Men in Black at Perth

What's really needed here are some captions. Top: Hans Wuthrich is saying to Paul Martin, "The difficult I can do today, the impossible may take me until tomorrow." Middle: Gordon Muirhead is thinking, "If I just shut my eyes for a moment, perhaps the situation might get better." Above: Hammy is saying, "Well Tom, there's two things you can do......."

I wasn't really intending to blog from up here in Perth - I don't really get as much chance as I would like to sit down and really watch good curling games - but I thought perhaps you might like to get a feel of what it is like here! So here are some photos and a couple of thoughts.

The opening games of the men's qualifying competition saw David Murdoch draw the one foot to count two at the second end of his game against Warwick Smith. Two at the sixth gave the Murdoch side a 4-1 lead and control of the game.

Brewster edged a Muirhead stone away in the second end of their game, for a 3-1 lead, but the game was broken open in the fourth. With lots of stones in play, and a time clock no longer working due to 'operator error', Duncan Fernie played a howler, removing his own stone and leaving Brewster a hit for a four. He could not have done it better had he been playing last stones for Team Brewster. Tom played the hit perfectly, and 7-3 up, the result was not in doubt.
Peter Loudon is in the Muirhead side in place of Graeme Prentice.

Hans Wuthrich and Paul Martin are making the ice, and the rink has new stones this season. Is it playing well enough? Early days yet.

Pat Eddington is the Chief Umpire.

And 'Men in Black'! Three of the men's teams are dressed in black. Only Team Brewster are in something colourful, with red tops. Curling is a colourful game. You would not think so with so many players dressed as if they were going to a funeral!

OK, so I'm getting old and crabitty! Right, I'm off to watch the curling.