Heading Home

We're packing up and heading out this morning. Until next year . . .

Our Last Day

Tuesday, November 16th

Hubby took our Cuzs to the lava fields at the southern end of Maui.

On the way home they stopped at The Shops of Wailea to check out the art galleries, jewelry stores, and have lunch.

They returned home, rested for a bit then we’re off on our last shopping trip to pick up last minute items.

Then it’s time to pack up our Owner’s Box… honestly, it just seems as if we unpacked it the other day.

Dinner tonight: Spago’s

We stopped in at the Hotel Wailea for the view . . .

and Creme Brulee Martinis... which as we learned from last year is NOT a beverage.

After you, Mr. Turtle

Monday, November 15th

Hubby is going out for a dive this morning. His dive-buddy is Jay from Scuba Gods. I finally got to meet the guy this morning. They’re swimming off of Makena Landing.

They saw a frog fish

A turtle

2 white-tipped reef sharks, about 6 feet long each

a flounder

Some more turtles . . . 2 the size of a Volkswagen Beetles

2 eels . . .

And he kept an eye on the sharks and saw a few more turtles

An octopus, the size of his fist, that squirted them

Trigger fish, Moorish idol, many, many fish that escaped before identification could be made

And more turtles

A monk seal, which is rare, larger than he is

He still kept an eye out for the sharks . . . As hubby said to me, “You want to know where the sharks are.”

The beach walk started out with three people, Cuz J returned alone, stating an hour and a half was long enough. He headed off to the pool to read and lounge. Later he headed out to the beach, with Cuz A and collected a sunburn.

Me? I spent nearly the entire day keying in my work.

For dinner there was a leftover frenzy…

Everybody’s Moving Slow

Sunday, November 14th

After we all were up and about, there was a trip planned to Makawao and Pa’ia. Then we learned there’s road work to be done this week. It’s a good thing we’re going today. Except… many of the stores cough-Kamoda’s-cough are closed on Sunday.

Some of us stayed home and finished the first draft of our book! I’m anxious to get home to apply the finishing touches.

We’re getting close to the end of our vacation and the annual leftover panic has begun.

Trying to do Nothing

Saturday, November 13th

Danimal is heading back home. He bid us farewell and left us with some food items he’d collected.

Cuz A and I head out for a grocery run. I’m going to show her how to roll sushi this afternoon.

Sushi for lunch. We made guacamole with one of the three HUGE avocados

Cuz A piced up on their Iao Valley trip a few days ago.

Now we have corn chip and guacamole.

Dinner is served at 7 at our neighbor’s house. How does one say bon appetit in Hawaiian?

Lahaina Day

Friday, November 12th

Danimal woke early and headed out to Lahaina for his deep sea fishing trip.

Hubby and I headed out with Cuz A and J to the Pineapple Grill in Kapalua on the other side

of the west Maui mountains for lunch. Who knew it was a club house in the midst of golfing greens?

After lunch we headed into Lahaina where we searched for a large, unset Tahitian pearl. Cuz A is a jeweler and wants to make a slider for her omega necklace.

We stopped in at Kimo’s…

Then headed up to Warren and Annabelle’s for the show. This is the third time hubby and I have seen it and we still enjoy it. Cuz A and J might have thought it was going to be lame, and kept it to themselves, but they were blown away.

Remember folks . . . Make your reservations early. If you’re already on Maui chances are it’s too late to get in.

Starting Week Two

Thursday, November 11th

Hubby and Danimal went for a snorkel at Polo Beach in Wailea where four spotted eagle rays swam around them, not at all particularly shy as they are known to be.

After the swim, there were many among us who took part in a four mile power walk.

There were showers and change of clothes before heading out to explore the Iao Needle.

Lush, greenery fills the valley.

Back home to rest and prepare for dinner at Nick’s Fishmarket.

Nick's participates in Wailea's Restaurant Week.

Nick’s Fishmarket Maui - $49

Choice of: Calamari Fritte or Ahi Tiger Eye Sushi, tempura style, or

Kalua Pig Pot Stickers or Greek Maui Wowie Maui onions, tomatoes,

avocado, romaine, feta & Bay Shrimp or Caesar Salad

Choice of: Opakapaka, Molokai sweet potato hash browns, tomato

puree, artichoke hearts, capers, lemon butter or

Potato “Scaled” Mahi Mahi, potato puree, cabernet beurre rouge,

white truffle oil, asparagus or

Roasted Chicken Breast, fontina-proscuitto stuffing,

creamed Kula corn, Maui onion rings or

Petite Filet Mignon, potatoes, asparagus, baby carrots, chimichurri,

tomato goat cheese pesto

Homemade Apple Strudel served a la Mode

It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Out and About

Wednesday, November 10th

Hubby went for his last scuba lesson with Jay from ScubaGods. Upstairs neighbor T and Danimal headed out at 6:30 am for a refresher course. They fun part is that they’ll all be able to scuba together.

From what I hear they saw: an octopus, coronet fish, parrot fish, frog fish, trigger fish, unicorn fish, spotted puffer fish, a small eel, a travelling sea urchin and a second octopus.

Jay, their scuba instructor, said there isn't as many fish around as there used to be.

This may be my last morning in the condo alone. I don’t know what’s going to happen to my writing time. I‘m forced to charting chapters and scenes to help me pull the beginning and end of the story together.

There had been a luau scheduled tonight and Danimal, who leaves on Saturday, is running out of mealtimes. To make today’s lunch a good one we drive north to Mama’s Fish House.

Hubby and I can have leftovers if we want dinner but we’re eating like we don’t have to eat until tomorrow.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a menu with so many items I wanted to order.

We started with sashimi and crab cakes.

And we couldn’t pass up the Liliko’i Crème Brulee which was featured on the Food Network show

Best Things I Ever Ate: Served Cold episode.

After our leisurely two hour lunch, we headed for home and we got the news the luau had been cancelled. Oh, boy… don’t make me post the beached whale picture again.

Some sad news . . . Danimal is relocating to another unit today. We’ll miss him hanging around the condo but I supposed he’ll have some quiet cause he’s away from hubby.

But he’ll still have his birds. Here’s a YouTube Link to one bird.

Tonight hubby and I head out for the airport for the return of Cuz J and Cuz A. They were out to visit us two years ago.

Cuz J was welcomed with . . .

Cuz A had . . .

We all stayed up too late. It was so late for A and J ... it was already tomorrow.