Deja View

An alternative title for this post could be "Oops, We Did it Again!"

A few weeks ago Mr. Dreamy took the motorhome to our local service center. On the way he "caught" a stone thrown from the vehicle in front of him. The stone hit the very edge of the windshield and left a nasty stone bruise. Shortly after, it began to "walk" and we ended up with a crack beginning to run across the windshield. Could we have driven it longer before replacing it? Certainly. Would it crack all the way across at the worst possible place or time? Possibly. So, while we were in Red Bay, AL where these beasts are built, we decided to get the windshield replaced. It was simply a matter of convenience.

When you consider that the windshield is over 5 feet tall and 102" wide, changing it out is quite a process. Add to that the fact that the glass is glued in and requires a two-step process with drying time in between. So, here we sit, waiting for the first layer of goo to dry. 

I didn't watch the process this time. I have "been there and done that". I have the t shirt! Two years ago, with a different motorhome, we had almost the same thing happen. I chronicled the replacement process here: http://livingadream2.blogspot.com/2014/02/oh-crap-crack.html

Not much has changed, except,the view!

Happy New Year - Happy Trails

I've been trying to upload some posts.  Nope, you didn't miss them. They aren't there. I have been experiencing "issues" with Blogger using my iPad. The Blogger app keeps crashing. If I try to access the edit page on the blog from the Internet, as I do with my computer, I can only see part of the page. And then, pictures. Ay yi yi - that's a whole 'nuther layer of frustration! So even though I have some posts from our Hawaii trip and life since Hawaii, they will be put on hold for a while. 

So, today is the first day of a shiny new year. We have a clean page in a new book. We can all write our own stories! 

First, in order to begin the story of this year, I need to back up a bit.

We are on the road, in Florida right now, heading to Red Bay, AL.    One might think we were a yoyo! We stopped in Red Bay on our way to Florida for the holidays. It was the most amazing Red Bay experience as most everybody waiting for service at the Tiffin Service Center had given up and gone on their way to wherever they were going. We came in on the afternoon of the 21st, and were in a service bay at 7 AM the next morning. Seeing as how so few people were there for service (16 motorhomes were there in the evening, 8 there by noon the next day) we had at least 4 tech teams at our beck and call, and a few specialists who helped out when needed. Our list of about a dozen small things was addressed promptly, and we were on our way by 1:30 PM on the 22nd. Unfortunately, one item could not be addressed because of time, and another item came up during our visit that would take more time than they had. So we went on down to Florida to surprise the folks, and now we are heading back up to Alabama (hence the yoyo comment). 

Mr. Dreamy is behind the wheel 99.999999% of the time. I spend my time navigating, calculating mileage, miles per gallon and other things involving numbers. I jot down notes about campgrounds and fuel stops. I stare at the scenery. I wait on Mr. Dreamy, bringing drinks and food. I do puzzles and try to write blog posts. I plug destinations into the GPS. I change radio stations as we move out the f range. Occasionally I knit or do some hand sewing. On our trip to Florida, Kansas was a binding of a quilt. Oklahoma was a hanger pocket on a wall hanging. Arkansas was buttons on snowman pillows and arms and faces were embroidered in Mississippi. The quilt got some hand quilting in Alabama and Florida. 

When I was a working woman one of the most challenging (and hated) tasks I faced was writing long range plans. I guess I am more of a spur-of-the moment, que sera, sera type of gal. So as I look at this blank book for 2017, I am finding it difficult to consider what this year might look like and how I might help shape it. 

Balance will be key. I feel anchored and stretched between my dad and Mr. Dreamy's mother. Picture a gecko with one little sticky foot in Colorado with my dad and another little sticky foot stuck in Florida. Dad is 95. He is bed bound. His needs are taken care of by competent and caring people. His wife is emotionally needy, and she grabs my little gecko leg and is holding on tightly to try to keep me in the area so I can help her. My MIL is 94. She is frail and her memory is like a radio station on the edge. At some moments it connects and comes in quite clearly. Most of the time it is garbled, picking up bits from other broadcasts on the air. She and her second husband are receiving care in an assisted living facility. My husband's sister bears the brunt of helping Mother understand her life. Yes, you are married to that man. No, you are not in a hospital. This is your home. Her life is interrupted by phone calls from Mother seeking clarification. She makes numerous trips to the facility and takes Mother and her husband on occasional jaunts to a restaurant or shopping. When I am around my SIL I sometimes feel that she is drowning. I see the panic in her eyes and she is desperately grabbing onto my little gecko foot. 

My other sticky feet juggle the needs and concerns of my husband, my boys (young men) and myself. It is sometimes difficult to shake those loose. I can't be everything to everybody all of the time and I will need to work toward achieving and maintaining holonomy.  

As I think of this coming year Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" comes to mind. We are approaching the point where two (Three? Four? More?) roads diverge. Mr. Dreamy can't live in Colorado. He is finding it more and more difficult to breathe due to the progression of COPD and some days a short burst of mild activity requires a rest with oxygen. So we will be doing some exploration. Luckily we have the motorhomes so we can live in other areas of the country for a period of time and "try them on for size". And this will help us fine tune or wish list. My poor little metaphorical gecko will be doing some more stretching. Add to that the challenges of cleaning out a house and barn and doing all of those things that need doing when getting a house ready to go on the market.  This could be an interesting year!

More Maui

After our cruise we headed back to Maui. Our son had done the research and found a home large enough to accommodate family and friends. It was lovely. It was perfect!
The house had 5 6 bedrooms. We discovered a hidden bedroom that opened onto a lanai, which was also accessed through the great room. Darn, we could have invited more folks! The lanai opened onto a yard fully enclosed by a tall block wall, which made this grammy relax a bit, not having to worry that Alexis could slip out unnoticed, and end up in the street.

The central feature of the home was a large great room that easily accommodated 9 of us. We could all relax on a sofa our lounge chairs, or pull up chairs around a large dining table to enjoy meals prepared by several folks. The kitchen was large enough that it permitted 3-4 cooks to work together without killing each other. I was thrilled that Rita and Paul (on the right) love cooking. Rita and Paul, friends of our DIL and son (on the left) live on Oahu. They stopped at Costco to stock the larder, and what a magnificent job they did in estimating what 9 folks might eat in a week in Lahaina! There were not that many items left in the fridge when we pulled the door closed at the end of our magical time together. 

Ta da! Thanksgiving feast is ready!

Alexis loved the drumstick!

The beach was a short walk from the house.

There was a breakwater just off shore, so waves were at a minimum.

Our son rented two paddle boards and the house had a number of floats
and lots of beach toys. The little one really enjoyed the beach.

I tried my hand at paddle boarding. I experienced success until I became a bit cocky and got caught by a small wave. I still sport a bruise on my derriere where I hit the board on the way down!

After a morning at the beach,

Alexis couldn't even make it through her lunch!

We had planned to go see hula dancers,

hoping she would feel happier about wearing 

the silly hula outfit her Grammie had made for her!

Another day we stopped by the Maui Ocean Center in Maalaea.

The center has numerous aquaria showing indigenous sea animals.

The jellyfish are mesmerizing.

I enjoyed watching the octopus.

But my favorite was this funky fish, a frogfish.

We decided to go fishing with a charter company.

This was our haul. 

I can't recall the name of the orange fish,

but I caught the largest one!

It was tasty - being quite mild in flavor.

The yellow fish are invasive. They aren't good eating

and are used for bait.

The grey/blue fish are Nabeta, a parrotfish.

We were told these guys are serious fighters and biters!

The Nabeta are rarely found in markets or on the menu at restaurants.

They are so tasty that fishermen keep them and share them with friends. 

We were told to coat them in flour and pan fry them.

The skin tastes just like fried chicken skin, only lighter.

The flesh was creamy in texture and taste. Yum!

(And this is from someone who is not much of a fish eater!)

Other scenes from Maui:

Dragon's Teeth

The crater of Haleakala

Sunset from Haleakala,

elevation: 10,000 feet.

Nakalele blowhole

Our sweet granddaughter trying to fill her Uncle's shoes.

And sadly, our week came to an end and we all went our different ways.

Views on the Move in Hawaii

Our son suggested that we go somewhere, as a family, for Thanksgiving. He chose Maui.... a great choice! We Dreamers have never visited the islands, so planned to go a bit early to get a feel for the place. First we planned visits to Oahu and Hawaii for a few days each. Then, we realized we could do a cruise around the islands and see even more, and not have to lug suitcases. So off we flew....

Molokai from the air, on our way to the Honolulu airport.

A welcome sight after a long flight.

Honolulu from the air

Pretty pool from the 16th floor.

It reminds me of the turtle bowl I had as a kid!

Sunrise in Waikiki

Waving goodbye to Honolulu from the deck of the cruise ship.

Carmen made sure our cabin was clean,

and created critters to greet us each evening.

Life on deck was dreamy! 

I even took some time to relax! This is my view from the deck in Maui.

The "super" moon as viewed from the deck

Lava flowing into the sea from Kilauea

We had to use tenders in Kona. The waters around the islands are a rich, deep blue!

The breakwater as we come into Hilo

A drizzly view of the Na Pali coast on Kauai

A rainbow shines on our last morning on the cruise ship

I caught a view of our ship from the air and felt a hint of melancholy.

Good-bye. It was fun.

Now.... onto the next adventure!

Checking On the Cats

Bob has been hanging around. I see him from a distance almost daily. He likes to rub against Malachi while Malachi tries to eat his hay. He stretches out in the sun along the fence line, ready to dash into the barn if he feels threatened. Occasionally he will peek out of a niche while I am in the barn.

I was curious if Dodger had returned so I set up my spy camera one more time. And, here are a few shots showing what I caught:

Here's Bob:

Bob is all black. 

Here's Freddie(the Freeloader):

I was thrilled to see that our visiting cat is still visiting.

I don't see him around the barn, so maybe he only comes by for food.

Recently when we had some snow I saw kitty prints heading across 

the street. Perhaps this is Freddie(the Freeloader)'s home. 

And look who also came for dinner!

It must be Dodger, our missing gray tabby:

He's back!!!

Well, maybe not!

It seems we have another freeloader!

Meet Rocky, the latest member of our barn clan!

FaceTime

Our granddaughter lives in San Francisco. We live in Colorado. It isn't always easy to hop on over to Frisco for a visit. So, our son does the next best thing by taking advantage of today's technologies to FaceTime with us. We get to see Alexis, and she gets to see us.

I have been amazed at how interactive the FaceTime sessions can be. Alexis truly connects with me through the screen. One time when she was about 15 months old, she had something in her hand. I asked about it and my son explained that it was her doll's hat. I told Alexis to get her doll and put the hat on it. She wandered off and came back into screen range with her doll and tried to do just that - Dad had to complete the task for her!

Another time my son tuned in while Alexis was finishing her dinner. I mentioned that I was hungry, too. Alexis held out some food and I moved toward the camera as if I was going to take a bite. The next thing we knew, Alexis placed an apple near the screen for me to eat! My daughter-in-law took a picture to show me what was happening off camera!

Recently we all got together for Thanksgiving. It appears that the FaceTime experience transfers to real life. Alexis, now 17 months old, showed no hesitation in coming right up to me. I am so thankful that the technology gives me a window on her daily life!

Alexis at Thanksgiving.... RealTime.

Punkin' Chunkin'

We Dreamers knew that a Punkin Chunkin' competition was held nearby. However, one year it was really hot. Another year it snowed and then last year they did not have the competition. So, when we saw that the competition was on this year, and the weather was nice, we went on over for an afternoon to watch pumpkins being heaved as far as 4000 feet by amazing contraptions.

The contraptions used to toss the pumpkins came in many different shapes and sizes. The smallest were some trebuchets. One built by students and one built by a dad with the help of his two young girls. They reminded me of our son's trebuchet. 

There were several machines that were not traditional trebuchets or catapults. One of my favorite machines was powered by multiple garage door springs. It was called, "Not in my Driveway". Apparently the builder's wife was not as enamored with the project as the builder was!

We learned that the pumpkins used are grown by the competitors. They grow a few unusual varieties of pumpkins. They are known for their round shapes and their thick skins. The pumpkins have a weight range, around 8 pounds, and will begin to lose weight immediately after picking. The pumpkins must exit the chucker in one piece. 

The air cannons shot pumpkins the furthest. Each cannon has some sort of tank that is pressurized. The more pressure... the greater the distance (assuming the pumpkin comes out of the end of the cannon in one piece.) For the final shot one of the cannons pressurized to 200 lbs/sq inch. Their pumpkin shot well over 4000 feet!

The National competition was halted and was not aired recently when a woman was hit by a piece of metal from an air cannon. From more recent reports it appears that the woman, a journalist, will be OK and she is sad that the competition was stopped.