One month from today…We’re off to Australia…Is this a lonely life?

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 4 Comments
The Wai’oli hui’ai Church in Hanalei which the congregation built in 1841.

Need I say to our readers that we’re ready to go, in that we’ve been counting the days? Don’t get me wrong, we love Kauai; its people, its beauty, and its charm. It’s just time to go. 

The church was made of lime and plaster which was made from coral dug at low tide.

Living in Hawaii these past almost eight months worried us. We were concerned that we’d lose many of our readers who’d tire of the constant Hawaii news, scenery, and our occasional ramblings about food.

Services are still held at this church today. The mission bell was acquired in 1843 and placed in the belfry behind the Mission Hall which is the oldest surviving church building on the island of Kauai.

However, we’ve literally gained thousands of readers in these past many months, many from across the seas and many from here in the islands, passed on from one to another from families to friends. We couldn’t be more grateful.

This morning when I look at our stats I squealed with delight to see our readership as higher than its typically been on travel days. It seems our readers are curious as to our safe arrival at the next location and perhaps curious as to how we’ve handled any travel day challenges along the way.

The church was adorned with several stained glass windows.

In a funny way, on travel days, I feel as if you’re all traveling along with us making me anxious to getting settled and online to let everyone know we arrived safely. 

At airports, we’re always looking for wifi so we can write a few words to post. At times, we’ve paid outrageous hourly fees to ensure we let everyone know how it’s going and where we are at the moment. 

The Mission School was also built in 1843 allowing children and adults to read the bible which the missionaries translated into Hawaiian. Abner and Lucy Wilcox arrived in 1846 to spend over 20 years as educational missionaries and pioneered vocational training as well.

Our friend Richard, a retired attorney from St. Louis, Missouri, USA, often nags us to turn this site into a highly profitable business, even offering to help us do it. We appreciate his kind intentions. But, making the effort to turn our posts into a highly profitable business would make it a “job.”

And, although this is a business based on having advertisers generating a small income and certain relevant expenses, right now, this feels only like a labor of love.

We assumed this lovely couple had just been married in the church.

There isn’t one morning that I get my coffee, plunk down onto the sofa or chair, never as comfortable as in our old lives, that my heart doesn’t race with enthusiasm. Most often, unless we’ve recently had a specific experience to share, I have no idea what to write.

Magically, as if beyond my control, a topic flies to my fingers more so than to my brain and those fingers fly across the keyboard with a mind of their own.

View along the road in Hanalei.

The topics, albeit less exciting at times, are presented with a pure passion and desire to entertain, amuse or merely whittle away time for even one reader out there who may also have a cup of coffee or tea on hand and sits down to see what’s happening.

Then, when I see that hundreds if not thousands of people are reading today, my heart flips in my chest with joy, not as braggadocio over our unique life but as joy in knowing we are not alone. 

Miniature flowers blooming on the church grounds.

This life we live could be lonely without all of you. Sure, we have one another who fills each other’s cup every single day with a potion that continually renews our love and interest in one another. 

And, we have the friends we’ve made along the way but not quite yet the friends we had in our old lives who we could say, “Hey, want to go to the farmer’s market with me this afternoon?” Or, “I made some soup and want to drop off a jar at your house on my way to the health club.” 

Surf shop in Hanalei.

It’s different now. But, we have YOU. Having YOU takes away any possible feeling of isolation or loneliness.  Having YOU motivates us to explore, to take photos, to get outside the safe cocoon we create for ourselves everywhere we go.

So, dear readers, hang with us for one more month in Hawaii and then hang onto your chairs because one month from today a new level of excitement will begin as we leave Kauai, head to Honolulu for one night to sail away on the 24th for 18 days and nights across the ocean to the South Pacific. 

The Ching Young Village, a quaint shopping mall in Hanalei.

We’ll live in the South Pacific for almost 22 months, moving at least as often as every 89 days (or as little as one month) discovering new lands, new adventures, new wildlife, and new scenery. 

There will be scary-looking insects, Funnel Web spiders, dangerous snakes, and inclement weather. There will be kangaroos, koala bears, and crocs, some of which we’ll love to the point of ad nauseam and others which we’ll cautiously fear. 

The Ching Young Store is a café and general store.

Once again, we’ll be using the app on our phones to figure out the metric system, figuring out how to use the outlets and appliances, learning the local lingo and dialect, and overall, trying to “fit in.”

All of this and more, we’ll share with YOU. 

Happy Thursday. Today is 5% off for old-timers at Foodland. Think we’ll stop by.

                                             Photo from one year ago today, April 23, 2014:

Although we never so much as tasted any of the scrumptious looking pastries in Marrakech, looking at them was almost as much fun. Our time was winding down and we were looking forward to our next stop, Madeira, Portugal located off the coast of Morocco. For details please click here.

A rockin’ good time!…Anini Beach rock concert performed with friend Rick on the guitar…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments
Our friend Rick is quite the talented songwriter, guitar player and music producer.
Stuart and Rick of Group Therapy obviously enjoyed every moment of entertaining their many avid followers and friends at the pavilion at Anini Beach on Sunday afternoon. We couldn’t have been more thrilled to be included in this special event.

From the band Group Therapy’s Facebook page: “Local north shore musicians on Kauai comprises of Rick Robbins – Guitar, Al Overton – Keyboards, Stuart Hollinger – Bass & Vocals, Jerome Camposeo – Drums, and Debra Drayton – Percussive arrays and Vocals”

Stuart, on bass and vocals, has an amazing voice. Last year, Stuart won the  2014 Hawaiian Hoku Academy of Recording Arts Award for rock album of the year.
 Al, on the keyboard.
Debra, on percussive arrays and vocals, is going on safari with Cathi and Rick to South Africa within weeks.
Jerome, on the drums.
The following is a quote from another website:

“Rick Robbins is a guitar player, a producer, and songwriter. Born Rick Beilke in Tulsa, Oklahoma he spent most of his high school years going to classes during the day and playing gigs from 9 p.m. until the wee hours of the morning. “That was really rough,” he said. “I just couldn’t wait to be done with high school.” In fact, the day after graduating from Memorial High, Rick left Oklahoma to go on tour. Still in his teens, he came to Los Angeles and built a reputation as a session musician working with recording artist Phil Driscoll then spent the next three years as a session player at A & M records. Not a bad beginning for a bright-eyed kid from Oklahoma!

He toured Europe, the United States, and Canada with rock legends Leon Russell and Joe Cocker and has played with many of the guys from Eric Clapton and Bob Segar’s bands. He toured with Joan Armatrading and joined John Lennon in studio recordings and also worked with George Harrison. As a touring musician, Robbins played stages all over the world with  Rick Danko, The Band, Paul Butterfield, Richie Hayward, Little Feat, Ray Parker, Jr., Andy Gibb, and Phillip Bailey, Earth, Wind & Fire, just to name a few.”

We met Cathi and Rick at our first full moon party we attended in February. The fact that they are soon returning to South Africa for safari immediately connected us with our shared passion for wildlife.

The pavilion at Anini Beach was the stage for yesterday’s fabulous performance by Group Therapy, our friend Rick’s band. In the center is lead singer Stuart, to the right is Debra on percussive and vocals. The support beams prevented a good photo of the entire group.

With Cathi gone for almost a month in March for the birth of another grandchild, we missed an entire month of getting together. With the intense connection we all experienced, we knew we’d end up spending as much time together as possible as our days in Kauai wind down.  

This past Wednesday we had a fabulous dinner and evening at their home here in Princeville sharing the details in this post on Thursday. They also invited us to attend the concert and beach party on Sunday (yesterday) at Anini Beach. 

Speaking of hippies as in yesterday’s post, many now seniors, flock to the beaches to enjoy the continuation of a life of decades past, along with the rest of us more traditional folks.

Rick and his professional band, Group Therapy, were performing a free live concert at the Anini Beach pavilion, not only for invitees but also for the enjoyment of anyone who happened to be at the beach between 2:00 and 5:00 pm.

Anini Beach is a local favorite.

As it turned out, there were about 100 in our group and more dancing and rocking and rollín’ to the beat. Need I say the band was terrific, talented, animated, playful, and totally engaged in offering this complimentary venue.  That’s the people of Kauai, for ya,’ friendly and inclusive. Its like nothing we’ve ever seen!

Rick’s favorite fan and wife, Cathi, and my new friend with whom I share a unique kinship.

In addition, there were other new friends in attendance making us feel further included and a part of this amazing community of many retirees, like us, from the mainland and other parts of the world.  We couldn’t stop smiling.

There’s my guy, grinning from ear to ear, as always having a great time.

Many danced on the grass including the adorable Cathi. She and I have determined we are “sisters of another mother” and with more time, surely we would have become “glued at the hip.” I’ll miss her.

Anini Beach is our favorite beach in the area, easy to access with ample parking and of course, beautiful views.

To hear her beloved husband Rick (married 32 years), experienced guitar player, songwriter, and producer, play along with his band was both exciting and reminiscent of day’s long past when many songs they played were familiar from our younger days. 

More new friends, from left to right, Steve and Susan who hosted our first full moon party in February at their lovely home. Then we have Alice and Travis, with whom we dined out over a week ago. We look forward to seeing them all again.

The music and lively response from the audience were refreshing. It was an entirely new experience for us in our travels. Neither of us can recall the last time we attended a live outdoor concert. Was it decades ago?

Richard, our friend, and personal social director.

Although Tom and I sat glued to our chairs with Richard at our side for the first hour or two, we had an opportunity to mingle at the break while from time to time, I wandered about taking photos we’re sharing today.

This adorable couple perhaps well into their 80’s were dancing along the shore while the band played. We all cheered them on. This is what Kauai does to seniors! Keeps them young!

What a fun event! Our lives in Kauai continue to be filled with one memorable experience after another. We’ve never been bored for a moment thanks to our friend Richard, our personal social director, who ultimately is responsible for us meeting many of the fine people we’ve met in these past three months.

A guest had brought along a bouquet of flowers, reasons unknown but pretty none the less.

As for Cathi and Rick, we’re looking forward to spending time with them again, as well as the other fine friends we’ve been fortunate to meet in Princeville.

A windsurfer provided additional entertainment.

Today is my workout day requiring a trip to the Makai Club and a stop at the Princeville Shopping Center to purchase a few items at Foodland. I’ve already spent a little over $300 on groceries this week so it’s no surprise that another trip to the market is on the agenda as we run out of vital ingredients for preparing our next meals. 

A Hawaiian woman thoughtfully lined the edge of the stage with the flowers for “good aloha.”

However, the quality of our lives has made the higher costs of living in Kauai worth every dollar spent. No complaining here. Besides, we budgeted for that!

Happy Monday for those who work and a happy “What day of the week is it?” for the rest of us!

Photo from one year ago today, April 20, 2014:

Many cats live throughout the souks cared for by the shop owners and food offerings from tourists. For more on this date’s story, please click here.

Part 2, National Geographic has done it again!…Life…its astounding…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
It was exciting to touch the vultures. We were told to keep moving while around the vultures. They only eat what appears to be dead meat.

Part 2. Please spend a few minutes watching this exquisite video from National Geographic. You won’t be disappointed and doing so will further explain the nature of today’s and yesterday’s posts.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hodomt6bBOw

After posting all the photos yesterday, I suffered a few moments of trepidation. Every time we post, we attempt not to be repetitious.  However, a by-product of posting daily is a certain degree of repetition.

An eagle on the mend at the rehabilitation center.

After all, we’re fast approaching a milestone number of posts which we’ll share in 10 days, a number that is hard for us to believe. After so many posts, we accept the fact that many new readers may not have seen many of our most exciting adventures to date and repeating them from time to time in the photos is the easiest and best way to share them.

For those of our readers unfamiliar with the archives by year and by month located on the right side of the home page each day, please take a look at them. They are under our row of advertisers, under the field that says “SEARCH.”

Tom donned a huge leather hand and arm protector and wad handed a huge chunk of fresh meat to feed this vulture at the rehabilitation center. It was quite a thrill to get this photo. I love the look on Tom’s face!  As their injuries healed, these vultures would soon be returned to the wild.

Every post from March 14, 2012, to the current date, is listed in the archives. If you’re looking for a particular post or a recipe, by typing the words into the “SEARCH” field a number of options will pop up that you can choose to read, not unlike performing a Google, Yahoo or Bing search when looking for a particular topic. The difference here is that you’ll be searching through our 100’s of posts as opposed to the entire web.

These two badgers are at the rehabilitation center to recover from injuries and had become good companions. Badgers are known to be viscous animals feared by others in the wild.

We understand that some of our readers may not be web savvy, mainly using the Internet for their email and an occasional search. Please don’t hesitate to email either of us if you’re having trouble with the archives or searching for a specific post or photo.  We’re always happy to help.  

We had an opportunity to interact with a cheetah at a wildlife rehabilitation center. The particular cheetah wouldn’t ever be able to return to the wild due to injuries sustained in the wild for which he was rescued. 

A link to our email is listed on the home page in the upper right under the photo of us in Petra, Jordan.  (Gee, that seems like such a long time ago when it was only two years). 

Although we were parked at a considerable distance, this lone elephant started approaching us. Quickly, Tom backed up the car and finally, the elephant backed off. There have been many instances in which elephants have been intruded upon by tourists getting too close, resulting in cars being tipped over injuring the occupants.

In selecting photos to share of some of our past wildlife experiences, prompted by our viewing the above amazing National Geographic video, I struggle a bit, when originally I hadn’t hesitated for a moment. 

The fifth animal in the Big 5, (Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant and Lion) this herd of elephants blocked the road as we drove through Kruger National Park.  Notice the babies are kept protected in the middle of the herd. The largest elephant, the Matriarch, is often twice as large as the other adult females, holds up the rear with a keen eye ensuring their safety. Seldom are elephants attacked in the wild based on their pack mentality of safety in numbers and their massive size.

In the past few years, my photo taking skills have improved and it was both frustrating and encouraging at the same time to see the changes in the photos. So please bear with my occasional lack of skills in some of these photos that we’re sharing over this two day period. 

There was one day we were visited by an entire troupe of baboons who can be very destructive. Tom held a broom handle over his head to show them that he was bigger than they are.  These monkeys have no respect for women who are known to feed them, which is never a good idea. However, they have fear of men carrying a big stick. They stayed most of the day, finally taking off all at once through the bush.

From time to time, readers contact us to tell us that they’ve gone back to the first post to begin reading as if its a book, albeit a very long book, and found it more entertaining following the full course of our travels, seeing how we’ve changed, our ups and downs and the endless lessons we’ve learned.

A Vervet Monkey and her baby peering at us one morning while we were sitting at the table on the veranda. Check out that thin pink ear of the baby.

Gone 30 months to date, we’ve only traveled the tip of the iceberg, (yes, we’ll go there too), with much ahead of us, health providing. We’ve seen so little of the world and yet in another way we’ve seen so much, as shown in these photos.

We howl every time we look at this photo of a monkey in Kruger National Park kissing the ground. Too cute!

Yesterday afternoon, we took a one hour walk, mostly talking about the future and further committing to one another our dedication in continuing on with a high level of enthusiasm and excitement. 

This photo was taken through the window of our cottage when we stayed at a resort on the Indian Ocean in Diani Beach, Kenya to celebrate our one year anniversary of traveling the world. The monkeys were hanging around as soon as we moved in. They knew we’d have the complimentary fruit plate provided to new guests at check-in which many guests often fed them. We didn’t eat the fruit nor did we give it to the monkeys who need to forage for their food.

We discussed that we’ve spent too much time in Hawaii, as much as we’ve loved it and are ready to move along. Who’d have ever thought anyone would say, “We’ve spent too much time in Hawaii?” 

A leopard, the fourth animal of the Big 5, all of which we’d seen in the first 10 hours on safari in Kenya.

It’s not about Hawaii. It may be one of the most beautiful places on the planet and we’ve loved it, especially our time in Kauai. However, as we’ve passed the 90-day maximum period we usually stay in one location, the wanderlust has kicked in for both of us. We’re ready to go. 

This Barn Owl was trying to figure a way out of the attic of our house in Kenya. Hesborn, our house man, helped it escape.

With a variety of social activities ahead of us, plenty of sorting and packing to tackle, a box of supplies for the next two years yet to be shipped, in about three weeks we’ll begin the preparations to depart Hawaii.

The White Fronted Plover, a bird often seen along rivers in Africa.

We always giggle to ourselves when someone we meet says, “Enjoy your vacation or have a good trip.” Although, we have a similar sense of excitement that one has when anticipating an upcoming vacation, holiday or trip, as we navigate our way from one location to another it never feels like a vacation. It feels like a glorious life for which we are grateful, humbled, and never take for granted.

We spent an entire day watching the activities of a group of thousands of grasshoppers as they moved from one tree to another.
Close up of one of the above grasshoppers dining on a cabbage leaf we’d left on the driveway.

It could all change in a minute by unforeseen circumstances. We choose not to worry about that possibility, perhaps that eventuality. As we discussed on our walk yesterday, we’ll always have the option to figure it out. 

The Golden Orb Spider web was located in the carport in South Africa.
This frog hung out in the rafters watching us each day during our entire time at the African Reunion House in South Africa.
Male frogs fertilizing the egg-laden foam nest made by the female frog overnight. Seeing the progression of this event occurring in our yard in South Africa was an amazing experience.

As we neared our condo we encountered a couple, a few years older than us, most likely tourists based on the camera hanging around his neck and the binoculars in her lap. She was in a wheelchair and he was pushing her along the same path we’d taken.

Having an opportunity to see an endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal on the beach in Kauai was a thrill.
We weren’t ever able to get a photo of a full breach of a whale. Once we get to Australia, we may have better luck.

We said hello in passing with both of us in quiet contemplation for several moments afterward. At the same instance, we turned to each other and spoke simultaneously in almost the exact words, “That could be us one day.”

We love the Helmeted Guinea Fowl. They visited every day, many with their chicks.
Look at the colors in this close up of the above Helmeted Guinea Fowl. Tom referred to these birds as Guinea Hens.

We agreed, “Yes, it could be us and if it is, we’ll carry on, one way or another.”

Enjoy the weekend! We’re off to explore today. Back tomorrow with all the new photos!

                                                Photo from one year ago today, April 18, 2014:

Le Jardin restaurant in the souks of Marrakech was a favorite we often visited. Two turtles wandered about the floor providing a degree of entertainment.  Please click here for details.

National Geographic has done it again!…Life…its astounding…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments

Please spend only a few minutes watching this exquisite video from National Geographic.  You won’t be disappointed and doing so will further explain the nature of today’s post.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hodomt6bBOw

The above video reminded us of photos we’ve taken during our travels in the past 30 months.

A lone female stopping for a drink.  The edge of the open vehicle is shown in this photo illustrating how close we were to her.

Yesterday afternoon I noticed an email in my inbox from Tom. I must admit that he sends me a few items each week. When we began to travel he finally dispensed per my request with all those endless jokes and stories. 

Hippos along the Mara River while we were on safari in the Maasai Mara.
Crocodiles sunning along the Mara River.

As much as I enjoy a good laugh like anyone, I prefer not to spend time each day riffling through a pile of email messages, reading jokes and stories. 

The Cape Buffalo, one of the Big 5.
The cheetah and leopard are distinguishable by the cheetah’s tear lines running down her face, as shown here.

As a matter of fact, once I’ve completed posting here each day, take care of necessary business and respond to emails from our readers, I prefer to spend as little time at my computer as possible. 

A female lion looking for the next meal. The lion is the second of the Big 5.
The pride of lions from which we took the above photo of what appeared to be a mom.

My computer is kept on all day allowing me to occasionally check for email, new comments, and to receive phone calls from family and friends. We have a Skype phone number for which we pay $5 a month since we have no cell contracts on our phones, using SIM cards in other countries that aren’t available in the US without a contract (unreal).

In the first 10 hours on safari, we saw the Big 5. The black rhino is one of the Big 5. (The leopards and elephants we saw are a part of the Big which will be shown tomorrow). Note the birds which are oxpeckers who eat the bugs off of the rhinos and other wildlife’s hides.

Anyway, yesterday afternoon I received an email from my dear husband who now sends me only pertinent information or something he knows I’ll love seeing. When he sent me this National Geographic video yesterday and I began to watch it, I nearly wept.

Males lions are always on the lookout for a female making a kill. Why? So he can steal the kill from her.
This male was dozing in the bright sun. The Maasai Mara is cool in the morning

It’s five minutes long but, I promise you won’t regret taking the five minutes of your life to watch it. For us, the content was profound. As I watched it with Tom watching it a second time with me, my mouth was agape at the wonder of it all, especially for one particular reason…

A turtle climbing a hill to greet us.
We traveled across rough terrain to Tanzania to catch the tail end of the Great Migration.

It reminded us of all that we have done and seen thus far in our travels and, all that we have yet to do and see in the future. 

We couldn’t resist posting this contented lion who was, at the time, engaged in a mating ritual with the female about 15 feet from him, leaning on another tree.
Giraffes are a thrill to watch. This one was very close to us allowing me to take this headshot. Their cheeks are often puffed up due to the manner in which they eat storing the greenery in their cheeks.

The video inspired us in writing today and posting some previously posted photos. Somehow, we felt compelled to share them with our readers, including many new readers, as to the reasons and motivations that inspired us to travel the world. Also, we selfishly wanted to see them once again to remind us of how blessed we have been to live this astounding life.

Within hours of our arrival in Marloth Park, two moms and seven babies aka piglets, not all shown in these photos. This family became daily visitors to our yard.

Life. It’s all about life. It’s about the gift of life I’ve been given with renewed health by changing my diet making it possible for me to have a 34-hour travel day from airport to airport and continue to be “overly bubbly” without a word of complaint or exhaustion. 

This was one of the first zebras we spotted in Marloth Park, a fluffy baby, aka foal.
An adult male zebra standing under our carport on a hot day.

It’s about the life I’ve been given to be able to make the three-hour walk to Petra in Jordan, the trek down to the Queen’s Bath in Kauai, and every tough trek in between, all over the world, at times in 100-degree (40C) weather, at times sitting outside all day in the heat waiting to see who may stop by for a visit.

Males hang out together. We never saw a female and a male together other than when mating. On this particular day, we had seven zebras visit although only five are shown in this photo as they depart. They’d had their fill of our attention and nutritional pellets and were on their way after a one hour stay.
Male impalas will graze with the females and fawns.

None of this would have been possible 44 months ago. And then I say, “Life, so good, so solid, so much fun with this man I met almost 24 years ago, who never seemed like the kind of guy who’d suggest this life, embrace this life and ultimately love this peculiar life we live.” 

One day, over 100 impalas visited our yard.
There were monitor lizards in our yard, occasionally making an appearance from their holes in the ground. They were very cautious and skittish making it tricky to take photos.

So today, we share this video with our readers to celebrate life on a regular day, not an anniversary, not a milestone day but just any day in the life of two people traveling the world for years to come seeking, searching, and savoring every nook and cranny of the world for signs of “life.”

Stay with us, dear readers, there’s so much more yet to come including an amazing story of a special place in Kauai forty years ago.

                                            Photo from one year ago today, April 17, 2014:

Tom had a haircut in Marrakech but wasn’t thrilled with the way to charges were handled.  Please check here for details.

An extraordinary evening with friends…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Spotting these yellow tipped stamen on these Anthurium was a first for us.

Last night we made our way to Cathi and Rick’s beautiful home for dinner arriving at 5:45, smack dab in the middle of the suggested 5:30 to 6:00 pm. It’s funny when one is invited within a range of time how we contemplate whether to show up at the earliest point in the range or the latest or, in our case, the middle in order to play it safe. 

I only recall too well when we often invited dinner guests, how difficult it was when they showed at our door a little too early while we were still getting dressed or washing the kitchen floor after a messy day of cooking.

This is a view easily found in many backyards of homes in Princeville.

Having been out to dinner with Cathi and Rick in the past with another friend in attendance, and together at a few parties, the prospect of spending an evening at their home became much more intimate. 

As we all know, a four person dinner party can go one way or another with people you don’t know so well. In our old lives, we usually entertained longtime friends always able to count on having a fabulous evening. 

With the history of times spent together combined with mutual interests, humorous stories and lively banter, a good time was always expected and achieved. But, with new friends, it’s easy to experience a bit of trepidation as to how the evening will go.

The St. Regis Hotel down the road from us doesn’t seem to mind when tourists stop by for photos as we’ve done here.

Last night was no exception. Our inability to reciprocate by an invitation to our tiny condo leaves us feeling a little frustrated. Throw in the reality of my restrictive diet, inviting us could easily become a nightmare for a host.

To lighten the risk of any extra work for our hosts over what to cook we’ve always brought along a few items to add to any meat, fish or poultry dish they may be preparing. By doing so, the hosts can prepare any main dish and sides, they choose, leaving me a four or five ounce portion of the protein included in the dish.

Last night, we brought six of our homemade Low Carb Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins which they loved, (I’ve already sent Cathi the recipe this morning) and a low carb salad, hoping these additions would defray the concern. 

African Tulip trees are seen throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

I can easily recall how difficult it was over the years entertaining guests that were vegetarians or with certain food allergies, worrying there wouldn’t be enough food they could eat, resulting in my spending considerable time researching and preparing appropriate additions to the meal. This extra effort was never expected but was always appreciated.

With their plan to cook filet mignon and mahi mahi on their grill, we were thrilled. With no grills allowed at our condo, having grilled meat was appealing to both of us. It was delicious, cooked perfectly, seasoned with finesse. In addition, Cathi steamed a huge batch of al dente asparagus topped with butter, which added to our wonderful meal. 

Tropical plants and trees are blooming now that it’s spring. Hawaii’s year round warm climate experiences seasons, although they’re less pronounced than in other parts of the world.

The entire meal was comparable to one of those delicious meals we make for ourselves almost every single night; a protein, a vegetable, a salad and a low carb grain, starch and sugar free muffin. 

With our hosts at ease over the meal and us, especially at ease knowing I wasn’t having to refuse one item after another, the dining portion of our evening couldn’t have gone better. They set a Martha Stewart worthy table with linen napkins, woven placemats and Hawaii appropriate dinnerware. Add the candlelight on the lanai, a drink for Tom, drinks for themselves and the best iced tea I’d had in years.

At the end of the road at Anini Beach.

Many moons ago, when we lived in Minnesota, I’d often go to lunch at a chain restaurant with friends or client that has long since wafted away, the Good Earth. What I always remember about that “healthy” restaurant which eventually went out of business was their flavorful iced tea.

Last night, when Cathi poured me a glass of iced tea, my taste buds went into a frenzy over the spicy yet sweet (no sugar added of any kind) flavored tea. “This tea is amazing,” I told Cathi.

This may be a Fishtail Palm Tree.

“Its the same tea they served at the Good Earth restaurant many years ago,” she told me with a wide smile on her pretty face. We both broke into laughter. Indeed it was the Good Earth’s tea a remnant of years long ago, the exact same recipe.

Much to my surprise and delight, she insisted I accept an entire box of tea bags so I could make my own, at least while we’re still here in Kauai. I’ll savor each and every tea bag either hot or cold. She buys it online by the case. I wish I could do the same but, with baggage restrictions and space limitations doing so would be a frivolity.

From the dinner or the lanai, to standing at the granite topped island in their gorgeous kitchen in their equally gorgeous home, to Rick sharing some of his professional music skills with us, to sitting on the comfy sofa in their living room as the evening waned, every moment was memorable.

More interest buds on a scrub. 

The laughter, the freaky commonality that Cathi and I share in many details of our lives, the hysterical banter with Tom and Rick at times poking fun at us girls for our “overly detailed” organizational skills, every moment was filled with warmth and a blooming friendship one doesn’t easily find in this world.

This is in no manner is intended to diminish the quality of all the fabulous friends we’ve made both here in Kauai, Marloth Park and other parts of the world. 

Memories easily flood our minds of many friendships we’ve made in these past  months in Kauai, going back as far as our first few days on the island when we met Vicki and Jerry at Hanalei Beach or, the fabulous time we had last Friday night with Alice and Travis and of course, our friend Richard…and everyone in between.

New macro photo of tiny wild flowers, as small as a bean.

Perhaps, these friendships mean all the more to us with our vagabond lifestyle. Perhaps, the fact that we’ve simplified our lives to a degree that “less is more” we’ve come to appreciate friendships in an entirely new light.  That’s not to say we didn’t love and appreciate the friends in our old lives. We did more than we can say and will always love and miss them. But, everything is different now.

Oh, and I should mention that Cathi and Rick have also been to Kruger National Park on safari (soon to return) and fully grasp the power and depth of feeling such an experience embeds into one’s heart for a lifetime. 

We even went as far as to discuss the possibility of meeting up in Africa in the year of my 70th birthday (Tom’s pacifies me with this possibility when I say I miss Africa) to see what we all had missed; the gorillas in Rwanda, Victoria Falls, the Rovos Rail and more. One never knows what lies ahead.

Exquisite colorful plants and shrubs are found everywhere in the Hawaiian Islands.

For now, they’ve invited us to two more events, both beach parties, both coming up this weekend, both of which we’ll excitedly attend. We thank them for including us in their lives, for opening up their home and their hearts to us, for the laughter and for an evening we’ll always remember.

To respect their privacy, we haven’t included any photos of them or their home. However, snapshots of our evening together will always have a place in our hearts and minds.

                                             Photo from one year ago today, April 16, 2014:

My dinner plate, a mixed grill, one year ago in Marrakech at a local restaurant in the souk was excellent. Our story described the nuances of living with a household staff of our, two of whom were in attendance almost daily from 9 am until 7:00 pm. Please click here for details.

A robust social life on the island of Kauai…Making new friends…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
From the overlook across the street from our condo. We’ve loved this area!

Who would have thought that living on the island of Kauai, known for its lush greenery and quiet reflective lifestyle would result in our having a great social life? Not us.

When we first arrived and met dear friend Richard at the Makai Golf Club pool and fitness center, we thought that his kindness and eagerness to include us in social events was a fluke. 

As the sunset progresses.
It was no fluke. His warmth and friendliness have been repeated over and over again in other people we’ve met at some of these social events and also, many people we’ve met on our own.

Not only have we made new friends from our attendance at local events but we’ve met many tourists, who generally aren’t eager to make friends during a short trip.

What a sunset!

The overlook across the street from our condo has been the most social setting of all in meeting other travelers, many here on long stays, others here for a few weeks at a time. It seems that most tourists second and thereafter visits to Kauai may be extended to weeks, not days, some even to months.

Kauai isn’t the type of place one can easily visit for a few days and leave. Not only is there a considerable number of activities for sports enthusiasts and adventure seekers, but the calming effect of the laid back lifestyle is also intoxicating.

As the sunset dropped behind the horizon.

Kauai has a magical way of lowering one’s level of stress and creating a sense of peace enhancing a desire for quiet, the likes of which few vacation spots offer. One only needs to sit back and enjoy the sound of the surf, the birds, and the gentle breeze wafting through the trees with the almost daily trade winds.

The climate is ideal, although rainy at times and often cloudy for part of each day. Alas time passes and the sun shines, the sky clears and the intense colors of the mountains, the sea, and the surrounding vegetation almost develop to a point of “pleasure on overload.”

Look at those clouds at the mountains.

As I sit here now, writing to our readers, I look out the glass door to see the clouds, the vog, and rain in the nearby mountains, and yet the sun is shining on the lanai at the moment. The roosters are fully engaged in their morning ritual, crowing at a fevered pitch while the chickens do their fair share of clucking in response.

The bird sounds make us laugh especially when we hear the distinct sounds of our favorite visitors, Mr. & Ms. Birdie and two other birds, all cardinals, two different species who will soon alight on the railing singing that specific song that says, “Give me nuts, please!”

Colorful pods abound on most vegetation in the Hawaiian Islands, typical of most tropical plants.

And quickly one of us jumps up in response to that request, grabbing the little bowl containing the nuts I hand chop every week, placing bits of nuts on the lanai railing for them to happily peck at until they’re gone. 

The same breeds share with one another. The opposing breeds fight over the nuts. We make every effort to ensure fairness at times separating our offerings into two distinct areas which sometimes works and other times doesn’t.

It was surprising to see these tall evergreens. growing in this tropical climate.

In a way, at this point, we both feel a little lazy. We’ve seen and done so much on this island, experienced more than we’d ever anticipated, made more friends than we’d made anywhere except in Marloth Park, South Africa, an equally friendly environment.  

If we didn’t have one more social activity planned, we’d be content. However, that’s not the case at all.  We have many more social events planned and without a doubt, more will suddenly appear as it often has. We’ll be the first to chime in to say yes to an invitation, if not taking the initiative for inciting the invitation ourselves.

The uniformity of this flower made it worthy of a photo.

This life we live has no room for shyness. In our old lives, we’d seldom made new friends. In a social setting, we hesitated to ask people we met for the first time for their email or a phone number to set up a time to “get together.” We didn’t want to appear to be stalkers.

In this new life, we have no concern that we’ll appear to be stalkers. We simply love having the opportunity to ask, “How about if we all go out to dinner soon?”

A water hazard on the golf course.

On each occasion, the response is immediate and warm, “We’d love to.” We exchange business cards. If they don’t have a card, we give them ours asking them to email us their email. Who carries a pen and paper these days? 

Otherwise, if we have one of our phones in our possession, we’ll enter it there, keeping in mind, we don’t have cell service on the phones and wifi service only when we’re “home.” (Once we arrive in Australia, we’ll be able to load SIM cards into our phones for service).

On a walk in our neighborhood, these condos have excellent views of the Makai Golf Course.

If we don’t hear within a few days, we don’t assume for a moment that they don’t want to get together (Tom says that sound cocky). We assume they may be like us in our old lives, not taking the initiative to make new friends.

Overall, we hear from the other couple 50% of the time and make the effort for the rest. After a dinner out, such as this past Friday night with Alice and Travis, we’re so happy we all enthusiastically made the effort. We had a fabulous time and plan to see them again before we leave. 

Not only is there amazing vegetation in the Princeville Botanical Gardens, it abounds everyone one goes on the “garden island” of Kauai.

Our dinner plans for Saturday night were postponed to this Wednesday due to an injury incurred by our host and we look forward to seeing this wonderful couple again this week at their home for dinner.

It’s been hard to say goodbye to the many lovely couples we’ve met in Kauai, many here for short stints, others longer. With many, we continue to stay in touch via email often hearing they are following along with us here.  To each and every one of those lovely people, we say, “Thank you” for sharing a bit of your precious holiday/vacation time with us.

Cloudy day mountain view.

Today, it’s raining off and on as the sun also appears off and on. A drive may be on the agenda but if the weather doesn’t cooperate we may stay put once again. After highlighting the Princeville Botanical Gardens for the past three days we continue on with other photos and stories. If you haven’t had a chance to see those posts, please scroll down after today’s post to see all three of them with many photos.

Our Nevada accountant has completed our taxes as of this morning to be filed electronically today. Having that behind us gives us peace of mind, leaving our minds free to soak up our remaining “40 days and 40 nights” on the beautiful, peaceful, and social island of Kauai.

                                            Photo from one year ago today, April 13, 2014:

A Kasbah on the road to the Atlas Mountains. I had done a little whining one year ago on this date. For details on why, please click here.

See our itinerary below!…One 67 day gap yet to fill…A trip to a local health food store in Kilauea…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 4 Comments
Actually, this is the only health food store within a half-hour drive, Healthy Hut. The inventory is ripe with fresh locally grown organic produce, grass-fed meats, free-range chickens and eggs, and food and health supplies one would find in a much larger location in a big city. Pricey? Yep!

Good morning, World! It’s Monday! It looks like it will be a sunny day and we’re feeling good!  Today, we’re sharing photos of our recent trip to Healthy Hut, a great little health food store in Kilauea, a 10-minute drive from our home in Princeville.

After a lazy Easter, both of us a little under the weather, Tom with an achy shoulder (better today) and me, tired from a poor night’s sleep, today is a new day and we’re rearing to go, feeling great once again. 

Red ginger plants in front of Healthy Hut.

Some of our readers, new to our site haven’t seen our upcoming itinerary, meaning the bookings we have made well into the future. The end of this list isn’t the end of our travels by any means.

It simply means that it’s as far out as we’re booked into the future. Within the next year, we’ll begin booking beyond the last booking well into the following year and so on. It’s an ongoing process, adding new bookings as time marches on.

As much as we love Kauai, we’re almost at the three-month point and through the natural pace and progression we’ve established of three months max in each location, we’re beginning to look forward to our next adventure, the South Pacific. 

Seeing pumpkins and squash reminds us of crisp cool fall in Minnesota as I stood admiring this at a comfortable 82 degrees.

This morning, as we made the bed, I asked Tom, “Are you feeling ready to move on?” It’s the first time I’ve asked him this question.

He looked up at me and smiled that wide toothy grin, “Yes, I am. Three months is really the magic number.”

We’ve been in the Hawaiian Islands since September 29, 2014 (by cruise ship) for a total of 190 days. We have 47 more days until we depart Kauai to head to Honolulu/Waikiki, Oahu for an overnight stay when the next day, May 24th, we’ll board Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas to head to Australia.

This is not to say we haven’t had a fabulous time in the islands or in Kauai where we’ve made many friends and had many memorable experiences. It’s just the length of time we’ve been in Hawaii that is beginning to feel like it would feel if we stayed put on one location, something neither of us cares to do at this point in our lives.

I was surprised to find many of the products I needed to make my recently posted recipe for Low Carb High Fat Protein Bars, my new favorite recipe.  Click this link if you missed the recipe.

We’ve tried to avoid counting days to the next adventure but after this extended period it reminds me of the last few times we counted the days; when we left Minnesota 2 1/2 years ago, dreading the part about saying goodbye, and, when a year ago, we felt cooped up in Marrakech for the two and a half month stay.

We’ll sadly say goodbye to the many wonderful people we’ve met on this island who may, one never knows, visit us along the way. After all, our readers Staci and her husband Glenn, whom we’ve come to know and adore by chatting online, will be on a cruise at the same time as us one year from now. How fun will that be? As we always say, “You never know who’s paths may cross in the future.”

The shelves were packed with beauty products, snacks, and treats, none of which we purchase.

The upcoming “booked” itinerary below begins on May 24th on the upcoming cruise to Sydney. As evident in this itinerary, we have a gap from 6/26/2016 to 9/1/2016, precipitated by our two separate stays in Bali at 59 days each. 

Oh, here we go, contradicting ourselves further down the page, staying a total of almost four months in one location, separated by two months due to visa constraints. We only chose to stay in Bali twice because the property is exquisite, as you’ll see as the time nears…an extraordinary paradise we couldn’t resist.

So, here it is folks, the itinerary:
                                                                          # Days

 Cruise Honolulu to Sydney 18
 Australia Rental  89
 Fiji Rental  89
 Fiji Rental #2  29
 Sydney Hotel  1
 Cruise Sydney to Auckland   14
 New Zealand Farm  83
 Sydney Hotel  1
 Cruise Sydney to Perth  16
 Bali House  59
 Gap : 6/26/2016 to 9/1/2016  67
 Bali House  59
 Cruise Singapore to Sydney  14
 GAP 11/14/2016 to 3/1/2017  107
 Cruise Sydney to Sydney  12
Total number of days booked (so far) 658

Adding our remaining 48 days in the Hawaiian Islands and we’re basically booked for the next 706 days except for the 67-day gap as shown above that we’ll soon fill as we contemplate our options.

Ah, life is good. No complaining here. Surely, we’ll enjoy the next weeks in Kauai with each other and our new friends, meeting more along the way while continuing to cherish the beauty of nature surrounding us at every turn.

In our remaining time in Kauai, we’ll continue to take new photos to keep our readers engaged. Plus, we’ll have a few surprise outings we’ll be excited to share very soon.

We’d use their organic hair and body products but the prices are very high in a little shop such as this. Costco in Lihue has some lower-priced similar products, although their selection is limited.

Of course, we can’t wait to get to the Outback to check out the wildlife and we hear that kangaroos will become regular visitors to our new home in Trinity Beach, Australia beginning on June 11th. Gee, that’s only two months from now. 

We hope those of you who celebrated Easter and Passover had wonderful experiences with your families and friends. Happy day!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 6, 2014:

It was a year ago in Marrakech that we posted this photo of a horse’s injuries. It was heartbreaking to see. For details from that date, please click here.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to those who celebrate…Happy Sunday to all others…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
With spring in the air, the Plumeria trees have begun to bloom.

In years passed, Easter was a highly anticipated and celebrated holiday for our family, filled with laughter, games, traditional events and familiar foods all prepared with the utmost of love, added to the spiritual meaning of the Easter season as well.

Each year, we made no less than 18 Easter baskets, filled with goodies befitting each family member, 14 for us humans, and more for our kids’ pets and our dogs. I spent days making the name tags, bows, and careful placement of the goodies in each of the baskets, smiling all the while.

An Angel Trumpet flower wilted due to a lack of rain these past two weeks.

Tom and I would conjure up a playful game for all of the grown-ups to play in an effort to find the colorful plastic eggs filled with money that we’d strategically hid in the most surprising spots in our home along with easier games for the six grandchildren to find more eggs filled with candy, toys, and money.

The frenzy that ensued created a level of laughter that rings clear in my ears, even today, three years later. The sounds of the kids laughing and squealing as they ran through the house are sounds we’ll never forget. 

You may ask, “How could we leave all of that?” We answer, “It wasn’t easy.”

Not an Easter lily, but an orchid will do.

After over 20 years of illness, always in pain, always pretending to be fine while living a full and busy life and then, in 2011, becoming well again due to a strict adherence to a restrictive way of eating, one day in January 2012, 10 months before his retirement, Tom said, “Do you want to travel the world while your health is good?”

I was shocked by his question. After a week of careful research, spreadsheets, and calculations as to the feasibility, I answered, “Yes, I do,” with the same excitement and fervor I expressed on the day we were married saying, “Yes, I do.”

We’d spent our lives thinking and living for others, our kids, our other family members, and our friends, all of whom we dearly love. We never felt we could do enough. But, it was our time and for however long my good health would remain intact, we would carry on.

This flower baffles me with nothing online similar making it possible to identify. How unusual.

Now, 2½ years later, we have no regrets and much to our surprise on holidays such as today, we don’t feel lost or sad. We’re grateful for a lifetime of memorable holidays and celebrations with our kids, who now are all in their 40’s, knowing they’d do just fine without us, having become strong and independent many years ago.  Over the years, they developed many of their own holiday traditions which at times, didn’t include us. That’s how life is. 

Perhaps, in a way it’s not unlike the Laysan Albatross, the chick sits atop the nest day after day while the two parents fly back and forth to sea for their food to return to feed the chicks who hungrily grasp at their beaks for the regurgitated meal. And then one day, when the chicks are four to five months old, the parents don’t return from the sea.

The chicks lie in wait, wondering where the next meal will come from as days pass, as they also miss the preening and loving care of the parents. Finally, one day they realize that the parents won’t return, that it’s time to go out to sea on their own to begin their lives, able to care for themselves. In many ways, this outcome made us sad, the thought of the chicks waiting and waiting and the parents never returning.

Pets deserve acknowledgment on special days.

The chick picks up his pudgy body from the safety of the nest, walks to the cliff’s edge and fledges, wings spread and flies out to sea, maybe to return to the same spot in years to come to have offspring of their own, as the life cycle continues on.

This is not unlike our lives. They grew up. They built lives for themselves and it was time for us to go. They are fine. They are independent and self-sufficient for which we are proud and pleased. And, it was us who walked to the cliff and fledged, out to sea to care for ourselves and in essence, to be free.

No longer do we work for days preparing Easter Baskets, cooking, devising games and activities, each year new and different, in order to build a tradition that in time, we’ve passed along to them to recreate in their own ways with their children. It’s the cycle of life.

A Koala bird trots along the grass.

From time to time we meet some people who are shocked that we left our family to travel the world. “How selfish,” we read from the look in their eyes. At times, they even ask, “How could you leave your family?” 

We answer, “Our journey isn’t about leaving them. It’s about freeing us…to experience life as we’ve never done before…to share our story with readers from all over the world and to leave, however, small a footprint in the sand wherever we may go. 

We love and cherish this amazing earth that God, or whatever higher power one believes, has left for us to explore, to love, and to care for.

The common Hibiscus is blooming in varying colors throughout the island.

Today, not unlike every day, we thank God as we remain in awe of the world around us, the freedom we’ve been given for the experience, and the ability to make it happen. 

For however long the good health remains, we feel blissfully committed to carrying on, with so much of the world yet to explore and a passion to see as much as we are able.

Last night, at the Full Moon party, I became engaged in a conversation with a lovely couple. As we stood beneath the palm fronds of a tree as the rain began to fall, the wife, slightly younger than I said, “You’ve inspired us to make some changes in our lives.”

Please help us identify this flower which we can’t seem to find online.  They’re growing prolifically outside our door.

The husband with a few health issues of his own will read yesterday’s post about health and resources that I’ve utilized in my life-changing way of eating. 

If we’ve been given this opportunity, it becomes our responsibility to share whatever morsels we can with others along the way, as so many have shared with us. 

Whether its a positive review we’ve posted online for the owner of a small business or a tiny bit of inspiration to a reader or person we’ve met along the way, its all worthwhile, as we too glean so much from our readers and new friends, offering us morsels of wisdom and insight into places we’ll visit along the way. 

We’re grateful, we’re humbled and we’re happy, today on Easter and every other day in our ongoing journey to see the world.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 5, 2014:

Out to dinner in Marrakech, the sunset was beautiful.  For details on that date, please click here.

A native of Kauai, a professional photographer shares her art…Fine art, that is…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments
Hanalei Bay Beauty

Last Sunday, at the monthly Princeville Artisan Fair, I met Alia DeVille, a talented and passionate young woman born in Kauai who has adopted the fine “art” of photography.

Chicks in a Coconut

Alia has a skilled and knowledge-driven technique and the ability to create some of the most artistic photographs we have seen in our world travels. As many of our creative and tech savvy photographers /readers are aware, simply taking a good photo of a good scene in itself is an art; the lighting, the angles and the perspective are integral in the creation of a fine photo.

Hanalei Taro Field Glow

With technology at our disposal, there are many complicated, intensive use apps and tools available, many acquired at extraordinary expense, that in the right hands can take a good photo and turn it into fine art. The ability to create this magic is definitely evident in the delicate and crafted hands of Alia DeVille.

Upon meeting her at the fair, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her work. As an amateur photographer with my own passion for a good photo, I was particularly interested in her art. 

Emerald Pool

For myself, as a somewhat tech savvy individual who’s never done more than remove a power line from a photo using the $20 app, Inpaint, or darkening or lightening a photo in the free Fotor app, I can only imagine the intricate work required to turn a good photo into fine art. Alia DeVille has done just that with a finesse one seldom has the opportunity to discover along the way.

Enchanting Makana

Alia is a self taught professional landscape photographer with a love for nature and her island of Kauai. Since childhood, she dreamed of traveling the world as a National Geographic photographer but has found herself entrenched in the exquisite beauty right here at home in Kauai.  

Action and Reaction

Alia expresses in her own words, “Born on the North Shore and  growing up on with the Na Pali Coast and the trails of Kauai as my playground has seeded a strong passion for the incredible natural environment.”

Hanakapi’ai Revealed

For Alia, it its “Not about rules and norms, more about telling a story about a place, embracing the scene and expressing what I see and feel. Waking up to see the mountains towering over the turquoise ocean continually inspires me to capture the immense beauty that surrounds the island.”

Lumahai Radiance

She continues, “Art has always been a passion, and expressing my love of art in photography is a dream come true. Native plants, the beach, the garden, and the stunning beauty of Kauai, provides endless inspiration for my photographs.”

Paradise Found

“To love what you do is the real drive for my life and photography. Seeking moments that seem to take your breath away and make you see the splendor of the ever changing natural world is what I aim to convey.”

“In photography and in life you may not know if you’re in the right place, at the right time, but if you turn around before you get there, you just might miss something amazing. Take that step…that adventure…and it will be well worth it.”
A Blaze of Light
Today, we’re excited to share a few of Alia DeVille’s photos. For many more exquisite works of art, please click one of the several links posted here today with her name to be directed to her website where any of her art may be purchased, if so desired.
Thank you, Alia for sharing your art with us* for our readers and for all of the world to see! 

*Please respect the integrity of these copyrighted photos by Alia DeVille by not copying them for any purposes whether personal or business use. All rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction of these photos by any means and imposes fines up for violation. 

                                              Photo from one year ago today, March 29, 2014:
A year ago today, we posted a series of facts about the country of Morocco including information about its monarchy, population, size and government.  Please click here for more details.

The days turn into nights…And the nights were never ending…Puff the Magic Dragon…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This scene of Hanalei Beach looks out to a sleeping dragon-shaped mountain that inspired Peter, Paul, and Mary to interpret the song written by a friend, “Puff the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Hanalei.” There’s considerable speculation that the words to the song were mainly centered around smoking marijuana which grew prolifically in Hanalei. In the future, we’ll be writing more about Hanalei where many movies have been filmed over the years. Here’s a good video that further explains the shape of the dragon.

When I was 12 years old I started writing poetry, shortly after my father passed away from a tragic accident.  It’s ironic how creativity is often born of tragedy and sorrow. For years I wrote poetry with delusions that one day I’d be a great poet.

The heading in today’s post is a line from a poem I wrote at 12 years old that popped into my head as soon as I awoke this morning after a fitful night of tossing and turning. I blamed it on too much hot tea late yesterday, excess caffeine having a profound effect on my sleep.

A colorful Adirondack chair behind a rope fence.

It’s not as if I’m worried about anything in particular. Oh, you know, we all worry about this and that, impeding our ability to sleep. I’m certainly no exception. If I don’t have anything to worry about, which I don’t, I can always conjure up a shortlist to keep me busy while wide awake at 3:00 am.

With upcoming travels in mind, flights on small planes, long distances, and the unknown as to the quality of where we’ll be living, a litany of worry options is always readily available.

This puff flower was no larger than the size of a dime. It’s fun to notice the “little things.”

Why didn’t I pursue becoming a poet? Life, as they say, got in the way; married at 17, a mom at 19, divorced at 26, owning a business, two boys to raise on my own, leaving little time for dreaming of poetry.

And now, why don’t I do it now? Why don’t I write the book I dreamed of writing for most of my life? I certainly have the time. By 11:00 am each morning, I’m done posting here leaving my only task for the remainder of the day to get out to take photos for the next day’s post, a pleasant task we do more days than not.

This tiny blue flower was smaller than the size of a pea. Zooming in I noticed this sweet looking bloom.

What else do I have to do? Cook a little dinner? Watch Dr. Phil at 3:00 pm while we’re still in the US? Go to the pool and fitness center? Set the table for dinner using dish towels for linen napkins and placemats when none others are on hand? 

Oh, dear, I don’t mean to sound boring. I am never bored, not for a minute. This little brain has a magical way of entertaining me one way or another if merely a flash of apathy wanders through its neurons. Instantaneously, I twirl on my heels and a new idea pops into my conscientiousness and I’m off on a new tangent, excited, energized, and interested.

In Hawaii, many trees produce berries that proliferate into new leaves and flowers.

I decided against writing the book. Most certainly, we’d have plenty of fodder for what may prove to be moderately appealing to the growing senior population as to the nuances of travel for us older folks, whether short or long term. But, I’ve totally lost interest in writing the book. 

If we got a publisher (for which we’ve been approached) or if we self-published (popular these days) it would seem like the dreaded WORK. Nothing, money nor notoriety, could possibly appeal enough to either of us to put ourselves in a position feeling as if we’re working again. Nothing.

It’s hard to imagine that at future points in our travels, we won’t be a stone’s throw from a beach.

As for poetry? Ah, that desire is long gone. I don’t have enough angst in my life these days to be able to translate that pain and sorrow into poetic prose. Nor, would I want to summon up the sorrowful memories of decades long passed. I’m too happy now to write poetry other than occasional playful, rhyme-ful, iambic pentameter. Those days are long gone.

Fulfillment? What does that look like now? It looks like this life The simplicity of idle time, the simplicity of taking photos, the simplicity of observing wildlife, scenery, and vegetation fill my heart to the brim.

Hibiscus, Hawaii’s state flower, are everywhere, growing throughout the year. This was surely the largest Hibiscus we’d seen to date, larger than a baseball glove and the first we’d seen in this gorgeous shade of orange.

Then, his companionship; the lively banter, the romantic moments and the touch of a hand ever so lightly, coupled with an eye crinkling smile easily fills in any possible gaps if, but for a second I may wonder, I may question, “Is this really my life? How did I get so lucky?”

Tom says it’s not luck. It’s a lifetime of hard work and planning. But, I look at it more esoterically, as being a gift from heaven bestowed upon me for patience, perseverance and above all, for hope.

The lovely beach overlooking the dragon.

Writing here each morning, come “Hell or high water” so they say, has filled me with a deep sense of fulfillment, added to all of the above, that makes me incapable of deserving, or of taking, a moment to pine, to worry, to lay awake at night conjuring up worries. So what if I have a fitful night that seemed “never-ending?” 

The morning light offers up a new day to embrace with awe, wonder, and gratefulness and, boredom, dear readers, is never on the agenda.

                                             Photo from one year ago today, March 28, 2014:

The riad in Marrakech was filled with mirrors. We counted 17 as we took photos of many of them to post one year ago today. For more photos, please click here.