It was all about pickleball Friday and Saturday morning as Kay and I played in our respective groups—competitive and fun. And then on Sunday, we observed four games of AAU basketball. Ridge played well, and he brought home a runner-up championship ring.
Despite wet conditions, pickleball was the activity of the day on Monday and it proved quite competitive and FUN.
It was too wet for golf on Tuesday (cart path only) so I drove to Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area for the first time in several weeks. Some decent wildflower blooms were photographed.
Also, a few butterflies flitted from bloom to bloom despite the wind.
Little Wood-SatyrMourning CloakAmerican LadyLittle Wood-SatyrLittle Wood-SatyrEastern Tailed-bluePearl CrescentMonarch
Even a couple dragonflies were spotted.
Kay had a dental appointment Wednesday morning in lieu of Lady Duffer golf, and then we both played pickleball in the Diamante ladder in the afternoon. I played pretty awful, getting in too big of a hurry, and trying to make shots I’m not capable of making.
Thursday was a day of celebration as the first two butterflies of the year were observed in the butterfly garden.
American LadyNorthern Brokendash
And a few dragonflies and damselflies were zooming about the shoreline.
Calico PennantEastern AmberwingSlender Bluet
A not-so-good game of golf was played in the afternoon—decent ball striking, poor scoring.
The first couple weeks of May have been beset with wind and rain, and generally mild temperatures, making gardening and photography difficult.
On April Fools’ Day, Thursday, our Green Heron hung out by the dock for a while, and allowed a few portraits to be made. The bird looks so funny with its crest sticking up. It was intent on catching small fish for breakfast.
Kay spent most of the day assisting with preparations for the United Women of Faith (UWF, formerly United Methodist Women) from our church prepare for the annual garage sale. It’s a BIG deal, and over $20,000 is raised each year for deserving charities. I played a pretty decent game of golf at Magellan golf course. Also on Thursday, a gardener removed leaves from the from beds, trimmed all the shrubs in the yard, and planted four azaleas.
Kay worked as one of the cashiers for the UWF garage sale on Friday, and I played pickleball at Diamante. Pickleball was a blast with a number of really good games.
The gardener returned on Saturday and placed mulch on the front beds, and removed gravel to expand the butterfly garden. Removing the gravel really saved my back! Six bags of top soil were dumped in the newly cleared garden. Last year’s garden, though smaller, attracted 41 species.
After a trip to Home Depot Sunday morning, more top soil was added to the butterfly garden, and butterfly and hummingbird friendly flowers were planted. While it looks good, it is till relatively bare until even more flowers are planted and all the flowers mature. That will also help control weeds.
Kay and I both played pickleball on Monday morning; she played at Diamante and I played at the POA courts on the west side.
A few bird photos were made on Tuesday morning, and our Tuesday golf game was held to nine holes because of rain; and, it did rain the entire nine holes.
Kay played golf on Wednesday morning, and had a good round. Meanwhile, I observed a lone Great Blue Heron pausing on a neighbor’s dock, offering a “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” photograph.
Without any planned golf or pickleball I began a new project, a dust collection cart for the workshop. Anytime woodworking power tools are used, sawdust envelopes just about every surface in the garage. I acquired the components to build a dust collection system, and it worked well. However, it was not very mobile. Consequently a dust collection cart was designed and built using limited lumber and various available items. The cart was designed to be mobile and hold the vacuum cleaner and the dust collector and bucket. Parts of the next few days (when temperatures were cool in the garage) were devoted to building the cart. Rather than go into a lengthy and verbose description of the process, here’s a photo of the end result. There are still a couple of items to be added such as a “box” on the bottom shelf to hold vacuum cleaner parts.
The Book Club May meeting rolled around on Thursday, May 8, and I played a poor game of golf.
A competitive round of pickleball was played on Friday morning. I’m almost too old to be competing with the “youngsters” playing in the group. Kay celebrated Mother’s Day having dinner with her kids and their families Friday evening (I had a queazy tummy and remained home).
Kay and I both played pickleball Saturday morning, and enjoyed a quiet Mother’s Day Sunday.
Pickleball was again the activity of the day on Monday with Kay and I both playing in the morning with our respective groups. And then our resident Green Heron posed for photographs on the shoreline while “fishing”.
A successful visit to the cardiologist on Tuesday morning was followed by yet another poor game of golf in the afternoon. For some reason, I seem to be topping the ball with all the clubs—it’s got to be caused by lifting the body up on the front swing! Kay is correct when calling golf the devil’s game.
Kay played golf on Wednesday morning and took the opportunity to capture a few birds in the back yard. I played the pickleball ladder at Diamante in the afternoon. Kay played bridge Wednesday evening.
Even a damselfly was photographed.
On Thursday, I finally broke out of the weeklong golf slump, and shot bogey golf on the back nine of Desoto golf course. Of course, luck had a lot to do with it!
And that wraps up our mundane first couple weeks of May 2025.
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.
As temperatures rose on Sunday, afternoon brought on a few butterfliesce. Though most would not settle to nectar on the few blooming wildflowers, a few paused long enough for capturing a photo or two. In addition to the ones pictured below, I saw a Zebra Swallowtail and an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
It’s late March in Arkansas and that means yard work and spring cleaning, blooming wildflowers, singing birds, and quite literally tons of pollen in the air!
Kay and I did a bit of weeding and shrub trimming on Friday, and now we’re waiting on warmer soil temperatures before planting flowers for hummingbirds and butterflies. And when the wind would blow huge clouds of pollen would blow off the pine trees. We wised up a few days ago and each of us began taking an Allegra everyday to lessen the impacts of the pollen on our allergies
We also worked a bit in the crawl space which we use for storage. That occupied an entire Saturday morning. It is packed full of Christmas decorations, gardening equipment; sporting goods; fishing rods, reels and tackle; now unneeded RV accessories; and loads of empty cardboard boxes. Two large waste bags were filled with useless stuff for garbage haul-off, and other items were identified and sorted for sale on Facebook marketplace or as donations for the large Women of Faith garage sale in early May. We hardly made a dent!
I ventured out to nearby Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area on Sunday, March 30, in search of white Trout Lilies. No such luck. However, other wildflowers were blooming, adding a bit of color to the mostly prairie floor.
We were thrilled to host our central Arkansas grandkids Sunday afternoon, Monday, and Tuesday morning. We played pickleball, made lemony blueberry muffins, practiced basketball, and hung out—one of our best visits ever! And now, they are at an age where they pretty much do their own thing and don’t require or necessarily want constant supervised entertainment. Birds continue to enjoy early spring in west central Arkansas.
Monday morning, before the kiddos were “up and around”, I photographed a few birds actively feeding in trees near our deck. This Northern Cardinal played hard to get, but finally posed long enough for a photo.
Several Yellow-rumped Warblers were flitting among the dense tree limbs.
And then, this Red-bellied Woodpecker, never coming close in, paused long enough in a distant tree to be photographed.
After playing in the pickleball ladder early afternoon on Wednesday, this Tufted Titmouse was photographed in the back yard.
A few more birds were “shot” Thursday morning before golf in the afternoon. Speaking of golf, the front nine was terrible, but a 41 on the back nine more than made up for it. The greens at Ponce de Leon golf course were lightening fast!
Back to photographing birds. This American Crow would come no closer to a tall tree on an adjacent property some 50 yards away.
This Carolina Wren, whose song is one of the most beautiful in my opinion, was caught singing it’s heart out—possible for a potential mate.
And then, a surprise visitor to our backyard, an Eastern Phoebe, was spotted in a tree some 30 yards away. This is the first time an Eastern Phoebe has been observed one our lot.
Kay and I continue playing pickleball (her more than me) and golf when weather allows. Though our lives are not boring, there are no new adventures to report.
Good news; bad news. The good news is that wildflowers have begun blooming, but the bad news is that high winds have prevented most flower photography these first few days of spring. Nevertheless, with a high shutter speed, a few of the blooms have been photographed. Also, a few “new to us this season” birds have shown up at the feeders.
Grandson Ridge ran several races in a multi-school track meet on Monday, March 17, 2025. He placed first in all but one, and second in that one. Not only is he a great athlete, but he’s a great kid, too.
On the first day of Spring, Thursday, March 20, 2025, feeders in the back yard attracted enough birds to generate several photos. An American Goldfinch came in close enough for a portrait.
And then, a Purple Finch, the first I’ve photographed, landed in a nearby birch tree before coming in to feed. The immature female Finch didn’t hang around long though, and only came that one time.
More American Goldfinches visited the feeders, landing in the nearby birch tree. The tree seems to be a popular hangout for birds!
And finally, a Tufted Titmouse landed in the birch tree.
Wildflowers were the order of the day on Friday, March 21, 2025, despite heavy winds. The photographic quest for the day was a white Trout Lily spotted at Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area by good friend Dan. I walked the usual circuit twice trying to find one in bloom, but no luck because of cool temperatures. However, several other wildflower began blooming as the morning progressed towards noon.
And most surprising—and best of all—a Black Swallowtail butterfly flitted by and landed in the grass about 10 yards away. I began photographing it, approaching nearer and nearer with each burst of shots. The butterfly photographs made the almost two-mile walk worth it.
From Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area, I drove to Cedar Creek Trail in search of the more numerous yellow Trout Lily. Several other wildflower species presented blooms as noon arrived.
And finally, near the trail’s parking area, a few Trout Lilies began appearing, though sparsely, on the forest floor.
Warmer temperatures and more daylight have resulted in birds singing their beautiful tunes throughout the day, calling their mates. And a few new bird species, at least for our place this year, have appeared.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025, saw an American Goldfinch, a Brown-headed Nuthatch, and a singing Tufted Titmouse, searching for mates and food.
American GoldfinchBrown-headed NuthatchTufted Titmouse
We keep busy playing pickleball and golf, when weather conditions allow, and as always, Kay maintains a full social calendar, including a meeting of The Book Club on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
And then on Friday, March 14, 2025, a Yellow-rumped Warbler and Eastern Bluebird appeared in tress near our place.
Yellow-rumped WarblerEastern Bluebird
Additionally, an American Goldfinch and aCarolina Chickadee were searching for food in a nearby tree as were an American Goldfinch and a Carolina Chickadee. And, a Northern Cardinal and Tufted Titmouse were eagerly calling for their mates. A Dark-eyed Junco was scrounging for food on the ground beneath a feeder.
American GoldfinchCarolina ChickadeeNorthern CardinalTufted TitmouseDark-eyed Junco
A search for blooming wildflowers along Cedar Creek Trail on Saturday, March 15, 2025, yielded several Bloodroots and Rue Anemones.
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.
Dunngone's Photos and Blog 