California Here I Come

Well I would say it is official now, I am ready to head South. The last two nights have provided a good dusting of snow, this morning temperature is 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and schools are on two-hour delay. This is the time when living on top of the hill and now having snow tires can be frustrating. Not that the roads are really that bad but they do freeze up and night and driving first thing in the morning for my 7 AM tennis is not something I enjoy. So I passed on tennis the last two mornings. Even the paper was late today because the man that normally drives around delivering the paper had to walk. After growing up in Wyoming and living in Montana for many years I have enjoyed being in the California desert when the snow comes. The many cold mornings of feeding the cows or driving to work on icy roads have made me appreciate the warm winter sun.

I did put out new food for the birds, turned on the fireplace, and watched the chickadees. It was very different from a month ago when the birds were feeding on the sunflower and other seeds about the garden. But there were still a few seeds in the sunflower and the fresh seeds in the feeder attracted a number of hardy chickadees. It also attracted the neighborÂ’s cat. He thought the gathering of birds looked like lunch. However, in the white snow it was difficult for him to hide so I think he had to go back home for lunch.

Well it is another day so time to make a cup of hot chocolate and watch the birds or maybe in should start packing.

Thanksgiving is Over

Well another Thanksgiving has come and gone. We had the two of us and Marilyn’s two son’s and two granddaughters for dinner. Marilyn has been cooking for days. She made the pecan pie, cranberry salad, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes all before the day started. They were put in the freezer and this almost caused a problem when the green beans didn’t thaw out in time. Thanks for the microwave; it comes in handy in a time like that.

O course Marilyn had set the table on Monday. She always has the table ready for days anytime we are having guests. It has to be just right you know.

Well the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and gravy were mine so I started early this morning. I had 4 onions that needed to be diced. One for the gravy, two for the dressing and one for the mushroom soup I always make with the stock and meat from the turkey carcass. For the soup I sautéed them with mushrooms and set aside for tomorrow when I make the soup. The two for the dressing were sautéed with some sausage, and the last one was sautéed with the giblets to make a stock for the gravy,

With that done I could take some time off. The family wasn’t going to eat until 3:30 PM and I have been using the plastic bag to cook the turkey so even for a 17 pound stuffed turkey it is about three hours. So about 11 AM I put together the snuffing and put the turkey in the oven. It was time for another break. The stock for the gravy was cooking and just needed time.

Of course the hardest time is that last rush. Cook the potatoes, mash the potatoes, make the gravy, and get everything on the table. It was a great meal and everyone ate more than they should. Now after playing some games with the girls and doing dishes it is time to relax with just the two of us. Time to think about the things we are thankful for: good health, family that is making it on their own, my 7 AM tennis friends, and the RCB Cabaret Singers especially Pauline and Ruth that make my singing possible again after many years of not singing.

Maui Aquarium

While in Maui we spent a half-day visiting the Maui Ocean Center http://www.mauioceancenter.com/ . We had not visited the aquarium since soon after it opened in 1998. I am not sure if they have added more or I had just forgotten how great it was. We could have spent more time looking at all the exhibits and it was great to see so many of the fish we see snorkeling as well as many other we would not see in the ocean. Since we had scheduled a boat trip to snorkel that afternoon we had to cut the visit short.

One of the things we got were the handheld sticks that have recorded information about many of the exhibits. With the granddaughters this was great. While they may not take the time to read or look at many of the exhibits, they found it a great game to look for the numbers to enter and then listen to what was said about the display. Why is it they will pay attention to a recorded message and not written information or something you are trying to tell them?

I am not sure what I enjoyed the most. It was interesting to see the diver in the tank bringing two heads of romaine lettuce to put in the coral for the fish to eat. We spent most of the time in the area with all the tanks of the fish that you can find in the waters around Hawaii. They had small seahorses and large rays and sharks as well as all the beautiful fish you can find in the coral reefs. It was a great opportunity to get up close and personal with so many of the fish. We even had a chance to listen to a couple of naturalists at different locations telling us about the exhibit and answering questions.

I would have to say that a visit to the Maui Ocean Center is well worth the time and money, if you are on the island.

Water Spout

One of the special events we had a chance to observe was a water spout . I have never had a chance to see one before and was able to get a picture. We were not that close but still something I will remember. There were several that tried to form but only one of them reached the ocean level.
We were on the beach across from the condominium where we were staying. The granddaughters were playing the ocean and a storm was threatening but they were having a great time in the warm water. We watched for several minutes as several other formations would start in the clouds but fail to reach the water.

Keiki Hula

Each time we visit Maui we enjoy driving up to Lahaina to visit the Cannery on Sunday afternoon to see the Keiki Hula. Sometimes it is truly children doing the hula other time there will be the full range in age from 3 years to late teens The number of participants will also vary. It always if fun to watch the young dancers and you leave with a special feeling about the kids up on stage doing their best while their Moms and Dads watch and join the tourist taking pictures.

This year we were very lucky to have one of the largest, most talented, and most diverse groups we have seen. Maybe it was because the next weekend was the hula contest at one of the local hotels or maybe it was just the luck of the draw. There were fifteen dancers and three of them were boys, or should I say young men. That is the most male dancers I think I have seen at these shows. It was announced that many of the dancers would be competing the next weekend and I wish them the best. I will not know how well they did but I enjoyed there dancing.

The dancing included the full range of hula from all the islands and required many costume changes and the use of a great variety of props. It is always a great show but I think this time was one of the best and it is a FREE, what a deal. Of course they do have their basket out and the Mothers were selling Hawaiian Sweet Bread to raise money for the group. I was more than happy to participate in both. The bread was delicious and it is not a small task to collect all the costumes, props, and other material needed for a show. They even had very good live music to accompany them in their dancing.