The next few days were special ones—time with another set of grandkids. We met Karyn, Ridge and Aker, and Ron and Cheryl for pizza Wednesday evening in Benton. After dinner, Ridge and Aker were handed off to us for their summer visit. Because it was late, the kids played with their tablets for an hour or so before heading to bed.

The kids woke up in a pleasant mood Thursday morning, and remained quiet and inactive for an hour or so. A quick breakfast was followed by a full day of activities. Kay and Ridge went to Diamante for pickleball while Aker and I remained at the house to water the plants and “play” outside. Ridge is becoming a formidable pickleball player, and got to play with and against the US Senior Olympic champion and Diamante Tennis pro, Geoff Hodsdon. Geoff used the opportunity to teach Ridge about the game. Aker enjoys watering the plants and admires the beautiful colors. After an active morning, the kiddos had lunch, and then were off to the pool with Kay where they had a great time. Evening came quickly, and after quieting down it was bedtime for all of us.

The grands and I traveled to Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs Friday morning after breakfast. With over 100 hands-on exhibits, there were enough activities to keep Ridge and Aker busy for a couple of hours.

The indoor cave was far and away their favorite exhibit, and they “explored” it many times during the visit. It was too hot to spend any significant time outside, but there was plenty to do otherwise. After a quick lunch, Kay and Pam took the kids to see Minions: The Rise of Gru. Upon their return, Kay and I offered to take them to the pool at Diamante, but they politely stated a preference for the beach at Lake Balboa. The beach was near empty, and as the sun faded, the breeze off of Lake Balboa provided relief from the hot conditions. The kids had a ball, and played in the lake until we drug them out well after sunset. A late dinner and bedtime followed.

Time with Ridge and Aker passed entirely too quickly, and Kay returned them to their mom about mid-morning Saturday. I ventured outside in the afternoon to discover a few butterflies, mostly Fiery Skippers) nectaring on the Lantana, and a rare visitor to our yard, a Gray Hairstreak, was also spotted among the many blooms.

A few dragonflies were zooming about looking for their next conquest.

The house sure was quiet the rest of the day.

After a brief respite from the heat, another heat dome has settled over mid-America. A heat dome occurs when high-pressure circulation in the atmosphere acts like a dome or cap, trapping heat at the surface and preventing cool air from entering the area. Many scientists say this may be the coolest summer for the rest of our lives!

I don’t like real cold or real hot weather, and am forced to stay inside during these temperature extremes anathema for someone who not only enjoys, but thrives on outdoor activities. Consequently, Friday and Saturday were stay-at-home inside days for the both of us. While watering potted plants on the deck and patio, a few photos were made—mostly dragonflies, but also a butterfly and a flower. I occupied “inside time” by sorting through old photographs, and identifying each by key words. Fortunately, this is a several days’ job, and provides relief from the heat, and rekindles many memories.

On Sunday, we joined Ron, Kaden, and Diana at Lake Ouachita for a couple of hours of lake time, but the heavy boating traffic made “hanging in the water” difficult. Nevertheless, it was great seeing and spending time with them.

Independence Day was a hot one as well. Typically, we enjoy a picnic-type meal with Jim and Jackie and friends, but I canceled out due to heat. Kay was a brave soul and suffered through the super heated still air. She and Pam canceled their viewing of the Hot Springs Village July 4th fireworks because of the heat.

Tuesday brought more of the same as I played in a sweaty golf scramble with our church group, and thankfully it was at Coronado, a short, executive golf course. Despite having a great team, we came in dead last!

Saturday and Sunday were quiet days; we took advantage and rested, catching up on social media and blog writing. On Monday, we welcomed daughter Jenny and her family for several days. For the rest of the week—Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday—we spent time at the beach, in the swimming pool, and on the patio playing in the water.

The visit with Jenny, Harper, Linc, and Sutton was terrific, but I must confess that hiking with Harper and watching her take photos was extra special; she is a talented young lady. I can’t wait until the other two are old enough to “play” with me. Here are some of her photos.

Jenny was great help in washing clothes, making meals, and cleaning up during their visit. Kay and I spent Saturday and Sunday recovering from our hosting duties as grandparents. And then, we began playing golf and pickleball in earnest on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. In fact, after playing golf and pickleball Monday, golf on Tuesday, and pickleball some 4+ hours on Wednesday, I was about done for, and had to quit Thursday golf on the 14th hole. Kay was out playing both sports as well, but had enough sense to know when enough was enough. Fortunately, the hot tub was repaired early in the week and provided soothing relief for our aging and aching muscles and joints. Kay’s friend since before first grade, Sue, came to visit Thursday. I did make it out to the back to do some photography Thursday, getting a few decent shots of butterflies, mostly Sachems and/or Fiery Skippers, and one Pipevine Swallowtail.

Dragonflies were zooming everywhere.

Even a Tree Frog could not escape being “shot.”

It appears that we’ve entered a period of high heat and humidity, combined to yield a heat index of over a 100° most days. That makes it near impossible to enjoy any outdoor activities, even those involving just a minimum of movement. Oh well, I vowed to remain home most of this summer for the first time in many years despite the temperatures.

On Thursday, June 9, Kay and the girls traveled to North Little Rock for “The Book Club” monthly meeting. Dan Olson and I tripped to Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area just east of Hot Springs Village in an attempt to photograph female Diane Fritillaries, Arkansas’ state butterfly. The males appeared a week or so ago, so we knew the females would soon follow. The sun and heat brought our a number of butterflies, including several species of skippers. Photographs were made of a Horace’s Duskywing, Common Buckeye, Crossline Skipper, Fiery Skipper, and Clouded Skipper.

I was lucky to capture a couple shots of an Eastern Tailed-blue with its wings open—such a little beauty. 

And, a Pipevine Swallowtail sat still long enough to photograph. 

There were a number of male Diane Fritillaries; the few females were difficult to photograph. 

Towards the end of the day’s walk, a couple of females settled long enough for pictures, before a male would pester them away; love was in the air.

A few dragonflies were also moving about.

And finally, a “last of the season” Indian Pink was found in an area of dense vegetation. 

Friday’s heat kept me in the house most of the day while Kay gave blood for lab work prior to her mid-year medical review.

We both stayed in Saturday morning before leaving shortly after lunch to attend Ridge’s soccer games. He is becoming a very good player, and it’s always fun to watch him play. Photos were taken by Kay.

I awoke Sunday with the beginning of a back ache and is the result of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. Surgery in April 2015 significantly helped in relieving the constant, debilitating pain, but about every four to six weeks a back ache arises and lasts a few days. We attended church, and then went to Pam’s to assist with assembly of patio furniture. It was another hot, humid day. A couple of hours at the Diamante pool sure helped for cooling off. Bridge with Jim and Jackie Sunday evening was a hoot; it’s much fun the you win!

The back ache worsened on Monday, forcing cancelation of an afternoon golf game. Just to get out of the house, I drove to the Diamante Pickleball courts, and because there was a shortage of players, agreed to play. Surprisingly it helps the ache. But, a couple of hours after pickleball, the ache returned! Kay opted out of her pickleball games, and watched the “sedition” hearings, followed by a long visit to the manicurist.

As expected, the back ache continued Tuesday, but I participated in the church group golf scramble anyway. Of course our team came in dead last, but we had a good time. Kay had her semi-annual medical visit, only to find out she’s in great health!

Kay was up BEFORE the crack of dawn on Wednesday, as she was the “cart barn starter” for the Hot Springs Village Women’s Duffers golf group. That lady gives a lot more than she gets, but enjoys the action and people; she practically knows everyone in Hot Springs Village. I played pickleball with the Diamante group. There are about eight to ten regulars that play, and the competition is very strong regardless of the team makeups. Most games are decided by only a few points. It is really enjoyable to play with them. And, the back ache continues.

Plans to help with repair of the pickleball courts Thursday morning were disrupted by several problems with our sprinkler system; a leak, stopped up filters, and blown heads. One of the four areas was completely repaired while work was begun on the other three. We had dinner with Morris’s at Cajun Boilers in Hot Springs. Though the service was great, but all of us were disappointed with the food; Cajun Boilers used to be a really good restaurant. And, by the way the backache is slowly going away.

“Between the Storms” sounds like a country or gospel song title, but it’s our weather reality. Those of you who live in Arkansas know I speak the truth!

On Friday, Kay and I ventured to Costco in West Little Rock, our first trip there in about a month! Buying gasoline and have my hearing aids serviced are two things we always do when shopping there. Regrettably, there are few sampling stations with food on which to nibble. I ventured out to Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area in hopes of finding Diana Fritillaries, Arkansas’ state butterfly, fluttering about. It’s always a time of the year to which I look forward. A few males were active, nectaring on the Monarda, commonly known as Bee Balm; no females were observed.

With warm temperatures and sunshine, and the absence of rain, other butterflies were nectaring.

Several dragonflies landed and remained still long enough for their photo to be made.

And surprisingly, the wildflowers were spectacular.

Saturday was relatively quiet. Pam joined Kay and me at the Diamante swimming pool for a bit of sun; the water is still too cold for immersion.

On Sunday, Kay, Pam, and a couple of other ladies flew to south Mississippi to spend a few days relaxing at Beau Rivage. Gambling, eating, and sunbathing were the main items on their agenda. With Kay absent, it sure was quiet around the house—“just sayin.”

Because of rain, I stayed in the house on Monday and Tuesday working on photo organization and edits, and beginning an online, in-depth course in Photoshop. In that last regard, it seems like I have to play each video two or three times before some of the lesson(s) soaks in. And, I’ve begun a diet as I NEED/WANT to lose weight and get healthier; it’s not easy!

Kay returned home to storms and heavy rain on Wednesday, saying that the commute from the airport to Hot Springs Village was frightening with the intensity of rain and roadway water. Our Wednesday afternoon pickleball games were cancelled once again because of the rain.

Memorial Day weekend proved to be a quiet one for the most part. Saturday, we worked in the “yard” a little bit, and then hung out at the pool at Diamante Country Club. After that, we both read, and then watched British crime dramas.

On Sunday, Karyn, Matt, and kids came to visit. Ridge immediately jumped on his kayak and paddled in the lake. Aker and I got in another kayak and joined him. The kayaking was short lived when Aker thought wasps were chasing us; it was a few Eastern Amberwing dragonflies. Convincing her that they were harmless was not in the cards. The Adams’ joined friends at Lake Balboa for afternoon boating and playing in the sand. 

Monday, Karyn, Ridge, Aker, Kay, and I played pickleball at Diamante. After practicing for about half an hour, all of us except Aker joined other pickleballers in a few competitive matches. Karyn and Ridge did great.

After pickleball, they packed up and returned home. The back of our lot near the lake provided a number of damselflies and dragonflies to photograph, with a preponderance of Blue Dasher dragonflies.

To say that Tuesday was a quiet day would be an understatement. Two significant things happened. First, we spotted an unusual moth on the deck, and second, Kay played ladies’ pickleball with her Tuesday group. I “piddled” in the yard, and read. See, I told you it was a quiet day!

Wednesday began a new month; they seem to be whizzing by. Kay play golf with the Lady Duffers as usual, and I finally made it to the Diamante pickleball court after a long absence due to weather related wet courts. We were scheduled to play pickleball with the Paddle Wheelers (winter Arizona group and friends), but it began raining just as we arrived at the Hot Springs Village Courts. The downpour continued for the next hour or so, preventing our playing. We “adjourned” to the Mexican restaurant for drinks and dinner.

Thursday, I played pickleball. Kay and I attended her PEO group party, and visited with a lot of folks from church.

Weather in Hot Springs Village has prevented much in the way of outdoor sports. It has rained frequently, the golf courses are wet, and the pickleball courts are slick and unsafe most of the time. When a break in the weather allows some photography, it is typically so humid that my clothes are soaking wet after only an hour or so. We’re sure glad that there is no climate change or global warming; what would we do then!

Because we spend winters away from “home” in Hot Springs Village, we schedule medical appointments in late May and early June, and again in late November and early December. By stacking them together like this, they do not interfere too much with other activities like travel, golf, pickleball, etc. More about this later.

On Wednesday, it was again too wet for golf. Kay and Pam collected Hostas in North Little Rock and strawberries from Holland Bottoms (near Cabot, Arkansas.) The deck beckoned to me in the afternoon; there were a pair of Summer Tanagers I wanted to photograph. They didn’t show up, but a couple of birds landed in nearby trees, and both were experiencing bad hair days—I can sympathize.

With light wind, I decided to check out the lake side of our place. There were Slender Bluet damselflies seemingly everywhere. 

A few more regular dragonflies were observed.

There were also dragonflies not previously observed here in the “backyard.” Two beautiful Pennants were photographed: a Banded Pennant and a Calico Pennant.

A Least Skipper appears on one the sea wall rocks and opened up for a photograph. The Least Skipper is tiny, about the size of one’s little finger fingernail. 

We ate the dinner special at Raffaella Rose at the Cortez Golf Course. The food was good, but the music was so loud that we moved to an outside table; I didn’t even have hearing aids in at a the time.

Thursday was a busy day for the both of us. Kay worked tremendously hard removing gravel from between the hot tub and patio, and planting Hostas—back breaking work! I met with the cardiologist and got a good report. And then it was to the Honda dealership for a key and programming of a key fob (almost $300). And then it was off to Walmart for a few items. And then, finally, I bought gasoline at Sam’s Club and picked up some junk food, one of the important food groups!

Kay and I switched places on Friday, as she had her yearly visit with the pulmonologist NP, and then grocery shopping. Meanwhile, I removed the rest of the gravel and plastic ground sheet from the work area, and planted the remaining Hostas. There was some hickory left over from a broken tree, and I cut it up into pieces for the Big Green Egg. Finally, tools were cleaned and stored, the patio was cleaned, and the plants were watered. Kay then played golf in the afternoon, and I shot a few photographs of damselflies and dragonflies.

All the plants in the area are green, and the forests are lush. We have been beset with rain every few days, enough that the ground has not dried out. Consequently, the fairways are wet and most have been cart path only, and the pickleball courts are wet from precipitation or seepage through cracks in the surface. Kay did get in some practice on Friday, May 20, with Pickleball Sisters. Pickleball Sisters exists to equip families, instructors and facilities with tools to plan, build, and develop successful programs everywhere. Kay had a great time and a good practice.

Despite the wind, Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area offered up some wildflowers, and quite a few butterflies. Indian Pink is still blooming, and a couple of Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus blooms were found. The Pale Purple Coneflowers were just beginning to bloom; while they are lanky and droopy, they are still attractive flowers. And despite its name, Wild Garlic is dainty and beautiful! 

There were other wildflowers in near perfect bloom.

Last year, the Fiery Skipper was absent in large numbers in the areas I visited, but they were in abundance at the Middle Fork Barrens this day.

In addition, other skippers were present.

An Eastern Tailed-blue, Pearl Crescent, and Hackberry Emperor flitted about, but posed long enough for quick photos. 

Even a Gray Petaltail dragonfly and a Powdered Dancer damselfly presented themselves.

Our plans on Saturday included a visit to watch granddaughter Harper dance in a recital, but the pool darling had been and remained sick, not only missing the recital but also awards day at school; poor thing. Sunday was a quiet day, except for our attending church; weather was unsatisfactory, and heavy rains prevented golf from being played Monday. Kay did take Ridge and Aker to the movie on this, their first day of summer break. I did play golf on Tuesday with our church mens’ group, despite a light rain and mist the whole game. Kay had scheduled pickleball, but remained home to take care of an electrician visit and termite inspection. Conditions proved too wet for pickleball. A cut and color followed in the afternoon.

Despite testing negative for COVID on the day before, I began to experience a scratchy throat, coughing, and sneezing on the return flight back to the US. I almost always get “sick” during Christmas holidays or extended travel. Apparently, this is known as “leisure sickness”, a term coined by Ad Vingerhoets, a psychologist in the Netherlands. Leisure sickness is the result of significant changes in the levels of adrenaline, a hormone that’s a crucial part of our fight-or-flight response. In an article in Conde Nast Traveler  (February 2, 2017), Vingerhoets say, “The engine is kept running and new energy is constantly produced.” “This ‘useless’ energy may result in an imbalance in the body, resulting, among other things, in a weakened immune system, which may imply that one is more vulnerable to infectious disease.” Combined with allergic reactions to the high UK pollen count, I succumbed to the common virus. And to make matters worse, did I report that we came home to 90° plus weather; insane!

Nevertheless, we immediately began our busy routine in Hot Springs Village. Kay worked parts of Wednesday through Saturday assisting with our church’s United Methodist Women’s Bake and Garage Sale, a huge event. In addition she played lots of pickleball and golf. I played pickleball on Wednesday afternoon, exacerbating the virus. I rested on Thursday, but went to nearby Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area to do some photography Friday morning.

The first wildflower photographed was the common Selfheal herb.

The Selfheal herb has been used medicinally for centuries. In fact, the entire plant, which is edible, can be used both internally and externally to treat a number of health complaints and wounds. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. It is used for inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), diarrhea, colic, and stomach upset and irritation (gastroenteritis). It is also used for mouth and throat ulcers, sore throat, and internal bleeding. The plant’s most common use is for the treatment of cold sores.

Some people use self-heal for HIV/AIDS, fever, headache, dizziness, liver disease, and spasm. It is also used to kill germs (as an antiseptic), loosen phlegm (as an expectorant), and tighten and dry skin (as an astringent). Self-heal is applied directly to the skin for vaginal discharges and other disorders of women’s reproductive systems, as well as for wounds and bruises. It is a favorite of bumblebees and butterflies, and is the larval host of the Clouded Sulphur butterfly.

The Summer Tanager shown above landed in a nearby tree just as my walk began. We have a pair actively feeding on a suet block at the house.

Some of my favorite wildflower blooms were observed—their colors were sometimes subtle like Blue Star and the Plains Larkspur, while the red and yellow Indian Pink stood out among the otherwise green ground cover.

Even a few butterflies landed long enough for a photograph.

Appearance of the Bee Balm (Minarda) indicates that the rare Diana Fritillary butterfly is not far behind.

After only an hour afield, I returned home and went to bed.

Of course the cold was worsening, and reached its peak Saturday. In as much as it took five days to mature, it would likely take five days to wane. I returned to golf on Monday, albeit shooting a poor round.

The pollen “season” here in Arkansas leaves outdoor spaces and furniture covered with a dusty layer of yellow green powder. It has become an annual routine that virtually everything outside has to be power washed, and we generally try to clean before Memorial Day weekend. Tuesday, after Kay’s pickleball games, the power washer was connected to hose and power supply, and deck furniture moved. Kay and I made quick work of it, taking turns with the wand, and then using the blower to assist in drying.

Kay played golf Wednesday morning, and had some laser work done on her eyes in the afternoon. I played pickleball three hours plus at Diamante in the morning, and with three other hardy souls in the afternoon at the HSV pickleball courts in the high heat and humidity.  The Book Club met Thursday, and while Kay was away, I slept most of day, recovering from the cold and from too much pickleball!

Visiting the UK and Ireland has been on our bucket list for some time. Regrettably this trip did not include Ireland, nor much of Scotland and Wales. When originally scheduled, our trip via CIE Tours was much more inclusive, and for a total of 28 days. And then, COVID struck, and it was postponed a couple of times, and then entirely cancelled, leaving us with few options since our sizable deposits were at risk, and since CIE Tours converted our plane tickets to cover the remaining costs, without our knowing! Fortunately, we chose the 10-day trip rather than two back to back lengthy tours. 

Our tour manager, Harry Gray, was really good, as was the driver, Dennis. Other guides along the way were good as well. Dennis kept the bus clean and comfortable. The hotel accommodations were good, but not great. The food provided as part of the tour was good. We visited a large number of important places and saw enough castles to do us the rest of our lives. In fact, the tour kept us so busy that there was hardly time to rest at night before sleeping. We only stayed in two hotels for more than one night, meaning our luggage would have to be outside the room at 7 AM every day but two, in order for us to leave at 8 AM — a little too frantic for us. There were a few acceptable snafus, like the out-of-date Toot Bus tickets. But the tardiness of the pick-up driver from the airport to the hotel, and the total failure of our pick-up from the hotel to the airport to catch our plane home were unacceptable, causing unwanted and unnecessary stress. Neither of us have a desire to do a bus trip again, and we wouldn’t use CIE Tours again, either. We’ll stick to river and ocean cruises for international travel, and auto and RV trips for domestic travel.

There were many positive things about the UK. The people were genuine, friendly, and helpful. It is a “proper” society, and certainly not flamboyant like some places in the US. Dress was informal and casual, and there were no provocative pants, shorts, tops, etc. The food was good, and I liked the baked beans for breakfast every morning, though Kay did not. The “fried” eggs were from free range chickens, the sausages were less fat than we’re used to, and there is little to no artificial sweeteners available. We both liked the cream tea (tea with scones, jam, and butter cream); in fact we drank hot tea several times a day, but didn’t drink any diet sodas. The fish and chips were good, but we tired of them. We ate sufficiently that snacking was not necessary. We both liked the Guinness draft beer by the pint, and the gin and tonics were good as well. Surprisingly, Beefeaters gin was not available most places, while Bombay Sapphire seemed to be the preferred gin. We saw few obese people, perhaps because people in the UK seemed to walk everywhere. Prices were reasonable, though it did take some getting used to the pound sterling currency. Cash WAS NOT accepted in quite a few places. Credit cards were scanned by the user; we liked that.

On the negative side was the pollen; nearly everyone in our group coughed, sneezed, and gagged the whole time due to pollen; we did not expect that.

Our flights to and from the UK were on time. Before we flew home, the US required us to have a negative COVID test the day before traveling. That proved to be fairly easy as the English pharmacy accommodated us efficiently. On the flight over, the seat space was tight, especially for a big man like me. In fact, seat space seems to get smaller each time we fly, with little room to move. The flight home was definitely better than the flight over, perhaps to the quality and timeliness of their feeding us, and the fact that we were flight east to west. And, it seemed that the seats had a bit more room. The last few times we’ve flown internationally we ask ourselves afterward how much longer we can continue. We definitely think it’s time to upgrade seats for long flights should we take any more.

And lastly, thank you Dan for picking us up at the Little Rock airport at 9:30 PM. We are very grateful.