fast as I was able, by the time I had camera in hand, and camera "on" the only thing left to see was about 1/4 of the original rainbow. Even so, here's a glimpse of the end of the rainbow .... It was a special sight nonetheless!  Later in the afternoon we picked up Judie and the three of us drove to Corena's for a birthday dinner for Judie who actually celebrates her birthday tomorrow, February 7th. We enjoyed a lovely evening with her.  So happy birthday, dear Judie. | |
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| "NO DEAL BASICALLY means that if we can't find a solution that wold benefit us both, we agree to disagree agreeably--No Deal. No expectations have been created, no performance contracts established. I don't hire you or we don't take on a particular assignment together because it's obvious that our values or our goals are going in opposite directions. It is so much better to realize this up front instead of downstream when expectations have been created and both parties have been disillusioned. When you have No Deal as an option in your mind, you feel liberated because you have no need to manipulate people, to push your own agenda, to drive for what you want. You can be open. You can really try to understand the deeper issues underlying the positions." (9/9) |
| Paul & Kathleen Smith | 173 Rainbow Dr #7329 | Livingston, TX 77399-1073 | (510) 386-8973 |