Friday Funny

When Love Fades...



 Bill was sitting on the sofa watching TV when he heard his wife's' voice from the kitchen.
 
What would you like for dinner my Love? Chicken, beef or lamb?
 
He said, "Thank you, I'll have chicken."
 
You're having soup, asshole. I was talking to the cat.

Easy on Sunday

Today was a pretty much do nothing day for me.  We got a good rain last night, with a few flashes of lightening accompanied by thunder, so everything was wet meaning outdoor work was out.  I had planned to weed the back lawn of its carpet of dandelions and then mow but it never really dried up enough to allow me to pull out the electric mower.

It stayed gray and overcast until an hour or so ago. I did go out and plant some seeds into a three containers.  If the rabbits don't get to them I'll hopefully have radish, spinach and carrots to enjoy later this year.  I've never grown anything but tomatoes and herbs in containers so we'll see how this experiment ends.

That makes a total of 27 containers; there are 17 in the back yard and 10 in the front.  Darn, I exceeded my goal of twenty but I'm still one less than I had last year.  That is, assuming I don't buy any more. ;-)  It's so hard, I love the color they bring to the yard and house, and I don't mind the watering, weeding and deadheading.

Yesterday, I took the remaining plants and planted them in the front flower bed.  I think it is going to look wonderful in a month or so when everything fills in.

I spent most of the day reading, playing on the computer, doing Sudoku puzzles, and watching television.  I just finished watching a movie, "Bringing Ashley Home" the true life story of Libba and Ashley Phillips.  Ashley suffers from bipolar disorder, becomes addicted to drugs, and goes missing.  This is story of Libba's search to bring her sister home, which eventually leads her to form the Outpost for Hope organization to help other families in similar situations.  It was an interesting story though it creates more questions than it answers.

I did make one trip to the grocery store, as we were low on eggs, sugar, and few other baking items.  My daughter has been on a low-carb diet, so I think she was craving some homemade goodies.  This was the result.
From left to right are chocolate chip mocha muffins, brownies, banana loaf (two are missing...hmmmm do you suppose she already ate them?) and cinnamon buns.  She's promised to take the majority to work, as I don't want the temptation.  I've had a cinnamon bun thus far...but those brownies look very good.  Maybe a little piece for a bedtime snack!

She even cleaned up after herself, which is huge treat in itself.

I'll probably spend the rest of the evening channel surfing or maybe reading.  The weather forecast is for another thunderstorm tonight, perhaps I'll get to watch Mother Nature's fireworks instead!

Hope everyone had a wonderful easy Sunday.

Sunny Saturday

The morning started out gray and overcast, I was sure we were in for some rain.  Even so, just before 9 a.m. the crew showed up to complete the work on my front yard.  Hooray!

A friend came to pick me up just before 10 to go check out some garage sales.  We were back by shortly after noon and within a half hour, the yard looked like this.

 I love the new patio.  It is going to be such a lovely place to sit and relax with a coffee or a cold drink, especially on the days when it is too hot to be on the back deck.

It all looks very bare though doesn't it?

Not for long!  The sun came out just as the crew finished and then it was my turn to get to work.

I planted containers, the front flower bed, put out the furniture, and cleaned up my mess.

By that time the sun was shining brightly.

In late afternoon, this will be a sunny place for an hour or so.

Out in front of the tree are the two large planters I purchased a couple of weeks ago.  I had thought I'd like a third one, but this looks okay.

The blue container I picked up at a garage sale today for $4.  Score!

It stills needs something else for interest but I'm in no hurry.  I'll know it when I see it.

This is what we now see when we walk up the driveway to the house.  It would be nice to hide the neighbour's airconditioning unit.  Maybe a screen?

This is my favorite view from the front door looking out towards the street.

I can't believe how different it looks in such a short time.  And I know I'll enjoy the space far more than I did when it was a lawn full of weeds.

Hope the sun was shining on your Saturday too!

Friday Funny

Truths for Mature Humans

     1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

      2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

      3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

      4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

      5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

      6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

      7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

      8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

      9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

      10. Bad decisions make good stories.

      11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

      12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

      13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

      14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

      15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

      16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

      17.  I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

      18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

      19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

      20. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever. (I don't agree with this one!)

      21. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

      22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

      23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974.That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

       (Ladies... Quit Laughing)

Tooting my own horn

Come to think of it, I really can't take credit for this....but I will!

I fixed my garage door opener.  The stupid thing had been acting up, it would open just fine, but to get it close I had to use the controls by the back door and hold the button down until the door closed entirely. At least it closed but I was starting to think I needed to call in an expert.

For those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile, you know I tend to call in people to do things for me.  Especially if it is a heavy job. So I was quite prepared to hit the phone book to find someone to fix the darned thing!

And then I saw an advertisement on television for Ask.com.  Yeah, I know, it's been around for a long time, I just hadn't seen the need to ask anything before.  So I asked "how to fix a garage door opener" and whole bunch of stuff came up, including some YouTube videos.  I figure what the heck, maybe I'd learn something.

So I watched the first one, and while it was funny, it merely proved to me I wasn't ready to tackle the garage door opener.  There is electricity involved folks....

Then I watched the second one.  They should have called it "garage doors for dummies".  It pointed out nine things to check for including looking to see if the garage door opener was plugged in.  I knew that wasn't the problem since it opened and closed (grudgingly).  I knew it wasn't the batteries either, nor had I locked the control panel.   I was pretty certain it wasn't an issue with the remote as the problem happened even when I used the exterior key pad.

Then they suggested cleaning the eyes of the sensors with a damp cloth.  In fact, they recommended doing so every season.   Hmmmm...we've been in this house for 11 seasons and I've never cleaned the sensors....could it be that easy?

Turns out it could be!  I cleaned the sensors and watched in amazement as the door opened and closed easily.  Who knew a little dust could be such a nuisance?

And do you know what I just realized?  Since I saved myself $50 for a service call, I have money to go shopping!

Have a great day everyone!

Heart ache

We get some wacky weather in Saskatchewan.  As you'll have noticed, winter didn't give way to spring until very recently.  After this lovely weekend past, it seems amazing to think the last snowstorm happened only three weeks ago.

In recent years, in the summer months, we've had some phenomenal thunderstorms and damaging winds.  Thankfully, in recent memory we've not seen a tornado.*

I'm sitting here watching the television and reading the news on the internet about the devastation in Oklahoma.  It makes my heart ache to see the destruction, to read about the lives lost, and to hear the sound of fear and sadness in the voices of the survivors.  To stand where one's home once stood and know there is nothing left must bring a feeling of helplessness second only to the loss of a loved one.

Once again, Mother Nature has reminded us she has the power.  We can create radar to track the weather patterns, we can predict what might be coming our way, and we can build early warning systems to (hopefully) save lives.  But she wins, hands down, every time.

Stay safe, where ever you are.

*The last tornado (or cyclone as it was called then) to touch down in Regina occurred June 30, 1912.  

Stalled

Progress has ground to a halt in the front yard.  Sigh...I was so hoping it would be finished today but no such luck.  The owner came by today to check on his crew and apparently he wasn't entirely happy with the progress.

He enlarged the patio further, which I'm thrilled about, and he had them re-level the dirt between my house and the neighbours as rain water would have pooled on the patio.  Then they poured a whole more lot more slag, but before they finished they ran out.

The crew is supposed to be back tomorrow to finish the slag, lay down landscape fabric and rock in front of the tree, and install a border between my yard and the neighbour.

The bricks are here, or a least some of it is.  This is the Sierra gray stone that will form the main part of the patio.  It will outlined in smaller buff colored stone.  Unfortunately because of the delays, it won`t happen until next weekend.

Oh well, I guess with any construction there are always delays.  Besides, it was a delay in another job that got them here this soon, so I should just count my blessings!  It means I won`t have to mow the front lawn, ever again!

This is the last day of the long weekend, and we couldn`t have asked for better weather.  It reached  22C (72F), there was a bit of a breeze, but it was a perfect day for being outdoors.  I puttered around the back yard for a while and sat on the deck enjoying the sun.  (I`m just indoors to change the load of laundry for a few minutes).  Too bad I have to go back to work tomorrow!

Have a great day everyone, I hope the sun is shining where you are!

Easy on Sunday

It doesn't look like much progress...at least to me!

They did get the yard leveled and dug down the four inches for the new patio.  The next step was to put in the slag, wet it down and use that machine you can see in the pictures to tamp it down.

By the time they finished, it actually looked a little like a concrete pad.

 The brick patio will be in sort of fan shaped, coming out from the sidewalk and stopping short of the evergreen.

I was so excited, I went out and bought a small bistro table and chairs. Both table and chairs are actually folding so can be put away in the shed over winter.

And here is the boring space in front of the tree.  I have plans for this area.  For certain there will be planters, and possibly if I can find something I really like, either a statue or a bench.

I couldn't find anything in the stores and a friend and I are planning to go garage saling next weekend.  Maybe I'll find something unique and interesting that someone wants to part with.

I spent part of the day planting containers for the front yard.  I also got my tomatoes plants today, a tumbler and a beefsteak.

There are now fourteen containers in the back yard, and five in the front yard.  I'm under twenty!!!!  It's not going to last though because I bought more plants than I needed.  Oh well, the patio is going to need some color, right?

Hope you all had a wonderful, easy Sunday!

What a difference!

What a difference 24 hours make!  I thought this was going to be a quiet long weekend/  Perhaps I'd get some extra sleep, take some time to read and relax on the deck, and just putter around the yard.

Instead, I got a call from the landscaper last night.  He'd been over the week before and provided me with a reasonable quote (unlike the first one I'd gotten last year) which I immediately accepted.  He told me that one of his jobs had been delayed because the materials weren't available, and would I be okay if they started today.  Are you kidding me????? Of course I was okay with it!

So last night the front yard looked like this:

I have a large evergreen which splits the yard into two parts.  This is the area where a small patio will be installed.

It gets late day sun, the rest of the day it is shady and cool.  The evergreen provides privacy from the street.

The front of yard is so boooorrrrrrrinnnggg!

The grass has always been sparse and full of weeds, mostly thistles.  I especially hate the deciduous tree but unfortunately it`s a city tree so I can`t remove it.

The next few pictures show how it looks today after a lot of hard work (NOT by me!).  This was all done by hand by four young people.

Both of the evergreen bushes have been removed, neither was particularly attractive and mostly collected leaves and other debris...I won`t miss them!

 Out in the front, you can see the roots of the trees were plentiful.  Maybe, I`ll get lucky and they`ll have damaged the city tree?

They also pulled out the irrigation system, and capped it off.  It never worked the entire time I've lived here so I won't miss it either!

The bricks they will be using for the patio will also be used to outline the front flower bed.  I have chosen the colors but haven't seen the paving stones yet.

The rest of the yard will have landscape material and gravel laid over it.  To add some color in the front I picked up a couple of large planters.



While the workers were busy, I went shopping for plants.  I`ve got a couple of perennials, and mounds of annuals.  My goal was to keep the number down to about 20 this year.  I planted the containers in the back yard today, and I have eleven twelve filled so far.  I was looking at the plants I still have to pot and I realized I did it again!  I`ve bought more than I need. ;-)

They will be back tomorrow morning to level off the yard - they are ensuring it slopes towards the street and not the house. The owner told me today, they`ll have it done this weekend.  I`m looking forward to the changes tomorrow brings.

AND one more thing I`m not going to miss?  Mowing the front lawn.  I still have a tiny bit of grass in the back yard...I won't get rid of that as the cats and I enjoy it.  But I won't have to haul the mower back and forth.  It will be like living in a condo without the fees!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend too!

Random Friday

I'm working today, although I was scheduled to have the day off.  I have to attend an appointment with one of my staff.  I can't complain too much, I expect I'll be done by noon, this is a long weekend, and I can bank the time for later.

The weather forecast earlier in the week was for rain all weekend; now we're expected to get less than a millimeter of rain on Friday and Saturday.  That's just sprinkles!  My plan is to get to the garden centers to start my plant shopping.  No planting this weekend though as I'll have to harden off the plants for a few days...get them used to the outside temps and the lovely wind that blows incessantly here.
*******
So, I didn't go to my last photography class on Wednesday.  Yeah, I played hooky!  I'd talked to a couple of people from work who attended the Monday class (the same class was offered three times a week) and it was merely a summary of the first four, and a chance to go outdoors and practice.  I decided I'd rather stay home and hang out on my deck, although as it turned out I didn't get the chance.

I received a call from a friend and we talked for nearly two hours.  She was one of the unfortunate federal government employees who was "work force adjusted".  Basically that means she was out of a job, unless her department could find another place for her.  She's worked for the feds for over 20 years and this the third time she's been WFA'd.  I think I'd have told them to WFO myself, but she's more patient than I!  She has been able to find another temporary position in the organization she works for, but it's only for a year.  So she has been applying for other positions, including for the department I work for.  We spent the time talking about the most recent interview she had.  I hope she did well, she deserves a chance for some security....though there's no guarantee of it with us either.
******
This story just angers me!  Bentley, an eight-month old St. Bernard was shot and killed by a neighbour because he ventured onto their property.  Thus far, no charges have laid nor is it likely there will be.  AND (forgive my language) but the b*stard shot the dog in front of the 16 year owner who had come to retrieve the dog.   

Different news stories suggest there was on-going dispute between the neighbours.  I understand there are two sides to every story.  But to take his anger out on a helpless animal reminds me we humans are often less human than our pets.  
****
On a happier note, check out this video clip.  If you haven't seen it already, it is a cat who loves the vacuum!

Have a great weekend everyone!

What a great day!

We had marvelous weather for Mother's Day.  The temperature reached 26C (79F) and though it was breezy, it was a great day to be outside.

I got the leaves raked up in both the front and back yards.  This is the little bit of grass I have in the back yard.  It's starting to turn green!

I'm grateful my yard is small, because even as tiny as it is, I still got two full large bags of debris picked up.

I also had to pick up another dead bird in the front flower bed.  Any one have ideas on how to keep them from flying into the window?  It's not like it's clean!

I also put out the deck furniture.  The cushions had been hung in the small shed for the winter, and this kept the mice from getting into them.

The furniture is metal, and boy was it dirty from sitting all winter.  It took two pails of water to get the worst of it off.

I spent a good deal of the afternoon out on the deck, with a cold drink, reading and enjoying the sunshine.  There was a robin in the tree - I should have gotten the camera, but I didn't want to disturb him.

In fact, I didn't get around to picking up the camera until early evening.  So if the pictures are a little dark, it is due in part to the evening light and the fact I'm using the manual mode on the camera.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day.  My son fed the cats and made coffee in the morning, so I actually slept in a little, and my daughter helped me with dinner.  I got to do the things I love to do, a little gardening, reading on the deck, a nap with Sami and Saku, and enjoying the fresh air.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Mother's Day

I must admit to having mixed emotions about Mother's Day.

As a mom, it's great to be acknowledged for the work and worry of motherhood. Though frankly, rather than flowers and dinner, I'd rather my adult children moved out did their fair share around here.  If one of them were to vacuum the entire house, I'd be thrilled to bits...especially if they kept it up week after week.  

But I digress.  The other side of Mother's Day are the memories of my Nan and my mom.  My Nan was my mom's mom; a woman who refused to be called Grandma or Grandmother because she wasn't that "old".

She was right, she wasn't old.  Nan passed away, forty-one years ago this weekend, at the age of 65.  She and Grandpa (he was old....er) had spent Saturday afternoon, as they often did, at the local pub having a couple of beers with their friends.  Grandpa drove home and as they walked towards the back door Nan stopped to sit on the step.  She told Grandpa she was tired, wanted to sit for a minute, and he went indoors briefly.  When he came back out, she had fallen over, and as we learned later had passed away of an aneurysm in the main artery of her heart.  

I was 13 years old that year, and I recall Mom getting the phone call from her father.  We had just finished signing Nan's Mother's Day card.  She and Grandpa always came for Sunday dinner.  Mom didn't tell us what had happened but simply said we needed to go to town.  When we pulled into their yard, we stayed in the car with Dad until she went in and came back out to tell us.  Dad then took us to our aunt and uncle's home to wait for them.  I recall feeling overwhelmed and frightened, and I cried for what seemed like hours.

The memory of her death has always been entwined in my mind with Mother's Day.  As I grew older, I was grateful she had a good final day spending time with friends though always wished we could have had her with us longer.

I feel much the same about Mom.  I know she was ill for a very long time and I wouldn't have wished another day of suffering on her.  But damn I miss her, and Mother's Day just brings those feelings to the forefront even more.  I think no child, no matter their age, ever really gets over that need for their mother to be part of their lives.   

Well, at least I haven't and it doesn't look like my children will ever get there either.  A little distance would be nice though!

Where ever you are today, have a wonderful day.  Phone or hug your mom, if you're lucky enough  to still be able to share time here on earth with her.  And if, like me, you are missing your mom, I leave you with some of the lyrics of Diamond Rio's "One more day with you". 

Last night I had a crazy dream 

A wish was granted just for me, it could be for anything 
I didn't ask for money or a mansion in Malibu 
I simply wished, for one more day with you 

One more day, one more time 
One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied 
But then again, I know what it would do 
Leave me wishing still, for one more day with you 

I love you Mom, always and forever.

Playing catch-up

Another week has simply flown by, and I've hardly had a chance to post anything, either here or for the cats.  I'm not certain if it the arrival of spring (finally!) or my continual procrastination that has me feeling as though there is too much to do and too little time to do it in.

Monday and Tuesday were spent travelling to and from Saskatoon, and attending a meeting there. The meeting was good, but the rental vehicle I drove sustained damage when someone backed into it.  Of course, there was no note, so I'm responsible to pay for the damage up-front and make a claim on my credit card insurance.

Wednesday evening was my photography class (7-10 p.m.).  It was warm enough to get outdoors and do some shooting in the sunshine and shade.  For this session, there is just one more class, but I'm considering signing up for the second level.  To do so, I need to make a phone call...which I haven't done yet!

On Thursday evening, I had a landscaper come by to review the plans, and take some measurements, to obtain a quote on xeriscaping the front yard.  He promised to have the information to me by Monday.  I've got my fingers crossed, that it isn't a ridiculous quote, so far above what I'm willing to pay that I have to keep searching for a landscaper.

Last night, I went for dinner with my good friend C, her mom L, and her friends J and H.  L had contacted me earlier in the week to invite me to join her in celebrating C's 40th birthday.  Both J and I arrived before C and her boyfriend H, so it a surprise for her when they came through the door.  We had a great meal and lots of laughs!

Today is housecleaning day, I've got laundry started, my bedroom tidied, bathroom scrubbed, dishes done, and the vacuum is sitting here looking at me.  I also have a submission I need to complete for a selection process at work.  The position is at my current level but in a different area. I'm having difficulty summing up 5 years of work in three pages.

With the warmer weather, the outdoors is beckoning my attention too.  I need to get out and rake the front and back lawn, pick up the tree branches that broke off over winter, and clear out the containers. I took a walk through a couple of garden centers yesterday but it's still too cool to purchase anything, as we are still falling below freezing a couple of nights a week.  I'll be happy if I can get things planted by mid-June this year.
I spotted early maturing tomatoes at Lowes' that are already 2-3 feet tall.  They are pricey but at least I'd be certain of getting some fruit from them this year.  I don't generally grow any other veg, but I do love garden fresh tomatoes.

Well, this isn't getting done the things I still to accomplish today, so I'd best get at it.  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Friday Funny

Another new illness to watch out for! 

A woman calls her boss one morning and tells him that she is staying home because she is not feeling well. 

 
'What's the matter?' he asks. 

'I have a case of anal glaucoma,' she says in a weak voice. 

'What the hell is anal glaucoma?' 

'I can't see my ass coming into work today. 

One word Wednesday

Hooray!

Random Sunday

Thanks to everyone who commented on the posts of my trip to O'ahu.  It was fun to share my memories of a great trip!  Now I'm back to my regular, mostly boring posts.

Spring has finally arrived here for certain and the snow is melting quickly.  There are 340 homes in the city that have received letters they may have to evacuate if the water rises too much, but where I live this is not a problem.

Although the temperature reached 17C (63F) yesterday, the snow pile in the front yard remains but is definitely getting smaller.  I've been going out spreading the snow so that it will disappear more quickly.

A few weeks and I should be able to plant the front flower bed.  Hurray!

But there are buds on the tree in the front yard! Just knowing things will be greening up soon improves my mood.

The cats and I have been enjoying the sun room at the back of the house, they for playing and napping, while I enjoy relaxing and reading a book.  I feel like my house gets bigger every spring and shrinks again in the fall.

****

Last week was the third week of our photography class.  I feel like I've learned a lot already, but this week's assignment was challenging.

We had a do a shoot using AV or Manual mode, calibrating the white balance, and various settings to shoot black on black, white on white, and then finally black and white in color.  Confusing?  It was to me too, although in class it all seemed clear.  Putting it into practice was definitely more difficult.

This is my final picture, in manual mode, with custom white balance.  The black detail isn't as strong as the white, but it is in focus!

The one lesson I've learned is, to use your camera in a manual mode requires much patient.  Not a trait, I'm well know for. :-)

*****

Work last week was busy and this week is looking the same.  Most of our supervisors and managers are off to Saskatoon tomorrow for two days of meetings.  As a member of the organizing committee I was tasked with arranging for rental vehicles, and I needed to know who the drivers in order to complete the reservation.  Even though there are over 30 people going, finding volunteers to drive was a challenge, but in the end after several requests we had the requisite number.  

****
Kea from Fuzzy Tales asked about my plans for my next trip.  She knows me well....there are plans made and some in the works.  I'm heading to Vancouver Island (Nanaimo, Parksville, and Qualicum Beach) for the September long weekend, flights and a rental vehicle have been booked, and my cousin is looking into accommodations for me.  She lives in a resort area in Parksville so gets a discount is she makes the reservation.  

This is the area I think I want to retire to so this trip is a short one, Friday through Tuesday.  I plan to visit with my cousin and my uncle, and spend some time wandering the communities of Parksville and Qualicum Beach.  If I like it, and I can't imagine I won't, the plan is to take a month's leave of absence in late 2014.  I'll find a place to rent and live there when the weather is less pleasant to see if I can tolerate the rain.  If I can't, then it's either find a different place to retire, or plan to spend that period of the year elsewhere.  I know, I know, I'm a planner...nothing spontaneous about me!

****
Time to catch up with all of you.  Hope you've had a wonderful weekend!

O'ahu - Part 7

For our last full day on O'ahu we decided to drive up the east coast of the island, stopping at Hanauma Bay on the way.   I don't have any notes made, so I'll have to use the photos to refresh my memory.

The route we followed was the one the tour bus had taken to the luau so the road seemed somewhat familiar to me.  The coastline is absolutely beautiful.

We started off around 9 a.m. from the hotel, and by the time we got to Hanuama Bay the park was filling up.

There is a pathway down to the beach, or if one needs to ride a shuttle is available.  Before you're allowed to make your way down though the park shows a 9 minute video explaining the ecosystem and reminding visitors not to stand on the coral.

Unfortunately, not everyone pays attention. :(

We spent over an hour enjoying watching the fish in the water, and hanging out on the beach.

If you squint just right, you might be able to make out a little yellow and black fish.  There are also grey striped ones in the picture above the little fish.  I have a lot of pictures of those ones!

I'm not certain where the next picture was taken but it was between Hanuama Bay and our next stop in Sandy Beach.  It was apparent the water had been much higher at some points are the erosion was clear even from the road.

We left Hanauma Bay and headed around the coast up towards Kailua.  I should mention, we'd met a young woman who worked in Kailua on our catamaran cruise earlier in the week so we decided we'd check the place out.  On the way, we came across Sandy Beach so we stopped briefly to take a few pictures.

Despite, or perhaps because, of the waves there were lots of people in the water.  They are certainly braver than I am!










Our goal in Kailua was to find a place to have a plate lunch.  Frankly I'd never heard of such a thing, but we had read about and been told that a traditional plate lunch is two scoops of rice, a scoop of macaroni and cheese, with some form of protein.  We found the L&L Drive Inn in Kailua where we indulged in the "healthy choice" plate lunch.
Just one scoop of rice, with a garden salad and two pieces of grilled masa masa (a local whitefish).  Yummy!

We drove back to another spot on Sandy Beach where we found a park bench to sit and watch the ocean.  When we sat down, we'd taken note the bench had been donated by the "family of" but thought nothing more of it until we were approached by two women.  They explained they were the "family of" and wanted to use the bench to sit and pray.  Of course, we moved to another bench in the small park across the road.

The wind had picked up throughout the day so the park was full of people flying their kites.

This fellow had the most interesting way.  He used the scooter (and I suspect his core muscles) to cross back and forth across the park with his kite.

We headed back into Waikiki, arriving back in the city about 3:30 p.m.  We'd barely made it into our room and opened the balcony door when the sky opened up and it began to pour rain.  It kept up until we went for dinner around 6:30.  Initially, we planned to find a Chinese restaurant but ended instead at Cha Cha Cha, a Mexican restaurant. The food was good, especially the guacamole dip for the tortillas!

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Monday was a short day, we checked out of the hotel at noon as we were unable to get a late checkout.  We spent most of the afternoon at Al Moana Park (across from the shopping center).  We took a walk along the beach and counted six couples having wedding photos taken!

Here I am taking the last walk along the beach.  I don't look very happy about leaving, do I?

After delivering the car back to the rental place we hung out at the airport until our flight left at 8:30 p.m.  It was while we were having dinner at the airport when we learned of the bombings in Boston.  Back to the real world with a thud!  

O'ahu is a marvelous place to visit, as there SO much to see and do. It isn't a place I'd go for the beach (Rodney Bay has stolen my heart) but it offers much more including the history of the Islands, the ease of getting around, the shopping, restaurants, and the beauty of the coast line.  

O'ahu - Part 6

On Saturday we got wheels!  I must admit I was a little nervous about driving in the city of Honolulu, but since we were heading to the North Shore I had time to get used to the car.  We were promised a Ford Focus, but actually got a Toyota Corolla, which was great as I drive an older standard version of the same car.

We started out on the freeway  (6 lanes OMG) but as you can tell by the picture, the speeds soon dropped and the drive became more scenic.

The drive took a little over an hour, and we stopped a beach along the way.  The waves were far larger than at Waikiki, but far smaller than at other times of the year.

I thought they were plenty big enough so I wasn't about to go in!

And seeing this sign confirmed it.

We continued up the road looking for the shrimp truck featured in the O'ahu This Week brochure but never found it.  We did, however, find Giovanni's Shrimp Truck.  

It was popular spot with several food trucks gathered in the area.  K chose the shrimp scampi with rice, while I stuck to a hot dog cooked in the scampi sauce.  I'll admit it, I'm a prairie girl at heart and sea food (other than fish) is generally not in my comfort zone.  While at the rest stop, we wandered about the grounds and I found a new friend.  He looks a little like my Saku!

We turned around at this point, and made our way back to  the Waimea Valley botanical garden.  Although it wouldn't have been K's first choice for spending an afternoon, I loved every minute of the time we spent there. The grounds were beautifully maintained, yet looked natural, and the trees provided cover when it began raining lightly.

 There were gorgeous flowers.

And there were lots of birds.  This one is a red crested cardinal; he was quite unconcerned about having his photo taken.

Near the exit was this noisy guy.  At first he wouldn't raise his tail feathers, but I guess I annoyed him enough because he started shouting at me!

All of the trees were lovely, but this one in particular had the most colorful bark I'd ever seen.

The falls were small but worth the walk to reach them.  We hadn't brought our bathing suits with us, but others were enjoying the refreshing waters. 

Throughout the park we saw signs warning of an endangered species crossing, though we saw no birds or animals at these points.  On our way out of the park, however, we saw this duck (?) start crossing in front of us.  I turned to K and said, "if this is the endangered species, it's no wonder!" 

I opened my window to tell it to move along, and it walked right up to my window. I grabbed my camera, then K's to take pictures of the silly goose (?)

When we left the valley we turned onto the highway into a traffic jam.  Cars were bumper to bumper for the next half-hour for no apparent reason.  We pulled into Hailewa to drive through the historic town before getting back on the highway towards Honolulu, by which time the traffic had eased. 

We took the freeway (6 lanes OMG!) back into Waikiki, where except for one wrong turn we made it back to the hotel in reasonable time. Dinner that evening was leftovers from the night before.

Tomorrow - Haunama Bay and Kailua