HOW I SPENT MY WINTER VACATION

I spent last week laying on the beach in Kapalua, Maui. To call it delightful is an understatement. And unlike Southern California beaches on an 80 degree day, I practically had the place to myself.

If I looked right I saw this:

 

As you can see in the distance, there were surfers in the water, but not many people on the sand.


If I looked to my left, I saw this:

 

Chuck and I walked out to the end of those rocks.  It was fun to watch the waves roll in and hit the rocks and feel the spray.  There were holes in the rocks where the water would shoot straight up like a geyser.

This was the view from our room at the Ritz-Carlton.  Now I know where the sayings "Puttin' on the Ritz" and something looks "ritzy" comes from.  It was a truly elegant place, with wonderful amenities.

See the tent-like Cabanas in the back you could reserve?

 

Each one had a large flat-screen TV


Chuck was in Maui attending a conference of Allergists and Immunologists at the hotel and I got to tag along.  He did get some down time during the week, and we stayed and extra 2 days after it was over to go play.

We ate out at some great restaurants, we snorkeled at Black Rock in Kanapali, we went back to visit the condos where we had stayed on our honeymoon 28 years ago, we went shopping and we took SUP (stand up paddling) lessons.

And we made some new friends:

HAPPY MEAL

 

These are Dark Eyed Juncos

I have been a bird enthusiast for some time.  I keep the bird feeder that hangs outside my kitchen window full at all times. It has been there since not long after we moved into this house in 1985.  I love watching the activity at the feeder as I am busy in the kitchen. The birds on the other side of the glass have gotten used to the noises of daily living that come from the house like me emptying the dish washer or running the garbage disposal and aren't frightened away. I keep a bird identification book handy in the kitchen and keep a record of every new variety I see. 

 My only disappointment is I have never had a goldfinch come to my feeder. They are the Washington State bird and are supposed to be very common in our area.  Other birders say they see them all the time.  Even though I buy bird seed specific to their taste (nyjer seed) they elude me.

But I continue to enjoy my regular visitors: nuthatches, bush tits, Mountain Blue Jays, Northern Flickers, Juncos, multiple varieties of sparrows, Pine Siskins, House Finches, Raspberry Finches, Black Capped chickadees and the Chestnut Backed chickadees, with the occasional Downy or Pileated Woodpecker added in.

Lately I have made a new discovery. I am missing out on half the birds in my yard.  Some birds feed in trees and feel comfortable in coming to my feeder.  But there are a number of bird varieties that are strictly ground feeders.  Some ground feeders like Juncos have adapted to bird feeders and are common visitors.  Other ground feeders like Towhees I only get to see at the feeder once in a blue moon even though my yard is swarming with them.

Recently I was filling my bird feeder on the picnic table and spilled some feed.  After I hung the feeder back up I never got around to cleaning up the spilled feed and I was rewarded for my oversight by having a whole flock of Varied Thrushes come feed from the table top.  I have only seen this Thrush once at my feeder in the 28 years we have lived here, and have never seen it around my yard. But by putting the feed on a flat surface, multiple Thrushes come by daily to feed. It is so exciting that after all this time I am being introduced to new feathered friends. 

SPRING FORWARD

 

 I have been under the weather the last 2 weeks coughing my head off. To make matters worse, the weather I have been under is depressing, not horrific like most of the country is suffering, but cold and rainy.  Yes, I realize the rest of the country would gladly trade weather with the Northwest, but still I am pining for spring.

I thought I would cheer myself up by posting pictures of some thrift store teapots that I turned into bird houses with a little glue and a drill. I actually made these at the end of last summer, long past the nesting season. So I will have to wait until spring to see if they are to the birds liking.

They are adorable hung on a garden fence,  a post or a tree.  They are actually practical, because the angled lid protects the inside from rain (unless it is blowing sideways), and if moisture does get in, it will drain out through the spout.

The thought of brightly colored teapots and chirping birds puts a smile on my bleak mid-winter soul.

UPDATE IN MISERY

This week has been interesting:

1) I have been sick in bed ever since we got home from Utah. Upper respiratory infection (translation: coughing my head off).

2) Dog Dunn has come down with a mysterious malady that makes him walk like a drunken sailor. He literally can not walk a straight line, bumps into walls, and falls down constantly.  Going to the vet today.

3) Chuck goes back to work today after having all last week (and the week before) on vacation.  He had a hard time entertaining himself with me sick in bed.

4) Jared starts a new semester at  Bellevue College today as he is mostly recovered from his auto accident where he was rear-ended by an uninsured driver causing a 4 car pile up.  The person behind him and the person in front of him were both taken away by ambulance.  Still experiencing some stiffness, but basically back to school and work full time.

5) Sam on his mission in Indianapolis is in the middle of the Polar Vortex as they are calling the worst storm to hit the mid-west/east coast in 20 years.  Good thing we sent him all those wool socks for Christmas.

6) Rachel was just called to work in the nursery at church- nuff said.

7)Becca.............well, actually Becca is just fine.  One out of 7 isn't bad.

HEBER CHRISTMAS

We spent Christmas week in Park City Utah, about 15 minutes away from Rachel & Nate's house in Heber. Although our 14 hour drive there was uneventful (thank goodness), they had a good snow dump a day or two before we arrived.  So building a snowman in the back yard was one of the first things on the agenda.

Actually, number one item on the agenda was a trip to Costco to load up on groceries to feed the nine of us all week (Nate's sister Lindsey was also visiting).

The kiddos were on their best pre-Christmas behavior, making life merry for all concerned.

Becca thought we might need some larger cookware to accommodate the crowd.

We did do other things besides eat-

 

The family went ice skating

 

 

and tubing

Little Douglas was too small to be allowed on the big tubing hill. Instead he got to ride on the tube "carousel", which is basically a mechanical turntable similar to a horse "hot walker" with slowly spinning metal bars to which they have attached tiny inner tubes by tow ropes. The kids sit in the tubes and they go around and around in a circle.  The attendant said half the time the kids just fall asleep.

Christmas Eve we spent in Temple Square taking in the lights...

We had a delightful time sharing the holidays with our kids!!