The Hot Springs Village area is undergoing above average temperatures, and the temperatures when combined with high humidity make it very uncomfortable to work or play outside. Nevertheless, Ridge stayed over and continued working for us on Wednesday, July 1, and returning home on Thursday. His main job was to excavate around the irrigation pipe running from the “in lake” pump to the electronic control box. In addition, he trimmed around all the Crepe Myrtles, and power washed the deck, patio, and front sidewalk. He was a great help. 

Kay began physical therapy on Thursday, July 2, and goes twice a week for her knees (doctor says it arthritis), and the PT has really helped. She is almost pain free as of this writing.

The 4th of July weekend was much like any other weekend as the overbearing heat kept us close to the air conditioner. We did take time to watch a few pickleball games at Diamanté. 

The weekend of July 11-12 was all about basketball. Ridge had two games on Saturday, and then another four on Sunday. He played exceptionally well, and his team won the championship.

Kay began her shuttle “service” for the central Arkansas grandkids on Wednesday, July 15. Their father was out of town on business and their mother was going in several other directions.

The pollinator garden continues to attract butterflies, but butterfly numbers are way down this year, at least for us. There its very little variety in species as most of what is being seen are the usual.

Only one butterfly was photographed on Thursday, July 2, and it was a Southern Cloudywing.

And three dragonfly species were photographed.

And then on Friday and Saturday of Independence Day weekend, a Great Spangled Fritillary stopped by long enough for several photographs.

On Monday, July 6, a Common Buckeye and a Northern Brokendash were observed.

A Hoary Edge Skipper was the only butterfly photographed on Tuesday, July 7.

Wednesday, ,July 8, was a big day photographically speaking. Friend Dan and I traveled to near Hope, Arkansas, to the Bois D’Arc Wildlife Management Area to “shoot” some Egrets. There was a Cattle Egret rookery near the shoreline of the namesake lake, and birds were seemingly everywhere.

Other birds photographed included a Great Blue Heron, an immature Black-crowned Night Heron, a Gallinule, and an Eastern Kingbird.

Of course, the southern Arkansas lake would not be complete without a resident alligator or two.

Perhaps the most beautiful thing observed was an American Lotus bloom.

We resumed normal activities after arriving home from the cruise. 

Since this is the first winter being home (except for a couple of short cruises), the “workshop” is drawing more and more attention— to keep hands and mind busy. And though there are several receptacles in the shop, there is only one electrical circuit, and it is not sufficient to power much more than one tool at a time. Consequently, another circuit with an additional 3 double outlets was added at a pretty low cost, allowing the dust filter, dust collector, and tool(s) to run simultaneously. Additionally, another repair on the whole house generator was required. These two “jobs” meant having to be available at home before, during, and after their appointment time.

On Sunday, January 18, 2026, a Dark-eyed Junco and an American Goldfinch were photographed trying to find food.

And then on the following Tuesday, a male Northern Cardinal posed several times for photographs. And on Thursday a Carolina Chickadee made its presence known.

On Friday, January 23, it hit—sleet and snow, followed by freezing rain and more snow with total accumulations of about 8 inches. In addition, a severe deep freeze occurred and lasted well over a week, leaving all the sleet, ice, and snow on the ground, houses, and streets. Obviously, we stayed in and read, baked, and watched YouTube and British television. 

I raised the blinds in the sunroom, exposing nearby trees, setup the tripod and camera, and took pictures as birds came in to feed. As sleet and snow continued to fall, a disheveled Northern Cardinal, perhaps the same one from a couple days earlier, presented itself for a photo.

As the deep freeze set in and temperatures plummeted to single digits, four different species were photographed on Sunday, January 25, 2026: an American Goldfinch, a House Finch, a Dark-eyed Junco, and a Fox Sparrow. The Fox Sparrow was a “life bird”.

It began to thaw after five or six days, and we made an “emergency” run to friend Pam’s house to assist with water damage cleanup; apparently her refrigerator filter burst during the night and partially flooded her house.

As the month ended and temperatures rose, snow and ice still mostly covered streets and roads, AND PICKLEBALL COURTS, with some thawing beginning to occur. All in all, it was a pretty good time.

I spent considerable time organizing the cold garage/woodworking shop, and then building a few simple things to assist in organization and ease of working, striving to keep my mind and hands busy!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Another unexpected visitor, a Chipping Sparrow, was observed and photographed on September 26.

On September 27, a solitary Ruby-throated Hummingbird was photographed.

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.