As Thanksgiving day approached, the holiday season, at least for us, slowly accelerates. As always, there will be good times with family and friends, and too much food.
I continue playing golf, as weather conditions permit—yes, I’m a “fair-weather” golfer—and the both of us play pickleball up to four times a week, again as weather conditions permit.
On the Thursday before Thanksgiving, we enjoyed an early Thanksgiving meal with Ron and Cheryl and their immediate family. The occasion was to celebrate Kaden (Ron’s son and KK’s oldest grandson) and Diane’s visit from San Antonio. And then, another feast was celebrated on Thanksgiving day, again at Ron’s, with KK’s family and Cheryl’s family. It’s always good to see family during the holidays, especially the grandkids.
Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving was pickleball play for the both of us—a great way to unwind after all the food and celebration.
I spent a good portion of this reporting period making a YouTube video, “Sizing, Printing, Matting, and Framing a Photo”. This was the 23rd or 24th video created, and though they’re fun to create, they don’t get a lot of views.
Photography has slowed a bit during this transition between fall and winter, as the birds have a lot of natural food available, and don’t hang out in the nearby trees and shrubs. However, on Monday, November 17, a few birds showed up including a Golden-crowned Kinglet, Tufted Titmouse, and Carolina Chickadee.
But the real star of the “show” was a Turkey Vulture perched in an adjacent tree.
Turkey Vulture
A few more birds began appearing towards the end of the month. In addition to the regulars, species observed included a Downy Woodpecker, Pine Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Dark-eyed Junco.
The first two weeks of the month were relatively quiet. Most days found me taking photos, and the both of us either playing pickleball, golf, or both. Two notable events were Kay taking a girls trip to Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi, and the two of us playing in the Duffer’s annual member/guest scramble. The Beau Rivage trip resulted in donations to the casino, but overshadowed by a good time with Pam. The Duffer’s scramble was a weird Halloween-themed event with strange rules. Kay and I finished, which was a success in and of itself. Regardless, to say we were and remained blessed is a gross understatement.
I managed to photograph eleven days out of the fifteen of the month. Wednesday, October 1, was the most productive day with several species of butterflies, a dragonfly, and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird captured on digital memory.
Butterflies included Fiery Skippers, an Eastern-Tailed Blue, and a Clouded Skipper.
A solitary Blue Dancer dragonfly was also using the pollinator garden.
And the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were stocking up on nectar for their upcoming journey south.
In addition to the usual butterflies and hummingbirds, a Fence Lizard was hunting for prey in the garden later in the week.
Butterflies have all but disappeared. A few birds came around on Sunday, October 5, including a Carolina Chickadee, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a Tufted Titmouse.
Few birds came around on Wednesday, October 8. A Tufted Titmouse and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird were the only ones photographed; however, none are shown here.
The only bird of note photographed on Thursday, October 9 was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Though no photos are posted here, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was observed on Friday.
The season’s last photographed Ruby-throated Hummingbird was observed on Saturday, October 11.
And even though two Ruby-throated hummingbirds showed up early Sunday morning, October 12, no photos were made. These were the last hummingbirds seen this season. However, a juvenile Blue Jay (having a bad hair day) was photographed later in the day.
A Great Blue Heron was feeding along the shoreline on Monday morning, and it was photographed having breakfast. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was also observed.
The 18th U.S. Hickory Open golf championship was held in early October at Hot Springs Country Club. This tournament annually attracts an international field of golfers who play with antique pre-1935 hickory shafted golf clubs or authentic replica hickory clubs. Most of the golfers dress in period golf clothes, making for an awesome photographic event. Friend Dan and I attended on Saturday, October 4, making several photos.
It was a relatively quiet couple of weeks ending September. Most days found us either playing pickleball, golf, or both. Significant items were Kay’s birthday, her departure for a girls trip to Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi, and repair of the house deck.
Kay celebrated another birthday on September 23, yet she doesn’t look a day older. Her son took her out to Pancake House in Hot Springs and she immensely enjoyed it. And then on September 30 she and a girlfriend flew to Biloxi, Mississippi, on a gambling junket at Beau Rivage. Also on September 30, a father and adult son removed rotten wood from the rear deck and replaced it with new material. As best I can tell, they did an acceptable job, but he grossly misstated the hours worked (at $55/hour). There was little I could do except pay, but we’ll not recommend him nor use him again.
As temperatures cooled, butterflies and dragonflies were observed less and less often; consequently, I switched to photographing birds.
On September 16, a Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird were photographed.
A surprise visitor, a Northern Parula Warbler, showed up earning on the morning of September 18, and was photographed chasing, then losing a caterpillar. This is only the third Northern Parula Warbler I’ve seen.
Northern Parula Warbler
The following photos show the sequence of catching then losing a caterpillar.
A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was observed and photographed on September 21, an unexpected visitor.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Another unexpected visitor, a Chipping Sparrow, was observed and photographed on September 26.
Chipping Sparrow
On September 27, a solitary Ruby-throated Hummingbird was photographed.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
An exciting birding day at our place was September 28. On that Sunday morning before church, a Nashville Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Northern Flicker were observed and photographed. The Northern Warbler was a “LIFE BIRD” and the Northern Flicker was the first-time I had photographed that species.
Lastly, a Brown-headed Nuthatch was observed and photographed on September 29. Nuthatches are often seen going down trees head first, clinging to bark with their strong feet rather than leaning on their tails like a woodpecker.
We were privileged to host our Maumelle kids this Labor Day weekend. They arrived on Saturday afternoon and stayed through Monday morning. As always, we played a lively game of pickleball, and Kay and I were amazed at how much progress Aker has made, getting almost all of her serves in and doing a great job of rallying—is proud for her! And of course, her mother and brother are both super competitive making for a great afternoon of fun.
On September 2, Kay and I traveled to northwest Arkansas to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We toured Crystal Bridges Museum upon arriving in Bentonville, and continue to be amazed by the presence of such a facility in Arkansas. Afterward, we ate our anniversary dinner at Fish City Grill in Rogers—what a magnificent meal.
The restaurant is owned by the daughter and SIL of a friend of Kay’s, and I can’t recommend it enough. We were comped an appetizer tray and dessert, and the appetizers were to die for!
The following day, we drove to Springfield, Missouri, to tour the Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium. It was indeed a sight to behold, and I particularly enjoyed the nature photography exhibit. We returned home early on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
On Sunday, September 14, 2025, we drove to North Little Rock to watch granddaughter Aker play volleyball. She did really well, and though her team was outmanned, they still made a respectable showing. As for the rest of the reporting period, our calendar was filled with pickleball, golf, haircuts/beauty appointments, and social activities for Kay.
Butterflies and dragonflies have just about disappeared from the pollinator garden and lake shoreline. A substantial cool front that moved into the area in early September must have pushed them away. Consequently, photo opportunities for these creatures have been far and few between. However, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have ramped up their migration, and we are seeing a lot of immature and mature males at the feeders. In addition, a few birds are beginning to hang out in nearby trees. On the morning of Monday, September 15, a Baltimore Oriole was observed near one of the hummingbird feeders hanging above the deck; regrettably, it didn’t hang around long enough for photos. Kay and I put an orange half out hoping to entice it back, but to date, it has not reappeared.
On Saturday, September 6, a few hummingbirds were photographed.
Hummingbirds were again photographed the following day, Sunday, September 7.
In addition to Ruby-throated hummingbirds, a Tufted Titmouse and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher hid in the fully leafed birch tree, but appeared in an open area long enough to be photographed.
Birds, butterflies, and dragonflies were not out and about on Sunday, September 14, but a frog was caught “climbing the wall” and a hummingbird sat still guarding his food source.
Mid-February started off with cool temperatures and after only a couple of days, rain began, turning to sleet and snow. And, temperatures plunged to single digits. For four days, temperatures never exceeded freezing.
With us spending more time at home in Hot Springs Village, we are going to try and play more cards (Hand and Foot) and games. But for Hand and Foot particularly, we don’t have any of the accessories such as shuffler, “book of cards” holder, and deck tray. So, it was off to the shop to make the latter two. However, as a consequence of the brutally cold weather, only the first couple days of the reporting period (Sunday and Monday) were fit to do anything woodworking in the unheated shop. Nevertheless, 1x4x8’s were glued together, decorative edges cut, slots made, and supports attached. Sanding and application of several coats of polyurethane finished the process.
Hand and Foot accessory
Tuesday morning, February 18, 2025, I braved the dropping temperatures and the beginning of frozen precipitation to “shoot” some birds.
American Goldfinches, Carolina Chickadees, and Tufted Titmice were frequent visitors to the seed feeders, and permitted a few photos to be made.
American GoldfinchCarollina ChickadeeTufted Titmouse
A lot of reading was done on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday during the day, and YouTube videos and a French detective series, Balthazar, were viewed in the evening. A gradual warmup began on Friday, February 21, 2025, with many of the roads and streets free enough of ice to be usable.
These are some of the photos taken on Sunday, February 23, 2025. American Goldfinches hoarded the feeders, but a Northern Cardinal and Carolina Chickadee slipped in for a seed or two.
Northern CardinalCarolina Chickadee
On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, the “regulars” returned with lots of American Goldfinches, a few Carolina Chickadees, and a Tufted Titmouse using the feeders.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025, was a warm day, and though few birds came in to the feeders, many hung out in the trees, necessitating a steady tripod to reach out and “touch” them with the camera/lens. A Brown-headed Nuthatch stole the show, but played coy with the camera and made taking its portrait quite difficult.
PERSONAL NOTE: Now that we don’t have near as many exciting adventures to relive in the blog, I have decided to change it up a bit and focus more on photos and unique activities. We will still capture our travel, and perhaps craft projects, but no more verbiage about our boring everyday life.
We keep moving our departure date forward, finally opting for Sunday, January 26. The weather in central Florida, i.e. The Villages, has not been real conducive to outdoor activities. The Villages of Florida offer just about any activity one might be interested in pursuing. The grounds are wonderfully landscaped and kept immaculate. It is definitely a golfing community and the well-groomed courses were extensively used, though we were almost always able to get a tee time even if was late in the afternoon. It is difficult to complain about life in The Villages, except it is crowded, traffic is horrible, and the weather, for the most part, was cold, wet, and windy. Kay and I were just a bit overwhelmed by it all. While the people were not unfriendly, there was little social interaction except for cards, golf, and dinner with the Starr’s and early on the Graham’s. Our neighborhood or “village” was socially sterile. But, we were temporary renters, and not owners. We, therefore, have no regrets in leaving early, except we will miss socializing with the Starr’s.
We keep moving our departure date forward, finally opting for Sunday, January 26. The weather in central Florida, i.e. The Villages, has not been real conducive to outdoor activities.
We played a lot of golf, albeit on “executive” courses or “pitch and putt” courses. On Saturday, January 18, we played the Bogart executive course with the Starrs. Photos were taken by Kay and me.
And then on Tuesday, we played the Richmond Pitch and Putt course. It was windy and cool. We returned to play the Richmond Pitch and Putt course on Thursday, and again it was windy and cool, but not as bad as on Tuesday. Photos were taken by both Kay and me.
We played our last round of golf at The Villages with the Starrs on Saturday, January 25, playing the Mickylee Pitch and Putt course. Afterwards we ate at Cody’s, but it wasn’t quite as good as the previous times we ate there, and it was crowded as was the entire Sumter Landing area, such that it was difficult to find a parking place.
Also on Saturday, January 25, we packed up our toys and clothing, and pre-positioned the bags near the garage door for loading on Sunday.
As per schedule, we packed the car, fulfilled the requirements for leaving the AirBnB (regarding dishes, towels, bed linens, trash, etc.) and departed The Villages at 8:10 AM on Sunday, January 26. We were both ready to go home. The day’s drive took us north through Gainesville, then west through Tallahassee, and much of Florida’s panhandle, north northwest through Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, and finally northwest in the rain and semidarkness to Tupelo, Mississippi, where we overnighted. The hotel, rated 4.5/5.0 was not great nor even good. It was clean and basic, and had a cleaning odor that prohibited me from sleeping much, though Kay slept fine.
After the unrestful night, we departed at approximately 7:30 AM on Monday morning driving through Memphis and then westward to home, stopping for groceries. The leg from Memphis to home seemingly took forever as we were stopped on I-40 for about 45 minutes because of an accident. Regardless, we arrived home about 1:00 PM, and exhaled a long sigh of relief. We unpacked, began filling the hot tub, filled the bird feeders, set up the computer for photo editing, and enjoyed being in our house. Did I say we really like where we live!
Tuesday, January 28, was spent unpacking and stowing clothes and getting things organized in the house and garage; Kay did a bit of grocery shopping and picked up “held” mail. Of course, we both reconnected with friends.
And then on Wednesday, January 29, I got a haircut for what little hair I have left, and we both played the new pickleball ladder at Diamante. It’s so good to be home.
Both Thursday and Friday were quiet, and we continued enjoying being back in our house, though I did manage to photograph an American Goldfinch.
I suppose it’s been obvious from the previous post that “pickleball” has not been mentioned. I played twice and enjoyed both times; however, it’s not the same as the great group at Diamante. It was competitive enough, and the players were friendly (even though the first “old” lady I played with instructed me on how to play the game). But, it just wasn’t the same and there were no warm fuzzy feelings.
Also, it’s been difficult to find birds, etc. for photo ops, though I’ve worked really hard and walked a bunch of trails towards that end. And, it’s been cold here by Texas and Arizona winter standards, with afternoon winds making it feel even colder. (Note to self: Could it be that I’m homesick? Who knows, but it is the first winter I’ve ever felt like this. Maybe that’s a good thing.) Anyway.
Kay had a cut and color on Wednesday, January 8, and was not too shocked that the price was almost double what it was in Hot Springs Village—it’s expensive in this part of Florida.
After tons of research in eBird, we took a day trip on Friday,, January 10, trying to find somewhere to find something to photograph. We ended up at Emeralda Marsh, east of The Villages. The Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area (EMCA) is a 7,089-acre conservation area administered by the St. Johns River Water Management District, In December 1974, it was designated a National Natural Landmark Our objective was to explore via the EMCA wildlife drive. When we got there, the gate was locked as the drive is only open seasonally. Nevertheless, we opted to walk the drive, and immediately upon starting, Kay spotted a Zebra Heliconia butterfly.
Zebra Heliconia butterfly
As the drive continued, it became obvious that there weren’t many birds, but there were several blooming marsh plants.
And then, a few birds were flitting about among the adjacent trees. An American Robin, Palm Warbler, and Gray Gnatcatcher were photographed.
American RobinPalm WarblerGray Gnatcatcher
And a Gulf Fritillary was nectaring on a far away shrub.
Gulf Fritillary
We met another person on the trail that mentioned more robins further along the drive, and that he had seen a mama black bear and two cubs. We were not so fortunate. We asked him about places to observe birds, and indicated that there was another area of the Marsh just north of us that offered shorebirds. Kay and I drove to that area and were immediately rewarded with birds. We immediately saw a Red-shouldered Hawk and an Osprey, the latter with a fish in its talons.
Red-shouldered HawkOsprey
And then we saw Anhingas, Glossy Ibises, and Snowy Egrets. There were also several other bird species but they were too far to photograph.
AnhingaGlossy IbisSnowy Egret
From Emeralda Marsh, we drove to the Fred Funk Butterfly Garden(s) at the Lady Lake Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and were a bit surprised to see several nectaring Monarchs.
Monarch
Also, a small Cassius Blue butterfly (?) stopped long enough for a photograph.
Even though the holiday season is in full swing, it has been relatively quiet here on the home front these first couple of weeks in December, at least for me. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons holiday depression has not reared its ugly head for the first time in perhaps 40 years! Kay, of course, has been busy with parties, etc, including hosting The Book Club for the month of December.
As we continue to spend winters away from home, medical and dental appointments abound this time of year. We both had dental appointments, Kay had visits with two doctors. I FINALLY got my hearing aids working (actually they were replaced) after several months, and I got a new prescription for contacts in both eyes±—close up in the left, distance in the right—and I can wear them at night for up to two weeks.
We both p played pickleball a couple of times, and ventured out on the golf course as well. Surprisingly, the courses remain in good condition.
As for projects, I put the finishing touches on the rolling workbench, trimming it out and adding a shelf.
Only a few birds were flying the last few days, and they were regulars at the feeders. I did manage to shoot a few photos on December 2, 4, 8, 9, and 15.
While Kay was out and about on Monday, December 2, a Brown-headed Nuthatch, a Carolina Chickadee, and an American Goldfinch visited our “sanctuary”.
The Christmas season is upon us. Kay has begun decorating—at first a bit slow, but picking up speed as the month matured. Since we’re typically gone in the January through March timeframe, decorating early allows us to enjoy the season for a tad longer.
Besides golf and pickleball, Kay was busy with medical appointments and social events, while I took a break from pickleball for the last couple of weeks, but continued to play golf, 9 holes at a time. We both really enjoy our Sunday afternoon “Couples” Golf with the Seitzs, Baggetts, and Grahams.
While Kay was at a dental appointment on Tuesday, November 19, I waited patiently for birds to land to take their photo. Only a couple “posed” long enough for photos: a Tufted Titmouse and a Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Tufted TitmouseRed-bellied Woodpecker
The big project for November was design and construction of a rolling workbench. Fortunately, friend Dan had the same idea and came sup with a design for his workbench that was really good. I slightly modified it, and he and I cut out the pieces on Thursday, November 21.
Pencil Drawing of Rolling Workbench
I photographed birds on Friday, November 22, and again on Sunday, November 24, but nothing was processed to “write home about”. Also on Friday, November 22, The Christmas season began in earnest with a performance of A Christmas Carol, A Musical Performance by the HSV Players. It was awesome!
Cast of A Christmas Carol, A Musical Performance
Parts of Saturday and Sunday, November 23-34, were spent assembling the rolling workbench.
My carpentry and wood working skills are quite rusty,, but the project was fun and will work for the intended purposes.
Finally, on Monday, November 25, a few new birds showed up and were photographed.
House FinchAmerican GoldfinchAmerican Crow
Also on Monday, I returned to the Costco Hearing Aid Center to have hearing aids adjusted. This is the third or fourth time in the last few months I’ve been there to have adjustments. After much discussion and testing, the hearing specialist agreed that the hearing aids weren’t working; that’s what I told him several months ago before I finally stopped wearing them. A loaner pair was provided and they work great. Now, if mine will come back working…
The rolling workbench project that was begun on November 21was finished on Tuesday, November 26. It’s important to note that good friend, Dan Olson, devised the original design, and I only modified it slightly.
Finished Rolling Workbench
Also, on Tuesday, Kay cooked for Thanksgiving, making my mama’s cornbread dressing and a sweet potato casserole, and I photographed a Downy Woodpecker.
Downy Woodpecker
We enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast at Kay’s son and daughter-in-law’s house. All the food was really good.
As the days of late November came to a close, a significant cold front invaded the mid-south, dropping temperatures to a more normal level—lows in the 30s and highs in the 50s. This Carolina Chickadee, photographed on Saturday, November 30, has become a best friend of the seed feeder.
The first week of November was one of intense rainfall, which was much needed. However, pickleball courts were closed and golf courses were cart path only; guess one can’t have everything!
I did manage to take photos five different days. A switch to bird photography was made on Saturday, November 2, as butterfly flights were far and few between. Only a couple of birds, the regulars at the feeders, were photographed, and it’s obvious I’m out of practice.
Tufted TitmouseCarolina Chickadee
Daylight savings time ended on Sunday, November 3, and it now gets dark so quickly, and the older we get the longer it takes to adjust to the “new” time. More birds were photographed during the day, including a couple of “new” species: Brown-headed Nuthatch and Pine Warbler.
Brown-headed NuthatchPine Warbler
Kay’s social calendar is becoming quite full with various clubs and groups meeting weekly. This is in addition to her pickleball play several times a week.
I photographed birds again on Tuesday, November 5, but only the usual birds showed up near the feeders.
Middle school basketball has begun in earnest, and grandson Ridge plays a couple times a week. We watched him play on Thursday, November 7, but he only logged a few minutes because his team is so dar good that they were blowing the other team away. We watched him play again on Saturday, and it was the same with hime only playing a few minutes. He left at half time of the second game to play soccer, and his team won handily.
Unseasonably warm weather on Sunday, November 10, brought a few butterflies out, and two new species to our garden were observed. These were numbers 39 and 40 of the species visiting this year.
Dainty SulphurCommon Checkered-Skipper
During pickleball play on Monday, November 11, I re-pulled the left hamstring, so no more pickleball for a while, and golf only 9 holes at at time.
Wednesday, November 13, was a busy day for us as we both had cardiology appointments, and Ridge had a basketball game. I did manage to take a few photos, finally switching over to the big lens, a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS. Needless to say it requires a steady hand which I no longer possess.
Collection of trails and greenway quotes, terms, acronyms, tools as well as trail publications and presentations and 100s of photos from my bicycle and hiking adventures. .
This journal was begun several years ago, and reflects an accurate record of each day fished. Please enjoy it, and remember that fish are too valuable to be caught just once, and the places they live are too valuable to be mistreated.
Dunngone's Photos and Blog 