This week yielded subfreezing temperatures for a couple of days, followed by rain late in the week.  Our weather this spring has been maddening!  It seems that we’ll have a couple of warm days and a couple of subfreezing days, and then rain, and then a repeat, almost weekly.  Occasionally, when it warms, we’ll see butterflies sipping nectar from the flowers near the house.

After church and Sunday school, we drove to Quarry Park and “collected” Jerry and Karen for lunch at Chen’s in Mountain Home, followed by a tour of the James A. Gaston Visitor Center in Bull Shoals-White River State Park–nice, but worth $5 million in tax dollars?  A short hike through Gaston’s Nature Trail rewarded us with many birds, including a new “year bird” for Jerry and Karen; both have over 300 species for the year so far.  We also saw lots of butterflies, including these.

With some daylight left, we drove to Buffalo Point where we saw a bald eagle and Jerry and Karen got to see the high river bluffs first hand.  By the time we finished, dusk had begun to set in.  We returned them to their RV at Quarry Park, having completed a full day.

Kay had a couple of medical appointments Monday morning, so I prepared breakfast for Jerry and Karen.  Upon Kay’s return home, Kay, Jerry, Kay, and I drove our favorite road in the Ozark National Forest and along Leatherwood Wilderness, stopping to view the short “hole in the wall”.

We then drove to Blanchard Springs and quickly walked to the spring’s exit from the cave before touring Blanchard Springs Caverns.  The caverns are one of the top 5 exhibition caves in the US, and overwhelmed us at every turn with magnificent formations.  We were all hungry afterwards and stopped at Cody’s in Fifty Six, AR, where Jerry and Karen treated us to an early dinner.

I’m really our of practice preparing heavy breakfast, having been dieting for the last 18 months, and the breakfast yesterday for Jerry and Karen was substandard.  Tuesday morning I made biscuits, sausage, sausage gravy, and scrambled eggs for them and it was good.  Jerry really likes sausage gravy and probably won’t get anymore until they return through here this fall on their way back to the RGV.  Kay and I both had appointments in the middle of the day, but prepared dinner for them in the evening–pork jambalaya, asparagus, salad, and French bread, with Karen’s Key Lime pie for dessert.  Yum, yum!  

Jerry and Karen were leaving on Thursday, making their way slowly to Wisconsin where they spend the summer.  They returned to our house Wednesday eveing for a farewell dinner, preceded by bird, deer, and turkey watching.  I prepared shrimp creole, and we accompanied it with salad and French bread.  It was sad to see them go, but we’ll visit again perhaps in the early fall, and then over the course of the winter in the RGV.  I have learned a great deal from them about birds, and am thankful for their friendship and our time together. 

Friday and Saturday were quiet days for us, but we did attend a Sunday school party at the Burr’s despite rain in the morning and a chill in the afternoon.

Monday, April 15 saw our first Indigo Bunting arrive in the morning.  Kay and I had appointments at the ophthalmologist that afternoon, and the news from me was not good.  My eyesight has always been exceedingly good—better than “perfect” in fact and my left eye has been the better.  Almost unbelievably, I could hardly read the letters on the wall with the left eye, a real shocker!  Dr. Wright did not recommend glasses or contacts just yet, but advised that the time was coming soon!  And a self-test of hearing revealed that my good ear, the left one, is almost completely deaf except with a hearing aid—sad times indeed.  Despite all these maladies, growing old is still a hoot.  On a happier note, the dogwoods showed their first blooms on Tuesday, April 16, and on Wednesday, April 17, the columbines bloomed along the road into our subdivision.  After our bridge lesson Wednesday afternoon, Kay drove to Little Rock for Book Club.  On Friday, Karyn, Matt, and Ridge arrived for their annual “turkey hunting” visit.

With great weather, Ridge played outside on the patio, and loved ringing the chimes hanging from the “vertical element” in the corner.  He also enjoyed his car and other toys.  He’s definitely an outside boy.

We had our first ever visit on Saturday, April 21, from a Red-Breasted Grosbeak and a Blue Grosbeak.

Saturday afternoon our friends Jerry and Karen Smith, full timing RVers who winter in the RGV, arrived at Quarry Park for a 5-day visit.  Both are world-class birders, and we look forward to spending a few days with them.  In addition, Matt and Karyn’s friend, J.B., came by to spend the night, and the 8 of us all enjoyed a steak and potato dinner at Dunnhill.

We had rain early in the week, and I discovered that the leak is coming from a tiny gasket near the bottom corner of the window, seeping in like water being sucked through a straw.  I applied just a dab of silicon and it did the trick; had I known earlier, I would not have had to take the molding off, and all the other work that ensued, and saving about 6 hours in the process.  On Tuesday morning, April 9, our first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird of the year arrived.  For us, this marks the beginning of spring.  While in the RGV, we resumed playing bridge after an almost 30-year absence.  Parts of the bidding and playing strategy came back; other parts did not.  Consequently, we vowed to take lessons and on Wednesday, April 10, we started a series of lessons on the strategy of playing bridge.  Interestingly, when I called about the lessons, I mentioned bidding using the Goren system and the instructor laughed and said that was a bit outdated.  A Northern Parula Warbler stopped by on Thursday, April 11; this is the second consecutive year they’ve visited.  With a few days of sun in the forecast, we drove to Quarry Park on Thursday to “camp” for a few days.

This was a quiet week, thank goodness, allowing time to continue my springtime chores.  Kay traveled to central Arkansas to meet with our tax preparer and get in some KK time with kids and grandkids.  Kay returned on Thursday and got her yearly physical on Friday, and is doing well.  With a few decent weather days in the forecast, and I washed the motorhome on Friday.  Regrettably, the leak is still there after all that work!

Kay came down with the CRUD on the next to last day of the cruise, but she never complains, and made the drive home from New Orleans, via Benton, coughing almost the whole way.  Our weather is pretty funky at home this spring, and as evidence a 6-inch snow fell at our house while we were cruising, but it had almost all melted by the time we arrived home.  During the week, Kay was in recovery mode, but is a quick healer.  She was called for jury duty on Tuesday for a murder trial, but enough jurors were seated such that she didn’t have to report. We had decent weather part of the week, and I worked outdoors a couple of days, burning some brush piles and killing weeds.  We discovered a leak in the driver’s side window in the motorhome during recent rains, and I undertook a major repair after calling our Winnebago dealer in Forest City, Iowa, for instructions as to how to remove molding separating the window from the windshield.  On Saturday, we drove to Memphis and spent a few hours with Jenny, Brian, and Harper Ann.  She has grown a bunch and is very mobile.  We go to Costco while we’re in Memphis, and Saturday was no exception.  Harper Ann got all dressed in warm and snuggly clothes, and accompanied us to the store.  She loves shopping, so the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; she’s like her mother in that respect. 

On the drive back from Memphis, we stopped at Sam’s Club in Jonesboro and picked up a couple of 6-volt batteries for friend and neighbor Wayne who has installed a large solar system on their motorhome.

Kay is suffering from a full blown cold.  She slept poorly last night, but did get relief from some allergy medicine Ron had.  We awoke early, already packed and ready to disembark.  The ship docked in New Orleans at 6 AM, and we grabbed a cup of coffee and moved our HUGE roller duffels downstairs, via the elevator.  Fortunately, there was little elevator traffic at that early hour.  We met Ron and Kaden in the dining room, our area of disembarkation.  After about 30 minutes, the door opened and we quickly made our way off the ship, through US Customs and Border Protection, and to the parking lot.  Within a few minutes, we were on our way north out of New Orleans.  Kaden slept the first few hours, having burned the candle at both ends.  For Kay and me, the trip was well worth the money just to watch him experience his first cruise and first time out of the country.  And, he made the most of it.  He’s a great kid, good looking, and meets people easily.  We’re quite pleased to be his grandparents!

We arrived at Ron’s at 3 PM, after an 8 hour drive, dropped him and Kaden off, picked up a few things left from last weekend, and departed for home.  The temperature kept falling, and coming from 82 degrees every day, temps in the 40s were cold!  Some snow was still on the ground near Mountain View, remaining from the 6 inches that fell Thursday.  We arrived home at 6:15 PM, and Kay went to bed immediately, glad to home in her own bed.

Last night we sailed through a strait separating Mexico and Cuba, and connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico.  Some passengers were able to see the lights of Cuba as we sailed through. The seas became a bit rougher, and we awoke shortly after 6 AM gently rocking back and forth. Kay began suffering from head stuffiness before bed last evening, and awoke with more of the same and a ferocious backache. She rarely complains about not feeling well, so I’m a bit concerned.

Coffee and pastries were delivered at 7:15 AM, and we enjoyed a leisurely early morning catching up with US news on CNN.  Fruit and cottage cheese completed my breakfast on the aft end of the ship, but Kay didn’t eat anything.  After returning to the room, she dressed for the spa, hoping the warm jets of water would soothe the backache. I remained in the room, working on the blog for the week having tired of the cruise; it must be time to go home for a while.

Only a few photos were taken today, so the one below is of Kay in Cozumel, our first port of call.

A slow morning was followed by a light lunch, as we’re saving ourselves for lamb shanks tonight. And then, we “rested” from all the eating, etc. this week.

Kay is continuing to not feel well (she says she is not feeling bad, just not good), and we spent the afternoon in our cabin, filling out departure papers.

Dinner in the formal dining room tonight was the long awaited lamb shanks, and they were excellent. Our waiter brought us additional servings of the lamb, and then brought us several desserts, though we had only order one each.  And knowing we liked the chocolate flourless cake, he brought us several servings of it.  WOW!  Fortunately, we don’t eat like this very often.  Next week, I’ll be back on Weight Watchers.

Our entertainment tonight featured the Navigator of the Seas orchestra and starred comedian Ross Bennett and sports acrobats Duo Claudio, both excellent.  Also, skits were performed by the Activities staff, making jokes about life on a cruise ship.  This is our last night on board, with scheduled arrival in New Orleans at 6 AM and hopeful departure towards home at 7 AM.

NOTE:  We have been talking about a Baltic cruise, visiting England, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, and Estonia; this cruise has been on our bucket list a long time.  During our current cruise, we’ve taken advantage of opportunities to speak to and ask questions of staff and other passengers about various cruises, and the Baltic is the #1 choice.  Our head waiter recommended the cruise as his top choice, and suggested that we travel in early June, mainly to take advantage of relatively clear weather and long daylight hours.  His recommendation and suggestion was seconded by our lunch waiter, Nona, from Belarus, a part of the former Soviet Union. So, if the good Lord’s willing, maybe we’ll cruise the Baltics in June 2014. Wanna go with us?  

We’re at sea all day today, having finished all three ports of call on this cruise.

We had a normal breakfast, i.e. food like what we would have eaten at home including an English muffin, fruit, and cottage cheese, and were joined by Ron and Kaden. It was the first time we’ve eaten with Kaden, or even spent time with him, since Monday evening—too many “distractions” for him, if you know what I mean.

We changed into swimming suits and spent the rest of the morning lounging in the shade on the crowded deck with Ron—enough sun for us already—and watched, or rather listened, to the “International” Men’s Belly Flop Competition. The ship’s passengers are mostly Arkansans, and the Arkansas entries received loud ovations, and even a hog call once; the Italian cruise director had no idea what was happening, but was duly impressed.

Dinner tonight was formal, and included a wonderful seafood salad, lobster tail, and baked Alaska! And then the waiter brought two more plates of lobster tail we shared with the other family at our table; Ron devoured our extra one! And then to top it off, the head waiter and waiter brought plates of flourless chocolate cake—the best chocolate I’ve ever eaten. We had this previously on Monday evening and commented about how good it was. The staff had set this up for Tuesday evening but no one at our table showed up for the formal dinner.  We’ve always made it a point to befriend the staff and they always reciprocate, and since our waiter is Turkish, and Ron speaks conversational Turkish, really solidifies the relationship. We’ve changed our opinion of Royal Caribbean, particularly about the quality of food on Royal Caribbean as compared to the other cruise companies we’ve used; it is the best we’ve had on any cruise, in our opinion, though not by a significant margin. And we especially liked the fact that there is more American-style food—meats and vegetables we’re used to eating.

After the formal dinner, I changed into more casual attire—shorts and island shirt—and we enjoyed an evening of watching ballroom style dancing and music, “Ballroom Fever”. The show was very well choreographed. All the dancers were good, but the featured dancers, Olga and Dmitry, a Russian couple, were really good.

As the evening progressed, Kay began to feel stuffy, and though she never complains, it’s obvious to those of us who know her realize she’s not feeling well.  She hopes the saltwater air tomorrow will help.

Today’s port of call, the last one of the cruise, is Falmouth, Jamaica. The small island of Jamaica lies due south of Cuba.  Falmouth, located on the north coast, was once a major sugar and rum port in the 18th and 19th centuries—dependent largely on slave trade.  This once wealthy Jamaican city was marked by Georgian-style “Great Houses” which remain intact today.  The slave-supported economy ended in 1840 with the Emancipation, and today Falmouth appears as if time has stood still.

We finally wised up and had room service–coffee and pastries–in the room this morning; what a way to live!

After a leisurely early morning, we had a small, but slow breakfast. After disembarking, we walked through the shopping district, and Kay bought a few small gifts. Leaving the shopping district and entering the real Jamaica, we observed less than opulent houses and shops, and a poor economy almost wholly dependent on tourism.  Apparently illegal drugs and marijuana are rampant as passengers were warned many times, and threatened with photographs if they partook.

We found Jamaica to be quite expensive, except for some jewelry and watches which sell for brand-allowable discounts with no taxes and no duty (under $800 we were later to discover), a savings of about 25%; some diamond jewelry will discount up to to about 70%.

Back on board we ate lunch–excellent pan seared grouper, “fried” cabbage, and bacon potato salad–and changed into swimsuits, spending the next 3 hours in and around the spa and hot tub.

Dinner tonight included rack of lamb, one of our favorites, and it was prepared well. 

Entertainment was Domenik Allen from the legendary rock group, FOREIGNER.  He has also performed in Las Vegas, Broadway, and London’s West End, and on “Days Of Our Lives”. He was awesome, playing saxophone, guitar, and clarinet, and had a tremendous voice with lots of range and air. He did songs from The Eagles, FOREIGNER, Kiss, and many other groups. He is the best entertainment we’ve seen on any of our cruises.

We had a relatively early breakfast even though arrival in Georgetown, Grand Cayman is not until later in mid-morning.

Grand Cayman is the largest of 3 islands, all comprising a self-governing colony under Great Britain. Columbus called the islands “Las Tortugas” because of the turtles he found living off shore.  The islands have also been known as Caimanau, the Carib word for crocodile, used to describe the native iguanas.  Today, the turtles, iguanas, and stingrays are the most popular residents.

At Grand Cayman, passengers going ashore have to be tendered, i.e. taken ashore by ferry. Kay, Ron, and Kaden scheduled a “shore excursion” to swim with the sting rays at Stingray City, an area where locals have fed the stingrays for many years, and thus left early with other shore excursion passengers.

I had planned to walk around town; however, the tendering operations took forever–the queue took two hours as paid shore excursions received priority and then the remainder of the passengers who wanted to go ashore were next. By that time, I had gotten comfortable in the hot tub and opted to remain on board; one advantage was that the pool and spa area was practically empty. Consequently, I had a quiet day enjoying the hot tub and some sun, and reading and listening to music (play lists include Linda Ronstadt, Diana Krall, Gordon Lightfoot, Sierra Hull, and Allison Krauss).

We opted to have dinner at the buffet, and are really beginning to enjoying the food.  The sweet and sour pork was very good as was the ham potato salad. The food on Navigator of the Seas has more of an American flair and seasonings, and our opinion of Royal Caribbean, at least as far as food is concerned, is improving.

Entertainment tonight was an evening performance of Ice Dancin’ which we saw earlier. Consequently, we had a quiet night, and I finished another book.