It’s amazing how life can return to “normal” so quickly after a trip. We hit the ground running Tuesday morning, doing laundry, yard work, grocery shopping, car washing and vacuuming, and updating iPhones, iPads, and the computers; the latter seemed like it took forever. The heat and humidity was NOT a welcome relief, and it seems like summer extends longer each year, now through September. We both quickly signed up for golf with our respective groups. Regrettably, the Hot Springs Village pickleball courts are being resurfaced after only three years—the relatively new, expensive surface had begun to separate from the concrete pad!

Kay helped facilitate the Lady Duffers scramble Wednesday morning, and hung out at the pool in the afternoon. I worked on photos from our recent trip, and organizing and re-editing them was a bug chore.

On Thursday, I joined seven other hot and sweaty photographers from the HSV Camera Club at the Union Pacific railroad crossing of the Saline River in Benton, Arkansas. Our purpose for being there was to photograph the “Big Boy” locomotive. “Big Boy 4014” was delivered to the Union Pacific Railroad in December 1941. It is 132 feet long and weighs 1.2 million pounds. In order to negotiate curves, it is articulated (hinged) because of its length. It has 14 wheels! Here are some photos.

I almost forgot to mention that we are traveling again in a few days, this time by air, auto, and ship. The trip will be in two segments, the first being a land tour of parts of western Washington and Oregon—another “life list” item. More to come in future posts.