We are taking a brief break in writing our trip report. We have written twelve posts so far about our summer trip and anticipate about 4-5 more in the coming weeks. Neil is working on co-authoring a paper with his daughter Mailea and hasn’t had time for photo processing. Me? I just needed a few days away from my computer 😉

I have been enjoying time with my mom Audrey before she returns to California a few months. We walk the beach 3 mornings a week. She is busy with various activities the other mornings! We enjoyed a delicious four course lunch last Wednesday at the Maui Culinary Arts School “Leis Family Class Act Restaurant.” The restaurant is run by the culinary students doing an intern program—open twice a week during the semester. Mom’s condo neighbor is completing the culinary program and she was one of the chefs. She came by our table to say hello. The students are the wait staff, baristas, maître d’, as well as the food preparation personnel through the semester in order to experience all the roles in restaurant environment. They do a great job!

We went on a whale watch boat a few weeks ago. It was the first time Neil and I as well as my mom had been on the water this season. From our lanai, we do get to watch whales breaching and tail slaps through binoculars a few miles off shore but we always enjoy getting a little closer view on the boat. It was whale soup as we call it–seeing whale spouts in all direction around the boat. We followed a few mom and calf pairs watching the little one come up often to get a breath. A couple of males swam up to challenge the primary (male) escort accompanying one mom and calf and we were “mugged” — the whales get so close to the boat, it can’t move till the whales choose to move farther away.  We saw fluke up dives, pecks slaps, and the finale of four breaches on our way back to the harbor.

In sad news, Neil’s step-father Morley has been declining since November. He had been getting so weak and he fell a few times when his legs just gave out. Once on the floor (unhurt) he just doesn’t have the strength to get back up. He went to the hospital for pneumonia and fluid on the lungs in Nov. He never regained much strength and went to the hospital a second time in January with high fever in addition to not being able to get up. That time, they operated to scrape the accumulated jelly-like fluid from around the lungs. After nearly a month in the hospital, he was moved to a skilled nursing facility for rehab. He has just finished the month of rehab with minimal progress. He got pneumonia again and is continually exhausted and sleepy. Neil and I have been spending a good deal of time supporting Jean and traveling to visit Morley. We also write frequent updates to his daughters in Minnesota. Jean misses Morley but knows she is unable to be a caregiver with her own health issues. She is doing well living alone (with us next door for support.) She has come to grips with the fact that life will not return to the way it was, and she seems to be coping well with the stress of continuing uncertainties and the many decisions that need to be made.

On top of that it is the one year anniversary since the passing of Neil’s older brother Perry Wayne Rhoads in Massachusetts. Neil misses him, especially each time he reads a good joke. Perry loved to laugh and always had a joke ready. His passing was very sudden. He was surrounded by his beloved Paula, his children, family and friends when he died just over a week after he was admitted to the hospital. Neil was in touch with Paula during the week and wrote email updates to Perry’s friends who were unable to get to the hospital. Jean and Neil were in the process of booking flights when the news arrived of his passing. He is loved and missed by many.

On a happier note, I will be a great aunt again twice over this summer. My nieces Madison and Hailey are both expecting and we just found out both babies are boys! Quentin has been the only great-grandson for 14 years. My parents have three great-granddaughters, Quentin’s little sisters. We are thrilled for the new-to-be parents and grandparents!

We still enjoy breakfast tea on the lanai with our green gecko friends. They have to make do with frozen mango juice but they don’t complain. It will be several months before they get fresh mango. We do have a lot of blossoms on the mango trees so we’re hoping for a good crop. At the one year mark, our planter pot hedge just reached the top of the lanai rail. They still need to fill in thicker but we’re happy with the growth progress. The hearts and flowers ground cover greenery has draped down the edges of the planters making a beautiful display.