Monday, October 30, 2017
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Fishing!
I've finally had some luck fishing! A nice speckled trout. (They're not in the same family as the trout we're used to in the mountains....the name is misleading - they are actually a type of drum fish and live in brackish/seawater).
And another one later in the day! No worries, sis...these went back in the water. Good fun!
And another one later in the day! No worries, sis...these went back in the water. Good fun!
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Expensive boat shoes
I needed some new boat shoes if I'm going to be on a new boat....the current ones have definitely exceeded their "life expectancy"!
They are worn slick - the whole point in having boat shoes is that they grip the topsides of wet boats.... and there's actually holes in the bottoms. Boat shoes are made to get wet, but it's a little ridiculous to have water coming in from the top AND the bottom!!
So, we got in our trusty bird and flew to Myrtle Beach....beautiful day.
Approaching Grand Strand airport.
Borrowed their "crew car" and headed to the outlet mall. You all know that's just not our version of fun....but we persevered.
Came away with "the most expensive boat shoes ever" (haha if you count the avgas we used to get there!) Just kidding, we were going flying today anyway so it was just an excuse to go to Myrtle beach. Ta-Da! my new shoes!
We stopped on the way back to the airport and had a Chinese lunch with some of the best hot-n-sour soup I've ever had....a fun day!
They are worn slick - the whole point in having boat shoes is that they grip the topsides of wet boats.... and there's actually holes in the bottoms. Boat shoes are made to get wet, but it's a little ridiculous to have water coming in from the top AND the bottom!!
So, we got in our trusty bird and flew to Myrtle Beach....beautiful day.
Approaching Grand Strand airport.
Borrowed their "crew car" and headed to the outlet mall. You all know that's just not our version of fun....but we persevered.
Came away with "the most expensive boat shoes ever" (haha if you count the avgas we used to get there!) Just kidding, we were going flying today anyway so it was just an excuse to go to Myrtle beach. Ta-Da! my new shoes!
We stopped on the way back to the airport and had a Chinese lunch with some of the best hot-n-sour soup I've ever had....a fun day!
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Over the weekend we rode our bikes 8+ miles to Pecan Grove for their annual fall picnic.
Didn't snap any photos during the gathering so you'll just have to believe me. Well attended - we ended up visiting with the couple that bought Glory Days several years ago for a couple of hours sitting in the Glory Days cockpit! Good fun.
Cool, clear nights. Stayed up until 1AM and laid out on the dock to watch so shooting stars from the Orionid Meteor Shower. We saw a couple of really pretty ones before scampering back to bed!
We've enjoyed the campfires this week! Lazy evening - campfire and heating up the grill using shovelfuls of hot coals from the campfire.
This morning we put out another of Duane's homemade concrete benches. It's just nice to have lots of spots to relax!
Didn't snap any photos during the gathering so you'll just have to believe me. Well attended - we ended up visiting with the couple that bought Glory Days several years ago for a couple of hours sitting in the Glory Days cockpit! Good fun.
Cool, clear nights. Stayed up until 1AM and laid out on the dock to watch so shooting stars from the Orionid Meteor Shower. We saw a couple of really pretty ones before scampering back to bed!
We've enjoyed the campfires this week! Lazy evening - campfire and heating up the grill using shovelfuls of hot coals from the campfire.
This morning we put out another of Duane's homemade concrete benches. It's just nice to have lots of spots to relax!
Friday, October 20, 2017
Fall camping
Nothing like a little fall camping! Heading out of the driveway to Oriental.
Just being lazy, enjoying the cool temps and clear skies.
Sunrise from the dock this morning.
Just being lazy, enjoying the cool temps and clear skies.
Sunrise from the dock this morning.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Flying
We finally had a nice day - went flying just a bit. Pretty green landscape....a few more weeks and it will start to be more colorful!
Friday, October 13, 2017
Recovery
Well, we've been home a week now...and we're just now getting over the jet-lag. There have been a couple of nights that one of us didn't hardly sleep at all.
Haven't really accomplished much - and the weather has been grey and murky ever since we arrived....hopefully it will improve soon.
Just a last photo of the zinnias in the flower garden. I hope to harvest a bunch more seeds for a repeat next year.
We'd had a lawn service mow the lawn a couple of times while we were gone...but it's been a couple of weeks since the last mowing....the yard seems to be covered in pine needles. Does that mean a hard winter???
Haven't really accomplished much - and the weather has been grey and murky ever since we arrived....hopefully it will improve soon.
Just a last photo of the zinnias in the flower garden. I hope to harvest a bunch more seeds for a repeat next year.
We'd had a lawn service mow the lawn a couple of times while we were gone...but it's been a couple of weeks since the last mowing....the yard seems to be covered in pine needles. Does that mean a hard winter???
Monday, October 09, 2017
Back home!
We're back home now...recovering from a bit of jet-lag. Hopefully tonight will get us back on a "normal" sleep schedule.
The kids came over yesterday evening to do a bit of car work with Duane. I had a nice visit with Miranda, then we had a nice leisurely dinner.
My zinnias were in full bloom when we returned - so I went and snipped off a handful for a quick centerpiece for the table. Pretty and free - they were from seeds that I had harvested last fall.
The kids came over yesterday evening to do a bit of car work with Duane. I had a nice visit with Miranda, then we had a nice leisurely dinner.
My zinnias were in full bloom when we returned - so I went and snipped off a handful for a quick centerpiece for the table. Pretty and free - they were from seeds that I had harvested last fall.
Saturday, October 07, 2017
42 - Hawaii
Purely travel....uneventful but full flights from Honolulu to LAX and from LAX to Charlotte so lots of delays to get all the folks settled.
We were in first class, but unfortunately they were just "regular" first class seats (not lay-flat) so it was really hard to sleep. It was two 5 hour hops so pretty hard to get to sleep anyway. I watched the Secret Life of Bees and Unbroken - both movies that I had read the book. Pretty good representation of the book in both cases.
Had a great final veggie meal - lentil chili with polenta, roast asparagus and carrots, a nice nori roll and a Hawaiian salad. I really can't figure out how they get such nice meals served at 35000 feet. Very yummy!
I tried to take a photo of all the lights of Los Angeles as we departed, but I just couldn't get a good shot in the dark out the oval airplane window, so you'll just have to take my word that there are a lot of people in Los Angeles!!!
Rented a car and drove home (dropped the car off in Pittsboro at Enterprise, so very handy). We'll need a day to recover from the 24+ hours with no real sleep! (Somehow it turned a bit of autumn while we were gone!)
We were in first class, but unfortunately they were just "regular" first class seats (not lay-flat) so it was really hard to sleep. It was two 5 hour hops so pretty hard to get to sleep anyway. I watched the Secret Life of Bees and Unbroken - both movies that I had read the book. Pretty good representation of the book in both cases.
Had a great final veggie meal - lentil chili with polenta, roast asparagus and carrots, a nice nori roll and a Hawaiian salad. I really can't figure out how they get such nice meals served at 35000 feet. Very yummy!
I tried to take a photo of all the lights of Los Angeles as we departed, but I just couldn't get a good shot in the dark out the oval airplane window, so you'll just have to take my word that there are a lot of people in Los Angeles!!!
Rented a car and drove home (dropped the car off in Pittsboro at Enterprise, so very handy). We'll need a day to recover from the 24+ hours with no real sleep! (Somehow it turned a bit of autumn while we were gone!)
Friday, October 06, 2017
41 - Hawaii
Wow, last day!! Tomorrow is basically a travel day......the trip has flown by lightning fast!
We spent the day on Waikiki beach just to relax and enjoy.
What vacation would be complete without a chicken picture? Pretty much everywhere we went, even some of the remote hikes, there were chickens. They weren't skittish so I assume there are no predators on the island.
Parts of Waikiki beach is surprisingly vacant - but this was mid-day on a weekday. I was surprised how many lifeguards were on duty everywhere in these little stands, even at the remote beaches.
Wandering down the "strip" along the waterfront, there is a Tesla dealership right on a busy corner. (all indoor, of course).
The cars look pretty ordinary - hope they are successful!
We wandered down the walking path south of Waikiki.
We noticed a shadow in the water.
It was a sweet looking seal!
Love the banyan trees that dot the shoreline.
For my "last" Hawaiian meal out, I chose a spicy ahi tuna poke bowl topped with avocado. It was delicious!
Walking back to the condo, we went down this alleyway. It was completely lined with 100's of surfboards. I guess this is the "paid parking lot" for surfboards!
And that's a wrap!
Last photo before we headed out the condo door!
We spent the day on Waikiki beach just to relax and enjoy.
What vacation would be complete without a chicken picture? Pretty much everywhere we went, even some of the remote hikes, there were chickens. They weren't skittish so I assume there are no predators on the island.
Parts of Waikiki beach is surprisingly vacant - but this was mid-day on a weekday. I was surprised how many lifeguards were on duty everywhere in these little stands, even at the remote beaches.
Wandering down the "strip" along the waterfront, there is a Tesla dealership right on a busy corner. (all indoor, of course).
The cars look pretty ordinary - hope they are successful!
We wandered down the walking path south of Waikiki.
We noticed a shadow in the water.
It was a sweet looking seal!
Love the banyan trees that dot the shoreline.
For my "last" Hawaiian meal out, I chose a spicy ahi tuna poke bowl topped with avocado. It was delicious!
Walking back to the condo, we went down this alleyway. It was completely lined with 100's of surfboards. I guess this is the "paid parking lot" for surfboards!
And that's a wrap!
Last photo before we headed out the condo door!
Thursday, October 05, 2017
40 - Hawaii
We wanted to get in one more hike - this time to Lulumahu Falls. It's a pretty hike - but unfortunately it had rained overnight.
The start of the hike is on relatively flat ground thru a stand of bamboo.
Pretty quickly we came out in a grassy area. This is beside a reservoir.
Past the reservoir, the trail gets a little dicey.
It follows a lovely little stream up hill for about a mile.
And the lovely Lulumahu Falls at the end!
Convinced Duane to let me take a "selfie"...I always take several frames in hopes that one of them will come out good.
Duane apparently thought he'd misbehave a little....
He finally did behave a bit...
A kind girl that had seen the mischief volunteered to take our photo....very nice!
Pretty mountain view as we were walking back.
In the "meadow" area I saw this chameleon - since he had weird horns, I looked him up on Google when we got back to the condo. Apparently, it's a Jackson's Chameleon and is an non-native invasive species.
We went on to the Pali Outlook - but the expansive view again was marred by a bit of haze and shadows. That's about it for the day!
The start of the hike is on relatively flat ground thru a stand of bamboo.
Pretty quickly we came out in a grassy area. This is beside a reservoir.
Past the reservoir, the trail gets a little dicey.
It follows a lovely little stream up hill for about a mile.
And the lovely Lulumahu Falls at the end!
Convinced Duane to let me take a "selfie"...I always take several frames in hopes that one of them will come out good.
Duane apparently thought he'd misbehave a little....
He finally did behave a bit...
A kind girl that had seen the mischief volunteered to take our photo....very nice!
Pretty mountain view as we were walking back.
In the "meadow" area I saw this chameleon - since he had weird horns, I looked him up on Google when we got back to the condo. Apparently, it's a Jackson's Chameleon and is an non-native invasive species.
We went on to the Pali Outlook - but the expansive view again was marred by a bit of haze and shadows. That's about it for the day!
Wednesday, October 04, 2017
39 - Hawaii
The trip is winding to a close! Today we drove around to the "North Shore"....seems like a long way away, but it's just 30 miles.
This area is where you see the crazy surfing waves in the winter - it's called the Banzai Pipeline. During the summer months, the waves are much more docile. Still lots of surfers out there though!
Since the surfing beaches are not good for swimming (the surf is rough and knocks you down as you try to walk in), we opted for a beach down the road that had a calm bay. This is the Pupukea Beach - popular because there is virtually no current because of the protecting rocks.
This is where you snorkel.
I convinced Duane to walk with me to a "food truck" nearby for lunch. It was really good and fun to have the meal right on the beach.
I went snorkeling a couple of times. Nothing spectacular - but some nice fish.
A nice view on the way back to Honolulu.
And a few miles from the "city" we passed the Dole pineapple plantation. I've never seen them actually growing before....
This area is where you see the crazy surfing waves in the winter - it's called the Banzai Pipeline. During the summer months, the waves are much more docile. Still lots of surfers out there though!
Since the surfing beaches are not good for swimming (the surf is rough and knocks you down as you try to walk in), we opted for a beach down the road that had a calm bay. This is the Pupukea Beach - popular because there is virtually no current because of the protecting rocks.
This is where you snorkel.
I convinced Duane to walk with me to a "food truck" nearby for lunch. It was really good and fun to have the meal right on the beach.
I went snorkeling a couple of times. Nothing spectacular - but some nice fish.
A nice view on the way back to Honolulu.
And a few miles from the "city" we passed the Dole pineapple plantation. I've never seen them actually growing before....
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