Photography, pickleball, and haircuts were the order of the early part of the week. Kay was so glad to get a “cut and color”, and of course it looked nice, but then Kay always looks nice. I, on the other hand, was not able to schedule an appointment until mid-April!

Sunday provided an opportunity to visit Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area with good friend, Dan Olson. A few wildflowers had bloomed near the old woods road.

And, as the morning warmed, a few butterflies made their presence known, though they were flitting about with reckless abandon. In that regard, only this Spring Azure sat still long enough for a photograph.

Sue and Pam had been kind enough to ask for a photo show of our winter in Arizona. I tried to put them off as I know how boring and disinterested it is looking at someone’s vacation photos. Nevertheless, they persisted, so I put together a show, complete with music and effects. Monday evening was show night, and we all intently watched the pseudo “movie”.

I played partners pickleball with Bev Graham on Tuesday, joining two other ladies for a foursome, rotating partners after each game. It was extremely fast and competitive; Bev is a slammer and had a good soft game as well, and the other ladies were rated as 4.0, a step above Bev and me. The last game went to 18-16. After two hours, my butt was dragging. Kay joined several others to play as well, before driving to her appointment for a “cut and color”, something very important to her!

Kay is so glad to be home; she adores her house on the lake! I enjoy it too, but after just arriving home, there are so many chores that need to be done; oh well, one at a time. In reflection, we are so blessed to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds—home for spring, most of summer, and fall, and winter in sunny Arizona—blessed beyond measure even including the innumerable blessings heaped upon us each day.

On Wednesday, Kay and Sue finished packing temporary items from inside the motorhome, and defrosted the freezer; I removed additional items from the outside storage compartments. It’s time for the old Winnebago to rest. Neither of us did much else, except enjoy being home. As it was St. Patrick’s Day, we had an outstanding corned beef and cabbage dinner at Diamante Country Club.

Thursday and Friday were “catch-up” days. A new modem/router from Suddenlink was installed, all the computers, iPads, and iPhones were reset and updated, mail was sorted, clothes were washed, cars were brought out of mothballs, outside plants were pruned, stuff from the winter was put away, and a bunch of other little chores were completed. Catfish dinners from Mulligan’s were the highlight of day on Friday; thanks, Troy and Patty.

I finally made enough time on Friday to photograph newly emerged wildflowers at McClellan Beaver Dam Trail in Hot Springs Village. While not a great flower photographer, it is immensely enjoyable.

We both woke up early Sunday morning, about 3 am, some 15 hours after receiving the injections with sore muscles and joint pain. Interestingly, all of my reaction was on the left side from shoulder to ankle. Kay’s reaction was not so discriminatory. In fact she said even her toenails hurt. Fortunately, her reaction was gone fairly quickly. 

Since we were all packed up, we left for home at daylight. Kay was over her Moderna 2nd injection reaction, except for a sore arm at the site of the shot. Early in the drive my reaction worsened. We took turns driving through eastern Arizona and New Mexico. However, we experienced 45+ mph winds and dust storms most of the way; fortunately it was a tailwind. Kay reported, “We stopped to fill up and it took both of us to shut the door on our coach!  We stopped a little earlier than usual because of the gusts.  These plains must have been brutal years ago.” We opted to stop at a nice rest area near El Paso to overnight. Reaction to the 2nd injection continued to worsen with a temperature of 99.9° (normal is 97.2), headache, and joint and muscle aches and pains. A couple of Tylenol helped. Reactions began about 15 hours after injection; it was now 30 hours post injection. Kay is doing great.

Thank goodness for Mondays. On Monday, March 15, reactions to the 2nd injection have ended, about 25 hours after they had begun. We are both now feeling great (except for the aches and pains of age). Thanks to all of you who went before us and provided a timeline and reactions as we had some idea of what to expect. We drove through wind gusts of 58 mph, with blowing dust. It’s supposed to be worse tomorrow. If it is in fact worse along our route, we’ll hunker down! We stopped at another rest area along Interstate 20 in Texas, just west of Fort Worth.

Despite the close proximity of the highway, and nearby semis, Kay slept reasonably well, and I slept great last evening. The forecast for today, Tuesday, for the portion of the route home indicates less wind than the previous two days. Consequently, we opted to continue eastward. Again taking turns, we drove the 400+ miles home, arriving around 5:00 PM. We unhooked the old Honda CRV at a nearby shopping center, and parked the RV at the boat launching ramp parking area adjacent to our house. There, we loaded all available cars, including Sue’s (Sue is Kay’s longtime friend and our FABULOUS house sitter), and returned the near empty motorhome to it storage garage. We were both exhausted and swore to never RV again (same old story after every long trip). A long hot shower welcomed us home!

While we’re awaiting our final Covid injection, Kay continues playing golf and pickleball, while I look for something to do, non-invasive to the left knee. It’s getting better, but ever so gradually. It is windy here in Casa Grande, and has been so all winter! Given our situation with social distancing and sports injuries, we’re both ready to return to Hot Springs Village, though dreading the wet spring weather and soggy golf courses there.

We did venture out on Sunday, making a loop south of Tucson to Madera Canyon, Lake Patagonia, and the Paton Hummingbird Center in the small village of Patagonia. Our first stop was at the Santa Rita Lodge where they maintain lots of various types of feeders. Surprisingly, there were only a couple of hummingbirds nectaring at the feeders, but no other birds—somewhat disquieting. And then, after several minutes this Cooper’s Hawk flew in—explaining the silence.

With no prey in sight, it flew away, and immediately a myriad of birds returned to feed.

Even a butterfly (Mourning Cloak) appeared.

And, I finally got a good look at some Broad-billed Hummingbirds, a quest all winter.

From Santa Rita Lodge, we drove to the Whitehouse Picnic Area, parked, and hiked an almost two-mile loop along Madera Creek to the Proctor Parking Area and return. Birds were scarce as I photographed only a Hermit Thrush, but a a couple of wildflowers “posed” for photographs.

Our next stop was at Patagonia Lake State Park where we had a late picnic lunch. Patagonia Lake is a man-made reservoir in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States, located southwest of the town of Patagonia, Arizona, and northeast of Nogales on the Mexico border. The small lake, at only 240 acres, was created by damming Sonoita Creek, and is a popular area for boating and sport fishing. The state park as packed!

The final stop of the day was at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds. Some 14 to 15 species of hummingbirds visit annually. However, due to COVID 19 and the lack of sufficient medical facilities in the area, the Center was closed. They do maintain a couple of hummingbird feeders near the parking area, and we were able to enjoy a couple of hummingbirds flitting back and forth, including this relatively rare Violet-crowned Hummingbird.

Thursday afternoon late, Helen and Don Baggett hosted a going away happy hour for us at their place in Palm Creek. It was lovely, and we decided to continue our weekly happy hours back in the Village when everyone returns from winter.

On Saturday morning, Kay and I received the 2nd Moderna injection. In two weeks we should be able to return to some semblance of normality, including hugging friends and family who have also been vaccinated. This marked the last obligation for us for our winter at Palm Creek in Casa Grande, Arizona. Consequently, we decided to leave a day early. Tomorrow, we begin our journey home.

Monday was a big day, pickleball wise. I was “observed” (graded) to determine advancement to the 3.5 level. The 3.5 level is considered to be advanced intermediate. Generally speaking, the 3.5 level is the level at which one leaves “social” pickleball and enters “serious” pickleball. Despite my being a bit handicapped with a bad left knee, the two observers recommended advancement! I immediately went to the RV and iced the knee. Kay also played pickleball, and continues to improve. Many beginning pickleball players come to the game with a tennis background and make a fairly smooth transition; Kay never played sports and thus handicapped, particularly regarding hand/eye coordination. What she lacks in experience, she more than makes up for with grit, determination, and perseverance. And, she practices several times a week!

Tuesday was an uneventful day for us, though we did enjoy some spa and pool time.

Kay played golf Wednesday afternoon, joined by a couple of men midway through the 9-hole round (their wives were joining them on the back nine). She shot near bogey golf, and is playing so good now that I’m afraid to compete with her. 

Dropping me off at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert, Arizona, Thursday morning, Kay ran errands and shopped at Sam’s Club and Costco. It was our last trip to the greater Phoenix area this season. The Riparian Preserve is the Go To place in central Arizona for bird photographers. The irrigation ponds for reclaiming irrigation water is an attractant to a wide range of shore birds, and migrating song birds travel through the area as well. Today, the usual birds cooperated, and “posed” for photos. Some of the more common birds included the Curve-billed Thrasher, White-crowned Sparrow, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Shorebirds make for some of the most interesting subjects, and most are either too far away, or hidden among the shoreline shrubs. These include the Least Sandpiper, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, and American White Pelican.

Some of the more commonly found birds included the Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler, European Starling, Great-tailed Grackle, and Verdin.

Hummingbirds, particularly those nectaring, are an all-time favorite. The most common in this area is the Anna’s Hummingbird.

And, for some reason, I’m drawn to the Snowy Egret, most often hidden among the shoreline shrubs, but occasional close by searching for food.

Kay and I both returned to the pickleball courts Wednesday. It was my 10th day since the left knee injury. Both stamina and agility were impaired! Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were much the same with pickleball being the featured event. Saturday was “Paddle Day” at Palm Creek; Kay tried out several paddles and settled on a lightweight Selkirk AMPED EPIC. This is an extraordinary paddle and will help take her game to another level.

Our day trip of the week, Sunday, was to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. The garden blooms year round with some 50,000 plants and five thematic trails—Desert Wildflower Loop Trail, Center for Desert Living Trail, Desert Discovery Loop Trail, Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail, and Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail. Masking was strictly enforced and social distancing was acceptable considering the size of the crowd (despite reservations limiting attendance). We really enjoyed all the trails, cacti, and wildflowers.

Though the cool temps and wind kept the birds at bay, this beautiful Costa’s Hummingbird posed for us.

Of the various “gardens” in southeast Arizona, we would rate this third behind Tucson Sonoran Desert Museum (our favorite by far) and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Surprise, Arizona. We have yet to visit these this season!

Another uneventful few days for me was on the calendar while still recovering from a partially blown-out knee. Meanwhile, Kay continued playing pickleball and golf—Thursday was one of her pickleball days.

Having read that walking was good for a torn or partially torn knee ligament, I drove to the Riparian Preserve on Friday for a few photo opportunities. Luckily, a few “new to me” species and some not so often seen presented themselves for photos. Night herons are one of my favorites (all birds are favorites) and this one was partially concealed.

Shorebirds were actively feeding along the pond edges including a Black-necked Stilt, Long-billed Dowitcher, American Avocet, and Least Sandpiper.

Another favorite, the Snowy Egret, posed for a picture.

A now regionally famous Roseate Spoonbill, “Rosie”, was quietly resting on shrubs on a small island in one of the ponds. She has spent all winter at the Riparian Preserve.

The big find of the day and the season was a Streak-backed Oriole, a lifer and unlikely “capture”. It is a native to Central America and Mexico, and an occasional visitor to the southwestern US.

Saturday was another pickleball day fort Kay. Sunday was our turn to feed the weekly happy hour group from Arkansas. The menu was beer-cooked and grilled brats, German potato salad, sour kraut, and accompanying condiments. Good times were enjoyed by all after Sunday afternoon golf for all but me.

Monday was another pickleball day for Kay—yeah, she’s going to beat me some day—and I used the extra time to work on this blog and edit photos.

Tuesday was a special day as Ralph and Debra from Olympia, Washington, visited. Friends of Nan and George, we met them on a Viking ocean cruise to the northern capitals including Norway, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia. They had never seen Saguara National Park and we had not visited there this year, so we made a day of it, including a couple short hikes and a picnic lunch from Subway. On the return trip to Casa Grande, we stopped at Skydive Arizona and watched a planeload of daredevils jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. After happy hour, they returned to a Phoenix suburb where they spend the winter. We sure enjoyed visiting with them, and enjoy their company.

Recovery and rehab for a “blown out” knee sure limits one’s activities, both outdoors and in. Meanwhile, Kay continues her daily routine including pickleball, and Tuesday she got a “cut and color”—a great cut, but then she’s always beautiful!

Mexico is relatively close by, perhaps a couple hours away. However, most folks from around this area (Casa Grande, AZ) enter at Los Algodones, just west of Yuma, Arizona, via southeastern California. Los Algodones is a small Mexican town in Baja California located on the extreme northeastern tip of the Mexicali municipality.  It is the northern most town in Mexico and Latin America. It is informally known as “Molar City” because of the large number of dentists (approximately 600) that cater to Americans and Canadians. Thus, on Wednesday, Kay and I made the almost three hour trip to Los Algodones.

We ate lunch at a great little street restaurant. The shrimp tacos and quesadillas were quite good and inexpensive; our meal, including light (diet) cokes in bottles, cost $13 American. After lunch, we shopped at the pharmacia and bought antibiotics and arthritis meds—vastly cheapen than in the US—which we keep on hand for travel. The border crossing, both ways, was uneventful and we only had a 5-10 minute wait entering back into the US.

From Los Algodones we drove the short distance to Yuma to “bird” a couple of areas. At the West Wetlands Park, our targets were butterflies and hummingbirds. We struck out on the butterflies, but saw several hummingbirds, mostly Costa Hummingbirds, nectaring on Desert Spoon blooms. Click on image for larger, individual view.

A short drive from there took us to East Wetlands Park where we had hoped to see water and shorebirds. Birds were far and few between, though we did see an occasional rodent crawling out of its hole and woodpeckers in trees along the trail.

Having read many westerns, I was intrigued by the Yuma Territorial Prison. It is now a state park, but railroad and highway development has destroyed most of the prison such that only a few buildings remain.

Yuma, like most Arizona cities, has a flourishing park and trail system widely used by residents and tourists alike—makes one a bit envious. Our plans had been to spend the night in Yuma, sightsee part of the next day, and then return home. However, we accomplished all of our goals, and drove back to Casa Grande, arriving about 7 o’clock PM.

The weather here in Casa Grande is delightful these days with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s, accompanied by a slight breeze.  On Wednesday Kay and I took advantage of the awesome weather and did a double whammy: pickleball and golf. As has been reported in this journal before, her golf game continues to improve; we both putted poorly, though. A highlight on Wednesday was getting an appointment for our first COVID vaccination. Kay had been working the internet furiously the last few weeks attempting to make an appointment for us for these vaccinations. However, Arizona was not taking patients under 75, thus neither of us qualified. That changed earlier this week, and Kay was able to make an appointment for Friday, February 19; we were excited. Though it is 10 days away, we are looking forward to it, and the second, and getting to hug our kids, grandkids, and friends. Because of the timing, we may be delayed in leaving Arizona by a few days, but what the heck!

With fairly strict adherence to social distancing, our lives are settling into rather regular, but not boring routine. With a bit of time Thursday morning, I made banana muffins—really good! Enough were left over for a couple more mornings.

As we were awaiting pickleball play Friday afternoon, Kay received a call from Banner Health Clinic to confirm our COVID BOOSTER vaccinations next Friday, February 19. Kay related to the caller that it was not a booster, but our first. The caller said that boosters were being given next Friday,  but could we come in now for the initial injection. Since we were only a half mile away, Kay replied in the affirmative, and we were in the clinic within 10 minutes; 30 minutes later we were back at the RV, and the on the pickleball courts! Blessed! As a side note, the entire staff at Banner Clinic was helpful, considerate, and kind, giving one a “feel good” feeling. Why can’t all clinics be like that?

Mixed pickleball occurs on Saturdays, and it has a huge number of participants. I typically try to play both morning and afternoon sessions, but one of the side effects (for me) of the COVID19 injection was extremely sore, achy knees—first the right, and then the left. Surprisingly, it left the right knee about noon, after playing the morning session, but the left knee pain cranked up a bunch; it was bed almost all afternoon and evening—better days ahead, though!

Poor Kay; she opted to wash clothes Sunday morning, Valentine’s Day of all days. She was served breakfast in bed, though, to show how much she is appreciated.

I was scheduled to play “Partners” pickleball with Bev Graham, and we made it through a warm-up game and midway through the first official game. I was going for a right sideline return after having moved to center court, and excruciating pain enveloped my left knee and I almost fell. Limping to the nearby wall, the knee was on fire with pain. Hobbling to the bicycle, and then the RV, for an ice pack. The knee was nursed the remainder of the afternoon while Kay played a great game of golf, as she continues to improve seemingly every stroke. We had happy hour and Valentine’s Day dinner with the HSV group here at Palm Creek, followed by a martini street party—exciting times!

Monday was spent mostly in bed, elevating the knee and alternating cold and heat packs. Kay played pickleball—the day becoming an all too common one.

As I was still down and out with the back injury, Friday and Saturday were rather mundane, spent mostly updating software and apps, and editing photos. Kay did play pickleball on Saturday, though taking it easy with ankle and knee issues. We’re a couple of pitiful, injury ridden “mature” adults!

Sunday was a car trip day—the thought process was that most people would be indoors watching the Super Bowl; wrong! Our drive to Madera Canyon south of Tucson was without much traffic, but Madera Canyon was packed. The trails were crowded, though almost everyone was masked. We opted to hike a portion of the Madera Canyon Nature Trail near the Whitehouse Picnic Area. Jays were abundant, and several deer posed for photography while browsing. Fellow hikers were very considerate to socially distance.

From the picnic area, we continued the canyon ascent to Santa Rita Lodge, where they feed birds and have great observation areas. Again, most visitors were respectful, and socially distanced.

After Santa Rita Lodge, we drove to the Madera Canyon Picnic Area; it was packed. After a couple of circuits, we found someone vacating a parking spot, which we soon occupied. The flaming red Pyracantha Shrub, practically invisible from the road, was highly visible from the south end of the picnic area. We waited there for several minutes for an appearance by the Elegant Trogan, our target bird, but had no luck. Reportedly, it was there earlier in the day. Despite it being mid-afternoon, we had a picnic lunch at one of the tables—really like day tripping! Traffic back “home” was heavy, but uneventful. A quiet evening followed as neither of us gets excited about the Super Bowl.

Monday and Tuesday were filled with pickleball as injuries subsided—a return to near normal. Oh, by the way and not to rub it in, the weather here in Casa Grande, Arizona, is fantastic with highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s, and a slight breeze. We are blessed.