The Day Winter Came Early

Rainy weather has cut through our August/September heat this year and allowed me to reflect on life away from the media buzz.  

Winter arrived without her date, that first week of October of 2018 the year I turned seventy.   Our late summer and early fall had been rainy and cool, much like it has been this late summer of 2025.   One day the forecaster gleefully announced the temperatures might fall to the 30's. All of this happening on the weekend of The Trails Golf Club Women's and Senior Men's Club Championships. 

How to dress for such unpredictable weather created a problem, a layering problem, and forecasting when the rain would be pushed out by the polar express made the day a real challenge.  

I'd chosen to play in the Championship, not to win, but to have fun with the ladies in our group and to play the best I could.  I'd set my goal on breaking 93, that seemed to be my reoccurring score that year, and I still  don't like it one bit. 

Our three lowest handicappers, likely to win,  teed off first and our foursome followed. Dressed like little snow bunnies, we laughed immediately at the absurdity of playing in this weather. 

Before teeing off on the first hole I felt my thick tights slipping from my waist. These were tight black pants that I saved for winter because they were long enough to cover my ankles from the cold winds or rain.  I did notice that the hanger was turned backwards when I pulled them off the hanger, which generally means, I didn't wear them last year. I missed the most important clue of the day.  At least I'd been smart enough to wear a heat wrap across my back and stretch at home.

My golf swing and focus held steady until the third hole. Walking up the hill to the green I felt my tights sliding down to my hips, with a gravity like pull I jumped and hiked up my britches as my friends snorted quietly facing away from me. 

Carol's sincere response followed, "I love my new Puma pants. You really ought to buy some like this." Where upon she showed me how nicely they fit her body and did not slide down the hips.  I didn't think Amazon could accommodate me instantly. But I thanked her for the advice.  At the nearby bathroom, I added a layer of rain and wind  protecting pants. 

Before we'd finished nine holes that day, the pants had stretched even more and I found myself reaching inside my outer wear to pull up my stretched tights before each shot, after each shot, and sometimes in between. 

Kathy Hines, Anita Bednar, Letty Watt, Carol Lindblad.

The rain came in sheets and then flew through.  Riding with Anita, we'd sometimes break into laughter over what this must look like.  How could women as smart as we thought we were think this was the way to spend a fall day?

We'd dropped behind the group in front, simply because we were talking and laughing about clothing and weather. Suddenly, we realized that at this pace we'd be caught for sure in the cold winds coming from the north. So onward we moved, quickly hitting our shots without taking time to think about the shot or the how to hit the shot!!!!!

To speed up play, on number nine green Kathy held the flag so Carol could tap in  her two-inch birdie putt while Anita and I walked to our lengthy putts.  Suddenly, we heard a piercing sailor's voice clearing the deck with four letter words.  Not wasting a moment we finished the hole and asked what caused the frustrated scream.  

"Carol missed her two-inch birdie putt!!"  Kathy yelled, "She broke the ice with the F bomb so now we can relax."

Doubled over in laughter and pulling up my pants at the same time was painfully funny.  Rather than stop for a bathroom break we drove on to the next tee and began the next nine. There was no time to add the scores for the nine holes, nor did I care.  I only wanted to get into the clubhouse before winter arrived, and throw away those 'relaxed fit'  stretched pants' that kept my mind totally occupied.

On hole #14, I powered through a drive and suddenly my belly button felt exposed.  "Oh, dear heavens," I snorted from the embarrassment,  "if mother in heaven could see me now, she would scold me for exposing my body."

Carol and Kathy joined in, "What would she think of the girls these days?" By now we were so relaxed and the group in front of us had just walked off the green, that we shared scenic stories about belly buttons, tattoos and other over exposed body parts. Golf just didn't seem important to me that day. 

The pants by now had to be held up by my hands when I walked. Then we noticed the calm. Two holes to go, 'please frigid weather hold off'' we whispered.  In the end, we hugged each other on the eighteenth green, raced to the golf carts and off to the parking lot where we unloaded our wet belongings. After gathering ourselves we compared scores, signed the cards and turned them in.

Keeping one hand on my pants, I walked to the ladies locker room to clean up.  With our small gaggle of women gathered round, I began to notice the scores.  Several of us played quite well, a couple were truly disappointed. Scores ranged from 109--85. Then our golf pro, Alan Hager, turned away from the score sheet, picked up the Silver Champions Bowl, and said, "Congratulations Letty, on winning the 2018 Women's Club Championship." 

Anita Bednar

I don't know that I've ever been that stunned in my life. I stood to accept the trophy and grabbed the pants to hike them up.  Awards were handed out to all of the winners. We were a cheerful group, and thankful to be inside warm and out of the weather. (No pictures of this event could be found. Perhaps we looked too shabby for the camera's eye?) *UPDATE, Anita found the lost pictures 11/9/2025

It was suggested that I keep those black sagging over-sized stretch pants and wear them next year. I threw them away that night. 

 

I have played several club championships since then without winning. Should I have kept those lucky black tights?  No matter the answer, I am blessed with seventy plus  years of "golf memories."

2018 Trails Club Champion Letty Watt, Carol Lindblad Low Net champion, Kathy Hines 2nd Low Net, not in pic--Dawn Stork, 2nd Low Gross. 

 

 

 

Here are a few links to other weather induced reflections:  

 

 <https://literallyletty.blogspot.com/2021/07/reflections-on-cool-clear-sunday.html>

 

 <https://literallyletty.blogspot.com/2024/11/sunbeams.html>

 

 <https://literallyletty.blogspot.com/2021/07/reflections-on-cool-clear-july-4-sunday.html>

 
<https://literallyletty.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-rains-of-ranchipur-recalled.html>

A Butterfly in the Cosmos

We are like butterflies that flutter for a day

 and think it is forever. 

Carl Sagan

After nearly three months of deconstructing the flooring, adding new 18" tile, new carpet in three rooms, new bathroom counter top and painting the hallways, we created a new refreshing home where the sun radiates warmth from East to West. In the midst of this chaos we took time to gaze upon a moment, to show gratefulness for this opportunity of construction, to smile and give thanks for being here at this time, at this place, with these people we love. A simple delight like a butterfly examining my hand refreshes our souls and creates an energy that can uplift each of us in special ways. For this I am thankful.

For creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through LOVE.  C.Sagan

Walking in the fields on North Base with our Lucy dog offers us a tiny speck of the immensity of our earth, that often looks so flat.  The skies are criss-crossed on clear winter days with contrails from the jets, and for that we are filled with gratitude that we stand where we do and see God's beauty through space. A tiny dandelion grows in the middle of the jogging path, the only flower to be found in a sea of grasses. When do I ever say thanks for that bright yellow weed, except on a winter's day?   Gracias

 

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.  C.Sagan

Perhaps this is where Frodo may have lived? Behind "tiny doors" who can tell. Look around, you might be amazed to find a tiny door opening your mind to the world.  Kansha (Japanese) 

Most of the people I deal with are human, so I've had a lot of experience with that. C. Sagan

One cold windy day not long ago I played golf  in The Trails Club Championship with my friends.  It was so cold we laughed at ourselves for being out there. When we reminded each other that a truly blustery north wind would soon arrive we played even faster which caused even more laughter, because my tight warm winter pants began to stretch and slide down my hips.  The faster we played, the faster I found myself hiking my now very loose fitting pants before I could take a step, before I could swing, before I could putt, before I could step out of the bunker I had to jump up and hike up my pants. Now that is not a lady like way to play golf, but oh so funny. We laughed so hard that day that we paid very little attention to the stress of a club championship.

Being only human on this tiny speck of dust, standing with my pants gathering around my ankles I never worried about my swing, or hurting my back. On that day I won the Club Championship at age 70. We all cheered with laughter for finishing the round before the bitter winds swept through, and I turned my eyes to heaven and said thank you. In my heart I gave thanks to my parents who worked so hard to raise the woman I am today. Daily I give thanks to all of the people who are a part of my life.  S'gi (Cherokee)

Look at that dot. '  That's home. That's us...every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.  C.Sagan

It is the sunbeam I appreciate from day to day. Even when I cannot see it, I know it is there. 

"Go raibh maith agat" Irish for "May you have goodness."