Fresh from Alberta!

 Monday February 7th, 2022                    Friends Arrive!

Received early morning confirmation that Shannon & JT received their negative covid test they needed to get here and they have begun their journey!  Although it did require an unplanned drive back to their house to get Shannon's Nexus card!  Westjet 1874 arrives at 22:22hrs (Kauai time).  Looking forward to their arrival!

It was a bit of a blustery morning, no rain, but quite windy.  Brenda did some baking, banana nut muffins, both GF (for JT!) and regular.  We gave a dozen to Steven the grounds/maintenance manager for getting the banana trees for us.  Brenda also dropped off a couple of GF muffins for Beth (and a couple of regular for Ed!)

On our walk this morning we bumped into a pair of gals we see walking quite often, Jan and Marga.  Jan is always wearing different fun and funky sunglasses!  We always thought they were sisters, but as it turns out they are not.  Jan says they are as close or closer than sisters!  Marga told us she loves to play cards so we are hoping to maybe hook up for a game one day!

We went to the airport a bit early hoping to maybe see Veronica and Tim before they leave, and we did!  We so enjoyed meeting them and spending a morning with them.  Hope their journey home was quick and seamless!

Shannon and JT arrived about 20 minutes early and we were home by 11pm in time for one night cap and then off to bed!  Our friends looked exhausted and were looking forward to a good night's rest.

Tuesday February 8th, 2022

This day was supply day.  A Costco run, and while in that neck of the woods, a stop at Kalapaki Joe's!  We were there prior to 3 pm (the start of happy hour) and Munchie tried her best to have them recognize it was after 3 in Alberta!  It didn't fly.  

Wednesday February 9th, 2022

We took a morning walk along the ocean path.  The humpbacks didn't disappoint!  We saw a number of them spouting and breaching.  🐳  We also saw a couple of sea turtles bobbing along not far off shore.

 

After some coffee and breakfast we hit the beach for a bit of the sun!  

The girls enjoying the rays!  

They weren't aware of the sign I had placed behind them!  My little joke!  We have to protect our beloved but endangered wildlife! (zoom in on the sign to get the joke!)

Being Wednesday, it was Kapaa farmers market day.  We went down for some fresh produce.  Munchie just couldn't resist the beets!  She saw them the last time we were at the market, but as I don't particularly care for beet borscht, she didn't take any.  But now that JT is here and he likes borscht, well, Munchie just had to get some.  She even thought about doing her beet leaf halupsi (her version is bread dough rapped in a beet leaf, then baked and served with cream and dill, fabulous!), but she opted not to go that far!

On the walk home, we stopped for a refreshment up stairs at the Olympic Cafe.  A well earned reward for our strenuous trek along the shore line!

Thursday February 11th, 2022      The Sleeping Giant!

Today Shannon and I did the Sleeping Giant hike!  It was fantastic!  In all the years I have been coming to Kauai, I have never done this hike!  Now I don't understand why I never did!  It is so close to the Pono Kai and it is considered to be a moderate level hike.  We found the first kilometer (3/4 mile approx) to be the toughest.  At almost 400 meters elevation, the "nose" provided the most spectacular 360 views!

Shannon, doing her mountain sheep imitation!

Can't beat this vantage point!

The caves at the peak of the Giant (just under the nose, nostrils maybe?)!!

                                                            That's a long way down!

The trail up!

When we hiked back down to the east trail head, we decided to walk back to the Pono Kai (about an hour's walk).  When we were trying for an Uber from the Pono Kai to the trail head, there weren't any available!  We ended up getting a ride from Gab who had just dropped his mom off for work at the Pono Kai.  We asked him if he was an Uber and he said no, but said he would drive us up to the trail head.  What a nice young man!  Very polite and respectful.  We gave him some gas money for his kindness.  

So we assumed getting an Uber to come up to the trail head might take awhile if ever, so we hoofed it!

We did take a break at the Coconut Market for a much deserved treat, ice cream!

The hike up the sleeping giant may be considered "moderate level",  but it was plenty for a couple of sixtyplussters!  When we got back to the Pono Kai, we took a refreshing dip in the ocean!  Man did than feel good!

To cap off the day we went down to Sam's Ocean View Restaurant for dinner.  The place was hopping and we had to wait for a table, so we took a stroll down the path to Jimmy's for a pre-dinner libation!  

We had a table right up at the rail, fantastic view with a nice cool breeze in off the ocean!

The food was really good, and the company was even better!

What a great end to a fantastic day!

(our view as the sun set!)