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I would also include Jack and Phil as among the greatest "sportsmen" in golf.

I did also appreiate Novak's speech after Murray beat him at Wimbledon (though I don't watch tennis - even when I played a lot, watching it only made me want to go and play).

Yes, I thought that Novak's speech on that occasion was great; it showed him to be a true gentleman and a good "sport".

I keep thinking today is Friday!

Hi, Rusty!
Oh dear, it sounds as though your man Rickie is having a very "off" day!
I shall be glad when the Athletics season gets going, and cannot wait to watch more tennis, too.
(Now that I can access tennis via the red button, I do fortunately have wider options!)
I only play tennis now with the boys - who are learning how to play, and hopefully enjoying it.
I do miss it - time was when I played almost every day!
The dog is limping.......she is still putting all four feet on the ground but bears down slightly on the front right leg. I think the problem may lie with her front left leg or foot, although it is difficult to tell as she doesn't wince or yelp when we examine her.
We shall see how she is on the morning walk tomorrow.......
Raining on and off here!

Hello, Elle!
Rickie had a horror!
He has been getting a lot of abuse on Twitter, he said.
He replied that today did not go to plan and he will be back tomorrow doing his best. And...."that he was always taught if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
I like Rickie. He's one of the good guys.
They love him in Oklahoma!
Poor doggie. Maybe has something in her footpad?

Hi, Rusty!
I do so agree with Rickie about staying quiet if you do not have anything nice to say about someone!
I well remember being taught that as a child - and I tried to install the same principle into my own children.
Another 'saying' I remember from my childhood is "I want, doesn't get"!!
No, as far as I can tell, the dog doesn't have anything in her paws - this morning, we washed her feet in warm water, felt carefully between her pads, and also went all over her legs inch by feeling for tenderness.
Nothing in her footpads.
No reaction to touching her limbs.
All I can think is that she may have stepped on something sharp, or even strained a muscle, that has caused a little soreness when she walks?
It doesn't appear to affect her when she runs though?
We shall keep an eye on her.
Let's hope Rickie has a better day tomorrow!

Hello, Elle!
Hope Rickie plays better, yes.
Do you know that on the last day (Sunday) of each tournament Rickie dresses head to toe in orange, the colours of his college, Oklahoma State?
His maternal grandfather is Japanese and his maternal grandmother is a Navajo Native American. I think there is a good mix on the paternal side too.
Doggie could well have had a tiny cut.
Hopefully she shall be fine in a day or two.
Sam Waley-Cohen did not have a ride in the National, so his father has bought one of the runners (£90,000) so now Sam has a ride.
There is something not quite right about that.

Good morning, Rusty!
A lovely but very cold day here!
Great walking weather!
The fallen trees in the park are now cordoned off with tape , so presumably the tree-cutters and shredders are coming to deal with them today.
Dog is still limping slightly at times, but it doesn't seem to bother her........she still runs about very fast.
I'll give it over the weekend, see how it goes.....
I don't like the sound of Sam W-C's father having bought one of the entered race horses in order that his son might ride it.....surely this now means that the jockey originally booked to race the horse has now been "bumped off" and lost the ride?
Hardly ethical, surely?
I'm surprised that you are allowed to change the details once the horse has been entered in the race?
Have you been out yet for your paper?

Good day to you, Elle!
Bit cloudy and cold here.
The tree cutters will soon get rid of the downed trees.
Sam W-C? I like that!
No, it does not sound quite the thing to do.
There was a young jockey booked to ride and now he won't.
Yes, the phrase is "jocked off".
Lester Piggott did it a lot.
Mind you, Elle, something similar happened with Queen Vic and Pacha de Poulder.
I have been out for my paper, and I needed light bulbs, or is it lightbulbs? Anyway, my daughter-in-law had previously suggested I would like a store called Home Bargains, so I went there and purchased 4 for 99 pence, which is way cheaper than ASDA.
My word to explore today is "strapping", when I get a minute.
As in "a big strapping man".
Wonder why "strapping"?
Time for a coffee!

Hi, Rusty!
Oh dear! now I don't want to spoil your pleasure in having bought cheap light bulbs......but a word of warning....!
Do you remember when we had an electrical problem recently and had to bring in a sparky?
We were having light bulbs exploding .......
We thought that we had a major wiring problem (or some such) but the electrician said that it was all due to our having bought "cheap" light bulbs!!
He said that this was becoming an increasing problem with people buying inferior bulbs from places such as supermarkets (which of course, was exactly what we had done!)
Luckily, we had uplighter shades, and so most of the exploded glass remained contained within the lampshade, but had we had the other type of shade, then the glass would have fallen sprayed out downwards onto the floor.
Dangerous!
Especially were there young children or pets about .
The sparky duly replaced our bulbs for ones of better quality and we haven't had this phenomenon happen since.
I just thought I should warn you!!
"Strapping"? I know it means big and sturdy, robust.
But I have no idea of its origin?
Coffee sounds a great idea!