Though we didn’t do anything unusual or extravagant, this reporting period saw us really busy. Gardening was a high priority. We worked lots of hours trimming shrubs, and neatening up various be in front, chipping shrub trimmings for mulch, and adding plants to the butterfly garden.
A couple of “first of year” bird species made an appearance. “Our” Green Heron arrived on Wednesday, April 24, and should remain here for the rest of the season. This will be the tenth year that this bird and/or members of its family have been here almost daily during the season. Here’s a photo.
Green Heron on our shoreline
And then early Thursday morning, April 25, a couple of Baltimore Orioles came by to check out the hummingbird feeder. We immediately put out an orange half and they decimated it; so, we put out another. And then, after they ate all of its pulp, we bought a bag, but the ensuing orange halves were never touched. They left our place on Sunday morning, April 27. I was never able to get a good photograph, but here’s one from April 28, 2018, when a number of Baltimore Orioles were visiting enmass for about a week.
Baltimore Oriole hanging out in a nearby tree
In addition to gardening and picture taking, most of the days during this reporting period were filled with golf and pickleball.
Kay golfed Wednesday morning, though she did not have a great round, and I played the Diamante Pickleball Ladder in the afternoon, playing better than previously.
She then played pickleball with the Peaches at Diamante on Thursday morning, and I played golf with the guys on Thursday afternoon. Golf with these guys is always lots of fun. In fact, our Tuesday and Thursday golf games and Hole 19s are my favorite activities of the week!
Carolina Chickadees are one of the most popular subjects I photograph, and on Friday, April 18, one posed just long enough for a couple of portraits. (If you want to see more detail, just click on each photo.)
Saturday was without any planned activities, and after a couple of Ruby-throated Hummingbird photos,
a short excursion to Middle Fork Barrens was in order. Many of the target wildflowers were in the final days of their bloom, a few butterflies flitted about, and even a dragonfly landed on a nearby stone.
Easter Sunday was uneventful, and then on Monday, it was back to our regular routines of pickleball—Kay at Diamante while I played at Desoto HSV courts.
A group of Spotted Sandpipers flew though across the lake on Tuesday morning, landing on a neighbor’s rocked bank. These are the first we’ve observed in the neighborhood.
Around lunch, we drove to Bald Knob to watch Ridge compete in a junior high track meet (he’s only in the 7th grade). Prior to the meet, Kay and I had footlong chili cheese slaw dogs at the Bulldog Cafe and Kay topped her’s off with their famous strawberry shortcake. The food was okay, but not near as good as we remember. At the track meet, Ridge did well and had good times, and we were delighted to visit with BIL Gerald and niece Lisa, who met us at the meet.
Kay played golf on Wednesday morning with the Duffers, and shot a really good game with great drives and putts. While she played golf, I took a few photos and then played in a couple of pickleball ladders at Diamante. We were both pretty tired Wednesday evening.
After bunches of rain, it began to dry on Sunday afternoon, allowing play on most golf courses and on the outdoor pickleball courts. Our “Old Men” group reformed and we played some challenging pickleball Monday morning at the DeSoto courts in the Village. It was obvious that a number of us were rusty, but got better as the morning progressed. After pickleball, we drove to Vilonia to watch Ridge participate in a track meet. That kid has a huge heart and outran the closest competitors in both the 4X100 and 4X400 relays despite being significantly behind when he received the baton running the last leg of both relays. While he didn’t win any of the dashes or hurdles, he made a good showing.
The golf courses were too wet—cart path only—resulting in most of our group cancelling Tuesday afternoon golf. On Wednesday morning, Kay played on a wet Coronado golf course; play was slow and tough. And at home, a few birds fed at the seed feeders, yielding photographs of mostly American Goldfinches with a Carolina Chickadee thrown in.
The Diamante Pickleball Ladder welcomed a full house on Wednesday afternoon with two times: 12 noon and 1 PM; I played both, some 7 or 8 games and while loads of fun, it wore me out. Kay also played after the grueling 9 holes of golf, and said she would never do the two on the same day again. And then on Wednesday evening we hosted a Hand and Foot tournament; Gary and Jolene, Janice and Harlan, Helen and Don, Bev and Ron, Marcia and Norm, and Kay and I played. No one was allowed to partner with their spouse. Janice and I came in 6th, but we’ll do better next time.
Kay did The Book Club on Thursday and I played golf. She followed up with pickleball on Friday afternoon while I played Saturday morning with some of my favorite people—Stephanie, Sue, and Gayle; it was like old times when the “Chicks” played everyday. Kay and I sure packed in a lot of activities this week. And then temperatures in the low 80s prompted a visit to Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area to chase butterflies and dragonflies. A few butterflies paused long enough for photos, but the wind kept most in the air.
No dragonflies were observed clinging to shrubs or limbs, or on the ground for that matter. A few wildflowers were evident, though the Fire Pink I was hunting could not be found.
We were both sore and tired from the week’s activities, but we wanted to play golf Sunday afternoon. Helen and Don Baggett joined us for a very windy nine holes at Grenada followed by dinner at the Granada Grill. Golf was painful, i.e. we both played poorly, food was good, and company was great!
Pickleball Monday was with the old men’s group at DeSoto. Don, Tom, Ed, and I played and had a great time. Kay played pickleball with her “Peaches” group at Diamante. Upon returning home, I took a few photos of birds in the back “yard”, and was happy to get two species that do not frequent the feeders: a Pine Siskin and a House Finch.
American GoldfinchPine SiskinHouse Finch
While Kay played pickleball Tuesday with the “Peaches” group at Diamante, I played golf at Magellan. It was not my best game, though the G&T afterwards was great.
Collection of trails and greenway quotes, terms, acronyms, tools as well as trail publications and presentations and 100s of photos from my bicycle and hiking adventures. .
This journal was begun several years ago, and reflects an accurate record of each day fished. Please enjoy it, and remember that fish are too valuable to be caught just once, and the places they live are too valuable to be mistreated.
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