September in Ontario

Labour Day came early this year, with September 1st being on a Sunday. It has traditionally been the official end of the summer camping season as all the students go back to school on Tuesday.  Maitland Shores had plans to end the season with a bang, literally, with fireworks as well as a pot luck and live band on Saturday night. 

On Tuesday, Ella, Jim and I played a round of golf at Freedom Oaks. Part of the reason for this grouping was for me to get used to playing with Jim in advance of our upcoming mixed tournament. 

Wednesday my friend Brad and his dog Bungy from Silver Dove Estates along with his mom who lives closer to Dunnville came over for a bite of lunch and some cribbage. In order to fill out the table I had asked Ed, who besides playing euchre also enjoys cribbage, to join us. We all got along famously, using a card table in the club house for our games after enjoying lunch outside my trailer. 

Thursday Ella and I went to Port Colburne for a practice round for the Niagara District Tournament of Champions. I arranged for an old friend of Ella's to join us. Jeanette Backus is a member of Port Colburne and I had met her at the euchre games in Lowbanks. Over the card games there I had gotten to know her. She isn't a great golfer, but she did posses some local course knowledge that should benefit both of us in the tournament and Ella hadn't seen her in a few years, I think since she retired from the credit union.  We had a nice visit both while on the course and afterwards on the patio over a drink. 

Jeanette

Ella

Saturday September 7th was the Niagara District Tournament of Champions. As the defending champion of the ladies amateur division there was a nice sign to greet me and all the other competitors on the road into the club, a nice touch, similar to what Golf Ontario does at the Provincial Championships.

Part of the reason the club offered to host the tournament this year was that they were celebrating their 90th anniversary. They had these special logos sprayed on the grass on the putting green. 

I put my ball and foot in the picture to give you an idea of the scale of it. I'd never seen anything done quite like this before. 

They had all the trophies on display near the registration table, so I checked out the one I won last year to see that they had spelled my name properly. They really need to add a new wooden base on the bottom of the trophy as they are running out of spaces on the top. 

Sorry I couldn't get a better picture.
It says Sarah-Anne Smurlick Freedom Oaks 2018.

I was unable to defeat Sandy on her home course. I'm hoping to get another chance on more level ground next year. I don't think it has been decided who is hosting it yet. 

We were finished the golf in time to watch the end of the Women's Final at the US Open Championship in which Bianca Andreescu defeated Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5. The victory by Andreescu, a 19-year-old Canadian, was her first Grand Slam title and denied Williams her 24th. We were all feeling very patriotic. They had a nice BBQ buffet dinner available for the players and a live band was playing, so the after party was a little more upbeat and better attended than last year. 

The following day Jim and I played the mixed event at Delhi Golf Club. We weren't expecting to know anyone there, but were paired with Kathy Jamieson and a Native friend of hers who we learned at dinner is a hypnotist. They had won the tournament in the past, but hadn't played in a few years. They only signed up a day or two before it this year. They won!

The dinner following the golf was amazing. Served family style they had Rolls with butter, tossed salad, Schnitzel, cabbage rolls, mashed potatoes, gravy, assorted pies for desert. All home made style. All you cared to enjoy. Very yummy. 

The following days was heading into Toronto to make good on three offers of golf games and to do some of my usual Toronto errands and visits. I picked up my new eyeglasses in Ancaster, had dinner with Peter at a Greek place nearby and headed into Toronto, staying at Paula's house although she wasn't going to be there. The following morning, the 2nd anniversary of Ron's passing, I played Lionhead Legends course with some fellows I used to play with on the GTA Am tour back when I first bought the trailer. Unfortunately we ended up being just a twosome as two guys had to back out at the last minute. It was nice to catch up with Andrew Mitchell. The course was in good shape, they were very busy though as all the public players were on the Legends course because there was a large tournament on the Masters course. 

That evening I met up with Catherine Chan for AYCE Japanese dinner. I guess of all the times we have eaten together we had not done one of those. I surprised her with my knowledge and enjoyment of Sushi, Sashimi and other cooked Japanese items. Although she is Chinese she really likes all things Japanese and has traveled to Japan a few times. I'm hoping we might be able to go there together at some time in the future. 

The following day I visited with some former business associates and went to the podiatrist. There was some confusion on which evening I was having dinner with my cousin Allan Schwartz, so I ended up having dinner at a Jamaican place close to the Italian place I would be eating at the following night. It was very good and made me reminisce about one of the first trips I took by myself in 2002, which was to Jamaica over Easter weekend, when Ron was in Florida and I was still working. The weather forecast for Florida was rain, so I decided to go to Jamaica by myself instead. 

The following morning I played golf at Brampton Golf Club with my friends 

In the evening I met up with Allan for a lovely dinner and to help him celebrate his birthday. 

The following morning I met up with my friend Dean George to car pool to Oak Ridge to play with the Retired Fellas from Toronto Hydro. It was great to see the guys again. It was inspirational to play with John Boag, who recently lost both of his legs below the knee and was golfing on two prosthetic legs. Mike Reeve was in our group as well. There was some kind of team money game, which we managed to place in the money for. 

That evening I was to meet up with Jane and Barry White and Lynn Robinson at Red Lobster for their AYCE Shrimp event. As it turned out Jane and Barry had to cancel, but Lynn's husband Peter wanted to come. We had a nice meal and visit, following which I headed back to Dunnville.