22/03: GOLF WIDOW?

Anybody who knows David will know how 'anti' Golf and Golfers he is/was.   He was adamant he wouldn't be sucked into the Golfing fraternity - mainly because he doesn't like the constant reliving of every game, stroke by stroke, in the Bar afterwards .... and also what he perceives as the formality, rules and regulations and the many notices and signs plastered around some of the Club Houses we've seen.

But ..... expat friends here suggested we visited the local 9 hole course on the outskirts of Corralejo (our Town).     We walked there last Saturday, it took us an hour but it was a lovely walk and the course is beautifully laid out in a 'hollow' between some rocky hills - which helps protect it from the famous Fuerteventura winds.

We met our friends as they finished their usual Saturday morning round and joined them for a drink at the Club House verandah where I was chuffed to find how tame the little chipmunks are.  They live in the rocks surrounding the course and they come to call and eat from your hand.

and I was curious about a bird that landed on the practice putting green by the Club House.   Looked quite cute with its little bandit mask

Having Googled it, I now know its isn't so cute after all.   Its a variety of Shrike, often called the Butcher Bird because of its habit of impaling its prey on spikes - barbed wire, cactus thorns etc.  It eats insects and small rodents so the little chipmunk babies need to be pretty careful I guess!

Anyway, after our walk to the course we were invited to a friend's house to have a 'few swings' with some borrowed clubs on a piece of wasteground they'd converted into a golf target area.   David took to it like a duck to water, I wasn't so good and managed to hit the ground and jar my hand badly so ended up with bruised/swollen knuckles!



David played his first round on a proper course on Tuesday.  He did really well (although did lose 2 balls in the water) and ended up just 5 strokes behind Al who took him round and who has been playing here regularly.   Its a very friendly Club and quite informal.  Trainers are permitted and dress code quite relaxed

Proof for those friends who wouldn't otherwise believe David is on a Golf Course

and I was forced to take this photo to show how close he got to a 'hole in one' - this was where the ball landed on his first stroke on hole 7 - yawn!!!

He's hooked!     and off to play another game tomorrow morning.   I will probably go with him as I enjoy the walking and the wildlife.

As well as the chipmunk visitors on Tuesday, look who else came out to grab some biscuits ...

Cute rat eh?    I don't have a problem with rodents as they tend to be furry and have lovely bright eyes etc ... but I really can't cope with spiders.    Thankfully Fuerteventura doesn't have any nasty venomous wildlife (snakes or spiders) so its only the occasional mosquito or jellyfish you have to worry about on the island.

Ratty actually pushed chipmunk away from the cake he'd been eating but I didn't manage to photograph the scuffle unfortunately