As you know, I recently visited Australia. I already posted pictures of my snorkel adventures on the Great Barrier Reef, but I also snorkeled in Clovelly Bay, Sydney.
Blue Grouper
It was freezing cold (to someone who lives on Guam) but I saw my first groupers outside of an aquarium, and that was magical.
Green Grouper
I highly recommend that anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps and snorkel any of the Sydney stops from Manly Beach to Clovelly Bay to get a wet suit. I should have, but it was the middle of the summer in Australia and I thought it would be really hot.
Cool plant life.
Turns out, that is not how Australia works. Water coming up from South America is cold year round. Now I know.
Little Grey Fish
At any rate, it was my first time snorkeling or diving outside a tropical environment since childhood. Instead of coral, there are plants and something that looks an awful lot like moss.
Sea Floor
That was quite different. Most of the fish were less colorful, which I expected. However, some were surprising colorful for living in cold water.
Sea Snail
I hadn’t snorkeled in a cold environment since my trip to Catalina Bay in Middle School. I remember the huge kelp forests, and how the little orange Garibaldi fish and bright purple star fish really stuck out in the sea of greens. This felt very similar to that.
This is me at the top of Mt. Lam Lam. There are not a lot of mountains to climb, so I just climb the same one over and over. Island life, huh?
This is the “desert” side of the island down South. There are a lot of trails to valleys with waterfalls and pools to swim in. I like the tall grass and the red dirt. They contrast well with the blue sky and the fluffy clouds.
This is me with the first waterfalls that you come to on the Tarzan Falls hike. They are smaller than the main waterfall, but still pretty.
This is Tumon Bay, where we live. It is the most beautiful view I have ever had, and I know we’ll never have such a beautiful view out of our windows again.
These are wildflowers out on the trail. Usually you just see types of ground orchids, but these pretty lacy flowers are new to me.
Rich and I at Hamamoto Fruit World. It is basically just a really big orchard for tropical fruit trees, but I really liked it because I love plants.
This is the view from Two Lover’s Point. You are looking down at Tumon Bay, and one of the short little buildings in the middle is our condo building.
This is my favorite flower. It is called a Passion Flower. They come in different colors. When I was a little girl, my aunt had some that were orange and purple. I loved them. The ones here are mostly white, but they are still pretty.
I am getting sort of frustrated with a few things I see on the island, and I wanted to talk about them. First and foremost, I want to say that I am horrified when people don’t stay two meters away from endangered animals, as is required by federal law.
Fish Eye is a problem. I know it. You know it. Everyone on Guam knows it. They feed the marine life by dumping chum in the water, and it can cause all kinds of bad situations like the semi-domestic barracuda that lives there and has injured people, or the turtle that learned the dangerous and unfortunate lesson that people equal food, and paid for that lesson with his life.
While we can all look around and see that other people are doing things wrong, let us please also remember that others’ mistakes do not give us the right now also break laws and behave badly. Do not touch or get within two meters of endangered animals. This includes the native birds, coconut crabs, sea turtles, and anything else you might encounter that is rare and in need of protection.
Please, don’t pet or feed the animals.
Next up: the coral is alive. Coral is a living colony of organism called polyps. and they get crushed when you stand on them.
I see people all the time at Gun Beach, Fish Eye, Gab Gab, and Tanguisson just standing on the coral like it’s not big deal. And FYI: it’s not better if you are barefoot. I don’t care what you stand on a polyp with. It is a tiny animal and you will kill it by standing on it.
Some coral can appear to be dead, but still have living sections on new corals trying to grow on top of the old. Just because it doesn’t look alive to you, doesn’t mean that it is not alive. So don’t stand on anything at all unless it is sand. If you can’t float well enough to adjust your mask or whatever in the water, then get out of the water to do it if you can’t find sand. Just don’t stand on the coral.
And finally: Every time I go out I find trash. Every single time. Last time I went out I was at Gab Gab and I found a Planters Peanut bag. In Tumon Bay and at Tanguisson I usually find beer cans and flip flops. At Fish Eye I found umbrellas, sun glasses, hats, and all kinds of other garbage.
The point is this: The ocean is not your landfill. Stop dumping your trash in the ocean like it doesn’t matter. It matters a lot.
I guess what I really want you to do it be responsible and kind. Oh, and recently someone stole my flip flops off the rocks by the ocean while I was swimming. So although it should go without saying: Don’t steal people’s things while they are in the water!
Just be cool, folks. Be cool.
One of the workers at Fish Eye feeding Squid to the turtle that used to live there. Don’t ever do that!
Sorry to sound harsh. I know this comes off as bitchy. But, I care deeply about nature, and I hate to see people hurting it.
I hope you’ll spread the word to others on the islands, and to anyone you know who is visiting an island soon.
Let’s take care of our oceans!
An umbrella that we found wedged in some coral at Fish Eye. We took this picture with it before bringing it to shore to throw away.
I discovered when trying to show you all the sunsets that I have seen that I can only post forty at once. I use a free WordPress site for my blog, and apparently there are limitations (which is fine, because it’s free.)
Anyway, here are the rest of the sunsets I wanted to show you in my June 5th post.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
(Note: We have an Airforce Base at the tip of the island and sometimes they play in the sunset.)
Nine.
Ten.
Eleven.
Twelve.
Thirteen.
Fourteen.
Fifteen.
Sixteen.
Seventeen.
Eighteen.
Nineteen.
Twenty.
Twenty One.
Twenty Two.
Twenty Three.
Twenty Four.
Twenty Five.
Twenty Six.
Twenty Seven.
Twenty Eight.
Twenty Nine.
Thirty.
Thirty One.
Thirty Two.
Thirty Three.
Thirty Four.
Thirty Five.
Thirty Six.
Thirty Seven.
Thirty Eight.
Thirty Nine.
Forty.
Of course it’s always better to see a tropical sunset in person. So, maybe some visit me in Guam and come see one!
I went to visit my friend Sarah Huxhold in Seattle. While I was there, I had a great time driving around the Olympic Peninsula, visiting the parks and the troll under the bridge, and even going downtown to see Pike’s Peak market.
The very best parts about Seattle (in my opinion) are the fresh salmon and the fresh berries. I absolutely love blueberries and raspberries, and grilled salmon right out of the water is amazing.
Of course everyone was smoking pot in the streets, because it’s legal now in Washington. I didn’t mind so much. It smells better than cigarettes when you’re walking by.
For me though, it’s the crafts, the art, and the food that really makes me love Seattle. Well, that and my friends who live there! It really is a wonderful place.
The Sail Inn is a great spot, and Dan Tedesco is awesome live!
Dan Tedesco and band
I was supposed to be with my family Friday. But they ditched me, so I went to the Dan Tedesco show at The Sail Inn by myself last Friday. All I can say is; they’re sorry they missed it!
The Sail Inn spent some time as Trax recently, before going back to being called The Sail Inn. While it was Trax, it underwent some very nice re-modeling and all of that is still there. There are plush couches, mirrored walls, and lots of nice places to chill. There are still two rooms inside and a big bar, and there is still a huge outside area with lots of tables and chairs.
Main Room
In better weather, the show would have been on the outdoor stage. But of course, this is summer in Arizona. So the show was on the smaller stage inside. (Which was just fine for Dan and his band.)
The Sail Inn filled up fast. The crowd was, as always, more diverse than at any other bar or venue I go to. There were people that looked barely 21, and people who looked like they could be grandparents. That has always been one of the nicest things about The Sail Inn. Anyone can go there and feel welcome. It’s not easy to find, and it’s literally on the “wrong side of the tracks” from Mill Avenue. But if you find your way to 1st Street and Farmer and you find The Sail Inn, you will feel welcome no matter who you are.
Lounge Area
Dan Tedesco is a Chicago native who I met when he was attending ASU. At the time, he was a one-man-show. He had a lot of funny lyrics blended with uplifting rock n’ roll. After some time in Los Angeles and a pilgrimage back to Chicago, Dan has a whole band behind him now and a much bigger collection of songs.
His songs are still infused with his quirky sense of humor, and they are still good old rock n’ roll. But the music has really filled out with the band behind him. It has room to become more complex, and more rich and enveloping.
I have always had a hard time describing Dan’s style, because to me, it’s rock n. roll. But these days, people don’t believe in rock n’ roll anymore. They want to hear a complex genera description like “alternative-metal-rock” or something. I have explained other music as fusions of various genres. But in the case of Dan Tedesco, the music can’t be described as anything other than pure rock n’ roll.
Think vocals that are kind of like Tom Petty, but a little less stoned and more passionate; and then rock music with some Jimmy Hendricks-like guitar solos. That’s the best I can do. But you can hear it for yourself on Dan’s web site or on his Myspace, and in this case, that might be best.
Overall, it was a good night. The Sail Inn is still a fun place to go, and Dan is still a great musician to go check out.
Northern Arizona has a lot to offer anyone heading out of town.
Jennica on a rock
I apologize for the picture quality in this blog. I forgot my camera at home, and had to buy a disposable camera on my way up. I forgot how bad the pictures are from those.
In the forest
Hiking in Northern Arizona is beautiful any time of year. It’s particularly beautiful in summertime to me because I love ferns and the sound of aspen leaves in the wind. I took my friend’s daughter hiking just outside Flagstaff in Snowbowl, which is a ski resort in the winter, but in the summer it’s criss-crossed with wonderful hiking trails.
The two of us
We did a moderate trail, and we didn’t run into any people. It was very peaceful and quiet. I would definitely recommend Snowbowl for hiking.
Jennica and her dad
After I returned a very tired Jennica to her dad in Cottonwood, I headed back to Phoenix. My favorite stop was always Sunset Point, but it has been closed for years. I was excited to see it open again, and completely remodeled.
Sitting area at Sunset Point
There are observation decks, spacious bathrooms, and places to relax and sit. They really did a wonderful job with Sunset Point, so make sure to stop there the next time you head north.
The Paisley Violin is an art space at 1030 NW Grand Avenue in downtown Phoenix. There are a lot of neat little art spaces downtown, but this one has good cookies. From tasty food to awesome Chai Tea, this space could certainly be called a restaurant. However, it’s much more than that. Some places are a work of art, and The Paisley Violin definitely fits that description. Renovated by the owner Eric and his friends, the counters are brushed steal with wood trim. The ceiling beams are left exposed, with things suspended in them like an old violin. From the floor to the fish tank, everything was done with the help of customers and friends.
“The reason why it is what it is, I have to say, is because of the individuals,” said Courtney Smith, a Mesa resident who provides security for the Paisley Violin on First Fridays.
There is a feeling of community among downtown Phoenix businesses that is much different from the competitive feel of other cultural hot spots like Mill Avenue. The galleries on The First Friday Art Walk and venue owners downtown are more willing to cross-promote, even if it might mean customers going elsewhere for the night. There are flyers for events at other venues on the counter at The Paisley Violin, and no one minds a bit. This sense of community and friendship seems built into the walls at The Paisley Violin, where local artists and musicians perform, and where local residents hang out.
The stage is small. It’s hardly big enough for a three piece band. But then, there are lots of local artists who perform solo, like Alden Powers, who performs alone with his guitar. There are plenty of large stages near by, so The Paisley fills its own niche with a space for smaller ensembles.
I definitely recommend a trip to The Paisley Violin. It’s a little crowded on a First Friday, so drop by during the week when you have time to enjoy a sandwich and check out the construction of this unique art space.
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