Thank goodness for Sunday; it sure provides a respite from an otherwise busy week.  After church, Sunday school, and an early lunch, we returned home to spend a quiet afternoon, reading the paper, and continuing packing for our winter in Texas.  Cold weather is fast approaching!  We had a great telephone conversation with Chuck and Sue Mercer, friends from Canada; Chuck is my bicycling partner.  They have had a busy summer as well, traveling extensively and buying a place near Edmonton, three fourths of the way across the continent from their current place of residence.  And, Chuck has battled a sinus infection for much of the summer.  Sunday evening, our good friend Ed arrived for a few days of fishing.  We are truly blessed to have such good friends.

After the recent channelization of parts of the Norfork River and scouring the bottom to bedrock, I vowed to fish the White River more via boat; fortunately, I have great friends eager to accommodate.  Ed and I launched at Sneed’s Creek Access, and motored upstream to the first building on the right (left descending bank), and began a drift downstream in near perfect water conditions in a reach I had never fished before.  Mistakenly, I had grabbed the wrong reel, but without a backup, fished with a 4-weight line on the 6-weight rod.  I tied on John’s Superfly and a Cerise San Juan Worm, and caught some fish on the Superfly.  I dropped a #20 Red/Silver Zebra Midge below the Superfly and caught fish on one, and then the other. Ed switched to a #20 Red/Silver Zebra Midge dropped below a #14 Davy’s Fly, and caught fish on both, with a predominance of fish caught on Davy’s Fly.  This section of water has a clean bottom, with several slight riffles interspersed throughout the long drift.  It was easy, and fun, to drift fish this section of the river, and is particularly conducive to low water fishing.  Ed and I ended up with about 2 dozen fish each, including 5 doubles on a great morning outing, and I  took a small Brook trout, my first on the White River.  After returning from a great morning on the White River, and Ed’s Turkey Chili for lunch, we accessed the Norfork River at Mill Dam Eddy; it was packed with people, as we counted over a dozen just from our private walk-in access.  During lunch, a light rain began and remained all afternoon, becoming heavy at times.  Nevertheless, with rain jackets made for wading, and an optimistic outlook, we tied on dry flies and began casting, but the fish were reluctant to take what we were offering. Despite the rain, Craneflies would emerge to the surface, though we did not see any fish key on the aquatic insect.  After experimenting with several patterns, the #16 Olive Cockleburr seemed to produce the best results, followed by a #14 Pink Cockleburr.  Though it wasn’t a fish on every cast, we both caught enough fish to make it interesting and worth our while, particularly on dry flies exclusively, and despite the rain.  A few small cutthroats and a brown completed my first grand slam in over a year.  All the other fishers left about 3:00 PM, and several egressed through the construction cut in the river bank and via private property which is posted; wonder if Arkansas Game and Fish Commission staff gave them permission?  Though generation was not forecast to be started until 5:00 PM, we noticed a rise in water levels at about 4:15 PM, and barely made it across the right descending channel.  Neither of us had any big fish, but we had lots of fish, ending a great day.

After our success yesterday morning, we returned to Sneed’s Creek on Tuesday morning to find similar, near-perfect water conditions.  The river was enshrouded in fog, as temperatures  overed in the high 40s.  Our first drift resulted in several fish brought to hand, mostly on the Red/Silver Zebra Midge.  On the second drift, the fog lifted as the sun burned through, but catching slowed compared to the first drift.  We also noticed a rise in water levels.  This drift seemed to favor Davy’s Fly.  AS the wind picked up and the river continued to rise, flushing slowed considerably, and the loose “junk” in the river, i.e. moss, began to catch on the flies.  Ed added weight and caught more fish; I followed with similar results, but it was nothing like yesterday.  We each ended the day with almost two dozen fish.  We had five doubles, and I had a rare brookie.  Perhaps a brown this afternoon will yield another grandslam. Not getting enough dry fly action yesterday afternoon in the rain, we returned to the Mill Dam Eddy area in the afternoon.  Generation has been ceasing about 8:00 AM, resulting in a delay of sufficiently low wadable levels until about 10:30 AM, thus aiding our decision to boat fish in the mornings.  The Norfork River was less crowded than yesterday.  Ed returned to the section of left descending side of the island near the island, and I fished Mill Dam Eddy.  Wind was gusting to about 35 miles per hour.  I struggled to catch fish, with bunches of refusals and near hook-ups.  And as the wind settled, 3 drift boats with guides and clients, and 3 kayaks came right through my drift.  I ended the afternoon with 8 or so fish, including rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout.  Ed, on the other hand, was having a great day, finding a small deep trench loaded with large trout.  He took about a dozen fish in close waters, all on dry flies, including a couple of 16-inchers and a nice 17-inch fish .  Once again, and its among many, we had a great day fishing, though he wore me out, both figuratively and literally. 

Perhaps a mistake, but we decided to fish somewhere new Wednesday morning, and fished the Rim Shoals area of the White River.  Our first drift was from Jenkins Creek downstream, and was a bust.  We continued downstream and drifted through Rim Shoals, with several fish caught.  Our next drift through Rim Shoals was less productive, and fishing slowed on each successive drift.  Our time on the water quickly passed, and we called in a day about 12:00 noon, having caught over a dozen fish each—not our best morning, but good nevertheless. 

Thursday was a “visitation” day, and began by taking the river boat in for a new cover.  We had over scheduled for the day, and had to cancel an appointment in the afternoon in order to visit some new friends who were in Mountain View for an RV rally.  We met them near the County Courthouse Square and listened to a music jam session for a couple of hours.  After departing there, we stopped by another RV park to visit cousin Lin and husband Tom, and friends Karen and Warren.  We arrived home tired from all the local travel, but assembled a new bicycle rack for the car, taking advantage of the shop in the basement.

Up early Friday morning, I drove into town to pick up the boat, and returned home to do a few chores, and Kay and I drove back into town for lunch and a visit with our financial advisor.  It proved to be fortuitous for us as we changed our checking account to one in which we had much more flexibility, and remained a “no cost” alternative.  It pays to review one’s credit cards, telephone service, satellite or cable service, insurances, and the like every year or so as the services and prices therefore constantly change.

Saturday provided time to store hoses and take care of outside stuff before first frost.  In the evening we hosted a chili supper with friends Patty, Whit, Whitten, Charlotte, Sandy, and John present.  It was a great visit, and we enjoyed hearing about Patty and Whit’s encounter with a polar bear a couple of months ago in northern Ontario.  It must have been one of the most frightening things in their lives to have a polar bear bump them in their tent on a cold, rainy night in the wilderness, and then shred the tent while they watched from only a few feet away.  Fortunately, the bear left after the guide fired warning shots.

This week was full of birthdays and/or birthday celebrations.  First, Sunday was Jenny’s day as she celebrated her 33rd birthday; I remember the night she was born as if it were yesterday.  Wednesday, Kaden celebrated his 18th birthday, and he is a very busy senior in high school with little time for anything else.  And then Saturday, Ridge celebrated his 2nd birthday a couple of days early.

We began the blog week visiting briefly with Karyn, Ridge, and Matt before they said their goodbyes and departed for home.  Ridge was up very early as were we, and we got to enjoy him for several hours before his parents got up.  We played with trucks and building blocks until daylight, and went outside and continued playing with his new trucks on the patio.  He loves to walk, and we walked down the lane to the street, and then down the street and back, logging well over a half mile.  Back at the house, we built a fire outside, his firsts.  We had a great time.  By the time he and his parents left, he was exhausted, but still grinning from ear to ear as they put him in the car seat.  He was asleep before they crossed the bridge about two miles from the house.  We had lunch with Jerry and Karen Smith at Chen’s, then went on a long pontoon ride all the way up the east arm of Lake Norfork and back, seeing lots of birds, including several bald eagles.  We also saw a few persimmon trees, somewhat foreign to Jerry and Karen; they really enjoyed the ride.

Jerry and I fished Monday morning.  As you may recall, Jerry and his wife, Karen, are full time RVers, whom we met in Alaska.  He is a retired senior regulator/biologist with the US Army Corps of Engineers. We waded in at Mill Dam Eddy, only to find the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission staff continuing their channelization of the Norfork River, having moved from the right descending bank to the island below McClellan’s, the river itself, and the bar below the island; heretofore, this had been considered sacred and hollowed fishing territory.  It is my professional and personal opinion that the greatest segment of the Norfork River has now been destroyed and rendered sterile by this state agency.  They have removed practically all structure and changed flow patterns and regimes.  Areas where I caught thousands of fish have been robbed of substrate flora and fauna. And, there is absolutely NO SCIENCE to support what is being done. I have lost all confidence in Trout Unlimited, Friends of the Rivers, and Friends of the Norfork Hatchery.  These groups have coalesced in “improving” the river to the point of ruining it for me.  Jerry, too, was amazed at what he saw, and as a former regulator, was astounded as to how this work was permitted.  We now have a great catch and kill, channelized river.  Out of protest, I published the last entry in Donald’s Fishin’ Journal after a 9-year run.

After the river debacle yesterday, I woke up Tuesday morning and felt like a great burden had been lifted, and told Kay that I was ready to fish again, after almost a year of “going through the motions.”  However, rather than fish, Karen, Jerry and I drove to Ponca and Boxley Valley, hoping to see elk and some hint of fall colors.  Enroute, we drove through Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison, but the maple trees had not yet begun to change.  The Elk Education Center in Ponca provided a restroom break, and information on the area.  As we drove through Boxley Valley, we saw two trumpeter swans and a bald eagle, but no elk.  Making our way back to the Mountain Home area, we stopped at KT’s for some great Memphis style BBQ before dropping Jerry and Karen off at the house on wheels at Denton Ferry.

Wednesday was grandson Kaden’s 18th birthday—my, oh, my but where has the time gone.  He was just a tot when Kay and I first started seeing each other.  Wednesday also marked a new beginning for me.  After the gross disappointment experienced the last several days with respect to the destruction of the Norfork River as I knew it, I rationalized that there was nothing I could do to affect the work.  And, having awakened yesterday morning with a fresh outlook, telling Kay that I was ready to fish again, my resolve was tested.  As I was preparing to suit up, a group of four fishers, 3 who were in my Sunday school class, called and asked if they could park in our driveway, as they had received permission from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to access the Norfork River via Dr. Ronnie Warner’s place, being used as a mobilization site for equipment and materials used in the river “improvements.”  Kay and I both informed them that AGFC did not have authority to grant access, and that trespassing was seriously frowned upon in the neighborhood.  I offered to take them to private access at which I had permission to use, but informed them that they were on their own to find a way back if they wanted to fish beyond 12 noon as I would be departing then.  We all accessed at Mill Dam Eddy, and I took two with me upstream, gave them flies to use, and showed them where to fish.  I waded upstream, fishing the Plunge Pool, Ace in the Hole, and the river below Otter Creek without so much as a nibble on the scud, sculpin, or zebra midge fished in different combinations.  I saw more sculpins in the river than ever before, and was surprised that the sculpin imitation did not work.  Duane Hada floated downstream in a canoe with a couple of clients, and was kind enough to paddle behind me, even though there was not much room for him to maneuver; he’s one of the rare people that have done that, and I really appreciated it.  Switching to a pink cockleburr, I fished the riffle above the island, catching several fish on top.  I waded downstream on the left descending side, but with minimum flow the river has changed course and is flowing more to the right, necessitating really long casts.  I picked up a fish here and there on the pink cockleburr in the tailout of the riffle.  Downstream, along the island, I had no success.  Just in the last couple of days, the river has scoured away all the substrate down to bedrock along the right descending bank in the vicinity of the bank protection.  At the bottom of the island, I chatted briefly with Mike Womack, and he said he had caught fish on the left descending side of the island and at the bottom of the island on #18-#22 Adams.  After he left, I caught several small fish on the pink cockleburr near the walk-in access before leaving the water., fishing with Bruce, Al, and two others

Thursday, I fished with Al Vekovious, a friend from Sunday school.  Al is retired as the Dean, LSU Shreveport, and has a PhD in mathematics.  He has an acerbic sense of humor and along with his wife, Gaye, is a real pleasure to be around. They enjoy watching many of the same British television shows that we do, and share many of our cultural values and outlook on life.  Al wanted a lesson in fishing “dry” flies, and we lucked out with a sparse cranefly hatch.  We walked in at Mill Dam Eddy on still falling water, walked up the island, crossed back to the right descending bank, and briefly fished the riffle from that side of the river. We moved to the middle of the river between the riffles, and Al began catching fish on the Pink Cockleburr. A couple came through in a canoe, and asked what we were using and when we told them a pink fly, they didn’t believe us.  Al continued to catch fish for over an hour on the Pink Cockleburr.  We waded back across to the right descending bank, and downstream where we met the young lady in the canoe.  I showed her the fly we’d been using and she said, “You really were using a pink fly.”  I gave her one and told her how to fish it.  We walked along the island to Mill Dam Eddy and Al resumed catching fish on the Pink Cockleburr.  He remarked, “You can call this Al’s Greatest Day.”  l is a very good fly fisher, but lacked experience fishing with a “dry” fly.  His abilities, in combination with the fish cooperating, made the day great for both of us.

Sunday was daughter Karyn’s birthday. Happy birthday, Karyn.

Back in a rhythm, we started the week with church, Sunday school, and lunch at Chen’s Chinese buffet. We typically eat lunch on Sunday with Bruce and Joan Burr and Al and Gaye Vekovious from church and Sunday school. We all seem to have a lot in common: same church obviously, fishing, travel, love of the outdoors, and we all enjoy watching British television via Netflix. It is fun to share that part of everyday life with others, and we discover new places to go, and shows to watch on Netflix!

You all have read about the issues with our auxiliary brake used in the Honda CR V when we tow it behind the motorhome. We did send it in, and the company promptly replaced a bad circuit board, made other modifications to bring it up to date, and shipped it back to us; so far, it works great, but the real test will be enroute to the Rio Grande Valley.

Monday morning, I hosted Michael LeBlanc for a fishing experience on the Norfork River. Mike is a son-in-law of Dick and Carolyn Todd, good friends of ours. He recently retired from the US Post Office in the Kansas City area and is an avid fly fisher. We entered the river at Mill Dam Eddy, and a sick feeling came over me as we observed a track hoe working on the right descending bank of the river adjacent to the island. And, they took out trees under which I have caught hundreds of fish.  I have fished this area so extensively that an intimate bond has been developed, and to see it altered was heartbreaking. But, as Kay says, “Turn the page.” Anyway, Michael caught lots of fish, but had to listen to my tirades all morning!  He did learn how to high stick, and use other techniques for nymph fishing, though he is an excellent fisher in his own right.

Kay and I did a major bicycle ride on Tuesday, riding from the house to the White River via Push Mountain Road, and then down along the White River and back. At 14 miles, it was Kay’s longest ride, and she did great! We really enjoy riding, meeting folks along the way, and seeing sights at a bit slower pace.

Wednesday, we had no hummingbirds at any of the feeders. Their numbers had been steadily dwindling over the last several days. Consequently, yesterday, October 8, marked their last day at Dunnhill for 2013. Typically, the hummingbirds which call Dunnhill home for the summer depart for warmer climates on October 6; however, one year it was October 7, and another it was early November. So, we expected them to depart on Sunday. This season was a good one, and there were lots of birds, second only to 2005. Also, the numbers and varieties of butterflies are dwindling, as we are only seeing a few Pipevine Swallowtails, Eastern Commas, Fritillaries, and Eastern tailed-Blues. Surprisingly, those we seem appear to be in good condition, with few “scrapes and bruises” to show for their journey south.

Friday was a special day as we got to see Jenny and Harper. Jenny’s birthday is coming up soon, and we hadn’t seen them since Harper’s birthday party on July 27. Our drive to Memphis was to celebrate Jenny’s birthday, and, of course, to see Harper. She is growing, and getting cuter, if that is possible. And, Jenny is such a good mom. Harper dances to music, and at 14 months is able to maintain a rhythm matching that of the music. And she has learned to pose for the camera with a scrunchy, pseudo smile. What a doll. She missed her morning nap, but was a real champ during our visit, including lunch at Cheddar’s and a lengthy shopping trip to Costco. Jenny texted us that she went to sleep immediately when they were leaving Costco. She talks up a storm, though we have no idea what she is saying, but can say “D”, a nickname she has adopted for me.

And then, to top off an already great week, Ridge and his folks came to visit Friday evening. He is talking up a storm, making complete sentences and adding a lot of body language such as pointing his finger at you during a conversation to make a point. While we understand some of what he says, most is not a language with which we’re familiar. He sure enjoys time with his “KK” and “DD” and rarely says one without saying the other. He loves music and has several toys that make musical sounds. And, his parents stopped in Mountain View on the way up and bought him a couple of trucks. Wow, did we ever play with them, and they talked as well. Needless to say, Dunnhill was not quiet over the weekend. Ridge also likes to walk, and enjoys the natural setting of Dunnhill. He walked to the road (accompanied) several times, and is noticing all sorts of things like dead snakes—he’s all boy. Now, if we can only “house break” him—you know what I mean (he’ll quickly become a complete country boy with a little bit of redneck thrown in).

Jerry and Karen Smith, our RVing friends from the RGV, have stopped in the area on their way south for the winter. We had a great visit Saturday, beginning with biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast, and ending with grilled chicken and vegetables for dinner, and spent most of the day on the patio enjoying beautiful fall weather, birds, and butterflies, and of course, Ridge, coming in and out of the house.

We had a very busy week, but are learning to set aside some time just for the two of us—to have a fun.

Back home almost two weeks from a previous trip, we’re somewhat back in a rhythm today with church, Sunday school, and lunch at Chen’s Chinese buffet. Monday, however, we were back at high speed with high dose flu shots at Walgreen’s, and a much coveted visit from George Laux, our brother-in-law from Richmond, Virginia. Regrettably, Kay had to attend a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, but her attendance was brief. Wayne came by to say hello, as did John and Sandy. George and I visited until 1:30 AM, catching up on family activities. After a big breakfast, George departed, and Kay followed with her monthly visit to central Arkansas.

Taking advantage of the quiet and warm weather, several butterflies were stopping by on their migration south. The following photographs are of a Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), Sachem (Atalopedes campestris), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), female Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), and a little yellow and black butterfly I need help in identifying. Interestingly, with respect to the Pipevine Swallowtail, females have a row of yellowish-white dots on the topside of their open wings, males do not. When a Pipevine Swallowtail folds its wings while it’s resting, you will see a curved row of 7 bright orange dots underneath its wings.  A very similar butterfly, the Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) has two rows of orange spots on the underside of the hind wings.

Wednesday was quiet, with nothing to account for except chasin’ butterflies. Kay returned home Thursday morning, and together we packed some items in the motorhome including a table to be used outside and folding/collapsible chairs. We also gathered other items for our winter trip to Texas, tidying up the little garage and lower front porch in the process. We spent Friday morning tidying up the patio, and had a great visit with Gary and Betty Wallis over lunch. Gary and Betty are a well-traveled couple, and we have many things in common. She and Kay worked together some time ago. We drove to near my hometown for a great visit with family, and an all school reunion—my classmates look so old! What has happened to them?

We wrapped up the blog week on Saturday, returning home in a much needed rain, and doing a lot of nothing the rest of the day.