Can you guess where I am??

Tonight we went on a sunset, dinner, whale watching boat trip.
It was a gift from our kitties, Princess and Charlie, for Christmas.

Yes we did get pretty close to a couple of  Humpback whales tonight!

We had a lovely buffet dinner and an open bar.

Ron and I

Yes, too, there are windmills on the side of  the mountain.

We landed on the island of Maui late Monday afternoon.

As we were getting off the airplane, I thought I heard my name, Mary Winegar.
I started looking around, and low and behold, my friend Sandy really was saying my name!
She and her husband were going to be leaving on the jet plane, we had just come in on.
I did know Sandy was going to be on Maui, but did not know when.  Nothing like seeing a welcoming face when you step off the plane.  I still have not stopped grinning.

Guess what, the Maui quilt shop is still there.
Yea!  It is going to be a great time.

I am still working with the hop, "Tammy 4 All Seasons" while I am here on the gorgeous island of Maui.  It has been heaven on earth.  We have heard there is some terrible weather back in Chicago.
Not so here.  Beautiful blue skies, and sun.  The stars at night feel so close to you.  We did miss seeing the comet on Wednesday night, but that is a small price to pay.

More to come!
Have a great sewing weekend.
Mary

Hello from Kehei Maui Hawaii

This turtle is waving Hello from Maui! I found a little cove where there turtles just swimming with the waves.  They do not stay out of the water very long.  You have to move fast to get a shot of them.

Here is a view from our lani.  It is so beautiful.  The trade winds have come back.  There has been some rain now and them. But not enough to spoil any day. They ocean changes color all day.  So many shades of blue.

We did get to watch one morning while men came to trim the palms.

On Monday we went up country and stopped at the Surfing Goat Dairy.

There is a herd of about 200 goats.  The milk they produce is turned into some flavored soft cheese.  We purchased some crackers a two different cheese spreads.  They were delicious.

The little black goat is about 5 weeks old.  It had been raining on and off on our way up country. We found out the goats do not like the rain.  All the parents were under tarps or in houses.  These babies were in a fenced in area, and under a tarp.  Ron grew up on a farm, and had some idea of how the goats were raised and milked.  Me being a city girl had no idea.  It was interesting.

Then we went on to a Lavender Farm.  They grow about 50 different kinds.  Who knew!  They are not all harvested at the same time. They make the best lavender scones.  There is a hint of lavender.  The lavender tea was so good.

All the different types of lavender are identified.  It smells heavenly.

I did have to buy a bit of lavender.  I also bought a little bottle of essence to refresh the lavender I have at home.

The gardens are so full of lavender.

This is looking out over the gardens and into the valley.  We were above one cloud line.

It is not everyday that you see a cactus growing out of a tree.

We are enjoying our time here.  Relaxing.  Ron has been in the ocean, and pool.  I walk along the coast line looking for birds.  I have gotten some handwork done, and into my second book.  We have already decided when we will make a trip back.  Now to save up the bucks.
Hope you are having a good week.  Still can't get used to the time change. It makes for interesting timing on calls home. All is well.

Aloha from Maui

I am on the road again! Ron and I flew to Maui last Tuesday.  We are celebrating our 30th anniversary, and on Sunday, Mother's Day.

The Mahana is where we spent our honeymoon.  It is nice to see that it is still in existence. Through the years, so many things on the island have changed.  Where there was once just land, now has hotels on it. Each time we have come back there have been many changes.
We still enjoy the island so much.  We are staying at our favorite hotel/condo, Mana Kai.
The weather is beautiful and we are enjoying every moment of it.

This quilt is still on display at the Mahana.  It was there 30 years ago when we arrived on our honeymoon, and is still there today.  It also, started my love of Hawaiian quilts. 

This is a closeup of the center.

We are going to be here through the week.  Ron and I are planning a couple of days to revisit some of our favorite places, otherwise, it is enjoy the sun, and relax.

Home everyone has a lovely Mother's Day, and will enjoy whatever plans you have.
Mary

Sunday on Maui

Sunday we got to play tour directors to my sister Linda, and her husband Jim.  They had decided to take a cruise through the islands for a week before they were going to fly home.

They met up with us in Honolulu and were there for the ceremony for our Father.

 

 

They cruised into the Kahului harbor where we picked them up for a day of touring.  The cruise lines had a tour they were interested in taking, but it was $240.00 per person.  When we found out what and where it was, we told them we would take them for the cost of lunch.

Our destination was the summit of Haleakala.  The volcano that has been dormant for many years. It takes at least 2 hours to drive to the 9,740 summit.  The road is winding, with steep turns, fog, rain, cattle, buses, and bicyclist, along with heavy traffic.

 

When we reached it, the whole valley of the volcano was covered in clouds.  We were actually above them.  As you can see, it is chilly and windy at that level.

The clouds moved out a bit, and you can see down into part of the crater.

Another shot of into the crater.

The bus crowd moved out and you can see where the clouds rolled back in.

Can you tell we were cold!

This is Linda and Jim.  Silly people wore shorts!  I had told them it would be cold and windy.

As we started down we stopped a couple of time to get shots of the valley.  It is an amazing view.  We could almost make out where we were staying.

Back to a tree line.



At this height, you can see the ocean on both sides of the island, and some of the road below us.

We stopped in Kula for lunch at the Kula Bistro.  What a wonderful lunch we had.  Everything was fresh made and there was plenty of it. Plus, as tour directors, it was free!

Next stop was the  Alii Kula Lavender farm. This statue greeted us upon arrival.

Not a great picture, but lavender is one of my favorite scents.

There all sorts of beautiful flowers, and of course lavender in the gardens. The lavender farm is on the side of the volcano, so there is a lot of steep climbing in the gardens. We are still at least 4,000 feet high.

Our last stop was the Tedeschi Vineyards, Ltd.  Had to take photos of the goats running around on the hill above the winery.

We all had to purchase a bottle of wine.  The one we got has a taste of pineapple.

This is the tasting and retail store.

Linda and I went across the road to the General Store.  Looks like she met a couple of old friends!

We got them back to their ship and were in time to see a beautiful sunset.

Perfect ending to a perfect day.

Aloha