Yes, Mark is rightfully suspicious of Ranger Shaw, as he should be. The last time, Shaw misled Mark regarding the Grungey Boys destroying office equipment in Lost Forest and his own participation. Will we eventually discover that he was given a free golf membership to not look too closely at how those greens are managed?

Of course, this coincidental phone call is a transparently weak gimmick to move the plot along. Why would Happy Trail call Mark about a golf course? I don’t think we’ve ever seen Mark golf. At least, I have no recollection. If you do, let me know. Perhaps this is a device to insert Happy Trail into this story?

And would anybody like to comment on Rivera’s use of the golf term “bogey” in panel 4? Anyway, this might give you a clue to understanding my own golf pun in today’s title.

Art Dept. Maybe Rivera should skip drawing profiles, especially for figures in the distance. Cherry looks like she is wearing a large, grotesque mask. Frankly, it’s one of the most difficult images to look at that I’ve seen.

It’s been a few years (“Something Fishy”, 2023) since we’ve seen Happy Trail. So he is back, though looking a bit ragged and less like his earlier self. Well, the 2023 Happy Trail also looks a bit different from his 2020 debut. You can go back and hunt that one out, if you wish. In any event, all of the principle Mark Trail characters have had their images change over the past several years. Rivera isn’t trying to suggest that they are all getting older (e.g. Gasoline Alley, Doonesbury); she is just changing her style as she goes. You can apply your own value judgement. But I’ll say (again) that I’m not a fan of her current presentation.