As much as I enjoyed myself at the garden, I wasn't ready to leave the park. I walked nearly a half-mile east before finding myself at the lawn bowling greens on Wednesday afternoon. Eager to learn more about the game, I took advantage of the free lesson being offered by the local club.
The instructor explained the rules and showed me how to roll the bowl (an asymmetrical black ball) as close to the jack (a small white ball) as possible. I stood on the mat and tossed the bowl forward, watching it roll down the rink. My opponent -- who also came for a free lesson -- followed suit, and we played several matches.
Our lack of experience showed as my bowls landed in the ditch and his bowls passed the boundary markers. After more than an hour, we called it quits -- with yours truly emerging as the loser. Since becoming the next Sir Francis Drake wasn't in my future, I made my way to the birthplace of the hippie movement.
