Taking a swing at it

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy the rare beautiful weather by being out on one of Lubbock's nicest golf courses. I was invited to play in the Texas Seed Trade Association's annual scholarship golf tournament on a scramble team.




Bill Prince , myself, Rob Borchardt of AgriPro Wheat and David Booth were on a scrambles team. We shot a 61...unfortunately, only about three of my shots were actually used all day. It was obvious I hadn't played in a long time.



One of the best parts about the day, was the 6th hole, which offered the opportunity to win $10,000 if you could hit a hole-in-one. It was sponsored by a seed company in Crosbyton. There was also a man in a golf cart next to the hole who gave away tequila shots prior to each person's swing. I was able to relax a little bit, but I don't think it helped my swing. Let's just say I'm not $10,000 richer today.



Here's Rob giving it a try. I think we ended up birdying this hole, so it wasn't a complete loss.


The tournament was held at Meadowbrook Golf Course, and for once, the wind blow only puffs of air throughout the day.

Burning Horizon

Probably the best part about living in West Texas is the amazing fire the sun creates as it sets on the western horizon each evening. Sunrises are pretty, too, but I usually only see those if I am able to drag myself out of bed in the morning to go run. It can be easy to look past the day's crazy, ridiculous winds, or even the 102 degree heat when the day ends with a visual explosion of color to the west. In the waining hours leading up to the sunset, the light cast on the red dirt and golden prairie grass of the Llano Estacado is enough to capture your gaze until the sun slips away.


This is my favorite time of day.


There's something about the flat, parallel horizon that makes the sky bigger out here. I fly a lot for my job, but when I get the chance to drive somewhere, particularly north to Amarillo or further up into the Panhandle, I enjoy the view at this time of day.




When you drop off the caprock, or the "cap" as the locals call it, you enter a terrain of rugged canyons, Yucca plants, mesquite and dramatic western landscapes.



But, you don't have to live in West Texas to see magnificent sunsets. The cold January skies in the Ozarks can hold their own.

Acclimation

Getting accustomed to an environment can be a long process. Not matter how long I live out here, I don't think I will ever truly get used to the wind and dirt. I lived out here for a year and a half for graduate school two years ago, and the wind never blew like it has this spring. Oh, it still blew, but not like this year. Today, we saw a temperature of 103 and wind speeds up to 40 mph. With very low humidity, it can seem like a living in a blow dryer - an analogy suggested by a lifelong resident of West Texas.

During the spring, the fields that surround the city are bare dirt, planted with cotton seeds awaiting enough moisture to break the surface. Consistent 20-40 mph winds and loose dirt can create for "thick" skies.


Needless to say, this is a phenomenon that is never seen in the grass covered hills of the Ozarks. Once the cotton begins to come up and anchor itself in the red soil, the flying dust will become more scarce and eventually die down. But until then, we just have to take advantage of every nice day when we get one.