The days of summer are melting away faster than a popsicle in the hot sun.
It is hard to believe that the month of July is almost a calendar turn away.
For myself, the month has been punctuated with fun times, interspersed with many hours of soaking up the delicious rays of sunshine that has bathed my back deck in an abundance of mellow yellow this summer.
I noticed yesterday, as I watered my flowers, which are, by the way, an amazing spill of colour all over my deck, even the floorboards burned the soles of my bare feet, conjuring up images of the old wooden pier at Sylvan Lake in my head and making me nostalgic for those days of yore.
Last week, I signed one of my grandsons and myself up for the 16th annual pro-am golf tournament at Gull Lake Golf Course. I signed up this particular grandchild because his 11th birthday was coming up and I thought it would be an awesome present. It would not be the sort of present that he would tear the wrapping paper off of, play with for a bit and then toss aside.
Oh no, siree. Not this present. This present would be a memory. A keeper. An experience. One he could keep in the place where he would store special childhood memories in his head. Golfing with grandma. How cool is that?
And so, it began. Dylan, myself, and our memory keeper day on the golf course.
As it turned out we golfed with another grandma named Marilyn, her two grandsons, and her son and a pro, named Scott Anderson.
From start to finish it was a red letter, fun and delightful, memory keeper day. Of course, there was the golfing part, which was not great for me. For some reason, me and that little white ball simply do not get along. I try so very hard, I will give myself that, but my good golf shots are more the exception than the rule and my really great shots are pretty much nonexistent.
That being said, everything else about the day was as close to perfection as you can get on a golf course when the sun beats down on you mercilessly and your feet hurt, and you wish you had golf sandals.
The golf pro, Scott was the kindest, nicest, gentlest human being who has ever had the word pro attached to his name. He certainly brought sunshine to our game, even if we did not have enough of it already. And, by the end of the nine holes, we had all made new friends and the boys were soon out on the putting green, laughing and talking and, no doubt, gearing up for more golf.
After everyone gathered in the clubhouse, Eamon McCann, who co-owns the golf course with his wife, Carla did a little talk and explained how all the money raised goes towards a scholarship fund for junior golfers to help with their post-secondary education.
“It is impressive,” I think to myself. “Such a fun day of golfing and for such a worthwhile cause.”
I mentally congratulate myself for taking part in such a worthwhile fundraiser.
And then Eamon mentioned that there would be a few prizes. I listened politely.
The first prize to be given away, the heart and hustle award, he said, was for the team who enjoyed the game, gave their all and tried really hard even though their score could use some improvement. At least, I think that is what he said because I must admit I wasn’t really paying attention but was thinking about bidding on some of the silent auction items scattered around the room. And then he said this year’s winners of the ‘heart and hustle’ award was the team of Dylan and Treena.
Well, that caught my attention right away.
“Oh, my goodness, that’s us,” I said to Dylan, who had already got up to get his prize, clearly paying more attention to the speaker than his grandma!
Anyway, to say I was proud and humbled to win the prize would be an understatement. But one thing I know for sure.
We are going back next year! Who knows? Maybe we’ll win a prize again! But even if we don’t, it will be fun. And a definite memory keeper!
Treena Mielke is a Central Alberta writer. She lives in Sylvan Lake with her family.