Sunday, 29 March 2020
March 29
Yahoo! I finished self isolating yesterday. Oops, wait a minute. I still shouldn't really go anywhere. No worries. It's virtual coffee with friends and family for the next months, I guess. "I guess". Those two words apply to all of us these days. No one really knows what is going to happen. Experts, health officials, politicians, economists, conspiracy theorists, naysayers, optimists..they are all guessing. I remind myself of this fact every time I read the news. My opinion is: we live each day by faith. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. We hope for the best and prepare for the worst. One thing we can control is the here and now. In every decision, we make the decision to choose love over fear and hate. We either make the world a brighter, more hopeful place or we make the world a darker, hopeless place. No one is positive all the time and no one is happy all the time. That's just not possible, but we can believe that, no matter how tough our situation appears to be, we are more resilient when we remind ourselves that nothing lasts forever, and things will get better.
Friday, 20 March 2020
March 20
Just finished Day 6 of self isolation. On Monday, I baked buns. On Tuesday, I baked cookies. On Wednesday, I finished my income tax return. On Thursday, I culled through my filing cabinet and pitched out a lot of paper recycling. Today, I made a big batch of chicken noodle soup and I cleaned the oven. Throughout the week, I have been spring cleaning, meditating, reading, watching movies and getting lots of sleep. I try not to watch too much Covid 19 news for my own mental health. I discontinued my cable TV several months ago so I only have Youtube and Netflix. My latest ambition has been to travel the world on Youtube. Today, I was in Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Philippines, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, and Somaliland. My plan for next week is to start Spanish lessons and practice guitar. Self isolating does not come easy for me because I like to socialize; however, I am making the best of the situation. I have had to settle on FaceTime conversations with my Luv Bug. I spend a lot of time checking in with friends and relatives via telephone and FaceTime. I phone my mother every day to check up on her. I think I mentioned in a previous blog that she had breast cancer last summer. She had a lumpectomy in August. Last Thursday, she received the results of her recent CT scan. Unfortunately, she found out that the breast cancer returned and now she has lung cancer as well. She is in no pain and putting on a brave face, but I fear she is in for some tough times. Obviously, her apartment high rise is under quarantine. She spends her day baking, cleaning, and knitting. My girls are doing well. Haley is doing my grocery shopping. The girls have been getting together for walks and doing like everyone else, making the best of these surreal times. All in all, I am grateful that I don't have to go to work or go anywhere really. The main takeaway I have at this moment is: it's best to overreact rather than under react. I applaud the efforts of our politicians at every level. They are doing their best. Of course, I applaud the efforts of everyone who are frontline workers from doctors and nurses to grocery store clerks and utilities workers. We are all in this together. Let's be kind, considerate, and supportive.
Tuesday, 17 March 2020
March 17
Happy St. Patrick's Day. I am in my 3rd day of self isolation. Haley had stocked my fridge on Sunday morning just before I got home. The plan for today is to bake a batch of cookies. Yesterday, I baked buns. It's good to be home even if I can't get out to see family and friends. Just knowing my loved ones are a few minutes away is comforting. Last Wednesday, I was wondering whether we would be able to fly out of Phoenix, but all went well on the flight back home. The Phoenix getaway with Deb was excellent. Our Airbnb was well situated for the activities we enjoyed. Having a whole house with a well-equipped kitchen and a backyard complete with patio furniture/barbecue made for an even more enjoyable stay. We only had one restaurant meal in the two weeks we spent in the Phoenix area and that meal was a buffet that went with a show at the Silver Star Theatre in Mesa. The highlights of the vacation were as follows:
1. We hiked 10 of the 14 days in Phoenix area. The recent rainfall meant the desert was green and vibrant. Although the cacti were not flowering yet, there was an abundance of desert flowers. Mexican poppy, brittle bush, lupines, mallow, turpentine, daisies, etc. Some of the trails we hiked were Desert Vista, Pinnacle Peak, Wave Cave, Apache Wash, North Mountain Park, Buffalo Ridge, and Tom's Thumb. The desert scenery never gets old. Every detail, rock formation, and vista is a masterpiece of nature. Of all the activities we enjoyed, hiking is the least expensive and the most enjoyable.
2. We took western two step and cha cha dance lessons at the Buffalo Chip Saloon in Cave Creek on two occasions.
3. On March 3, we saw The Toronto Raptors defeat the Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Arena.
3. On March 7, we went to The Yacht Rock Revue at The Van Buren. Yacht Rock is easy listening songs of the 70s and 80s. Hall and Oates, Loggins and Massina, Gerry Rafferty... People were dressed in captain's hats, blue blazers, and Navy Blazers. Most of the audience knew the words to every song and sang along with gusto.
4. We watched the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers at Surprise Stadium on March 8.
5. One night we attended the Scottsdale Rodeo. Amazing to watch the Americans displaying patriotism. The Star Spangled Banner went on for 20 minutes. Maga hats and Vote Trumps signs were evident.
Now, my traveling days are over for a long while, it seems. And it feels great to be home. I am thankful I don't have to be out in all the craziness going on these days. My heart goes out to all the people who are facing the challenges of Covid19 outbreak especially the people who do not have the supports of friends and family. Stay safe, my friends.
1. We hiked 10 of the 14 days in Phoenix area. The recent rainfall meant the desert was green and vibrant. Although the cacti were not flowering yet, there was an abundance of desert flowers. Mexican poppy, brittle bush, lupines, mallow, turpentine, daisies, etc. Some of the trails we hiked were Desert Vista, Pinnacle Peak, Wave Cave, Apache Wash, North Mountain Park, Buffalo Ridge, and Tom's Thumb. The desert scenery never gets old. Every detail, rock formation, and vista is a masterpiece of nature. Of all the activities we enjoyed, hiking is the least expensive and the most enjoyable.
2. We took western two step and cha cha dance lessons at the Buffalo Chip Saloon in Cave Creek on two occasions.
3. On March 3, we saw The Toronto Raptors defeat the Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Arena.
3. On March 7, we went to The Yacht Rock Revue at The Van Buren. Yacht Rock is easy listening songs of the 70s and 80s. Hall and Oates, Loggins and Massina, Gerry Rafferty... People were dressed in captain's hats, blue blazers, and Navy Blazers. Most of the audience knew the words to every song and sang along with gusto.
4. We watched the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers at Surprise Stadium on March 8.
5. One night we attended the Scottsdale Rodeo. Amazing to watch the Americans displaying patriotism. The Star Spangled Banner went on for 20 minutes. Maga hats and Vote Trumps signs were evident.
Now, my traveling days are over for a long while, it seems. And it feels great to be home. I am thankful I don't have to be out in all the craziness going on these days. My heart goes out to all the people who are facing the challenges of Covid19 outbreak especially the people who do not have the supports of friends and family. Stay safe, my friends.
Friday, 6 March 2020
March 6
I am sitting on a patio in Phoenix AZ as I type this entry. I was only home from Wednesday afternoon til Friday afternoon before I drove to Regina to begin the next adventure. Deb and I flew to Phoenix on February 29, but more on that later.
The Kauai family vacation was everything we hoped it would be. I flew out out of Saskatoon on the morning of February 16. I arrived in Vancouver around 7:30 am, took the sky train downtown, met my nephew, Justin, and spent the day with him walking around False Creek/Granville Island. I was back to the airport by 4:00 pm where I met up with the rest of my crew. They connected through Calgary. The Love Bug was all geared up for vacation so it took a while to settle her down for the 6 hour flight to Kauai. She slept the last two hours of the flight after I sang lullabies in her ear for half an hour. After landing in Lihue, we collected our rental van and loaded the 17 suitcases, car seat, stroller, playpen, golf clubs, and 6 souls into the faithful minivan. We arrived at our Airbnb well after 1pm local time. On our first day, we left Mary and Bug at the condo while we made a Costco run. Of course, we stocked up on seafood. Morgan and Dustin barbecued large shrimp and scallops for the evening meal. We also stocked up on bevies. Kauai is a thirsty island, my friends. The usual daily routine was to wake for coffee around 7-8. Luvisa would start out with her fruit, yogurt, cheerios, and song. Yes, for 10 days we were imitating her words and songs. She was an amazing traveler. Morgan and Mary kept her busy during the day taking her to the pool. She was the main highlight of the trip for all of us, but I shall mention a few other highlights.
1. Hideaway Beach - This beach was only a 5 minute drive from our condo. Parking is at the top, then we had to repel down a cliff face to the beach area below. My first act was to trip on a root, then fall on my face literally. The root took off a good chunk of my big toe. Class act. Hideaway Beach has grainy coral sand and a coral reef with excellent snorkelling. We paid two visits to Hideaway Beach on our vacation. The second time we went was easier because we didn't try to haul as much stuff down the cliff.
2. Island Helicopter Tour - A helicopter tour of Kauai was on the bucket list for Haley, Dustin, Mary, and me. Morgan stayed on the ground with Luvisa having a father/daughter day. The tour was amazing. We cruised over the south shore first. The helicopter goes down into the canyons for close ups of some of the many waterfalls. On the southwest quadrant of the island is the Waimea Canyon referred to as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". Very impressive. Red rock canyon walls and dizzying heights even when you are looking down from a helicopter. There is iron rich, red soil throughout the island. As a side note, most of the interior land tracts are national parks and land owned by the Robinson family. The Robinson family intends to keep the land in its natural state. After Waimea Canyon, the pilot took us over the northwest coast called the Napoli Coast. There are no roads on this part of the island...only hiking trails. Absolutely beautiful, rugged landscape with vertical cliffs reaching down to the ocean shore. The tour concluded with a tour down the eastern shore. Our airbnb was at Princeville on the northern shore. Kauai is called "The Garden Island"and the most garden like area of the island is the north shore where they get mega rain. Everything grows well on this island. Warm and rainy.
3. Poipu Beach - We spent one day at Poipu Beach on the south shore. There is a large shallow area making Poipu a great place for small children to swim. I spent most of the afternoon at the playground with Bug while the rest of the crew worked on their sunburn. Before leaving, we witnessed a large sea turtle coming on shore in the swimming area.
4. Hanalei Bay - Yes, home to Puff, The Magic Dragon. Hanalei Bay was only a 20 minute drive from Princeville. This is where we spent most of our time. The beach is over 5 km long...at least. There are ideal surfing waves on the bay. Hanalei has numerous restaurants, touristy shops, and food trucks. Our first meal there was a box of doughnuts made with taro. You can rent all sorts of Watersport equipment in Hanalei, but the crew stuck to boogie boarding with the boogie boards made available at the condo. Bug and I made lots of sand castles on the bay.
5. Tunnels - one of our excursions was to an area further down the north shore called "The Tunnels". Another beautiful beach. I collected some beautiful coral and drift wood to make a mobile when I returned home. Morgan found a rope swing along a river leading into the bay. Watching Morgan was prime entertainment.
6. Napoli Coast Boat Tour - I took a boat tour on the Napoli Coast. Don't ask me how much that one cost, but rest assured I thought the tour was worth the expense. There aren't many boat charters leaving from the north coast because of the turbulent wave action in the winter; however, I had the good fortune of going on a calmer day. We were able to boat right into some of the sea caves. We also saw a large pod of spinner dolphins and a humpback whale. The absolute highlight for me was snorkelling on a barrier reef. If you are familiar with the story of Bethany Hamilton, a girl who lost her arm in a shark attack well...I was snorkelling in the area where the attack occurred. The main stars were two sea turtles who were friendly and curious. We were told to keep a 4 foot distance from the turtles. On the reef, there were at least 30 different species of tropical fish. Just when I thought I had spotted every species, a new variety would appear. Wow!
7. On the last day, we had to check out at 10 am, so we had nearly 14 hours to fill before our return flight departed at 11:40 pm. We loaded the van and did a milk run down the north, east, and south coasts. We stopped at Kilauea Light House, Donkey Beach, Kapaa Food Trucks (Dustin and Morgan both bought solar powered hula girls for the dash of their vehicles), Wailua Falls, and the south coast. Our ultimate destination was Waimea Canyon. We drove the old minivan to the top and wow, again. The Canyon is breathtaking. From the lookout point, we could also see Niihau to the southwest. For our last meal and sunset, we stopped at Port Allen for seafood at a restaurant on the harbour. Then it was back to Lihue Costco for some splurging on macadamia nuts and other treats. We still had 2 hours until we needed to be at the airport. The crew thought they may be able to have a shower at Nukolii Beach Park in the dark. Not quite, but the kids rearranged their luggage on the pavement in the parking lot...in the dark. After some strategizing, the big suitcases all came in at 50 pounds. This always drives the kids crazy, but the Old Man travels with one carryon. Granted, I don't have to pack for the needs of an almost 2 year old.
The return flight was good. Bug slept most of the flight. The rest of us sort of slept. Arrived back in Saskatoon at 3:30 pm.
Wonderful holiday or forced family fun as the girls say.
The Kauai family vacation was everything we hoped it would be. I flew out out of Saskatoon on the morning of February 16. I arrived in Vancouver around 7:30 am, took the sky train downtown, met my nephew, Justin, and spent the day with him walking around False Creek/Granville Island. I was back to the airport by 4:00 pm where I met up with the rest of my crew. They connected through Calgary. The Love Bug was all geared up for vacation so it took a while to settle her down for the 6 hour flight to Kauai. She slept the last two hours of the flight after I sang lullabies in her ear for half an hour. After landing in Lihue, we collected our rental van and loaded the 17 suitcases, car seat, stroller, playpen, golf clubs, and 6 souls into the faithful minivan. We arrived at our Airbnb well after 1pm local time. On our first day, we left Mary and Bug at the condo while we made a Costco run. Of course, we stocked up on seafood. Morgan and Dustin barbecued large shrimp and scallops for the evening meal. We also stocked up on bevies. Kauai is a thirsty island, my friends. The usual daily routine was to wake for coffee around 7-8. Luvisa would start out with her fruit, yogurt, cheerios, and song. Yes, for 10 days we were imitating her words and songs. She was an amazing traveler. Morgan and Mary kept her busy during the day taking her to the pool. She was the main highlight of the trip for all of us, but I shall mention a few other highlights.
1. Hideaway Beach - This beach was only a 5 minute drive from our condo. Parking is at the top, then we had to repel down a cliff face to the beach area below. My first act was to trip on a root, then fall on my face literally. The root took off a good chunk of my big toe. Class act. Hideaway Beach has grainy coral sand and a coral reef with excellent snorkelling. We paid two visits to Hideaway Beach on our vacation. The second time we went was easier because we didn't try to haul as much stuff down the cliff.
2. Island Helicopter Tour - A helicopter tour of Kauai was on the bucket list for Haley, Dustin, Mary, and me. Morgan stayed on the ground with Luvisa having a father/daughter day. The tour was amazing. We cruised over the south shore first. The helicopter goes down into the canyons for close ups of some of the many waterfalls. On the southwest quadrant of the island is the Waimea Canyon referred to as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". Very impressive. Red rock canyon walls and dizzying heights even when you are looking down from a helicopter. There is iron rich, red soil throughout the island. As a side note, most of the interior land tracts are national parks and land owned by the Robinson family. The Robinson family intends to keep the land in its natural state. After Waimea Canyon, the pilot took us over the northwest coast called the Napoli Coast. There are no roads on this part of the island...only hiking trails. Absolutely beautiful, rugged landscape with vertical cliffs reaching down to the ocean shore. The tour concluded with a tour down the eastern shore. Our airbnb was at Princeville on the northern shore. Kauai is called "The Garden Island"and the most garden like area of the island is the north shore where they get mega rain. Everything grows well on this island. Warm and rainy.
3. Poipu Beach - We spent one day at Poipu Beach on the south shore. There is a large shallow area making Poipu a great place for small children to swim. I spent most of the afternoon at the playground with Bug while the rest of the crew worked on their sunburn. Before leaving, we witnessed a large sea turtle coming on shore in the swimming area.
4. Hanalei Bay - Yes, home to Puff, The Magic Dragon. Hanalei Bay was only a 20 minute drive from Princeville. This is where we spent most of our time. The beach is over 5 km long...at least. There are ideal surfing waves on the bay. Hanalei has numerous restaurants, touristy shops, and food trucks. Our first meal there was a box of doughnuts made with taro. You can rent all sorts of Watersport equipment in Hanalei, but the crew stuck to boogie boarding with the boogie boards made available at the condo. Bug and I made lots of sand castles on the bay.
5. Tunnels - one of our excursions was to an area further down the north shore called "The Tunnels". Another beautiful beach. I collected some beautiful coral and drift wood to make a mobile when I returned home. Morgan found a rope swing along a river leading into the bay. Watching Morgan was prime entertainment.
6. Napoli Coast Boat Tour - I took a boat tour on the Napoli Coast. Don't ask me how much that one cost, but rest assured I thought the tour was worth the expense. There aren't many boat charters leaving from the north coast because of the turbulent wave action in the winter; however, I had the good fortune of going on a calmer day. We were able to boat right into some of the sea caves. We also saw a large pod of spinner dolphins and a humpback whale. The absolute highlight for me was snorkelling on a barrier reef. If you are familiar with the story of Bethany Hamilton, a girl who lost her arm in a shark attack well...I was snorkelling in the area where the attack occurred. The main stars were two sea turtles who were friendly and curious. We were told to keep a 4 foot distance from the turtles. On the reef, there were at least 30 different species of tropical fish. Just when I thought I had spotted every species, a new variety would appear. Wow!
7. On the last day, we had to check out at 10 am, so we had nearly 14 hours to fill before our return flight departed at 11:40 pm. We loaded the van and did a milk run down the north, east, and south coasts. We stopped at Kilauea Light House, Donkey Beach, Kapaa Food Trucks (Dustin and Morgan both bought solar powered hula girls for the dash of their vehicles), Wailua Falls, and the south coast. Our ultimate destination was Waimea Canyon. We drove the old minivan to the top and wow, again. The Canyon is breathtaking. From the lookout point, we could also see Niihau to the southwest. For our last meal and sunset, we stopped at Port Allen for seafood at a restaurant on the harbour. Then it was back to Lihue Costco for some splurging on macadamia nuts and other treats. We still had 2 hours until we needed to be at the airport. The crew thought they may be able to have a shower at Nukolii Beach Park in the dark. Not quite, but the kids rearranged their luggage on the pavement in the parking lot...in the dark. After some strategizing, the big suitcases all came in at 50 pounds. This always drives the kids crazy, but the Old Man travels with one carryon. Granted, I don't have to pack for the needs of an almost 2 year old.
The return flight was good. Bug slept most of the flight. The rest of us sort of slept. Arrived back in Saskatoon at 3:30 pm.
Wonderful holiday or forced family fun as the girls say.
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