You know it's going to be a different kind of day when you see a cow trotting down the street avoiding traffic.

Not that there's that much traffic in Utopia, but at least two or three cars and trucks were stopping to keep from hitting the cow, who was acting like he -- or she -- owned the road.

I've had a couple of rough days recently, but there is something basically wonderful about knowing that you're on your way to spending a day on the golf course. At home I play maybe once a month with my friends Mick and Chuck, but today was my second Thursday in a row on the course getting a different kind of exercise as a break from my routine at Rancho Cortez.

[caption id="attachment_509" align="alignright" width="300" caption="A Utopian cow"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Texas-104.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-509" title="Texas 104" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Texas-104-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption]

As much as I'm benefitting from the exercise, I have been in almost constant pain of one sort or another for the last week or so. I can't complain. I am within breathing distance of reaching my major goal of losing 50 pounds in two months, but I'm definitely paying the price for it.

So today I took a break from my hiking -- averaging 8 miles a day for the first three days this week -- and decided to play golf.

<em>Did you walk the course?</em>

Yes and no. I used a cart, but my exercise monitor still said I took about 11,000 steps in the six hours or so I played.

As much as I enjoy playing with my friends, there's one wonderful benefit of playing alone that I have been really enjoying. When I don't have to talk with anyone else, I put my ear buds in, hook up my iPod and listen to music the whole time.

It's a wonderful feeling to be on the course, looking up at the bright blue Texas sky and be listening to music at the same time.

Of course I also keep my notebook with me and try to think profound thoughts. So many things have been coming to me lately, the times I fail to have my little notebook along and use it are few and far between.

Sorry if this sounds goofy, but today one of the notes I made was about how being on a golf course on a beautiful day almost seems to cleanse my soul.

I felt so much better, and I played OK too. The one round I finished, I shot an 88, which is pretty good for me. I also birdied the par five fifth hole both times I played it, and barely missed a 15-foot putt that would have given me my first eagle ever.

Life is good, and the problems that have been bothering me the last couple days seem so much more bearable.

I hope the cow made it home OK.