Memorial Day, Time passes

Living at Kalama Heights with other seniors has good aspects, but I am a loner and need time in my room without socializing and needing to make small talk at meals. Susie has been going to Hawaiian Moons on her morning walks and brnging home healthy treats, but I am sorry I did not have any mangos from the trees on Kanoe Street.

It is warming up, and need to turn on the A/C in afternoons. Sleeping on the couch cannot be very comfortable, but at least she has had time walking by the ocean every morning. I have been able to walk further than I used to, but need to rest. We forget how beautiful Maui is until a visitor comes and opens our eyes. It has been lovely every day.

Susies visit Today

We headed down towards the ocean before breakfast. I wore my hat and shirt and carried my cane to help me, as I had not walked this far before recently. Bob Stone was sitting on his motor scooter watching the surfers at Cove Park. We crossed Kihei Road and then took the path by the sea I had walked so often in the old days. The sprinklers were off and the grass damp and the surf a challenge. Susie took pictures at various stages of this walk and tried to be helpful, but I knew this area, and the roots under the trees at Charlie Young Beach. A lovely day, but this was enough for today.. We headed back to Kihei Road, noticing Auntie Helen's old home and the parking lot. Not much traffic, so it was not hard to cross and get back to Kalama Heights. The bus stop is pretty delapidated, but someday I would like to walk there and use it. I have an ADA bus pass good for another year where I phone ahead for trip I want to take and time and place and they will pick me up and return me. It was good to see Mary Ann walking her dog as we first set off, using her walker to keep from being upset by her dog's strong pull. Also Leone was out for her daily walk with her caregiver, going at a good clip, and ended up back in the dining room of Kalama Heights ahead of me. Susie stayed with me until I was safely home, before going for a long walk and getting coffee. I am still learning how to do this and wanted to add photos

Susies Visit 2011

It is wonderful to have company and someone to encourage me to get out and go places and get caught up. She had five days in a guest room on 3rd floor, but has been with me in my studio apartment since last Saturday Time flies, and she is enjoying the sun and going out every morning with my camera to bring back scenes of sand, sea and sky, as well as whatever catches her eye. She does not have the stuff I take for granted, including a shower or TV, but a laptop computer, which she uses to play games and watch shows. We have been having Netflix movies nearly every day, from ones she chose and some from my list. I enjoyed walking with her one morning to Foodland and have coffee where she usually goes.
I am learning how to use my computer, and hope to write blogs daily, so this is sort of practice.
Living in Watsonville is often cool and damp, and she works hard at Mount Madonna, and keeping in touch with Ray in Santa Cruz Sunshine Villa. She had a photo of him with his beard and long hair - I would not have recognized him.
We are lucky to live in Kihei where every day is beautiful, and I enjoy my life.

Artists Day - Val takes us to Keanae Mon.

What a perfect day, such as I had dreamt of doing as an Artists Day Off years ago. Val picked us up in her little red car at 10:30, got some petrol and made a quick stop for me to deposit a check in my bank, and we were off. We headed to Haiku and lunch at Colleen's where Celeste King took me when she lived in Haiku. I love the high ceilings, the large mirrors, and delicious healthy food (fish tacos)..Val's car was comfortable and her driving superb as we went on our way on Hana Highway, past Huelo, past the rainbow eucalyptus in a beautiful stand. It had been years since I had been so far from my base in Kihei, and it felt wonderful to realize what a beautiful world we have on the road to Hana. I had forgotten the Scout camp at Keane and the Arboretum where we once walked. Bamboo is overgrowing native vegetaion, but the many shades of greens in the forest, the dark spaces and tall trees. The road was so improved since my last trip many years ago. There were many pullouts to let people pass. Traffic was light. Then we came to Keanae where I remembered picknicking once. Jill Christierson lived here and had Harry Mitchell's Hawaiian daughter, and the surf and colors were so beautiful.
Susie took alot of photos, and another visitor insisted on taking a shot of the three of us.
It was a long time sitting, but the destination was worth it and I can remember how wonderful this part of the island is, how clean the air, and how total relaxing. I felt renewed and refreshed after going over 90 miles all together. Val gave us a wonderful treat, away from routine.

Sunday in Kihei

Susie and I walked to Foodland around 7 am to see how far I could walk, and explore the world outside Kalama Heights. It was a beaultiful day, and I had my cane and a hat and a bag. We met Joan Aurieamma also walking for exercise with a cane, and we may try to get together to go places on the handicap bus someday. The ocean was beautiful, but we stuck to the shops and the sidewalk without crossing Kihei Road. there were lots of people eating breakfast at Kihei Caffe, where Helen used to go. At Foodland the same bag lady who has helped put your purchases into a bag has been there for 23 years, and enjoys her job. I was glad to see watermelons and grapes and grapefruit, and bought a few things. Susie usually crosses Kihei Road at the stoplight to get by the ocean as she drinks her coffee, but I wanted to sit and watch the people and traffic and rest before heading home. There were no mangos on the gate waiting to be picked up, so we headed back to Kalama Heights where SuAnn Taylor and George were still finishing the fancy breakfast at 9:15. It felt good to walk and get outside and I hope to do it again, maybe walk to the beach for a change and enjoy the beauty of Maui.