we've only just begun...

we've only just begun...

                                Roger Nichols and Paul Williams, 1971

                                          

   Last September H?WUWT? featured four pickleball enthusiasts in a series called AAS (Activities After Sixty).  They discussed their love of pickleball and how much the game has grown in recent years, especially with POS (people over 60).  It was the first glimpse of a continuing series into activities POS find entertaining as they endeavor to be healthy and proactive and live a creative life post-retirement.  

  This post of AAS stories highlights four people, all of whom are POS.  Two of the four were chosen randomly in a supermarket (after a discussion about the relative merits of Boar's Head Meats versus store brands while waiting our turn at the deli counter).  A mutual acquaintance connected us with a husband and wife who were the other participants for this post.

  HUH?  What's up with that? 

  Barry Roberts is an operations manager with a Kentucky trucking company.  He is 63 and plans on retiring when his wife, Denise, a hairstylist, calls it quits May 31st of this year.  When the time comes, Barry's enterprise won't get his or Denise's heart rate up like running or swimming will do, but he says it takes some power and know how to operate their chosen passion.    

  I bought a 2011 Harley with a sidecar and we're going to hit the road, he said. You don't have to be Hercules to control a motorcycle, but you sure have to know what you're doing.  

  Could a person buy a motorcycle for the first time at age 63 and learn how to ride?

  Sure, but, I've had several.  We just haven't ridden in about 15 years.  Our kids are all out of the house and we decided to do something we both love, he said proudly.  As soon as we took it out for a test ride, we knew it was the right thing for us.    

  Many people won't get on a motorcycle, especially older people.  Do you have any safety concerns?

  The fear is called, motorcyclophobia, Barry volunteered.  Denise and I have a friend or two who think we're nuts.  But, you know what?  I wouldn't spend 10 minutes of my time trying to play a sport I'm no good at.  To me, it's all about living life as you see fit and doing what makes you happy. When the day comes it's too much for us, we'll sell it and do something else.  Besides, I work out two or three days a week, so I get some exercise.  

  Harley riders and owners are a bit older, aren't they?

  Sure are, Barry replied.  I was a statistic in a study they did 14-15 years ago and it showed the average Harley buyer was 48 back then.  I don't know about now.  

  The latest study by the motorcycle manufacturer shows the average age is 50 with a median income above $62,000 a year.

  You know, right now, there's no greater thrill for us.  We'll go in all directions in probably no more than a 500 mile radius, he happily offered.  We'll hit a town, walk around, explore, see the sights, have lunch, maybe stay overnight if it's far away.  We won't have to watch a clock to get back home for work, so who cares when we go back?  

  It would be interesting to catch up with Barry and Denise a couple years after they retire.  A first-hand travel guide-by-motorcycle may be possible because they are sure going to travel a different path than LaDonna Morton has taken since she left her profession.  

  As a nurse practitioner, LaDonna has always been interested in insect bites and in particular, bee stings and their wide-ranging affects.  She noticed years ago how each person stung by a wasp, bee, or hornet, is affected differently.  At one point, she took her interest to a whole new level when she had a beehive in her backyard to learn as much as possible about honeybees.

  It was pretty fascinating, to say the least, she commented.  I knew only the female honeybees sting, but I found out there's a whole learning curve to keeping bees I wasn't expecting.  My experiment ended before it really got going.  My husband gave it a try, but he wasn't as interested as me.

  So, you went from one colony 20 years ago, to being an official beekeeper.  How did that happen?

  I think I first became fascinated with bees when I read about the process of making honey when I was a teenager, she said.  Then, when I went into nursing, I saw dozens of bee stings, some of them severe.  I got interested all over again. 

  But, now you're retired and you have several colonies of honeybees.  Is this research or a hobby?

  Oh, definitely a hobby.  I'll leave the research to the scientists.  I'm an official apiarist according to the state beekeepers association.  We've got five colonies and about 15,000 bees in each colony, she said. 

  That seems like a lot of honey bees!

  Each colony can have five times that in female workers, and hundreds of male drones, but, only one queen bee, she ticked off.  Bees are vital to nature and this whole thing we've been doing for two years now is amazing.  We've both learned a lot.  

  Tell me about the process.  Do you sell the honey? 

  We get about a pound and a half out of each colony every day, she reported.  And, yes, we do sell it.  Last summer, even the grandkids came over.  They think it's more fun than selling lemonade.  

  One thing has always been a puzzle to me.  With all those bees, how can just one be a queen?

  Easy, LaDonna knowingly replied.  The queen bee is the only sexually mature bee, so she rules.  If you ever see a bee outside the hive, it's female alright, but it's a worker bee.  The rest of the bees know not to leave the hive.  

  LaDonna said her and her husband's goal is to have enough honeybees to produce several pounds of honey a day.  We wish them luck.  

    While I was over here waiting while you talked to her, I was thinking about how you wouldn't catch me within a hundred yards of her backyard, Gerald Davidson confided.  

  Afraid of bees?

  Well, now I am.  Didn't use to be.  I'm allergic to them.  Pretty much year round I carry Epinephrine with me, he said.  It depends where I go.  

  Gerald is one school year away from retiring as a maintenance foreman for a suburban school system.  His wife, Julie has been retired since the start of Covid-19.  She was a GE worker for over 30 years.  

  We really do different things, she said.  I like to read and paint.  He's trying to learn to play tennis and he loves the yard and gardening.  Of course, I benefit also when the garden is blooming.

  Were you athletic in school, Gerald?  

  When I was younger, I played basketball and baseball, but tennis is new for me, Gerald said.  It's a lot harder on me at this age than I thought it would be.  

  A lot of former tennis players now play pickleball for the same reason.  They say it's easier on our knees and other body parts.  Have you ever thought of that? 

  One of our neighbors plays pickleball and he's talked to us about joining them.  Maybe we will, Gerald added.   It would be a first for Julie too, but she loves handball. 

  We also want to travel, Julie said as she smiled at Gerald.

  She wants to travel.  I'm more the stay at home type, he confessed.  A couple trips a year wouldn't hurt though.  We both like to see new things and I guess the only way to do that is go see them, Gerald added as he smiled.  

  If you do hit the dusty trail, where would you go first?

  Gerald wants to go to Europe and I'd like to see South America.  I have family from there and it always sounded exciting to hear about it when I was growing up, Julie commented.  

  We just don't know how safe anyplace is right now, Gerald added.  Once this virus is behind us, we'll make some definite plans, just not now.  

  What kind of painting do you enjoy doing the most?

  Landscapes, Julie replied.  I've done four and I signed up for some classes.  I'm not very good, but I hope to get better.

  Gerald said they made room for Julie's new hobby.

  We took a spare bedroom and turned it into a studio for her, Gerald offered.  I think she's got some talent.  We've got a couple of her pictures on a family room wall.  

  Has this been a love of yours for a long time, Julie?

  My interest really picked up when I retired, Julie volunteered.  It's something I've always wanted to do, but never took the time to learn.  Now, I've got the time and ambition.

  All four contributors to this post seemed positive and excited about the future.  Hopefully, you enjoyed meeting them and hearing about their plans.

  Coming up, you are: going to learn a new language (if you aren't already aware of it); meet Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb's press secretary; and meet a 95 year old true sport!

  One more thing about something LaDonna, the beekeeper, said.  Her exact quote was, The rest of the bees know not to leave the hive.  How is that possible?  Oh, well, probably the same thing as those deer knowing to only cross the road where Deer Crossing signs are located, HUH? 

  What's up with that?