The days between Kauai and Christmas, December 2016

For a change, Patty and I hiked into South Mountain Park - it is a bit of a drive, but it was well worth it.  We hiked the Mormon Trail and after reaching the National Trail, hiked another half mile along it toward Fat Man's Pass.  We then turned around and returned back to the trail head. There were great views looking north to the city and the airport control tower looks so small.

We continued to sort through our things and make more donations to Goodwill.

On Tuesday Dec. 15, it was a cold and very quiet day at the Desert Botanical Garden.  At lunch, all of us docents talked about how few visitors there were because of the cold.  Since it was Sharon's birthday, I suggested we all go to Gertrudes Restaurant at 2:00 after finishing our afternoon shifts - but being the wild and crazy bunch we are, we said why wait until then, so we went at 12:30.  Linda did not drink and went to do the 1:00 tour, but the remaining twelve of us stayed and shared a couple of bottles of a nice wine recommended by the other Linda - she apparently knows the owners of Provisioner Wines.

When I went out for Shadow's morning walk on Friday Dec. 18, I discovered we had a man made flood - I think a water pipe burst.  The underground pipes for the sprinkler system is not buried very deep and the boxes where the valves are located expose pipes to the cold.  I think one froze and burst.

My mother's second husband, Francis, had three sons.  The youngest, Steve, and his wife, Linda, are 62.  Linda retired in the summer of 2014 and Steve retired this summer.  They spent the last year cleaning out their home in outside Tacoma.  Steve brought five truck and trailer loads of their stuff to Tucson during the last year, they sold their home in WA and were preparing to buy a home in Tucson for their retirement.  Unfortunately, Linda started having both mental and physical problems, and shortly after arriving in Tucson in October, fell and injured her back.  She was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with Stage Four cancer in her brain, spine, liver, lungs and adrenal gland.  At first, they thought they could transfer her back to a hospital in WA to be near friends and colleagues - but that fell through.  After surgery on her back, Linda was eventually transferred to a rehab center.  From there she had radiation therapy on the tumor on her brain.  She has not progressed well and will not live much longer.  Patty and I have visited several times.  On one of the visits, we took this photo of the three of us bald people.

Our family and friends continue to have more problems as we age.  Last week, Jane had surgery on her left arm/wrist to repair damage done when she fell this summer in Maine; today (Dec. 22) she is having a new cast put on her arm.  Shawn had work done yesterday to deal with kidney stones in both kidneys.  After a rough night at home, she was admitted to the hospital today; we hope to visit her later today.

Yesterday (Dec. 21) Patty and I hiked Phoenix Trail #308, the Lookout Mountain Circumferential Trail.  We made a few wrong turns that let us explore the area more and extend the hike.  We came across one of the trees that had been decorated for Christmas.

 

 We also came across an unusually shaped saguaro.

Today, Patty is packing for her trip to Ketchikan - it will be the first time since at least 2007 when the two of them will be together for Christmas.  It will also be Patty's first visit to Ketchikan.  I hope to get there in 2016.

Our last days in Kauai and return to the mainland, December 2 - 4, 2016

On Tuesday, we saw trees that we misidentified as breadfruit trees.  While out for my morning walk in Lydgate State Park, I learned that they are lauhala trees.  The green fruit is about the size of a pineapple and when overripe, the pieces fall off the fruit and look like large kernels of corn, about two inches long.

Megan, Patty and I went to Poipu Beach State Park to see the Hawaiian Monk Seals - while they appeared inert, even dead, as the signs noted they were alive and well.  They were roped off and volunteers protected them from all the spectators.

We then went to Spouting Horn State Park.  Here, the lava and soft rock forms these caves and holes that allow the waves to come in and spout up through the holes, with both water and sound.

 On Thursday, before our flight, we visited the Koloa Rum Co.

They distill a variety of rums from the cane sugar grown on the island and in the tasting room, they had free samples every half hour.  We got to taste five different rums.

Megan, Patty and I then went to the airport and had lunch, then flew to San Francisco and stayed at the Embassy Suites Hotel.  It is located on the waterfront and has a nice walking trail along the water, and great views of the planes landing and taking off from SFO airport.

On Friday, we had a great breakfast at the Embassy Suites, and then went to the airport and said our goodbyes.  Megan then flew north to Ketchikan and Patty and I returned to Phoenix.

Tuesday in Kauai, December 1, 2015

Our condo was next to Lydgate State Park which is at the mouth of Wailua River.  Before Ben and Martha left for the Big Island, the five of us took a short trip up the Wailua River and into the Wailua State Park.  As usual, chickens and roosters were everywhere.

We could both look down at where Hawaiians used to farm by the lowlands along the Wailua River, as well as an area with historical and religious significance up on the bluff from which we could look down on the river.

In such a lush, green environment that gets 40 inches of rain per year at the coast, and more as you go up in elevation, I was surprised to see agaves growing wild along the road.

We could see several waterfalls of the Wailua River.

We then took another road and went to the end to find Wailua Falls, which is in a different part of the Wailua State Park.

We then said goodbye to Ben and Martha as they left for the airport and their flights to the Big Island.  Megan, Patty and I continued on to Waimea Canyon State Park - another road that goes up into the interior and ends in the mountains in the park.  The park is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and my photos do not do it justice.  We stopped at all of the vistas, but because of the rain, we did not hike out on any of the trails - they were all mud, and here in the canyon is where the rainfall is about 400 (yes, four hundred) inches of rain per year.

From a couple of the lookouts, you could look west and see Niihau and Lehua islands.

Kalalau Lookout is the end of the trail.  Unfortunately, the weather was such that there was not much visibility when we looked west towards the ocean.

We then returned to the condo for a quiet dinner.