Fast Walking

As I was jogging across the Eau Gallie Causeway this morning, my mind was wandering and wondering about things. First, I do not jog, I do fast walking. I wanted to shorten that to falking but that would just confuse my friends in Massachusetts. So that is what I wondering for 40 minutes, what should I call what I do?

Actually, I was reminiscing about Andy Bourdon. I knew him growing up as a parent of friends. I never really met him until I started to golf at the Vermont Cabin Fever Classic organized by Rodney Bicknell. Here I am with Andy (green shirt) at Rolling Hills Golf Club in Longwood. I do not remember who the man in the red hat is...

The sad news is Andy just passed away while at his winter home here in Melbourne/Suntree. I saw it in the local paper and felt a sadness. One time at Zellwood Station Andy was on the winning team at one of the March tournaments. Andy ( 2nd from right) and his team with their trophy...

The golf group included a lot of my contemporary friends as well as many people from my father's generation. Ralph Foote and Chet Ketchum were regulars for many years too, sadly they both have past. Ralph was a great friend to my dad and his son Dick was in my class at Middlebury. I would always spend time talking to Ralph and his lovely wife Nancy. Chet is on the right in this picture with Rodney on the left...

Andy hung out with Norm, Rodney's father. That is Norm with the blue tickets with Chet on the left (shiny head)

Norm and his wife Carol were the superb hosts of many a post tournament barbecue at their winter home in Suntree. I am amazed they allowed so many drunks into their home. Of course, the kitchen was where the beer and liquor were so it was always the busiest. I remember fondly one year when I had Norm, Andy, Ralph and Chet in the kitchen at the same time. I asked them if they remembered what the first time they had sex felt like...They all said yes...

So I asked them to open their hand and imagine it contained some small, invisible elves. I asked them all to grab one of the elves and rubbed it on their chin. With some prodding from me, they each touched their chin with an elf and I asked "Does that feel like the first time?" and they all said no.

I asked them to put that elf back and grab another and rub it on their nose. Again they did what I asked and I said "Does that feel like the first time?" Again, no was the response from these four.

I said the elves must be cold so I needed them to close their hands and shake the elves vigorously. Of course, they each complied and it looked like they were shaking something else and I asked "Does this feel like the first time?" I remember Chet almost choked with laughter as I had these four older gentleman jerking their hands in a circle in the kitchen. I must have had a few beers in me to do that. But what a memory!

The golf group photo one year in Longwood...

The Rolling Hills Country Club in Longwood...The course has closed and I just read that they plan to turn it into a city park. Even places leave us, the memories are all that remain.

Someone once asked me if I had a problem with drinking. I said No, I am actually pretty good at it...

This past weekend I went to the Arts and Craft Festival in Cocoa Village. There was a lot of nice things to see and there was also a lot of junk. But there was great music being played all around the streets. Here are three that I stopped and listened to during my walk around the festival.

I did stop at the beer garden. It is called Von Stephan Village Bier Garten Restaurant. I plan to eat there as it would be a new place for me, but I only stopped for a Spaten half-liter. It was very hot at the festival...They also serve full liters...