Neighborhood Notes

If you've got balls -- make that petanque balls -- and no where to play, consider joining Portland's La Boule Rose Petanque club.

If you don't have petanque balls or a clue about what that is... read on.

First things first. Peh-TONK. Like bedonkydonk.

Now that you know the pronunciation, here's the scoop. Petanque is a game of boules that originated in southern France. Before you gourmands get all excited, boules are metal balls -- not bread. The object is to throw the boule as close as possible to a small wooden jack called a cochonnet. The player that gets the ball closest to the jack earns a point. The goal is to be the first player (or team) to get 13 points.

Sounds simple, right? But wait... are you a pointer or a shooter? When you point a boule, you throw it with the intent of stopping near the jack; when you shoot a boule, you throw it with the intent of hitting your opponent's boule to knock it out of play. Here are some simple techniques for beginners. For the complete lowdown on Petanque rules and techniques, visit the USA Petanque Federation.

If you're interested in learning more about Petanque, La Boule Rose meets at Jamison Square on Wednesdays, 4pm to dusk and on Saturdays at 10am.