Happy Belated Birthday, Leslie!

I was texting with my friend Leslie yesterday; her birthday was on Saturday but she had just read the post where I wished her a Happy Birthday. Over the course of our 1&1/2 hour conversation she requested a photo of a surfer for her birthday; I told her I didn't have time to get to the beach to do that, but I could get a photo of a surfer's board. She said that would do! When you're stuck in 50 degree F days & drizzly weather until the end of May, even a suggestion of warm weather goes a long way! The Surfer, who is also a fellow walker, graciously gave me permission to photograph his board. I sent this to her this morning. She loved it!


On the drive up this morning I saw Mary and Paul & Bodhi on their way back hone; Ona & Rio were on their way up to the top for their walk. During my walk I saw Ona & Rio twice; once on the circle, then again as they headed back home. I saw Cody & Rollie with Suzanne, Joanne, & Diane as they were just starting the circle; I later saw them as they were making their way home down Lurline. As I approached the park, I saw Duke just sitting on the sidewalk; the garage door was open & he was watching his human. LaVie was walking through the park and did not see me; I saw Kavita as she was walking up along the east side of the park, I later saw her as she came back down Lurline. I saw Lynnette twice, once by the park and a 2nd time on Lurline as we both watched Mr. Plumpy Boo at the edge of the road. When he walked to the neighbor's driveway& did not look like he was turning around I went to his side of the road and started to lead him back down; Douglas appeared shortly after that looking for Mr. Plumpy Boo, he got home safely.

Seventeen minutes before sunrise on Waiʻalae.

Six minutes before sunrise at Maunalani.

Twenty minutes after sunrise on Sierra.

Mr. Plumpy Boo.

The moon was full at 3:34 this morning. The best photo op I had showing a really large moon was when I was driving up so I could not stop & get it. Aue! Here's what I was able to get.


I discovered I will not be able to document the decomposition of the pumpkins. The owner of the pumpkins is not as interested as I am in watching them return to the elements. Oh well. Yes, I know I could try it at Dad's house, but it is so much hotter & drier there the pumpkin would probably just desiccate & mummify! (Note to Self: Get a pumpkin as early as possible next year & carve it to look like a mummy.)


Dad was in bed eating breakfast this morning. He finished all of his fried egg sandwich as well as his papaya & banana. He drank 120 ml apple juice but no water. Then he went back to sleep. This is his usual pattern, I don't think the cellulitis in his left leg is making him more fatigued. In fact, he has had it since last Thursday and he was up & about for the Veterans Day celebration at Maunalani on Friday and ukulele session yesterday. He is also responding to the antibiotics so the area is less inflammed & looks a lot better today.

I did not see any regulars during my mid-morning walk. But I did see a bunch of helicopters flying easterly in formation; there were 21 of them. I believe 4 of them were Chinooks (the most common tandem rotor helicopter, so not a bad guess); the others were single rotor helicopters but no idea which one. They were kind of strung out in a line, unlike the parakeets I saw the other day. After all these years of observing nature as a kid, then later as a professional field biologist, and most recently just for fun, I am still in awe of how flocks of birds and schools of fish can move through space so closely & effortlessly without colliding with each other. Human actions are so pitiful!

A flock of 'copters?

When I walked by The Surfer's house there was a different board in the back of his truck! I wondered whether he was going out again later to a spot with different waves or if conditions had changed where he was earlier in the morning. Maybe I should start a series of photos of different boards? I wonder how many he has?


Lunch today was Sweet & sour pork, Steamed rice, Garden salad, Brown sugar coffeecake, and Egg drop soup. There were also cooked vegetables on my plate that weren't on the menu. CNA Charlie was handing out meals today, he brought mine with juice and water; the other CNAs know that I have my own water bottle. Dad ate all his 1/2 peanut butter & banana sandwich but only 1/2 of a piece of coffeecake. I gave Dad the cranberry juice & water that came with my meal; he drank 150 ml juice but no water. Dad started with the cranberry juice even though the apple juice was closer to him and on the side that he has less problems with arthritis impinging his movements; so I guess he likes cranberry juice better than apple juice. Or maybe he likes the red-colored juice better than the yellow-colored juice.


There are no weekly events that Dad likes to go to on Tuesday and there are no scheduled activities for him like a bath so I left a little early. And I also skipped the afternoon walk in order to run a couple errands; since Curtis is in Las Vegas I won't have this Friday off to run errands as I usually do and there were several I really needed to get done this week.

I thought I would hear from RevoluSun or Diamond Head Windows or both today about when installation of the solar PV or windows would be starting. But by 3 pm I had not heard from either of them so I started calling. I had to leave messages for both. I asked for a call back tomorrow on status.

The Roommates went to Sam's Club yesterday. The Potential Most Favorite Roommate called and asked if I wanted anything. I requested almond flour, if they could get if for less than $11.60 a pound. They got me a 3 pound bag for $14! I think the big difference is that the almond flour I got was organic, in a small bag, and from the co-op. The Roommate declined to be reimbursed for it; I shall make them a batch of low-carb Chocolate Chocolate Chip Macadamia Biscotti! I also make Fathead Pizza with the almond flour.

Cousin Wakana sent an email last night with photos. She had purchased Volume 2 of Shane Sato's book The Go For Broke Spirit and it arrived yesterday! She found the photo and write-up on Dad, took a photo, and sent it to me. It looks pretty cool! Can't wait to read what Shane wrote about him. (I also ordered a book but it hasn't arrived yet.)

(Photo by Wakana)

When I hooked the Fitbit up last night, the screen came on! Of course, the date and time were still wrong & it would not sync with my phone. After about 5 minutes the screen went black again. In spite of the blank screen, though, the alarm still went off! Aue! With a blank screen there is no "button" to push to turn it off! I tried pushing on the part of the screen the button would be on but that didn't work. I removed it from the charging cradle and let the battery die so I could sleep. I will try one more day to see if it returns to normal.

It should have said, "MON 11" and "1026".

I tried charging the Fitbit up again today. The green light on the back responded, but the screen was still blank. Since I'm not planning on replacing it, I'm not sure why I'm trying so hard to see if I can get it to work again! I guess its just my desire to repair things! (Not that plugging it in to the charging cradle is a "repair" or anything.) Maybe I should throw it in to a bag of rice?

Hauʻoli lā Hānau to Kai! I sent a birthday package off to him that was scheduled to arrive today; it was purely serendipitous! Also Hauʻoli lā Hānau to Carolyn & Nancy!