Another uneventful few days for me was on the calendar while still recovering from a partially blown-out knee. Meanwhile, Kay continued playing pickleball and golf—Thursday was one of her pickleball days.

Having read that walking was good for a torn or partially torn knee ligament, I drove to the Riparian Preserve on Friday for a few photo opportunities. Luckily, a few “new to me” species and some not so often seen presented themselves for photos. Night herons are one of my favorites (all birds are favorites) and this one was partially concealed.

Shorebirds were actively feeding along the pond edges including a Black-necked Stilt, Long-billed Dowitcher, American Avocet, and Least Sandpiper.

Another favorite, the Snowy Egret, posed for a picture.

A now regionally famous Roseate Spoonbill, “Rosie”, was quietly resting on shrubs on a small island in one of the ponds. She has spent all winter at the Riparian Preserve.

The big find of the day and the season was a Streak-backed Oriole, a lifer and unlikely “capture”. It is a native to Central America and Mexico, and an occasional visitor to the southwestern US.

Saturday was another pickleball day fort Kay. Sunday was our turn to feed the weekly happy hour group from Arkansas. The menu was beer-cooked and grilled brats, German potato salad, sour kraut, and accompanying condiments. Good times were enjoyed by all after Sunday afternoon golf for all but me.

Monday was another pickleball day for Kay—yeah, she’s going to beat me some day—and I used the extra time to work on this blog and edit photos.

Tuesday was a special day as Ralph and Debra from Olympia, Washington, visited. Friends of Nan and George, we met them on a Viking ocean cruise to the northern capitals including Norway, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia. They had never seen Saguara National Park and we had not visited there this year, so we made a day of it, including a couple short hikes and a picnic lunch from Subway. On the return trip to Casa Grande, we stopped at Skydive Arizona and watched a planeload of daredevils jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. After happy hour, they returned to a Phoenix suburb where they spend the winter. We sure enjoyed visiting with them, and enjoy their company.