Mark Renneson of Third Shot Pickleball and PB champion explains why it is generally not a good idea to hit a short serve.
This point was also made in a recent video I posted on JBRish.com which defines PB strategies for winning! If you missed that video with the top ten tips, you can see it here: Doubles Pickleball Strategy 101-How to Play Smart Pickleball, Ten Tips
“Enough is as good as a feast.” — English Proverb
“Gossip needn’t be false to be evil — there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around.” — Frank Clark
“Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn’t mean we deserve to conquer the Universe.” — Kurt Vonnegut
“French is the language that turns dirt into romance.” — Stephen King
Just because we have temperatures over 100 degrees in the month of October doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate Halloween. That holiday is alive and well in the Sonoran Desert and the town of Carefree, AZ is in a spooky mood!
The Carefree Desert Gardensis hosting a pumpkin fest this year and there is a schedule of events for family fun. Some of the days provide opportunities to watch sculptors at work creating their special brand of Jack-O-Lanterns. You can find more information by clicking here.
To preserve the carved pumpkins, they are treated with a brine mixture and some are submerged in brine containers. In the picture below, for example, there is an artificial saguaro cactus containing a brine-filled glass container housing a carved pumpkin. Signs warn that although the saguaro may be fake, the needles are real; one way to discourage touching!
In the close up you will notice that there is a highlight at the top which is created by a blacklight. The gardens are open after dark and my assumption is the lighting adds to the mystery of the presentation.
There were many carvings in brine such as this bulldog
a ferocious wolf
an Imp
and a devilish character!
*Other exhibits include pumpkins posed in human-like activities:
There was a William Tell wannabe and his target friend (not pictured),
It’s not easy being a pumpkin the desert so a nap is required every now and then
or perhaps a break relaxing by the pool.
There are more than just pumpkins. There are witches hats although not the standard black issue.
Of course it is all about the carving by master pumpkin carver Ray Villafane.
*It is noted that the pumpkins not enclosed in brine were made using artificial resources to keep them from being eaten by the native wildlife such as Javelinas. Also of note, some of the metal stands supporting the pumpkins in the “scenes” have been removed in the photographs.
“It’ll be pretty when we get there, but it won’t be pretty along the way.” — Ed Catmull
“There are two worlds: the world we can measure with line and rule, and the world that we feel with our hearts and imagination.” — Leigh Hunt
“One way to remember who you are is to remember who your heroes are.” — Steve Jobs
“Man is the animal that intends to shoot himself out into interplanetary space, after having given up on the problem of an efficient way to get himself five miles to work and back each day.” — Bill Vaughan
“Your neighbor’s vision is as true for him as your own vision is true for you.” — Miguel de Unamuno
“Get mad, then get over it.” — Colin Powell
“We have a choice: to plow new ground or let the weeds grow.” — Jonathan Westover
“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” — Coco Chanel
As noted in previous posts, I live in the desert southwest and one thing we have in our neighborhood is snakes. Yes, we have a good number of snakes. We don’t seem them every day, but every spring and summer we encounter several of them.
Unlike some people, I like snakes. I even like the poisonous snakes because they fulfill an important role of keeping the rodent population in check. I just wish the would have larger appetites so we didn’t see as many rodents in the desert.
One day I peered outside to see a Coachwhip commonly referred to as a Red Racer (Coluber flagellum piceus) because it is very fast. I had to be quick to get these two photos because once the snake decided to take off, it exited a break neck speed.
I think there is a lot of beauty in the coloration of this particular snake. The blurb below from the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum explains the derivation of the name.
This long, slender snake reaches lengths of 3 to 8¼ feet (90-260 cm) long. Quite variable in color, it can be tan, gray, pink, black, reddish-brown, or any combination of these colors. Broad crossbars may be present. The scales are smooth and the eyes large; the head is distinct from the body. Unlike the adults, young may have obvious dark brown or black blotches or bands on a light brown background. This snake receives its name from the braided appearance of its scales which resemble the whip used by stagecoach drivers in earlier days. Quote courtesy of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Read More About the Coachwhip:
“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.” — Confucius
“When you wish to instruct, be brief; Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind.” — Cicero
“Beauty often seduces us on the road to truth.” — David Shore
“ETC: End of Thinking Capacity” — Unknown
“Respect your ancestor for you are the result of a thousand loves.” — Native American Proverb
“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” — Anthony Robbins
“A barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping lion.” — Washington Irving
“Vote for the man who promises least; he’ll be the least disappointing.” — Bernard Baruch
