Sunday included church and a family dinner at Cracker Barrel to celebrate my 65th birthday early, compliments of Karyn.  We sure enjoyed the visit, and of course, Ridge and I played before, during, and after the meal, much to the chagrin of nearby restaurant guests!  In his defense, he sat through church earlier, and then waited patiently in the restaurant for 30 minutes before Kay and I arrived!  Upon returning to the rental house, Kay and Pam went to Oaklawn to pickup their complimentary “gambling” money while I enjoyed some relative peace and quiet.

It’s still hot; in fact, today (Monday) is the hottest day of the year, with a high temperature of 99°.  It is highly possible that we will make it through the year without a 100° day.  Kay was off mid-morning to look at furniture and have some repairs done to the Honda CR V, and I drove to Arkansas Golf Center in Conway for my last of 12 golf lessons.  Today’s focus was on a fix for the ever-continuing fade, and by golly, Brannon installed a finish to my swing that should cure the problem.  Now, it’s a matter of practice, practice, practice.  Upon returning to the Village, Kay and I hit a few golf balls at Granada Golf Club, then had dinner at El Jimidor, in a humid, 85° restaurant (you think the AC wasn’t working).

Tuesday morning was quiet.  With a near noon tee time, I played golf with Jim, Fred, and Bill at Magellan, doing okay but not great as I’m working on the new and improved swing.  Kay did the Oaklawn Casino with several members of her book club; they had dinner there, and she returned to the rental house finishing the night ahead, money wise.  Jim, Fred, and I had a sandwich and beer at Charlie’s, a pizza place just outside the west entrance of the Village.  Life is good.

Today, Wednesday, is my 65th birthday.  Now, I can get the senior discount at Chen’s Chinese buffet!  Kay and I had an early afternoon tee time at Grenada Golf Club, one of the Village’s most scenic.  We both played the front nine (I scored a 48) and then Kay excused herself, and I played the back nine solo, shooting a 41, my best effort is many years.  She picked me up at 5 PM, and we went to dinner in Hot Springs, meeting Pam, Jim, Jackie, Martha, and Bobby, all to celebrate both Pam’s and my birthday.  The catfish was very good.

After a fun-filled 4 weeks in the Village, we packed everything up of ours at the rental house Thursday morning, and drove home, separately, arriving early afternoon, and finding everything okay.  We were quickly unpacked and returned to normal, or at least as normal as Kay and I get.

Up to now, we have escaped the hot days typical of an Arkansas August, and have had the mildest summer in our memory.  However, that is changing with highs forecast in the upper 90s this week.

Up early and with only 3 hours’ sleep, I returned to the Village Monday morning.  Kay went for her last chiropractic appointment, and believes it has resolved the pain she had been experiencing in her left foot.  Anxious to do fun stuff, the lack of sleep proved to be too much, so we had a relatively quiet afternoon and evening, staying inside and out of the heat.  Jim and Jackie came over for bridge, and it was fun despite Jim getting horrible hands—the ladies beat us soundly.  He is restarting bridge, and it just doesn’t seem fair to get such lousy hands, but he did well with “the hand that was dealt him.”

Kay was off about mid-morning Tuesday for a “cut and color” and I traveled the short distance to the driving range to hit a few balls.  Rusty and stiff after a few days off, it took a while to get in synch.  We drove to pick Ridge up, stopping in Benton for lunch.  With an intermediate stop at his house to pick up toys, clothes, etc., we picked him up at his daycare about 2:45 PM, and returned to the Village for two days of “fun with grandson” wondering if we had enough vitamins for the next 48 hours.  We played briefly before he announced he wanted to go to the beach; we all changed into beach clothes and spent the next hour and a half at Balboa beach.  With a partial overcast sky and a decent breeze blowing off the lake, it was quite pleasant tossing pebbles into the water and building sand castles, molding crabs and turtles, and dumping water onto them until they dissolved.

Though Kay did a Book Club night Wednesday evening, Wednesday and Thursday were all about Ridge, including lots of beach time and rough-housing.  He had a couple of firsts, such as sleeping in a “big boy” twin bed and “drifting” in Balboa Lake unassisted, except for his PFD, and of his own accord—oh, how important the small things in life are!  We returned him to his parents Thursday afternoon, and though he never once complained, he was glad to be home, to see his mommy and daddy, and play with all his toys.

(NOTE:   On Wednesday morning we met with Brandon Tedder, the prospective builder of our house in Hot Springs Village if and when we sell the other house, and pretty much finalized everything needed to execute a construction contract.  Please say a prayer for us.) 

Friday was spent recovering, and getting back to a routine.  Not having had catfish in some time, we had lunch at the grill at Isabella Golf Club, and enjoyed a great catfish po’ boy sandwich. In the evening, we had drinks and dinner with the Passes, and really enjoyed their company.

Kay ran errands Saturday morning, and spent pool time with Pam at the DeSoto Pool in the afternoon while I played golf with Jim at Cortez.  With temperatures hovering near, but not at, 100°, it didn’t take long to tire, and the golf game showed it.  We stayed in Saturday evening, and I went to bed at 8 PM, tired from lack of sleep caused by stress and a continuing daylong headache.  (NOTE:  Harper and Jenny are still sick, going on 2 weeks now, when Harper began organized daycare in lieu of being taken care of by a nanny; her doctor says she has an immature immune system.  Kaden, our oldest grandchild, was delivered to Arkansas Tech University today to begin the next phase of his life:  college.  He is majoring in mechanical engineering.  He was just slightly older than Ridge [almost 3 years old] when I first met him.  His Sir Donald wishes him nothing but the very best in all things, and that he remembers to be nice to people, to do the right things at the right times, and honor his Christian background; his daddy did a superb job raising him.)

As it is late August, the trees are beginning to slightly change, with some losing their leaves a bit early.  This is always thought provoking as we typically don’t think about the changing colors until late October and early November.  The transition is so gradual that fall just sort of glides in, particularly with the hottest temperatures of the year just now occurring.  Kay and I have had one of the busiest summers of our lives together, and it has flown by.  And, change seems to be a constant with us, mostly self-inflicted—sometimes it feels like life is a speeding merry-go-round that we barely grasp with a handhold, only to get thrown off again, then run as fast as we can, only to grab hold and get thrown off again, etc., and it’s exhausting.  Of course, Kay handles changes, life events, and stress so much better than I, and fortunately provides a much needed stabilizing influence.  Wonder what next week, next month, and next year will bring?

We attended church in the Village Sunday morning, and sat with in a row with friends Bobby and Martha Altom and Pam Williams.  After church, and changing clothes, Kay and Pam were off to Hot Springs to do some shopping and pick up their complimentary $s from Oaklawn Casino.  I remained at the rental house and watched the rain-delayed PGA Championship; it was a real nail biter until the very end.  Kay joined in watching it when she returned, and we watched the conclusion while eating at the Granada Golf Course restaurant where, it seemed, everyone had taken sides.  It was a hoot.

Monday was all about golf, in fact, maybe too much golf!  Kay was off first thing for a chiropractic adjustment—all which appear to be helping.  After returning, we had breakfast and she and Pam drove to Coronado Fitness Center for a workout while I drove to Conway for my next to last lesson with Brannon Watson, Arkansas Golf Center.   Today’s lesson focused on improving “lag” on the swing.  Kay wanted to hit a few balls when I arrived back in the Village, and we drove to Magellan Golf Course where we each hit balls.  I asked pro Rich Ross to help with the “lag” issue and he gave me a short lesson, gratis, despite a strong offer to pay.  After a couple of hours of cooling off in the rental house, I drove back to Magellan for a lesson in chipping from Bobby Altom.  Bobby and his wife, Martha, are longtime friends of Kay, and he is a very good golfer.  The lesson really helped, and will provide a basis from which to practice.  With three lessons, entailing hitting lots of golf balls, I was a tired “puppy” as the evening came to a close.

Yesterday’s activities took a toll on this old body as I didn’t sleep well, getting up at 1:30 AM and staying up for almost 3 hours.  I had a little bit of heart ache (literally, and I understand this may never disappear).  Tuesday was a new day, and Kay was off to exercise at the church.  Without our toys—kayaks and bicycles—we’re limited to indoor activities or golf and fishing, and of course, it’s difficult to beat the fishing in Baxter County.  Consequently, I was back on the golf driving range and short game practice area.  We met Pam, Martha, and Bobby at Jim and Jackie’s for happy hour before going out for dinner at Italian House, a restaurant just across from the west gate.  Good food and lots of laughter resulting in a great evening.

Kay was off to the chiropractor again Wednesday morning, and believes the treatments are greatly helping to resolve the pain in her foot.  I met Jim Morris and Fred Douglas at Balboa Golf Club for an afternoon of golf, hitting a few balls beforehand to warm up.  I played badly, the worst since very early June!  It seemed that my grip was not comfortable and the swing was out of synch—bottom line is that it just didn’t feel right; even the short irons weren’t working.  Every time this happens I question whether or not it is tome to give up this game!

After yesterday’s poor showing at the golf course, we were off to Magellan Golf Course to hit golf balls Thursday morning.  Kay is hitting here “woods” really well, and is vastly improving her short game, but is reluctant to hit the irons.  After hitting a few balls, we practiced chipping, using the technique passed on by Bobby Monday; it works!  Afterwards, I drove to Coronado to walk and play the front nine where my grip and swing returned to some semblance of normality.  I got behind a very slow foursome, but had fun nevertheless, hitting as many as three balls on each hole—good practice.  Kay joined me on the back nine where we both rode and played.  After the first 5 holes, she had parred 3 holes and had bogeys on two others.  We had a blast playing, and really enjoy being together on the course.  As we were both going different directions on the weekend, we left the golf course for dinner El Jimidor, our new favorite Mexican restaurant—it was very good.  On Thursday’s they have a mariachi band which is loud and fun to hear, though not very good.

Kay and I left the house Sunday morning, she for church and I to meet a friend from California at Mt. Magazine State Park.  Kay’s plans included lunch with Pam in Hot Springs, and then a movie.  They saw Guardians of the Universe, and Kay said it was quite good.  After driving scenic Arkansas Highway 7 north to Arkansas Highway 10 west, and Arkansas Highway 309 north, I met Chris Tenney and his brother, Jeff, at the Visitor’s Center at Mt. Magazine State Park.  Chris is an accomplished amateur lepidopterist (butterfly person) who resides in our “circle” at Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort in Mission, Texas, and Jeff is an award-winning writer, having won a Spur award for an historical fiction account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  Our goal was to see and photograph Arkansas’ state butterfly, the Diana Fritillary, but we struck out.  However, we did see some 25 other species of butterflies, including several male and female Giant Swallowtails, Pipevine and Spicebush Swallowtails, and numerous Skippers.  Kay and I arrived home about the same time, and spent the rest of the evening catching up on telephone calls, mail, text messages, junk television, etc.

We took separate paths Monday morning—Kay was off to Coronado Fitness Center for exercise and an appointment with a personal fitness trainer, and I drove to Granada Golf Course Driving Range to hit a few balls.  Back together for lunch, we caught up on email, crossword puzzles, and iPad bridge until mid-afternoon, and then drove separately to Cortez Golf Course where Kay played 9 holes (and did well), and I played 18 (some good, some bad).  This is the second oldest course in the Village, but underwent a complete overhaul a few years ago.  This photo, taken from the white tees, does not do it justice, but shows its signature par 3 hole.  Afterwards, we watched two of our favorite programs, Major Crimes and Longmire.

Typical August weather has arrived, with highs in the low 90s, and the humidity is creeping up to an uncomfortable level.  Nevertheless, we are not going to let it stop our active lifestyle!  Kay was off to Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church for exercise this morning, while I was back on the Magellan Golf Course driving range Tuesday morning, hitting some 60 balls, and then spending time working on the short game.  After her exercise, Kay drove just out of the east side of the Village for another great haircut.  With plans to walk and play the executive length course, Coronado, a surprise call from Jim included an invitation to join him for 18 holes at Coronado.  We really compliment each other on the course, and had a great time.  I particularly hit the irons well.  

Wednesday proved to be a very busy day as we checked out RV storage at Bushee Storage, and to our surprise, found that a 45-foot unit had just become available—and we could store other “stuff” there as well.  Now, we have a decision to make!  Also on the agenda for the day was to check out marinas for a pontoon slip.  None of the Village’s marinas have lifts, and any boat stored would have to remain in the water; the marina on Lake Balboa did not have any covered slips available.  With time to spare before Kay’s chiropractor appointment, we drove around Lake Coronado checking out houses; there are few houses for sale around the various lakes in the Village, and all are priced at $135+ per square foot—despite their age and despite the location!  Kay was off for an adjustment on her left foot which has been bothering her for several months while I played the 18-hole Balboa Golf Course, walking instead of riding.  About mid-afternoon Kay drove to Benton to visit with Kaden a last time before he goes off to college, and then shopped with son, Ron, for a few hours, returning to the Village about 8 PM. 

Wow, the heat and humidity combination is uncomfortable.  It’s been a while since we’ve been in Arkansas for the hottest part of summer, and with the mild weather up to this week, it appeared that the hot, hot weather bullet had been dodged—and in some respects, it has as temps have not exceeded 95°.  However, even with temps in the mid-90s, any outside activities result in soaking wet clothes.  Kay was off to exercise Thursday morning at the Methodist church, and then, because her foot is still bothering her, visited the chiropractor again.  He was concerned about a hairline fracture in her foot and sent her to CHI clinic for and X-ray.  It did not show a fracture, and he treated her, with the consequent result of the stabbing pain and discomfort abating.  I hit golf balls, returned to the rental to cool off, and went back to Magellan to practice short game skills.  Kay and I met up in mid-afternoon, and I drove to Granada Golf Course to play nine—what a beautiful golf course!  Hole #18 is it’s signature hole, with a rushing stream/waterfall cascading off the hill most of the entire left side of the fairway.

It is getting hotter and more humid as the week ends.  Today’s (Friday) heat index was over 100°, and intermittent clouds and thunder were present most of the afternoon.  Kay and I opted to play Coronado, (Kay played 9, I played 18), and she was just about “even”, i.e. par, on the first four holes, had a not-so-good #5, and finished with 3 out of 4 good holes; she is getting better and better.  It is really fun for us to play together, and it seems like the world’s (and our) troubles just disappear (we really want a buyer with a decent offer to purchase our house).  The rain held off for a complete 18 holes, and we dressed for dinner at Martha and Bobby’s, prepared by Pam.  Shortly after arriving, thunder and lightening preceded a steady rain for the rest of the evening; a great time was had by all, with both great stories and great food.  It would be remiss to fail to mention the dessert of chocolate crepes stuffed with ice cream, and topped by chocolate sauce and whipped cream—yum, yum, good!

We awoke to overcast skies Saturday morning with no plans for the day.  The lack of internet has allowed my needed app updates to go unattended, with 11 now on the iPad and 9 on the iPhone; Kay updated hers on Wednesday while visiting with Ron and Kaden.  We went to Magellan Golf Course driving range and practice area where I used the driving range, and Kay worked on her short game.  After lunch, she went to Coronado Fitness Center to work out, then to Walmart to get gasoline, and then to Village Villas to check on another rental property, perhaps for next summer.  When she returned, I was stir crazy and went back to the driving range, not hitting well, and then hit a couple hundred balls at the short game practice area where I hit well; golf is such a fickle sport!  Cloudy skies and a good breeze made conditions very comfortable.  Kay prepared smoked salmon patties for dinner, and they were awesome.  I went to bed early, having had a very busy week.

P.S.  For some reason, perhaps all the outside activities, we’ve both slept long and very well.  Kay most always sleeps well, but I typically sleep about 6 hours; the last week has averaged about 8 hours!

We went different directions Friday morning as I drove to northern take care of some business, with a full check list of things to do like paying property taxes; after taking care of business in Mountain Home, I filled deer feeders, bird feeders, and hummingbird feeders, welcoming back our wild creatures.  Meanwhile, Kay and some lady friends drove to O’Fallon, Illinois, to have an “old girls” outing.  This group of former educators at Northside Junior High School in Pulaski County get together annually to do what “old girls” do, mostly visit and eat. 

Back at home on Saturday, it was good to have unlimited internet, which allowed updating the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, as well as the Windows based computers, taking several hours because the Centurytel internet is painfully slow.  The down time was used to return to Mountain Home to buy a couple of needed items not on yesterday’s list.  After returning, I spent considerable time outside working on the grounds, weed eating around the rock steps, blowing debris off the “dry” stream surrounding the back of the house, and filling holes in the drive.  Wayne loaned his tractor and driveway leveler and it did a fabulous job of smoothing the gravel driveway, and filling in the few remaining holes left from last week’s 4 1/2 inch deluge.

With Kay absent Sunday morning, I opted to go to the early “traditional” church at home, and really enjoyed the quietness and contemplativeness compared to the contemporary service we normally attend.  Rodney talked about Paul’s letter to the Romans, the spiritual gifts each of us receive, and how it takes the sum of these individual gifts to fulfill God’s team.  I couldn’t help but think of all the leadership training, team building, and synergy, not realizing back then that it was in the Bible the whole time—amazing what we can learn by reading the Word!  After church, I picked up a couple things at Walmart, and returned home to enjoy the US Amateur Golf Championship.  Regrettably, it was rain delayed, and shortly after the delay was announced, a fierce thunderstorm struck near and around the house, with over an inch of rain falling in just a few minutes.  Kay and the “old girls” returned to Arkansas after a long drive through thunderstorms, having had a great time.

Another cool front is making its way into northern Arkansas, helping make this the coolest summer we’ve experienced at home.  Nevertheless, Monday was warm, even hot, and brought butterflies to the Lantana, Marigolds, and Butterfly Bushes—more than we’ve had since mid-April. The photos at the bottom of this paragraph show a Monarch, a Spicebush Swallowtail, and a couple of Skippers.  In addition, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are passing through on their migration south in large numbers, and quickly emptying the many feeders hanging along the house; other bird species are increasing in numbers as well, quickly consuming the suet cakes and tube feeders filled with sunflower seeds.  In what is almost an annual occurrence because of the few miles driven, the Explorer went in for an “annual” oil change today; an appointment was impossible forcing us to drop it off for the day.  We drove back into town in the late afternoon to retrieve it, making it 4 roundtrips to Mountain Home today.  On the way home, I stopped by Quarry Marina and covered the pontoon; we sure enjoyed leaving it uncovered for the month as it seemed much more convenient.  We watched a couple hours of recorded television to end the day.

An office visit to the cardiologist was one of the big ticket items Tuesday.  With Kay in tow, I was quickly ushered in to complete patient paperwork, then into a waiting room for an EKG.  After the EKG, an RNP (Registered Nurse Practioner) made the office call; I was quite shocked, expecting to see Dr. Camp instead.  The RNP listened to my heart and breathing, answered a few questions, and made some general recommendations—without the benefit of any baseline data except the photos and drawings of the stent insertion a few days ago.  He recommended a weight loss of 20 pounds, exercise, diet with less red meat and animal fat, and a daily dose of cholesterol lowering meds.  Well, I had just had a visit with Dr. Robinson, my primary care physician, who strongly recommended the DASH diet and exercise in lieu of cholesterol lowering meds.  I know it is the way of the future to be seen by RNPs, but I still prefer medical doctors to RNPs—did I say I don’t like change.  Anyway, I got a clean bill of health and an appointment for another office visit in late October.  After returning home, we left to “check” on our property in Hot Springs Village—maybe playing a little golf and bridge while there.  After picking up the keys to the rental house and unpacking, it was too late for a round of golf, so we hit balls instead.  Clouds began moving in in the early evening, bringing yet another period of wet weather.

Happy 2nd birthday, Harper.  Jim and Ginny Passe invited us to spend Wednesday with them on Lake Quachita, along with their out-of-town family guests.  Of course it started sprinkling once we were on the water, forcing us to return to the marina where their grandsons enjoyed the pontoon-mounted water slide, and we all had great “get to know one another” conversation about jobs, culture, and great television programs.  One interested fact that emerged was that of the 7 adults present, 4 of us were strong OCD personalities and another was a part-time OCD personality (I suspect Jim is pretty OCD as well, though he would not likely admit it, leaving Kay as the only non-OCD personality among the bunch).  Consequently, the various OCD habits of each of us were normal—at least as far as this group was concerned!  After returning to the Village, we relaxed for the afternoon before returning to the Passes for adult beverages, more great conversation, and pizza.  We immensely enjoyed getting to know Jim’s daughter and her family, and his sister.  As we read the day’s emails, we received word than yet another 60+ year old friend of ours had been diagnosed with probable terminal cancer.  Kay and I looked at each other and agreed that we can no longer put off doing the things we want to do as there may be no tomorrow, at least on this earth.  Neither of us is afraid to die, but we don’t want to go through the process.  This may sound like a contradiction, but think about it.

Happy birthday, Matt.  This is Thursday, the last day of the month; where has July gone?  It is still raining, wet, and cool by July standards.  Kay is off to exercise class at the Methodist church as this is being written.  The quiet down time is much needed, and welcomed!  As the rain slackened, I headed to the driving range and “short game” practice area at Magellan Golf Course for a couple hours practice—still not hitting the ball as well as before the heart “issue”—guess that’s golf!  After a quiet late afternoon, friend Jim Morris joined us for dinner at our new favorite Mexican restaurant in the Village.  Kay and I split the Ranchero Shrimp dinner, and we all enjoyed the live Mexican music.  With little to watch on television, Kay read and I went to bed early.

While we spent the month of July at home, there was still plenty of excitement to go around.  After returning home from a month in Hot Springs Village, we were faced with heavy-duty weeding of the various beds and gardens, a quiet Independence Day celebration, time with family and friends including a big announcement of another grand baby due in January 2015, house repairs, fly fishing, more than a few doctors’ appointments, time on Lake Norfork, a “mild” heart attack, a return of birds and butterflies, and finally a return to normal, whatever that is.  A number of butterfly species visited the back garden early this week including Great Spangled Fritillary, American Lady, Pipevine Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Monarch, several species of Sulphurs, Eastern Tailed-Blue, and several species of Skippers; along with the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, they are all flying south for the winter!

I was able to resume all activities Sunday, with no restrictions.  Of course, the heart “thingy” is always at the back on one’s mind!  We were off to church and Sunday school, and had lunch with friends, Al and Gaye.  With lots of sunshine, we opted for a Lake Norfork visit, and invited friend Sandy along.  None of us got into the water, but we sure enjoyed the serenity and peacefulness, except for the jet skis!

Early Monday morning I swept off the road in front of our property, removing gravel and debris deposited recently from a neighbor “attempting” to grade the shoulders, which by the way, were already in great shape.  Chunks of “chip and seal” had been removed from the road, and along with chips, gravel, and dust, we had a mess.  Regrettably, just a few hours after this hard, sweaty work, the private party repeated the unauthorized work, and redeposited “chip and seal”, gravel, and dust.  Oh well, a problem for someone else—I don’t need the stress!  Kay had an appointment with the dentist for cosmetic work, and was off to Calico Rock.  A pair of twin fawns enjoyed nibbling away at parts of Kay’s plants, but we so enjoyed watching them play and cavort.  Also today we saw lots of birds, and several butterflies were taking advantage of the flowering shrubs and annuals; this is the most activity we’ve had since mid-April.  No unusual birds were observed, though we did see the following butterfly species:  Zebra Swallowtail, Great Spangled Fritillary, and Silvery Checkerspot; the Great Spangled Fritillary, shown in the photograph, was a lifer for me.  The afternoon proved to be the perfect time for a long nap, and we both partook.  Kay drove into Mountain Home for band practice, and I enjoyed a quiet evening at home.  The following photos show a Great-spangled Fritillary, American Lady, Pipevine Swallowtail, 

Tuesday was haircut day for me, and with what little hair there is, it didn’t take long.  After the clip, clip, snip, snip, and brush off, I drove to Big Creek to hit golf balls.  It was a bit strange and anxious returning to the scene of the heart “issue”, and that’s my excuse for not hitting the ball well!  And, I had made such progress—oh well, two steps forward, one and a half steps back.  With hot temps and sunny skies, we enjoyed a “swim” in Lake Norfork, wonderful at 86°.  A TV night followed dinner, catching up on recorded programs.

Friend Al Vekovius met me at the house Wednesday morning for fishing on the Norfork River.  We last fished together some 9 months ago in mid-October, 2013.  This trip proved to be less successful than the last, though we both had a great time and caught enough fish to make it interesting.  Our timing was impeccable as we barely made it to the bank before fast rising water consumed the river.  The clouds rolled in, and the skies darkened as a thunderstorm struck mid-afternoon, dropping about an inch of much needed rain, and bringing in cool temperatures once again.  An appointment with Dr. Robinson in late afternoon was uneventful, and he said to come back next year—excellent!  Perhaps because of the wading, I was very tired in the evening, mostly sleeping through a television program we were watching, and then went to bed at 8:30 PM.

Kay and I went into Mountain Home Thursday morning mainly to hit a bunch of golf balls.  I felt great—better than in a long time.  Perhaps the stents are making a noticeable difference!  Jenny called late afternoon to let us know they were visiting this weekend—what a great treat.  We had intended to travel to Memphis to wish Harper a happy 2nd birthday, but now we can do it at our house!  In the evening, Al and Gaye and Bruce and Joan came over and we all traveled to Lake Norfork for an evening on the water, watching the sunset and enjoying a great visit.

With an impending visit from Harper, Jenny, and Brian, we drove back into Mountain Home on Friday morning for food.  Back at  home, we unpacked and stored the groceries, and I began to feel sore and ache in the heart and chest area.  It was scary after last week, but the discomfort was much different.  In addition, a dry cough has developed.  Apparently, I overdid it at the golf course on Thursday morning, and the cough is a side affect of having the stents inserted.  The ache and soreness did not get better, and I continued to feel worse.  We had “new” butterflies visiting the Butterfly Bush and Lantana, and they presented themselves for a few photos.   Jenny, Harper, and Brian arrived just after 10 PM, and Kay had prepared them a scrumptious late dinner.  After eating and visiting, we all went to bed a little late.

Sleeping in was the order of the day on Saturday.  I was up first, then Harper, then Kay, then Jenny, and finally Brian.  I heard pitty patty footsteps on the stairs, looked around, and there was Harper.  She was smiling and said, “DD”.   Harper loves the out of doors, and was out the patio door and away so fast we could hardly keep up with her.  She’s a climber, and and adventurous little girl.  We all lounged around all morning, spending family time on the patio watching Harper try to blow bubbles, then went to Lake Norfork—this proved to be the hottest day of the year, so far.  After motoring to a quiet cove, Brian was off in the kayak exploring and free diving while the rest of us hung out in and around the pontoon.  Harper fell asleep to the rocking of the pontoon as we slowly motored around in circles, despite fighting nap time for about 30 minutes, and was soon followed by her mother.  After lots of sun and water, we ate dinner (grilled salmon, rice, vegetables, and salad).  Jenny and Brian had S’mores around a campfire, and Kay and I retired early. 

We were all up early Sunday, though not by choice.  Kay was off to church and I visited with Jenny, Harper, and Brian, saying goodbye about 10 AM.  Kay and I cleaned house, washed clothes, and rested.  Bill and Bootsie, next door neighbors, came by for a visit, and we enjoyed catching up.  A few butterflies posed for photos in the hot air, and we began getting ready for our next adventure.  This photo is a Silver-spotted Skipper.

After all the “excitement” the past several days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were pretty low key.  There had been lots of plans for doing work around the house as we were experiencing record cool weather for July, but these obviously got postponed since I could not lift anything over 5 pounds.   The painter did finish drywall repair and painting in the great room and master bedroom, and it looks great.  Kay had another wellness checkup Thursday.  We resumed the DASH diet, and sure enough, my blood pressure is dropping like a rock, and we’ve both lost weight.  Otherwise, not a lot happened around our place in the woods!

P.S.  The reality has begun to set in as to the seriousness of the heart “issue”, and how blessed I was to survive with little to no damage.  The good Lord just burdened me to go to the ER, and great medical staff and docs were available to monitor and act—nothing in the ER indicated a heart attack or problem, rather enzymes from blood taken at 3 AM Tuesday morning indicated potential for blockage and Dr. Robinson, my super primary care doc, texted Dr. Camp, my cardiologist, who quickly cancelled stress tests in lieu of performing heart catherization and then inserting stents.  One of the few advantages of living in this area is that everyone knows everyone, particularly in the medical community.  And Kay had known Dr. Robinson’s parents before he was born, and Dr. Camp and his family go to our church, and were in a Sunday school class we taught.  So, it wasn’t like perfect strangers were caring for me.  Thank you, Lord.

The weeds have been temporarily tamed, bird and deer feeders are filled, and a sense of normality has returned, at least for the time being.

Kay and I began the DASH ( Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Monday.  This diet, named the No. 1 diet by US News and World Report the last 4 years was advised by my doctor to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.  We’re going one step further using the DASH weight loss diet, an hope to drop a few pounds as well as lower the two metrics mentioned above; thus far, I’ve been medicine free for the last couple of years, and this should greatly facility this trend.  Starting the diet proved to be difficult as I fished with long time fishing buddies, Ed and John.  This was my first time to fish in 2014.  We fished the reach from Lower Rim Shoals to above Ranchette Access.  We began fishing near the power lines, drifting downstream, and I was into fish immediately, catching the first 3 for the day. And then John struck, with a large 18+ inch brown.  I caught a couple more fish, as did John.  Ed and I switched off, as I was suffering from an overbearing headache that began early morning.  Ed and John proceeded to catch fish—lots of fish—the rest of the day, with several browns being brought to the net.  Kay spent part of the day in Mountain Home for her annual physical.  We both are relatively healthy, particularly for our ages, and we thank the good Lord for that.  With warm temperatures and the lake at 83°, we uncovered the pontoon and stowed the cover for the next few weeks, enjoying a couple of hours of floating in Lake Norfork.

Kay visited Dr. Lane in Calico Rock on Tuesday morning for a dental appointment; she has had a sensitive tooth for several months.  He applied a topical treatment, and she should be in good shape in a few days.  Lake Norfork beckoned us again in Tuesday afternoon, and we invited John and Sandy, but John had hurt his back a few days ago, and they could not make it.  The water was deliciously refreshing.  Kay received a surprise call from Lynn Charlesworth, one of our neighbors in the RGV.  Lynn and Clint live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and we’ve known them for 3 years now.  They are an integral part of Circle 3, and lead and assist with a lot of our activities—they are good folks!  Kay and Lynn caught up on all of the “goings on” of folks who enjoy our daily 4 PM palapa time in the Valley.

Kay again visited the medical clinic on Wednesday morning for a blood workup, and stayed in town for a haircut.  The morning found me fishing the Norfork River for the first time in over 9 months.  After walking in and fishing briefly near the private access, I connected with neighbor, John Igleheart.  Fish were “midging” at Mill Dam Eddy, but hard to catch, with only 4 bing taken.  John and I opted to walk upstream to the riffle above the island.  Fish were sipping on the surface of the tailout, and we both caught lots of fish.  We enjoyed a phone conversation with Regi and Jim Miles of Fredricton, New Brunswick Wednesday evening before heading off the the lake.  Regi and Jim are our next door neighbors for 4 months at Bentsen Palm Village RV Park in the Rio Grande Valley.  Our Canadian friends mean so much to us, and it’s quite nice to communicate with them in the summer.  John accompanied us to the lake, and we all enjoyed the refreshing water and conversation.

John Igleheart and I fished again Thursday.  Fog hung over the river for an extending period of time this morning.  It was not a repeat of yesterday, but we both caught fish, mine mostly using dry flies.  Kay and I hit golf balls in the late afternoon, and she is hitting the ball remarkably well, and spending quite a bit of time working on pitching and chipping—now, she’ll beat me even worse.

About mid-morning Friday, the doorbell rang, and Ridge came up the stairs hollering for DD and KK.  We had not expected them until Friday evening, but welcomed the early arrival.  We sat on the patio while Ridge played, and spotted a rare Baltimore Oriole near the bird feeding station.  This was our second “rare” bird to visit Dunnhill this week, including the immature male Summer Tanager earlier.  After a brief visit, his dad drove up the hill to meet up with his dad from Illinois and some friends for White River boat fishing.  Ridge, Karyn, Kay, and I suited up and drove to Lake Norfork for some great time floating and mostly splashing in the refreshing water.  Ridge was reluctant to come into the water, but once in, he splashed and kicked for about an hour straight.  He especially liked being towed under the anchored pontoon boat by his KK.  We returned to the house for the rest of the afternoon, until he and Karyn left to visit with Ridge’s other grandfather.  They returned about 9 PM and we all retired for the evening.

Up early Saturday morning, Kay, Karyn, and Ridge were off to Mountain Home for the Farmer’s Market and other shopping while I prepared for a few hours’ fly fishing with Karyn.  Upon their return, Karyn and I donned wading gear and walked in at Mill Dam Eddy.  A slight flog hung over the water resulting in few hatches and fish not rising.  These conditions persisted most of the morning.  We waded upstream along the left descending bank of the island, and fished the riffle below the plunge pool along the island with no success.  Wading further upstream, we fished the riffle formed by the plunge pool, and Karyn succeeded in a half dozen hook-ups and long distance releases, including a couple really nice browns.  Further upstream, in the tailout of the riffle above the island, fish were occasionally rising, but wouldn’t take the Pink Cockleburr.  We waded back downstream and fished the plunge pool again, with limited success.   Ridge took a 3-hour nap, awaking mid-afternoon full of energy among 3 tired adults!  We lounged around the house, staying out of the oppressing heat.  Karyn made monkey bread for the guys (her hubby, his father, and her hubby’s friends) up the hill, we had dinner, and she and Ridge drove off to visit them for a short while.  We received shocking news late in the evening from Sandy who texted that KTLO reported the death of Dennis Charbonneau as a result of a motorcycle accident—he hit a deer—on Push Mountain Road.  Dennis and his wife, Debbie, were our builders, and the most ethical, honest contractor with whom I have ever dealt (40+ years of construction)!  Dennis was 66, and an overall great guy.  His accident and death really shook us to the bone and we went to bed very unsettled by this tragedy.

After a restless night, we were up early Sunday; Ridge slept in.  This proved to be a busy day for us.  We said goodbye to Karyn and Ridge, and were off to church.  Back home for a brief breakfast, we drove to central Arkansas for my niece’s wedding.  She raised an outstanding son and Down-syndrome daughter as a single parent, making the necessary relationship sacrifices along the way.  As the younger of the two reached adulthood, she began dating again and met the love of her life—well deserved!  We arrive back home late afternoon, and Kay took food to Debbie Charbonneau and I tidied up the house before hitting the sack just before dark.  Maybe when the house sells, we’ll have a normal week!