Transitioning to Hawaii....

       On this past Wednesday, a combination of powerful northwest winds and a very high tide flooded the homes along the shore of our beautiful bay. Water also ran along the roadway and into cabins next to us that sit close to the ground. Just as a thirteen-foot so-called king tide approached, the winds picked up and began blowing water over the sea wall and into the homes. It was astonishing to see water come over the tops of the house in front of us. Because we're usually out of here by this time of year, we've never experienced flooding and hope we never experience it again. Steve and I removed seven inches of water from our neighbor's home. They live in British Columbia, and crossing the border into Birch Bay is problematic because of Canada's many requirements related to COVID testing. We hope they can get here soon to assess the damage and remediate things. We want to see them before we head to Hawaii. Next Sunday, we will leave for Waianae, Hawaii. We're anxious to get to the sunshine and mild temperatures waiting for us on the island of Oahu. This change is an adjustment for me. Our Birch Bay menus are quite different than our Waianae menus. First of all, I don't have all the kitchen appliances there that I enjoy here. That's not a big problem because I can still buy my favorite things from Costco, and I cook less there than I do here. We eat out more in Hawaii, so I'll choose restaurants that accommodate my keto-style diet. We also do a lot of cooking on the grill, and grilled items are almost always keto-friendly. We are taking seafood with us, including salmon and crab, so I'll have plenty of choices for meals. Then, of course, there's our old stand-by, cabbage. It is available everywhere, and so we'll continue to make our large containers of slaw and serve it with chicken, ribs, and fish. Of course, we'll start our workouts right away, beginning with joining the Mililani YMCA to use the pool and special exercise equipment. We're anxious to do some golfing again, and I'm looking forward to visiting some of the beautiful public courses available to us other than West Loch Golf Course, the one we usually visit. I'm also hoping to do some more hiking around Oahu. The places I intend to hike eventually are linked here. Of course, I hiked Diamond Head when Jake and Harald were married because they held their wedding ceremony on Diamond Head beach. It was stunning! We love being in Birch Bay and Waianae for different reasons. Each place offers so much, and we enjoy exploring both. We're learning new things all the time and hope we remain healthy enough to enjoy both places for years to come. That means I need to maintain my weight because that impacts everything else. Even with the pounds I've lost so far, my blood pressure has improved and will continue to improve with every pound I lose. It's still a VERY slow process, but I'll continue healthy eating. I'm still feeling a little sad about the flood and how it impacts my neighbors. We're very fortunate because our home sits on higher ground specifically to accommodate such an event. However, I still feel very sorry for everyone who faces this problem. The following is a poem I wrote about our Bay and my first experience witnessing it explode the way it did:
​Birch Bay
There was a little Bay, providing gentle waves
all through the season while we boated. 
The crabbing was good...it was very very good,
but in winter the waves became horrid!