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| Many plants and trees on Bev and Sam’s property produce various fruit such as in this pineapple garden, grown in such abundance that they are sold; all organic, non-GMO, without the use of pesticides and chemicals. |
When new friends Bev and Sam kindly invited us to arrive early before we joined in on their regularly scheduled “movie night” that they host a few times a month, we were hesitant to disturb them before the others arrived.
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| To maintain privacy for Bev and Sam we aren’t showing photos of their house. This is a tiny portion of their well-groomed grounds upon entering the property. |
The movie was scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm and with our early arrival, we had plenty of time to tour their gorgeous, expansive property.
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| Little did we realize upon entering their property, that they’d have this expansive ocean view. |
They both welcomed us with open arms when we entered their gate. Sam took Tom on the tour of their botanical garden-like 3 1/2 acre property while Bev toured me separately through the breathtaking grounds with grace and ease.
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| Bev refers to this mountaintop as “twin peaks,” another fabulous view from their grounds. |
We had the harsh reality of taking all of these photos between 6:15 and 7:00 pm as darkness fell, sacrificing quality and acuity in the cloudy darkening sky resulting in some less than ideal photos. Preferring not to use flash, I did the best I could as an amateur photographer.
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| This is the gardener and housekeeper’s quarters located in the 3 1/2 acre grounds. It would be impossible to maintain the pristine appearance of the grounds without full-time assistance. |
Also, Bev who knows the name of every tree, flower, and plant on the grounds attempted to give me an education. Unfortunately, while the creative portion of my brain was busy perusing ideal photo ops using I was unable to easily memorize the names of the dozens of plants and trees of which I had little or no prior knowledge.
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| Of course, they have a vegetable garden supplying most of the produce for their personal needs. They chose to use these planter boxes for easier maintenance and management. |
I guess I’m unable to “walk and chew gum” when enthralled to the degree I was last evening while walking through the various gardens on their property.
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| Every corner, every angle was meticulously landscaped and maintained. |
As a result, and with a desire to not pester Bev and Sam today, some of these photos may not have a description if I’m not certain as to their name and variety. Let’s face it, I’m no botanist and although I love looking at vegetation, it will take many years of travel to learn enough not to seem foolishly ignorant.
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| Note the elephant and baby statues to the left. Bev and Sam are experienced world travelers and they too, love wildlife. This serene area is the “meditation garden.” |
I’m curious and find watching surgery on TV interesting but, I’m no surgeon. It’s the same with vegetation; a curious, appreciative observer but, not an expert. As we travel from location to location we find endless varieties of plants, trees, and flowers, attempting to learn as much as possible.
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| At a distance, a new house is being built which takes longer to complete than on the mainland of the US. |
After our tour, we made our way to the former greenhouse on their property which has been converted to a tiered seating theatre with a huge screen, sound system, and all the up-to-date digital equipment.
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| The ambiance of the grounds is enhanced by statues from various parts of the world. |
As the guests began to filter in, a few of which we recognized from Wednesday’s Full Moon Party, all were carrying pu pu’s to share as we’d done as well, a common occurrence when Hawaiian residents get together, making the event a little easier for the hosts who have plenty of prep and cleanup.
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| A common lily. |
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| There were numerous African Tulip trees on Bev and Sam’s property. |
Bev and Sam were gracious hosts leaving us feeling welcomed by making a point of introducing us to many of the guests, ensuring we had good seating, and of course, taking the time to tour us through their astounding property.
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| Seeming endless walkways and paths led to more and more delightful surprises. |
It couldn’t have been a more perfect way to spend our anniversary. Thanks, Bev and Sam for providing us with a memorable 20th anniversary at your exquisite property.
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| Many paths throughout the property were paved such as this walkway and others consisted of individual stepping stones. |
Speaking of our anniversary, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to our readers from all over the world for all the email, comments, and best wishes. How did we get so lucky?
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| Bev referred to the red bamboo stalks on the right as Lipstick Bamboo. We continued on the pavers set in the dense grass. |
Usually, an anniversary is celebrated quietly by the couple unless it’s a major milestone. We had no idea that so many of our readers would join us in the celebration. Thank you!
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| Of course, there’s a putting green and small golf course on the property! |
Tomorrow, we’ll share more photos and comments on one of the most fabulous movies we’ve seen to date at Bev and Sam’s “movie night,” a movie we’d never expected to enjoy for a few reasons we’ll share. Please check back tomorrow for more.
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| Purple Morning Glories. |
Photos from one year ago today, March 8, 2014:
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| Madame Zahra has made us a special anniversary dinner which we enjoyed as she began the process of reducing the number of spices. After only the first week, we’d had our fill of the strong Moroccan spices. To see the remainder of the dinner and our first foray outside the Medina, please click here. Tom ate bread and fries. I didn’t say a word. |