Sunday was a busy day, beginning with church at the invitation of Steve and Mary at the Casa Grande campus of the Sun Valley Church. It was a contemporary service, the music was live, and the sermon was streamed—very high tech. I really like the way the service was handled, and the message was quite appropriate. Back at Palm Creek, we had a late breakfast, and then walked to the golf course for none holes with the Hot Springs Village group. Poor Mary Seitz was stuck with me again this afternoon, and I played terrible. As you might expect, Kay was in the money again! Fortunately, she doesn’t rub it in too very much.

After golf, we were off to Ron and Bev Grahams for happy hour and root beer floats. Our group of Hot Springs Village folks are so fun to be with.

And then it was time for the weekly concert; this evening’s program was “O Canada” featuring music from Canadian artists. It was a very good concert, with great musicians and vocalists.

The wind on Monday prevented most outdoor activities for us; this has been an extraordinary windy winter! Thus, neither Kay nor I played pickleball. We used the day to catch up on internet chores, blog writing, and resting. As winter time in Arizona draws to a close for our friends and us, each family’s departure is reason for a get together. Monday afternoon we had a baked potato bar honoring Ron and Bev Graham. It was supposed to have been outside, but again the wind was a hindrance and we held it in one of the rooms in the administration complex. While I’m not a big fan of potato bars, this one was very, very good, and the company made it even better. I particularly liked the cake and ice cream served to celebrate Jolene’s birthday and the Baggett’s anniversary (they have been married on the plus side of 50 years.

A trip to the greater Phoenix area was in order for today. The number one reason for going was to attend the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Foot Solutions Arizona Grand Slam—41 courts of outstanding pickleball, including 36 outdoor courts, 4 Medal Courts, and a Stadium Court. We focused our attention on the the Stadium Court where notable pros were playing mens’ and women’s doubles. Most of the top-ranked players were there, and they are awesome pickleball players. The photos below feature Ben Johns and his brother, Collins. Ben Johns is currently the highest ranked men’s player in the world in all three divisions: singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles. A student at the University of Maryland majoring in Materials Engineering, Johns grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland playing tennis and table tennis. In March of 2016, he first picked up a pickleball paddle and instantly fell in love with the game. He is 22 years old and has a net worth of $1.2 milliion. By the way, he has the highest percentage of shots playing the kitchen line of any of the top ranked pro players; there’s a lot to be said for dinking!

After pickleball, we drove to the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert for some quick photos of birds. Given the late time of the day, there weren’t many flying about or eating, but a few did manage to be photographed.

And then, it was off to Trader Joe’s for dark roast coffee beans, but they were out; phooey! And then it was to Costco for gasoline prior to returning home.

On Wednesday, we were back to a normal, busy schedule, though my back ache and “jet lag” continued. Kay played golf with the Palm Creek 99ers in the morning, and I played pickleball in the afternoon. We played bridge in the evening—when time and schedules allow, we play several hands of bridge on Wednesday evenings with Steve and Mary Seitz in what has proved to be a great learning experience; thanks Steve and Mary for your patience and teaching. 

Thursday was a return to “Big Boys’ Golf” where a group of current and former HSV men play a big course within the general area. Today’s course was Quarry Pines in Marano, just north of Tucson. Quarry Pines Golf Club offers a mix of dramatic elevation changes and stunning mountain views with 18 holes. In 2000, following a decision to abandon the sand and gravel quarry adjacent to the original golf course, the Town of Marana and the quarry/golf course owner agreed on a plan that would reclaim the quarry. By relocating 10 golf holes into the old quarry and reconfiguring 8 of the existing holes one of Tucson’s most popular golf courses was transformed.

The goal in playing Quarry Pines is to reduce the number of lost golf balls! Though I came in last, I only lost two golf balls. As is becoming the norm, Steve Seitz won all the money.

Kay and I both played pickleball on Friday as Friday afternoon is HSV social pickleball day. It was great fun, with some hard fought matches. The previously postponed Balloon Glow occurred in the evening with seven hot air balloons inflating in an open place near the main buildings. This event is part of cancer awareness weekend. Most remain stationary, though one did offer tethered rides.

When their pilots would fire up the hot air, the balloons would offer a beautiful glow. One had to be there to see the dynamics of all the colors.

Whether caused by the weather or plane ride or grossly uncomfortable seats in the Toyota truck, my back has been really hurting since arriving in Arkansas (Dan’s Toyota truck is very comfortable, but it is more towards top-of-office the-line.) Sunday was no exception. I did make it to Maumelle to visit with Karyn, Ridge, and Aker. Ridge landed his first somersault on the trampoline, and Aker is only a few jumps away. It was sure good seeing the family and having such a nice visit, and I got valentines.

After returning home, I stayed in or near the bed all day with severe back pain. It hurts in the lower back area, but there is no neuropathy in the legs as has been typical with lumbar spinal stenosis. Apparently one of the symptoms of COVID is severe lower back pain, but I have not had a fever or any other symptoms. It seems like every ailment suffered now is one of COVID’s symptoms, so one never knows! Sunday was the HSV group golf game at Palm Creek.

The partnership of Kay and Steve won the money. She’s sure been winning a lot lately with different partners; wonder if she’s been sandbagging this whole time?

Christ of the Hills UMC Board of Trustees met Monday morning, and I was able to attend. We travel so much that it is often difficult to match schedules. Fortunately, Bill Baker stepped in for me, and he is an encyclopedia of knowledge regarding church business. Afterwards, Jim Morris and I had breakfast at Raffaella Rose (Cortez Golf Course). Jim is one of my dearest friends and it was good catching up. And then, it was back home again to the bed for more back rest which doesn’t seem to be doing any good. Meanwhile, Kay had a full schedule with pickleball and a street Valentine’s Day party. She made Jack’s cherry cheese cake which is always a big hit, and another dish, but didn’t get to stay long because of other commitments.

For the sixth night in a row, good sleep evaded me. However, tonight’s lack of sleep was due to early flights Tuesday morning from Little Rock to Dallas and to Phoenix. I dozed on the plane on both legs, but no fitful sleep was to be had. Once again, Southwest Airlines delivered ahead of schedule, arriving in Phoenix before 10 AM, and Kay was dutifully there to pick me up. We stopped at Big Wa’s (Chinese food) for an early lunch, and finally we were back at the motorhome. No amount of napping relieved the fatigue caused by lack of sleep.

Thursday morning early Kay and I drove to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. She dropped me off at the Southwest Airlines door, and after a couple of minutes, I realized I had left the iPhone in the car. Here comes Kay to the rescue bringing the iPhone! Fortunately, the day got a bit better, and the two flights, Phoenix to Dallas to Little Rock, were uneventful. After renting a bottom-of-the-line Toyota pickup, I arrived home late afternoon, starved for food and sleep. Little did I know that both would escape me for the next five days. Meanwhile, Kay remained behind, playing pickleball late in the afternoon. She just gets better and better.

Sleep was in spurts Thursday night and early Friday morning as I awoke shortly after midnight. Available news was read and puzzles worked before sleep overcame me; the short “nap” did little to alleviate the absence of sleep. The day was pretty much wasted as I did little except downloading and backing up photographs, though I did play a few games of pickleball at Balboa Baptist Church. Kay joined the HSV group at Palm Creek for an afternoon of social pickleball.

I drove to Bradford Saturday morning to attend visitation and the funeral for my sister. It was a bitter sweet day, and it was difficult saying goodbye but good to see so many cousins and other kin. Carma’s obituary follows.

Carma Frances Dunn Feagin, 80, of Judsonia, Arkansas passed away Tuesday, February 8, 2022. She was born July 21, 1941 in Bradford, Arkansas to the late Marvin U. and Nellie Rae Malott Dunn. 

Carma was an avid Arkansas Razorback baseball, basketball, and football fan. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, crocheting, ceramics, and various other types of crafts. Carma enjoyed bird watching, especially Red Birds, but it was the love she had for her family that truly kept her going. Many know her as Carma, a loving wife, sister, aunt, and friend, but her most favorite is mom and grandma. Her proudest moments have been her children and grandchildren. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine” echoes through our memories as she sang this song to each of us. She had a warm and embracing smile that would give so much comfort. She will forever hold a special place in our hearts. 

She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Gerald Feagin; children, Lisa Williams and Lynn Feagin (Kristi); grandchildren, Jessica Williams, Brian Williams (Krystal), Zachary Feagin (Jessica), Lauren Feagin; great grandchildren, Finn Feagin, Hallie Feagin, Isabelle Williams; siblings, Donald Dunn (Kay); and a host of nieces, nephews, and other family and friends. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, Marvin U. and Nellie Rae Malott Dunn; and a brother, Ronald Dunn.

Visitation is 1-2pm Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Bradford Baptist Church with the funeral service to follow at 2pm. Interment is in Bethlehem Cemetery in Denmark.

After the burial, I drove to Magness Lake near Heber Springs to photograph Trumpeter Swans in Arkansas for the first time. A couple hundred or more of America’s largest waterfowl, with wingspans up to 8 feet, are spending their 30th straight winter at Magness Lake and two nearby unnamed lakes in Cleburne County, a half-dozen miles east of Heber Springs. They arrive each November before migrating back north in late February. Nearly driven to extinction a century ago, the white-feathered aquatic birds today number an estimated 35,000, mostly in the Upper Midwest and Mountain states. Cleburne County is the farthest south they’ve been known to travel.

There were also a couple of Tundra Swans on the lake, but too far to photograph. Also, there were more Trumpeters at a couple of nearby lakes. Also, there were many Ring-necked Ducks.

A Bufflehead came close and allowed a photograph to be taken. Those on our lake are so skittish that it is near impossible to take their picture.

And, a few Mallards were flying about looking for food.

Kay played pickleball again with her 2.5 group, but skipped a concert/dance Saturday evening. The band was good according to sources that attended.

Saturday was another windy day so no pickleball. In fact we didn’t do anything all day. However, there was a Country Western dance in the evening, and while the band was mediocre, we did enjoy several two-step dances, a few country rock dances, and one waltz. 

A return to the golf course on Sunday, partnering with Mary Seitz, proved to be one of underperformance—poor Mary, stuck with me on this particular Sunday afternoon. I was embarrassed for her, but it just seemed that I could not hit any decent shots; that’s golf, a four-lettered word!

More wind on Monday kept us in the RV most of the day, though Kay did go to the potluck in the early evening.

Tuesday was all about pickleball for both Kay and me. Kay played in her round robin at 10 am, and I played the challenge courts in the morning, and the mixed round robin Tuesday evening. It seems that I’m not getting better, perhaps even getting worse! Even Kay admitted that my play was not up to par. (It’s difficult to see well at night, thus I wear a cap backward and yellow safety sunglasses to increase contrast.)

Tuesday night I received a dreaded phone call informing us that my sister, Carma, had just passed away. She was the matriarch of her family, and will leave a huge void in their lives.

Wind prevented pickleball play on Wednesday. I spent the morning making reservations to fly back to Arkansas, not knowing exactly when funeral services would be. It proved difficult, if not near impossible to find a ride from the airport to our house in Hot Springs Village for Thursday afternoon, and from Hot Springs Village back to the airport Tuesday morning; and, we put our cars on insurance vacation. Thus renting a car seemed to be the only reliable option—car rental for the cheapest available car exceeded the cost of the expensive round trip air ticket! Kay played golf with the 99ers in the morning, but was not real proud of her play. We canceled our bridge game/lesson with the Seitz’s Wednesday evening as my ability to concentrate was even lower than usual.

A couple of sessions of pickleball on Tuesday pretty much wiped me out. Kay is playing better and better and had good matches. The mixed matches Tuesday evening were fun, but it was difficult to see well on the dimly lit courts.

Kay played golf Wednesday morning, and I stayed in from pickleball  because of 20+ miles per hour winds. Thinking the scheduled concert for the evening was at 7 PM, we discovered it actually began at 6:30 pm, but we were only a few minutes late. The show, Tapestry, the Album, is Katherine Byrnes and Khris Dodge’s collaborative tribute to one of the greatest albums ever recorded. She also co-leads the band Sweet Ghosts with her partner Ryan Alfred, who played bass. The show was excellent, and the band even better. In fact, all the band members were musically educated with at least a Masters Degree, and vast experience in symphonic and jazz music.

Yesterday’s winds brought in cold weather, at least for this part of Arizona, with the low temperature Thursday morning being 27°. Fortunately, our tee time was for 11:35 am, and it had warmed enough to play at least with a jacket. Steve, Rod, and I played at the recently re-opened Arizona City Golf Course, and since there were just the three of us, we played a game called Wolf. It was a lot of fun, even though Steve won all the money!

Winds were again the major distraction from events at Palm Creek. The hot air balloon fest was canceled as were other special outdoor events scheduled for the weekend. With 21 miles per hour winds forecast, Kay and I opted to travel to the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Friday morning with camera in hand. Even though it was only about 40 miles away, the forecast there was for 6 miles per hour wind. I knew we were in for a difficult day when the areas along Pond 5 where the photographers normally gather were totally empty. We saw a few hummingbirds nectaring, but few offered a decent photo opportunity. There were almost no shore or water birds, at least within camera range, and we saw very few flying in and out of the ponds. While a few photographs were made, it was almost a shutout—and the fewest birds I have made pictures of at that particular location.

Sunday morning began for us by FaceTiming and singing Happy Birthday to Aker, our now 7-year old. Why is it that grandkids grow up so darn fast! Another Hot Springs Village group golf game took place on Sunday afternoon followed by a great happy hour hosted by the Star’s. Since Kansas City lost in the NFL playoffs, my interest in pro football will have to wait another year for the 2023 playoffs!

Monday was all about pickleball, and it was so good returning to the courts after several days’ absence. I rode to the courts first thing Monday morning and watched Kay play a few games in her group’s round robin. The first game watched paired Kay with Barb, and both are improving quite rapidly. It is fun to watch them “mature” in the game of pickleball.

I played the 3.5 Creek round robin at noon, and played halfway decent for a change. Kay returned to the courts mid-afternoon for and Advanced Beginner class. We joined other Arkansans wintering here at Palm Creek—great group of folks— for a Mexican-themed potluck/happy hour. Our lives are blessed!

Here are some hummingbird photos from last Tuesday’s visit to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Time to go on another photography outing.

Kay and I cancelled our pickleball matches both Friday and Saturday because of high winds and accompanying dust. In fact, most pickleball matches were cancelled Friday with winds gusting at over 20 miles per hour. I have had a really bad headache since early in the week—swollen sinuses caused by allergic reaction to dust. We turned on our air conditioning for one of the few times to help filter the air inside the motorhome. Thus, we don’t have much to report.

However, there are still a number of photographs from our trip to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum that have not been posted, so here goes with a few butterflies we observed. If you look carefully at the first yellow butterfly (Southern Dogface), you can see a silhouette of a poodle’s head. (Next blog post will feature hummingbird photos.)

Dust allergies are bad this year at Palm Creek! Perhaps it’s because immunity resulting from allergy shots completed some 15 years ago has worn off, but nevertheless, we’re thankful for Allegra!

After the Free Flight show Tuesday morning at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Kay and I wondered around on the trails. Specifically, we were targeting hummingbirds, but there were so many interesting things to see. Neither of us had ever seen an Ocelot. The Ocelot is a medium-sized wildcat, has a distinct “chain rosette” spotted coat, a long ringed tail, and slightly rounded ears. Once ranging throughout the Southwest, today the only breeding population of Ocelots in the US is in Texas, where fewer than 60 ocelots remain in two small populations near the Mexican border. In Arizona, a male ocelot, the only known one in the state, has been observed 94 times since 2012, offering some hope.

Another of my favorite birds, the Cactus Wren, offered plenty of sightings at the museum, seemingly atop every Saguaro Cactus. 

And while we’re not here long enough to witness the widespread cacti bloom, there were a few early bloomers.

Despite allergy problems of her own, Kay managed to play both golf Wednesday and pickleball on Thursday.

Thursday, our foursome played golf at the Francisco Grand Hotel and Golf Resort on the outskirts of Casa Grande. Steve, Ron, Rod, and I had a great game, with Rod winning most of the money, playing the best game I’ve ever witnessed him play—perhaps he’s been sandbagging! In the first photo below, L to R are Ron, Rod, and Steve. And then, yours truly in the second photo.