CarolinaPetanque in Lincolnton, NC

Gary and Shirley played host to a few friends at their Lincolnton, NC, court on Saturday. Tom, Carol, Wesley, Danny, and newcomers Dean & Judy were there for the afternoon. There were several good games played, some conversation and getting to know each other a little better, and a cookout supper of burgers and hot dogs.

It was particularly good to have Dean Johnson and Judy Bamping join our group for the first time. They live in the Charlotte area and are contemplating a court installation at home. They're still in the planning stages and just floating some ideas about what they want to do. We, of course, hope they will join us for play on as regular a basis as their schedules permit. And look forward to helping them christen their new court some time in the future!

Danny drove over from Rockwell and played. Unfortunately, Sue was unable to make it due to some caregiving responsibilities she has with her mom. Maybe next time. Danny's really doing well with his newly adopted style of shooting more often.

Tom, Carol, and Wesley live only a few miles from the Lincolnton venue, so it's hoped they will be regulars for the future.

Sorry everyone couldn't be there this time, but look forward to doing it again real soon.

Birthday at Miller Park

There were thirteen of us at Miller Park yesterday for Sunday play and an impromptu celebration of Shirley's birthday. The play was fun and the festivities were not dampened by the Carolina summer storm that passed through briefly.

Special thanks to Danny & Sue and Terry & Sue as each couple brought a surprise birthday cake for Shirley. Two cakes! Getting a little older is not so bad, I guess. ( As someone once said, "Consider the alternative!").

Bob is heading north again to visit family and plans to be gone about six weeks this time, so we'll miss him for a while. Tentative plans for the rest of us for next weekend are to play at 2:00 PM Sunday (Miller Park), so put it on your schedule. Some of you who haven't been in a while should think about coming out again. We're having nice crowds and good games.

Sunday with Edouard and Cheryl

Edouard and Cheryl of the Aiken, SC, Atomic Boules Club were the hosts for a gathering of players at their lovely home in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday, June 29, 2008. There was a very good turnout with at least a dozen or so doubles teams participating in a fun tournament. There were also quite a few attendees who came for the fellowship but did not participate in the play.

One of the highlights of the evening was the excellent selection of foods that were served. There was an emphasis on French fare with Saucisson, quiche, bread and cheese, wine, and pastis among the offerings. Soft drinks, beer, watermelon, cakes, and pies were also available.

The teams were chosen by random draw and there was an interesting mix of players from the beginner to the highly skilled. Unfortunately for the rest of the field, two of the "highly skilled" players were lucky enough to be paired. But that worked out great, since one of the two was our host Edouard! He and Salvador cruised through their matches (although I understand our Shirley along with her partner Fred made a good showing).

The finals were Edouard and Salvador versus Gary and Pete. There were lots of good points, but, in the end, the team of Edouard & Salvador proved to be too much and won handily. Everyone was impressed with how Pete raised his level of play for the finals to make many of the ends played competitive.

Anyway, a wonderful time was had by all. Edouard has offered to do similar events about once every two months during the nice weather. Gary & Shirley made sure to pass out a few CarolinaPetanque cards in the hopes of being invited back!

Saturday with Augustin and Susanne

Augustin and Susanne of Hickory, NC, were gracious hosts to CarolinaPetanque on Saturday, June 28, 2008. We all enjoyed a delightful afternoon of petanque and friendship. There were two busy courts of triples going on for most of the afternoon with others waiting in the wings. Even a brief afternoon thunderstorm failed to dampen the spirits of those on hand. Drinks, good food (our hosts supplied wonderful pork barbecue and Josh did a grill of burgers and chicken), and pleasant conversation took us through the storm. After which, right back to the courts!

Its hard to say who the "winners" were for the day. Everyone had such a good time that we'll just have to declare it a draw all the way around. The beautiful surroundings and pleasant, shady setting made for a terrific venue. And Augustin has just finished putting a third court into place. It's still settling a little and he plans to do a little more compacting, but we'll look forward to breaking it in soon.

Thanks Augustin, Susanne, Susanne C., and all the others who worked to put on the event. Great job!

Meet the newest members

We have added eleven new members in the last few weeks. Pictured above (top row) are: Brian Burton and Susanne C. Quilici from Boomer, NC. (second row) Augustin and Susanne S. Quilici from Hickory, NC. (third row) Larry and Tammy Hendrix from North Augusta, SC. (fourth row) Tom and Carol Cearley with their son Wesley from Lincolnton, NC. (fifth row) Juan Hernandez from Hickory, NC. (not pictured) Marc Quilici from Hickory, NC.

Welcome to all of you! We look forward to good times together.