I'm all croqueted out. Six days of 9 hours on the lawns in weather ranging from very hot (late 20s Celsius) to cold (mid teens Celsius). Sometimes with the heat has come humidity. Almost the whole time has been windy ranging from just plain windy to gales. Sometimes we've had blue skies and sometimes overcast and cloudy. On the plus side we've had no rain. The worst thing has been the gales. Not only is it hard to play accurately in gales but it's also saps your physical and mental energy hour after hour.
I'm writing this during a bye when I don't have to play for three hours. It's cold and gale force winds are blowing. When the three hours is up my travelling companions and I will be wending our way back from Palmerston North to our homes in Napier: about 180k/111m and nearly three hours driving for Judy in whose car we came.
It's a lovely tournament and overall I think there were about 80 entrants playing in various events. I've met some new people and played some very good croquet. I've also played some very bad croquet.
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| Overall view of 6 of the 9 lawns being used for the tournament (there's actually more people playing than you can see!) |
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| Doug Van Belle who won the tournament in the game against me playing a hampered shot being watched by a referee |
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| A not-so-warm afternoon |
So tonight I shall be in my own bed. I won't have to be up at 6am tomorrow. I can have a relaxed day tomorrow recovering and taking stock. The Family will come down to The Cottage for dinner as is usual on a Friday. Life will return to what passes for normal.
For these simple things I am very, very thankful today.
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It is similar to me when I have been travelling, something I really enjoy doing, especially in Yorkshire. After all the good times full of meeting people, seeing sights and doing stuff, nothing beats the feeling of being home again, in my own bed, with my own bathroom and full access to my entire wardrobe, and (more or less) mistress of my own time again.
ReplyDeleteYes, Meike, more or less mistress of one's own time is so good. Being retired I should be even more the master of mine but, of course, life is never quite that simple is it?
Deletehet is altijd heerlijk rusten na zulke arbeid.
ReplyDeleteJa, het is hard werken, maar ik zal opnieuw spelen op zaterdag (Yes it has been hard work but I will be playing again on Saturday).
DeleteWe've missed you...glad you'll be back home soon....all croqueted out.
ReplyDeleteComing home to your own bed is something to be thankful for indeed.
Thanks Virginia. It's good to be back home. Now I just need to get back to Blogland as well.
DeleteRelaxed coffee/tea and puttering around in the morning is a wonderful thing. Especially after days of go, go, go! Enjoy. :)
ReplyDeleteLisa sitting in the sun with a coffee, newspaper and crossword and watching the world go by is, as you say, a wonderful way to spend time.
DeleteWe have to keep active and competitive...in the game so to speak. You had six days of this. It can't be a bad thing!
ReplyDeleteRed the amount of walking and exercise one gets in 9 hours of croquet certainly helps keep one fit mentally and physically.
DeleteSounds like you could do with a holiday from your retirement occupation... :)
ReplyDeleteSo true Monica. I played a match this afternoon too and realised that I should have had just a few more days to relax first.
DeleteOh fun.......except for the weather. Own bed and surroundings.............BLISS!! Enjoy. So pleased you are thankful on Thursdays still. I'm starting to miss my blog again.
ReplyDeleteThe weather, Jaz, was really a combination of a nuisance and a disappointment. Glad Game, though, it didn't rain. It would be good to see you back in Blogland.
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