May 2021

 May was such a warm and dry month, unlike a usual May of past years.  Our temps were in the high 70's and mid 80's, but not a drop of rain all month long.  Our drought is really getting more severe.

One of the great things about the warm May, our lilac bushes were very full and the fragrance that the slightest breeze would carry was magnificent.  These are planted just outside our bedroom window, and during the day I would open the windows and allow the breeze to carry the fragrance into the house.  We so enjoyed it.  I received a lot of compliments from the neighbors on how great our lilacs were this year.  Our irises were also full and loaded with bloom.  We have them planted our front and they gave the neighbors a wonderful show.

Our neighborhood ducks had quite the batch of new babies this year.  And with the water levels so low, it was not an uncommon sight to see a mama duck walking her babies down the block to the park, looking for a run-off of sprinkler water to swim and play in.  One day, I noticed this mama duck had 12 little ones following her to find any watering hole available.  One of the advantages of living in our suburbs away from the busy city.

Dave and I decided to venture out to a new Mexican restaurant that opened up not too far from our neighborhood.  La Hacienda, a new locally owned restaurant.

Dave and I ordered the Chile Relleno plate.  We were surprised at how much food came on the plate.  Everything was delicious and took us back to our days in Cabo San Lucas.  The prices were very reasonable.  This is sure to be on our list of restaurant rotations.

With the weather being so warm and beautiful, we were able to clean up, till, and plant our garden the first week of May.  This was quite unheard of for our area.  Usually, we have to wait until after Memorial Day to plant most of our garden, but the TV weather forecasters said it would be okay to plant, no more frost for our area.  We cut down on the amount of planting this year, we still have quite a lot of items in our freezer and pantry.

I noticed on Memorial Day that I have tomatoes on my plants.  I should be able to have homegrown garden tomatoes for the 4th of July.  Something I haven't had for ages.

I also noticed, that in addition to tomatoes, the green peppers are also forming.  The garden is really loving this warm dry climate.  In past years, May has always been so rainy and chilly until Memorial Day, and then suddenly it gets HOT!  Now I'm thinking, maybe I should have planted more.

Dave is still trying to find his way through retirement.  He's not really sure where he fits in.  I told him, "You need to find a hobby, and get busy with it.  Do something you like."  His friend, Howard, told him that the first 6 months of retirement were the hardest, but after that, he finally settled into his mojo.  So, we're almost 2 months in, and 4 more to go.  Let's hope he finds his mojo quick.

It's nice that Dave and I are finally starting to get out and about a little bit.  On Mondays, we go to the local Senior Center for a free movie day.  The movies are recently released and ones that we've been wanting to see.  We eat lunch and then stay for the movie.  It's a good way to spend a few hours.  We socialize with people our own age and have a good time.

We're still shocked that people are not getting the vaccine, and at the numbers who are dying.  We heard on the news that the one thing COVID people in the hospital have in common, is that they haven't been vaccinated.  We are still shocked that we know people who for one reason or another refuse to get the vaccine.  When we go out to a large gathering, we still wear our masks -  simply because we aren't sure if the other person we come in contact with has been vaccinated.

Once again, take care of your family.  Be well, and stay save.  Have a happy summer, and let's hope that the west gets some rain soon.

April 2021

 April was the typical rocky mountain spring weather, (warm and wet).  Our temps were mostly in the 70's and just light showers about 2 or 3 days a week.  Not enough rain to raise our water table, but enough to green up our lawns nicely.  Dave got his 2nd Covid vaccine on April 1st, and travel restrictions were lifted, so we decided to go to Maui.  We found an open week from the 3rd of April to the 10th of April, (talk about luck of the draw).

We checked an Opal was up to date on all her shots, and Petsmart had an opening.  So, we took her over for her first-ever away from home boarding.  I was concerned about how she would do.  I requested that she get a front window suite, (so she could see out into the lobby and watch the customers come into the store kennel area).  It turned out that she adapted very well.  Everyone who saw her came up to the window and interacted with her, and she interacted back.  The staff said she was such a joy to be around.  I was worried that she wouldn't eat, but it was the least of the problems.  So, we will not have to worry about our little one going to the kennel for future visits.  Mid-way during our vacation, the staff sent us this photo, showing us that she was doing well.

Dave and I got our rapid Covid tests on Friday.  Having both gotten the vaccine, we were concerned that we would get false-positive results, but both received negative results.  We forwarded our results to the Hawaii transportation health department and boarded the airplane on Saturday morning bright and early.  As luck would have it, the plane tickets for our trip to Hawaii that was canceled last November were being held by the airline until it was safe to travel again.  All we had to do was call the airline and re-book our flight.

One of the first things we did was go out for breakfast at Kihei's.  They had these GREAT banana and macadamia pancakes and large fruit salads.  Dave and I got one of each and shared it.  You know you're in Hawaii when you start your day off with a breakfast like this.  So good, and so filling.  And it was just a few blocks from our condo.

And of course, Hawaii wouldn't be Hawaii without a trip to any ABC store.  There was one right behind our condo.  If you run out of anything, just walk over, (they're on almost every corner), and you can buy what you need.  And they're great for picking up souvenirs to take home.

Every morning, before Dave did anything else, we had to walk one block from the condo to the ocean.  Dave had to have his morning swim in the ocean and then sit on the beach and enjoy the view.  It was his favorite way to start every day.

We didn't really do anything in Maui, except relax, take it easy, and enjoy the week at a slow easy pace.

On our last day, we went to the country club for dinner.  It was a wonderful way to end a wonderful vacation.

We were seated with a view of the golf course and the mountain range.

For dinner, both Dave and I ordered the Prime Rib dinner.  It was delicious, and so filling.  We couldn't finish the whole plate.  It was cooked to perfection. 

After dinner, we were then off to the airport for our flight home.  Sometimes, I think we should sell our home and buy a little home on the island, and just bum around like this all the time.

Well, Dave finally retired!!

The Monday after our vacation, April 12th, was his official last day, and his exit interview with HR.  He went to lunch with the guys that he's worked with, and they swapped stories about the things that happened over the years.  He got a nice retirement card, and inside was a pile of gift cards to a lot of different restaurants, and a couple of VISA gift cards.  He was getting calls all day long from people that he worked with years ago at different companies congratulating him on his retirement.  He had quite the day. 

This wasn't an overnight decision.  Last year when Dave's brother, (Bruce), passed away, he did some real soul searching and decided that it was time to retire and start living and doing the things that we wanted to do.  We discussed things with our financial advisor, got things in order, and last winter he made the announcement to his boss and HR.  We are not adjusting to a new way of life - two full-time retired individuals at home together.

We are still walking 4 or 5 days every week.  

Here's hoping that our friends and family are able and willing to get the vaccine, and are staying healthy.  Now that the country is very slowly starting to get back to a new normal way of life, let's all be careful.