Cousin Shelley and Jeff came for a visit Thursday evening; Shelley is a sweetheart, and one of, if not, the youngest cousins in the huge Dunn clan. The last time we saw her was eleven years ago. We spent several hours catching up until the late hours of the evening.

After a light breakfast of coffee and Kay’s homemade lemon blueberry scones on Friday morning, we drove to the Hot Springs Village pickleball courts where Shelley and Jeff witnessed their first game. After that, we did a short walk on Hot Spring Village’s Cedar Creek Trail.

Wildflowers and birds were everywhere, though only the wildflowers posed for photographs. Mayapples, Dwarf Crested Irises, and Spiderwort covered the forest floor.

Other blooms were scattered hither and yon.

Even Dog Vomit Fungus was observed (you can’t make this stuff up)!

And not to leave a bad taste in your mouth (pardon the gross pun), an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail stopped for an overhead shot.

Lunch was at Caddy’s, followed by a visit to Hot Springs National Park. It was a delightful time at the national park, and my first time to see Bath House Row up close and personal. The old carriage paths and trails were awesome, and warrant another visit, as does the Superior Bathhouse Brewery (a craft brewery).

The full day was wrapped up with a Molly O’Brien’s pizza and more telling of family secrets.

Saturday morning was a time for chillin’. A big breakfast of eggs, Southern fried potatoes, bacon, and English muffins was followed by more family stories. Shelley and Jeff departed shortly after noon. We so enjoyed their visit, and hopefully can see each other again before crossing to the other side.