At Play in the Sun

We're having a heat wave! Some times it almost gets tropical in San Diego. There has been a big high pressure area sitting over Southen California this week pushing temps up and almost breaking records in some areas. It's been in the high 80's in some places along the beach which has really brought out the sun worshipers. Of course it drops to a manageable 62-65 at night in the beach area--so it's not intolerable like I am sure it is further inland. It's a reminder that Socal is pretty much a semi arid desert climate. San Diego only averages about 9 inches of rain each year, and during the last 4-5 years has recieived on average only about half that. We are actually in a drought of sorts and many of the reseuvoirs are at very low capacities. So we drag more water from up north and from the Colorado to water the lawns and wash the cars!

I am now playing golf early Wed morns with the men's club I belong to! This week we had a four man scramble tournement with each team composed of an A,B,C,& D level player (A being best) In our group I was the "B". (My handicap index is 13.2 at the moment and trending down towards my goal of a single digit! then perhaps I will be an "A"). Unfortunately our "A" player didn't show up! That put our team at a big disadvantage in a scramble format. In a scramble, all four hit a shot, then you pick the best result, and everyone hits from that location, etc. So, e.g., if one of the team hits it on the green 6 ft from the hole, everyone gets to putt from that location. There are four chances to make the putt. The team posts just one score! Ya gotta figure that with a good "A" player hitting a lot of good shots, scores are going to be low--maybe the winner will be 13-15 under par with handicap. Most of 4-man teams had a 3.5 handicap, and because we were playing without our "A" player we got 5.5.

I hit some great drives on the right holes putting us in good position to get on the green. Our "D" player made some good putts, and we ended up with no bogeys, and 6 birdies. Add our handicap strokes and we ended up the winners! It was 50 bucks apiece! Could have knocked me over with a sand wedge!

It was so much fun that the next day I went out on a half day boat out of Oceanside harbor to see if my luck would hold and would fill my bag with some Calico or Sand Bass, or maybe a yellowtail.
Every time I go fishing on the Thursday P.M. boat, I always manage to meet up with a couple of old fishermen who are weekly regulars. This week it was Mike who was 80--and a retired civil engineer. So I leared a bit about engineering. I also met Kay, who I remembered from the last time I went a few weeks ago. She was probably in her late 60's, 5 ft tall with a spining outfit bigger that she was. Mike and Kay knew each other--of course--since they usually came the same day of the week. Mike said Kay kept busy either fishing, or pulling the slots at the Indian casinos around San Diego. I kidded Kay that she was helping to buy all the Indians a Mercedes.

Of course, Kay outfished us both! The fishing was pretty slow. I caught only one Calico Bass, and a small White Sea bass which had to be released. Mike caught and released a couple small White Sea bass , and Kay caught 3 nice Calicos. I gave my bass to Mike for his dinner!

But it was a nice day on the water. I did see a guy in a private boat near us land a 20lb yellowtail. He chased it all around us to land it with his small boat. There were 18 on our boat--and I think the jackpot fish was about a 3 lb sand bass. The only excitement was when a guy next to me caught an eel about 3 ft long, and the deck hand really didn't know how to handle it. He was pushing it around with a net and didn't want to handle it because it was ugly and someone said he could get "shocked" to death! I don't think most eels are "electric" It was the first eel I ever saw caught on a fishing boat--so who knows--kind of funny though! He finally pushed it off the deck through a scupper slot. Only thing I didn't like about it was that he cut the leader above the sinker and left the hook and sinker in the eel, which probably doomed the eel! A hook will usually rust out in a few days, but I hate to think that the poor eel would be sitting on the bottom "tethered" to that sinker wondering whether he was ever going to escape his ball and chain.

Ah well! Guess I am just a bleeding heart, even for ugly creatures!