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It's Almost the End of the Decade

Not only is it almost the end of the decade, but it's only the 4th post this year.  

A lot has happened this year, but there's been a lot of down-time too, so there's no excuse for not posting more than 4 times.

In a nutshell:

**I spent the winter in Hawaii

**I stopped in Texas on my way home from Hawaii for

my grandson's 1st birthday in April

**In mid-June I packed up and moved to Texas

**In mid-July I traveled to Fairbanks, Ak to visit one son and meet his

girlfriend who is from Australia and was also visiting him

**On the way home from Alaska I stopped in San Diego, CA for a 

couple of weeks to visit with another son

**As soon as I got to TX in June I began establishing myself in the things that

make up daily life, i.e:

Bookgroup

Church

Photo Group

Library

Walks

Dinner with friends

Knitting

Sewing

Finding doctors & dentist

Spending time at the pool

and so on...

West Texas is not the most scenic and photogenic of areas so I've been working at finding photo ops, which is no easy feat around here, thank you very much.  So the following are just a sampling of some of the images I've managed to make in the past 6 months.

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My Random Days

I've been such a slacker about posting to this blog.  It's a situation that's been getting worse and worse over the years.  Why?  I don't know.  But I haven't been inactive.  

My hiking group, taken last fall before I left for Hawaii.

I'm posting a photo-a-day on Flickr and a photo-a-week in another forum through facebook.  I guess it's easier in those places because I don't have to think of what to say.

Taken at the Mall in Albany, NY.  Capitol building in background.

My life situation is changing.  I'm currently living in a small tow-behind trailer on my daughter's property and will soon be relocating to Texas to be with my other daughter who is having her second baby at the end of July.  I've never even wanted to visit Texas, let alone live there but 

I've learned along the way never say "never" to God.  He just laughs

and you usually wind up doing the thing you most don't want to do or are afraid to do.

So here I go on a new adventure.  I've secured an apartment (oh the joy of living alone!!), I found a church, I know where the Starbucks is and the library and the other coffee shop, and a photo group and I've googled a few hiking trails (if you can call it hiking in flat Texas).  

Sunday afternoon in downtown Abilene

Now I just have to work on finding or establishing a book group, a sewing group and finding all new medical/dental providers and I'll be good to go.  I'll be about 20 minutes from my daughter.

So in the meantime I spend my days running errands, making plans, finishing up my doctor/dentist appointments, attending the grandkid's spring concerts and grandson's AAU basketball games, telling my friends I'm leaving and trying to spend some time with them, and of course, taking photos. 

I'm also knitting a baby blanket~~I started it mainly to have something to do in the evenings but then I remembered a friend's son is having their first baby in July, so that works out great.   

Beautiful color blue for new baby boy. (pic is not true to color)

Granddaughter's spring concert.  Band & chorus.

 So now we're just waiting for spring to arrive for real here in upstate NY.  There's hope...I guess.  It was 43 this morning and it's Memorial Day weekend.  Sheesh.

         

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Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech

Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,

O You who save these who trust in You

From those who rise up against them

       Psalm 17:6-7

Manoa Falls is on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  The hike is 1.6 miles RT uphill but not terrible and it ends at a waterfall/pool.   Some steps along the way.  The trail was pretty wet near the top but otherwise pretty well groomed.  We did the trail on a Sat morning so it was very crowded.

We started out at a Tea House, then made our way 

 to the trail which was a short drive from the Tea House.

Off to the left of the trail to the waterfall is another trail leading to an arboretum which

I hope to get to some time this winter.  

There usually aren't very many flowers blooming in the arboretums in 

Hawaii during the winter, but they're pretty interesting

anyway.

Britt & Betty.  

Britt recovering from rotator cuff surgery and 

Betty being her usual self.

 Nine Corner Lake Hike

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Three of us headed out this morning for a winter hike.  It was VERY cold...by the time we got to the trailhead it was minus 5.  (It warmed up to about 13 by the time we got back to the car)  But it was lovely.  For a change the sun was out and there was no wind at all.  It was about 2 miles round-trip but the route in was a lot of uphill so it was a challenge.

This friendly stuffed animal greeted us at the sign-in.  It made me smile.

 

On the way out we stopped to take our group pic.   

                                             

   

We stopped at our favorite local cafe for lunch and some fun conversation.  On my way home I stopped to get gas and saw that there was an offer of a free scoop of ice-cream in any coffee drink purchased.  I over-indulged and got my preferred drink of iced-coffee  with a scoop of Brew-Ha-Ha ice cream. Totally decadent.