Sunday through Thursday, January 12-16, 2025—Still Trying to Adjust

Posted on January 16, 2025 by dunngone

We are still trying to adjust to the cool weather and life in The Villages of Florida. Fortunately, we have been able to play Hand-and-Foot cards and golf with the Starr’s which make it a bit less difficult.

On Sunday, January 12, we drove to the Lake Panasoffkee WMA west of The Villages with lots of optimism, photographing a Pied-billed Grebe aloe the way, only to find that the WMA was open for hunting on THAT day and we were strongly discouraged from walking any of the trails—another wasted trip!

After again researching eBird, I drove to Hogeye Preserve in The Villages on Monday to walk the 2.8-mile Hogeye Preserve Pathway. This proved to be a decent walk even though it bordered a golf course much of its length, and yielded several good photo ops.

Kay and I ventured out to walk the short Fenney Springs Nature Trail on Tuesday. Despite it’s short length, I was able to take a few photos.

After the photo walk, we decided to try one of The Villages’ Pitch and Putt golf courses. With holes ranging from 40-110 yards in length, these courses focus on shots around the greens. With holes ranging from 40-110 yards in length, this course is shorter than championship courses which are 300-400 yards in length, and is a focused on shots around the greens. We played Marsh View Pitch and Putt Golf Course and it was loads of fun.

Wednesday through Saturday, January 8-11, 2025—Trying to Enjoy The Villages

Posted on January 11, 2025 by dunngone

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.

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.

And a Gulf Fritillary was nectaring on a far away shrub.

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.

And then we saw Anhingas, Glossy Ibises, and Snowy Egrets. There were also several other bird species but they were too far to photograph.

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.

Also, a small Cassius Blue butterfly (?) stopped long enough for a photograph.

Wednesday through Tuesday, January 1-7, 2025—Struggling to Find a Niche

Posted on January 7, 2025 by dunngone

After being overwhelmed last night (New Year’s Eve) with the crowds and traffic, we enjoyed a quiet day in The Villages celebrating New Year’s Day. Clothes were hung or put away, toiletries were located where they could easily be found, and computer equipment set up for processing photo images. We enjoyed hog jowl, black-eyed peas, and cabbage for dinner, and watched TV. A lot of time was spent setting up the TVs to reflect our various subscriptions. Regrettably, we have had no luck in turning closed captioning on the various specialty subscriptions; with my hearing loss, closed captioning is a must! I believe this is the evening that we had our first Hand and Foot card game, women vs. men. It wasn’t even close; ‘nuf said. Way to go men.

The next few days were spent trying to get our bearings, learning all the processes used to “survive” at The Villages, and doing a bit of shopping. Kay suffered sticker shock when checking out at the groceries; groceries are expensive.

We played nine holes of golf at Bogart Golf Course on Thursday, January 2—Bogart is one of the executive courses near us—and had a lot of fun. The executive courses are better than what we were led to believe, but they are really crowded.

We joined Gary, Jolene, Ron, and Bev Friday evening for dinner at the Americanos restaurant at Spanish Springs, one of the large town squares in The Villages, after which we listed to a “just okay”t band.

We left Spanish Square and moved to Sumter Landing town square where the music was a bit better.

Saturday afternoon late, almost 5:00 PM, we played the Bogart Executive Golf Course, together with another couple. Kay and I called it quits after seven holes because of darkness.

On Sunday, January 5, we ventured to the largest of The Villages’ nature preserves—Sharon Rose Wiechens Preserve—but it was closed because of flooding. I had been counting on it for photography—very disappointing. Desperately trying to find some photo subjects, we drove to the small Chitty Chatty Preserve, also in The Villages, and managed to take a few photos.

The Air BNB owner came by the rental and helped with the garage door openers and see how we were doing. In the preceding days, Kay and I had had some serious discussions about our future in The Villages, and we both quickly and firmly agreed that it wasn’t our type of place—too crowded, too much traffic, absence of an abundance of photo opportunities, a lack of neighborhood social activities, and a very expensive place to spend the winter. We agreed that we would ask the owner if we could revise the lease agreement to change the duration to one month instead of three. Fortunately for us, she agreed, and we executed the new rental agreement while she visited. Consequently, we will be returning to Hot Springs Village before the end of the month of January.

Monday was a shopping day for Kay and Jolene, while I remained back in the rental to process photos. We both made calls and/or sent messages letting family know that our plans had changed.

Tuesday, January 7, (not sure of date) Jolene, with Gary’s assistance, prepared a chicken noodle soup and apple bread dinner for Ron,, Bev, Kay and me, after which we had another robust game of Hand and Foot, women vs. men. It was close, but the women edged out a win.

Sunday through Sunday, December 1-15, 2024—A First for a Modern Day Christmas

Posted on December 15, 2024 by dunngone

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”.

On Wednesday, December 4, a Tufted Titmouse and Downy Woodpecker added to the mix.

And then on Monday, December 8, a Dark-eyed Junco and a Brown Creeper showed up. The Brown Creeper was a Life Bird for me!

Another new seasonal bird appeared on Tuesday, December 9: a Great Blue Egret.

And lastly, on Sunday, December 15, only a Carolina Chickadee came to hide in the now bare birch tree.

Saturday through Saturday, November 16-30, 2024—Christmas Season is Here

Posted on November 30, 2024 by dunngone

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.

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.

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.

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.

Also, on Tuesday, Kay cooked for Thanksgiving, making my mama’s cornbread dressing and a sweet potato casserole, and I photographed a 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.

Friday through Friday, November 1-15, 2024—Life is Good, Except for Sports Injuries

Posted on November 15, 2024 by dunngone

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.

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.

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.

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.

Another new seasonal bird appeared on Friday, November 15—House Finch.

Saturday through Sunday, September 1-15, 2024—Still Too Hot and Humid

Posted on September 15, 2024 by dunngone

The first half of September 2024 was filled with many of the same activities as the previous few weeks, except it seemed that the calendar was on steroids—something going on almost every day and every evening. We need a vacation from retirement. Despite the hot and humid weather, social activities dominated our weeks. And of course, there were weekend soccer games.

First, we began playing “Sunday Afternoon Couples Golf” with friends living in HSV that also spent winters in Arizona. These are really enjoyable outings followed by happy hour at one of the couple’s houses. Kay and I were responsible for scheduling September, and true to form we (I) made up some awesome (read that satirical) games. Photo by Bev Graham.

Second, Kay was busy with added social activities with respect to Naomi Circle, Pickleball with Lori (training sessions), PEO, and The Book Club.

And third, we attended a neighborhood potluck, and met a lot of “new” neighbors, most who were much younger that us, but very, very nice.

I squeezed in four days of photography in the backyard gardens, and new butterflies are still being observed.

Sunrise at our place in Hot Springs Village

However, the star of the show on Saturday, September 1, was our resident Green Heron.

On Thursday, September 5, a beautiful Blue Dasher dragonfly posed for photographs, while a “new-to-our-yard” Phaon Crescent butterfly appeared out of nowhere. The Phaon Crescent was the 32nd butterfly species to be observed in our garden/yard this year.

And, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have begun showing up in fairly large numbers as they migrate south for the winter. Most are immature males who put on quite a “testerone” show of defending their feeder!