Patio Chat

I went away for the weekend to visit the condo in Santa Cruz. Today I'm sitting out on the patio watching the birds and butterflies as they flit by. The sound of the splashing water from my fountain is music to my ears. It is so relaxing, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, it's just the hubby and me here to enjoy it.

At one point I started thinking about our upcoming trip to Hawaii, and tried to picture what the "big island" is like. I will have to wait and see because everyone has an opinion about Hawaii and their favorite island, and even their favorite side of the island (windward or leeward). The leeward side being the hotter and less rainy side. The windward being the side of the island that is wetter, and therefore more lush because of it.

Sometimes it seems like the majority of the people I talk with enjoy less rain, and they're willing to forgo the lushness of the rainy parts of Hawaii because of this. Sitting out in the lovely weather here in Santa Cruz, I can definitely understand this. At the same time, I can't stop loving the windward side, when in the tropics, because I love the rainbows and the greenery. I so enjoy a walk through a rainforest type area. I hope it brings a rainbow or two along the way.

Hawaii Bound

For the past two years I've been using my Alaska Air charge card for travel. I have a different travel credit card that I use to rack up miles by purchasing groceries and such, but the Alaska card with the companion fare beats the alternate for travel every time. With the Alaska card, it's like getting buy one, get one free. I can't recommend a better way to get good fares on non-stop flights to Hawaii - or anyplace Alaska Airlines flies for that matter.

I mean, do people really rack up the needed 80,000 miles it takes for a free round trip flight to Maui? I think not.

Here is how we got our great deal to Kona and Maui and then home again...

First we selected a flight that applied the companion fare directly into the itinerary on Alaska Air's easy to use member website. We chose to fly to Kona first. Next I dusted off the other travel credit card, and booked two free flights to island hop from the Big Island to Maui. We booked a return flight from Kahului, Maui using a companion fare as well.

What was the total for all flights? A little less than $900 - including taxes.

Snorkeling with the turtles? Priceless.

Climbing Roses

I could not resist a stop to sniff the climbing roses today. My yard has several climbers, and the sweet fragrance is everywhere. I placed this one to hide the unsightly lamp post in our front yard. It is now one of my favorite plantings. I love how nature helps out when needed.

Earth Day Anthem

Sing this song to the tune of Ode to Joy...

Joyful joyful we adore our Earth in all its wonderment
Simple gifts of nature that all join into a paradise
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world

-author unknown

Best and Worst Fruits and Veggies

I just skimmed through an article the daily green (link posted at the end), where I discovered some food for thought. Here are some fruits and vegetables that they say have the most pesticides...

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Imported Nectarines
7. Imported Grapes
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale

Here are ones with the least, according to the Environmental Working Group's 2011 Clean 15 list...

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapple
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mango
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#ixzz2R3ikVLGZ

The Hottest Day

              “I have to find Norma.” Tilly said to me as I passed through the doors for a visit several weeks later. No one was paying any attention to her; they were just happy to see us again at Whitegate, but Tilly was adamant, judging from her furrowed brow and unpredictable pacing. “I told Norma that we would meet today, and I can’t find her.”
               It had to be the hottest summer day on record. It felt like it couldn’t have been less than 100 degrees outside; it was probably hotter. In contrast, the temperature inside the facility at Whitegate was cool, comfortable, and refreshing. It was a relief when we arrived for our weekly visit, but even Hardy’s presence was not calming Tilly down that day.

       “Have you seen Norma?” she kept asking people. On this day she was uninterested in slowing down, nor sitting on the couch to converse with us. I watched as she wandered around erratically. She eventually waltzed directly out the front door and outside into the sweltering heat. Sensing the danger, I left the dogs at our visiting area following her outside. The stifling heat assaulted me as I passed through Whitegate’s threshold, but it didn’t seem to phase Tilly in the slightest.

       “I need to find Norma. I can’t find her. She must be lost.”
       “Who is Norma?” I asked. I thought Norma may have been a new resident that Tilly had befriended.

       “She’s a friend from my childhood,” she answered. “We’ve been friends for years.”

       I started to understand why no one was listening to Tilly as she searched for her lost friend. I had never met a childhood friend of Tilly’s in my months of visiting. I decided to ask one of the staff nurses about Norma, but first I needed to get Tilly out of the dangerous high temperature outdoors. I watched helplessly as Tilly went around the corner of the building, her resolve compelling her to search for her friend.

       “Tilly!” I shouted after her, “Norma wouldn’t come out here today. It’s too hot!”

       Tilly stopped in her tracks. Obviously, I had convinced her. She turned around and moved towards me, still displaying a concerned look on her face. “You are right. She wouldn’t be outside. I’ll check upstairs.”

       As Tilly hurried back inside Whitegate, I breathed a sigh of relief. My next course of action was to find out about Norma. I went back to our visiting area, and I was pleased to see that the residents were enjoying the company of the dogs. In fact, they seemed proud to have been able to “pet sit” for me in my absence. I was touched, but still concerned about Tilly’s predicament. When I asked about Norma, each of them in turn admitted that they didn’t really know what Tilly was talking about. They hadn’t ever met anyone at the facility by that name. Moreover, they said that Tilly had been acting strangely all day, obsessing about finding her childhood friend. 

Tilly's Pats

Tilly hated us when we first met. “Dogs do NOT belong here,” she stated when she first saw us. I felt slighted, at first. Then I learned that no one was listening. When I met her, she didn’t have any friends. Maybe that’s why she would always be sitting on the sofa that was adjacent to the dining room waiting for us to arrive on our visiting days all alone.

She was a small woman. She only stood about five feet tall, but she had a ton of spunk, and she loved to debate anything and everything. She was quite agile when she wanted to be, yet oftentimes she would nod off as we sat relaxing on the couch in the afternoon – once she came to accept us. In the beginning, it seemed like most people were glad when she fell asleep. The usual crowd of visitors would finally walk over and initiate a conversation with me or interact with the dogs, as Tilly slept quietly next to us. It didn’t take long for her to change her mind, thanks to Hardy’s antics.

Hardy loved Tilly. Once she had decided to sit down with us, she was like putty in his hands. He would just cuddle up next to her and lie down for awhile. Then he would perform his trademark behavior. He would take his muzzle and nudge underneath the palm of her hand so as to encourage her to pet him. How could she resist? Just as research suggested, sharing time with Hardy seemed to calm whatever what was bothering her. It got so that whenever we would arrive, she would be waiting for us, or she would just be finishing her lunch and come over to plop down on the sofa, cantankerous attitude and all. By the time she patted Hardy’s back a few times, it would bring out her gentle nature.

As our visits became commonplace for her, it was Tilly who would be quietly waiting on the couch watching all of the residents come and go, awaiting our arrival. Once we would arrive, Hardy would snuggle up with her and eventually she would nod off. This would signal the other residents to move into our inner circle. It would also be the signal for Hardy to jump down and perform for them. By the time Tilly awoke, most of the visitors had already enjoyed our company and had moved on with their day. Sometimes this was the time I would engage in conversation with her, other times I would simply say good –bye and move on with my day.

After her afternoon nap with Hardy, Tilly would be refreshed and revitalized. She would then get up and wander around the nearby gaming area and join into a game of cards or do a jigsaw puzzle. If the weather was nice, she would go outside for a walk. When it was she who would move on she would always inquire about when we would be back to visit again, remarking that she hoped it would be soon.

April Garden

I should have taken before and after photos of my garden today because I was very productive out there. I'm glad to report that the second planting of tomatoes went into the top hill bed. It will be the cherry row. I also put in a bit of butter lettuce at the same time. I used to love my grandpa's butter lettuce, so today's planting was in honor of him.

I did a ton of weeding and cleaning up and the results look great. I wish I had a before photo because it was impossible to walk outside on the patio without making a yellow pollen mess from the Birch tree seed pods. I got a great arm workout sweeping up that messy debris, and now it's beautiful out on the patio.

After I could walk freely without tracking seeds everywhere, I weeded around the blueberry bushes. These have only been in a year, but it looks like the largest one is going to produce a lot of berries. I worked the hillside to help with blueberry irrigation, since it hasn't been raining, and there is no rain in the forecast. I'm glad it's not as windy today.

Out to Lunch

Yesterday we found a cute little view location to have lunch. We've been sightseeing with a couple of relatives who were visiting for the weekend. This new discovery is called Auberge de Soliel. It is the subject of many a painting and now I can see why. It's not a place we can take the dogs, so it worked out that they stayed home this time.

Bentley in the Car

Bentley was just sitting looking super cute when I was parked the other day. I had just received this rendering of him from Olivia. Not bad for an 8 year old!

A Good Read

I recently learned how to use Overdrive to download eBooks from the library. I am currently reading, Master Your Metabolism, by Jillian Michaels. Her premise is that our bodies are out of whack due to poor food choices, and that those poor choices lead to hormone imbalances that make it difficult for our bodies to burn fat properly. Some of her food preparation tips are worth a mention.

- Choose organic foods whenever possible.
- Remove visible fat from meats.
- Peel skins to eliminate pesticides.
- Remove outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage.
- Chop off the stem part of fruits.
- Look for BPA free wrap.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound that is found in plastic containers and cans. It's the same compound that has been identified as toxic, and banned from use in baby bottles.

Because of this, pay attention to packaging products. Buy foods in cardboard containers, and use glass containers for storing leftovers. Make sure to microwave foods in glass, not plastic.

List of foods to avoid:
Hydrogenated fats
Refined grains
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
Artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and colors (especially BHA, butylated hydroxyanisole)
Glutamates (like MSG)

Iris is my Favorite Flower

Today in the garden I saw these super tiny lady bug type insects pollinating my pear tree. I may get quite a few pears this year judging from the number of blossoms. I wouldn't have noticed them if I hadn't stopped to snap a picture of this Bearded Iris. I took the photo from this angle to show my grandfather's technique for keeping the tomato plants safe from snails.

Spot the Hens

I've got a lot of work to do outside and it's not raining! So glad to be feeling better after several weeks of on and off migraines.

Can you spot the hens in their backyard habitat? They have grown since their debut back in February. Hint: they are high on the hill.