The Plateau

Great player (and newest Grand Master - kudos!), Greg, says that all players, old and new, bad and good go through a series of steps up and then have to walk miles across a flat plateau before finding another step up.  After rolling along through 2010 with an average of about 10 points a month, August, so far, has brought almost 1 whole MP.  I'm trying not to whine too much at the club so I decided to whine to the blog and spare my playing friends and partners.  Husband/partner is whining louder, although he is now 3 points or so ahead me and, I don't think, has any reason to complain.  We have played with a number of different partners and together but with less than stellar results.  I feel like those commercials that have the big, giant arrows with flashing neon lights, and the arrows are pointing directly at me "THE PROBLEM". 

Husband/partner and I decided to play 2 over 1 to jump start our game and it seemed to work for a while.  However, when the rain stopped here in San Antonio, our points became as drought ridden as our grass.  However, here is the good news folks.  I have always been a big believer in omens.  Latin scholars (4 years in high school qualifies in my book) are big on omens.

All summer and for the past 4 summers since I started putting up hummingbird feeders, we have had one little brown hummer who comes to the feeder every year and fights off any other hummer which dares to get near his food source.  Our friends and neighbors have tons of hummers at their feeders but not us.  Here is my omen.  Ready?  We looked at the patio feeder after dinner and there were hummers swarming the thing.  One was a ruby throat in full, red throated, glorious color.  The others were the usual black chins but also starting to get their mating colors with the purple collar band.  There were 6 of them or so doing acrobatics, running each other off the food source, sucking at the flowers, and otherwise doing the things that make them so much fun to watch.

So, this is the first swarm of probably migrating hummers we have ever seen in our yard.  Maybe a swarm of masterpoints will follow tomorrow when I play with my friend and new director Paula.  Stay tuned.