Island Drive

The tsunami, thankfully, was a bust.  On the west side of Maui, where we are, the waves only reached 1 1/2 feet above normal.  We visited the north side of the island today, the most vulnerable side, and saw one area where the water barely splashed over the sand berm into the parking lot.  Nothing unusual.  The locals took it in stride relating that "this stuff happens all the time".

We spent the day driving, with Vicki and Ed, the central part of Maui, rising up some 3500 feet to view pastoral settings, cattle ranches, a few farms, a winery, and a memorial to Sun Yat Sen.  SYS spent part of his boyhood and early adulthood here in Maui, returning to his native China to lead a revolution for the establishment of the Chinese republic, 1912.  He is still very revered in China but many of his democratic efforts were drowned out by the conflict between Mao and Chiang Kai-shek.

Vicki and Ed joined us to wait out the tsunami. 

From 2000 feet looking  northwest up the west coast of Maui

The high country roads.

Sun Yat Sen memorial

Our day ended with a visit to the village of Paia on the north central coast.

Sitting here waiting for the Tsunami

We are in a tsunami watch and some areas are being evacuated.  Our condo is on the west side of Maui and the fourth floor unit is across the street from the beach and up the hill from the shore.  Even though some nearby tsunami sirens have sounded, we are safe.   We spent the afternoon unaware of the "possible" wave issues as explored some local beaches and spent some time looking out onto the ocean. 

Breakfast at Kapalua Golf Course

Afternoon pause on lanai of V and E's condo.

Maui north

D T Fleming beach near Kapalua

Hawaii

It started out as an idea to reward Nathan and Cailyn for all their work on the wedding.  We will provide the room if you can get yourself there.  The destination is Maui and we have done it in big fashion.  Marti Ann and Alton (Cailyn's folks) and Vicki (barb's sister), Ed, their daughter Erin and her husband Mark and their two kids joined us.  The party turned into a group of 10 adults and 5 kids, 5 years old and younger.  Fun

Vicki's grandkids and Barb's grandkids awaiting dinner in the condo

On a boat ride to do some swimming and snorkeling

First try at a boogey board

A teachable moment.  A banana tree in the condo's garden

swimming and snorkeling at Kapalua Beach

Pictures at the Condo's beach

Nathan taking Jane down the slide at the condo's pool

It has been a very busy week and I have not had much energy to blog.  However, this is a week that will live in our memories forever.

Happy birthday, Hope

What a grand Lady.  My oldest sister, she was 16 when I was born, and she often takes the role of my mother.  Of that I have no regret as she held me accountable, exposed me to new horizons, and supported me in my every endeavor.  This is the lady that taught me that every horizon is attainable.   God Bless and thank you, Hope,  for your 82 years.  Happy birthday.  I love you!

Return to Normalcy after Bad Blood Part 2

During late August and early September, I built myself up for the upcoming hemorrhoid surgery on Sept 18.  For most people, it would have been a simple procedure, done as an out patient, and recovery at home.  For me, it was decided that the surgery should be done in the hospital with a one night stay to monitor bleeding.  All went well and the recovery was "by the book" until  Sept 24 when I had another major bleed.  It was Bad Blood deja vu  with a trip to the ER, admittance, and IV's of clotting factor.  Thankfully, as the docs were planning that I must return to surgery, the bleeding stopped and further surgery was not needed.  So, three days in the hospital, 7 days of IV's, and a rerun of many procedures that I had experienced in February.  I now have made myself a pact that only in the most desperate of circumstances will I allow a surgeon any proximity.

Life has now returned to normal. Barb has completed her part time 3 weeks with the school district testing kindergarten students.  The g kids are now coming back one night a week, we are enjoying the sunny although extremely dry conditions of our back yard.   We are  also making final plans for our Maui trip, departing the 19th for a two week adventure.  One week will be with N, C and gkids.  Fun

Jane's 5th birthday

Grayson in GramB's daisy patch

Doin' the Puyallup

Grayson and GramB in the bean tepee

Celebrating Nathan's and Eric's birthdays

Janie helping GramB bake cookies

Picking veggies for dinner

Kenny and Maxine

Kenny and Maxine, Ben and Penny's lake home neighbor, drove in on Thursday and they spent 3 wonderful days with us.  If you wonder how a son and daughter-in-law's neighbor would ever travel 3000 miles to see their neighbor's parents, perhaps my blog entry from Jan. 2, 2008 would help.  On that morning, Barb and I left Lake Oconee in our RV.  We had arrived at B and P's lake home for Thanksgiving 07 and we stayed there until after New Years.  Kari and Nathan's family joined us for a late Christmas and New Years, and all left to fly back to Puyallup or go back to work in Atlanta on the morning of that Jan 1.  Barb and I were alone with our memories of the past weeks.  It was a special time, in a special neighborhood.  And I blogged:

Also, we regretted leaving our new friends Kenny and Maxine. They live two houses down the lake from B&P. B&P introduced us to K&M on our first day at the lake. K&M virtually adopted us. Just a few years younger than us, we went out to dinner with them three times and attended gatherings at their home another 3 times. They introduced us to neighbors and family and made sure we attended the neighborhood Christmas party. They also advised us as to where to make our holiday purchases. Kenny filled us in with the local lore. He grew up in LA, God’s country he calls it. LA to him is lower Alabama. A graduate of Auburn, he manages private forests in the area and keeps his eye on local politics. An affable and knowledgeable person, Kenny added to our experience on Oconee each week. Maxine is a middle school teacher and the consummate family matriarch. At each gathering at their home, we met family and neighbors. We relished in her ease at inviting us and others into her home. Meals were always centered around bubbly conversation and family stories. We will miss them but now look forward to them coming to our area. Almost family, they are, Kenny and Maxine. Come and drink our coffee and see our woods. A bedroom is always open to these special people.



And they did come to stay, drink our coffee and see our trees.  We had 3 evening dinners with friends and family in our back yard.   We spent one glorious day on the mountain and one day via ferry to Seattle.  We were so happy to have our extended neighbors so close for a few days. 

Kenny, a forester, wanted pictures of "big" trees

Barb and Kenny hiked up to Glacier View Point on the mountain

The wildflowers were at their peak.

Reflection Lake

Catch Up

Wow!  It has been 45 days since I last blogged.  Apparently I was a bit spent after the wedding.  Since then:

July 14 - Cailyn hosted a 60th birthday party for her mom in our back yard.  Over 80 attended the event in which Cailyn, two of her aunts, and a cousin spent 2 days in the yard preparing.  Several serving stations were created, using retro (antique?) displays.   Our daughter in laws are so creative!!!!

One of several stations

The instigators

We had two weeks (15 - 30) in which we returned to the routine of having the three gkids overnight and we were able to invite friends over for dinner.  Barb and I welcomed Gordon and Carol, and Terry and Nelda for a barbecued steak dinner in an attempt to thank them for serving us the morning after the wedding.

We also gathered with Jim and Sharon Moa (San Antonio), Ron and Joan Gadde (Lacy) and their daughter Karen for a small reunion of 1972 Bangkok friends.


We were itching to get the RV moving since it had not been used since late October.  Barb and I gathered Jane and Jensen and headed for a RV park at the base of Mt Rainier, near Elbe.  Mineral Lake was just two miles away.  Jane caught her third fish and Jensen caught his first two fish.

Her third

His first

Jensen has the making of a real fisherman.  I asked them to pose and tell how many fish they caught.  Janie is truthful showing one.  Barb is truthful as well, she did not fish.  Jensen though shows five (he caught two) a common characteristic among fisherman.



On August 8, Barb and I celebrated our 43rd anniversary.   No big event this time, just a elegant dinner on the water in Tacoma.

On August 9, Kari and Eric returned home from their 7 week honeymoon.  They traveled four continents and too many countries to mention.  Their trip took them to the primitive areas of the Philippines, Kenya, Ethiopia to the modern settings of the London Olympics.  Bill and Patty, Eric's parents, invited us to go with them to pick E and K up at the airport.  For six hours, we sat in Bill and Patty's sun room and listened to Kari and Eric report their travelogue.

The travelogue story begins...

Kari did not know where she was going on the honeymoon.  Her maid of honor did know and helped Kari pack.  Eric had obtained Kari's passport months before and got the prescribed visas, etc.  As each leg was completed, Eric brought out his i pad and showed a short video of the next leg of the trip.  Here he shows scenes from the Taj Mahal in India.

The final leg, the Olympics

Very happy

The next day, August 10, (and I cannot believe that Kari and Eric were able to join us) we gathered with the Thompson clan at Ft. Stevens State Park near Astoria, Oregon.

Six children five and under

Over 150 years of combined bicycling experience.  Sister Vicki, sister in law Kathy,  Barb and Jensen

Jane

Jane, getting her hair braided.

The cousins enjoying Barb's book of 30 plus years of Thompson camping memories.

The omelet crew

At the arcade in Seaside

Over five years of combined trike experience

This has been a phenomenal 9 weeks.  We are so blessed.