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.

Bo's Day in the Sun

Justin Bo Johns from Zanesfield, Ohio, happened to be in North Carolina over the weekend visiting some friends in Laurel Springs. That's in the mountains just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Since it was only about an hour and a half drive down to Winston-Salem on Sunday, and he was driving a Dodge Viper, he decided to make the trip.

We first met Bo a couple of years ago at the Petanque America Open in Amelia Island, Florida.  He and his friend Josh were one of the first teams we had to play in Saturday's qualifying rounds.  Any of you who were there will no doubt remember the two young Amish (not really, but they sure looked the part!) lads.

Sunday's play was HOT for April with highs in the 80s and a scorching sun.  I think Bo was a little wiped out by the end of the day, but he played very well-- heat or no heat.  Hope we can see him again soon!

Barbecue Capital Cook-off

Terry and Sue's friends from Charlotte, Jim and Carol, were in Lexington to act as judges (just two of sixty!) for the 2012 version of the Kansas City Barbecue Society's "Barbecue Capital Cook-off."  We all met at the festival and indulged on barbecue (ribs, pork, chicken, and brisket) while enjoying the spectacle of 49 teams of cookers from as far away as Australia and as near as Lexington preparing the meat.  There were also bands on stage to entertain and wine tastings, beer gardens, and the like.

Later in the afternoon, the six of us moved to Terry & Sue's home on High Rock Lake for petanque.  Fun!

2012 CarolinaPetanque Open

Results of the 2012 CarolinaPetanque Open tournament held at Miller Park on April 21, 2012:

Third place(s)--  Walt Elder and Estefania Valenzuela Mochon
                           Augustin Quilici and Marc Quilici

Runners Up--  Khalid Mesbah and Larry Hendrix

2012 Champions--  Gary Jones and Shirley Jones

One more from our recent Texas trip

At Pease Park, from left: Jo, Wiiliam (seated), Michael, Rick, Shirley, and Gary.