Parrot Mountain

A representative from the parrot Mountain brought three of the birds to our resort on Wednesday. We got to hold and interact with them. After his talk we thought it might be fun to visit Parrot Mountain. It is past DollyWood and truly is on top of the mountain. The last hundred yards were UPHILL.
They have many different birds that you can feed and a pen of Lorikeets that you can feed a small container of nectar while they land on you and fight for the nectar. I found one of the birds was very dominate and didn’t want the others to eat. This bird would even bite me when I took the nectar away for the other birds.
Some of the birds had a sign to not feed or pet as they would bite. In addition to having birds on display they do breed birds for sale. Of course some of the birds are given to them by owners that can no longer care for the birds. Since the birds can live for 70 to 100 years, they can outlive their owners or just no longer have that great attraction they had at first.
Some of the birds talk and one even says “Kill the cat” when you say kitty, kitty. But as with many animals they don’t always act on cue. The bird said “Polly wants a cracker” for me.

DollyWood

No trip to the Smoky Mountains is complete without a trip to DollyWood. After all if a mouse can create a theme park why can’t a woman. We spent the day listening to a number of different groups. They were all good and either country or bluegrass but I will admit I had my favorites. We also rode the train and visited a number of craftsmen presentations.
I would say my favorite group was called the Country Crossroads. They were a group of young performers, four women and two men. They did a very nice job of presenting nice arrangements of a great many country favorites. One of the women even had a resemblance to Dolly Parton.
Another group of young people called The Great American Country Show did a nice job but had too much Multi-media big production to be country for me. They did have live musicians but all of the big production just didn’t have it for me.
I did regret that the Kingdom Heirs, a Southern Gospel Quartet did not perform when we were there because of illness. I would have enjoyed hearing them. I didn’t enjoy James Rogers, the “Big” performer with a 55 minute show that went to over an hour. I would have been happy if it ended in half and hour like most of the shows. He is a favorite Tennessee performer and I guess I didn’t fit into the local fun.
A group of four young people did a nice job of singing 70’s songs acapella and we saw parts of there show three times. They were street performer and we when by several times on the way to some other show. It is difficult to sing out in the open without some form of accompaniment and I did enjoy their work.
All in all it was a nice day and introduction to Dolly’s home town culture.

Driving the Smokies

We have now finished three drives suggested by one of the tourist map-ads we picked-up when we got to Gatlinburg. On these trips we learned that you can’t be in a hurry on Memorial Day Weekend, discovered why these mountains are called the Smoky Mountains, and got a chance to see a number of old churches and homesteads. There were people everywhere, even out on the roads and you really can’t pass on a two lane road with heavy traffic going both ways.
The first drive was to the top of the mountain to Clingman’s Dome. This drive provided a number of overlooks to see the great views of the surrounding hills but all of them are restricted by the haze that hangs over the mountains, thus the Smokies. Brochures explained that the haze is worse now than it use to be because of human pollution and that some days are better than others. We had great views but it would be nice to have been able to see all that was shown in some pictures and postcards. The only problem is how many days do you have to wait to get that perfect day? At the top of the mountain they have created a ramp to take you up to a viewing platform that overlooks the trees and allows you to see as far as the haze will permit. It was a half mile hike up hill to get to the viewing platform and though Marilyn was not sure she would leave bench #4 (of five) to finish the hike, she did and we have our picture to prove it.
The other two drives were similar to each other but different. Both of the drives had a number of farms and homes build about 1900. With the homes there where also water powered grinding mills, barns, and other building that the families would need. Most of them were in very good shape consider the years and the lack of regular maintence. The one very sad thing that could be seen everywhere was the need for people to have to write their name so they could let people know they where there.
The Cades Cove Loop was a more open area and had many areas that were covered only with grass. While the Roaring Fork Trail didn’t have the large open areas and was much rockier. Trees had taken back the land and what once was a corn field was now covered with trees. All the churches we saw were on the Cades Cove Loop. The hard life of the early settlers was evident in the rocky ground they used to grow their crops and the small homes that provided shelter for their families. Both of the loops were one way roads but the Roaring Fork Trail was very narrow and winding up and down hill while the Cades Cove was flat and more open.
We didn’t see a lot of wild animals which is to be expected as each time a deer or bear was spotted there where people stopped and out trying to get that great picture. The animals were soon chased away to more peaceful locations. We did see both bears and deer without a chance to get the perfect picture and a number of wild turkeys in the grassland of the cove beyond the distance for settable pictures. Of course there were the flowers and butterflies along with the pesky small flies.

Chattanooga

You can’t visit Chattanooga without visiting the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Well sorry it isn’t a train, it is a motel. Well there is a train there but it never moves. You can sleep or eat in a train car but that is about it. The lobby is the old train station so it is nice but we didn’t take a ride on the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
The views around Chattanooga are great and we did enjoy all of the views of the river and hills but one of our big days was a trip to the Aquarium. It is located in the river front area and part of the development they are doing. Also by the river is a wonderful park and we even took a ride on the carousel.
We spent a good part of the day visiting the aquarium and all the animals. I even got a few good pictures to share. The sea horse exhibit was fun and I really enjoyed the butterfly exhibit. The fresh water exhibit was nicely done and where we spent most of the time because it was new to us. It is all in a small footprint because the exhibit is really displayed in a vertical fashion. You take an escalator up to the top and wind your way down through all the displays.

We also saw a model home from the 60-70's that never really caught on. It is now for sale and you can buy it if you want.

What is my favorite?

What was the favorite among the animals we saw? That is a hard question. It was great to see large herds of zebra and wildebeest grazing together and it was great to see the occasional fight between rival males. But then we never saw a serious fight over territory and though interesting the large herds are not exciting more like very enjoyable to see the large group of animals roaming free.
The baboons were the most fun to watch as they played and fought over about anything. We saw many troops of baboons and never tired of watching as they chased after each other or small babies tried to get a ride on their mothers back. They impalas were fun to watch as they would run leaping high in the air. Of course for many of these things pictures just don’t show what your mind sees. The baby baboon is only in one position and you don’t see the falling off or the hard work they do to stay on. Only video can really show the running or even walking of the animals as they move across the plains.
I guess I could comment on the photos I didn’t get. Some like the rhino, leopard, and male lion we just didn’t see. I guess the failure to see a large male lion was my biggest disappointment. But then this is hunting and how many times has a hunter gone out to find that great trophy or even to get meat to eat and failed to find their game. It was interesting to read in the guest books at the lodges to see what animals the others had seen. While we were at the two game camps in the middle of our stay we saw very few animals but people would talk about how many lions or zebra they had seen. We were just after the rainy season and many of the animals had dispersed to other areas while the water was plentiful.
The other frustration about taking photos is you never get just what you want. With the digital camera, I now feel free to take many pictures and hope that somewhere in the vast number of pictures I will find the one I want.

Elephant Safari

I guess it is time to write about our elephant safari. Marilyn always mentions that as one great thing we did. Well it was really more of and elephant ride but then it was four kilometers in a game area that has all the standard game animals. It is just that the noise and guide walking with a gun in front of the walk does discourage the animals from sticking around. We did see two warthogs up close, a giraffe far away, and storks in the tree. That was about it.
It was a fun time and we rode the elephant much like you would a horse. Even had the stirrups. The ride took about 45 minutes and then we had time to interact with our elephant. Each elephant has its handler or guide and two riders. Ours was the largest male elephant in the group and I believe he was fourteen years old. The guide has an ample supple of molasses filled hay pellets in his fanny pack so the elephant is more than happy to perform and get its treat. They told us that was the secret to training African elephants. First attempts to train by force just didn’t work because it is difficult to force and elephant to do anything they don’t want to do. Going up and down some of the steeper paths was interesting but everyone survived. There where 16 of us that where doing the morning ride. One family of four and a couple from Zimbabwe another couple from South Africa joined some of us from the tour to make up the group. Half did the ride while the others had breakfast then we switched.
The interaction after the ride was feeding the elephant and sitting on his leg for pictures. Our guide said that sometimes the warthogs will come in during the interaction because they like the pellets too and there are always some falling to the ground. I will share more on elephants later and as Connie said we really have more elephant pictures than we need but you are always sure this one is better than the last. I won’t mention how many pictures of elephants I have but only that I deleted about twenty.

Birds of Africa

I don’t normally think of birds when thinking of and African Safari but I will make that my first little note about animals. We did see a lot of birds and one couple in the group were bird watchers and very interested in see how many different birds they could see. For most of us we had a few favorite but were looking more for the larger animals. Not that we didn’t see larger birds, we did. But birds being what they are they were either too far away to get a good picture or they were flying before I could get the shot.
The Secretary Bird was one that was large and far away and I was never able to get a shot of the Ground Hornbill before it was gone. I think one of the general favorites was the Lilac-breasted Roller. In flight their blue feathers shown out in a beautiful display. I wanted to get a shot of them flying but of course I didn’t. We saw lots of Guineafowl, Francolin, and Hornbills. At our last camp we saw many Ostriches and they are always fun to watch. I was always amazed by our guides and their ability to see and identify birds and animals from a great distance. Of course many times they would get out the binoculars to verify they call. But then if they were wrong who among us would know the difference?
One time we came upon a very large number of storks out sunning and enjoying themselves. It was great to see so many in one place. The Fish Eagle looks much like the Bald Eagle and was always on the top of the tree, too bad. I am not sure what to say about the birds. We enjoyed them but did not go out in the morning hoping to find a new bird. I was sometimes hoping to get a good picture but size and flying prevent that. One thing I will say is the starlings were even beautiful.

Sunset in Africa

I always enjoy taking pictures of sunsets and trying to get just the right moment and angle. Using a digital camera makes it so much fun. You can take fifteen pictures of the same sunset from just a different spot or different time and select the one you want latter. Each picture is unique. Sometimes the best color is up to a half hour after the sun goes down and sometimes the clouds just don’t let it happen. Every time I am in Hawaii I seem to take at least another twenty pictures of the setting sun. Maybe it is because it is so easy to just go across the street from our condo or maybe it is that I don’t have anyone rushing me to go or do something.
The hard thing about taking pictures of the sunset on a group tour is the same problem you have with taking animal pictures. It takes time and not everyone wants to just stand and wait for just the right moment. I did get a chance to get some nice shots on this trip to Africa. Sometimes we were at the lodge waiting for dinner and sometimes we were out on a game drive with a stop for drinks as we watched the setting sun. Both allowed me the chance to take the time I wanted to shoot several shots. I have included two of the same sunset separated by only twenty seconds but what a difference in the color.

Soweto

On our way to the Wilderness Camps we had a layover in Johannesburg so several of us took a tour of Soweto. This city which claims both Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela as a few of its famious residents, although niether of them are living them now. You can find more about Soweto at http://www.joburg.org.za/soweto/history.stm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soweto.
As we drove past several of the shantytowns, dorms for single men as well as some of the newer houses. Of course there is also the rebuilding of the soccer stadium for the 2010 World Cup. We did stop at two places the Regina Mundi Church and the Hector Peterson museum. Both of these are symbols of the turbulent past that South Africa has experienced. As I think of my own life in 1976 when the uprising was occurring and how I knew little about what was happening, I realize how easy it is for us to live in our comfortable homes isolated from many of the things going on around the world. Of course now with many news channels provide 24/7 coverage of what is going on and many times repeating the current crises much like the recent shooting at Virginia Tech, it is more difficult to ignore what is happening.
Our Guide for the tour of the Regina Mundi Church was a young boy in 1976 and convinced is older teenage brother to accompany him to the church to listen to some of the speakers for the evening. When the police raided the church shoot both live bullets and teargas they ran from the building. He was separated from his brother how was found the next day frozen to death in a freezer in a local butcher shop where he and some friends had hid to escape the police only to have the door closed on them. There was no way to open the door from the inside. This simple church still has the bullet holes in the wall and ceiling from the raid.

The Hector Person museum shows many pictures and videos of the activities from the time of his death on June 16, 1976. Like many people killed or injured, he was not one of the leaders but simply someone in the wrong place and the right time.

Riding the Mokoro

Another form of transportation we got to experience was the Mokoro. This was a dugout canoe in the past but now to save trees and still make many mokoros for the tourists to see and use they are made of fiberglass. They are used for fishing, getting across the water, and hauling things across the water in addition to the tourists. And if that wasn’t enough on special days they race them. Our two guides for the trip were the top racers in the area. Each of them have won and they say it is always fun to see who will win.
They only put two people and the guide in each boat. We got a nice little chair, without legs to set in and the guide would stand and use a pole to push the boat through the water. It seemed unstable as it rocked back and forth but the water was only about three to four feet deep so we were not in danger and I am sure the guide was very confident that he was not going to get wet.
We spent about 45 minutes going through the water looking at water lilies, frogs, and spiders. The little frog was less than and inch long but makes a bid noise that we would hear each night. While we were there a herd of buffalo came to the water but we only got a glimpse of them before they were gone.
Once we were back on land one of the guides showed us how they make a snare to catch small bird. A string is tied to a stick and pulled down to form a noose around a few small sticks on the ground. The bait is placed in the middle and rigged with a trigger that will release the noose. I was the lucky that got to try to remove the small piece of bait and my finger was quickly caught.
More pictures can be found at the flicker link and I will add to them as I sort them out.

Joys of TRavel

Travel in these modern days can be Amazing, Interesting, Painful, and Frustrating. I just returned from a 19 day trip to Africa to visit four wilderness safari camps and experienced it all in the trip. Travel is great but there is a price to pay.
Amazing is the only word that can describe the engineering that allows a 747 loaded with passengers, luggage, and fuel to leave the ground and fly almost 11 hours at 35,000 feat at almost 600 MPH. Yes I understand the physics of lift and even taught some of it but that doesn’t change the unbelief I have as I sit in the plane and wonder how could it ever get off the ground. And then the small 6 passenger and 12 passenger planes we used as we went from one remote camp to the next using dirt runways that often had some wild animal walking across just before the plane lands. The pilots were great and the use of gps has changed the way they can find all of these little strips they call a runway in the middle of the jungle.
A trip like this is truly Amazing. To see the animals in their own space not the zoo or maybe not see them because they have gone elsewhere or maybe are just hiding is fantastic. Yes I didn’t see some animals I would like to have seen like a male lion but then that is what game drives are all about. You have to hunt for the animals if you are hunting with a camera or a gun. To try to see the animals before the guide or sometime try to see it when they are telling you where to look is a game I loved to play. I got some pictures but then in some cases I didn’t because of light conditions or the camera I was using. I could have used a better camera but then you have to worry about the added weight and space that the nice SLR requires. One of the other ladies had a great Canon SLR and I would love to see just what she got for pictures.
It is Interesting to see the animal and the new country but it is also great to meet new people and talk about their customs, traditions, and food. In some ways we are the same but in others different and it is good to understand and not always try to change. Change comes very slow when you are dealing with customs and tradition that many times are tied to religious beliefs. And the food it was good but then most of the meals we had where planned to our tastes and customs to the local foods.
Painful, yes let me talk about the amount of space they allow in that big 747 in the economy seating for a person six foot four and 250 pounds. I had to get up several times just to walk and trying to sleep is difficult. The smaller planes are even worse. You can’t even stand up in them. One time the pilot hat me sit behind him and that did give me some leg room because he had the seat pulled forward so he could reach all the hand and foot controls but one time I sat in the co-pilots seat and was afraid to stretch out my legs for fear of touching the pedals I saw moving up and down as he controlled the plane. Then I could also mention my fear of heights. I was OK in the small planes for the first 1,500 to 2,000 feet above the ground but as he headed for 6,000 feet above the ground every bounce of the plane was a new fear. Closing my eyes and meditating was the best thing for me to do.The Frustration comes in the waiting. Five hours in this airport, ten hours on the plane, and wondering if you luggage is on the same plane. Two of the ladies never got their luggage for the whole time we where in Africa. Now they are told it is in Africa. As we checked into the Victoria Fall airport, first the computer wouldn’t work so they got a new computer. Then that computer couldn’t talk to the printer so boarding passes and luggage tags are hand written. You watch you luggage leave hoping that it makes it to LA at the same time you do so you can claim it to clear customs and transfer from British Airways to United. Did I mention as I put my credit card into the machine to get my boarding pass at United it said “That flight is canceled” and we had to wait an extra two hours more than the planned fours hours to fly to Portland. Well it all worked and I am home trying to adjust to all the time changes and lost sleep. Oh yes, I am also trying to sort out the over 1000 pictures I took. You will see more of them later.

Yes this is Oregon

The second night we were in Crescent City, California. It was a nice little town on the coast. We stayed at the Curly Redwood Lodge. It was a nice place made from one curly redwood tree.
The room was nice but I was not able to get on to the wireless connection. It has a password and I could never get to the point it would ask for it. So I processed pictures and watch TV. The other interesting part of staying a this motel was the breakfast was at a Casino about 4 miles away. It was a nice breakfast but an interesting way to provide the meal.
As were left town and crossed into Oregon the rain started and we were in and out of rain the whole day. It was a nice drive up the coast as far as Florence but one of those cloudy, rainy days you can get along the coast. The whales were out there but difficult to see so we just drove along and stopped a few times to enjoy the ocean.
We got home in good time to turn on the heat, water and reset all the clocks and TiVo. Today was spent pulling weeds to make the yard look nicer and fill the yard cart. After all Monday is yard cart day. It is good to be home and the end of three months at RCB that were not the best three months of my life. I had really looked forward to the year and putting together a show but it doesn’t always work like you plan. I really think I would have had as much fun in the rain and cold. At least I would have had room to life. I still have not adjusted to the 400 sq. ft. of living space we have.

The Journey not the Destination

Well we are home and I will cover the first two days of the trip home. Usually we only take two days to come home but decided to detour through the wine and redwood country of northern California. I had hoped to make a relaxing trip out of the journey home and for the most part we were successful.
The first day was the normal long day of fast driving. The only real problem we had was the rest stop we have always used to eat lunch and take a break was closed. That meant we had to backtrack about ten miles to the four corners truck stop that we have also used in the past. Since I had cooked up some of the leftover chicken breast for our lunch that day we ended up eating in the parking lot and not the Subway in the truck stop. It was a nice day so wasn’t too bad.
We didn’t know the area we planed to stop so were just guessing of a good place. Fairfield seemed like a large city on the map and was just before Napa and so we thought that would be a good place. We got off the freeway and tried to find a motel all we found was a Motel 6. It didn’t look too bad so we stopped for the night. As we drove on the next morning through Napa and Sonoma both looked like better places to stop. I will file that away for next time. It would only be about an hour more driving.
The next day it was slow down, stop to take pictures and enjoy the journey. It was early in the day as we drove through the wine country so no stops to taste the wine but did enjoy the wineries along the way. We did stop at one small shop and ended up buying a tablecloth that I am assured is just what we need for the deck. And it was 50% off, so you couldn’t go wrong.
The focus for the day was the redwoods. I had never been though them so wanted to enjoy it all. We started on the drive called Avenue of the Giants and got as far as the Visitor Center. Just past the Visitor Center there had been a slide and the road was closed. So we made a stop and the center and one other selected grove for a half-mile loop walk. It was great the large trees both standing and others that had fallen. The size was such that a picture does not really show what the eye can see. On the walk we also saw a number of blooming wildflowers, including the trillium.
We made the stop at Crescent City in northern California for the night. Better that the night before but still some bad choices. More on that to follow.

Heading North

Well we are shutting up the parkmodel and trying to eat the last of the food. It is time to return to the rain of Oregon.
I would have to say this season at RCB was not the best. My Number One reason for wanting to be here never happened. Pauline and I had a show ready called "Love in the Afternoon" and lost the accompanist too late to get another. We have talked with two other people now so we should be able to do a show next year. The other problem is that it is difficult to find others as committed to doing a musical show as we are.
Well back to Oregon and prepare for our next trip.

The Da Vinci Experience

Since we arrived at Indio and have said the I want to visit The Da Vinci Experience at the Palm Springs Air Museum but we have not made the trip. We today we finally made it. It has been a busy year and we don’t always take the time to get out of the park and visit the local sites.
The Da Vinci Experience has more than 60 precise and interactive replicas of devices developed by Leonardo da Vinci. It was a great exhibit with the replicas of da Vinci creations and two short videos about da Vinci and his work.
We had seen a similar exhibit in Milan but I would have to say this was better. The only thing I missed was the excellent anatomical drawings that were on display in the science museum in Milan. The models in this exhibit were larger and you were allowed to interact with many of the exhibits.

Hot Tennis

Well tomorrow, Sunday, is the last day of PAC Life Tennis. We will be working for the final three matches the men’s singles and both the men’s and women’s doubles.
I will go out on a limb and predict the winners of the singles and the women’s doubles complete with pictures. I got some pictures of Lisa Raymond and Samantha Strosur playing doubles on court 2 on Friday and I think they will win the women’s doubles.
As for the men’s singles, I think today’s match where Nadal beat Roddick determined the men’s champion. I was able to get some pictures of Rafael Nadal as he was warming up early in the morning. Roddick may have not been at his best but I did see a 147 MPH serve from him. Nadal just outplayed him and deserved to win.
The biggest news other than all the upsets has been the 90 degree temperature. I have not been in on any of the medical problems but there have been a few each day as people sit in the sun for a long time and don’t drink any water. So there has been many cases of heat stroke treated.
I also wanted to share the two wildlife samples that I have pictured from the tennis garden. The first is the moths. You will see many of them flying around the courts. I don’t know much about them but you can take a look for yourself. The other is the bat I saw resting during the day by the elevator. After a big night of catching all the insects around the ground I guess it was just resting. I did think I saw one when we were working one night be it is always hard to tell but al least we know they are around.

Hot Temperature and Matches

Well we have been working the hot days and it seems to be eliminating many of the favorites. I have not worked any of the big upsets but did get to see Federer lose in the doubles match that eliminated him completely form the tournament. It was a good match and the way they score doubles now with the no ad and super third set tie break it is really anyone’s game with the level of players at these matches. It think that is evident by some of the “upsets”: you find in the doubles. The Federer match came down to the super tie break 13-11.
I did get to see Na Li play again. She is seeded 12th but in good position to go all the way she plays Zvonareva who was seeded 15 next only Peer that was seeded 11th is above her in the draw.
Well today we work the night shift so it may be very late before we get home.
We don’t know where we will be working until we get there but chances are it will be stadium1 and the last match there does not start until at least 8:30 PM. It is the Haas Gonzalez match. It should be interesting. Gonzalez has a very vocal following from Chile so you can expect some noise.
There are many booths around the tennis park selling tennis related items, vacations, food, or hair care. I have limited myself to the food and canon camera area but Marilyn has found a car she think she needs.

Tennis at its Best

Well two more days at the tennis tournament. We did not see the big upset of Roger Federer by Guillermo Canas but did see some of Canas getting beaten by Carlos Moya today. It was the second day at about 90 dreeses so it was HOT.
Sunday we were out on court six that is a small court but at this point in the tournament there can be good matches out there. The problem is that it is so few seats that people can’t get in to see the match. We didn’t have a BIG match but they did next door. So we got to hear the noise and have some of the traffic come by our court.
Today we were in court three so had more space but bigger matches. I was working as a floater for most of the time relieving people to go to lunch. That means not much for pictures but did get a few. Two quick shots of Nicole Vaidisova before Ahsha Rolle quit for medical reasons. Ok so she is just another one of those tall, blonde, girls from Easter Europe. But it is nice to get a picture. I can put that with the picture I got of myself with Maria Sharapova that I got at the Canon booth. Ok it was only a cardboard cutout of Maria but the picture is nice and she wasn’t upset when I put my arm around her for the picture.
Then we had the match of the day. Canas and Moya. I got a couple of quick pictures and then tried to run the gate the best I could. What do you do when all the seats are full and more people want in? By that time it was 2:30 PM and I got to go to lunch myself. I got back to see or at least be around and see a few shots as Moya beat Canas. But Canas had his 15 minutes of fame by beating the number one in the world. He was a lucky loser by loser in his first match, the qualifying matches, but got to continue because one of the other qualifiers had to drop out.
I am sitting on one bad news. That Pauline and I may not be able to do our SHOW Love in the Afternoon. The accompanist we were counting on has just been doing too much and is burned out so she can’t play for us. More on that latter but needless to say after looking forward to singing with Pauline all year I am CRUSHED to not have it work.

Melt Down

Two more days of working at Pacific Life and nothing has been too exciting yet. I would have to say the Tuesday was the most excitement. Even though the matches were short and the day ended before the day shift was over, we did get in on some excitement.
Anastasi Rodionova really had a melt down and not because of the high temperatures. She started by being upset at some line calls and not being ready when her opponent, Tatiana Poutchek was ready to serve. One time Tatiana even served. The crowd was not happy with her actions and let her know about it. I am not sure why she called for a referee after the first set and what ever it was she must have lost because she got a delay of game warning. Then after two points in the next game she called for a trainer. She had taken advantage of calling in her coach between sets but since it was not court one she could not challenge the line calls. The second set just got worse and she couldn’t let go of the line calls and crowd and lost that in short order. Maybe as she gets more experience she will understand that you have to play on even if you don’t like a call, don’t dwell on it.
Anyway we only had to work about two hours and we were gone. Thursday I got the upper bowl in stadium one. It is early in the week so there were no matches on interest during the day. The sets were only taking about an hour and the biggest job I had was staying awake. It was a warm day in the sun and in the upper bowl you have no crowd control and seat problems to solve. So you just set in the sun and watch dull matches. On of the women had a very fast serve, over 120 MPH but still lost. She was older and trying to make a come-back and the younger player just had better shots. So we should start seeing some of the better players when we start to work on Sunday.

Pacific Life Open

Well we had our first day working as an usher at the Pacific Life Open Tennis Tournament. The first two days are for qualifiers so no big names are playing but some are starting to so up on the women’s draw. They start first while the men start arriving on Wednesday. Admission is free so you get many people and there are always a few local competitors that bring out a crowd.
It was a warm day, sunning and about 80 degrees. We were assigned to court 2 and that meant we had one of the matches that drew a lot of local interest. Coco Vandeweghe, a 15 year old local girl was playing. She fits the image of what seems to be the latest woman tennis player, About 6 foot tall and blonde. She played a good match but lost in 3 sets. We started working at the end of the first set. I was given one of the gates to the chairs on the shady side so it was busy. Most of the chairs were full so you couldn’t let people in unless someone left. Of course there were plenty of seat in the bleachers on the sunny side of the court. That match lasted three hours and seventeen minutes so we were behind most of the other courts in getting our five matches for the day.
There was talk of moving the last match scheduled for the day to another court but as always the best laid plans to not always work. Our next match lasted 57 minutes and the two courts that looked like they would be open ran longer. Anyway, it meant that we were the last court to finish for the night at about 7:30. Today we will be working the late shift again. Even though we are not see top ranked players they are very good and most of the crowds are small so the job of usher is easy. For the last match. Marilyn and the three other people working the shady side of the bleachers had from zero to 10 people most of the time.

Still trying to win at Tennis

Well your tennis tournament is over and we are not the big winners this year. In the men’s singles I lost 6-3 6-3 to the man that won the men’s I did win the consolation. 6-2 6-1. The mixed doubles Pauline and I lost the championship in three sets. We won the first and should have had the second but lost in a tie-breaker then went on to lose the last set 6-3. One of those matches we should have won but didn’t. Men’s doubles was nothing to talk about. Marilyn did win the consolation in the mixed doubles.
Now we are preparing for the Pacific Life Tennis that starts next week. We will be ushering and should get to see some of the world’s best play. Sometimes in the early matches when they are not playing on Court 1 you are right court-side.
Pauline and I have also selected our songs for the Love in the Afternoon show we will be doing. Now starts the work of memorizing and getting ready for the show.