The Royal Oak Terrain

Being skeptical of the report on the website that the Royal Oak piste was "still a bit soggy" (sorry Joe/Jeff), I ventured forth yesterday afternoon, boules in hand, in hopes of finding that the piste had miraculously dried out. After all, the weather was warm and sunny, with a bit of a breeze.

But alas! When I threw my first boule of the season out onto the piste -- a demi-portée -- instead of landing and rolling up against the cochonnet, as I'm used to seeing (ha!), it embedded itself solidly into the surface, without a single bounce.

Not to be put off so easily, I tried different sections of the piste, especially those that looked as if they'd had a chance to bake in the sun more. The best result I could come up with was with a roll shot -- the boule managed to skitter a few feet before the softness of the ground caused it to dig in and come to a premature stop. Not being content with just rolling my boules (this isn't bocce ball, after all!), I finally gave up and went home, smoothing over the boule-sized depressions that I'd just created before leaving.

So this week I'll be praying for warm, dry, and breezy weather to descend upon Royal Oak, even though the extended forecast calls for chilly weather and snow showers by the end of the week. The power of faith is not to be underestimated, however, especially when it comes to wanting to play pétanque after a long, boule-less winter!