Subliminal Intervention

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

2012-01-25T23:18:00.002-10:00

Well, you may have noticed my lack of activity on here as of late. Believe me, it isn't because I've had a lack of material. In October I went home to Colorado because my little sister was about to have a baby, and I wanted to be there for both the baby shower and the birth, which were scheduled about a month apart. Long story short, I went to Colorado, endured some family drama, saw my sister showered with presents like I have never seen, took some time to go visit an old friend in Ohio, spent some time with my parents, and managed to be there when my beautiful sister gave birth to her first-born son, James. Things didn't go quite as planned-James wasn't on quite the same page as the rest of us-but in the end, everyone emerged slightly overwhelmed, but happy and healthy overall, and what more can you ask for?

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-January 2012

2012-01-15T15:13:00.000-10:00

Happy New Year to all you Garden Bloggers out there (and to anyone else who stumbles upon this post)!
If you are paying any sort of attention at all (and thank you so much if you are) you may have noticed that I haven't garden blogged (or blogged at all for that matter) since September. I wasn't here during October and November, and I totally forgot about GBBD in December until the very end of the day. So, I did get out and get some pictures for my records, but I just wasn't up to putting together a post.

Well, it's a new year and time to get back in gear, right? OK!

Leading that charge are my little tomatoes. I don't know what variety they are, but they grow wild out here, and they are teeny tiny, about 1/2" in diameter when ripe. Left unchecked, these plants will sprawl in a most unruly manner. Maybe the pot will contain this one a little.

One of my favorite blues, Lobelia.

One of my most reliable volunteers, snapdragons.

Hardy Ice Plant (Delosperma) always adds a nice splash of color.

This little guy made a surprise appearance the other day. I planted this Gazania sometime last April or May, and since then it has been hanging on, but just barely. It puts out a few sad, spindly leaves here and there, but I wasn't sure if it was going to bloom again. I didn't even see the bud sneak up, just walked out one day and, lo and behold, there it was!

When I got back home in November, after a 6-week absence, this lavender was looking a little...mostly dead. I wasn't sure if it was going to make a comeback or not, but a little pruning and a little water, and it has made a spectacular comeback.

My Alyssum are flourishing in the pot with my lemon tree.

For sentimental reasons, this Clerodendrum quadriloculare is one of my favorite plants. The leaves are a dark green on top and purple on the bottom, and it grows like a weed. Literally. I have to pull up runners from all over my yard, but I wouldn't dream of getting rid of it.

I have two smallish pots out on my back lanai, under our awning. One drains, one doesn't-I can only assume this means that one pot has a crack in it and the other one doesn't. Anyway, the non-draining pot gets a little swampy in the winter months, and the miniature roses that I've always keep in those pots don't always fare so well. Finding myself in need of yet another miniature rose, I spied these Fiesta Olé ™ Purple Stripe Double Impatiens. They have the same general look and feel of miniature roses, but they are good in the shade and need lots of water. Perfect! So far (2 months?) they are proving to be pretty hardy.

My Euphorbia leucocephala-this plant is on my back lanai as well, getting more shade than the ones in my front yard, and is in the prime of its winter white.

This one is in my front yard and starting to fade a little. Amazing how much difference location can make.

Although not my favorite plant, I do love the flowers on my Lantana. There's something whimsical about them that I find charming.

Chive flowers are understated but kind of pretty in their own right.

Even with all the things blooming in my yard, sometimes I break down and buy flowers at the store. When I discovered this composition on my counter today, it made me laugh. It seems the people in the house are not the only ones who like wine!

Another store purchase to brighten up the powder room.

Thanks to everyone who went on this garden tour with me, and thank you, as always, to our Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Head on over there and see what else is blooming today!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-September 2011

2011-09-16T14:27:00.000-10:00

Well, it appears that I have, officially, missed GBBD which is hosted on the 15th of every month over at May Dreams Gardens. I am not going to let that stop me though!

As it turns out, one extra day was all that my rose needed to open up all the way, so I think it was meant to be.

"Mardi Gras (Jacfrain)"

This is not necessarily the best picture that I got of my plumeria, but it is the best picture that I got with Mocha lounging stealthily in the background.

My Ice Blue plumbago blooms all the time, and so the poor thing hardly ever gets a shout-out here, but these are the first blooms that it has put on since the severe pruning that it got last month, so I figured I would show them off here.

I still have one tiny patch of lobelia that is hanging in there.

My Hardy Ice Plant is shrugging off this hot end-of-summer weather we've been having without even breaking a sweat.

My snap dragons look like they're having to put forth a little more effort, but they still have a few blooms hanging on as well.

My recently-planted lavender is showing itself to be quite hardy so far. It survived the transplant and subsequent heat wave/lack of rain/poor watering skills of its owner to come back with a whole new blush of flowers in the last few days. I almost clipped all the stalks off after they bloomed, but I'm glad I didn't. As you can see on the middle flower, the new growth appears at the tips, on top of the spent blooms.

My golden shrimp plant, whom I have dubbed Bob Fosse (see last month's post and comments). Jazz haaaands!

My red ginger has gone from one big bloom to several smaller ones. I am following its development for an upcoming Progression Obsession post.

Of the 15 spider lilies that I have in my yard, this is the only one blooming right now.

My rosemary is blooming more than usual.

My orchid has taken a little time off, but it's getting ready to come back to work.

And, as always, my Blue Daze could be counted on to make an appearance, even if this was the ONLY bloom it had to show today.

As always, thanks to Carol for providing an excuse for all of us gardeners to get out into our gardens and show off our prized ~~possessions~~ companions.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-August, 2011

2011-08-15T15:40:00.003-10:00

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, Everybody! With our yard freshly pruned and August being one of the hottest driest months around here (unless we're getting rain from passing tropical storms) I wasn't sure what I was going to find today, but I managed to do OK!

Probably suffering the most from the recent lack of rain (and my poor watering skills) is my Evolvus glomeratus (Blue Daze), but shriveled or not, it's still putting out some lovely color.

Winning the award for "Best Attendance" is my golden shrimp plant, Pachystachys lutea. It always shows up, never complains, and gets the job done with nice flair but little drama. If I had to hire any of the plants in my yard, this would be the one.

To be fair, my lantana probably does the same thing, but it's always buried under my variegated hau plants, where I can't see it.

I have a few red gingers that are in pretty nice form today. They show up pretty consistently as well, but sometimes they look like they need to go back home, put on a clean shirt, and comb their hair. Not really "front of the house" material, I'm afraid.

My white spider lily, Crinum asiaticum, was among the plants that got a pretty severe pruning yesterday, but the flowers are hanging in there.

The creamy white flowers and the pretty pink bracts of my bouganvillea come in a close second for "Best Attendance".

I've still got a few snapdragons...

...and some lobelia.

Another victim of the severe pruning, my variegated hau is being a real trooper, seeing as how these are the trimmings that are sitting in our truck bed, waiting to be hauled away.

The newest addition to my yard, lavender. I love the smell, but I can only seem to pick it up peripherally. If I stick my nose right into the leaves or flowers, I can't smell anything, but as soon as I start to move away, I can catch a faint waft.

Although they're not much to look at, the night-blooming jasmine comes to life at night and often fills the whole front of our house with its heady aroma.

This poor little guy, Cuphea hyssopifolia (False Heather/Mexian Heather/Hawaiian Heather) rarely gets any love, even though it blooms year-round. It tends to get a little leggy and overwhelmed by all the things that are planted above it.

You know I'm getting desperate when I start taking pictures of my rosemary.

I love the hot pink and bright yellow of my hardy ice plant.

This time last month, my Agapanthus was just getting ready to bloom, and I was wondering what the weird little nubbins were that were sticking out about half-way down the stem.

Well, it turns out they were fairly normal flowers-to-be.

Possibly my most mysterious bloomer is my Texas sage. Like the drought-tolerant, desert plant that it is, it seems to go from zero flowers to fully-formed, open flowers overnight. I have yet to watch a bud develop on this plant. I think I might have to schedule a watering and photography stake-out some day to see how these flowers appear. If I do, you know I'll post the riveting results here!

I hope you managed to find something blooming in your August gardens and that you didn't pass out from the heat while looking. To see what others found blooming in their yards today, visit our Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host, Carol, at May Dreams Gardens. Thanks, Carol!

What I'm Reading Now-That Day in September

2011-08-11T02:57:00.003-10:00

That Day in September by Artie Van Why--When the author contacted me with a request to review his book, I was immediately interested because I've never really read anything about September 11th. I mean, of course I've read news articles, seen survivor and hero stories on TV, and I've seen the events of that day incorporated into other literature; but I've never really read any stories about what it was like just to be there that day as an ordinary citizen. Artie Van Why didn't miraculously escape from above the wreckage, he didn't heroically save anybody's life, and he didn't lose anybody close to him that day. Like so many other New Yorkers, he was just there, living his life like he always did, and then the world changed. He witnessed all the terrible things and felt all the shock and confusion that everybody else did, and this is his story about that day.

The book is short--only 87 pages--and Van Why manages to give enough background information for the reader to get a feel for who he is and how he ended up where he did that day without overshadowing the rest of the story. The first few chapters switch back and forth between the author's background story and the events of September 11th, and I didn't feel like it flowed well; I think he would have done better to stick with a strict chronological telling of the story, but this was a minor sticking point with me, nothing irrecoverable.

I think this story will resonate with a lot of people. People who weren't there can still relate to the feelings of shock and disbelief, the helplessness we all felt watching the events unfold on the television. I think at some point, we've all wondered (and then failed to adequately imagine) what it was like to be there...and then put it out of our minds and gone about the rest of our day. Artie Van Why was there, and he wasn't able to put it out of his mind. Initially, he performed his story as a one-man theater piece; this was his way of telling his story, getting it all out there, connecting with others who couldn't forget. Eventually, he turned his story into a book, in part to make sure that the rest of us don't forget either.

Something that surprised me was that the author managed to bring this story home for me in a way that nothing else ever really has, and it was through the small detail of describing the World Trade Center plaza where he used to take his lunch breaks or drink his morning coffee. I've never been to New York, so the only mental images I have are of the hustle and bustle of New York--the tall buildings, all the people on the sidewalks, the cabs, Wall Street. With all its millions of fashionable, never-sleeping, corporate-lunching people, New York always seemed so other-worldly. Eating lunch in a plaza, enjoying a few minutes of sunshine, watching the tourists take in the sights that you've come to regard as part of everyday life? I could relate to that; I finally had a way to relate New York life to my island life and suddenly I could really imagine the contrast of living your life one minute and the world falling down around you the next in a way that I hadn't been able to before.

While this book certainly serves as a reminder of the tragedy of that day, I was struck by the fact that it also serves as a reminder of how much we all pulled together as a nation. Although Van Why didn't set out to chronicle any particular heroism, he still managed to highlight the ways in which the citizens of New York reached out to one another to show support in a thousand little ways. Everybody came together as neighbors, as fellow citizens and united in support of one another. Looking around at the political climate in the country right now, I feel like we have fallen so far from that, and Van Why's book serves as a good reminder that we're all in this together and maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a little better care of each other while we're all still here.

As the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks approaches, I think this would be a fitting book to read as a tribute to those who died, to those who lost loved ones, to those who tried to save them, and to all the people who were there that day to witness all the tragedy first-hand.

Thank you to Artie Van Why for sending me a copy of his book. For more information about the author and his book, you can visit his Facebook page, his Amazon author page, and his Goodreads page.

Will You be my Friend?

2011-07-26T19:28:00.001-10:00

Wherein I Summarize my Previous Whiny Post and Ask for Your Help

2011-07-23T02:59:00.001-10:00

OK, so, I sat down to write a book review and it quickly devolved into me whining about how I get a lot of headaches because I spend too much time in front of the computer because I have no discipline. This has resulted in increasingly longer periods of absence from the blogosphere, and it makes me feel like a bad blogger. As nerdy as it sounds, I came to the conclusion that I need to draw up an actual schedule for myself and stick to it because otherwise I am too dumb to not keep giving myself headaches.

Here's where I could use your help though, fellow bloggers. Does anybody else out there do this? How do you break up your time? Do you break up your on-line activities by day--writing blog posts on Monday, reading/commenting on blogs on Tuesday, running errands on Wednesday, catching up on current events/news on Thursday, etc.--or do you do all of these in a day and just allow, say a certain amount of time for each? Any other hints, tips, or tricks?

As a good-faith gesture (Ha! I almost typed "good-faith jester), I am going to hit "Publish" and then I am going to walk away from the computer for the night instead of starting in on the book review that I didn't get done earlier. Even though I really just want to get the review done now that I've finally decided to buckle down and do it. 'Cause, you know, there's no telling when I'll get back to it now...see, this is how I get myself into trouble.

OK, I'm going.

Trying to Find Balance...and a Little Bit (OK, a lot) of Whining

2011-07-23T02:52:00.000-10:00

Seriously, this is long and whiny, and I'm going to post a two-sentence (OK, maybe two-paragraph) summary here in just a minute anyway; but if you feel like sticking with it, enter at your own risk.

Wow, I just realized that I am over half-way through my reading year...well, half-way through the year, period, but...anyway, I have only reviewed four books this year. That's pitiful. I just haven't been very motivated to do any reviews lately. Part of it is probably because I haven't read that many books that I feel all that strongly about; but, also, I have been having a really hard time being a good judge of how much time I spend in front of the computer, and I keep debilitating myself with headaches.

The thing is, I can feel when I've been sitting in front of the computer for too long--I start getting this weird eye pressure and pain between my eyebrows and it sort of wraps all the way around to the back of my head--and I know I should stop then, but if I'm in the middle of blogging, I'll try to finish my post or I just want to check this one more thing on email or I just need to work a little bit on this spreadsheet or I'm just going to catch up on a couple more blogs and wait! What's this headline about?? Etc.

The other thing is, I think the eye pain sets in a lot like other muscle aches. You know how you get that two-day soreness after you've worked out really hard? Like, the day you workout, you might feel really exhausted, but you're not really sore and the next day you're starting to feel it a little bit and by the next day, you can't get your own cereal because it's inside the top cabinet, and it hurts to reach up and open the door? I think it's kind of like that. I'll over do it one day, and the next day I'm like, Hey, I feel OK, I'm going to go sit in front of the computer some more or, worse yet, play on the iPad for a little while (add a teeny tiny bit of nausea to the above symptoms...yeah, I know!); and then the next day, I'm out with a dull ache in between my eyes for an entire day. Sometimes it gets so bad that I actually can't physically exert myself at all because it just intensifies the headache so much. And I mean AT ALL. Like, the pressure required to squeeze the handles on my pruning shears to trim my flowers causes the blood going to my head to throb and exponentially increase the pain in my head.

I know there is an easy solution for this: Don't spend so much time in front of the computer. It's just such a vicious cycle though. If I'm out of commission for a day or two with a headache, I might be pretty good at staying away from the computer for an additional day or two after that, but then I feel like I have to catch up, so the next time I sit down at the computer, I'm behind on my blog and I want to catch up on the news and I want to see what's going on with my stocks and I need to see what everyone's up to on Facebook and Twitter and, now, Google+, and, Oh! Headache!

I think part of the problem is also my prescription for my glasses. I need to get in to my optometrist and see if he can tweak my glasses a little bit, and that's another thing I hate doing. Just once, ONCE, I'd like to get a new pair of glasses or contacts and have them be right the first time. The optometrist can only fiddle around with my prescription so much, and at some point I might just have to go back to the ophthalmologist for a whole new round of, "Which one is better, A or B?...A?...or B?" "They're both about the same." "No, one of them should definitely be better." "OK, let me see them again...." "Don't think about it; just answer." Well, let's see, if I stare at the screen without blinking, it's A. If I blink, it's B. If I blink a couple times in rapid succession, it's A...or B. I DON'T KNOW! THEY BOTH LOOK THE SAME! WELL, OK, NOT THE SAME, DIFFERENT, BUT NOT IN A BETTER/WORSE KIND OF WAY, JUST IN A ONE'S-BLURRIER-IN-A-DIFFERENT-WAY KIND OF WAY AND IF I ANSWER THIS WRONG I'LL HAVE TO WALK AROUND FOR A COUPLE WEEKS FEELING LIKE SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO PULL MY LEFT EYEBALL OUT OF MY HEAD WHILE ALSO TWISTING IT JUUUUUST A LITTLE BIT!

And if any of you well-meaning people out there pop in with a "Why don't you just get LASIK?" I will come through the screen and punch you in the face. Nothing personal. I know all the same people you do who have had it done and have said it's the best thing they've ever done EVER; I'm just not ready to have anybody laser my eyeball open just yet, OK?

So, vision issues aside, I'd appreciate any advice. Although mine are largely self-inflicted, I know I'm not the only one with issues balancing virtual and real life. I could just sit down, write my blog, post my tweets, and leave, but that just seems rude. Besides, where's the fun in that? I want to read your blogs and follow your interesting links and leave comments on your posts too. (And, OK, yes, have you do the same for me!) How do I do all that without making myself miserable? I know it's mostly just an issue of discipline--I just need to say, "OK, one hour(...or whatever) today and that's it!" but the question is, what do I do in that one hour? Do I only visit my book bloggers on Monday and my garden bloggers on Tuesday and work on my personal stuff (spreadsheets, email, etc.) on Wednesday and blog on Thursday? What about all the interesting articles that crop up throughout the week? I can't save all those for one day because then I'm back sitting in front of the computer for 8 straight hours, catching up on the week's events. Then I'm out of commission for a few days, everything backs up, and it's right back to...here.

OK, I've realized that as nerdy as it sounds, I think I AM going to have to actually make a schedule for my virtual life and try to stick to it.

Wow. Congratulations to anyone who made it all the way through this. Believe it or not, this started out as a book review. Ha! All this stuff has been going around in my head for a long time now, but actually sitting down and putting into words helps me think through it. Thanks, and I'm sorry.

June 2010 Vacation Cont'd: Yosemite-Day Two, Part Two: Mostly Waterfalls

2011-07-16T13:28:00.000-10:00

After we left the Mariposa Grove, we headed back toward Yosemite Valley so that we could take the same pictures that at least 800,000 other people probably took that day! But, hey, it's worth taking, especially when you have a beautiful clear day like we did. This is the Tunnel View...view.

That's El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, and Half Dome tucked away in the back.

Driving from Tunnel View back into Yosemite Valley, we saw a bear.

Hello, Mr. Bear!

And a bunch of other stunning sights...most of them waterfalls, apparently.

Ribbon Fall from Southside Dr.

Bridalveil Fall from Southside Dr.

Yosemite Falls (Upper and Lower) (and lots of mosquitos) from Southside Dr.

Yosemite Falls from Lower Yosemite Fall Trail

Lower Yosemite Fall

Yosemite Creek

My "This is beautiful, but I'm about ready to go." face.

I don't think we got any pictures of Horsetail Fall, but if it had looked this this, we definitely would have! Wow.

And that concludes the Yosemite portion of our summer vacation. From here we spent the night back in Mariposa, then got on the road to Sacremento to catch our return flight to HNL. For a trip that was largely unlplanned, this turned out to be a great vacation.

(If you're like me, you'll go crazy combing through this post, trying to figure out what point D corresponds to. It doesn't correspond to anything. I just had to put that in there as a waypoint to get my route to come out correctly. I apologize for any distress this might have caused!)

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-July 2011

2011-07-15T11:11:00.000-10:00

Well, somehow I managed to completely miss last month's GBBD. I don't know what happened--it just went right past me without even stopping to say hi. I waved at it and everything, but it was gone; it wasn't going to turn around just for little ol' me. But here I am today, and here it is, so here we go!

First, my miniature rose, which hasn't bloomed in months, finally made an appearance just in time for today's photo shoot!

I was surprised to see my bleeding heart, Clerodendrum thomsonae, preparing to bloom a few days ago since just a few days before that, I was thinking about pruning it back pretty severely. Maybe it picked up on my mood and decided it had better get it in gear before it got cut back to a nub.

This belongs to my purple plant that I don't know the name of, you know the one that I watched unfold from a kidney bean.

As always, my golden shrimp plant, Pachystachys lutea. Or as my young friend Abbi would say, SHRIMP PLANT! (That's a play on the enthusiasm she expressed for the shrimp trucks when her family was out here on vacation. Any time the topic of meal time came up, Abbi would interject her opinion, which was always, "SHRIMP TRUCK!")

I think my ice blue plumbago is blooming like it has never bloomed before, perhaps because I haven't attacked it and cut it back to a nub lately.

My intensely blue lobelia continues to gain ground amongst the Sweet Alyssum in my lemon tree pot.

My crape myrtle, which only blooms once a year, showed up right on time for Bloom Day as well. I thought it was blooming early this year, but it turns out, it was just blooming late last year. July seems to be its normal bloom time.

In a thoughtful effort of color coordination, these volunteer snapdragons put themselves in the same pot as my crape myrtle. Didn't they do a nice job?

More lobelia. Man is it hard to get this color to show up accurately! Anybody have any tips?

I don't know what is going on with my Agapanthus, but apparently it's been going on for a while now. See the weird little collection of buds below the main group? Below, you can also see a couple tiny little buds sticking out about half-way down the stem. What is that?

Of all my most recent acquisitions, my hardy ice plant seems to be holding on the best.

Peeking out from the middle of all those leaves, watching over everything from the top of our rock wall is the yellow flower of my variegated hau, Hibiscus tiliaceus.

Thanks for joining me on this fine July day! To see what else is blooming around the world, please visit our host, Carol, over at May Dreams Gardens.

June 2010 Vacation Cont'd: Yosemite-Day Two: Big Trees!

2011-07-14T13:19:00.002-10:00

Okay, back to our tour of Yosemite! We had talked about visiting the Sequoia National Forest and/or Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park on this trip, but that proved to be just a little too far out of the way for us, so we were psyched when we found out that there are sequoias in Yosemite! Who knew? Well, probably lots of people, but still. It was a happy surprise for us! So, after a nice rest in Mariposa (point C on the map below), it was back into the park and down to Mariposa Grove (point E) (Don't worry about point D--it doesn't correspond to anything.) Parking was full, so we were looking at having to park and walk a fair distance. Luckily, a shuttle bus came by just about then, and we were able to jump on. Yay!

Once we got up to the grove, we did what we never do, and jumped on one of the trolley tours.

This way we knew we would get to see the whole grove, make it back in time to catch the shuttle bus back down to our car, and still have time to check out the park some more. Although we would have liked more time to meander among the trees, this was still a nice tour. We did get to stop and walk around at a couple different locations.

We even saw a deer! I would have gotten a cool shot of him (her? I can't tell) framed up in the burned out portion of the tree, but when the other people with cameras started running toward him to get a picture, he took off. Go figure. See what I mean about people ruining my wilderness?

Anyway...we saw a deer! And the Grizzly Giant.

See that giant limb on the left? It is 6+ feet in diameter! I feel so insignificant! (By the way, this shot of me would have been centered better on the tree, but someone started running after me with a camera and a got spooked and started shuffling off to the side.)

From here we left to head back into the valley to see what else there is to see. Join me tomorrow for the wrap-up.

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June 2010 Vacation Cont'd: Yosemite-Day One: Orientation

2011-07-13T09:50:00.000-10:00

After a stunning lead-up to Yosemite National Park, we were starting to get excited. If it was this pretty on the way to Yosemite, Yosemite itself must be amazing. And it was.

We came in on the eastern side of the park, from Lee Vining (see map below, point A), and even though it was toward the end of June, there was still plenty of snow and ice floating in the water. After about half-an-hour of driving, we caught our first glimpse of one of Yosemite's famous landmarks, Half Dome.

Wait, where is it?

Oh, okay, got it.

Along with Half Dome, we saw some more impressive cloud formations.

So, after this, our first official sight-seeing stop in Yosemite, we wound our way down into Yosemite Valley (point B). Somewhere along the way, we detoured and found the sad remains of a forest fire.

Upon closer inspection though, it was clear that this area was making a comeback, slowly but surely.

By the time we got into Yosemite Valley (map), it was nice and warm and not snowy. And packed to the gills. Oh my God. I hate people in my wilderness, and this place was swarming with them! Seriously. The area is beautiful, but once you get into the heart of the valley, where all the lodging, shopping, and food is, it is absolutely stressful. Maybe the newly implemented park and ride program will help with some of this, but I think it is still going to be chaotic. If we had driven straight into this (i.e., entered the park from the west side), I think our whole trip would have been tainted. I don't know if we would have even come back the next day. (Okay, we totally would have because they have sequoias, and we wanted to see those, but otherwise, we totally wouldn't have come back. Maybe.)

It was sort of late in the day by the time we made it into the valley, and we needed to figure out where we were sleeping that night, so we didn't spend a lot of time looking around, but we knew we wanted to come back the next day.

Let me take a minute to say this: Accomodations in Yosemite are no joke. You had better have a plan if you are going there for a visit, at least during the peak season. There was no lodging available in the park, AT ALL. We ended up having to drive almost 30 miles west to the town of Mariposa (point C), and I think we literally found the last room that they had avaialable in town. There were a few sketchy looking motels along the way that we didn't bother to check with, and they may have had some availability, but I'm guessing not. The upside was, we really enjoyed Mariposa. It's a cute little town, and we had some awesome pizza from the the Pizza Factory. I appreciate a place that doesn't mess around with their toppings. I ordered pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms, and you couldn't even see the pepperoni for all of the olives and mushrooms!

Tomorrow we'll go back into the park to check out the trees, and you know I love me some giant trees!

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June 2010 Vacation Cont'd: Jacksonville to Yosemite

2011-07-12T12:12:00.003-10:00

Now that I have finally updated you on the rest of last year's mainland summer vacation, it's time to start wrapping it up with our trip to Yosemite. Like me, I'm sure you've seen pictures or video of Yosemite on TV, online, in your friends' vacation photos, etc., but I'm telling you right now, unless you've been there, you have no idea how spectacular it is!

We drove from Jacksonville, OR back to Sacramento, CA, and on the way, we decided to stop through Yosemite--might as well, right? It was a little bit out of the way, but not nearly as out of way as it would be once we got back to Hawaii! We had a nice view along the way. Nothing special, nothing special, then, ooh! Something pretty is coming into view!

Well, hello, Pretty!

After our scenic drive past Mt. Shasta, we continued on the eastern route, which would take us through Carson City, NV. Along the way, we went through Lassen Volcanic National Park. I'm sure if we'd had time to stay there and explore it a little bit, we would have loved it, but it was sort of a half-assed decision to go there, and we ended up just staying there the night, camping with 53 of our closest friends, you know, exactly the type of camping I don't like, and by the time we got back on the road the next day, we were both just...grumbly. We were wondering if maybe we'd made a mistake, tacking on this extra portion of the trip.

At some point, something shifted, and by the time we came around to Honey Lake, we were in a better mood. This is a dry lake, something I'd never seen before, and it was surprisingly pretty. It's hard to describe, and it's one of those things that doesn't show up all that well in pictures, but the whole thing had a soft, pretty feel to it that was completely different from everything else we'd been seeing.

A little ways past the lake, dust devils started kicking up like crazy in front of the mountains.

A little further on, and we were starting to see some interesting cloud action and hints of more mountains on the horizon.

And, we didn't realize it at the time, but we were getting our first glimpses of Yosemite

A little further on, we'd passed through Stanislaus National Forest (OMG, longest URL ever!), and after a few more bends in the road, the mountains were getting closer and now we had a beautiful view of Mono (rhymes with "oh no") Lake as well. Mono Lake is a saline lake (roughly three times as salty as the ocean), and, among other things, it is home to about eight hundred bazillion alkali flies. When I first heard about this, it sounded disgusting, but now that I've read a little bit about them, I have to admit, I'm kind of intrigued.

For some much more stunning photography that probably was not shot out of a rental car window, please check out the two short promotional films that have been put together to promote this beautiful area.

We knew that Yosemite would probably be amazing, but we had no idea that our drive there would be so spectacular. Every place that we drove through had a beauty all its own. If you're thinking about a road trip, you could do worse than this.

View Larger Map

Tomorrow: Yosemite!

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

2011-07-10T12:00:00.000-10:00

I love the redwoods. I explained why when I wrote about our August, 2008, visit. I won't go into all of it again, but I will say that I am continually amazed when I am in their presence. Like anything else, I suppose if you live in a coastal redwood area, you might grow accustomed to the grandeur that surrounds you, but for me, I never stop saying, "Look at THAT tree!" "Ohmygosh! Look at THAT one!" "Look at how tall THAT one is!" "Wow, that tree is HUGE!" The fact that they all start out like this is even more amazing. (Yes, this picture is as close-up as it appears to be.)

I won't bore you with the nearly 400 pictures from our June, 2010, trip to Humboldt Redwoods State Park (map here), most of them of trees, but here are a few highlights. Hubby on the bridge below for scale.

This four-sided fireplace stands in the California Federation of Women's Clubs Grove, and is one of the many things to see along the Avenue of the Giants.

Here's some information about its designer, Julia Morgan (click to enlarge):

Scale is always hard to capture in pictures, but the fireplace is huge, as is this picnic table that is situated next to it.

For scale, here is a normal-sized picnic table.

I thought it was funny that in the middle of the giant picnic table, surrounded by giant trees, was this little oasis of teeny tiny plants.

Just down the road from our camp, was the Cuneo Creek Horse Group Camp. We hiked over there from our Hamilton Barn camp one day. We picnicked and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and chatted with the camp host. I didn't know there were such things as camp hosts, but this seems like a great way to see some beautiful places at a minimal cost.

One of the last hikes that we did was up to Look Prairie. There is, as the name suggests a large prairie area, which is a nice contrast to all the forest.

Along the trail, we found these crazy-looking little sombrero flowers. I have no idea what they are, but I would be remiss if I didn't include them here, seeing as how Hubby spent a good 10 minutes trying to get a good shot of one for me.

Although there were a lot of burned areas, some of which weren't too pretty, overall this was a beautiful hike, and the charred remains managed to highlight the beauty of what remained.

We hiked all around the Humboldt Redwoods State Park area, checking out all the shorter little loop trails and groves along with some of the longer trails, like the Bull Creek Trail North and South (loop) which took us across the Eel River. That water was cold, but boy did it feel good to stick our feet in it about half-way through the trail!

I can't recommend this area highly enough. If you've never seen the coastal redwoods, put it on your list of things to do. If camping's not your thing, that's OK; you can easily tour the redwoods by car. Driving through is still impressive, but do stop along the way to walk among the giants.

Where do People from Hawaii go to Vacation?

2011-07-07T05:45:00.001-10:00

I get asked this question on a fairly regular basis, and the answer, mostly, is Vegas. We, however, are not Vegas people. We tried that a few years ago with fairly disastrous results and have no real desire to head back there any time soon. (Also, I just realized I am nothing if not consistent. If you don't believe me, go read the opening sentences of the post I just linked to.) So, where do WE go to vacation? Well, last year, we did a west-coast trip that involved a paragliding clinic, a paragliding competition where we met some of the nicest people ever, and camping in the redwoods. I've already told you about the first two, and I figured it's finally time to tell you about the third.

If you're like me, your idea of camping is being able to drive somewhere remote where you can set up a tent and be alone in nature. Although state and national parks offer great access to some of the most beautiful places in the country, camping in these places tends to be in designated areas only; and while the conveniences of a campground are great--I like running water, indoor toilets, fire pits, firewood, and bear boxes--the 53 campers who are crammed into the campground with you--RVs, generators, radios, screaming kids and all--are not. If I wanted all that, I'd stay home and drink a beer in my driveway.

On the other hand, if you're like me, camping does NOT include hiking into a remote campsite where you'd better have everything you need with you because civilization is a three-day hike away. Well, have I got the perfect solution for you! Environmental camps are the perfect blend between car-camping convenience and remote getaway isolation. The trade-off? There are a limited number of spots. I don't know how many of these exist throughout the country or if this is just a California thing, but in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, where we camped, there are five. Not five campgrounds, but five campsites, located in the Hamilton Barn and Baxter camps. You park your car in a parking area and then you have to hike your gear in to your campsite, which is anywhere from 50 to 200 yards away. There is a pit toilet, and no running water, but hot showers are available at the nearby Albee Creek campground.

We were in the Hamilton Barn camp, and we picked the campsite that was closest to the parking area (and the pit toilet)--still remote, but not as far to carry everything. We had the entire place to ourselves for a couple days and then other people moved into the other campsites. The downside to being closest to the parking area is that you get to see everyone coming and going to and from their campsites, but overall, we were still pretty secluded. Unfortunately, I only seem to have two pictures of our campsite, but this at least gives you an idea. The big tree on the right in the first picture is the big tree on the left in the second picture.

We also had a picnic table, fire pit, and bear box, so you can see we had plenty of room. I can't prove to you that we had a picnic table, but I did take this picture on one of our benches.

We also had a stream nearby, so in the morning, Hubby would get up and go purify some water for us so we would have water for coffee, hiking, and brushing our teeth.

So, that's where we lived for a week in the redwoods! Remember: Environmental camps are the way to go!

Non-surfin' Turtles at Laniakea Beach

2011-05-27T23:59:00.001-10:00

This is one of my favorite places to bring visitors. The turltes come up and lounge on the beach, and it's always fun to see somebody discover that not all of those "rocks" on the beach are actually rocks!

Mahalo (thank you) to the Malama na Honu (Protect the Turtles) volunteers who are always on hand to educate the public and help keep our beautiful turtles safe while they rest on the beach. Many of the turtles are tagged and identified. I didn't get everyone's name today, but I do remember seeing signs up for Olivia-Dawn (Hawaiian name: Ipo, Tag L-04) and Wooley-Bully (Hawaiian name: Lopeka O Holokai, Tag L-07).

Surfin' Turtle at Electric Beach

2011-05-23T11:44:00.002-10:00

You have no idea how many pictures I have of waves without turtles in them, but, finally, I got this!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-May 2011

2011-05-15T11:50:00.001-10:00

Happy May, everybody! It's the 15th of the month, and you know what that means--Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, is showing off garden blooms from all around the world. Stop by to see what else is blooming or to share your blooms.

Today, making its first GBBD appearance is my canna, Cannas Picasso. It had a hard time getting started; every time it would poke its little head up above the ground, the snails or slugs would come along and mow it right down, but we finally managed to get it past that phase, and big enough to bloom. Yay!

Putting on a pretty constant show on my back porch is my Blue Daze, Evolvus glomeratus.

This red ginger will soon be making an appearance in its own Progression Obsession post. I've been documenting its unfurling since about the middle of April.

Still blooming like crazy are my white spider lilies, Crinum asiaticum

Even though it's gotten floppy and fallen over into its neighboring pot after all the recent rain, I still love my rose, (Mardi Gras (Jacfrain)) and I'm glad it lasted just long enough for Bloom Day.

In that same pot, my sweet alyssum is gaining ground again after a harsh pruning last month.

My bouganvillea usually doesn't have a lot going on, but, again, thanks to the heavy rains, it is full of color right now.

My plumeria continues to put out one or two flowers a day.

My poor plumbago never gets any attention here because it is always in bloom--it's like the good kid who never gets any attention because he's *always* good, but I thought it deserved some love today.

I think these snapdragons are getting darker with age, but I like the deeper burgundy tones that are setting in after the lighter pink has "faded".

I always try to plant zinnias, and they always do well for a few weeks and that's about it, so this might be the only appearance this one is going to make here.

Next to my zinnia (see them in the picture above?) are my little lobelia, which, despite what the guy at Home Depot tried to tell me, are not Johnny Jump-ups.

Another contant bloomer, my Golden Shrimp Plant, Pachystachys lutea

This Hardy Ice Plant, Delosperma, is another new addition that I hope will last longer than one GBBD.

Same goes for this Gazania.

And, finally, the lizard population always seems to be blooming in my yard.

What I'm Reading Now-The Swan Thieves

2011-04-25T23:58:00.001-10:00

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova-My brief review on Goodreads said that this book had a lot of potential...all the way to the end. I still kind of feel that way. I really liked The Historian, so I was excited to read this, and I really don't have much to say except..."Meh."

I liked the idea behind this story, I liked watching it unfold, I had fun looking up pieces of art online while I was reading, and yet something fell flat with me here, and I can't quite figure out why. There was a lot of mystery involved, and even though I pretty much had a handle on where the story was going, I didn't necessarily feel like the mystery wasn't good; but I think I kept waiting for there to be an additional twist or a more emotional revelation of the tale or...something. Augh. I hate feeling this way about a book. The only notes that I have for this entire book are:

--Changing narratives didn't really work--voices all pretty similar.

and

--Love scenes entirely...off-putting?

So. There you have it. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend against reading it, but I wouldn't tell you to rush out and put it at the top of your list either.

Since that's about all I have to say about the story itself, I'll add that I downloaded the Art Authority app to use as a reference while reading. It's kind of a fun app, and it's a good way to explore art in general--you can explore by period, artist, title, subject, and location; but I think if you are looking for a specific piece, saaaaay...something with swans as the subject, you're better off just Googling whatever it is that you're looking for.

I'd love to hear some other opinions on this, especially if you also read The Historian. If you liked one, did you like the other? (I'd like your opinion even if you didn't read The Historian!)

Annual Yard Update

2011-04-20T14:00:00.001-10:00

Well, I seem to have a habit of missing April's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, as I did once again this year. I wonder what's up with that? It's also sort of become a tradition for me to take stock of my yard every April. Mostly, this had to do with seeing the progress of my lime tree each year, but now I include most of the rest of the yard too. I think everything has matured to a point where there's not too much difference in growth from year-to-year, but I still like to see what, if anything, has changed. So, this probably won't be too exciting for anyone else, but you're all welcome to come along with me!

April, 2010

April, 2011-Not much has changed here except that my Puakenikeni (the tree in the foreground) has put on some new growth.

April, 2010

April, 2011-Not much has changed here either except that I've added a few pots, my red ti is coming up nicely next to my orange pot, and I haven't yet trimmed back my Euphorbia leucocephala (in the center, behind the blue flowers). Maybe I won't this year, and we'll just see what happens. It's a huge job--it's not that I mind the pruning, but they are full of that white sticky sap which makes it much more of a chore since I do my best to crawl around in the bushes without getting covered in sap.

No before and after here, just a lizard saying, "Hello?" before he ran away screaming, "My eyes! MY EYES!" I probably should have turned the flash off. Sorry, lizard dude.

April, 2010

April, 2011--My Monstera deliciosa (Swiss Cheese Plant) has gotten a little bit taller, Mocha has moved, and my patio is considerably more full of weeds, but luckily you can't tell that from this picture!

FYI, the Monstera make for very dramatic arrangements--with or without flowers! (That's a standard-sized vase, about 12" tall.)

April, 2010

April, 2011-Wow, all of my palms have grown up quite a bit--you can hardly see the variegated hau that is growing along the top of the rock wall. Also, my palms have started fruiting--I'm not sure what they are, but you know I'm documenting the progression!

April, 2010

April, 2011--The biggest change here is the addition of my Big Orange Pot. The scale is hard to get in the picture, but it's about thigh-high...if it were a pair of stockings, it would be really sexy. Anyway, since I got it from Tropical Garden Accents, I've liked it, but I haven't been sure it was the right choice. (It was on sale, so that helped...) Now, being able to see the before and after, I really like it! It makes the whole yard seem so much more vibrant...or that could just be my camera. Nah, I'm gonna go ahead and credit the pot--that just adds to my conviction that it was the right choice. The two oranges that are growing the pot are a nice touch as well.

April, 2010

April, 2011--Yay! I love my new pot!

April, 2010--Finally, my lime tree. Huh. Seems like I could have taken a better picture last year.

April, 2011--Not much difference in my lime tree, but my Monstera is almost hiding our neighbors' house. Wow! I didn't realize how overgrown that has become. See? That's why it's good for me to do these comparisons every year.

Well, the transformation from 2010 to 2011 hasn't been all that exciting; 2009 to 2010 was a lot more dramatic. Be sure to come back next year--by then maybe my Monstera can do its own write-up!

Really? 'Cause I get the feeling that you "don't"

2011-04-12T18:15:00.000-10:00

I think my fruit is confused.

2011-04-06T12:55:00.001-10:00

I have oranges the size of eggs,

Limes the size of oranges,

and tomatoes the size of blueberries.

What I'm Reading Now-The Angel's Game

2011-04-05T07:05:00.001-10:00

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, translated by Lucia Graves-I never know whether to give credit to an author or translator when I feel that a book is beautifully written--was it as lovely in its original language as it is in English or did the translator add her own flair to make it sound better? Either way, I thought it was beautiful--very atmospheric and disappearable (meaning it was easy for me to disappear completely into the story). I suppose "engrossing" or "consuming" would work, but what better reason to make up words than to describe a story? What words do you use to describe stories like this?

Well, David Martín had lots of words--he is a writer in 1920's Barcelona, wasting his talent writing serial novels for a less-than-reputable publishing house when a mysterious man comes to him with an offer--a hundred thousand francs for one year's work. The commission is something I won't give away, but the money's good and David accepts. I was fascinated by the job he was offered and was looking forward to how the project would take shape, but that's not really where this book goes; and while I'd still like to see that story played out, I'm not at all disappointed with where it went instead. I liked David and was rooting for him, but at one point we get a hint that David might not be an entirely reliable narrator and that there might be a much darker side than what we've been seeing. Throughout the book, things spiral downward into darker and darker revelations, and to the end we are left wondering what is really going on, but in a good, ooooh-was-he-or-wasn't-he? kind of way, not in a WTF?? kind of way.

Although it's been on my TBR list for a while now, I haven't read Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind, but I know that some of the characters carry over into The Angel's Game, and The Cemetary of Forgotton Books makes a reappearance. All in all, I'm quite happy that I discovered this book on my library's "New Arrivals" shelf!

**Random Extra Bits***

The Cemetary of Forgotton Books is "a colossal labyrinth of bridges, passages, and shelves full of hundreds of thousands of books, forming a gigantic library of seemingly impossible perspectives." The rules: "Article one: The first time somebody comes here he has the right to choose a book, whichever one he likes, from all the books there are in this place. Article two: upon adopting a book you undertake to protect it and do all you can to ensure it is never lost. For life." That in itself is cool, but what I thought was even cooler was that on the same day that I was reading about this place of forgotton books, I stumbled across a Care's Weekly Geeks post (prompted by this Weekly Geeks...prompt) that talks about forgotton words and how you can adopt one of your own...just like a forgotton book! I haven't committed to anything yet, but I kind of like snollygoster.

What I'm Reading Now-Changeless

2011-04-02T17:03:00.000-10:00

Changeless by Gail Carriger-Changeless is the second book in The Parasol Protectorate series, and like its predecessor, Soulless, this book was a fun take on the supernatural in Victorian England (and Scotland). One of the things that made Soulless a fun read was the heat between Miss Tarabotti and Lord Maccon. The heat is still there in Changeless, but now that Miss Tarabotti is Lady Maccon it's a little more...discreet, which is sort of the way it goes, isn't it?

Lady Maccon wakes one morning to find her husband, Lord Maccon, the alpha werewolf of the Woolsey pack, in a frenzy. It seems that all of the supernaturals in the London area--werewolves, vampires, ghosts--have suddenly lost their supernatural abilities. To date the only known power against a supernatural (one with an excess of soul) is a preternatural (someone without a soul)...like Lady Maccon; but the only way for her to affect change (or lack of change, as it were) is through direct physical contact. The phenomenon seems to be on the move and is affecting large areas. Eventually the Londoners regain their abilities to change into werewolf and vampire forms (alas, all the ghosts have been exorcised and are gone), but soon it is clear that Lord Woolsey's former pack in Scotland is suffering from this plague as well, and it seems to have stalled there. The pack is currently without an alpha male (Lord Maccon abandoned them and their new alpha is dead) and lacking an ability to change into wolf form, so they are in a rather vulnerable state.

As head of the Bureau of Unnatural Registry, Lord Woolsey takes off to Scotland to investigate, leaving his wife to take matters into her own scientifically-minded hands in London. Lady Maccon is naturally curios about what is happening, but she is also well aware that, given her rare preternatural state, she is at the top of the list of suspects. After consulting with her flamboyant vampire friend, Lord Akeldama, and her new acquaintance, Madame Lefoux, the lady scientist who runs a hat shop and likes to dress in men's clothing, Lady Maccon decides to head off to Scotland in a dirigible. At the last minute she is encumbered with her bubble-headed but endearing friend who, although recently engaged, has a slight crush on Lord Maccon's assistant and werewolf hopeful, and her style-over-substance half-sister who has been dumped on her doorstep by her exasperated mother. They go to Scotland, hijinks ensue, a mystery is solved, and all is well...until the end where things go awry and we are left waiting for the next book, Blameless.

Molokai-Day 3 (Finally!)

2011-03-23T18:37:00.002-10:00

Well, it only took me a year-and-a-half, but here it is. You may recall that back in November, 2009, I took a promotional trip to Moloka'i, which was generously supported by Hotel Moloka'i, which provided us with free accommodations. I told you about Day 1 of our trip (which was mostly getting settled into the island and its mellow vibe) and Day 2 (which included lots of activities and the cutest dog on the planet), and I have been promising to tell you about my favorite part, Day 3, ever since. Luckily for you, since it has been so long, I don't remember a lot of details, so this will probably be more pictures and less words. (In fact, this is an extremely photo-heavy post.)

We got up early on Day 3 to meet up with Bill, our Nature Conservancy volunteer guide. Bill would take us on some wild four-wheel-drive roads and into the beautiful Kamakou Preserve, which consists of over 2,700 acres of beautiful rain forest and something I had never even heard of before, a mountain bog. The end of the hike brings you to a valley overlook that is breathtaking. So, let's begin!

On the way up to the trail, we stopped by this pit in the ground. It doesn't look like much, but it had some fascinating history behind it regarding the sandalwood trade. Be sure to ask your guide about it.

Another stop along the way provided us with a beautiful valley view and a sort of preview of what was awaiting us at the end of the trail.

Finally, we made it to the boardwalk that marks the trail through the preserve. Wow! This is much tinier than what I had in mind!

See the metal grid tucked behind this cool plant? Notice how it is almost the width of the foot that is standing cross-wise on it? Yeah, tiny.

We walked through a lot of rain forest and saw many cool plants, like these:

Luckily, the tiny boardwalk did open up in some spots, like when we finally reached the bog area, which was beautiful, but nothing like I thought it would be. It was a spectacularly open view and not at all full of swamp monsters and bog mummies like I was expecting.

(Hikers, not bog mummies)

Our guide, Bill (also not a bog mummy)

There were still some cool plants tucked in to these wide open spaces, like this ohia...

and whatever this is:

Pretty soon, it was back into the rain forest.

Wow.

Jungle-y.

And Dr. Seuss-y.

Finally, we reached the end of the trail and we were blessed with a break in the clouds for a beautiful, sunny view of the many peaks and valleys surrounding us. It's so hard to capture, but this was truly breath-taking.

After a nice break for lunch, it was time to head back into the jungle and prepare to return home.

I'm in there somewhere!

After this experience, I can't say enough good things about The Nature Conservancy or our guide, Bill. He was full of information about the history of Moloka'i, gave us tons of information about the plants that we saw on our hike, and even gave us a reading list in case we wanted to follow-up on our education.

Funding is being cut everywhere these days, and organizations like The Nature Conservancy are going to become more and more reliant on private donations. Please consider supporting them in any way you can. Even if you can't donate, you can volunteer or even visit one of their projects and spread the word about your experience. I would love for everyone to be able to come to Hawai'i and experience the beauty here, but The Nature Conservancy is active in all 50 states and over 30 countries, so even if you can't come to Hawai'i, you can probably find something close to home that will give you a whole new appreciation for the place you live.