Daughter does traditional Hula while her mother sings and keeps time on the ipu
Sometimes I feel my fitness trainer is actually my event planner. She's told me when exciting things are afoot, such as when Dandelion Botanical Company opened up about a mile from my house. I am totally enraptured with that store and I get all my medicinal herbs - uh... and some crystals - at that wonderous shop. Back on topic, recently Karina let me know there was to be a Hula presentation in the field behind the Sequim library. OMG I was so excited! She told me about the hula because I have been attempting to learn a 'simple' non-traditional hula. Most of what I learned so far is there is no such thing as a simple hula. That's for me at least, as I can't coordinate my arm and feet movements to save my life. I used to do so easily but someone seems to have cut the connection between my feet, arms and brain. Go figure.
The lady who lead the event was brilliant and taught the gathering a ton of information, much of which was new to me. I'm not going to try to relate any of it, but will instead include this video of the lady singing beautifully as she plays the ipu as her pretty daughter danced a traditional hula. Enchanting chanting all!
My favorite part of the demonstrations? When all those who wished for a little Hula lesson to come up front! All the little girls in the audience raced up onto the stage, and the far more timid adults, which included me of course, stayed down in front of the stage. I was surprised there was only a handful of adults - all women - who wanted to dance. I kicked off my shoes so I could feel my toes in the grass and enjoyed my 2nd ever Hula lesson - and so close to home! As usual, as I fought to hold back tears of joy as I followed along the arm movements and steps we were shown. We all managed a complete dance and I was clumsy on certain moves, but not half bad on others - you know - not ready for a prime time Luau, but my heart was in it. Can't wait for my 3rd Hula lesson - hopefully back on the islands again.
UPDATE: Karina, my exercise trainer discovered the following photo the audience participation dance session and I'm right chuffed to have it. Thanks Karina!
"Get that arm up Miller!" In my defense, that's my 'bad' arm! : )
Had a fun week my friends Robbie & Rhonda, who are in the NW this month, up from California. While they were here they participated in lots of hiking and sight seeing. The Olympic gods were with them as Mount Baker which can't be seen much of the time, was shiny and bright in the Northwestern Sky. It can even be spied from my house... downstairs, blocked a bit by a Corkscrew Oak and a powerpole... but present nevertheless.
On their last day I drove them to many of my favorite spots to see Bald Eagles. On Holland Road we ran into a swarm of bees . None of us had ever seen a swarm outside of Ticktock.
When we'd had our fill of the bees, we stopped at one of Sequim's 'Pick Your Own Berries and Lavender' Farms. Loads of Raspberries were picked, and wolfed down later in the day.
Robbie volunteered pick us some raspberries
Of course it is cruel to take someone to a lavender farm and not try out some lavender ice cream so that was next on the agenda. We got the Whitbey Island Ice Cream bars at a 2nd lavender farm, down the road from my house.
Robbie tryed to convince the hen that ice cream was no good for her
Another day we drove up to Hurricane Ridge at the top of Olympic National Park. While while my
Comma Butterfly
friends hiked the high country, I roamed around closer to the Visitor Center. Spotted a nice 'new to me' butterfly and some Avalanche Lilies.
Avalanche Lilies
Then on our way down from Hurricane Ridge, barely a mile from the top, we spotted a Black Bear. You KNOW that made my month. This is the 3rd spotting of a Black Bear I've seen in the area so I'm thinking the bear population must be kind of HUMONGOUS.
Always a joy to see one of the park Black Bears
The bear had Cocker Spaniel eyes... so soulful, as well as a mouthful of tasty grass
One of the days I drove them around to my favorite haunts, with the goal of showing them a baldie or three. We caught one in flight over the Holstein dairy farm. I took them around back of the Olympic Game Farm where after Bald Eagle chicks have fledged (left home, i.e., nest) can be seen sitting on fence posts, sometimes a half dozen at a time. But that day, no baldies at all. As a last resort I drove them to Marine Drive, about a mile from my house. Stopping at the roadside, I pointed to an empty branch up high in a coniferous tree that overhung a cliff.
"Well, you guys are having crap luck today. Sometimes there are as many as a pair of eagles sitting on that horizontal branch..."
On cue, up from the cliffs below winged a massive Bald Eagle juvenile, obediently landing on the branch I'd indicated.
"Ooops! Take that back, you two are having FANTASTIC luck today!"
Training that baby baldy really paid off big time.
Robbie & Rhonda ended up spending an extra day with me because they awaited a package at the post office. That made me sooo happy, because I so enjoyed having their company for the week. But finally the time came for them to leave. Robbie was to meet up with her hubby Bill up in Vancouver and Rhonda went to visit friends, in the Seattle area? Well somewhere up here. Fun and helpful house guests whom I hope return next summer. I might have a few more critters trained to show up on cue by then, you never know.
River Otter, eyes shut, chomping down on seafood brunch
Today I visited Ediz Hook, which is a land spit off Port Angeles. I totally had River Otters on my mind as I discussed them recently with my friend Ingrid, who told me she saw several at the start of the hook. I had also chatted about the otters with another friend who walks the length of the hook frequently. She thinks the River Otters are too rat-like for her liking, which made me laugh. Pointing out they are weasels, not rodents didn't change her mind one bit. So when I reached my favorite parking spot, I was a happily surprised to see a River Otter surface, then dive. Scrambling for my camera, I flung myself out of my car to take some action photos of the fishing River Otter.
Eating an Eel?
Nom, Nom, Nom...
Diving for 10th helping of seafood entrée
With plenty of shots taken, I figured that was it for the day, settling in my car to gloat over otter photos. Five or ten minutes later, something compelled me to look out the drivers side window, and there, some 15 feet away by my car was the hunchbacked River Otter on dry land. Yes, I immediately lost my #@$&, scurrying out of my car, missing every camera shot I aimed for due to overexcitement. I'd make a crap NatGeo photographer.
Watching the otter galumphing along by one of the spit's effing feral cat shelters, and then it disappeared for a bit, reappearing on the boat launch parking lot. By that time I was taping the rascal. An old fisherman & the otter trotted past each other by no more than 3 feet. Neither paid one whit of attention to the other. Did the fisherman think the otter was a cat or dog? Was the presence of otters here too common for the pair to bother noting one another? Somewhere were lions lying down with lambs or something? I mean, that otter paid zero attention to the old man of the sea.
Hiking it over to the parking lot, which is bordered by harbor waters on 3 sides I looked and looked, finally seeing the otter surfacing in the harbor and I had a field day photographing it.
Here is my video of the frisky critter - Dramamine recommended for those without sea legs.
