Another Lazy Day

We decided to take our books, camera, binoculars etc. to sit by the beach in front of the condo.

This was our view to the left, looking almost into the sun.

This was the view directly infront of us.

This was the view behind us.

Of course we hadn't been there too long before the chickens came to check us out. for food

I love this shot!

Someone asked us, "You know why there are so many chickens on Kauai?"

"No", we answered.

"Because there is only one KFC!"  came the reply.

Of course the real answer is because most of the islanders owned chickens, and then came Hurricane Iniki.  They were all blown all over the island and now roam everwhere, as free as sparrows.

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While we were sitting there, along came two islanders ready to do some surf fishing.

First they studied the waves.

Then they cast their nets.

But we didn't see them catch anything.

As they afternoon faded, a few clouds gathered and a beautiful rainbow spread from the mountains to the sea.

A few sprinkles fell and we scuttled inside -- but we were hungry anyway by that time.

A Great day on Kaua!

We spent our first day just vegging.  Did a little grocery shopping -- too expensive to eat out every night.  Temperature is perfect.  The wind was a little cool to try out the pool, but very good for sitting on our lanai.  Today we were a little more energetic.  There is a Hawaian Handcraft Fair just down the road, so we went down to take a look.

                              

Lots of colorful fabrics and pretty jewellery.  Just looking -- no buying.  Got to see what else there is first.

Such beautiful colors!

Then we took a drive to one of our favorite places, up near some waterfalls and a river that runs over the road.  We passed two fields of goats.  They weren't there last year. I guess goat's milk and goat's cheese must be popular.  I do like goat's cheese.  The goats were a little timid but I did manage to get a couple of shots.

                              

Everything was so green and lush and many trees and bushes were in bloom.  I somehow think my posts from here will be of many flowers and trees.  This was just one of the many we passed today.  But that is why this island is called the Garden Island.

                                 

                                                 

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A special thank you to my sister for her tip about how to load my photos on to the lap top.  Very simple really, but we seem to have no way to resize the photos so they take FOREVER to load on the blog.

                          

Old Photo

We have had this photo on this laptop for several years -- actually the only photo of our own that is on this laptop.  We are quite limited with what we can actually do because we don't have Ms Word Office on it yet.  But I did manage to resize it so that I can post it on my blog.  It will serve as a representative of all the photos I hope to be taking soon and once I check on my sister's suggestion on the previous post, may be I will be able to post new photos soon.  We have hardly used this laptop until now.  We got it for MOTH so that he could send e-mails while overseas -- thus no extra programs and inexperienced users.  But we're learning!

I'm Watching You!!

Well, I have managed to enter the world of blogdom!  The hours I spent the other evening figuring out how and if I could visit my blogs from here have produced great results!  The only problem is that my lap top has no photographs from which to draw to post on my blog and I can't get any from my camera to the laptop because we dont have the necessary 'stuff' to do it.

So I shall have to content myself with an occasional piece of prose -- which is not very interesting.  But I CAN comment on all your blogs.  So photos will have to wait until we get home.

Well Google seems to have made a change in the formatting of a blog.  At least the first picture goes in first, now.  That's an improvement, but I would have liked this first picture to appear a little larger even though it is an ATC.  It is a Gulf Fritilliary butterfly and the large white spots on the wings are actually shiny, metallic silver in real life.  This is an original painting (prisma colors and water colors) from one of my own original photographs, so I have to invoke copyright here, in case I start to sell on eBay.

 

Gulf Fritilliary Butterfly

Copyright ChrisJ.  

All rights reserved.

Heerman's Seagulls at Carlsbad Beach last week.  They come up to us from Mexico in the winter. They will be my next attempt for an ATC.

We leave this week and I will not be back on this blog until December 6th, unless I miraculously learn how to use Moth's lap top.  I am taking all my paints etc with me -- not to mention my camera -- and plan to do much painting in the evening, hopefully.  I will continue to leave (and accept!) comments until Thursday,  and I hope to be able to visit you all via lap top.  But if all you get is silence from me, be sure I have not forgotten  you. I WILL be back.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

New ATC's and Making a Decision

I have been thinking about what to do with all the ATC cards I have been making. I must have about a hundred of them. Last week I took a look at eBay at what they call ACEO's. They are art trading cards that instead of trading, they are sold. I never tried to trade any of mine because I have more than enough of my own paintings. So I am wondering....shall I try it or not??? At the moment they are mounted in two little note books, one to a page. I don't think my 'boys' (aged 41 and 43) will be interested in keeping them when I am gone, so I shall have to give it some serious thought.

These little cards are a very pleasant hobby for me. I can do them while watching the TV. I can use paint, colored pencils, pen and ink and ordinary pencil. I don't want to turn my pleasant, relaxing hobby into something stressful. I will continue to do them whether I sell them on eBay or not, just because I like doing them. If I do it, I will start in the new year and give myself a trial run of 6 months to see what happens and will probably do most of them in the style of the one below. The other two are just fun pieces, but not any that I think will appeal to others. One thing I won't do is use this blog as an advertisement or offers for sale. My blog is my blog and it's fun. But as MOTH has pointed out, at least if I sell any it will keep up with the cost of bird seed and cat food!!

The Red Barn

Flowers and ribbons

Crystal Colors.

WEDNESDAY'S WORDS
"Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from your law". Psalm 119:18

The Bible talks a lot about meditation and some religions make it of prime importance. Sometimes we as Christians feel stressed about the idea of meditating and wonder how to do it. I discovered that it is very simple. We just need to sit somewhere quietly and think about the Lord, our lives and what we have been hearing or reading about God. The Holy Spirit will guide our thinking without us having to do anything but just give God our full attention. If one of your children or your husband says "I want to talk to you about something, " you would find a spot to listen and talk back and forth. That's all we are doing when we are meditating.

What Good Hubbies Do...

... they pick up oddments they think their wife would like, such as these star fish which were used as decorations at a wedding he performed. He knew I would like them but didn't know what I would do with them -- neither do I actually, at the moment, but as he said, "Oh, you'll find something to do with them." And I will.

...grab the camera when he sees something he thinks I would like to post on my blog, as he did with this spider's web. I was still in bed!

...and then he saw the hawk on our water fountain. (I always keep a camera on the bookshelves by the patio window).

...took me out for dinner at Fidel's for Mexican food, where I saw these flowers in the restaurant, and he waited around without being embarrassed while I took a couple of shots. Yes they're artificial, but I'm always looking for something colorful to draw and paint. I'll get to this picture soon, but my painting "To do" list is getting longer.

And best of all, he puts up with my eccentric ways which includes staying up LATE (to do my blogs and comments) and getting up LATE -- and he brings me a cup of tea in bed every morning, as well! Actually, I think he is afraid I will never get up if he doesn't!

If I told you the other things he does for me you would think I was a very lazy wife -- no -- just spoiled!

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I did promise I would post some photos of Bailey doing something interesting, but the truth is, he just hasn't done anything interesting yet! (For those of you who are new to my blog, Bailey is my cat, NOT my husband).