Love What You Do!

Today we are blessed with yet another AWESOME weather day here in the Lowcountry. I know my readers from "up there" always think that I love to rub-it-in but I am just reporting the weather as accurately as I can. Quite simply, 76 degrees with a slight breeze off of the Atlantic Ocean and a deep blue sky overhead with no clouds in sight is just about perfect. If it bothers you that I talk about it then you should wonder why it doesn't bother me when you talk about cold and rainy weather with 9 inches of snow in your backyard. Just kidding, of course I am rubbing it in, that's my shtick.


Anyway, this morning I found myself walking down a closely cut Bermuda grass fairway, just me and my golf clubs. It is amazing how peaceful a dew shrouded golf course can be, and with the sun low in an early morning sky the shadows that are cast from the towering long-needle pine trees and sprawling live-oaks decorated with Spanish moss contrasted with the various textures of grass growing along the fairways, greens and rough areas creates a landscape so picturesque that words cannot create a worthy image. As I strolled down the center of the fairway toward the green past a canal that borders the fairway, I paused to admire a great-blue-heron as he fished along the edge of the lagoon. This majestic bird stood nearly three foot tall and he craned his neck ever so slightly in order to watch me with slightly more acuity and interest than I displayed toward him. I veered away from him so as to not spook him; after all, he was there before I sauntered past. Arriving at the green, I knelt to line up a makeable 15 foot putt when I noticed a stunning red-hawk gliding among the loblolly trees near the green. The hawk landed about midway up in one of the pines directly behind the green and I stood there amazed at this prolific hunter. He was a beautiful hawk, and while he obviously felt safe half-way up the tall tree I knew that if I wanted to capture his picture that I would have to be very still and keep my distance. I watched him for a good while before he soared off high above the trees and out of sight. I missed the putt, barely, but didn't mind, after all, I had just been presented the opportunity to enjoy two of God's wonderfully winged creatures within a span of about a hundred yards.

With my attention back on my golf game, at least for the time being, and playing the next hole I soaked up the warm sunshine and begin to feel just a bit too warm in the sweater vest I had thrown on this morning but the breeze was cool and my golf ball had come to rest in the shadows cast by the trees that lined the fairway so I enjoyed the contrast in temperature compared to just a moment earlier. That is one of the beautiful things about living in the Lowcountry during this time of year, the combination of 80 degree days and 60 degree nights is wonderful, and the early mornings and late afternoons are just the best times of the day for reading on the front porch or enjoying a beverage in front of a fire on the back patio. And if we are lucky, the pattern holds out until after Christmas and New Years Day. Standing over the ball preparing for my next shot, I calculated that I must be roughly 200 yards from the pin, so I chose my favorite golf club, the 3-iron with which to hit my shot. There are few feelings as sweet as a crisply struck 3-iron and I watched as the ball sailed to the green and settled with a soft landing on the short grass. Those of you who are golfers will appreciate the story, those of you who aren’t; well you have probably moved on by now anyway. Walking to the green all was right with the world, and it occurred to me that nothing is better than time spent doing what you love to do. For me, I have several interests, golf is but one of them, and I can't even say it is my favorite, although it is at least in the top ten. I hope you had the opportunity to do something today that you love to do, if you didn't, well there is always tomorrow so make time for it and go do it. I didn't spend the entire day on the golf course, I got a few projects done at home, and hopefully my wife will appreciate my efforts. What do you think? Here’s to doing the things we love, From The Land of Palm Trees.