One-Word Wednesday

I’m back shooting disc golf now that my thumb joint feels better. Here C.J. tees off during yesterday’s Southwest Handicap Mini at Community Park.

Return!

The Mister putts.

Eric tests the wind direction.

My baby boy sails in a par putt.

Frosty Photography and Disc Golf

The Mister putts uphill.

Last Saturday was a bone-chilling kind of day. It was 34 degrees with a blustery 16 mph north wind. Add Houston’s traditional humidity (the dampness made it feel even worse) and gray skies, and it led to one conclusion: Stay inside all day (well, after my early, icy-cold four-mile jog/walk, of course).

The disc saw Steve’s mean face and knew it better land in the tray.

So, naturally, when the Mister got a text from our pal Eric telling him that some of the usual suspects were playing disc golf at Community Park, he was rarin’ to go. Say what? Why not be smart and stay warm?

Blame it on his Nike FuelBand. The Mister wanted to get his 10,000 steps in, and this seemed like a fun way to do it. Where “fun” equals “frozen fingers and toes.”

Eric lasers in his putt.

I didn’t quite have in my 10K steps on my FuelBand, so I figured, what the heck? I joined the gang of six for the final half-dozen or so of the 18 holes (I was smart enough to wait until they were almost done, of course) and snapped photos with my little Nikon 1 V1 (30-110mm lens) until it literally froze at the penultimate hole (I had to pop the battery out and back in to get it to work again).

Michelle throws from an awkward position.

Those steps were frigid ones, especially after my sneakers got wet. Man, it was cold! I was wearing my warmest coat (my older son’s letterman jacket), earwarmer, and mitten-gloves to no avail. I hated that wind chill when I lived in Chicago, and I especially despise it now. We have to endure some of the worst summers on the planet (which extend into spring and fall); it doesn’t seem fair that we should have to deal with cold, too.

Mother Nature? Let’s talk!

Blake shows great form on his upshot.

Despite feeling that I was part of the idiots parade, it was nice being out with pals and surrounded by such pretty greenery. The park features lots of pine trees and bushes. Those make for great photo backgrounds.

Jeff floats his disc through the air.

When all was said and done, the disc golfers seemed glad that they had played. I guess it’s never too cold to throw.

But my Nikon 1 thinks it can be too cold to shoot pics!

Rainy Day Players and Photographers

My younger son lasers in his birdie putt amid the raindrops.

According to the Southwest Handicap Mini’s fearless leader, Eric, it should never rain on Tuesdays during the 18-hole disc golf tournaments. So we were all surprised when Mother Nature had the audacity to defy Eric and briefly dump some drops on our heads during this week’s contest at Community Park in Missouri City.

Mike keeps the basket in his sights.

As much as I don’t like getting my photographic equipment wet, I went with the flow (literally) and just kept on shooting while hoping for the best. When I looked at my pics in Photoshop later, I loved how my fast shutter speed had captured not only the action but also the rain.

Glen hams it up with his no-look putt.

Talk about your spray and pray!

One-Word Wednesday

This little poser rests on false garlic at Community Park in Missouri City.

Skipper!

Disc Golf and Little G

My younger son keeps his eyes on the putting prize.

Our annual Southwest Handicap Mini disc golf series began once again Tuesday evening under wonderful mild conditions.

Our fearless leader, Eric

Almost 30 players descended on Community Park in Missouri City to throw plastic at metal baskets.

Marcus’ putt begins its journey.

It was nice seeing familiar faces after the several-month layoff. All seemed right with the world once again.

The kid is joined by Glen IV and Glen V.

But the highlight for me? A little Glen appearance!

Glive now is two years old!

Can I ever get enough of this cute toddler? No way! His little smile captures my heart.

Golden gloaming

Just like a gorgeous, glowing sunset!

Not Ready for Prime Time Players

My younger son shows off his mad skills for Bobby and the camera.

We’re pretty much down-to-earth people in our household. We don’t seek out the spotlight. Some might even call us humdrum, even if they’ve never heard us hum or drum (which is a shame, because we’re all pretty good at both of them).

Marcus’ pretty putt is captured digitally.

But when our pal Marcus told the Mister and the kid that they could help him hype their favorite sport of disc golf on TV, they started singing a different tune. One called “Celebrity.”

Bobby gets up close with the disc and basket.

We took the limo Honda Odyssey to Missouri City’s Community Park disc golf course, ready, willing, and able to help. I came along to document the event, using two Nikon lenses with my Nikon D700: My 24-70mm for wide-angle shots and my 105 for close-ups. This photo scout was well-prepared for a change!

Steve sails a putter towards the basket.

As the guys played and I snapped away on a beautiful Saturday, Bobby, the big-shot TV producer, videoed the action. It was a fun nine-hole round filled with the usual friendship, teasing, and awesome play by Marcus.

Marcus sinks a putt.

Bobby made a great decision in using Marcus and Eric to explain how disc golf works and to describe the play during the round. The former is a witty, brainy Rice University grad who can make the complicated seem easy, and the easy seem complicated.

Bobby films one of Eric’s short putts.

Eric, another funny and smart guy, brings an engineering bent to his conversational approach. He also might have a future in disc golf play-by-play commentary . . . assuming he likes not making any money. I’ll bet Bobby had fun editing the video.

The Mister shows off his style.

Speaking of which, we all can’t wait to watch the Disc Golfers Gone Wild in Mo City (or whatever it’ll be called) on TV. Should you be looking for it on ESPN (or ESPN–DG)?

Actually, online public access in the form of Missouri City TV is its final destination. But major channel or YouTube, it’ll be fun to watch local disc golf.

I’m just glad that my guys were there to help drum up support!