The Shadows of the Wickets

My Grandpa had the patience of Job, very quiet, steady man, he was gentle by nature.  He and my Grandmother had a croquet court up west of the garage, well tended grass, short mowed, with a hand pushed reel mower.  I can still see him in silhouette against the evening sun, with his fedora hat on,  mowing that grass.

I don't know where his faith in me came from, to say it was misplaced would be an understatement.  But when I was 2 he decided to teach me to play croquet.  It was in the early morning, I can vaguely remember because of where the shadows were on the grass from the wickets and stakes.

There is a fine art to this game, and it is meant to be played at a leisurely pace.  When your ball has ended up too close to someone elses' ball to fully strike it in the direction you want to go, you can place your foot on the other ball firmly, and strike it to knock your ball forward toward the wicket.

Okay, this is why I say my Grandpa was the most patient man I have ever known in my life.  He was taking the time to tell me and show me all the finer inner workings of the game, and to demonstrate how one did that.  There is no telling actually how long he took to go through the moves, line the balls up and give me an opportunity to 'play through', same as in golf.

I can remember trying to take all of it in, I so wanted to please him and make my Grandpa proud of me, the smiles and laughs we shared that day are part of the kaleidoscope of memories I treasure.

And only one of the reasons I miss him so.
From Wikipedia:

The American rules version of croquet – another six-wicket game – is the dominant version of the game in the United States and is also widely played in Canada. It is governed by the United States Croquet Association. Its genesis is mostly in association croquet, but it differs in a number of important ways that reflect the home-grown traditions of American "backyard" croquet.
Two of the most notable differences are that the balls are always played in the same sequence (blue, red, black, yellow) throughout the game, and that a ball's "deadness" on other balls is carried over from turn to turn until the ball has been "cleared" by scoring its next hoop. Tactics are simplified on the one hand by the strict sequence of play, and complicated on the other hand by the continuation of deadness. A further difference is the more restrictive boundary-line rules of American croquet.^[21]
In the American game, roqueting a ball out of bounds or running a hoop out of bounds causes the turn to end, and balls that go out of bounds are replaced only nine inches from the boundary rather than a yard as in association croquet.^[21] "Attacking" balls on the boundary line to bring them into play is thus far more challenging.