We'll Tough it Out!!

This morning I rushed everyone down to the beach to have a look at the pod of whales that was passing through. At least 6 whales were breaching, rolling and spouting a couple of hundred yards away. They are incredible in their size and grace. The morning hadn't yet arrived with enough light to take pictures but, take my word, it was breathtaking.

Each morning Lee has been making his way out to find a "Catch of the Day". This morning he went down to a cove near Lawai Beach Resort and was overwhelmed with the creatures he encountered. He had a seal brush up against him and swam alongside a very large sea turtle (2 1/2 feet in diameter) as well as through bunches of colorful fish.







Andrew loves Hawaii. He told me on the way from the airport that it was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. It is a pleasure to hang out with him.













He showed up here with a streak of blonde in his hair, nice young man.

This afternoon we had a knock down grudge match at Puakea Golf Course. He had to give me 12 strokes and I got to hit from the white tees. The match was a see saw battle with Pops winning on the last hole.

Check out his styling shoes. He thinks that golf sandals are a blasphemy to the game of golf.









Andrew loves Lee. He has always had the greatest respect for his brother-in-law and Lee has always spent a great deal of time with Andrew. Lee started calling him Drew when he first met him and today that is the name that Andrew prefers.


Good Guys and good friends.









And lastly, this was the sky at 6:45 this morning.

We are in Paradise.

Call the Coast Guard

R & R

There are 13 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet, hardly enough to describe how much we are enjoying our vacation. Right at this moment, Gerry is sitting beside me doing a Sudoku, Sam is on the other side, singing, playing race car and hanging out. Kristy is on the lanai taking in a little more sun and the boys, Max, Sol, Lee and Drew are all catching a cat nap.

We checked into the Marriott Waiohai on Sunday afternoon and are all enjoying this beautiful resort. Check it out at the Marriott site when you have a moment. Anyway, it is located right on Poipu Beach, ranked as one of the United State's top beaches. There is a lot of sand and grass, with beautiful cascading pools that cater to all ages.

Yesterday as soon as the sun was up Lee and Andrew were off to do some snorkeling and to scope out an area where it would be reasonable to spear fish. They were out about 1/4 to 1/2 mile and seemed to be out there a long time. After playing life guard for an hour, I went up to the apartment to check in. When I returned Lee was slowly snorkeling his way in but there was no sign of Andrew. Lee reported that Andrew had headed in earlier and wasn't sure what had happened to him. After searching for a few minutes, I made a hasty call up to the room and asked Gerry to find the binoculars and come right down. Within 4 minutes Kristy showed up with my camera and its telephoto lens as they couldn't spot the binoculars. What was I going to do, take pictures of the blue, vacant water. About the same time, I spoke with one of the pool attendants and told him we had lost sight of Drew.

TIME TO CALL OUT THE COAST GUARD the attendant said and the wheels were put in motion with people running hither and thither. Of course it was only about 5 minutes later that Andrew came sauntering down the beach, having been carried about 1/2 mile west to the neighboring Sheraton Hotel. Panic ended!!





Check out Kristy's Blog to see the boys snorkeling and the twins sampling the sand of Poipu Beach. The twins were not impressed with the ocean and pulled their legs up in time with the incoming surf.

We spent the day golfing, swimming, snorkeling, shopping and feasting.







Until later.....

The Perfect Lei

This morning we went on a quest to find the perfect Lei. Somehow it didn't seem to exist, so we compromised and went to the Hawaiian market, known here locally as Costco and purchased what was available there. Gerry wanted leis that featured the plumerias because of their beauty and the scent. There was an abundance of leis but none that had plumerias; beautiful orchids but no plumerias. We then spent time finding plumeria trees, only to find the plumerias either in someone's yard or up high on trees. My task tonight was to search out a plumeria and bring back some flowers.

Phew, wouldn't you know that the perfect leis were right around the corner, literally so. We decided to walk through the Hyatt this evening and there was a little Hawaiian gal setting up a booth to sell leis, plumerias and all. $5.00 each!! So we bought 3; one for Gerry, one for Susan and one for Kristy (used as a prop in the attached pictures.



This is our 4th trip to Kauai with Mike and Susan Goodrow, our good friends. They very kindly have opened their Time Share to us these 4 trips. In fact, after our first trip in 2001 we purchased our time share in California and last year purchased one here at Lawai Beach. We spend much of our time laughing at and with each other. They are the perfect hosts and we love them. Anyone who attends the Spruce Meadows YSA Ward will recognize Mike from their bishopric.

Mike and Susan, March 2007

Andrew and the Brewertons are in the air right now. They will spend the night in Honolulu and then arrive here about 10:30 tomorrow morning. Sam told us tonight on the phone that he is now an "Airport Rat" after spending 7 hours in the airport in Vancouver.

Goodnight.....

Take 4

The time difference of 4 hours is a difficult adjustment, especially when you don't sleep well at the best of times. The good parts of not sleeping in include spectacular views of an incredibly starlit sky, temperate times of the day for walk/runs and a great start to the day.

This morning I went for a 4 - 5 mile walk down past the Sheraton to the Marriott Waiohai, where we will be staying next week. It was clear and beautiful when I started and pouring rain on the return. In spite of the rain, the temperature stayed in the low 70's and the walk was outstanding. At 5:30 in the morning not many people are out and about, sunrise is about 6:35 and the skies are very cool.

As I was finishing my walk, SWFM (see my first post) came out of the building and we made our way across the street to watch the day begin. There are always a few surfers who come and ply the waves for an hour or two before the school day or work begins.

In Hawaii Monk Seals are a protected species. They get all the right of way they want, beaches are cordoned off and they are not to be disturbed. We have seen them each year and they are massive. A couple of years ago there were estimated to be only 50 monk seals left in Hawaii. Anyway, this morning one of them came into the shore right below Gerry and I. He/she scratched himself along the coral, surfaced, blew a few snorts and then played around in front of us. This seal appeared to be about 3 - 400 pounds, although the perspective is hard to gain from the picture.


The rest of the day was spent in serious rest mode. Each day we spend 2-5 hours lounging, reading and enjoying the sun. Many days this "rest" time seems to go on forever, in my view. My hyper-active nature requires that I do something, so I am usually wandering about after an hour or so. Everybody is good natured and trying to accomodate everyone else, so it all works out. Today there was an outing to Walmart and Costco, almost overwhelming that we went to 2 stores. (I just know that I will be a better greeter than Susan Goodrow. I hope I get the Kauai gig in a few years.)

Tonight we went out for our treat of the week. The Princeville Resort, (the most exclusive on an island of many exclusive resorts) puts on a seafood buffet on Friday evenings, so off we went. I won't divulge everything but suffice it to say that the cost is far more than any fiscally conservative person would generally spend on a whole month's worth of dining out. The food was spectacular, difficult to stay on target with the Dr. B thing but it was a one time event. I think we went so that Susan and Gerry could taste the Flourless Chocolate Cake and they tell me it was worth it.

Kids will be travelling tomorrow and we want them to safely arrive. Drew reported today that he is really excited to be here and we all know how Kristy and her family feel.

Aloha for tonight.

Mini Golf

Sorry, it doesn't work anymore, so I will remove it. Sam quite liked it.

Paradise - Take 2

Alright, the last post was a little wussy but it was a little overwhelming to arrive here and remember how fabulous a place it is.

The reality is that Kauai is one of our favorite places. Yesterday morning, I met a fellow from Indiana down at the "bench" and guess where his favorite place is; the Columbia Icefields. He even gave me the name of some out of the way lodge up in the mountains so there is beauty everywhere.

Actually the locals aren't so crazy about us Haoles (white people). Yesterday at Costco some guy told Gerry and I to stay on the Mainland. It sort of took the steam out of our sails for a few minutes but we recovered. There are issues with the cost of living, cost of housing, new developments and now a high speed ferry that will service the islands.

The last couple of days have been jam packed with not a whole lot. We have begun to bake ourselves a little, have made a couple of trips to Lihue to scope out some of the shops. One of my future goals has to do with becoming a host at Walmart and I thought I might check out the opportunities at the Kauai store. I can tell people to hang loose with the best of them. Costco pretty much demands a visit wherever we are, although I'm not sure why, the stuff is always exactly the same.


A monk seal made his way to the lava across the street from LBR (Lawai Beach Resort) and, as they are protected, basically laid there until he/she (I didn't get a chance to check the gender out) decided to motor on. Big excitement for a few minutes. Gerry snapped many pictures of the Bird of Paradise.

This afternoon Mike and I went golfing at Puakea, a recommended track. I played lousy on the front and he played lousy on the back. I think he was rattled by the Haole locals that joined us for the last 8 holes. They were pretty much the stereotypical loud mouths and one guy couldn't hardly contain himself from letting us know how much money he has.

We have scoped out the Marriott where we will be staying with the Brewertons and Andrew. It will be cool. Tomorrow we are heading over there to snorkel. Perhaps the fish are bigger there.

We're on a quest to find the best burger on Kauai, although so far we've only been to one of the places on our list and 3 out of 4 of us opted for something other than a burger. Susan did offer us all bites of hers though and it was okay. Oh well, we'll have another exciting day tomorrow, here in.....

Paradise.

Paradise - Absolutely

Aloha from the Garden Isle.

The only difficulty about making this post is that I have to have my back to the ocean in order to get to accomodate the wired internet connection.

Memories have come flooding back as we renew our love for this beautiful island. I think one of my favorite places in the world is the little bench across the street from the Lawai Beach Resort that presents this view of palm trees, surf and sky. Each evening 75 to 100 people quietly gather to witness the end of the day and the oncoming of nightfall.

I wish that I could bottle the sounds so that you could hear them. The power of the ocean, the constant breeze, the early welcome from hundreds of wild roosters and no interruptions. It is a place where love is reborn.







These little princesses were having supper with their parents in the Beach House Restaurant.





There is a 4 hour time difference during daylight savings time and anyone that knows me, knows that I don't have the best sleep in habits. Up at 5:00 and a walk/run up to Spouting Horn, about 1 1/2 miles up the road. Got there just in time to witness the beginning of daylight and time to ponder our blessings. When I came back down, I found my friend Gerry out for a little walk of her own and we sat on the "bench" and watched the sun come up, surfers making their way to the surf, a lone fisherman casting out into the ocean and several whales far out spouting and turning.

By the way Ronn, the Papaya Tree seems to have survived its last experience with you and is flourishing.








This is paradise.











We'll check in later. See you soon kids.

Is This a Short Cut to Hawaii?

Who are these seasoned travellers and what is the island in the background? 2 correct answers and you have earned brownie points. We are off on our spring vacation and as anyone who has read Kristy's blog knows, we are meeting them in Hawaii in a few days. If it doesn't look quite like Hawaii, you are correct. Note the jackets!!

The airline offered us the opportunity to lay over in San Francisco for a couple of days and we took it. We have spent the last couple of days hanging out, doing touristy things and shopping for those things that we forgot to bring. (Many things by the way.) We are staying in a Holiday Inn close to the airport and will fly out tomorrow morning direct to Lihue, Kauai.

Yesterday morning we picked Mark Ehlert up at his hotel and took him to the airport. He was down here attending an Adobe Conference. Jenn and the kids are up at our place doing doctor visits and other stuff. (In fact, I am proud of Jenn for her courage in buying a new car while Mark was away.) After dropping Mark off, we made our way down to San Jose (Milpitas) and found the Outlet Mall. It was a bit of a disappointment excepting for a couple of exceptions.

We made our way back up to the airport area and decided to save San Francisco until today. Of course supper was at In'N'Out Burger with burgers, animal style, mine without onions. Late this morning we wandered down to Fisherman's Wharf to see the sites. We were here about 7 years ago, so it was a refresher.

The first picture shows Alcatraz in the background. (I thought the customs guy in Calgary was going to send me there after the grilling he gave me.) Although cool, the skies were bright.




The Golden Gate Bridge is spectacular. We have a great story from our last trip here when Gerry wanted to see the water and we found a beach just north of the bridge up in Marin County. We'll tell you some other time about the nude joggers.











The wharfs are packed with seafood restaurants and vendors. This booth was offering shrimp po-boys, clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls, fresh steamed crab. We sat down and had sauteed shrimp and shrimp creole. They even made my creole without onions.












The last picture shows me and some of my friends sun tanning on the piers. Do you think I spent too much time in the tanning beds?







We'll report regularly.

Sundays

It seems that a popular part of BLOGGING is to tell things about oneself. I am sure that most everything about me would put most people to sleep in a hurry. Maybe some day I'll post the list and then recommend people read it when they have insomnia.

Notwithstanding that, the opportunity to express myself is given, therefore, I take it.

I love Sunday evenings. For as long as I can remember, this has been my favorite time of the week. Sure there is the stress of Mondays just around the corner but Sunday nights.....

When I was a boy it was family time. We would eat Sunday dinner, then spend the night watching a little more TV than normally allowed. Disneyland, Ed Sullivan and Bonanza were the headliners and were always in black and white. (Color TV was a luxury that Gerry and I bought right around the time little Jennifer came into the world.) I remember meeting El Figo Baca, Hoss, Little Joe and Pa. Who can forget the important role of Hop Sing?

Anyway, back to my story. Dad would get creative on Sunday nights and likely come up with a culinary creation. His favorite, not mine, were raw spanish onions, sliced onto an open piece of buttered bread. Lots of salt and pepper. That's where Googly was introduced into our family or rice pudding and absolutely the bomb; a couple of pieces of bread, torn up and placed in a bowl with chokecherry syrup and milk poured on top. (Googly was the best. Ask my kids.)

As an adult I love the fact that Sunday nights offer a true peace from the world. There is little risk that work will rear its head for several hours, church calls are temporarily set aside. Perhaps friends will drop in, certainly family does. Gerry loves to feed her family and the kids respond.

Today little Anna and I did her first jig saw puzzle. We did it about 20 times, each time she got a little better, learning to figure out which pieces were the corners, sides and the left over 2 in the middle. We took a break to go outside and float leaves down the gutter.

Tonight, we sense that our children are safe, we rest from the world.

I like Sundays.

BBllooggiinngg

This is a wonderful way to share information. We extend a welcome to new Bloggers, the Craigs and to Ashley and Trevor. This, then, adds a whole new dimension of LINKS to pick and choose from, new friends and new family. (Make sure you try the mini golf on ours.)

This has been a very different week. Without going into a whole lot of detail, we are facing some of those life-changing experiences. They are self-imposed, exciting and scary. You will hear much more in the next few weeks as I figure out how to verbalize them. Opportunities abound!!

I have worked every day for the past few weeks. Some days with a little less pressure. I have covered off the southern part of the province a couple of times and will head out to Medicine Hat in the morning to do about 1 - 2 hours worth of work. Oh well, that will give us the opportunity to swing back through Lethbridge/Raymond and see the kids. Gerry will travel with me to keep me company.

I checked my calendar and noticed that I have a speaking assignment in the North Calgary Stake on Sunday, so will use the drive time as an opportunity to get my thoughts together. I have assignments to 6 Stake conferences in the next couple of months and will enjoy teaching and encouraging the members to lengthen their strides relative to missionary work.

Soon there will be relief, as we are anxiously looking forward to 2 + weeks in Hawaii. Gerry is going to stay over and be a Granny Nanny to the Brewerton's for a few extra days. 7 more sleeps. (That is actually not true as I likely won't sleep much the night before we go.) We are looking forward to hosting son Andrew and the Brewerton Family at our secret little haunt on Kauai.

Love to all and goodnight.

Nature

Saturday morning this family of deer stopped by the tee box to check out the fence, the neighbors decorating, any left over berries, some tasty branches and generally ambled up and down the fence line. There was the promise of new antlers on a couple of them and one of the young ones proved to himself that the chain link fence was too much even for his very strong legs. Many mornings a number of deer make their way through our yard, finding a place to rest, a little food (branches and whatever can be scraped up) and occasionally a place to rest.

The majesty is something we never tire of.