I was able to resume all activities Sunday, with no restrictions.  Of course, the heart “thingy” is always at the back on one’s mind!  We were off to church and Sunday school, and had lunch with friends, Al and Gaye.  With lots of sunshine, we opted for a Lake Norfork visit, and invited friend Sandy along.  None of us got into the water, but we sure enjoyed the serenity and peacefulness, except for the jet skis!

Early Monday morning I swept off the road in front of our property, removing gravel and debris deposited recently from a neighbor “attempting” to grade the shoulders, which by the way, were already in great shape.  Chunks of “chip and seal” had been removed from the road, and along with chips, gravel, and dust, we had a mess.  Regrettably, just a few hours after this hard, sweaty work, the private party repeated the unauthorized work, and redeposited “chip and seal”, gravel, and dust.  Oh well, a problem for someone else—I don’t need the stress!  Kay had an appointment with the dentist for cosmetic work, and was off to Calico Rock.  A pair of twin fawns enjoyed nibbling away at parts of Kay’s plants, but we so enjoyed watching them play and cavort.  Also today we saw lots of birds, and several butterflies were taking advantage of the flowering shrubs and annuals; this is the most activity we’ve had since mid-April.  No unusual birds were observed, though we did see the following butterfly species:  Zebra Swallowtail, Great Spangled Fritillary, and Silvery Checkerspot; the Great Spangled Fritillary, shown in the photograph, was a lifer for me.  The afternoon proved to be the perfect time for a long nap, and we both partook.  Kay drove into Mountain Home for band practice, and I enjoyed a quiet evening at home.  The following photos show a Great-spangled Fritillary, American Lady, Pipevine Swallowtail, 

Tuesday was haircut day for me, and with what little hair there is, it didn’t take long.  After the clip, clip, snip, snip, and brush off, I drove to Big Creek to hit golf balls.  It was a bit strange and anxious returning to the scene of the heart “issue”, and that’s my excuse for not hitting the ball well!  And, I had made such progress—oh well, two steps forward, one and a half steps back.  With hot temps and sunny skies, we enjoyed a “swim” in Lake Norfork, wonderful at 86°.  A TV night followed dinner, catching up on recorded programs.

Friend Al Vekovius met me at the house Wednesday morning for fishing on the Norfork River.  We last fished together some 9 months ago in mid-October, 2013.  This trip proved to be less successful than the last, though we both had a great time and caught enough fish to make it interesting.  Our timing was impeccable as we barely made it to the bank before fast rising water consumed the river.  The clouds rolled in, and the skies darkened as a thunderstorm struck mid-afternoon, dropping about an inch of much needed rain, and bringing in cool temperatures once again.  An appointment with Dr. Robinson in late afternoon was uneventful, and he said to come back next year—excellent!  Perhaps because of the wading, I was very tired in the evening, mostly sleeping through a television program we were watching, and then went to bed at 8:30 PM.

Kay and I went into Mountain Home Thursday morning mainly to hit a bunch of golf balls.  I felt great—better than in a long time.  Perhaps the stents are making a noticeable difference!  Jenny called late afternoon to let us know they were visiting this weekend—what a great treat.  We had intended to travel to Memphis to wish Harper a happy 2nd birthday, but now we can do it at our house!  In the evening, Al and Gaye and Bruce and Joan came over and we all traveled to Lake Norfork for an evening on the water, watching the sunset and enjoying a great visit.

With an impending visit from Harper, Jenny, and Brian, we drove back into Mountain Home on Friday morning for food.  Back at  home, we unpacked and stored the groceries, and I began to feel sore and ache in the heart and chest area.  It was scary after last week, but the discomfort was much different.  In addition, a dry cough has developed.  Apparently, I overdid it at the golf course on Thursday morning, and the cough is a side affect of having the stents inserted.  The ache and soreness did not get better, and I continued to feel worse.  We had “new” butterflies visiting the Butterfly Bush and Lantana, and they presented themselves for a few photos.   Jenny, Harper, and Brian arrived just after 10 PM, and Kay had prepared them a scrumptious late dinner.  After eating and visiting, we all went to bed a little late.

Sleeping in was the order of the day on Saturday.  I was up first, then Harper, then Kay, then Jenny, and finally Brian.  I heard pitty patty footsteps on the stairs, looked around, and there was Harper.  She was smiling and said, “DD”.   Harper loves the out of doors, and was out the patio door and away so fast we could hardly keep up with her.  She’s a climber, and and adventurous little girl.  We all lounged around all morning, spending family time on the patio watching Harper try to blow bubbles, then went to Lake Norfork—this proved to be the hottest day of the year, so far.  After motoring to a quiet cove, Brian was off in the kayak exploring and free diving while the rest of us hung out in and around the pontoon.  Harper fell asleep to the rocking of the pontoon as we slowly motored around in circles, despite fighting nap time for about 30 minutes, and was soon followed by her mother.  After lots of sun and water, we ate dinner (grilled salmon, rice, vegetables, and salad).  Jenny and Brian had S’mores around a campfire, and Kay and I retired early. 

We were all up early Sunday, though not by choice.  Kay was off to church and I visited with Jenny, Harper, and Brian, saying goodbye about 10 AM.  Kay and I cleaned house, washed clothes, and rested.  Bill and Bootsie, next door neighbors, came by for a visit, and we enjoyed catching up.  A few butterflies posed for photos in the hot air, and we began getting ready for our next adventure.  This photo is a Silver-spotted Skipper.

After all the “excitement” the past several days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were pretty low key.  There had been lots of plans for doing work around the house as we were experiencing record cool weather for July, but these obviously got postponed since I could not lift anything over 5 pounds.   The painter did finish drywall repair and painting in the great room and master bedroom, and it looks great.  Kay had another wellness checkup Thursday.  We resumed the DASH diet, and sure enough, my blood pressure is dropping like a rock, and we’ve both lost weight.  Otherwise, not a lot happened around our place in the woods!

P.S.  The reality has begun to set in as to the seriousness of the heart “issue”, and how blessed I was to survive with little to no damage.  The good Lord just burdened me to go to the ER, and great medical staff and docs were available to monitor and act—nothing in the ER indicated a heart attack or problem, rather enzymes from blood taken at 3 AM Tuesday morning indicated potential for blockage and Dr. Robinson, my super primary care doc, texted Dr. Camp, my cardiologist, who quickly cancelled stress tests in lieu of performing heart catherization and then inserting stents.  One of the few advantages of living in this area is that everyone knows everyone, particularly in the medical community.  And Kay had known Dr. Robinson’s parents before he was born, and Dr. Camp and his family go to our church, and were in a Sunday school class we taught.  So, it wasn’t like perfect strangers were caring for me.  Thank you, Lord.

The weeds have been temporarily tamed, bird and deer feeders are filled, and a sense of normality has returned, at least for the time being.

Kay and I began the DASH ( Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Monday.  This diet, named the No. 1 diet by US News and World Report the last 4 years was advised by my doctor to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.  We’re going one step further using the DASH weight loss diet, an hope to drop a few pounds as well as lower the two metrics mentioned above; thus far, I’ve been medicine free for the last couple of years, and this should greatly facility this trend.  Starting the diet proved to be difficult as I fished with long time fishing buddies, Ed and John.  This was my first time to fish in 2014.  We fished the reach from Lower Rim Shoals to above Ranchette Access.  We began fishing near the power lines, drifting downstream, and I was into fish immediately, catching the first 3 for the day. And then John struck, with a large 18+ inch brown.  I caught a couple more fish, as did John.  Ed and I switched off, as I was suffering from an overbearing headache that began early morning.  Ed and John proceeded to catch fish—lots of fish—the rest of the day, with several browns being brought to the net.  Kay spent part of the day in Mountain Home for her annual physical.  We both are relatively healthy, particularly for our ages, and we thank the good Lord for that.  With warm temperatures and the lake at 83°, we uncovered the pontoon and stowed the cover for the next few weeks, enjoying a couple of hours of floating in Lake Norfork.

Kay visited Dr. Lane in Calico Rock on Tuesday morning for a dental appointment; she has had a sensitive tooth for several months.  He applied a topical treatment, and she should be in good shape in a few days.  Lake Norfork beckoned us again in Tuesday afternoon, and we invited John and Sandy, but John had hurt his back a few days ago, and they could not make it.  The water was deliciously refreshing.  Kay received a surprise call from Lynn Charlesworth, one of our neighbors in the RGV.  Lynn and Clint live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and we’ve known them for 3 years now.  They are an integral part of Circle 3, and lead and assist with a lot of our activities—they are good folks!  Kay and Lynn caught up on all of the “goings on” of folks who enjoy our daily 4 PM palapa time in the Valley.

Kay again visited the medical clinic on Wednesday morning for a blood workup, and stayed in town for a haircut.  The morning found me fishing the Norfork River for the first time in over 9 months.  After walking in and fishing briefly near the private access, I connected with neighbor, John Igleheart.  Fish were “midging” at Mill Dam Eddy, but hard to catch, with only 4 bing taken.  John and I opted to walk upstream to the riffle above the island.  Fish were sipping on the surface of the tailout, and we both caught lots of fish.  We enjoyed a phone conversation with Regi and Jim Miles of Fredricton, New Brunswick Wednesday evening before heading off the the lake.  Regi and Jim are our next door neighbors for 4 months at Bentsen Palm Village RV Park in the Rio Grande Valley.  Our Canadian friends mean so much to us, and it’s quite nice to communicate with them in the summer.  John accompanied us to the lake, and we all enjoyed the refreshing water and conversation.

John Igleheart and I fished again Thursday.  Fog hung over the river for an extending period of time this morning.  It was not a repeat of yesterday, but we both caught fish, mine mostly using dry flies.  Kay and I hit golf balls in the late afternoon, and she is hitting the ball remarkably well, and spending quite a bit of time working on pitching and chipping—now, she’ll beat me even worse.

About mid-morning Friday, the doorbell rang, and Ridge came up the stairs hollering for DD and KK.  We had not expected them until Friday evening, but welcomed the early arrival.  We sat on the patio while Ridge played, and spotted a rare Baltimore Oriole near the bird feeding station.  This was our second “rare” bird to visit Dunnhill this week, including the immature male Summer Tanager earlier.  After a brief visit, his dad drove up the hill to meet up with his dad from Illinois and some friends for White River boat fishing.  Ridge, Karyn, Kay, and I suited up and drove to Lake Norfork for some great time floating and mostly splashing in the refreshing water.  Ridge was reluctant to come into the water, but once in, he splashed and kicked for about an hour straight.  He especially liked being towed under the anchored pontoon boat by his KK.  We returned to the house for the rest of the afternoon, until he and Karyn left to visit with Ridge’s other grandfather.  They returned about 9 PM and we all retired for the evening.

Up early Saturday morning, Kay, Karyn, and Ridge were off to Mountain Home for the Farmer’s Market and other shopping while I prepared for a few hours’ fly fishing with Karyn.  Upon their return, Karyn and I donned wading gear and walked in at Mill Dam Eddy.  A slight flog hung over the water resulting in few hatches and fish not rising.  These conditions persisted most of the morning.  We waded upstream along the left descending bank of the island, and fished the riffle below the plunge pool along the island with no success.  Wading further upstream, we fished the riffle formed by the plunge pool, and Karyn succeeded in a half dozen hook-ups and long distance releases, including a couple really nice browns.  Further upstream, in the tailout of the riffle above the island, fish were occasionally rising, but wouldn’t take the Pink Cockleburr.  We waded back downstream and fished the plunge pool again, with limited success.   Ridge took a 3-hour nap, awaking mid-afternoon full of energy among 3 tired adults!  We lounged around the house, staying out of the oppressing heat.  Karyn made monkey bread for the guys (her hubby, his father, and her hubby’s friends) up the hill, we had dinner, and she and Ridge drove off to visit them for a short while.  We received shocking news late in the evening from Sandy who texted that KTLO reported the death of Dennis Charbonneau as a result of a motorcycle accident—he hit a deer—on Push Mountain Road.  Dennis and his wife, Debbie, were our builders, and the most ethical, honest contractor with whom I have ever dealt (40+ years of construction)!  Dennis was 66, and an overall great guy.  His accident and death really shook us to the bone and we went to bed very unsettled by this tragedy.

After a restless night, we were up early Sunday; Ridge slept in.  This proved to be a busy day for us.  We said goodbye to Karyn and Ridge, and were off to church.  Back home for a brief breakfast, we drove to central Arkansas for my niece’s wedding.  She raised an outstanding son and Down-syndrome daughter as a single parent, making the necessary relationship sacrifices along the way.  As the younger of the two reached adulthood, she began dating again and met the love of her life—well deserved!  We arrive back home late afternoon, and Kay took food to Debbie Charbonneau and I tidied up the house before hitting the sack just before dark.  Maybe when the house sells, we’ll have a normal week!

We arrived home yesterday, Sunday, to find the house in great shape thanks to housekeeper Louann, but the deer and bird feeders were empty and weeds had overtaken the place.  Consequently, the first order of business was to fill the feeders, and then eliminate as many of the weeds as possible without impacting the shrubs and flowers.  A healthy dose of Roundup combined with weed eating and pulling and hoeing Monday and Tuesday did the trick.  Deer, turkeys, and birds immediately began feeding, and we saw our first Summer Tanager at our place.  We drove to Springfield via Branson on Wednesday for shopping at the outlet mall in Branson and to have scheduled maintenance performed on the Honda in Springfield.  Of course, the trip to Springfield included a visit to Sam’s Club.  We returned to performing chores on Thursday, and we celebrated Independence Day quietly at home, just the two of us—no fireworks, hamburgers, or hot dogs, just recuperating from all the soreness!  With unseasonably cool weather, Saturday provided a great opportunity to wash the motorhome, and begin the two-day waxing job.  At least, the roof got a much needed wax job; the rest of the motorhome awaits.  Now that the weeds are mostly gone, and the motorhome washed and partially waxed, maybe we can “play” a little.  During the course of the week, in between all the homework, Kay and I went to Big Creek Golf and Country Club (we’re not members) for Kay to hit a few golf balls and practice her short game and me just to hit golf balls.  It’s a very nice golf course, rated among the nation’s best under 25,000 rounds, but we got spoiled last month in Hot Springs Village where the courses and practice facilities are superb.  As for “practice”, Kay constantly reminds me that improving one’s golf game is a process, not an event.  We returned to our “home” church Sunday morning, glad to see everyone for a few weeks before our next trip to the Village.  After spending a quiet, restful afternoon at home, we were dinner guests on John and Sandy, along with Ed.  Laughter and great food were in plentiful supply.