24th September 2016

Saturday and it's my day off :-)

I woke around 10.30 to find a note from Simon, he'd already left for work :-(

So what to do?   I started off with a nice cuppa and then decided I'd get stuck into my exercise video. It's only a 20 minute session but it's pretty hard or is it that I'm not used to cardio anymore  ..LOL

So after exercising, I decided to blitz the house, change the sheets, sweep outside, sort out the washing and generally tidy.  Just what you do on a day off.  It took me hours and that in itself was another work out.  It looks so clean now.   By the time I had finished it was around 2.30

Nice clean sheets

Lounge area

Looking out of our bedroom

Balcony

Bathroom

After showering, I got dressed and jumped on my bike and headed down to Crystal, stopping on the way to order water which has yet to be delivered.  At Crystal I caught up with Simon and gave him some welcomed nibbles of peanuts and an big juicy red apple :-D  I only stayed for 20 minutes or so and then made a plan to cook a veggie curry.  So on my way back to the house I did a shop and then cycled home to make a start on this evenings culinary delights.  I'm not the best at creating but I think I've done OK

Veggie Curry

Sitting down with a glass of OJ I'm now putting my feet up and waiting for Si to come home.  What hour that will be I just don't know as he's having a nightmare with websites, work etc

I'm so glad of the 'Whatsup' App ..as I've been messaging all my ugly sisters and having a bit of a giggle.

17th September 2016

After a lovely Birthday it's back to normal.  On Friday I had a bit of a lie in, I arranged to meet my eco intern at 11:45am ready for the afternoon boat where we were going out to collect Crown of Thorns.  Crown of Thorns are giant star fish with up to 23 legs and can grow to nearly a meter.  They eat the algae living within coral.  In abundance the Crown of Thorns can do a lot of damage. destroying large area's of reef, as numbers have risen around the island, we go out and collect them on a regular basis.  Each individual, depending on it's size can produce millions of eggs/larvae.  The larvae feeds on phytoplankton and due to the rise in nutrients in the water due to pollution, run off etc they is no end of food for them and due to overfishing, a lot of the young don't get eaten  ..so with that inbalance, it can have serious repercussions.  Anyway, we collected 6 in total  ..not a lot but it's a good thing that we didn't see that many.

This weekend I've tried to stay away from the office.  I did pop in for a couple of hours to catch up with posting some photo's and catching up on mails but I've stayed away.   You would think this is pretty hard but as this is the only place that I see Simon, it's tempting to stay there all day and everyday.  I do feel guilty though when Simon asks me what I'm doing today.  Especially when I say, Oh, maybe go for a swim, cycle massage ..just have a ME day!!

Oh, I had a bit of a clear up last night after I did some food shopping, had my hair trimmed and finished in the office.   It was like being back at 'Fermoy' (old home)  clearing the woods and making bonfires.  The entrance is looking so much neater :-D  Here are a few pictures ..I should have taken before ones but you'll just have to use your imagination and think  10000 of leaves everywhere. 

remains of the bonfire

Path to house free of leaves

One of our plants :-D

15th September 2016

Woke up this morning and showered.  Simon had made a delicious cooked breakfast for my birthday ..yummy!!  

Then I got to the office and Steve told me to close my eyes and then presented my with these lovely cakes  ...argh my goodness...

Birthday cakes

I spent the day on the boat teaching, then back to Crystal, having a few G and T's before heading to Whitening for a birthday dinner....



Below are some pics of the house, after moving in... getting there slowly... Simon has to put some shelves up and fix a few bits and bobs but its feeling very cosy!

31 August 2016

Last night we went to Ceasars Palace to see a show called Absinthe.   If you are easily offended then it wouldn't be for you.  The hosts pretty much go out of their way to offend anyone and everyone so you need a good sense of humour to enjoy it.  It's one of those shows where you definitely wouldn't sit in the front row. The acts performed breathtaking acrobatics within just a couple of feet of you, so it was really in your face. Such a good show I'd definitely go and see this one again.

On the morning of the 1st September I was given another envelope to open with yet another surprize. I thought things couldn't get any better as we'd already been to see Cirque Du Soleil, Absenthe, had an incredible helicopter tour of the Grand Canyan but Simon had done it again, made me blub with tickets to..

Coldplay were amazing.  The light show was brilliant and what made it more effective was that everyone was given a wrist bands to wear that lit up and flashed different colors during the concert.  I've never seen anything so pretty.

Such an amazing trip and SIMON, you're an amazing husband.  I love you!!

30th August 2016 - An incredible day!

Mostly photo's on this blog as words can't express what awesomeness we witnessed today.

Simon had booked a tour with Sundance Helicopters and we were told to be in the lobby at 11;30am for our pick up which was this stretch limo.  Slightly over the top for a 10 minute journey but a great way to travel.

Our 11.30 pick up 

On arrival at the 'Sundance' base we were weighed in, given a safety briefing and then introduced to our pilot Matthew who escorted our group of 6 to the helicopter where were given more safety instructions an told how to use the headphones/mics.  The other couples in our group were altogether and as you could only sit 2 in the front with the pilot and 4 in the back, they let us sit in the front for the whole journey which was brilliant!!

Our route

All buckled up and very excited we took off !  

Over the headphones played music and narration about the historic landmarks as we flew past them and then Matthew would give added information.

Our flight took us past:

Hoover Dam - 726 feet high and 1244 foot long. The dam took 3250000 cubic yards of concrete to construct which is enough to pave a 2 lane highway from San Fransico to New York

Mojave Desert - Beautiful sandscapes which look barren from the air but apparently they support a wide array of habitats, valleys, springs, forests and wetlands that shelter an abundance of plant fish and animal species.

Lake Mead - Formed by the Hoover Dam, the lake is the largest reservoir in the US in terms of capacity and the largest man-made lake in the U.S.  The lake is 112 miles long when full has 759 of shoreline and is 532 ft at it's deepest point.





Colorado River - Ther river is 1,450 miles and and has a flow of 800 million gallons of per hour.

Half way through the flight we landed at our designated picnic stop, giving us the chance to walk around, take some photo's and then enjoy a lovely champagne lunch.

The Grand Canyon - One of the seven natural wonders of the world.  The Canyon in 277 river miles long and up to 18 miles wide and a mile deep.

Vegas by air

 A TRIP OF A LIFETIME!!