Healing in Hawaii

It has been a long, harsh, cold and painful winter on Salt Spring Island. Snow on and off from mid-December to the first of March, treacherous roads, and driving conditions and for Bruce...a nasty fall on black ice, a broken hip followed by hip replacement surgery and then atrial fibrillation. The road to recovery was long and tedious.

So..we traded this:

For this:

Bruce describes this trip as a "consolation prize". Our annual trip to Vietnam was canceled because of the broken hip and recovery. Twenty hours on an airplane and little red plastic stools for sitting once we got there, were not appealing or possible. It was going to be a grand trip with our friend Dennice joining us. A side trip to Kyoto was Elaine's dream. But, we will try again in the fall to make this happen.

In the meantime, here we are on soothing, laid-back Molokai, with the ocean at our doorstep, whales performing past the reef....sort of sounds like home, but with the addition of balmy breezes and warm sunshine to heal the weary old bones.

Bruce is walking every other day and has gone as far as 2.5 miles. This is such great progress. We are also enjoying the pool, where twice a day we paddle back and forth, Bruce regaining strength and flexibility and Elaine staying strong for her own upcoming hip replacement surgery. 

There are no crowds on Molokai, no traffic, no luaus, no drinks with little paper umbrellas, no zip lines, no ATV's. There are no luxury hotels, no nightlife, no glitzy shops. There is, however, a golf course. The green fees are $18 for 9 holes and if you want to go around twice it is $22. You bring your own lunch. The clubhouse is beautifully decorated.

And there are also plenty of these.

And plenty of time for the crossword or a good book on the lanai.

So, we have been following the advice of the locals and will go home soon, healthier, happier and more relaxed!