Month: January 2016

Waikoa Loop

We drove to Kilauea on Sunday and started the hike on Waikoa loop behind the mini golf.
Trail through the Mahagony plantation


Kauai Fresh Farm’s Christmas decorations are still up.

Woo-Hoo bouncy grass, everybody loves bouncy grass…

Bouncy grass swallowed Leilani

Jet to the rescue

Rock inside the bouncy grass

Did I mention everybody loves to play in bouncy grass?

Hawaiian coots or ‘alae kea




Kalihiwai lagoons





Stone dam

Look… a fish.

Late Fall

The blog is a mess. I am catching up, but it’s all unsorted (just in case you had not noticed).

Waialeale is clear often this fall and winter


French at Darcy’s school.



Since the dogs are so annoying when we leave we try to take them along

Our yard in beautiful light

Leilani and Andy are working on a treehouse




Leilani likes panoramas

We made her birthday party cake together


On the actual birthday we only had pie. But at least it was lilikoi pie, which according to Leilani is the best.

Austin 3

We went on several little hikes by the Walnut creek.



Leilani did some art-photographie and a selfie…



…and played wildly like she had on previous visits



Andy and I went on a date and walked around the city at night.


We walked at Mills Pond… not very far or very fast because we found so many other things to do





A very pretty dove

Someone taking more risk than the dove picture is worth

Squirrel photos are easier.

Leilani likes mistletoe



They all like rockets and drones.




More dates…




 

Jim was nice enough to write it all up. He titled it “The Christmas Story (Kass Version)”, and started the email that arrived today with: “Our Christmas tree is still up and I like it that way.  Most of the other decorations are down.” Which is not that remarkable because their tree is artificial. Our tree is still up too. It’s natural, and while the needles start to get brittle, none dropped. We had the tree for almost 10 weeks now, and it’s still beautiful. (Most of our other decorations are down too, except for a few outside…):

 

Christmas 2015 in Austin, Texas

This summary is to the best of our memory all that happened during the visit.  A lot of it was recorded after the visit and is as we think it happened.

  • Thu Dec 24: Andy, Sonja, and Leilani spent the morning in the Seattle airport waiting between flights.  They arrived in Austin around 5:30 PM and Jim got them and lots of luggage at the airport.  There was a quick stop at Randall’s on the way home for two things Jim wanted.  It became a longer stop and lots of stuff and Jim forgot to use his $1 off coupon which expired that day (one of the reasons he stopped).  Leilani and Rosemary decorated the Christmas tree while Andy and Sonja wrapped gifts; some they brought and some were mailed from online purchases. For a late dinner we had the sweet potato hash plus green beans, salad and a sauce.  Then we all trekked off to Midnight Mass and music with Rosemary singing in the choir.  After Mass we took some pictures at church and a few of the tree at home.
  • Fri Dec 25:   After a late start and brunch, Jim and Leilani went out and dug sweet potatoes from the garden because it was supposed to freeze that night.  Leilani and Sonja cut oregano to dry and then Leilani got stuck washing the sweet potatoes because Andy and Jim had to go to the airport to pick up David at about 5:00 PM.  Leilani and Rosemary started the annual Christmas puzzle (a small one this year).  After David got here he quickly went upstairs to wrap presents or bag gifts.  We took a family group photo, then Leilani distributed gifts, one at a time, for everyone to open – Jim included for awhile.  Some presents were left for later when it became time to fix dinner.  Everyone worked on getting the aperitif and raclette dinner ready.
  • Sat Dec 26:  After another late breakfast, Andy helped mom learn about her new Fitbit and register it online. Then he helped Leilani set up her drone.  She flew it on the driveway and in the greenbelt at the west end of the street.  There was some shopping and Andy got screws and glue to fix the yellow, kitchen chairs.  David and Jim finished the puzzle.  Dinner was white bean and spinach croquettes with Sonja’s salad and Leilani’s vegetable hors d’oeuvres plate and cookie plate for dessert.
  • Sun Dec 27: Rosemary sang at 10:00 AM Mass and then she prepared brunch of breakfast tacos.  Some of us went shopping at Fry’s for rocket igniters, and those staying home saw rain and pea sized hail.  Then Leilani flew her drone on the driveway for practice.  Flying a drone takes a lot of practice. For dinner Sonja and Andy made Khichadi with lots of vegetables.  Andy  prepared one vegetable hors d’oeuvres plate and Leilani did another vegetable plate and one of cookies.  After dinner was cleaned up, Leilani and Jim watched the movie Elf.  Jim really liked it.  Rosemary and David started the pickled cucumbers for Monday’s dinner.
  • Mon Dec 28: Rosemary ran errands in the morning and then drove with Andy looking for a good place to launch rockets.  Jim slept late as usual and almost missed brunch.  Leilani and Andy worked on building rockets and then went to the west greenbelt to fly the drone. We opened the remaining Christmas presents.  David made his potsticker soup and pickled cucumbers for an early dinner.  All dressed up for the theater, we took some family photos before driving to Georgetown to see Beauty and the Beast, the Musical.  Even though it was cold, we walked around the square looking at the Christmas lights on the Williamson County courthouse and the trees in the square and along the streets.
  • Tue Dec 29: Jim went to his doctor’s office to pay a late bill and to give the doctor some books.  After that he went shopping for food:  chicken, salmon, salad, etc.  Everyone else went to fly the drone near the playscape in the west greenbelt for awhile.  Then they walked on the new trail (hike ‘n’ bike highway) through Walnut Creek Park.  While dinner was being prepared Leilani finished reading her book The Witches by Ronald Dahl.  Andy and Sonja found that book stuffed in a tree somewhere.  After dinner 4 of us played the Carcassonne game.  During the evening Michael Sigler called from Dallas to coordinate a visit on Wednesday.
  • Wed Dec 30: The trip to San Antonio was scrapped in favor of seeing Michael, but late morning he called and said he could not make it because Ryan’s flight from Dallas was much later than he thought.  Rosemary and Leilani made a batch of deviled eggs that morning, and Jim slept late as usual.  It was a nice day so after brunch everyone walked around Mill’s Pond in Wells Branch and flew Leilani’s drone there in an open area on the far shore.  Sonja and Andy walked further south of the pond down to the frisbee golf area.  The rest of us rushed home to have a huge snack and to go to the 6:40 PM Star Wars VII, The Force Awakens movie in 3D which cost David $53 for the 4 of us. Thanks David.  The movie was well done and introduced new stars for the last 3 movies in this famous series.  It is a Disney movie now.   After the movie we came home and had a dinner of Costco spinach raviolis and salad.  Andy and Sonja went downtown for dinner at Casa de Luz, a vegan restaurant, and then walked around downtown Austin to see the Capitol Christmas tree and in Zilker Park to see the swirling tree of lights.
  • Thu Dec 31: After another late start and a quick lunch everyone went to the Mayfield Nature Preserve and gardens in the western part of the city near Lake Austin.  We saw peacocks, many small gardens each maintained by a person or group, several large ponds, and then hiked in the preserve over to the modern art museum Laguna Gloria (now called The Contemporary Austin).  This area is a wealthy old Austin neighborhood where some of the old estates were given to the city.  We walked through the Laguna Gloria grounds and around some of the many pieces of modern art displayed there.  Sonja and Andy fixed sauerkraut, potatoes and sausage.  Then maybe a game of Carcassonne while we waited for the new year.  Everyone celebrated the new year (or is it the end of the old year?) with beer, sparkling wine and cookies.
  • Fri Jan 01:   Rosemary attended church at noon and the rest of us slept late.  Sonja and Leilani made deviled eggs.  Then all of us went to the Wells Branch soccer field to shoot rockets and fly the drones (Leilani’s lost one propeller protector).  Andy’s Blackbird rocket was almost lost as it drifted into the trees and buildings south of the soccer field, but he was very lucky to find it in a small open area.  For dinner Rosemary prepared salmon topped with a honey, mustard and crushed pecans while Jim made a side dish of garden sweet potatoes and kale (only he forgot to cook it enough).  Sonja made a salad.  After dinner Leilani and Jim watched the VCR video Free Willy while others worked on their computers.
  • Sat Jan 02:   Another late start with brunch while Jim slept.  Leilani, Andy, David and Rosemary went back to the Wells Branch soccer field and find the lost, drone propeller protector. Jim went shopping for sushi ingredients but could not get the salmon until Monday.  Andy, David, Leilani, and Rosemary went to the Bullock Museum to see the La Belle movie and exhibit.  Sonja was not feeling well and stayed home to rest.  Andy made khichadi with chicken for dinner.
  • Sun Jan 03:  Rosemary attended Mass.  Sonja and Andy fixed a really good herb omelet for brunch with lots of Jim’s garlic chives.  Rosemary, David, Leilani, and Jim went to the open field at Long Vista Drive and Wells Port Drive to fly rockets and drones.  On one flight, the rocket landed on the roof of the huge warehouse building for St. David’s Medical Supplies.  They looked for almost half an hour before deciding it really was on the roof.  On the way home they stopped at Trader Joe’s for pizza dough.  Meanwhile Andy and Sonja hiked all through Walnut Creek Park doing about 7 miles of trails.  They went back to Casa de Luz for another dinner and came home early.  Meanwhile the rest of us made two home made pizzas, one with sausage and one with vegetables.  The sausage one was kind of a disaster as we could not get it off the board onto the oven rack.  It didn’t look great, but it was eatable.  Jim and Leilani watched the DVD How to Train Your Dragon 2.
  • Mon Jan 04: After a brunch of leftovers, we went and hiked all through Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve.  We found a really nice waterfall. David and Jim went for salmon for sushi while everyone else stopped at the 360 Bridge over Lake Austin and hiked up to the overlook.  At home, while Andy and Sonja  started packing, the rest of us worked on getting the ingredients ready for sushi.  Andy came down and made the sticky rice.  Everyone except Rosemary rolled sushi rolls.  It was a fun dinner.
  • Tue Jan 05:  Andy, Sonja, and Leilani finished packing by noon.  Jim made his chicken Marsala for a big lunch.  Jim, Leilani, David and Andy went back to the Grand Avenue Parkway field.  David and Andy flew David’s drone, while Jim and Leilani went to ask the people at St. David’s Medical Supply warehouse to fetch the rocket from the roof.  One man went up and found the rocket.  Smiling, he returned it to Leilani.  They were nice people and it was a good experience.  Jim took Sonja, Andy, and Leilani to the airport at about 4:00 PM for their flight to Seattle and an overnight there in a hotel.  The rest of us had left over khichadi for dinner.
  • Wed Jan 06: Rosemary attended her weight loss class and then sewed Boar’s Head jester costumes all day. Jim and David went to The Martian movie and to the nearby Mexican restaurant, La Tapatia, for dinner.  The other Kass family visited Seattle all day (the Space Needle and the Chiluly museum) and caught their late afternoon flight to Kaua’i.
  • Thu Jan 07: Rosemary, David, and Jim went to the Thursday noon concert at Central Presbyterian Church and had lunch there.  The concert featured Thomas McGregor who played the piano and a special 5 string violin.  The lunch was traditional tamales and Spanish rice with guacamole and a nice cake for dessert.  We stopped at Fiesta on the way home as usual to get Mexican pastries for Sunday brunch.  Rosemary sewed jester costumes the rest of the day.  For dinner David took us to County Line restaurant for traditional Texas barbecue.
  • Fri Jan 08:   Rosemary finished the two jester costumes in time for the Boar’s Head dress rehearsal.  She ate an early dinner and went off to rehearsal.  David and Jim ate later.
  • Sat Jan 09:   Rosemary sang at the 5pm Mass and stayed for the  Boar’s Head performance.  David and Jim came for the 13th Annual Boars Head Pageant at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church.  Rosemary sang with the choir.  Afterwards we went to the King’s Reception and nibble on various offerings of shrimp, meat balls, veggie platters, candy, brownies, etc.  It made a dinner.
  • Sun Jan 10:  After a breakfast taco brunch, we all went over to the Walnut Creek baseball fields and flew David’s drone until the battery ran down.  Rosemary drove back home, while David and Jim hiked home through Walnut Creek Park on the new trail.  A screw on one of the drone propellers came loose when it landed upside down still spinning.  David spent a lot of time trying to tighten the screw at home that evening.  We play the Mexican Train game.
  • Mon Jan 11: In the morning David packed.  We went to fly the drone once more at the park baseball field to verify that the propeller was working properly.  It was not; the drone always flew to one side.  We returned home and David packed up the drone for a carry-on and to be fixed at home.  We had a late lunch at nearby Poke-Joe’s for another dose of Texas barbecue and then took David to the airport for his flight back to Los Angeles around 5:00 PM.  The best picture I could find of Pasadena, California was an arial picture of the Rose Bowl full of people on 1 January 2011.

CHINA

Here is my essay (-: This is as far as I got in class.

On the continent of Asia there is a country called China. China is on the other side of the world to Washington, D.C. Although the President probably uses articles made in China. China also has a big population nearly 1.2 billion people live there! That’s a lot! This essay will tell you what Chinese invented.

The abacus was an early computer that helped with math. A Chinese man invented paper 1900 years ago and made it with pulp and rags. 900 years later someone mixed chemicals that exploded, fireworks!!! These are only a few of China’s inventions, but let’s move on to foods.

Many foods were invented in China. Chinese have been cultivating rice for over 7000 years! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. This yummy treat was also invented in China. Do you like a nice hot cup of tea? The Chinese have a myth that tea was invented when tea leaves blew into a pot of boiling water.

So China invented many cool things we use today. You might be using or eating something invented in China right now!

Beach Day