WISHING THE TRADES WOULD ABATE

Aloha! It's a little windy on Kauai at the moment. Nothing real serious...20 to 25 mph with some gusts nearing 40 mph and that has kept Jackie and I at home and away from the beach. There is one nice thing about the winds here...you don't normally get a lot of dust blowing with them. When we would get these kinds of wind speeds at home (with home being the Yakima Valley) we would also have to face dust storms, especially in the spring. The blowing dirt could cut the visibility down to a few feet at times and make driving a real challenge. We keep watching the weather forecast waiting to hear when this pattern will change but so far all we hear is no change in sight! At least the rest of the weather is ok with temps in the mid 70's and partly cloudy skies. The video I posted today was taken on Thursday when Jackie and I went to Hanalei. Jackie and I have been getting out some every day as the weather has really not been that bad. We would just like for it to be a little warmer so we could get back into the water!

BURGERS AT BUBBA'S

Aloha! Jackie and I have enjoyed another relaxing day here on Kauai. It started off with me getting my hair cut. That was a real adventure as it entailed me walking all the way out to the lanai so Jackie wouldn't need to make the mess inside! After my haircut I showered while Jackie watered the garden. Then it was back to the lanai to make our plans for the day. After many cups of coffee and a lot of talk story we decided that since it was still a little bit too cold and windy for the beach we would go to Hanalei instead. While we were there we were hoping to get a bite to eat at Pandas Kitchen but for some reason they were closed so that left us with plan B which was burgers at Bubba's. Now Bubba's is a nice place and they put out an ok burger even if they are a little over priced but the service there is slow even by Hawaii standards! The people there are nice enough and I think they do try to do a good job its just that they are not real efficient. We know how they are and if we are in a hurry we eat someplace else but we can't help but feel sorry for the tourists who go there thinking they are going to get a meal in a timely manner and end up in a rage because their order is taking so long and they can't see a reason why!

WAITING

Aloha! Sorry Jackie and I haven't posted anything for the last few days but to tell you the truth we really haven't done anything to write home about! I know anyone who has followed my blog is probably saying to themselves that that has never stopped me in the past but this time I felt sorry for my family and didn't want to subject them to my critique of the many tv shows we have watched in the last few days. We had good intentions each day and every morning we would say today we should go to the beach or we should go check out the southshore. But then we would step outside and it would be overcast with the trades blowing a little stronger than normal and the temps have been staying in the high 60's low 70's so it has been very easy to talk ourselves into staying home and waiting for this weather to improve. At least today we did get out of the house for a little while. We had to run our little car into Kapa'a to get the master cylinder replaced. We had noticed that when you would hold your foot on the brake while you were stopped it would slowly work its way almost to the floor and you would need to pump it get the pressure back. It hadn't gotten real bad yet but figured it was best to get it fixed before it did. Hopefully tomorrow Jackie and I can make good on our intentions and make it to the beach or maybe the lighthouse.

BET TYLER ENJOYED THE RACES

Aloha! Wow, you have to hand it to Kyle Busch...that kid can drive! We watched him dominate the truck race this morning, then we headed to Anini to get a little snorkeling in. The sun was out but it was still a little bit chilly. We enjoyed our snorkel anyway and we were lucky enough to find Mr. Honu to swim with. He was out in almost the same spot where we saw the eagle ray last week. We also ran across some very large cornetfish. These guys were closer in than they are normally. We also saw two stripebelly puffers. One was about 20 inches long and the other one was a lot smaller, maybe 7 inches. These guys feed at night and just lay asleep on the bottom during the day. After our snorkel we sat on the beach for awhile trying to enjoy the sun but after about 45 minutes we decided that a warm shower and some lunch sounded pretty good so we packed our stuff back to the car and headed home. We arrived with plenty of time to shower and eat before the Nationwide race started. Jackie and I were talking before the race and I told her I thought Kyle had a good chance to win this race but no way was he going to dominate like he did in the truck race. It took less than 1/2 a lap before I had to eat my words...he was by far the class of the field. About the only thing he could have done better would have been for him to put in that kind of performance in the M&M's car as that is Tylers favorite paint scheme. Tyler is only 5 years old and he can tell you what the drivers names and car numbers are for 2/3 of the field. But like I said earlier, his favorite driver by far is Kyle Busch...especially when he is driving the M&M's car!

PICS FROM BRIAN AND TRICIAS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

BRIAN AND TRICIA HEAD TO SCHOOL

Aloha! It was a little too cold and windy for the beach so Jackie and I stayed home and scanned in some more of our old pics. I think Jackie scanned almost a hundred before I talked her into stopping and fixing some dinner. Sometimes it would be nice to be able to do more than one thing at a time but our apartment is so small you have to pick-up one project before you can start another. But I guess if thats the worst thing we can find to complain about we should probably not complain too loudly as our life really is blessed. I still find it hard to believe that we are retired and living in Hawaii even though it has been almost three years. I still lay in bed some mornings and wonder if I'm really here or is it all a dream? PS From the looks on Brian and Tricia's faces I think the first day of kindergarden was a success!

ONE STEP FOWARD TWO STEPS BACK

Aloha! Jackie and I awoke this morning to clear skies and sunshine. It was so nice that Jackie convinced me that we should put a little time into our garden. We had a little problem last year with our tomatoes. First, because we planted them too close together and second because we waited too long to put cages around them. This year that should not be a problem as we planted less than half as many and we put the stakes and cages in today even though the tomatoes have just started to peek out of the ground! Jackie and I had just finished this little chore and we were sitting on the lanai disscusing what our plans should be for the remainder of the day when it started to rain...nothing real serious but it kept it up for the rest of the afternoon. So the remainder of the day was spent watching tv and napping.

A SHORT VIDEO FROM TODAY

A SHORT SNORKEL

Aloha! Jackie and I have enjoyed another nice day here on Kauai. The weather is slowly getting better...not that its that bad now, just not as nice as it normally is. We finally made it into the water today but the conditions were a little sketchy. The water clarity was ok but we had a bit of wind chop along with a pretty good current. It was also a little chilly in the water so we cut our snorkel down some and only stayed out about 30 minutes. We did see a lot of fish and even came across a small gurnard...something that we don't see real often. We both were wanting to see another ray but with the conditions being what they were we thought it best to stay a little closer to shore and leave the rays for another day.

A LOST WEEKEND

Aloha! Things have been very quiet for Jackie and I this weekend. We had planned on getting in the water some but the weather has not been real cooperative. We have had a fair amount of wind...nothing real strong but enough to discourage a trip to the beach. Lucky for us we had Nascar to watch other wise we might have been forced to work in the garden or catch-up on some of our other chores! This morning after breakfast we decided to head to the beach We packed up a few snacks, filled the thermos with coffee and headed out only to get to Anini and discover that we had left the snorkels at home so it was back to the house for the snorkels but by the time we got back to the beach the wind had picked up enough so that snorkeling was out. We did get out of the house this afternoon. We picked up a sandwich and went to Kalihiwai. It is in a spot that is protected from the wind and we enjoyed a very relaxing lunch there.

FRIDAY THE 13TH

Aloha! It has been a quiet day for Jackie and I with most of it being spent inside working with our old photos. Jackie scanned in photos from 1974 thru 1977. I think we ended up with about 130 photos. Things are sure a lot different now as we shoot about 130 pics a week! Of course, of those we might only keep 10! Our weather is still looking pretty good with temps in the mid 70's. The trades have picked up some but not as much as the weathermen where saying they would. If it stays this nice Jackie and I will head back to the beach tomorrow. I would really like to see that ray again! The clip we shot of him didn't come out as well as I had hoped. When you look at it full screen on our computer you can see him a lot better but not nearly as well as we could in person! The first two photos I posted were taken in Neosho, MO at at Grandma and Grandpa Everhards 50th anniversary. Those pics did bring back a ton of memories. Of those, one of the most vivid was of Jaynee in Fort Dodge, Kansas. She waited until we had all eaten breakfast and were putting the suitcases in the car getting ready to leave the motel before saying she wanted to wash her hair! As you can see in the photo she had the prettiest long hair so she couldnt just stick her head in the shower and go...she had to wash it, dry it, then comb it out! If she hadn't been such a pretty sister-in-law I would have voted we let her finish the trip with Greyhound. Of course, when my old LTD lost a starter in Rollins, WY on a Sunday afternoon on the way home I thought we might all be taking the bus home! The 3rd and 4th pics were taken at our house on Carriage Square.

EAGLE RAY

Aloha! It has been another awesome day here on Kauai. Jackie and I went snorkeling this morning (bet thats a huge suprise to anyone who follows our blog) and while we were out past the buoy we ran across an eagle ray! This was the first ray we have seen snorkeling. It was beautiful! It was about 4 feet from wingtip to wingtip with a very long tail...I would say 7 or 8 feet long. We had seen rays at the aquarium on Maui and they were very impressive but nothing like they are when you see them in the wild! We got some video this morning but I must warn you, you can't see the ray very well. At the start of the clip he is towards the top of the screen, a little left of center. He moves in a very bird like fashion and looks like a shadow. I wish would have zoomed in on him a little for you guys but this morning I was more interested in watching him then I was filming him. It is really a wonder that I even remembered to start the camera, I was that excited!

PERFECT WEATHER

Aloha! What a beautiful day Jackie and I have been enjoying. The weather has been ideal! We got all of our chores finished yesterday so today we were able to take advantage of this weather and head to the beach. We had a very relaxing snorkel. We were able to swim with a honu which is always a real treat for us. This guy was very mellow and even allowed me to touch him a couple of times as you will see in the video. After our snorkel Jackie and I stayed at the beach soaking up the sun and watching the people. It is always fun to see how everybody has a different method of entering the water. We saw everything from running and just diving in to the one toe at a time, slowly sneaking in approach! After the beach we went home for a quick shower and then lunch. Jackie washed a load or two of clothes and while they were drying this wonderful weather drew us back outside for a little frisbee. We played for about a hour then it was back in to get ready for dinner and to give Jaynee a call. We wanted to check on how Jerry is doing since his surgery. Jaynee said the recovery is going well but he has been bothered with a touch of the flu. I don't imagine throwing up when you have your shoulder in a sling is any fun at all so get well fast brother! We also called Brian this morning to see how his doctor appointment went yesterday and he said everything looks about the same as it has been which is good news. He also told us that he decided to let Janice and Troy have the Cobra which I think is great! Brian is in about the same situation as we have always been in wanting to fix it up but not having the money to pay someone else to do it and not having the time or the expertise to do it ourselves. I know Troy and the boys will appreciate the Cobra for what it is and will do everything they can to keep it special. I'm so glad that it is going to remain in the family and now I don't have to feel guilty about it rusting away in the backyard. PS I heard from a very reliable source(Jaynee)that it is snowing at home so now Jackie and I have a chance to return the crocodile tears you guys were crying for us!

LIFE IS GOOD

Aloha! What a beautiful day Jackie and I have enjoyed. We started our morning off with a debate as to which beach we wanted to visit. The northwest swell has abated some what and that makes all our beaches accessible. Each beach has its own personality and sometimes making the decision as to which one to visit can be very hard. Now I know all of you are probably crying big crocodile tears because Jackie and I had to make such a hard decision but we have found that living on Kauai has forced us to make this kind of choice a lot. I probably would't be telling you guys this but on our trip home I got the impression that some of you think being retired on Kauai is all fun and games and I felt it was my duty to straighten that little misconception out! Oh by the way, we opted for Anini. We had a real nice snorkel. The water was a bit choppy but the clarity was good. We saw a lot of fish but nothing that really stood out. We swam all the way out to the outer reef beyond the buoy so we did get a good workout. After we got home and washed the salt off we headed in to town to get something to eat and to pick up some shelves for our closet. The video I posted was taken yesterday during our snorkel at Anini. It has a new fish I wanted to show you. This one is a whitesaddle goatfish. This guy was a foot long and a real brilliant pink in color. Its kind of hard to get a true read on his color from the video but he really stood out in person. The goatfish family are one of the main food fishes on the islands and this particular variety was highly valued in ancient time as it was sometimes used in offerings that called for a pig if no pig was available. Also, like pork, it was forbidden to women.

THE LIGHTHOUSE

Aloha! It has been a beautiful day here on Kauai...temps in the upper 70's, light trades, clear skies. The kind of day that makes a beach trip a necessity! We headed to Anini right after we finished our breakfast. We wanted to check-out the snorkeling in front of the house Mike and Cindi will be renting. There is a large swell on the north shore with wave heights in the 12 to 15 foot range. The huge waves breaking over the reef were really an awesome sight but unfortunately with the large waves you can also get poor visibilty in the water which was the case today. We didn't even attempt to get in the water there. We just drove on back to the spot where we normally go. We have had very good luck there with the clarity even during high surf but not today. The water was terrible! We had talked with a couple of visitors before we went in and they warned us the water was pretty mucky. We decided that we would check it out anyway with the hopes that they might be wrong but it turned out they knew what they were talking about! Jackie and I were out for maybe 10 minutes before we decided to hang it up and enjoy the ocean from our beach chairs! We sat on the beach drinking coffee and talking story for a good while only leaving to get a bite to eat. After we washed the salt out of our hair and ate lunch we decided to check out the lighthouse. We had a great time. The whales were really putting on a show and we saw numerous breaching and tail slaps. We had taken our little video camera with us in the hopes of capturing some nice clips. Jackie had gotten some video but when I was playing around with it I accidently deleted it! Next time I will save it to the computer before I start monkeying around with it! So today you are stuck with some video we took in September.

A DAY IN THE GARDEN

Aloha! Today Jackie and I worked in our garden. We finished pulling the weeds and now we need to figure out how we want to replant the tomatoes. Last year we made the mistake of planting them too close together and we are going to try and not make that same mistake again as it was a royal pain to work around them. The weather was nice today with temps in the mid 70's and overcast skies. There is a high surf warning for the north shore so maybe Jackie and I will head to the beach tomorrow to check out the waves. This weather is going to stay around at least through the weekend so we should have ample opportunity to get in the water. We might try out the snorkeling in front of the house Cindi is thinking about renting. We have never snorkeled there and we want to make sure it is safe for when Mike and Cindi visit. They are coming around the last of March and Cindi said her Mom is coming with them. Wow can you believe my sister is coming to Hawaii? I guess you know what that means...Velma you're next! Not sure how many maitais it will take to get you on the plane but I bet it will probably be more than one! If that doesn't work Jackie says she can always get something from the vet that will! The first pic is Brian taken when he was about 7 months at our house in Carriage Square. The next pic was taken at our house on Birch. Brian was about 4 months old. The last two were taken on our trip home.

NEW TIRES

Aloha! Jackie and I have enjoyed another great day here in paradise. The weather has been a little cooler than we like for the beach but fine for what we needed to do today which was to run back to Costco and get the tires for Cory's car. I wasn't sure he was going to let us drive his car again but you guys must have kept our little secret because he never even blinked when he tossed me the keys. Today I was a very good boy and kept my foot out of it...wink, wink! We walked through Costco while we were waiting for them to put the tires on and it wasn't long before I remembered why I always stay in the car and let Jackie shop. I found things on every aisle that I really really needed! Of course Jackie was there to keep me out of trouble and she didn't waste anytime in getting me out of that store! She suggested we walk on over to McDonalds and wait there. While we were standing at the counter I noticed a guy who was wearing a Prosser Mustang sweatshirt. He was from Astoria and his wife was from Prosser, Julie Peterson. They had moved here and are living in Kapa'a so I guess it really is a small world! After we got home Jackie worked on getting a few more pics scanned into our computer and I helped by staying out of her way! The pics I posted were taken in 1973 and 1974.

ERRANDS

Aloha! Jackie and I have spent the day running errands. First stop was Ace Hardware to pick-up another photo box for our older pics. From there we headed up Rice Street to the license department to pick-up the tabs for Cory's car. From here it was a short trip to Costco for a few groceries with a stop at the recycling bin to drop off our recyclables on the way. After we left Costco we headed to Taco Bell for a quick lunch then it was home for a much needed nap. Not a real exciting day but a day spent in paradise, none the less! Our weather today hasn't been as good as it was this weekend. The trades have picked up some and the temps have stayed in the low 70's. A nice enough day but not the kind of day to entice us to go in the water so we have used the afternoon to sort through some more of our old photos in order to get them ready to scan. This little project is going to keep Jackie and I occupied for quite a spell. It would probably go a lot better if I would let Jackie do it but I can't resist adding my helpful advice about how it should be done. Thankfully Jackie has ignored my advice and she is now making good progress.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

Aloha! Well it has been a super Sunday for Jackie and I and the game had very little to do with it. I mean the game was ok, exciting enough especially considering who was playing but the super part to our day has been the weather...blue skies, temps in the mid 70's. It was so nice that Jackie and I decided to let the weeds get a bit longer in our garden and we headed out to Anini to get a little snorkeling in before the game. The beach was almost empty, just a few people scattered here and there with 4 or 5 brave souls out snorkeling. We put our gear on and headed out to join the fun. We hadn't gotten more than about ten feet from shore when we encountered our first eel. This guy was in water about a foot or so deep and very close to the spot where we had been sitting putting on our fins. You can rest assured that Jackie and I will be watching where we sit to put our fins on in the future! Not sure why but today seemed to be eel day. We swam across 4 or 5 more on this snorkel. The main one in the video was pretty good sized...not as large as some we have seen here but larger than most. It was so interesting to watch the little ornate butterflyfish swim next to him. He just kept on eating and didn't pay that huge eel any attention at all! At one point in the video it looked like the eel had to nudge him out of the way so he could keep his eyes on what we were doing. We also swam across a tako (Hawaiian for octopus). He was hanging around turtle rock. This guy looked to be about 18 inches long. I tried to get some video of him but they blend in so well you would have a hard time seeing him. After Jackie and I returned home we had a nice visit with my brother Charles. He called wondering how our visit home had gone. We feel really bad that we never had a chance to see see him or my sister Tommie while we were home but the time just ran out. Wish Washington was more like our little island where things are a few miles apart, not the hundreds of miles like there.