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.

Monday was golf day for the guys, all former or current residents of Hot Springs Village. We played at the Golf Club at Johnson Ranch in San Tan Valley, AZ. It features two very distinct nines. The  Mountain nine rises and falls in and around the San Tan Mountains and provides the golfer with exciting elevated tee and approach shots. The stunning views and environment found on the Mountain nine reflect Arizona desert golf at its best.  The back nine, or Valley nine, cuts a route of generous fairways (their definition of generous is not the same as ours), rolling hills and longer holes on the floor of the San Tan foothills.

Meanwhile, Kay continued practicing and playing pickleball, making steady improvements, particularly in her ability to execute good serves. If she succeeds at pickleball like she has at golf, I’m in trouble!

Tuesday was just another day at the resort, with an emphasis on pickleball as I played 14 games.

Wednesday was another pickleball day for the both of us. After playing in the men’s 3.0 Royal Court Ladder and returning to the RV, I noticed an ache/pain on the left side of my back, and remembered twisting while jumping for a high ball (old, fat men can jump, just not too high). It continued to worsen to such a point that I could hardly move, cough, or sneeze without intense pain, even to the touch—obviously a muscle strain!

After ice packs, heating pads, bed rest, and reading that walking was good for back strains, Kay and I drove to the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, Arizona, on Thursday to relax and search for the allusive Broad-billed Hummingbird. This time, I made sure the camera settings were proper for the long lens, and came away with a few decent photos. Kay opted to visit a couple of small shopping areas in Gilbert and Chandler while I walked around the Riparian Preserve. Back at the RV, the muscle strain worsened so it was more ice packs, heating pads, and bed rest.

Light winds and warming temperatures were the order of the day on Thursday. After a round of pickleball (7 games), we made our way to the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert for more photo making opportunities. Several birds cooperated, but when I began processing, most photos were not as sharp as desired. When looking at the metadata, it was noted that the shutter speed had returned to one previously memorized after changing to capture some pelicans in flight. It’s lack of attention to details that cause me the most issues in photography. Regardless, a few photos made the cut.

Friday was extremely windy, so neither Kay nor I played pickleball. We opted to play golf instead, and both had a pretty good game, playing only the back nine. Our Friday evening fish fry was canceled because of kitchen worker(s) testing positive for COVID.

A return to normal on Saturday brought pickleball back into the picture, but not much else. So, we enjoyed two relatively quiet days in a row.

We played golf Sunday with current and former Hot Springs Village folks here at Palm Creek. Both Kay and I played a bit on the rough side, with not enough good shots to feel positive about the game—not even “that shot” that brings one back to the course. However, the happy hour and BBQ dinner hosted by the Grahams at the Baggetts made up for the poor golf. 

January was a strange month, but certainly not a bad one; COVID has stripped us of any sense of normality. However, we are blessed to be able to spend winters in Arizona while maintaining a house in Hot Springs Village, both complete with lots of good friends.

After “3.0-3.5 Partners Pickleball”, we drove to Chandler to shop at the PGA Superstore and REI. Both were big disappointments, perhaps because of COVID. The PGA Superstore was set up nicely for golfers, but entirely too busy for any sales staff to provide assistance. The tennis, and thus pickleball, section was severely lacking in merchandise. There were few clothes, and that’s the main thing for which we were shopping. The check-out person said they compromised on tennis/pickleball merchandise in order to install a practice tennis facility! REI, my favorite all time store, was an even bigger disappointment as there seemed to be a significant void in inventory. It’s apparent to this buyer why online stores are so popular.

With a couple hours of daylight left, we made our way to the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert with a goal of getting better photographs of the Roseate Spoonbill—no such luck as she was deep in sleep. Several other birds availed themselves to photographs.

A major cold front made its way through the area on Monday with heavy rain (at least for this area) and high winds (gusting to about 35 mph). Temperatures plunged into the low 5os during the day and high 30s at night. The resulting day of few activities was a welcome relief and allowed catching up on journal writing and photo editing. Snow-capped mountains, the Four Peaks, about 40 miles northeast of Phoenix and part of the Mazatzal Mountain range, were highly visible to our north and east.

Winds moderated a bit on Tuesday, but still made playing pickleball dicey—one could hit as hard as desired into the wind, but had to barely touch the ball when hitting with the wind. Further moderation of wind speed occurred Wednesday morning but increased as the afternoon wore on; temperatures remained unseasonably cool.

We try really hard to stay busy, and this week was no exception—pickleball almost everyday, golf on Monday, and a try at tennis (after 43 years) on Tuesday—bedtime could not come early enough most evenings. The weather in southern Arizona has been spectacular this week, though more winds were present than we observed last year. Playing pickleball into or against the wind is comical, as the ball may go several different directions, seemingly at once!

Kay’s golf game is ascending to new heights with every game she plays. Fortunately, we don’t compete because she is hitting one great shot after another, and outscoring this poor duffer. In a scramble last Sunday, we used her drive 7 out of 9 holes, and she carried us in a scramble this Saturday, starting with a birdie on Hole #1! It is a delight to the both of us as she improves her golf game.

With pickleball finishing early on Wednesday, the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert beckoned. In terms of birding and photography, it was even better than remembered. However this photographer discovered how absence from making photos takes a big toll on quality of photographs. Several birds were kind enough to stay put and pose, including the much photographed Roseate Spoonbill. Though I spent just over two hours walking the trails, it was a refreshing break from our otherwise “groundhog day” existence; and, getting back to making pictures provided a welcome change of pace.

Fortunately, there are many activities in Palm Creek RV Resort somewhat compatible with COVID 19 restrictions. Neither of us attend any club meetings, and “Eat-in” dining is prohibited. All of the activities in which we participate are outside, including pickleball and golf. I play pickleball at least once six days a week, and Kay plays every other day.—we look like the walking wounded with elbow and knee compression sleeves, body bruises from pickleball hits, and miscellaneous cuts and scratches—it is a contact sport!

We have tried to venture about the area at least one day a week, depending on what other things are scheduled. This past Saturday, June 16, we drove south to Tucson, then east to Mount Lemmon. With a summit elevation of 9,159 feet, Mount Lemmon is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. It is located in the Coronado National Forest. The summit of the mountain is approximately twenty degrees cooler than the base. Therefore, large amounts of snow fall during the winter months, making it a cool escape and popular tourist attraction for Tucson and Phoenix inhabitants. It is reported that Mount Lemmon Ski Valley, on the mountain’s northeastern side, receives 200 inches of snow annually, though we saw very little snow during our visit.

Beginning in the high desert filled with various species of cacti at about 2,500 feet in elevation, the Catalina Highway, also called the Mount Lemmon Highway, as well as the Hitchcock Highway runs up the Santa Catalina Mountains from the east side of Tucson up to Summerhaven, at the top of Mt. Lemmon, in an alpine, evergreen filled forest. The beautiful, curving road is a favorite drive for tourists, for locals escaping summer’s heat and especially for cyclists who make the long, difficult ascent jut to ride down at unthinkable speeds. We saw hundreds of cyclists making this grueling ascent.

The long drive to and from Mount Lemmon was uneventful, except that having forgotten our lunch (my bad), we stopped at Summerhaven for lunch snacks, being careful to socially distance from the crowds.

Regrettably, the new year, 2021, began much the same as 2020 ended, maybe even worse! The pandemic is raging in the US and the world, vaccinations are being delivered ever so slowly, and our grand country is more divided than ever. The unprecedented debacle of the United States capitol building being overrun is perhaps one of the saddest and angriest occurrences in our lives. Conversations among family and friends are ever so delicate, with words being measured very carefully. Individual opinions and beliefs, particularly among the more silent folks, are no longer respected. God help us all.

With the pandemic accelerating to extraordinary levels, particularly in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and in the state of Arkansas, life is far from normal, though I suspect our historic normal will never return. It’s even too scary to consider making photographic trips to the greater Phoenix and Tucson areas. Our lives here at Palm Creek RV Resort in Casa Grande, AZ, now consist of pickleball, golf, and eating meager meals (we’re both trying to lose weight). One bright spot is that I was quickly elevated to level 3.0, and have asked to be observed for level 3.5. 

While Kay and I talk about traveling, we are acutely aware that trips will not happen soon—there are still deposits/funds “invested” in two international trips, and at least three round trip airline flights have been paid for. 

We did venture out on Saturday, January 9 to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument; it was a spur-of-the-moment trip! The just over two hour drive through the desert was relaxing, with little traffic. Most roads on Indian reservations are closed due to the pandemic, so there are only a few ways in and out. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a US national monument and UNESCO biosphere reserve located in extreme southern Arizona that shares a border with the Mexican state of Sonora. The park is the only place in the US where the organ pipe cactus grows wild. Along with organ pipe, many other types of cacti and other desert flora native to theYuma Desert section of the Sonoran Desert region grow in the park. In 1976 the monument was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, and in 1977 95% of Organ Pipe Cactus was declared a wilderness area. Regrettably, little information was provided by the Visitors Center, other than traditional National Park Service handouts about the monument. We did the 21-mile Ago Mountain Drive, stopping afterwards back at the Visitors Center for a picnic lunch. Though the monument was not crowded, we opted not to hike any of the trails.

These birds were photographed near the Visitors Center.

I spent pre-Christmas alone—social distancing and avoiding people and crowds—awaiting Kay’s arrival on December 28, 2020. Except for not being with Kay, I had a great time, and really enjoyed the absence of a lot of activities. Folks living on “our” street at the resort had a potluck Christmas Day,. The food was good, and it was great meeting neighbors, though the social distancing was quite lax. Until Kay arrived, life pretty much centered around cooking a meal or two each day, and playing pickleball for a few hours—that game is addictive.

Kay arrived in the early evening on December 28, and we were “home” by 8 PM. Gifts were exchanged, and Christmas 2020 was behind us.

Thanks to Verizon, we were able to interact with family and friends via social networking; DISH internet was down for several days beginning Christmas Even. Kay and I were profoundly blessed during the “lost” year, 2020, and managed much better than most. Our major sacrifices were the lack of spending time with kids and grandkids, and a couple of international trips. We were glad to usher 2020 out, and went to bed early so it would go away quicker. The events of 2020 are not so subtle reminders that everyday life is not to be taken for granted.

Laundry had accumulated since leaving home over two weeks ago; I still had clothes, but had run out of comfortable shorts and tees, my go to wardrobe. Consequently, on Sunday, a load of laundry was washed and dried (all were darkish clothes), folded, and put away. Golf had been tentatively been scheduled for the afternoon, but it was too cold and windy for the fair-weather golfer. The solar briefcase system—a work in progress—reconfigured, the solar panels were deployed at the back of the RV facing the southern sun, and the 50 amp power was turned off. I wanted to see if I could use solar and propane for the basic necessities of RV life. That occupied the time until bedtime.

The Palm Creek Photography Club met Monday morning; there were only nine people there, and while they socially distanced, I felt uncomfortable. In combination with a somewhat boring program, it was cause to leave early for errands and golf. The grand experiment of living without “shore” power was successful, except that I ran out of propane in the auxiliary tank, and had to turn on the RV propane tank real early, in the dark and cold! The auxiliary tank was filled at U-Haul, just a short drive from Palm Creek, and cost less than $15 to fill. Golf was on the schedule again, but cold temperatures and winds proved too much for this fair weather golfer. The time was used to “finish” the solar project by reconfiguring some of the wiring and adding connectors and cable to make it more versatile. Now, I’m just about tinkered out, and ready for action.

Finally, after numerous emails and attempts to access the Palm Creek Pickleball Club website, I was successful yesterday afternoon, and scheduled “round robin” play for today, Tuesday. Because I didn’t have any history with the club, I was assigned to play in the 2.0-2.5 mixed group. I really had a great time, but was a bit more advanced than all the others in the group. The group captain suggested that I consider moving up to the 3.0 group—perhaps next week after I get my feet wet.

Tuesday was also a big anniversary for me; ten years ago, I had life saving surgery for prostate cancer. I was diagnosed on September 20, 2010. We immediately made an appointment for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and over the course of the next three months, made three 1,400-mile round trips there and back, including one for a radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) on December 15. We arrived for surgery a couple of days after a record December snowfall of over 24 inches in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, and record low temperatures. We rarely saw temps above “0”.

Thanks to God, the surgery was successful, and now, ten years later, I remain cancer free. Less than one year later, my big brother died of gastric cancer. Cancer definitely changes every aspect of one’s life. After the initial shock and realization that life is finite and somewhat fleeting, priorities change. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy Kay, kids and grandkids, and travel and photography so much; it helps fill the soul.