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For the second portion of our trip, we took a short flight from Kona to Lihue on the island of Kauai. Known as the Garden Island, Kauai is the 4th most visited of the Hawaiian Islands, behind Oahu, Maui and Hawaii. However, you could say it “punches above its weight” when it comes to natural beauty and dramatic landscapes.
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Following the passing of Umeno Morita, Valerie’s Mom, the family began making plans for a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, Umeno’s birthplace, to scatter her ashes. That trip began on June 4, 2022, approximately one year after her passing. We flew into Kona, HI, and stayed in Fairway Villas by Outrigger in Waikoloa.
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The first month of the new year was largely uneventful for us. It was mostly about adjusting to the winter weather. On New Year’s Day, Chrissy & Johnny were finishing their visit to Maryland for the holidays.
On the second day of the month, we got a modest snowfall. Plus the weather turned colder over the next couple of weeks, adding a layer of ice to the nearby lake. The ducks had to work to keep a small area open.
On the final day of the month, Ming’s mom prepared a beautiful and delicious Chinese meal for the family to share.
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We started out the month by spending a few days in Frederick, MD, once again pet sitting for Tino. Our first time looking after Tino was back in August.
In the middle of December, we traveled to San Antonio to visit with Ralph and Carlie. This was our first opportunity to see them since they sold their home in California and moved to Texas to be near their grandchildren. They purchased a home on 2 acres located about 15 minutes outside of San Antonio. Add some miniature horses, a regular sized horse, some ducks, chickens and dogs and you have a mini-ranch. We had a great time, great food and did a little sightseeing.
During Christmas, Chrissy and Johnny came out to Maryland to join the family for holiday festivities.
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The second week in November was time for the annual family reunion at Dale Hollow Lake. Since we were living in Maryland, we could drive to the event this year. We took our time with an overnight stop in Charleston, WV. Our first stop was to visit Hew at Nolin Lake.
On the 13th, we continued on to Eagle Cove on Dale Hollow Lake. We enjoyed all of the usual festivities, particularly the White Elephant gift exchange.
At the conclusion of the weekend, we drove back into Kentucky to visit with Nancy in Louisville.
Later in November, we enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving dinner with Valerie’s sisters in Maryland.
Second Act 