MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to everyone!

With many different factions to accommodate, our family Christmas stretches out over several days. My little corner of the Bray/Silver/Otto family (with a Padgug thrown in) celebrated our Christmas yesterday in Rocklin!

Darrin, Allison & Charley leave today for Albuquerque to visit Allison's family. Here are just a few photos of the star of the show - my adorable granddaughter, Charley Ellen.

My sister gave Charley this cute hat & she loved wearing it!

Crawling around the playroom after our "Brunch Feast" from Mimi's Cafe.

Charley texting Santa Claus.
I swear kids nowdays are born knowing how to flick smart phones with their thumbs & text!



Charley & Daddy reading a story.



Our little girl goes up & down the stairs in record time - under Mommy's watchful eye.

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY

Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is a staple of every calypso band playing on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. My guess is that we heard snippets of that eternally optimistic song at least twenty times these past two weeks. That is definitely the motto for most tropical vacations.

We flew to Ft. Lauderdale on December 2 & set sail the following day for an eleven night cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas. We chose this cruise for three reasons. 1) It had two sea days at the beginning & two at the end of the cruise for relaxing. 2) The itinerary included five new islands for us with only one repeat. 3) It was past hurricane season so we shouldn’t have any diversions like our last Caribbean cruise in Nov 2010.

What better way to start our cruise then with the drink of the day - a Bahama Mama!

The Solarium adults only pool was a quiet retreat that became one of our favorite spots.

Some Enchanted Evening Lounge on the Vision of the Seas.

We had a female captain of our ship who was Japanese & Danish. "Captain Lis" was a tiny, little woman who regularly interacted with the guests. Her weather & location talks started with "Good morning, good morning OR good afternoon, good afternoon" - always said twice.

After our first two days at sea, the next six days were spent at a different island port. I’ll give you a few impressions of each island then let my photos do the talking. As you might expect the tropical scenery is a photographer’s paradise.

St. Johns, Antigua

The island is pronounced “An-tee-gah”. We did an island tour which included a view of Eric Clapton’s house on a thin bluff overlooking the turquoise waters – what a setting for your home. Our tour around the island included ruins of a fort & Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.

A view of St. Johns from our ship. The bow on the right is another cruise ship.

Some of the gorgeous shoreline of Antigua. Check out the close up below of the thin peninsula in the middle right of this photo.

This is a zoomed in shot of Eric Clapton's house on the tip of the peninsula. It is designed to blend in with the landscape.

More amazing scenery. There are 367 beaches on Antigua. As the locals like to say, "One for every day of the year."

Castries, St. Lucia

St. Lucia was one of the islands we missed last time due to Hurricane Tomas that directly hit this mountainous island. The Pitons (two pointed peaks) are its defining landmark. They are on the other side of the island from where the ship docks. We took a private tour that went up a mountain, down to the ocean, up another mountain, & down to the ocean where the Pitons & La Soufriere (an active volcano) are the major attractions. The roads were really steep & winding – plus they drive on the “wrong side of the road” in St. Lucia.

About the only flat land in St. Lucia - the airport taken from our ship.

St. Lucia's most famous landmark - The Pitons.

From this angle only Petit Piton is visible, the other one is behind it.

The Diamond Falls Botanical Garden in Soufriere, St. Lucia.

A colorful villiage at the base of two mountains.

A natural arch bridge that our tour guide pointed out.

Bridgetown, Barbados

Barbados was the most populous island we visited. It has a large upscale area called Holetown that caters to the rich & famous. We were told that Oprah Winfrey, Simon Cowell & Mick Jagger among others either own property or are frequent visitors. Tiger Woods married his ex-wife, Elin, on the island. Pop singer Rihanna is a native of Barbados & returns often.



Downtown Bridgetown.



I loved the way the clouds, palm tree & flowering bush blended together.

The beach at Bathsheba, Barbados.

Looking the opposite direction in Bathsheba - that was one huge rock.

Bridgetown taken from our ship.

Kingstown, St. Vincent

This was our ship’s first time stopping at St. Vincent.  While the scenery on the island was gorgeous, the city of Kingstown was aptly described by a fellow cruiser as “a toilet.” Our bus drove along two of the three downtown streets without stopping. They have a long way to go to improve their city as a tourist destination – the town is really rundown & shopping is minimal at the “cruise port”. Our tour guide said that the unemployment rate is 60% plus people who work are not taxed until they make more than $10,000 per year which few do. They need the tourism but it was my least favorite port on this trip.

One of the three big churches in downtown Kingstown.

This is what most of the town looked like - definitely needs a facelift.

A man preparing our coconut water refreshment which was part of the tour.

Lou enjoying the coconut water. I tasted it & opted for the rum punch.

Another beautiful St. Vincent beach.

Kralendijk, Bonaire

Bonaire is billed as one of the three best dive sights in the world which is why I chose it to make my snorkeling debut. The story of my maiden snorkel adventure is a separate post prior this one. I would have liked to spend more time exploring Bonaire with its colorful buildings & inviting downtown streets but our schedule didn’t allow for it. The island had a nice “feel” to it & I wouldn’t mind visiting again. Both Bonaire & Aruba are flatter & more arid than the other islands on this trip. 

The town of Kralendijk from our ship.

Bonaire's colorful main shopping district.

A church in downtown Kralendijk.

Oranjestad, Aruba

We had visited Aruba on our Panama Canal cruise a few years ago. Last time we did an island tour so we just walked ourselves ragged all over the town this time around. Oranjestad is a big shopping destination with an upscale mall. After finishing up our souvenir shopping, we headed back to the ship & rested by the pool. Island hopping is hard work & we were ready for two more days at sea.

Some of Aruba's ornate buildings.

It seems that Caribbean islanders love pastel colors & Aruba is no exception.

More of Aruba's colorful shopping area.

Of course, we had to take some formal portraits of us all dolled up! Few people seem to enjoy the formal nights but Lou & I like to dress up once in awhile.

I’ve been on enough cruises now that few things seem to be that different on any of the major cruise lines. Royal Caribbean had two things that stood out – they had a rock climbing wall & they had far more varied entertainment. 

Lou & I tried the rock climbing one morning. He made it to the top easily but I only made it about halfway. My son did some rock climbing years ago so I knew the basics – use your legs, stay close to the wall, etc. But I got to a point where I couldn’t straighten my leg & couldn’t reach any higher. I knew I was doomed to fall with my next step. The rope caught me & eased me back to the deck. At least I tried.



Lou doing his best Spiderman immitation.



Success!





Me at my highest point - I know kinda pathetic.



The obligatory singers & dancers only did two shows. They were better than some we’ve seen but nothing special. There were several comedians, a juggler, a singing impressionist & a hypnotist. All were good except the hypnotist – it was a boring show but maybe old people don’t hypnotize well.

My two favorite shows were a singer/comedian/philosopher named Judy Kolba. She is billed as a combination of Joan Rivers, Liza Minelli & Charo. Her humor was unique & she made you think about life without being too serious.

A pleasant surprise was the tribute show “Ricky Nelson Remembered” by his twin sons, Matthew & Gunnar Nelson. You may remember them from about 20 years ago when they looked like “hot Swedish chicks” (their description) with long, blond hair. I loved Ricky Nelson as a kid so it was quite a treat to sit in the front row & sing along with his sons!

Matthew & Gunnar Nelson with a photo of their father on the video screen.

And as if all that wasn’t enough we had about six hours to kill before our flight so we rented a car & drove to South Miami Beach for a whirlwind Art Deco tour.



One of the hundreds of Art Deco buildings in South Beach.

 

A restored Packard looks right at home along Ocean Drive.

Even the lifeguard shacks have an Art Deco theme. We decided we need to spend a few days in Miami before our next cruise!

ADVENTURES OF A FIRST TIME SNORKELER

In fifth grade during a routine school eye test it was discovered that I needed glasses – badly.  You know the type, where you hold up three fingers the way that the progressively smaller “E”s are facing. Well, I couldn’t even tell them which way the big “E” at the top was pointing!

Since that day I’ve worn glasses or contacts my entire life. Sometimes it can be a bit of a pain in the ass, but mostly I’m just thankful that something as simple as eyeglasses can give me the gift of perfect sight.  However, water sports have always been a challenge since it’s not a lot of fun to swim, water ski or zip down waterslides when you can’t see three feet in front of your face.

In my 62+ years of life I had never snorkeled since I couldn’t see the fish or anything else underwater. My only son, who is afflicted with the same bad vision, invested in a snorkeling mask with corrective lens several years ago. He has since had laser surgery & has 20/20 vision without any glasses, but loaned me the mask for our cruise.

When we planned this Southern Caribbean cruise to six different islands my research found that Bonaire is one of the top three dive destinations in the world!  I figured if I was finally going to snorkel, this was the place to do it.

Some of the Bonaire coastline. This isn't where we snorkeled but it was close by.

I picked a snorkeling excursion that started on the beach. Something in the recesses of my brain told me that it would be much easier to be able to stand up & pull the mask off if I suddenly panicked or couldn’t breathe.

We arrived at the beautiful beach with crystal clear aqua water & were briefed on the hazards of the coral reefs by an American couple, Walt & Cindy, who retired in Bonaire. There were six of us who were first time snorkelers in the group. Everyone wore an inflatable vest & the beginners were encouraged to put a flotation noodle under their vest to make floating easier. We were advised to forego the flippers until we tried it a few times. Lou has snorkeled a lot and took off on his own while I waded out with Anders who was assigned to our motley crew of snorkeling virgins.

My sister and I share a strange trait that is not something we enjoy – we gag at the slightest provocation. I can literally gag brushing my teeth sometimes! Well, when I put the mouthpiece in and bit down I immediately gagged on it.  I pulled it out then tried again. More gagging. Poor Anders kept asking if I was alright. I nodded & raised my hand in the universal “I’m fine” gesture when I clearly wasn’t. Finally, I said I needed to go sit down on the beach & regroup.

After several deep breaths & doing my damndest to relax & stop it, I headed back to the ocean determined to put mind over matter. Interestingly enough, once I just put my face in the water & floated for a minute, the gagging went away.  Thank God!

I was surprised that from above the surface the rocks & fish are blurry due to the distortion from the water. But once you put your masked face in the water, it all becomes distinct & is completely clear. It was fascinating to simply observe this underwater paradise. Once I got used to the motion of the waves (we were only about 20-30 feet offshore) & the rhythm of breathing through my mouth several minutes went by quickly.

Lou bought an underwater camera & took lots of photos - it's just me, not the Loch Ness monster.

There were a lot of small fish darting in & out around the coral which was beautiful in itself. They were all colors from almost clear to bright blue to yellow. Suddenly I saw a huge (at least to me) fish that must have been 18” long. It was several shades of bright blue. It was so close I could have reached out & touched it although we were cautioned not to touch anything. That was when I started to think that this snorkeling thing was pretty cool.

A neon blue fish that Lou captured on film.

This is a colorful patterned fish that Lou saw further out on the reef.

One of the plentiful Parrot fish that were all over the place.

Cindy was stationed nearby in the water to make sure none of us drowned. I described the fish & she told me it was a Parrot fish. I excitedly pulled my mask down & began another underwater adventure. This time I noticed a light tan, almost white, really thin, flat fish slowly maneuver near the sandy bottom. It laid on the bottom almost disappearing. I could barely see the outline of it when I knew exactly where it was. Cindy confirmed that it was a Peacock flounder with both eyes on the same side of its head.

Lou found me & wanted to take me out to the deeper water. I went back for some flippers but had a helluva time just getting them on & trying to walk. A wave hit me & not being able to catch my balance with the flippers, I fell back on my butt with my legs up in the air. At that point I told Lou that I was having a great time in the shallow water with just my water shoes & wanted to stay there rather than take a chance of spoiling the experience.

Me floating over the undersea wonderland with my noodle.

Back to floating over my brain coral & rocks, I stumbled onto an eel that looked to be fighting with another fish! I watched them for a couple minutes before they disappeared back into the coral. Before I knew it, about 1-1/2 hours had passed!

What started out looking like it might be an expensive day at the beach (because of my gagfest) turned out to be a terrific adventure. I won’t say I’m totally hooked but I thoroughly enjoyed my little taste of Bonaire’s fascinating underwater world. And I would certainly try it again now that I’m pretty sure I won’t drown!

My report on the cruise & Southern Caribbean will follow shortly.

AUTUMN IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

There are not enough adjectives in the dictionary to adequately describe the beauty of Yosemite in the fall. Lou & I just spent three days taking in the stunning fall colors of this gorgeous national park. A special deal at Yosemite Lodge was the catalyst for our Veteran’s Day getaway.

The weather cooperated fully with a few inches of snow the day before we arrived, but blue sky & bright sunshine during our stay. It was cold & crisp with the autumn foliage at its peak.

Some of the beautiful color throughout the valley floor.

Yosemite Chapel looked striking set against the fall color.

A snow covered meadow in Yosemite Valley.

No trip to Yosemite is complete without a drive to Tunnel View. The classic scene of El Capitan & Half Dome never gets old.

Lou had the idea of photographing many of the historical stone bridges in Yosemite Valley. We’ve driven over them countless times but on this trip we stopped & traipsed through the snow to get these pictures.

Pohono Bridge

Sentinel Bridge

A view of Half Dome reflecting in the Merced River taken from Sentinel Bridge.

El Capitan Bridge

This bridge didn't have a name that we could find, however it was one of the most scenic.

But, of course, the star of the photo op show was Half Dome. We found a perfect location to capture the brilliant golds, yellows & oranges framing the mountain. By walking ten feet, you had a completely different shot – it was a photographer’s paradise! Even a thousand words can't describe these photos.



While Lou was attempting to scale the cliffs to Upper Yosemite Falls, I spent the day communing with nature & enjoying a couple of much easier hikes.

Mirror Lake - or "Mirror Meadow" since the lake dried up. Even in spring it is only "Mirror Marsh".

I loved this winter wonderland scene on the trail to Mirror Lake.

My second hike to the bottom of Vernal Falls was a bit more strenuous.

This was a wonderful weekend retreat with great food, amazing scenery & more photo ops than I would have thought possible. As much as I love my pictures they don't begin to do justice to the actual scenes that surrounded us. We took over 375 pictures between us in less than three days. Awesome is a word that is way overused but it doesn't come close to describing Yosemite in the fall!

Lou & his friend - this deer probably would have eaten out of his hand.

More gorgeous fall scenery.

And even more gorgeous fall scenery.

This was my last photo before leaving the park - I loved the reflection.