Tropical Cats and Dogs

Ever hear that expression 'raining cats and dogs'? Well, every trip we take to a beach destination, we see so many cats and dogs -- I think it MUST be raining them! And we usually manage to befriend a few furry types on each trip. Here are a few of our favorites over the years.

This little kitty always hung out at the old Angelo's location on Isla waiting for some shrimp!

Spot loved tocino at the French Bistro on Isla. Haven't seen him lately?

It was a cold and windy December night on Hidalgo for FeFe (or Pepe)!

Playa Indio Dog

Cocktail hour guests at Mar y Sol

The Kids always greeted us every sunrise at Luna Turquesa.

Craig and LoLo in Hanapepe, Kauai.

Morning walk friend at Anini Beach. Look at that smile!

Craig and his Posse at Moloa'a Bay

Remember the Caribbean Cafe dogs? Here they're both waiting patiently for a bite of Craig's steak!

And here's the Secreto couch potato cat from 2002. They hated that cat on that couch! :) But no matter how hard they tried, she wouldn't stay away. She'd found her rightful place in life. And you have to admit, she looks very charming curled up on that white couch.

Last, but certainly not least, we have Mrs. Stripe. I'd never felt very warm and fuzzy about any of the Stripe family. They used to hang out down around the Convention Center and Maria del Mar. On our last trip, Mrs. Stripe had made her home at Bally Hoo. She'd sometimes wander over to the table and Craig would scratch her head. A friend on Isla, and I won't name name's, calls the Stripes the mutant dogs. :)

A Couple of Beach Quotes

I love this beach quote! -- “Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.” Anonymous

Hideaways Beach, Kauai 2007

And this one's funny! --"A real friend is someone who takes a winter vacation on a sun-drenched beach and does not send a card.” Farmer's Almanac

Posada del Mar Beach, Isla Mujeres, 2005

Some Memorabilia from Grandma's Attic

One of my favorite places to play as a child was in my grandparents' upstairs closet. My grandparents lived in a small white cottage in the little town of Oswego, Kansas. My grandfather was forced into retirement in his early fifties by a heart condition that wasn't treatable at that time. Nowadays, they'd insert some stents and he'd be good to go, but back then, the remedy was retiring to a less stressful life. So my grandparents lived their later years in that small house surviving on a small social security pension, never having accumulated much after the Great Depression. But that didn't concern me at all. My grandmother made the best banana and coconut creme pies in town and let me eat it for breakfast when I stayed overnight! I spent most of my childhood sick days collapsed on the sofa in their small living room playing word games and school with my grandmother, who was trained as a teacher at a normal school in the early 1900's. And sometimes when I just wanted to escape life's trials (like a dental appointment), I'd walk over to Grandma's and hide out there!

A narrow wooden stairway with an old tacked carpet runner led to the upstairs, where the old wide wooden plank floors were painted that dusty old-fashioned pink. The second floor was one huge room with three (shabby chic) beds in separate alcoves, an old Singer treadle sewing machine with antique buttons in the drawers, and a big antique mahogany dresser with one of those secret hidden compartments. The closet was a tiny cubbyhole under the sloped roof of the attic, and it held all sorts of interesting items to keep a child entertained. I particularly loved the old Easter decorations, which included this little tin Easter basket that was filled with old marbles we used on the wooden hand-carved Chinese checker board.

The closet also contained my grandfather's old collar box. I'd take it downstairs so my grandmother could explain the various keepsakes inside. People at the turn of the 20th century were obviously much more formal. Among her memorabilia were all of her calling cards from high school. I was lucky enough to inherit my grandfather's calling card (Lucius Bowman) enclosed in the envelope which he had mailed to my grandmother (Lois Reasor). Notice my grandfather's handwriting on the card on the lower left. Men don't write like that anymore! On the right is a small invitation card to a birthday dinner in honor of a guy named C.H. Farley.

Also in that collar box were these three oval photos on metal. The back of each metal photo contains a small mirror. The oval on the upper left is my Aunt Betty, and my father is the toddler on the right. My grandmother and her sister are on the lower middle oval. My grandmother, on the left of that oval, is the person I most take after in the family.

One of my treasured photos is this postcard made during a trip to Kentucky to see family in the early 1900's. I think that's my grandmother on the front lower left. Her father's family and relatives were from Kentucky.

Here's another favorite photo postcard from that collar box. My dad said it was taken on a family trip back to Pennsylvania to visit relatives in the 1930's, but I'm not sure that's right. I can't imagine driving back East in that car? But whoever the woman is in the front seat, it looks like she has a small monkey sitting on her hat!

My brother recently mailed me the picture below. It's some type of celebration in the downtown area of Oswego, Kansas. The sign in the picture says National Good Roads, October 21, but I can't see a year. I'm assuming it was early 1900's because people are sitting in horse-drawn buggies in the picture. It appears that Fourth Street is still dirt, so they must have been celebrating good dirt roads!

Here's a picture of my grandparents at my parents' wedding in the 1940's. They both lived into their eighties despite their health problems, my grandfather dying four years before my grandmother. I think they were probably in their late fifties when this photo was taken.

In honor of my grandmother, here's a little encore of the Joy Joy Joy Kittens. It was one of her favorite Vacation Bible School songs!

A Little More Kauai Summer!

Snorkeling at Tunnels

Cloudy Hanalei Afternoon

Dog Day Afternoon

Anini Calm

Hawaiian Nene

Afternoon at Ke'e Beach

Hanalei Estate

All Dressed Up to Snorkel

Palms and Blue Sky

Hanalei Dog Walker

Kapa'a Surfer Dude

Kauai Zen

Surreal Palms

Morning at Hideaways

Lonely at Larsen's Beach

Queen's Bath

A Poipu View

Endless Summer, Part II

Remember my statement about the pool being permanently closed for the season due to frigid temps? Well, Craig didn't get the memo. Yesterday after we'd done a couple of hours of yardwork, he insisted on getting in the pool to cool down. Definitely crazy! Anyway, he deserves a standing ovation. The water temp is 69 degrees!



I think that deserves an encore presentation from The Sandals! Here are the boys playing the Wingnut's Theme.

Dia de los Muertos

Our local town has a large Hispanic population, so this weekend they held a Dia de Los Muertos event. We went down to check it out. There were lots of arts/craft vendors with some food booths and music. No altars, but I did take photos of some of the wonderful art!

Here's a You Tube video of Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca. Looks like it's a lot more elaborate. I'd love to see that someday! Maybe that's an item for my Bucket List!

Endless Summer?

Theme from Endless Summer, by The Sandals Band.

People from out of town think Phoenix has an endless summer, but that's not really true. This is Indian summer right now with shorter days and cool nights. The sunrises in the fall are really vivid! In another month, December will give way to much cooler daytime temps and it will stay that way through February. It won't be shorts weather! And temps in the 60's and 70's feel much cooler in the dry desert air. Especially if it's windy!

It's warm and sunny (highs in the low 90's) right now with overnight lows in the 60's. We seize that opportunity to sleep with the windows open! It's great to cover up with a quilt!

Saby's enjoying her time in the sun outdoors now that it's not as hot. She takes after me since we both love the sun!

Some of the plants have gone nuts now that they're not suffering from heat stroke. The torch glow bougainvilleas really seem to do well in the fall.

We don't follow daylight savings time in Arizona, but this weekend marks a big switchover for us. The electric company changes from summer to winter usage rates. Sounds mundane, but it's a big deal since the rates drop significantly in the winter. And now that the night time temps have dropped enough that we're not using much A/C, that damn electric bill will be a lot cheaper! Ahhhhhhhhh.

The forecast for next week includes high's in the 70's and lo 80's, so I think we're turning a corner. Now if it would just stay like this all year long! The only bummer is -- the pool is officially closed until April or May.

Well . . . if you don't mind swimming in 60 or 70 degree water, you're welcome to drop by for a swim! :)