Edie's Gone Again

Week Four Maui, 2011

2011-08-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it is coming to an end already. I leave for the Big Island on Wed. I went on a scooter dive to St. Anthony's and met Bill and Brock, who live in this same complex and we have had three great days of diving together. The two today were great. Aaron, Bill, Brock and I went out to Wailea. On our first dive we trailed behind Sarah from Maui Dreams and had a great dive. Aaron didn't do the second dive because he was having a little trouble with his ears. We went straight out and saw lots of stuff. Many different kinds of eels. What a great day for Bill and Brock, since this was their last dive of the trip. Good to go home with good dives under your belt.

Wailea, Great Shore Dive 8-13 2011

2011-08-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

We went out seahorse hunting again this morning, but instead of just going to the area we meandered our way there. It was a great dive. I'd forgotten how pretty the reef is straight out. Ron found lots of eels, scorpion fish, octopus, shrimp and different reef fish. But no seahorse. There is some swell coming in even though we got out early. I'm sure this swell will make the shore diving stink for the next couple of days.

Maui, More Week Three

2011-08-12T00:38:00.001-07:00

The diving this week has lead to some neat sightings. First I found a seahorse on the boat dive on Sunday and then we did a shore dive on Tuesday and found him again. Tried again today but he wasn't having any of it and kept himself well hidden. But I snapped a picture of a fish I had never seen and when I couldn't find it in the book I asked Bill Stohler and he told me it was a Randall's Puffer and he had never seen one. I feel really special that I did.
I also started going to the workout room here at the condo. I need to get stronger to be able to do more stuff and this is a start.

Reef Check Catalina July16 2011

2011-08-10T01:24:00.000-07:00

Ron and I spent the day over on Catalina diving with Reef Check. We got there a little later than everyone else so they were ready to go in when we got there. We got to do the core off to the right out by the buoy, which is the big rock drop off. I actually got some 3s on my UPC. It was a great dive and Ron found some interesting stuff while he was waiting for me to finish. Our second dive was 2 fish only. One on either side of the dive park. As Ron said "in two different zip codes". Even though Ron has passed his fish, I offered to do them both so he could spend his time "fun diving". He would find something, remember the meter and show it to me when I was done. He has turned into a great diver, though neither of us are great navigators. I did the navigating this time and actually did ok, but how can you get lost in the dive park. He even beat me on air one dive, an awesome feat for someone with 50 dives. Our third dive was a totally fun dive. Lauren joined us and she knows how to navigate so we were good to go. Although Ron asked me where the wall was and I took him right to it. All in all a great day of diving with my son.

Maui 2011 Week Three

2011-08-10T01:15:00.000-07:00

Week three out of five I am spending here this year. It is different this time since no one is coming over to dive with me. This week I am closing in on my 400 dive mark. I'm at 392 with 395 hours 23 min under water at this point in my life. Pretty awesome. Who would have thought.
I went on a boat Sunday and found a seahorse. The ones from last year are gone, dead or moved on. Andy found one small male dead and he had eggs in his pouch. Really sad. So now we have found another one and are hoping to be able to find it again. This ones moves around but we were able to find it and get a few pictures of it.

Maui 2011 Week Two

2011-08-10T01:09:00.000-07:00

Same stuff different day. Blowing bubbles when I can. There is a south swell going on and it visibility stinks so we haven't been out too much this week. Hope it settles soon.

Maui 2011 Week One

2011-08-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

Well since I've been here before and I will be doing the same things I always do, blowing bubbles and looking at fish, I figure I can post one week at a time. This way I will share my best pictures of the week and not bore you too much with the mundane stuff. The water here is about 77 degrees and all our friends are complaining about how cold it is. They are all wearing 5mm wet suits. My new 3mm is keeping me toasty, sometimes to toasty. This week I had to take Thursday off from getting wet so I could get all my Earthwatch paperwork in. I hate doing that stuff so much it took twice as long as it should have simply because I couldn't stay focused. But I did get it done and only had to redo one piece of it. The rest of the days were spent in the water, either diving or snorkeling with Bob.

York PA

2011-08-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

When I got home from Churchill I had a plane ticket to go see Lynn and Craig in York. I went out and spent a long weekend with them a couple of years ago and when Connie offered me a Jet Blue FF ticket because she didn't have any place to use it, I said I'll go see Lynn. I am so glad she found me on the Internet after all these years. I had a great time. York had record heat while I was there and we spent a lot of time in their pool. And a great pool it is. We went to the Farmers Mkt one day and bought fruit. It was too hot to walk around for too long. It was such a typical PA market with a little of everything in it. It was fun to walk around and see all the stuff. Wed Lynn planned for us to go horseback riding. The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. I went for the ride, Lynn's back didn't let her go. She was very disappointed and it was hotter than hxxx while she had to wait form me. The horse was a Percheron and very tall. I had a three step stool and I still had to stretch to reach the stirrup. On Friday night they had guests over and we had great food and Maryland Crabs. I ate them until my tummy said enough already. They were so good. I really miss them. It was such a great week I am already scheming how to get back for another visit. Thank you Lynn and Craig and all your great friends for making my stay so much fun.

Last Day, Churchill Canada 7-29-11

2011-07-27T01:10:00.000-07:00

We are all headed home today with mixed emotions. Glad to be going home to family and friends, but hating that it is all ended. This is an experience of a lifetime and I am so thankful that I was chosen to participate. Thank you Northrop Grumman for caring enough to sponsor this trip for us. I also want to thank all of the people who nominated me as a teacher they thought worthy to go on this adventure. Thank you all for everything.

Day Nine and Ten Churchill Canada 7-27/28-11

2011-07-27T00:59:00.000-07:00

Today we saw a Polar Bear up close and personal. As we were going to breakfast Craig came running down the stairs yelling there is a bear out my window. Of course we took off for his room and watched as it came down onto the grounds of the research center. We shifted to the outside observation deck as he came around the corner. He finally settled down in the trees. They said he was a young two year old bear and was pretty skinny. After we left for the site they said he went into one of the ponds and laid there cooling off and then came back to the same area.
When we were going back out after lunch we drove by the spot Dr. Kershaw was going to check his equipment and there he was. Carley radioed back and Pete was hoping they could scare him off. Carley turned the van around, came up to Dr. Kershaw, rolled down the window and said,"I hate to burst your science bubble, but there is a bear at your site and you are not going there". Not even science happens in the face of a polar bear.

Today is our last full day of work before we head back to our real worlds. It will be so hard to leave this place and all of the teachers in this group. What a great bunch of teachers. Our children are so lucky to have teachers who are this excited about learning and new adventures.

Day Eight Churchill Canada

2011-07-27T00:31:00.000-07:00

Sunday started out cold but it became more interesting when it started to rain. It kept getting worse as time went by. We of course are on the ground, fighting the tree skirts to get to the trunk of the tree to core it. We finished up our cores and plots and then everyone helped get the rest done so we could get in out of the rain. Interestingly we had three umbrellas and they ended up with the people who were entering data. As it should be I guess.
With the rain continuing we stayed at the center and Dr. Pete gave us jobs to do. Everything from sanding cores to dusting and cleaning the new labs. Another interesting day at the Research Center.

Day Seven Churchill Canada 6-25-11

2011-07-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

Our big day off. We left the Center and headed to town to see the sights. We shopped in the stores that were open and walked around to see what the little town of Churchill had to offer. I bought a baseball cap that says, Churchill Canada, Polar Bear Capital of the World. It is also considered to be the Beluga Whale Capital, since they get so many of them coming to give birth.
Before the boat ride we rode around the town and went to the beach. It was low tide and you could see rocks everywhere. I found some little animals in the tide pools, but not many. We climbed up on the wall by the Bay and saw whales everywhere. It was fun to watch them. We didn't know at the time that we would be right on top of them in a couple of hours.
They have an Eskimo museum in Churchill. When the people from the northern provinces used to get sick they would come to Churchill for medical attention. While they were there they would make carvings of their way of life and sell them to the museum. To say they are fabulous would be an understatement. The museum is full of artifacts about the Eskimo way of life. Very interesting.
Then off to the whale watch boat ride.Whale watching here is different from CA. Here we go on Zodiac's. These are inflatable rubber boats that you sit up on. Imagine a huge inner tube and see yourself sitting on it going up the river. That's what we did. Mary Lou had never been in a boat, much less a Zodiac, and she was scared. Of course as soon as she saw the first whale her fear went away, to return as soon as we started back and there were no more whales to watch.
They had microphones in the water and we could hear the whales. They were clicking and chirping to each other. Beluga's are called the canaries of the sea, because they are always singing to each other.
Again after dinner we went for a ride with Dr. Kershaw and this time we saw a mother bear and 2 cubs. They were headed away from us and were about 3/4 of a mile away. It was great fun to look at them.

Day Six Churchill Canada 6-24-11

2011-07-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today is our last day to work before we get a day off to go to town and go whale watching, The weather was nice and we worked hard as usual. I have to tell you that the food here is outstanding. Every meal is good. And we are eating a ton of food at every meal. After all that work, we are hungry. I just hope I don't gain 10 lbs.
We went out for a ride after dinner again and on the way to town we saw whales in the Bay. I'm excited about going tomorrow.
We again tried to see if there were any Northern Lights, but no luck. The sun was up way too much to see the lights. At 1:30 am you could still see the sunset or the sunrise which ever it was. The sun set at 10:30 or so, but it would be showing color for hours afterward and it came up at 4:00. It never gets dark enough so you can't see the rocket tower.

Day Five Churchill Canada 6-23-11

2011-07-26T23:42:00.000-07:00

Hard day of work. Cold and wet. We stayed longer and finished the site we were working on because none of us wanted to come back. Thank God for REI rain gear. I laid in water all day and still stayed dry.
After dinner and a lecture Dr. Kershaw took us for a ride. Jen dug a hole down to the ice and it was only about 8 inches down. Dr, Kershaw told us it would melt a bit more before summer was done, but after that it was the Permafrost.
Then we went over to Twin Lakes and saw our first Polar Bear. It was about 1.5 miles away and moving fast. Even with the binoculars it was too far to see. But the bottom line is "we saw a bear". Yoo Hoo
After that we went to the place I wanted to see. The Boreal forest. It was beautiful with lichens all over the ground that looked like snow. These lichens had been growing for 100 years and we tramped them down. I felt really bad until Dr Kershaw explained that one moose would do more damage than all of us put together.

Day Four Churchill Canada 6-22-11

2011-07-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

Today it was cold in the morning when we were working. I had my jacket and my rain gear on. It wasn't raining but I was laying in the puddles coring and counting and measuring. I still got cold and put my heavy winter jacket on. After we came back after lunch it was better. I still was in the water, but I wasn't cold. We did our first plot today. Actually it was a practice one. We threw a stake over our shoulder and from that point we made a rectangle that measured 1 meter by 2 meters and we counted and measured the seedlings and saplings in the plot. This can sometimes be a real job if there is a lot of them or you can get none in your random plot. Then you move on to another. My body is sore from all the up and down and coring. Thank God for good meds.
PS I'm the one in the blue raincoat laying on the ground

Day Three Churchill Canada 6-21-11

2011-06-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

We did a lot of work. Cored 9 trees twice each. The hard part was getting through all the growth around the bottom to get to the truck of the tree. Boy am I tired tonight. We had a bonfire because of the summer solstice. That means today is the longest day of the year. We roasted the biggest marshmallows I have ever seen.
The sun set at 10:30, but it still is not totally dark. They are having about 21 hours of sunlight right now.

Day Two Churchill Canada 6-20-11

2011-06-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

Churchill was nice and warm and sunny today. I spent the morning learning to use the equipment that we will be using to collect the data. This included GPS, a hand held data collector called an iPAQ, a tree corer (drill a hole in a tree to tell how old it is and how much it has grown each year) and other stuff. Then we went out in the field and practiced. We only went around the back of the building but the girl who works here had to go with us with her shotgun. We call her , "the girl with the gun". That was in case there was a bear, but we didn't see any.
The work we are doing is going to be hard work. We have to measure the tiny little seedlings of white spruce and collect all kinds of info on them. Tomorrow we go out and do it for real.

Day One Churchill Canada 6-19-11

2011-06-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I made it to Churchill and am now sitting in my room at 11pm and it is not dark outside. We are having almost 24 hours of light. It gets sorta dark about 1:30am and by 4am it is bright light again.

As I was flying in I saw hundreds of whales at the mouth of the river. They are coming in to have their babies and eat the fish that swim up the river. It was very cool.

Found out I probably won't see a polar bear. The ice on Hudson Bay just broke up last week and the bears are out on what's left of the ice about 5 miles from shore. Turns out polar bears can swim a long way and when it melts they just swim in.

The research station where I am staying is between the northern most edge of the boreal forest and the tundra. As I look out my window I can see the forest. For those of you who don't remember, a boreal forest has trees with needles not leaves.

Tomorrow we go on our first research trip. We are going to be collecting data about the trees.
I'll write again tomorrow. If you have questions, please post a reply and I will answer them.

Earthwatch 2011

2011-06-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

I am preparing to head to Churchill Canada for an Earthwatch expedition titled, "Climate Change at the Edge of the Arctic Circle". I am flying to Winnipeg on Sat, June 17th to catch a plane on the 18th to Churchill. Plane or train is the way you have to get to Churchill. It is located on the Hudson Bay and the research station where I will be is 25 miles north of there. Churchill is the Polar Bear capital of the world and I had to sign a paper saying I will not leave the compound without one of the researchers, because they have bear deterrents and I do not. This is going to be a crazy week because I still have a lot to do to be ready to go. Stayed tuned for the next installment.

Pictures of Fish

2010-08-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Phil and I have been doing a bunch of boat dives the last few days. Boat diving in Maui is not cheap. But I have had fun. Yesterdays dive to the Cathedrals was the best I have done this year on Maui. Great vis, no current, lots to look at. Here are some pictures of Phil and his friends. One of them loved him so much it choose him to poop on. It must be love if a fish shares his poop with you.

Old Airport

2010-08-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

We all went to Old Airport today. Aaron and I went diving and Bob, Ken and Margaret snorkeled. The visibility was good, about 50ft. I know the people that live here think that stinks, but hey, I'm from CA where we think anything over 10 is good. The snorkelers found a Devil Scorpion fish. Took a great picture of it too. In fact his snorkeling pictures were better than my dive ones. Neither Aaron or I are great at leading dives, but we managed. We'll be better next time.

Five Graves

2010-08-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

I did a great dive with Ron, Andy and Leona at the Graves. We actually went in at the Graves and came out at Makena Landing. We had a great dive. There was some surge and it got worse after we got out. Hope it stays good so we can dive tomorrow. Saw some great stuff. I found the ray as we were snorkeling out. Ron found the little frog fish, it's only about an inch and a half long. It was so cute. We found the two sharks in the caves. The surge was such that we didn't do the bubble cave or washing machine. Just another good Maui dive.

Molokini Boat Dive

2010-08-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't have anyone to dive with today, so I went on a boat. I guess I have to pay to have enough playmates. The current inside the crater was impressive, but so were the fish. We saw one shark in the deep water and some big fish. Lots of reef fish and turtles. My regulator took a dump and I was able to use one of theirs. It did Not compare to mine, thank you Connie, you have great taste in equipment.
5 caves tomorrow.

Wailea Snorkeling

2010-08-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Bob and I went back out to Wailea today to try and see the seahorses snorkeling. We didn't have any luck. I'm not good at judging what is 13ft of water w/o my dive computer, so we spent 2 hours looking at other stuff. The coral was really nice and we saw some interesting fish.

Seahorses

2010-08-02T22:05:00.001-07:00

We went to Wailea today and this is what we saw. They are beautiful. The brown one was on the move, headed south, so I don't know if we will find him again. I love these critters. I know Connie is so jealous and I hope they stay around until she gets here. These are the first seahorses I've ever seen in Maui. Leona seems to think that someone brought them from on of the other Islands. I don't care where they came from I love them.

Mailka Gultch

2010-07-31T18:50:00.001-07:00

Went to the north side of the Island today and did a dive with Leona and Andy at Mailka Gultch. Bob was a sweetheart and got up early and took me over. We only did one dive because they get cold. The water temp was 75 but it feels cold to a lot of people. Andy found two big scorpion fish. One was at least 2 ft. long. There a a lot of canyons on the right side dive and they were beautiful and full of lots of turtles. So many I lost count. The visibility was great as soon as we got out of the bay. It was a fun day.

Maui Diving

2010-07-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Maui on Monday night and managed to get in the water with the help of Shannon and Aaron, they went and got tanks before the dive shop closed. We dove Ahihi and Ulua and the dives were good. The vis was not what I like but it was better than CA. I forgot my camera at the condo so I have no pictures of those dives. Then we went snorkeling to Honolua Bay on Wed and I left the camera in the car, again no pictures. But today I dove Wailea and Ulua and I remembered the camera (it's not taking great pictures) but I got a few good shots. Connie I included one just for you and I'm sure you'll know which one.

Whale Sharks AWESOME

2010-07-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Whale sharks were AWESOME. Better than Joe;s pictures. It was an hour and half boat ride for about 15-20 min in the water, but it was worth it. Cost about $200 with everything, but I may be tempted to give a day of diving on Cozumel for it. I may, or maybe not. We got to each go in three times for about 5-10 min each time. Only two in the water from each boat at a time and by the end there were lots of boats. There had to be 40-50 whale sharks there, just swimming around ignoring all of us. The kid from the boat took my hand so I could swim faster and see better. He did it for three of us, and it really helped. It was a real rush being that close to them. One was about 35-40 ft long and none of them were under 20ft. The kid told us there were only about 6-7 places in the world to see these guys and the place we were was the best in the world. Other places might have one or two, we had 40. Then we stopped on the way back and snorkeled while they prepared lunch and I found a great big Manta ray. By the time all these young guys got off the boats to see it, it was headed out to sea. Most of them swam after him and then they found another.
I got my ticket for the ride to the airport tomorrow. Guess it's back to the real world again.

Last Day to Dive

2010-07-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's rain the ocean was pretty rough today. We went out, but only did one dive. Almost everyone on the boat was sick and so they headed back. Brent was getting pretty green and so we opted not to go on a second dive. The waves were really big and it made the getting out interesting. The vis was not real bad, but a lot of stuff was stirred up in the water. I didn't feel sick, which is unusual for me, I always the one with the patch on, but when I got home I felt a nap coming on and I didn't fight the feeling. Since it was so rough I opted to not take the camera so I didn't have pictures to play with and a nap was the next best thing. Tomorrow is Whale Shark day. Wish us luck with the weather.

Playa Del Carmen Mexico

2010-07-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

I arrived here on Sat the 3rd of July and it has been a busy time ever since. Though with the wind and rain going on now, I may have to come to a screeching halt tomorrow. Sunday we dove with a local shop here. It is a good operation, but we had to wade out to the boat. Of course they said it was ankle deep, but on me it was over my waist. Then we got to do a back roll off the side. It was a little tricky because the side was a little higher than my butt wanted to go. All's well that ends well because we did a couple of nice dives. No where as nice as Cozumel, but ok for here.

Monday July 4th we took Brent to Cozumel. He had never been there so he had no idea of the treat in store for him. It was a long day. We had to catch the 7:00am ferry and since we are at a resort it is a $10 cab ride away. We dove with Aqua Safari, located on the strip across from their dock and we got there just in time to fill out all the paper work and get on the boat. Our first dive was Palancar Caves, second Yucba, and the third was Paradise Reef. All three great dives, but I think I wore the other two out. Brent was so impressed he is planning a three day trip over there after I leave. Darn

Today Yvette and I dove the Cenotes. Fresh water cave diving is very interesting and it was quite the adventure. It poured rain all day so the boats were not going anywhere else, so it was a good day to do it. It has rained so much and the river is up so high the place where we went in was up to my knees in water. (It is suppose to be dry) Needless to say no sun was shinning through the various holes so it was a dark dive. Good lights were a must. I wore my 3mm wetsuit and a 3mm shorty and a hood and I was toasty. Yvette didn't wear the hood and she was cold. She is a bit of a chilly willy though. I'm really glad I did it, but I would never give up a day of diving on Cozumel to do it again.

Memorial Day Skiing

2010-06-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day and I was skiing at Mammoth. This is the first time I have been "Spring Skiing", and I enjoyed myself. We still had a lot of snow and the conditions were pretty good. Even early in the morning it was not too icy. I went up with a Meet-Up group and a good time was had by all. I didn't know any of them before, but they were all nice people.
As I was driving through Bishop on Friday I remembered that it was Mule Days. So on Saturday after skiing, I drove down to go to the evening performance. They had the pack scramble, chariot races, mule pole bending and lots of other stuff. I ate an Indian Taco for dinner and Kettle Corn for desert. I remember how I loved it those many years ago that we went up there and how I wanted to buy a mule. No desire to buy a mule this time around, but a fun time anyway.
I think this will probably be the last ski trip for the year. It got really hot with my jacket on, and I need the pockets to carry stuff so I can't go w/o it. Such troubles I have. I could break down and buy a light weight jacket with pockets, couldn't I? LOL

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

What a great Mother's Day. Ron, Connie and I were on a dive boat out of San Diego doing Reef Check dives. It was great fun to be doing this as a family. What a great present. The conditions were not the best, algae bloom, so we were not able to survey Broomtail Reef, but had to find another spot. That spot was at best marginal, but we still had a great time. I had to sit one dive out because my tank blew an O ring while I was waiting for Ron and when I got back on the boat my motion sickness blossomed and I had to sit it out. I managed to keep it all down, and was able to make the last dive. Connie had the motion sickness going on and sat out the third dive.
Ron got the best present of all. Connie gave him 5m socks to wear in his boots and for the first time diving in CA he was not cold. He refused to give them back to Connie. Offered to pay for them, but would not give them back.
A good time was had by all.

Connie's Recert Boat Trip

2010-05-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

This time I was on the overnight boat trip with Connie. We went out to Catalina Island and had six great dives. Connie passed all of her tests and I passed FISH. WooHoo. Reef Check is such a great thing to do. We both are always so excited when we get to go on a Reef Check dive, especially a boat trip. Phil and Sylvia are taking the June class and Joby is doing the San Diego class. We will have our own survey crew.

Ron's Reef Check

2010-05-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Ron went through the Reef Check class in April and I was able to go on the overnight boat out of Long Beach with him. He didn't have a lot to say about taking the class since I gave it to him for a Christmas present. Last year Connie gave him the dive certification and this year he had to do Reef Check. He claims we probably are planning his life for him, but the truth is we just want more playmates. We did three dives each day. Ron passed all his stuff except fish. Like Mother, like son. Ron is a new diver, 30 dives total at this time and he is awesome. He may not pass fish this year, but he will next year.

Skiing Mammoth

2010-05-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend and I'm in Mammoth Lakes skiing, how cool is that. The snow has been great all three days. It did get real sticky at the end of the day today, so I quit. I'm up here with a Meet-Up group and it's been good. The group keeps the cost down, especially with my season pass, and Brent's cooking. He's made breakfast, took lunch stuff to the mountain, and cooked dinner for 10. Good job Brent, I'll go on a trip with you any day. I did help with the clean-up though.
Friday night I took some time and went down to Bishop for Mule Days. It's been over 20 years since I'd been there and it was different, but good in it's own way. I enjoyed the show, especially the Pack Scramble. I've been wanting to come up for a number of years, but just didn't get it done. So this ski trip served two purposes. I've had a great time.
Since I have a season pass this year I have been up here skiing a lot. I would like to say that I have gotten to be a better skier, but that is still up for debate. Even if I didn't, I've had a lot of fun trying.

Girls Gone Diving Bonaire Day 2

2010-04-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

Today I hit 200 hours underwater. This is a pretty neat goal to have reached. We did four dives today, breathing Nitrox and none of us are near as tired as we are breathing air. Saw a lot of neat things and had wonderful dives.

Girls Gone Diving Bonaire

2010-04-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Spring Break 2010 and I'm off diving in again. Girls Gone Diving started the trip in Curacao for three days and then came on to Bonaire. Girls Gone Diving consists of Connie, Sylvia, myself and Phil. (Token male). Wanted to post some of the pictures Sylvia took since this is her first time with a camera underwater and her Mom will love seeing them.

Knott's Merry Farm

2010-01-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas break ended I took my Grand kids, Andy and Chrissy to Knotts. We were lucky to have their parents, Karen and Lonny join us. It turned out to be a great day. We started it out on the Ghost Rider roller coaster, which turned out to be bigger and faster than any of us thought. We survived it and went on to other adventures. Lonny is the only one who rode another big coaster, while the rest of us did things like the Gondola, and the Log Ride. The Swings turned out to be the hit of the day. Since there wasn't a big crowd, the kids were able to ride it again and again and again etc. All in all a great day.

Catalina in December

2009-12-27T00:43:00.000-08:00

The weekend before Christmas found six of us crazy divers spending three days diving off Casino Point on Catalina Island.
Connie, Phil, Sylvia, Don, Edie and for the first time, my youngest son Ron. Ron is a newbie who almost doubled the number of dives he's done this weekend. We did 9 dives, with Connie, Ron and Phil doing all nine. I didn't do the night dive. I was tired and cold and it seemed like a good idea to provide shore support.
Ron does a great job and is a natural at this sport. He was very thankful to Phil for the use of his 120 cubic ft tank because it meant he was not the weak link - oh I forgot, it was renamed the benchmark. He had to give it up for Don on Sat so he used Phil's 100 and Phil used a rented 77. (Phil still beat most of us on air, even with a 77)
The water was cold and Ron wasn't dressed for it but hung in there and did all of the dives. He didn't say a word at the time, but later told us it took him three days to warm up.
This weekend Ron had a number of firsts: first night dive,(very impressed), first time at 100 ft, (not impressed).
On the last dive of the weekend Phil decided we were going to look for this Electric Ray that hangs out around 100 ft. The current was strong and we were doing a lot of swimming at depth and Phil was running out of bottom time and was booking it back when Ron found, not one, but two Rays. Phil had to come back to see them, and gave Ron two thumbs up for finding them. None of us went down where they were since we were all about in deco. We were all stoked that Ron found them. Other than the fact that Ron was cold, it was a perfect weekend.

Tall Ship to Catalina

2009-11-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

What a great weekend. I was invited to go on the Tall Ship, Tole Mour. It is pronounced, toll e, more. We left out of Long Beach on Sat. morning. Of course we didn't leave on time because a bunch of us got lost on the way to the parking lot and then again as we were walking back.

Once we got out of the harbor, on the other side of the breakwater things got interesting. We learned how to put up 8 of the sails. We all got together and pulled on ropes, using muscles I'd forgotten I had. Like the ones just below the ribcage, both front and back.

We were exposed to some of the activities students are able to do when they are aboard ship. One of them was climbing out on the very end of the ship. We strapped on a harness and hooked ourselves up and then climbed over the rail and made our way over the rope net to the view at the front.

The most challenging thing we did was climb the 70ft mast. Not only was it high, but the ropes where you had to step were very far apart at the start. Then when you got up to the top, the foot holds couldn't fit a kids shoe in them. But I did it, and I came back down the other side. When a number of us got back down, we started comparing our wobbly knees and shaking hands. It was the first time I've had a chance to do something like that and I was determined to do it all. I didn't allow myself to think if I was scared, I just did it.

Sunday was snorkeling day. I haven't been in the water in three weeks so I was happy to be wet. We saw lots of good stuff, but I don't have an underwater camera, so I don't have fish pictures. Connie has already figured out which camera I am going to get, now I just have to get it. I don't want to wait till Xmas, since we are going diving next weekend.

After the snorkel, we put the sails up and headed back. On the way out we saw a Minke whale and a pod of dolphins. On the way home we saw two whales and they breached right next to the boat. Beautiful

Anacapa Island

2009-10-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

Connie and I went to Ventura to spend two days diving for Reef Check off the Explorer. We were able to complete the surveys and still have time for a couple of "fun" dives. We left to go up after Connie's square dance and got there about midnight. We spent the night on the boat both Friday and Sat. When we got back Sat. afternoon we headed over to see Tim and Sally Jo. It had been three years ago in Maui since we saw them. We had a great time. They have a beautiful family and it was fun to visit.
Sunday we were back out trying to find sites to dive that didn't have a ripping current going on. We found it at Landing Cove. This is just right of the landing for the ferry that brings visitors to Anacapa. Ron and Martha, this is where we climbed the stairs from the boat.
We ended up doing three dives again on Sunday, but only one survey. The other two were for fun. It was interesting that both Connie and I felt lost without our survey gear. It was like, "where do we go". We did finally figure it out and had a couple of good dives.
I included the picture of the boat, even though that is neither Connie or I jumping in, because it gives real meaning to the phrase, "giant stride".

Diving Hill Street

2009-10-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

September 28th Connie and I went to San Diego and dove the Hill Street Site for Reef Check. It was so foggy they couldn't find their way. They usually know where it is from looking at the shore, but we couldn't see the shore. Finally found it with the help of a cell phone and GPS.
The water was cold, which we did not expect. The captain said it had been 67 degrees lately, but we recorded 54 on some of our computers. Connie was blue after our second dive. Her body was warmer because she used her heat packs, but that didn't help her lips.
Both dives were good dives, but they had very few fish and inverts. Lots of seaweed though, lots.
After the dive we went to Magic Squares and danced two sessions. By the time we got home we were wore out. We were suppose to get up and dive Sunday at 7:00 for a shore dive and let's just say, it didn't happen.

Maui Boat dive

2009-08-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Went to Mol0kini Crater this morning and had two great dives. We dropped down on a reef with 100's of fish. Butterflies of all sorts, Damsel fish, Pennant fish, Tangs, plus lots of others. Amazing array of color and quantity. Found some Spanish Dancer eggs and Garden eels. I also saw a Rare Pyramid Longnose Butterfly. I took a picture, but it didn't turn out. He was dark, against a dark background and I only got one shot and he didn't show up. The first time I have ever seen one. I did get some good pictures of other things, but not as good as Connie would have done. But at least I still have a camera to play with. It was a good dive all the way around.
For our second dive we came in and dove off the end of 5 caves. They called it the new Turtle Town because all the turtles have moved down from TT to there. We saw lots of them. I was in a mood to look at little fish and I had a great time, because there were lots of them. Some day I want to find a book that tells me what all those little guys will look like when they grow up. A bad day of diving is better than a good day at work and this was a great day. Does that tell you where work stands about now?
Later

2009-08-24T00:27:00.000-07:00

Well we are getting down to the wire. It is almost time to come home.
Spent the whole day snorkeling at Honolua Bay with Jan and Bob. It was a perfect day. The ocean was like glass, the visibility was great and we saw some new stuff. Jan was taking pictures with my camera, (she toasted hers) and used the battery up so she could not get a picture of the black and white stripped fish we found.
This was a cater to Jan snorkel trip. First we went out to the left and after a couple of hours she informs me she'd crashing. (diabetic) So Bob and I tow her in to shore and get some juice and food into her. Off we go again and after a couple more hours her toes start to crap. Of course we are all the way out to the end of the bay and here we go again. Bob and I towed her back to shore again. In all we were in the water between 4-5 hours. Even then, it was so beautiful and calm I hated to leave. The ocean was as calm as I have ever seen it. Of course the fact that it's now time to come home also has something to do with hating to leave also. I'm diving in the morning so better get ready. Later

Five Caves 8-22-09

2009-08-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Jan took me to meet Ron at Makena Landing at 7:00 and we were under the water at 7:38. Ron had to go to work so he wanted in and out. The vis wasn't the best, but good enough to enjoy ourselves. Saw so many turtles, I lost count. One of them came out of the cave about a foot above my head. At the bubble cave a turtle was on top getting his breath of air, so we didn't bother him. There was a surge going on so the washing machine was very interesting. Definitely a hang on and then kick with the surge.
When we got back Ron found that his BC has lost a part and he could not inflate. So he tried to manually blow it up and the air came out of the hole left from the part. He had to snorkel in and of course he went and got the flag. I was going to go since I was ok, but he was already half way there.
This was our last dive for this year. He is working a lot and so can't go anymore this week.
I have at least one boat dive scheduled and maybe a dive with Michelle.
I'm going to miss Maui when I'm gone.
PS Connie I included some of these pictures to show you that fish DO sometimes turn sideways for a camera. Love you

Snorkeling Honolua Bay 09

2009-08-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

Finally Jan got her perfect snorkeling day. Problem was, 1. she felt like throwing up the whole time we were out there, 2. her legs and feet kept cramping, 3. she started coughing and couldn't seem to quit, 4. and her mask leaked big time. Other than that she had a great time. The bay was perfect. It seemed to be a day for yellow fish. We saw all the normal yellow fish, plus the blue stripped butterfly(first picture) Jan also found a red leaf scorpion fish, but since neither of us can get to the bottom, we couldn't get a picture. Visibility was great, lots of fish, good parking spot, and we stayed out there for two and a half hours. Good day

Snorkeling Old Airport 09

2009-08-20T02:13:00.000-07:00

Bob, Jan and I went up to Lahina for lunch with a friend from square dancing. She put on a great lunch with 5 courses. After we left we went over to Old Airport and snorkeled. Poor Jan had nothing but trouble. We looked before we went in and the waves weren't bad, but by the time we got ready they were more than she liked. To give her credit, she made it in. Then her mask would not quiet fogging and since the waves were more than she was comfortable with she didn't dare take it off. So eventually we took her back and Bob and I snorkeled. The first picture is of a Stocky Hawkfish. I am pretty proud of that picture since it is a snorkeling picture. Since I can't get my body under the water without weights this is as close as I can get. The second pictures shows the coral and it does have an eel in it. Can you find it? And what would a blog post be without turtles. We are taking off early tomorrow to try and get Jan in the water before it gets too rough so she can have a good experience snorkeling. Miss you all.

Back Underwater 8-14-09

2009-08-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

Andy was available to dive today so I called him last night and met him at Maui Dreams this morning. We went to Hala Point. It was a good dive, especially since I found a frog fish. I found it! I was so excited to have found one on my own. Connie is the one who found all the rest of them. I was proud of myself because I didn't need any one's help for anything today. Got geared up, got in, got out, all by myself.
I included three pictures of my frog fish because this is my blog and it's my fish. The picture with the urchin is there because of the black and white fish that almost got away, but what I got was sideways. I also got my arm in an Urchin and he left spines in my wet suit and two of them came through into my arm. And Connie, I was using the flash. I'm just not as good as you are.
Andy dives a little different than we do. He had a mission in mind and swimming it was what he does. We on the other hand dawdle around and don't get near as far as we did today. Of course I use more air when I swim faster, so I only got 80 min on my tank today. I am going to have to figure out how to do better on my air.
Missed you Connie.

Maui Snorkeling 09

2009-08-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

We were slow moving today but we finally made it to Turtle Town to snorkel. It was still early enough to get a good parking spot. The visibility was good and Jan saw a turtle. We found a couple more Saddleback Butterfly fish and Jan sorta got a picture of them. We also saw a yellow tail Coris that was changing from it's Nemo looking stage to it's middle stage and it still had the Nemo coloring on it's head and the rest of it's body was the blue and yellow of the adult coris. We also found a pair of Barred filefish. I don't remember seeing it before, so it goes on my "seen for the first time" list. It seemed like we were only there for a little while when we had to quit. Jan was nauseous and cramping and when I looked we had been in the water for 90 min. Miss you Connie.

Bon Dancing Maui 09

2009-08-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

Bob took us to an Obon dance up country. They call it Bon Dancing for short. It is a traditional Japanese dance honoring their ancestors. The tradition dates back 500 years. The best way I can describe it is Japanese line dancing in a circle. After watching it for awhile Connie got the hang of some of the dances and the ladies saw her doing the movements and invited her to get up and dance. She did a great job and Bob loved it.

Maui Day 12 Connie's Last Day

2009-08-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

We were waiting for Hurricane Felica to hit and make the diving conditions ugly so we got up at 6:00 and took off for Ahihi. We were the first ones there and had a great dive. The turtle cleaning station had 7 big turtles laying around waiting to be cleaned. On the way home we stopped by Ulau and the conditions were great so we went to Maui Dreams and got a second tank and Bob dropped us off and we dove the second reef. Saw some good stuff, like the Imperial Nudibranch, and octopus. This was Connie's last dive of this vacation and I am going to miss her a lot.

Maui Day 10 09

2009-08-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

It was a great dive, except for the fact that Connie lost her camera. One minute it was there the next min, it was gone. We dove Ulua and swam out to Split Rock. It's just a little rock, but it has all kind of stuff going on. The Hawaiian Lionfish and the Leafy Scorpion were the best.

Maui Day 11 09

2009-08-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

Well today we went back to the same place and her camera still was no where to be found. She thinks it's in Tahiti. She used my camera and got some good shots. Better than I ever get. The same kinda stuff as yesterday. Ron Ross, Connie and I went this morning and at first we couldn't find it. We finally found it on the second try. It was worth the air spent. What a great place. This may be our last dive. The storm is suppose to come in tomorrow and it may ruin the diving. Connie leaves on Tuesday and I will really miss her. I hope I will be able to dive some with the rest of the time I'm here.

Maui Day 9 09

2009-08-08T00:13:00.000-07:00

Today we dove The Five Caves. They are pretty neat in that we see some bigger critters. We saw at least a dozen big turtles, a white tip reef shark, another frogfish, and a tiny Spanish Dancer. In the Bubble cave you can go to the top and come out of the water. It's a very different feeling.
Then we had to go shopping. We were out of most things and since Jan came, that is not acceptable. So we went to Walmart and Costco. It's a pretty sad comment on my life when my Friday night includes Walmart.

Maui Day 8 09

2009-08-07T02:48:00.000-07:00

Our first ever scooter dive was fun. There are two ways to ride it, first the James Bond position, which is the one in the picture. The other is the superman, where you put it between your legs and steer it that way. Connie got it right away, it took me a while longer. When I finally got to be Superman I was able to keep up and in fact had to slow down. Scooters are a nice way to get some place in a hurry. When I had it wide open my regulator would go wobble, wobble in my mouth. Paul said if you set the propeller on one it would take your mask off if you looked back.
Our first dive went to Saint Anthony's Wreck. It was a nice little wreck and Connie found a frogfish, but the father and son that went with us sucked their air and we had to head back before we even got all the way around it.
The second dive was to the outer reef, and again our limiting factor were the two guys with us. Both of us came back with over 1000psi. Of course we believe that we paid for the air, we want to breathe it.
Picked Jan up at the airport tonight. It's good to see her again.

Maui Day 7 09

2009-08-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

We dove Mala Wharf today. It is a shallow dive so we were able to stay for a long time. We could have quit sooner but we fooled around until we got to the two hour mark.
The most exciting thing was the Frogfish Connie found walking across the sand. He was in a hurry to get somewhere. We followed him across the sand till he landed on a piece of coral but that was just a rest stop, because when we went to check on him later, he was gone.
Joby, we saw lots of turtles here, big ones, medium ones and even little ones.
Other years when we dove here we have seen four or five adult frogfish, but he was the only one this year.
We are planning on a night dive tonight with a full moon and if we get to see something interesting, I'll let you know.

Maui Day 6 09

2009-08-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning found us at Old Airport, a west facing beach. According to the dive reports the conditions were marginal. What we actually had was no waves and 100 ft visibility. There was a bit of a current going on, so what took 80 min to go north, took 20 min to get back. Definitely an E ticket ride. Saw a bunch of little stuff today, starting with a tiny yellow frogfish, a couple of eels, pillow stars, and lots of different juvenile fish. First we found the little frogfish. You can tell how tiny it is by comparing it to Connie's fingers in the picture. The two pictures are so different because Connie switched from sea mode to regular mode on her camera. The other fish is something we haven't seen and as close as we can tell from the fishbook, it is a Hawkfish. It was a great dive. The only complaint we have is how sandy we got getting out. We had sand in everything. Wetsuits, BC, booties, hair, bathing suits, everything. And it's the type of sand that wants to stick around, regardless of how many times you rinse the stuff.
After we ate out picnic lunch, we headed up to Honolua Bay and snorkeled for a couple of hours. Connie figured she may not get a chance to go again. We don't dive that site because it just seems to work snorkeling it.
We have four tanks in the car and can't wait to see where we decide to go tomorrow.

Maui Day 5 09

2009-08-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

We didn't get to get wet today. The ocean was still pretty ugly. We are planning to go tomorrow regardless of what it looks like. The dive shop said it should be clearing out tonight, so we are hopeful.
Sharon told me this morning that I had fish on my brain since I couldn't get in the water we went to the Aquarium. It is actually a nice aquarium. It features only fish found in Hawaii, and we have seen most of them. We did see some we are looking forward to finding, especially sea horses. They have some great ones, as large as the one we saw in Bonaire. I so want to find one here.
The Frog fish in the picture were awesome. They were the exact color of the coral in the tank. Of course there has to be a picture of yellow fish, especially when there are so many at one place. The people pictures are there because I figured they may be the only ones I post that doesn't have a regulator in our mouths.
We are off to square dancing in a little bit. They are starting a new beginners class and they need bodies and Bob volunteered us. It's the least we can do for him. I wonder if Connie can even think at the brand new beginner level. I'm sure she will manage.

Maui Day 4

2009-08-02T18:17:00.001-07:00

This morning the south swell was really kicking up and the diving on this side was crap. So we went to the North Shore and dove at Maliko. The first dive was a 45 min kickout and Ron didn't think I could do it, so I sat that one out. Connie told me that I could have done it except the last 5-6 min was not fun. The waves were coming up and slamming over her head, to the point she thought about putting her regulator in her mouth, and she never does that.

Our second dive was on the right side and we kicked out a long way, but the waves were not as tough. We saw a few things we don't see to often. The ell in the picture is a Mustache Conger ell, a first for both of us. Notice all of the shrimp around the opening. All of that pink is shrimp.
The turtle was just saying Hi to Connie. We saw five or six big turtles on this dive. The red mouthed fish is an Orange Mouthed Lizardfish. First time for him also. The other is a Crown of Thorns which eats the coral, but they are not sure it is really harmful. They think it may be like a forest fire. New coral starts to grow when the old is gone.
Getting back was interesting in that when we came up to check, we were on the opposite side of the bay from where we wanted to be. The water was very rough and since Connie and I had lots of air left we went back down and swam in underwater. Much easier that way. Probably won't be diving tomorrow since the conditions suck.

Maui Day 3

2009-08-01T23:49:00.000-07:00

Met Ron Ross at Wailea this morning and after we spent an hour catching up with him we headed down to the water. There is a south swell that is suppose to last through Sunday and it caused some pretty decent waves. Of course when we went in one of them picked me up and threw me back on my butt. Connie being the great daughter she is, came with me. She said the wave took her, it wasn't me hanging onto her that knocked her over but I'm not postive.
She took her camera and was trying different settings and got some good turtle shots. The turtle was so funny. We came upon it and Ron starting slowing waving his arms and she took one look at him, settled down and said "pet me, pet me".
The visibility was about 30ft and since we dive in CA we thought it was great.
After we came home and took a nap, she dragged me off to the bathing suit store and I actually bought one. Since the one I am wearing is about 9 years old, I guess it was time.

Maui Day 2

2009-07-31T22:57:00.000-07:00

Today we snorkeled Honolua Bay and I saw two fish I have never seen before. The first one is a Bluestripe Butterfly fish and the other a Bandtail Goatfish. These are not my pictures, I got them off the Internet so I could show them to you. The water was so clear today that I could see fish shadows.
Connie got in at 5:00 and we went to the busiest restaurant in town, Costco, for pizza and then home. Connie hauled her luggage up and started unpacking. Her carry on was heavier than her checked bag and that weighed 49.5 lbs. She says scuba gear sure does weigh a lot. We are scheduled to go dive with Ron Ross tomorrow morning. There is a south swell and everyone is saying the visibility won't be so good. Connie's response was "we are used to diving in CA where we think 20 ft is good". Ron's response was "you'll get that. Connie put her new 4g card in her camera and she is ready for what ever she can get to stay still long enough to snap a picture. Otherwise it's video time.

Maui, 2009

2009-07-30T23:57:00.000-07:00

Flying into Maui at the time I did gives me a wonderful view of a sunset. It lasts for a couple of hours and looks like the earth is encircled with a band of orange light. I forget about it from year to year, so it never fails to amaze me.
Bob had to go get his air conditioner fixed this morning, so I slept in and then fooled around before I went across the street to snorkel. Bob had said the visibility has been poor, but it was good today. It felt really good to be back in the water.
There wasn't many fish, but there were a lot of different fish. (No yellow tangs).
I found a mask on the bottom and I actually tried to get down to get it and for the first time in my life I actually got down under the surface. I couldn't get down far enough to get the mask (a kids mask), but I was really proud that I almost did it. Of course there was no one to see me and Connie will never believe me because she has been a witness to my feeble attempts in the past.
This is going to be a good trip.

San Diego Boat Dive

2009-07-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Girls Gone Diving did the Yukon and the Ruby E today. With all of the high surf and wind we were positive we could be blown out. In fact we were so positive we probably called so many times that they were sick of us. They assured us they had been out and it was fine and the forecast was for more of the same for today, and they were right. We didn't believe it until we saw it for ourselves. The ocean was so calm that for the first time on the Marissa that I could do both dives beause I didn't get seasick.

Connie, Sylvia, myself, Don, Phil, Joby, Chad, and Alex dove. The Northrop Grumman Dive Club plus family and friends.

The anemones on the Yukon and the Ruby E are beautiful and amazing. The white ones are huge and look like brocolli. The wrecks actually remind me of a Rose Bowl Float with all of the different colors of anemones. They completly cover the wrecks. The fact that the visibility was 20 ft today sure helped make it a good dive. It was cold though, 52 degrees. Connie stayed warm with her new chemical heat packs. They worked really well and the next time I am cold between dives I will use her extra set.

All in all a great weekend. We started it with a square dance with Magic Squares. Dave and Carl called a great dance. Then Connie and I stayed with Carl and Donna (thanks for everything guys) so we could do this dive. They have awesome animals, Loriketts, and Coy fish. I'd heard about them, but they are better in person It was great since the dive started at 1:00 and we didn't have to up at the crack of dawn. Tough life, but someone has to do it.

Cozumel 09 Last Day

2009-07-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

We planned to sleep in today, but that didn’t work. We were both up when the morning dive boat came, and it killed us not to be on it.
But then we got in the water for our shore dive and life was good again. We did a shore dive the first day we were here and saw lots of stuff and didn’t take our cameras. So today we planned to take lots of pictures and Connie did just that. I on the other hand figured out I left my camera on yesterdays boat and they had to bring it to me. Of course the battery was dead, so once again Connie gets the picture credit. We made the most of our last dive since it was only 25ft; we stayed out for 105 min. I was down to 400 psi, but Connie still had almost 600. I think she and Sylvia are Mermaids.
Pictures:
A yellow tang because it is my favorite fish and no dive trip would be complete without a picture of a yellow fish. The little spotted ball is a baby boxfish, about the size of a penny. The black and yellow striped fish was also teeny and gave Connie a run for her money. I laughed and laughed watching her trying to get this picture because it was all over the place. Not only that but she had a little black fish that was biting her while she was trying to take the pictures. She was in his space and he wanted it back.
After we got done we had to go to town to do our shopping. It was easy to do, stop at Diamonds International and get the free charm for her bracelet, on to the pharmacy to get the drugs, have a beer with Ivan at the Flamingo Hotel (where we stayed for the last two years), let Connie get talked into spending $20 on a dive ring that matches the necklace and bracelet she got last year, on to Camillo’s for guacamole and chips and walk back to enjoy the air conditioned room.
Tomorrow we will retrace our five legs of the trip and be home tomorrow night. It’s all over for this trip. Back to the real world.

Cozumel Day 6

2009-07-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Last day of boat diving brought us Palancar Brick, Cedral Wall, Villa Blanca Wall. Great way to end our boat diving. We may do a shore dive tomorrow, but our package ended with the first two dives of the day. The afternoon dive was only an extra $15, so we had to do it.
Palancar Brick had the best of both worlds, amazing formations and lots of fish. The current was pretty friendly also.
Dive 2, the current was it's usual fast. You can tell by the video how quickly I am moving with no effort. Look close at the picture of the big grouper and you will see a lobster's antennae sticking out of his mouth. Yummy dinner.
Dive 3 was interesting in that the boat seemed overloaded because the back end was below sea level. The dive spot was nice with lots of fish, but the current was so fast that we ran out of reef and still had half of our air left. The water was pretty rough so it was a little tough to get back on the boat. One guy sucked 1000 psi of air just holding on to the tow line waiting to get back on the boat. Of course Connie never has trouble getting back on and she never has them take her BC when she comes up. To do so would be too woosy for a real CA diver. They always take mine, so I guess it means I'm a woose and proud of it.

Cozumel Day 5 2009

2009-07-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

We had four very different dives today. First dive was at Palancar Caves. Very few fish, but great formations. Tons of swim-thrus and tall coral. I really enjoyed the swim-thrus this year; guess I’m more comfortable in the current now.
Dive two was an E ticket ride. The current had us flying. We saw lots of stuff, but there was no time to stop and look, much less take pictures. Connie is playing with her camera settings to try and get better pictures. Two guys on the boat have the same camera and they are showing her all kinds of neat stuff. In the picture of the turtle, that’s me behind it, cool huh. This picture will probably end up on the Edie Wall.
The afternoon dive was on Paradise Reef again and it was the opposite of the E ticket ride. Going out there was almost no current. I could swim over and see what everyone found. It was great. Then the current picked up going the opposite direction so we turned around and drifted back I was a happy camper after this dive, it was my kind of dive.
Night dive: Best night dive we have ever done. We had pretty much decided that night diving wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, but tonight might have changed our minds. We saw at least six octopuses, a dozen big crabs, nurse shark, ells and other critters of the night walking and slithering around. Days don’t get much better than this one.

Check out the Octopus video below.

Cozumel 09

2009-07-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Day 4 in Paradise and a different fish to be seen. Our first dive today was a wreck, the C-53 Felipe Xicotenantl. Not bad for a wreck but there are hardly any critters that have taken up residence. Last year I was too nervous to go inside, this year, no problem. The most exciting thing was the Lion Fish that Connie found. They are an invasive species here so no one wants to see them, put it was cool to look at. The divemaster actually caught it to turn in for a bounty. We found 2 larger ones, but they didn’t have bags big enough to capture them. I’m sure the next time they dive the wreck they will be more prepared.
On the second dive we saw a huge lobster out of his hole, a scorpion fish and two spotted drums. This is the first time we have seen spotted drums here.
The third dive of the day gave us a crab with claws as big as my hand and another Splendid Toad Fish. We saw a couple of them yesterday.
We must be getting used to the routine here because we are not so tired today. It might be because we are in bed by 10:00 pm. As those of you who know us, know that doesn’t happen often.
We’re off to watch the sunset from our porch. Later

Cozumel 2009

2009-07-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'm in Heaven, 3mm wet suit, no hood, no gloves, 14lbs of weight and 83 degree water. This is Monday and we already have 7 dives in. Life is good.
We left on the red eye of Friday noght and flew into Cancun. Actually flew into DC and from there to Cancun. The last leg of the fllight was almost empty, lots of room to strech out. I guess this means the Mexican economy is still in the toilet. The hotels are not full, the dive boats 1/2 full, which is nice for us, since we have fewer people to deal with.
As soon as we got off the ferry in Cozumel and in our hotel, Connie wanted in the water. The pkg we have had a check your weight shore dive . We did that and since it was only 25ft we were in for an hour and 50 min.
As you can see in the pictures we found a seahorse, actually 2, but the other one looks like a stick in the picture. These are only the second and third ones I've ever seen. They are so cool.
Since then we have done 2 morning dives and one afternoon, Except for this last one they have all been great. This one was over sand, but we saw a big stingray.
Eat, sleep, play with pictures and DIVE is our motto when we are here.
Later

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-06T23:05:00.000-07:00

This 4th of July turned out to be a good time. I spent it doing some of the things I like to do best.
Diving, clogging, and playing board games.
Friday Connie, Sylvia, Phil and I went diving at Old Marine Land. It turned out to be a fabulous dive. They have the resort built, but divers have access down this nice paved path so we could put the gear in the cart and roll it down. There were a number of reasons this was such a great dive,
1. No waves
2. A nice young man helped me get my BC on.
3. Two nice you men helped me over the rocks to get in the water.
4. We saw lots and lots of good stuff.
5. I was weighted just right.
6. Phil came back in and got my BC for me.
If this is not a lazy womens way to dive.
The only thing about it was that Sly was light with her weight and had to fight to stay down because it was a shallow dive.
Saturday I messed around here until about 4:00 when I went over to Connie and Roger's to play games. We played four games and I won one and would have another except for a really stupid error.
Sunday, Connie and I went to San Diego to the Del Mar Fair. The San Diego Cloggers have a day at the fair and it is a four hour non-stop dance. It's always fun to see friends you don't always see. Afterward we had to go "do" the fair. Connie is fun to go to a fair with because she always wants the newest gadget out there. This year she got off pretty easy, we couldn't find anything to spend her money on. All in all a great weekend without having to deal with much traffic.

Reef Check/Little Corona/Broomtail Reef

2009-07-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

July 27/28 was a Reef Check weekend. On Sat we went to Little Corona and I tried to get in past the waves, (thank you Craig for your help) but I just couldn't make it. So I sat this one out. Reef Check's main motto is, safety first and I didn't feel good, so I didn't do it.

Sunday was another story. We went to San Diego aboard the Marissa and did a survey on Broomtail Reef. It was so cool, I want to dive it just for fun. Lots of kelp and fun stuff on the bottom. The water temp was 51 degrees, and that is just plain cold. Connie and Donna got real cold on the second dive. Connie is so good at this stuff. She pasted her seaweed test and did her first full survey with Donna on the second dive. I will get there, it will just take me longer. Sylvia reminded me that I cannot compare myself to Connie, I'll never be as good, but I have learned to use her abilities to my advantage. Again I couldn't do the second dive, there was a mixed swell and even with the wrist bands, I got sea sick. I was one of three that didn't make it. Next time I am going to get the patch along with the wrist bands because sitting on the boat sucks.

Reef Check Boat Dive

2009-06-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Picture from Reef Check Web site

I got on the Sun Diver in Long Beach on Friday night, since neither Connie or I are great morning people. I took the two tests I failed last weekend and passed them. Connie and I got ourselves ready for the morning and went to bed, to wake up just before we got to Catalina. This trip was all about learning how to count fish and seaweed and then pass the test. I did better than I thought I would and passed three of the four, fish being the one I missed. Connie of course, passed them all. We did three dives each day and I wonder how it can be so hard and tiring in CA when it was easy to do three dives a day in Bonaire. The Sun Diver crew was great and they are really good at feeding the divers. Delicious. We met some nice people and are very excited about Reef Check and what it stands for. Now we have to get out there and help with the surveys.

Reef Check CA

2009-06-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend with Connie studying to be able to identify fish. Six months ago I convinced Connie that we should attend this class and she agreed to go along with me. Reef Check is a volunteer organization that does fish surveys along the CA coast. It sounded like a good idea when I started this project. When I came back from PA I tried to back out of it, but Connie wouldn't let me. In her words, "Suck it up Buttercup, we are doing this". Of course it is a lot of work and it will take me forever to master it, (Connie already passed her test) but I'm glad I did it and when we go on the dives next weekend I'm sure it will be overwhelming, but eventually I'll get it done. We are going to be on an overnight boat dive to Catalina next weekend to try to actually do the stuff we tried to learn last weekend. I'll let you know.

Bonaire

2009-06-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Girls Gone Diving to Bonaire
Connie, Edie, Sylvia

Don and Syl

Connie and Roger

Connie, Edie, David

Spring Break, April 4-13, 2009 and a great dive trip to Bonaire. It was a wonderful trip and I am grateful to Connie for arranging it. Without her it would never have happened. We did two or three dives every day and never got enough. It was so easy. Walk in, drop down and look at fish. We had a great crew with us. Connie and Roger, Don and Sylvia, David, and me. Joby and Denise came over and stayed at Buddies Resort. We were able to dive with them a number of times. Sylvia was our cook and what a job she did. She had a great time shopping for all manner of weird stuff, which she used and amazed us with her creations. We are already planning the trip for next year.

York PA

2009-06-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Jim, Edie, Craig, Lynn, Paul, Chuck

What a great trip!

Twenty- five years ago I had a great friend when I was living in Baltimore. I moved and we lost touch. I couldn’t find her because I could not remember her last name and she couldn’t find me because she lost my address. Thanks to her friends and the inter-net we are now reconnected. I just got back from a three day weekend in York PA. It was so much fun to get reacquainted. She is so good for my ego, since she still thinks I am wonderful and I am always amazed by her abilities and talents. It is so obvious that we are truly connected with each other that I wonder how we ever were missing from each other’s lives. We have scratched the surface of our catching up, but we both had our “Oh My God” moments. I think that is what reconnecting is all about. She will never again be out of my life.
Lynn and Craig have wonderful friends and they were generous enough to spend time with us over the weekend so we could get to know each other. In three days we went to the Casino (I lost), had a picnic at the lake, went out in the canoes, hung out at their pool, stayed up and talked all night and in general enjoyed great friends. Thanks you guys for a great time. I am honored that you choose to spend time to get to know me.

Ron's Certification Dive

2009-05-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Connie gave Ron dive classes for Xmas last year and today was his boat dive. Connie, Phil and I went on the boat with him just so we could be on his first open water dive as an official newbie.

Last Dive Maui 2008

2008-08-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today was my last Maui dive for the year. And a great dive it was. I completed my Peak Performance Buoyancy Certificate. Not only did I figure out some things about my weight belt, but other info to help me be more streamlined in the water.
It didn't hurt that we saw 2 Frogfish on the same rock, 8 big turtles at the cleaning station, 7 eels, and a Strident Trumpet. Great dive. Thanks Michelle.

Maui 2008

2008-08-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

I've been here for ten days already and haven't posted to my blog. Reason is the internet at the condo is horrible this year. I can't hardly check my e-mail, much less post.
So here goes:
Connie and I arrived on Thursday the 31st. On Friday we started our Rescue Dive Class. We did the written part on Friday and bright and early Sat morning we met at Kiawakapu Beach to start the water part. It was a long tough day, in and out of the water, dragging people out etc. But compared to Sunday, it was a walk in the park. On Sunday the ocean did not cooperate with us at all. By 8:00 it was already starting to get ugly and by 2:00 pm it was truly tough. The main thing is we got it done. And I never have to do it again.
Don and Sylvia came Monday night and we started diving on Tuesday. We've gone diving every day but one since then. Sylvia was sick on Wed, so we stayed home and Bob, Don and Connie went to Haleakala for the day. Don was very impressed since this was his first time up there. Sylvia could only stand to be sick for half a day and she had to go do something. So we went out to the bus stop and waited for a bus and went were it took us. We ended up at the Safeway and indulged in Stone Cold Ice Cream.
The diving has been great. We have done a lot of equipment adjusting and we have had equipment failures. Connie's camera lost the screen so she has no way to know what she is seeing and my dive computer died on our night dive. More than a bit scary. It was night and I had no idea how much air I had or how deep we were. I hung in for awhile then asked if we could go back.
I've been trying out Jane's BC and I like it well enough. I tried Connie's new Diva and I really like it. It's the first BCD I've worn that felt like it was part of me.
Don and Sylvia leave tomorrow, so we can't dive, but we will snorkel. Connie leaves on Tuesday and that leaves Bob and I till I go home on the 21st. Too much fun.

Lompoc Rocket Launch

2008-07-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Elieen and I went up to Lompoc for the Educators Launch Conference. Donna went up the night before and stayed till Sunday. We had hoped to see the rocket being launched, but no luck. We got the tours and the classes, but the launch was rescheduled for Friday morning 1:00am. So we went up and back in the same day. It was a long day but it let Elieen spend Father's Day with her husband.
So on Thursday night after work Sylvia, Don and I headed back up there to see the actual launch. It turned out great. We were at the site and someone had a blackberry and got the actual countdown and we could hear the commentary. The launch itself was awesome. Of course it has to be said that all was not well on this trip. We took Sylvia's car and the transmission went out and ended up costing a bunch of money.

Advanced Scuba Class

2008-07-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Connie, Sylvia and I took our advanced diving class. Shannon and Aaron came along because the class was a graduation class from the two of them and Bob and Jan. I knew I was going to have to work hard, but even I didn't think I would get this tired.
It started Sat. night with a navigation dive and I got thrown and tossed in the surf and lost a fin and couldn't hardly move to crawl out. Aaron (thank you) and another guy helped me just as I was getting to Connie. I was so mad at myself. I did do the night dive, but the dive masters helped me get my fins on. The visibility was 2 ft.
Sunday 6am we are at the boat. We did four dives and we all got the skills done and passed the class, but I was slap wore out. Not only did Brian have to help me get my fins off on the dive platform but the weights and BCD also. Then it was all I could do to drag my tired body up the ladder.
Shannon and Aaron were helpful and encouraging and I always felt they thought I could do it.
Please notice on the pictures our wonderful embroidered shirts. Connie did them for us especially for this occasion.
I am proud and happy we all finished, I had no doubt about Connie and Sylvia but I did doubt myself.

ISTE San Antonio

2008-07-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

I headed to San Antonio on Friday the 27th. My intentions are to attend and enjoy the NECC Conference and see Julie, Mickie and family. So far so good. The conference has been nice, but I actually enjoyed the California Technology Conference more. CUE seemed more tuned to teachers than NECC. Not that I didn't learn a lot and enjoy myself. I met some great people and learned as much from them as from the workshops.
Spending quality laid back time with Mickie, Erin, and Julie is the highlight of this trip. I have not kept in touch as often as I should and I miss them a lot. I haven't been this quiet and lazy for this period of time since I can't remember. I'm finished at the conference today and for the next three days I will be as lazy as I can get away with.

Still High on Graduating

2008-06-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

We had a party at the park near Connie's house and 42 people showed up at one time or another. I wore my cap and gown the whole time. It was great fun.
Lonny made a video of the graduation and put it on youtube. Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrrryKlDz7w

Graduation 2008

2008-06-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

I DID IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kern River Camping

2008-06-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

A good time was had by all. Ronny and I went up on Friday morning to get a camp spot. He came by the house and we had an interesting time getting the bike in the RAV, but it went well. It's a long story, but the short of it is we got a great site. Shade on the picnic table all day and a good place for the volley ball net.
I got very sick by the time we got the site and ended up laying down being waited on by Ron all day. I was really sick until Sat. then kinda sick and on Sun. barely sick. I spent the time sitting in the shade reading a book. It was a great weekend. How often do I get to be lazy and waited on all in the same three day period.
Ron took his bike for a couple of rides and they played lots of volleyball and worked on the Giant Puzzle Book. That book has kept them occupied for many an hour at the river.
It was Ron and I, Don and Sylvia, Ron Reigle, Dr. Dave, and Pat. Small group, good time.

Anacapa Island

2008-05-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

Ronny, Martha and I went to Anacapa Island for the Day with the Science Branch. KJ was very gracious and allowed me to bring my son and friend along. It was a great day. I was not expecting all the flowers. Of course we found out later that the flowers were non-native and would have to go eventually, but today they were beautiful. I also did not expect to see the seagulls lay their eggs on the ground. One bird had her nest right next to the path and she screamed at everyone who walked by. I told her that if she choose to build on the freeway she needed to get over the traffic. I climbed a lot of steps and my legs will be complaining. This trip was cancelled three times before we finally got to go. It is a beautiful Island and I'm glad we went.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park

2008-05-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

I took my kids camping at Anza Borrego. Second annual trip. only this year we had 39 kids, as opposed to 60 last year. We started this trip because of the PORTS project with the parks. The rangers have a video conference with the park and after ours last year we determined to take our kids out there. We got it done, but some of the money came out of my pocket, so we used a different tactic this time. The Sierra Club Inner City Outings Group took us. They are great and my kids get to go so many places because of them. This trip is just an overnight camping trip, but most of these kids have never slept in a tent, much less put one up. LuAnn is the ranger who does the video conference and she takes a personal interest in us. She hikes with us and brings bug boxes to the kids,(they love them). Without her support the trip would not run so smooth. My Sierra Club leaders are great. They make it so easy for me. But because of them I went to the training and will do my provisional hike soon and then I too can be an ICO leader.

Connie's Cruise

2008-05-19T01:18:00.000-07:00

Connie and Roger went on a cruise and one of the stops was Granada. This was the only stop that Connie was able to dive. After 22 years of diving she finally saw a Seahorse. Best of all she got a picture of it.

Cozumel Pictures

2008-05-19T01:07:00.000-07:00

Cozumel Day Six

2008-05-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

3-22-08

Dive 84
Punta Sur
93ft 42min

Connie,the four women from OK, Lou and Doug. We were on the Swordfish and it was very nice. Not crowded and with the canopy I was able to stay out of the sun. One of the Women from OK lost her tank. We had very little current today. Sergio said this week (3-21) is usually terrible. We ran out of bottom time before we ran out of air. Lou refused to come up on Sergio's computer. She was very annoyed that she had 1500 lbs of air and had to come up. Connie had the same 1500 and she was very cool about it. The swim throughs were very cool.
Bottom time to date
78:49

Dive 85
53ft 61min

David's first dive. He did great. He was not happy with it though. Of course if he was not perfect he would not be happy. I don't know if he will continue with the sport or not. Again we ran out of reef. Took pictures just to take them. Saw a huge barracuda and a sting ray. Connie saw a big crab. I saw a small Hawksbill turtle. I also did a great job of hanging out at 20 ft, but I got tired of hanging over sand and went up.
This was the last dive of the trip. Bummer

Pasa Del Cerdo

Cozumel Day Five

2008-05-14T00:43:00.000-07:00

3-21-2008

Santa Rosa Wall
69ft 51min

Met at Serigo's and five new people joined us. Four women from OK and Thomas from Germany, living in Australia. The women were good divers and fun to be around. Connie held my hand most of the day and I wondered what I had done wrong. It turned out nothing, but she was tired of me getting away from her and then she couldn't show me the neat stuff she found. Walls are Connie's favorite dives.
Bottom time
76:56

Punta Tunitch & Tormentos
49ft 71min

All of the OK women went this dive. The one had a cold and was afraid she couldn't clear, but she did fine. We say lots of Trigger fish and their eggs. Paul(partner on the Swordfish) said they are aggressive fish and chase everything off. There was a big lobster out in the open and we all got our picture taken with it. It was a shallow dive with lots of bottom time, so much so that we ran out of reef.
Bottom time
78:07

Cozumel Day Four

2008-05-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

3-20-2008

Dive 80
100 ft 36 min

Punta Sur
Good dive. We went deep and the computers were not very forgiving. We all almost had to go to decompression by the time we got up. There were big coral and lots of great swim throughs. We were on the Swordfish today, nice people and a very nice boat.

Bottom time
74:58

Dive 81

54ft 67min

Paso del Cedro
Lots of fish, lots of barracuda, fun dive.

Bottom time
76:05

Cozumel Day Three

2008-05-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Punta Tunica
3-19-08

Dive 78

81 ft 60 min

Great dive, lots and lots of fish, big fish. Just a great dive.
Saw sea bass, big parrot, grouper, turtle, and lots of Angels.
I started up with 700lbs but was down to 160 before I got in the boat.

bottom time to date 73:26

Wreck

Dive 79

71 ft 56 min

Everyone but Lou was excited about diving the wreck. It was actually a pretty big boat and we saw some pretty cool things. I went in front of Connie and Jose sent me through and I went through three rooms and didn't see anything of interest so I went through a hole and went on top. It scared Connie to death, she didn't know where I went. I spent most of my time on the outside of the boat. It was a good dive. We went to the end of the reef. My computer was in the yellow so I had to hang out for 10 min.

bottom time to date
74:22

Cozumel Day 2

2008-03-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

3-18-08 Dive 76 Tormentos 55 ft 61 min

Ran out of reef. It was pretty windy so we couldn't go far. The visibility was still about 50 ft and I didn't think it was as bad as last year.
Bottom time to date 71:31

Dive 77 Las Palmas 64 ft 55 min

Windy, but visibility was still good. Everyone was talking about the weather, but I didn't think it was too bad. I thought it was a good dive.

Bottom time to date 72:26

2008-03-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Night dive pictures

2008-03-26T00:34:00.001-07:00

Cozumel Day One

2008-03-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

3-17-08, Dive #73, 61 ft, 53 min
Dalela
Great dive, 10 divers, Sergio Jr is the dive master and we are on the Nuria. The Nuria is a leased boat. They are so busy the have three boats running now.
Saw a large grouper, big eel tail, and lots of other fish.
They sent me up at 725 psi and I hated to go. 700 is the normal start up time.
Dove with me new computer for the first time. Sergio showed me how to use it.
I left the old gauges on because I needed the security of knowing I knew how to read it.
My new weight belt worked great. I hardly felt the 22 lbs of lead around my waist.
My mask leaked a little and fogged up some. If it continues I'll tooth paste it again.
Bottom time to date 68:34

Dive #74, 68 ft, 53 min
Cedral

This was an end of reef dive and it was great. So many fish and colorful sponges. I saw a rock beauty angel fish (black and yellow), and the biggest parrot fish I've see, except maybe on Ohau. Great dive.

Bottom time to date 69:27

Dive #75 49 ft, 63 min
Night dive, Chunkaab Reef

Alfonso, Diego, Diego's brother, and a cute young couple. His name was Mike and he helped me get up on the platform at the end of the dive. I was ok when we started, but we kept circling around long enough for me to get anxious. As soon as I got in the water, I was fine. My new light was awesome. Connie out did herself when she bought me my birthday presents. We saw a squid, sting ray, big crabs, lobster, splended toad fish, round rays, slipper lobster, and some strange stripped snake looking thing. A first happened tonight and it will probably never happen again. When I got on the boat Connie was there waiting for me.

Bottom time to date 70:30

Cozumel 2008

2008-03-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

Spring break 2008. My birthday 3-16 and I am on an airplane headed for Cozumel, Mexico to dive all week. What a great plan. We (Connie and I) took Mexicana to Cancun, where we met David. We all got in a taxi and headed to the ferry. Arrived in Cozumel and walked our luggage to the Hotel Flamingo. We are on the third floor again and in a small room. They redid the rooms and the balcony rooms only have one bed now. We will make do.

Science Camp

2008-03-25T23:15:00.001-07:00

On February 22 I headed out with 6 parents and 39 students to Blue Sky Meadows Science Camp. It was a Monday through Friday gig and the kids had a ball, even though some of them got home sick. I was sick with a cold the entire week, but I had to stay in the infirmary anyway and being sick mad it easy to stay in. I hope we will be able to do it next year. It depends on the grants available. It was a good week.

Rose Bowl Floats

2008-01-01T17:23:00.001-08:00

After the New Year's Eve square dance, Connie
Jeff and I headed to Pasadena to
check out the
floats. We walked around the floats for two hours and were amazed by the beauty and creativity of the whole process. Got home about five, set the parade to be taped and got up around noon and watched it. Having seen the floats the night before makes watching the parade a lot more fun.
Happy New Year

Las Vegas Quick Trip

2008-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

On Dec 26th Sharon, Charles and I (along with about a million other people) headed to Vegas. It was an overnight trip to meet and bring Sharon's cousin back to CA. She and her husband came out from the DC area to vacation in the area. We stayed at the Luxor and it was ok. I was surprised that Vegas didn't dress up for Christmas. Only one Casino. the Ballagio, had decorations. The decorations were worth the effort though. Very nice. I won $243 while we were waiting in line for dinner. I put 2 quarters in a machine, and on the second time I won. Our name was called, I cashed out and never got a chance to put anything back, so I came home a winner.

Picture Credit

2007-09-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

Youssef said I had to tell you that the pictures on this blog have been taken by me or the friends I dive with. He said they were so good someone was going to think I took them off the Internet.