Post-Christmas relaxation

On the lanai with friends and family -- my mother Marge, friends Alex and Stephanie chatting with Tom ....enjoying the wonderful bouquet of proteus from friends Gail and Leon who joined us for dessert Christmas evening, watching the passing rain squalls, and of course, a spectacular sunset.

Christmas Holiday Wrap-up -- Mele Kalikimaka!

So the blog was ignored over the holiday. But the holiday was not. Christmas eve dawned with an unusual triple lenticular cloud hovering over the West Maui mountains.


But inside we were ready for a holiday with a few decorations


There were quiet moments reading on the lanai -- in shorts and T shirts!


an early morning walk to visit the neighborhood poinsettias that grow in gardens to large, tall bushes, and sometimes even trees


and many other flowers and plants

and of course, another killer sunset....

Home for the holidays....

Wednesday the 17th found us at the airport picking up my mother visiting from the Bay Area, and once we were home, welcoming friends Stephanie and Alex from Morro Bay, all for the holidays. It promises to be a quiet, warm and very relaxed holiday.

Cousin Jerry's 23 hours on Maui

Jerry and Cindy's trip from Illinois was delayed overnight by ice. Then when they were about to board their inter-island flight from Honolulu, Cindy felt ill and decided to return to their hotel. Jerry persevered, however, and arrived on Thursday at about 10:30 AM; we delivered him back to the airport about 8:30 the next morning. In the middle we got to the summit of Haleakala, made a rare nene sighting (the endangered Hawaiian state bird, a flightless goose found only on the slopes of Haleakala), lunch followed by a quick surfing viewing at Hookipa, a visit to Haycraft beach park -- donated to the state by an uncle of Jerry's mother (probably before ayone dreamed of what so much beachfront could be worth), dinner on the lanai, and a killer sunset. Whew!

Haleakala

The sunrise over Haleakala, with a storm approaching from the southwest.

Just can't see enough sunsets...

and like snowflakes, every one is different.

The tiniest bananas in the world...

...or at least, in our yard. (Yes, that's a nickel, for scale.)

These were at the very bottom of the stem of about 40 pounds of "normal" bananas.

From dawn....to dusk.....on our lanai.....

Remember those green bananas?

Our banana tree fell over, just before we thought the bananas should have been ready to eat. Knowing not too much about bananas, we sought the advice of our neighbor, who suggest we leave the stem of bananas attached to the tree for as long as possible. But the following Friday Al the mow and blow guy arrived, and had cut off the stem before I could ask him not to. Not to worry, says Al, juts hang them in the garage, and they will get ripe.

So we did. And they did. And a week after they were cut down, the bananas began to ripen, and fast. They were deep green when we hung them up. Friday morning they were light green, by late afternoon they were deep yellow, and we have been eating them and handing them off to neighbors and friends as fast as we can. These are the last survivors, and you can tell they are ready to go! And they taste bright and clean, almost citrus. Now, another year until the plant produces another stalk.

Checking out the new camera

Dinner at Sansei

A few of our favorite things....seared ahi salad, sushi, butterfry roll, warm chocolate cake and the infamous apple tart. Best enjoyed with friends and family.

Riveting tv football

Them Lutens on the lanai

watching the sunset.

Thanksgiving in Maui

Family, friends, food....
Dinner outside
Tom

Tom's sister Maggi
Maggi's husband Bill

Pre-dinner pupus on the lanai

Cindy

and Bill Hoff

Tom's brother Bob


Bob's wife LeeAnn
Bring on the turkey dinner






and Maggi again -- why not?