Shivvery Snowy Samhain!!!!!

We have some pretty vivid memories of Trick or Treating in the snow back in Syracuse and Buffalo, but never in Connecticut. My favorite memory of one of those cold Halloweens was when I was probably 11 and Owen was 8. Mom came with us as a witch and her fake nose kept filling up with condensation and she would have to take it off and let it drip from time to time.

Well, we are grown ups now and looking forward to the day when we can have drippy, latex noses as our kids bump from house to house. But, I never expected to spend another Halloween in the snow.

Hard to believe that we were just here a month ago:

And woke up to this today:

October 30, 2011 from our bedroom porch

Adventures Paddle Boarding

      Paddle boarding was on my top 5 for Maui. Everywhere you look, everyone was doing it. I had first seen this on Mission Bay in San Diego, and I knew it was a Hawaiian favorite. IT WAS DIFFICULT! I've got some pretty good balancing skills, but this was crazy. Luckily, Alan rented one for the trip so we all got a shot!

   Here are some shots from our day on the beach with the family and our go at paddle boarding.

This is me. It looks like I am close, but I felt that I was out too far. It takes a lot for me to get scared in water.

Todd aka, Island Man. He was really good at it.

Pineapple snack.

Bad News-Good Eats

Oh no, how did you get on my desk?

        It's a dark and dreary day here in New Haven. We are expecting over an inch of rain and I am in a constant lucid state...never really woke up this morning. I packed some hearty minestone soup and pears for lunch, but something came over me. The same thing that came over me yesterday when I got a chesseburger happy meal for lunch. There's a fat lady that jumps in my body at lunchtime. I have good intentions in the morning...where is she coming from?

Jabbbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa   

Buffalo: Worst NFL Weather City

Why We Love Buffalo

When all else fails, we have the weather and our sports teams to keep us famous or infamous.

Road to Hana

One of the most exciting things to do in Hawaii is the Road to Hana. Todd and I set off at about 9:30am to drive the Hana coast, not realizing that it would be almost a full 12 hours before getting back to our condo. We stopped at Kaumahina State Wayside Park, The Ke'anae Arboretum where we saw hibiscus (of course) hanging heliconia, lobster claw, ti, guava and rainbow eucalyptus, Wai'anapanapa State Park and it's black sand beach, the Hana Lava Tubes, the Hana Ranch where we ate lunch, and eventually Haleakala National Park and the Waimoku Falls Trail. We set back home on the rental car forbidden road and rolled in at about 15 minutes to 9pm. Our most productive and amazing day.

Cats and chickens at Kaumahina State Wayside Park. These guys were Todd's favorite.

Me looking out on the harbor at Kaumahina State Wayside Park.

Todd at Kaumahina State Wayside Park.

Self explanatory.

Rainbow eucalyptus...one of the most phenomenal trees I have seen.

The rainbow.

I think this is heliconia.

Guava flower.

Some banana thing...alien. 

Lobster claw.

Looking down into the tube entry.

What's down there?

This guy.

Lava drips.

Wai'anapanapa State Park and the black sand beach.

2 hour hike to a pleasant surprise.

 Yeah...he had to go past the signs.

This tree is real...for real.

Bamboo forest.

Waimoku Falls

After our dips in the falls.

The road home.

Hawaii living.

1790 Lava Flows

That Monday while the gents did their off-shore fishing trip, Mum Cathy and I explored the village ruins and 1790 lava flows in Makena. Here are some photos of a fun day exploring on foot.

Snorkeling Off Molokini & Turtle Town

On Sunday, October 2nd, the Roberts and Broughs chartered the Maui Diamond II and shipped off to Molokini. "Molokini is a partially sunken volcanic crater just 2.5 miles off the coast of Maui, Hawaii. Located between the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, Molokini is now a beautiful underwater sanctuary for marine life. Molokini is truly one of Maui’s most breathtaking snorkel and dive locations (http://www.molokini.com/)."
We had an exceptional time and thanks to Dad Brough, we got some underwater shots as well. Not only were we able to see the various exotic fish of Maui (including the humuhumu-nukunuka-apuaa fish, Hawaii's state fish), we were also able to swim with some sea turtles. We are happy to say that Maui is a safe haven for sea turtles and scientists come from around the world to Maui to study them. They have recently been removed from the endangered species list. $5,000 fine to swim above them and $10,000 to touch or hitch a ride on one.
The only fatality on this trip was the skin on Todd's back. He is now sporting the ever beach fashionable raw pink on his shoulders.

Christy, Alan & Mum on the Maui Diamond II.

Dad Brough and Toni.

Me..happy as a clam.

Mum

Christy getting ready to scuba.

Todd.

Me.

Loving the ride home.

Toni, Todd and Mum.

Molokini in the distance.

Me.

Dad Brough.

Me and the Twins jumping off the Maui Diamond II in Turtle Town.

Todd and the Twins jumping in Turtle Town.

Sea Turtle.

Another one, so majestic.

Todd...yaarrrrrrrr.

The Moo fish is in the middle, he was my favotire.

Me.

Me diving to get a closer look.