Bocce Ball

I love playing bocce ball, and it's variations (like rock golf in Jackson's park). This weekend, I was up at Graphite Bible Camp with the guys from church for our annual Men's weekend up there. On sunny Saturday afternoon, we set out, balls in hand, to prove who was the most skilled in the art of bocce.
The field was very unforgiving. There were rough patches of grass to slow down the roll. There were uneven terrain, mounds and holes, to redirect a well tossed ball. It was proving that luck was also a part of the game. But it was also proved that those with great skill seem to generate great luck.
Case in point. In addition to having a large field to play in, there were some strategically placed playground equipment, complete with wooden posts, sand traps, swingsets, fences and old tires to deal with.
This picture shows one of the more challenging 'holes'.
I think it was Brent's turn to toss the palino, and he tossed it at the tire ladder. It bounced off the top tire, and landed in the second one from the top. We cheered at his accomplishment, and with glee looked forward to the possible outcome. My first toss bounced off the structure and careened off to the left. If you look closely you can see a yellow ball a good 20 or 30 feet from the target. My second toss resulted in this, a shot that shall never be repeated:If you look closely (click the picture to enlarge), you can see the palino inside the top tire. It's a small white ball. Inside the tire below it, on the left, you can see a thin sliver of yellow. Somehow, my ball had come to rest halfway up the tire, and not rolled down to the base. It was incredible.

I'm currently considering my options. The pro Bocce circuit is enticing, but I'm not sure if I'm up for physical demands of the training requirements. For now, I'll sit at my desk and daydream about the perfect spin, the correct lob, the exact angle of approach, and the thrill of victory.