Natural Terrain

Went to a neighbors house and had to get in on a little Petanque. No court, But we managed anyway.
Francois

Here are a few snapshots from Francois.  It looks like they found a really challenging terrain.  Proof, once again, that you don't need a manicured terrain to enjoy petanque.  Remember: "Got dirt?  Play petanque!"

Memorial Day Weekend

The Sunday before Memorial Day Monday found us at Miller Park looking for a little shade in which to enjoy the afternoon's play.  Michael  and Nora made the two hour drive up from Monroe to join us.  Augustin also made a long drive over from Hickory even though Susanne, Marc, and Juan were unable to join him this time.

We were glad to have the Winston-Salem regulars, Bob M. and Fred, and also a couple of first-time Winston-Salem players, Jay and Daniel.

And last, but certainly not least, we were happily surprised by the reappearance in North Carolina of our long-time friends, Bob and Pam Pelc.  Many of you remember that they moved their home base to south Texas some time back and only check in at their Winston-Salem home from time to time these days.  Their plan is to sell the NC home at some point, but, in the meantime, it was wonderful to see them again.  Maybe they will be able to join us another time or two while they're in the area.

Sunday in Richmond, VA

On our way home to NC on Sunday, we stopped in Richmond for a few hours of play with the Boulefrogs club.  We had a chance to renew friendships with quite a few people we had not seen in a while, and we also met many nice people for the first time.

Saturday in Goochland, VA

Shirley and I visited family in Goochland, VA, over the weekend.  Here are a few shots of Saturday play in the driveway of my sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Dave Marshall.  There were nephews,  nieces, grand-nephews, grand- nieces, and other assorted relations and near relations galore!

Sunday in Mebane, NC

Gary and Shirley,

Some photos from Sunday at the Inn. We added a third court for the kids with some new balls. This was the Saxapahaw crew Having some fun on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Regards, Francois http://chapel-hill-inn.com/

Yesterday in Charlotte, NC

Gary and Shirley: Six of us got together Saturday afternoon on the Kings
Drive courts in Charlotte for "Une partie de petanque".  Anne and Ed, Liz
and Bertrand, Charles, and Michael engaged in a close match, ending 13-10.
We hope to get together more.    Hope you have a good time playing in
Richmond.  Ed

Mothers' Day 2012

We had to race against the coming rain storms on Sunday, but we managed to get in several hours of play-- from about one o'clock until six o'clock.  Hope all you Moms out there had a happy day!

Celebration at the Inn

Our good friend and fellow CarolinaPetanque member, Francois Deprez, sent us a few snapshots of a group of his friends playing at http://chapel-hill-inn.com/ .  The gathering was in honor of a fiftieth birthday, although Francois neglected to point out which of the guys/gals was the honoree.  Check out the petanque scene at the Inn if you find yourself in the Mebane/ Chapel Hill area.  Or, better yet, make it a destination trip!

Nice afternoon at Miller Park

Bob and Fred played Shirley and mysef to a dead heat in Sunday's Miller Park petanque.  With Bob pointing well and Fred shooting just as well, they were a tough team to beat.  If you haven't played with Fred in a while, you may remember him as a very good pointer.  He's been changing his emphasis for the last few months and has become quite an accomplished shooter in what seems a short period of time.  With Bob pointing better than ever, they can be a real challenge.

Practice at Nevin Park

Khalid called and asked whether Shirley and I were available to practice at the Nevin Park boules courts in Charlotte yesterday.  We were enthusiastic about playing and/or practicing with Khalid because we feel that it always helps us improve our game.  We tried sending out a last minute notice to some of our players in and around the Charlotte area, but since it was a workday for most people, no one happened to be available.  Nevertheless, the three of us spent six hours playing and had a ball.

The Nevin Park courts don't seem to get very much use, but they provide a nice, well-maintained place to play with shade, picnic tables, good restroom facilities, and five courts.  Check it out if you're ever in the area.