TODAY IN THE OLD WEST

I didn't see a snake as I did two weeks ago on the golf course. Somehow my ball found its way into the desert at the TPC Desert Course. As Caroline and I were searching for it, I rustled up a big snake, slick with diamond shapes on his snake body.

I checked for rattles and finding none walked over closer to get a better look. He was a couple of inches wide and maybe five feet long. I called to Caroline who was searching a shrub for my errant tee shot. Surprisingly she wasn't quite as enamored by it. and only gave a prefunctory look in my direction.

Later in the week, I found out that sometimes rattlesnakes lose their rattles, so you have to check the head, too. I had, but I just assumed no rattler. And while I wasn't armed like the pin guy in the picture, I did carry a five iron with me for protection and availablility in case I found my sliced drive. I didn't.

I also didn't see a javelina (wild pig) as I had seen a couple of Friday nights ago. Actually I saw two eating cacti at a friend's house. Now those are tough porkers. But there were none visible at Phantom Horse today. We didn't even see any horses today.

What my buddy, Bob and I saw was a marshall who was helpful. Many times in Arizona they drive around, stop to talk and ask you how things are going, but they rarely try to hurry up slow golfers in front of you. But today, Allen the marshall gave us mango scented cold towels to help with the 95 degree temperature. He even refreshed them once for us taking our dirty sweat soaked towels and dipping them in ice water scented with mangoes. Now that's a good marshall.

Just another reason to love the Old West.