Kay and I both returned to the pickleball courts Wednesday. It was my 10th day since the left knee injury. Both stamina and agility were impaired! Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were much the same with pickleball being the featured event. Saturday was “Paddle Day” at Palm Creek; Kay tried out several paddles and settled on a lightweight Selkirk AMPED EPIC. This is an extraordinary paddle and will help take her game to another level.

Our day trip of the week, Sunday, was to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. The garden blooms year round with some 50,000 plants and five thematic trails—Desert Wildflower Loop Trail, Center for Desert Living Trail, Desert Discovery Loop Trail, Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail, and Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail. Masking was strictly enforced and social distancing was acceptable considering the size of the crowd (despite reservations limiting attendance). We really enjoyed all the trails, cacti, and wildflowers.

Though the cool temps and wind kept the birds at bay, this beautiful Costa’s Hummingbird posed for us.

Of the various “gardens” in southeast Arizona, we would rate this third behind Tucson Sonoran Desert Museum (our favorite by far) and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Surprise, Arizona. We have yet to visit these this season!