While we stay quite busy and active, our life here in Hot Springs Village is fairly mundane. Each day is similar to the day before and the day after, and each week is much the same as the week before and the week after. During the summer, a number of clubs take a hiatus, so except for Kay’s many social commitments, I pretty much play golf in the daytime, and stay home in the evenings; it’s too hot most days (for me, at least) to ride the bicycle.

We did take a trip to north Arkansas for a weekend visit with John and Sandra Simank (as guests at their Norfork house) and Ed and Linda Richmond, to visit friends and former neighbors Wayne and Loretta, and to meet with our financial advisor.

There are many dragonflies and damselflies flitting about on hot summer days, particularly living adjacent to a lake. There are great “experts” on as well as photographers of these wonderful bugs in Arkansas with whom I’ve become acquainted via Facebook. Their help in identifying the various species has been significant. Photographing them has become a new hobby.

Otherwise, we are looking forward to the upcoming trip to Pennsylvania in a few days.

It seems like July was full of golf and grandkids, with a rare butterfly visit early in the month.

Kay and I played golf almost everyday, though not often together. Hot Springs Village is a great place to live if one is a golfer as there are 9 courses and a good portion of the population plays.

The weekend after July 4th, we were “honored” with a visit from Harper and her other grandparents, David and Lisa Painter. Harper sure enjoys visiting us. We saw some new dance routines she created, and played a bunch. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos. And then in late July, Ridge came to visit for a few days. We repeated many of the activities Harper enjoyed during her spring break, plus a trip to the water park portion of Magic Springs. He had a blast, but was ready to rejoin his sis and parents after a few days.

Ridge at Mid-America Science Museum

Ridge at Mid-America Science Museum

Aker, KK, DD, and Ridge at their house

Despite heavy winds, on July 6 a female Diana Fritillary (Lady Diana) was observed nectaring on one of the butterfly bushes. This was a real treat, and “bonifide” Kay as a butterfly gardener, having had visits from both the male and female.

Female Diana Fritillary

June was much like May, as the month proved somewhat uneventful. Of course, both Kay and I played golf a bunch, and Kay continued with her “social butterfly” duties of attending and participating in various meetings.

For me, the early part of the month was exciting as we had our first observed visit by a male Diana Fritillary butterfly. This is Arkansas’ state butterfly, and is fairly rare. We had observed others in a location near here, and in the mountains just north of us.

We joined the Hot Springs Village RoadRunners this month, an RV club here in the Village, at the urging of our friends, Stan and Fern. We traveled to northwest Arkansas to the Creeks at Cave Springs RV Resort to join several other members for viewing the Northwest Arkansas LPGA golf championship. This tournament has become an annual event for us. Regretfully, while pulling into the RV site, I sideswiped a steel post protecting an electrical box causing significant damage to the passenger side of the motorhome; it’s our first major accident in 10 years of RVing.

Our first major booboo

Northwest Arkansas is home to a great urban bicycle trail, the Razorback Regional Greenway. This paved, multi-use, off-road trail is 36 miles long and extends from south Fayetteville (near where I lived as a junior at the University of Arkansas) to Bella Vista, a sister community to Hot Springs Village; funding for its planning, design, and construction was via several grants and support from the Walton Family Foundation. This heavily used trail passed through Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville on its way to Bella Vista, and providing for great cycling. One negative, however, is that signage is relatively poor, and with massive construction underway in the region, made for some missed turns and extra milage.

Starting terminus of the Razorback Regional Greenway

Razorback Greenway in Bentonville near Crystal Bridges

Terminus of the Razorback Regional Greenway

There are many trails in the region, and Kay and I cycled the Lake Fayetteville Trail, which provided an uphill challenge or two, but great scenery.

Lake Fayetteville

Kay on the Lake Fayetteville Trail

The Northwest Arkansas LPGA is a fun event and this year hosted all but one of the world’s top lady golfers, Brook Henderson. It’s amazing how petite most of the ladies are, particularly when one views the long distance they can hit the golf ball. We don’t really have a favorite which made it fun to cheer for all of them. We hang out at the 17th hole, the loudest hole in the LPGA—it’s a hoot with all the yelling, clapping, and hog calls.

Lexie Thompson getting a putting lesson

Lexie Thompson in background

Miraya Jutanagarn

Among golf, social activities, medical appointments, and family time, this month has been pretty uneventful for us with a couple of exceptions.

First, early in the month, the United Methodist Women at Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church have a HUGE garage sale, usually netting just under $20,000 for various charities in the area. Kay is actively involved in the sale, both in its preparation and its execution. This year, Kay and I made apricot fried pies for the sale, and all were sold before the sale actually began!

Rolling and cutting dough for fried pies

Kay and finished fried pies

Iced apricot fried pies 

Second, we visited longtime friends and hosts Ed and Linda Richmond for a couple of days of visiting, eating, and fishing at Five Lakes Outing Club, an historic, private sportsman’s club in eastern Arkansas. We were joined by John and Sandra Simank, and Dave Tefeteller. This group, without Linda, canoed, camped, and fished in Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, for 10 years. Ed, John, and I have been fishing together almost 25 years, and have cherished memories of our times together. The fish at Five Lakes did not cooperate for me, as only a few took a popping bug or bream killer. John and Dave did quite well. One morning Linda and I had a great time chasing birds and butterflies. The visit was a wonderful reunion.

Brushy Lake at Five Lakes at sunrise

Five Lakes Outing Club is over 100 years old

Dear friend and longtime fishing partner, Ed Richmond

In addition to our everyday activities, a few racks of ribs managed to get smoked over the course of the month, Kay spent some quality time with Ridge, and Kay and I babysat he and Aker in Maumelle for a few days.

Two racks of ribs seasoned for the smoker

Starting the “fire”

Three racks starting to smoke

Temperatures this month remained cold/cool for the first couple of weeks, delaying our traditionally smooth transition into spring. We used this time to fulfill medical appointments, etc. Typically, April is the prime month for just about everything having to do with the out-of-doors—trees begin leafing, dogwoods bloom, birds are in full migration mode, hummingbirds arrive, butterflies begin to appear, and fish, particularly bream, begin their first of several spawns, all about mid-month. Abruptly, the last week or so of the month reflected warm/hot temperatures, speeding nature’s usual processes.

Sunrise in the Village

These warm temperature patterns caused an unusual phenomenon as hundreds of Baltimore Orioles descended on feeders in Hot Springs Village; normally, we get only a couple transients. Those who feed birds were buying oranges by the bags and grape jelly two or three jars at a time. These colorful birds provided great photo opportunities. But, just as quickly as they came, they left! The Pine Siskins essentially disappeared late in the month as well, but hummingbird “scouts” arrived to check if feeders were in place.

Butterflies also began to emerge, with Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Zebra Swallowtails in abundance.

Because of the rapid change in temperatures, fishing was a bit off, though a few did surrender to a chartreuse popping bug. Also, the warm weather was suitable for bicycling and I did two rides with the Ageless Bicycle Club in the Village. Incidentally, I was able to fit in about 20 rounds of golf!

A few fish succumbed  to a popping bug

Ageless Bicycle Club at Clinton Library

Kay, meanwhile, kept up with a busy schedule of board and club meetings, church activities, and golf. How she does it is beyond me.

No time was wasted before seeing the grandkids. Ridge and Aker came for a visit on the weekend; we enjoyed hiking and watching “action figure” shows on Netflix. 

And then, Harper spent her spring break with us. The weather cooperated and we had a great time hiking, fishing, spending time in the garage shop, and visiting the Mid America Science Museum in Hot Springs. While fishing from the dock one morning, she overstepped while casting and went in the lake over her head. Fortunately, she popped right up as I was ready to jump in (the water is only about 4 feet deep). She is such a good sport, didn’t cry or panic, and just treated as another adventure. She is such a joy and has a heart of gold.

Harper fishing, just before a tumble into the lake

Harper at Mid America Science Museum

KK at the museum

In between visits, I got in a game or two (maybe more) of golf.

It feels great to be home after a long, sometimes wet and cold winter. Our house provides lots of space and light, something not always present in the motorhome, and the view from the sunroom, breakfast, and master bedroom is awesome. We spent the last few days organizing/restoring things in the house to suit our needs and whims, and getting reacquainted with friends and neighbors. And of course, I got in a golf game on Monday, our first full day back.