Those of you who follow this blog might recall how much I enjoy riding Rails-to-Trails bicycle trails. In fact, a goal of mine had been to ride all of the Rails to Trails Hall of Fame trails before I died. It has become obvious that this won’t happen; too old too fast! However, I have ridden the KATY Trail, Razorback Greenway, Arkansas River Trail, Great Allegheny Passage, George S. Mickelson Trail, Virginia Creeper National RecreationTrail, High Bridge Trail, and the New River Trail, all combined to comprise several hundred miles! 

Arkansas’ Rail Trail, the Delta Heritage Trail, however, never appeared on the radar; it’s not publicized, nor is it a Hall of Fame trail. But, it has been beckoning as of late. Since Kay was busy prepping for a girls’ trip to the Gulf coast and the weather expected to be relatively cool, the next few days provided a great opportunity to camp, cycle, make a few photographs, and enjoy some “alone” time.

Before leaving on Tuesday morning, camping and cycling equipment had to be inventoried before being packed. Gosh, that’s a lot of stuff for a 2-3 day camping trip—too much stuff, in fact. However, it was all packed into the car, the bicycle carrier installed, and the TREK DS4 bicycle loaded. I was off for the Delta Heritage Trail Visitors Center at about 11 AM.

The easy drive followed a route through Little Rock, towards Memphis, and then to Brinkley, where it followed US Highway 49 to the Delta Heritage Trail State Park Visitors Center, just off the highway. After checking in, camping equipment and paraphernalia were transported, by hand, to the walk-in primitive campground (reminder: take Kay’s little blue wagon next trip) at Mile 2.0 of the trail.

The tent was pitched, and because of the forecast of exceeding high winds, the rainfly was tied as well as staked. Sleeping pads, sleeping bag, and clothes and toiletries were stowed inside, and cooking equipment and supplies were spread out on and around the campsite picnic table.

With daylight “left to burn”, bicycle tires were aired up and I rode from the campground at Mile 2.0 to the beginning of the Trail at Mile 0.0 and back.

By then, around 6 PM, the wind had increased to the point that I had to move the cooking setup inside the tent. Dinner was turkey spaghetti with fresh spinach incorporated. After adding a bit too much boiling water, the spaghetti was moved to a homemade COZY and left to rehydrate. It was surprisingly very tasty. The rest of the short evening was spent watching YouTube videos.

COVID19 has sure impacted everyone’s lifestyle, and for those of us who are retired and active, it has practically been a lost year that we’ll never get back—and we don’t have many left. Realistically, many of us lost at least 10 percent of our remaining life! Kay and I are not exceptions. She is able to entertain herself, and is as steady as a person can be. I, on the other hand, suffer from depression, and have to be busy, and preferably outside busy. It has been difficult to be “satisfied”, hoping some form of normality will soon return. Sunday was a quiet day. We attended “the Gathering” as I had been requested to photograph the church service. And, in the evening we played bridge with the Morris’, and yes, Kay won again!

Monday was golf day for me, and Kay took care of a few chores. We did spend the evening planning our summer schedule.

I really miss car/tent camping. Consequently, I have been refreshing old gear, and supplementing it with new purchases such as a sleeping bag and tent, in hopes that time and conditions would allow a short camping trip every couple of months. And, as a big fan of camping, hiking, and backpacking, I found it very interesting that a number of seasoned primitive campers and backpackers supplemented commercial freeze dried meals with home dehydrated food. After watching numerous YouTube videos, it became apparent that dehydrating food was not that complicated. Of course they may have been lying about the taste.

Kay and I bought a dehydrator several years ago, and we decided to put it to good use. With a bit of time on our hands this evening, Kay made a batch of spaghetti with ground turkey in the sauce (trying to avoid red meat). After it had cooled, parchment paper was cut to fit the dehydrator trays, and the spaghetti was spread on a couple of the trays.

The next morning, about 15 hours later, the dehydrator was checked and the spaghetti was indeed dry. It was packaged, the packages labeled, and stored in the freezer. Supposedly, it will last indefinitely stored in the freezer, and several weeks on the “shelf”. Now, I/we are ready for our next adventure.

Kay and I traveled to Mt. Magazine Saturday for a long hike. It was in the mid-60s with partly sunny skies. However, at the top of the mountain it was 44°, overcast, with moderate winds. Thus, no hiking or photography: we went to the restaurant for lunch instead. While this Columbine was photographed at the Visitors Center, the unknown flower did pose for photos on the way down the mountain.

After our hiking attempt at Mt. Magazine was thwarted by dense fog, cold temps, wind, etc., Kay and I drove east to Ouachita National Forest to hike the 4+ mile Lake Sylvia trail. It was windy and significantly overcast. The trail was in need of maintenance, but provided a good hiking experience

Today, Friday, Kay had a neighborhood ladys’ luncheon in Hot Springs. It’s a great time to catch up on all the neighborhood and Village gossip! Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area beckoned and the morning walk was in an area I had never investigated before. There were few new wildflowers.

And, only a couple of butterflies were observed.

Thank the Lord for Wednesday; it was a relatively quiet day. Kay played golf and Jim Morris and I resumed our weekly breakfast after over a year’s absence because of COVID19. All is well.

On Thursday, I received word that my photographic image had been posted to the Photographic Society of America Digital Dialog Member’s Showcase home page. Being selected to post an image of choice to this showcase was a big deal, and honor, for me. The image is below, and you can click this link to get to the Showcase to see other images: http://psadigital.org/

After yesterday’s grueling day, Kay and I switched roles Tuesday; she was grossly overbooked and I had it pretty easy. Her day began with contacting a jeweler in Tulsa to find a duplicate of the diamond stud earring she lost a few months ago. They were very helpful in her discussion with them, and asked that she send them the remaining stud so it could be exactly duplicated. Next, she had her annual mammogram—a not too pleasant experience us guys don’t fully understand. And then, she participated in a long difficult Duffer’s board meeting. The Duffer’s is a huge women’s 9-hole golf group here in Hot Springs Village. That pretty much wiped her out for the rest of the day, though she never complains.

Dan Olson and I tripped to Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area for a short walk and some photo ops. It always provides a sense of serenity to an otherwise chaotic world. Here are a few photographs from the walk.  

Even a few butterflies made an appearance.

As John Denver used to sing, “Some days are diamonds, some days are stones.” Monday was the beginning of a “not-so-good” week for me. I was overbooked in that just about every hour of the day was scheduled (is this retirement?). Early morning hours were spent preparing items for warranty work and consequent returns. These included a pair of Smith Optics sunglasses purchased some 20+ years ago. It is the second pair (of three pairs) that had delamination of the lens coating. Though the glasses cost lots of $s, they are warranted for life. Filling out the warranty information was a necessary nuisance.

The Induro tripod I use for photography has two center posts; the short one will not fit as its diameter seems too large. This is no big deal, except that when used in lieu of the long post will help lighten the weight of the tripod. This is important when it is carried on one’s shoulder for miles and miles! I have successfully dealt with parent company, the MAC Group, previously. By the way, these tripods are not cheap.

The last warranty item dealt with this Monday morning was a pair of 10X42 Eagle Optics binoculars. These are really good binoculars and I use them for both bird watching and butterfly watching. They will focus rather closely to allow for identifying butterflies that are only a few feet away, an important asset for me. The problem is that over the last few months, the focus adjustment doesn’t work. Eagle Optics was absorbed by VORTEX, but they still honor the lifetime warranty—good company! The warranty forms were completed and emailed.

Then, the wheels began coming off. First, was a Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church Board of Trustees meeting. I thought it began at 10 AM, and was on time; however, it began at 9 AM and the closing prayer was just beginning when I arrived. At least I’ll be forgiven. Next, was an afternoon filled with golf, and double bogeys; and of course, the resulting score was not good—I bought the beer. Finally, a silver lining in the day’s cloud: the initial travel planning session with Kay in the evening for planning our summer trip to the Pacific Northwest in the July/August timeframe.

Kay had a great day, as usual; she always has great days, and it’s one of the many reasons I love her. She always has a great attitude. She used part of the day packing for a girls trip to Biloxi, Mississippi, in a few days.

Kay met Aker’s mom at Bryant so that Aker could return home. She had a great weekend at KK’s and DD’s, her first time to overnight alone with us. As with the other grandkids, she is growing up entirely too fast, or perhaps we’re growing old entirely to fast!

After early church, I drove to Lake Sylvia in Ouachita National Forest to hike the Lake Sylvia Trail. It was the first time to visit the US Forest Service (USFS) Lake Sylvia Recreation Area. It was obvious that COVID19 had taken its toll on maintenance. The picnic and day use area was closed, the camping area was open but prohibited hikers from parking. However, there was a parking area further up the road. Information on the internet indicated that the trailhead was difficult to find, and with that mind preset, I didn’t look very long. There was another trailhead at the parking area, and I began hiking/strolling that trail. Immediately, there were a few Fire Pink blooms adjacent to the trail. 

And then I heard a buzzing sound, and a hummingbird darted into the viewfinder screen; it was so fast that I could hardly change focus. Luckily, I was able to make these two photographs. This proved to be the highlight of the week.

The trail was short, and only a few additional wildflowers were observed.

After many wonderful trips, Kay and I have decided to part ways with our beloved motorhome. It’s for sale! It has been kept in enclosed storage when not being used (less than 30,000 miles), and waxed each year. My back no longer tolerates sitting in the driver’s seat for the long trips we like to make, and I’m not disciplined enough to stop for the day after a hundred miles or so. Every single trip made in the motorhome is captured in this blog, beginning with our intent to buy in the summer of 2011 and driving it home November 2011 after having it custom built. PLEASE, pass this information on to those you think may be interested.

It’s a 2012 Adventurer 35J, consistently maintained and in near immaculate condition, driven by a non-smoking, no pets couples; it has been kept in enclosed storage.  REASON FOR SELLING: Medical (back issues while driving); WEIGHTS/MEASURES: Length 35’6″, Ext Height 12’8″, Ext Width 8’5.5″, Int Height 7′, Int Width 8′.5″, Ext Storage 107.6 cuft; Fresh Wat 85gal, Wat Heater 10gal, Gray Wat 60gal, Black Wat 43gal, Propane 28gal, LP 28gal, Fuel 80gal, Wheelbase 228″, Power Awning 17’, GCWR 30,000lbs; CHASSIS: Ford F53 24,000-lb, 362-hp V10 SEFI Triton engine; Full-body paint; 5-sp auto trans w/tow haul; 22.5″ Aluminum wheels, Michelin tires (low miles, 2 years old), hydraulic auto leveling jacks; Hydro-Max brakes w/ABS; 175-amp alternator; CAB CONVENIENCES: Upgraded Jensen System, Touch color screen; Blu-Ray home theater sound system; Rear and side view color cameras w/color touch screen; Cruise control; Power chrome side mirrors/heated; Fog lamps; TriMark KeyOne lock system; Digital HDTV Amplified TV antenna system; Solid wood cabinets; Corian countertops; Microwave/convection oven; Filtration System; 3-burner gas range; Refrigerator/freezer with ice maker/4 door; OnePlace System control center; Resteasy dual control Ultraleather (power queen) couch; Swivel adjustable cab seats, passenger w/footrests; Vinyl floors (except in MBR); MCD solar/blackout roller shades; LED lighting; Dash desk/workstation; Tinted Dual-glazed/thermo-insulated windows; Two powered roof fans; Safe–Integrated; TRC Surge Guard–Integrated. BEDROOM: Queen bed, Bedside night stands, Ceiling Fan; HEAT & COOL: 40,000 BTU low-profile furnace; TrueAir (2) 13,500 BTU AC w/heat pumps; ELECTRICAL: 55-amp converter/charger; PowerLine Energy Management System; 5,500-watt Cummins Onan Auto Generator Start System; 1,000-watt inverter; Battery Disconnect System; Automatic dual battery charge control; PLUMBING: Exterior Service Center; TrueLevel holding tank monitoring system; Permanent mount LP tank w/gauge; On-demand water pump;10-gallon water heater w/instant-on

Condition: Used
Year: 2012
Make: Winnebago
Model: ADVENTURER 35P
Class: Class A
Location: Hot Springs Village, AR
Mileage: Less than 30,000
Fuel Type: GAS
Gross Vehicle Weight: 24,000
VIN Number: Supplied upon request
Engine Type: V10
Sleeping Capacity: 5
Sleep Options: MBR Queen; Rest Easy Queen; Dinette
Air Conditioners: 2, heat pumps
Awnings: yes
Slide Outs: 3, including full wall slide, all with covers
Length: 35
Engine Manufacture: Ford
Fresh Water Capacity: 85
Leveling Jacks: yes
Exterior Color: Brown, Beige, Tan
Interior Color: Beige
Price: To Be Negotiated (similar units selling for approximately $75,000; we’ll sell for less but don’t want to be taken advantage of)