A Return Home

Good morning Don!

Happy New Year! Sorry about the weather, and just to make sure you really appreciate Mexico, we’re sending you more of the cold white stuff.

We just got back from celebrating our 43^rd anniversary in Hawaii for 8 days. We saved for it and it finally came true! We went from a dry 40 degrees to 85 degrees, rain and 105% humidity on the big island of Hawaii. We had a great time!

Volcanoes are awesome! Nature’s ability to re-assert itself after a traumatic experience  is incredible! The beaches on the Big Island are mostly lava flows so I was a bit disappointed in the lack of big unpopulated beaches. They don’t exist on the Big Island. Many of the small sand beaches have been gobbled up by the big expensive resorts; the state parks are nice but crowded.  While we were there, there were warnings of high dangerous surf. We didn’t see a lot of surfers – it is hard to surf in lava flow water.

We did a zipline! What an experience! We dropped 1000 feet over a course of 9 ziplines that were strung over gorges, waterfalls and lush tropical rain forests. I now understand why that mode of travel is called “zipline”. Not only do you zip down the line, but the sound you make as you travel down the line is like a zipper on steroids!

One thing we were amazed at was how clean the island was – no trash or garbage blowing around. Many of the local stores have gone to a “no bag” policy or they use paper bags. The paper obviously decomposes quickly in the humid hot environment. The only road kill we experienced was palm fronds and fallen fruit. It is clear that the local population takes a lot of pride in their island home.

We did run into graffiti on the west side near Kona - black lava flow fields littered with words and pictures made out of white coral. Other than that, the island was clean!

We visited cultural sites and shopped a lot. But the one thing that was truly fascinating was the coffee plantation we visited. I learned a lot about coffee and am considering doing as my research example for my research class this quarter. I haven’t figured out the thesis statement yet. I do know that Kona coffee is one of the more expensive coffees - $55.00 a pound. And I learned that once dried, coffee beans will “hold” for up to 2 years; that it is the roasting process done by the various coffee companies that give coffee it’s flavor.

Don, you are going to Mexico for 2 months! How do you manage it? We were gone for 8 days and came home exhausted! I know that a whirlwind trip is different than an extended stay. I imagine it takes a whole different mindset. We also got a bit homesick. After 8 days, even though snow was imminent, it was time to go home.

You are truly a trusting person as a lot of your kitchen will be redone while you are gone. I love Habitat for Humanity! The sociology class requires volunteering and several students have volunteered for Habitat in their warehouse. Their reports on the experience are always fun to read and humbling.

We redid our kitchen (a repaint) a couple of years ago. Boy do I understand your thoughts about hoarding! We got that cleaned out, it felt like it took days, and looked at the rest of the house… I have a closet that is “stuffed”. It has all my hobby remnants in it. I don’t dare leave the door open as I can hear all the material from my quilting days and my sewing machine seductively calling my name.

I was fascinated by your “12 Minutes of Christmas”. I could have guessed that you’d do the Drury Lane theatre in London and the Cavern Club in Liverpool. The Tesla Lab was not something I’d guess you’d do. And I so agree about the 2 minutes for the first contact with extra terrestrial life! That would be an experience worth waiting for!

I can’t think of anything for a riddle! I don’t believe it! But my guess for yours is “hot pads”.

Okay, wait, it’s coming…

An experience

Frozen in time

In the blink of an eye

Fuzzy or clear set for posterity

 

Have a great start to the week, everyone!

Carolyn