Announcement! (Lot)

This afternoon we had a family get together for dinner since the whole family could be here. That has become a pretty rare event with the Jensen's away in Kansas, so we have to take advantage of it when we can.




We also used the occasion to announce that we had purchased a lot and were planning to build a new house! That got mixed reactions from the group, but mostly it was cheered.



We then went out and put up a "For Sale" sign in the yard.

Pine cone Tradition!

It really is one of the mysteries of the universe - how long does it take to establish a tradition?

Two years, or more?

No matter, we now have a new one. Having the boys come over and help Grandpa pick up pine cones. Today they did and we had a good time while I was trimming the roses, they cleaned up the lawn.

DBIA Transportation Conference, Gaylord, Texas

This year the DBIA Transportation Conference was held in Gaylord, Texas, at The Gaylord, a large convention center/hotel complex.

The hotel and convention center complex forms the outer walls to this enormous Texas-sized courtyard covered with a huge roof truss.

The courtyard contains shops and restaurants and model trains.

I know some boys that would love this place!

April 11, 2010 Humpback Whales - Lanai Lookout "Boys will be boys!"

This may be one of the last whale posts for this Spring. They are about gone for the summer, but this morning Lauri and I drove out to Lanai Lookout just to see if we could spot a few.

After a while, what appears at first to be a dolphin, began breaching out in front of the Lookout. I put the camera on it and soon realized it was a Humpback calf!

Over the next fifteen minutes or so, that little calf breached repeatedly - over and over!







Then the cow got into the act. The calf would breach and she would tail slap. That went on for another 5 minutes or so.





She gave up after a while and just let the little guy keep going.









What a fun way to spend a half hour!

April 10, 2010 Dives - Electric Beach

On Saturday, April 10, 2010, I did an Open Water Scuba internship with Caz Nowakowski for my Divemaster course. Jo also was there since it was a fairly large group - 6 Open Water divers.

We all gathered on the beach before heading out.

Jo went first and then the divers were supposed to follow one pair at a time.

The first two went out and when they got to Jo, all the rest went together. As the DMC (Divemaster Candidate) I went last and took the float and dive flag for the group.

Putting on my fins and getting ready to swim out through the surf.

And, then we were underway.


The surf was pretty tame on the way out.

As soon as we were out in about 15 feet of water the rest of the group submerged and left me to bring the float.

I didn't take too long to unwind the rope a bit and swim along about 10 feet below the surface. Much easier to keep with the group that way. I tied up the float and then Jo and I went to find the rest of the group.

Caz took them on a tour of the site for the first dive.

The tour led right back to the beach. The new divers were pretty much out of air by then, so we got out and went back to the vehicles to change tanks. The surf had picked up substantially at that point and getting out was a little bit more fun with the waves crashing and pushing us out.

Getting into the water for the second dive was a little less organized, but also a little more exciting. Lauri even took this photo while I was waving at her. Actually, I was not sure it was her. Without glasses, and from that distance, I was lucky to be able to tell it was a person!

The surf was up a little more than when we got in for the first dive.

Those of the group that were a little slower getting going were nearly bowled over a couple of times before they got ready and headed out.

Eventually though, we all made it past the surf and headed out to the float/flag to do their skills.

Playing "follow-the-leader" while snorkeling out.

One of the surface skills was to remove their BCDs and sit on them. They had to show the Instructor their hands.

Another surface skill was the tired-diver tow. I am watching from the rear.

When they finished the surface skills, we all submerged and they got to continue doing skills underwater.

My job was to monitor the rest of the group while Caz and Jo had each diver perform the skills.


The last skill they dis was the CESA - Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. Each diver got to do it once, and one got to do it three times.


While others were performing, the rest hung out on the bottom waiting. Not completely relaxed and comfortable, I'd say.



When they all finished, they met on the surface while I untied the float and rolled up the line. When I was done, they were all gone, however, it was not like diving alone. Due the the fact that there were about 100 divers in the water, I was never really alone. Rather than surface and swim back fighting the waves, I kept about 15-20 feet of line out and just towed the float back.

I took a few photos, but they were far enough away that none turned out very well.


They all came right back to the beach since the new divers had burned through all their air doing their skills. That gave Lauri a little bit of concern because she could tell I was not with them.


A little later I showed up and put her mind at ease.

After struggling with the surf on the exit and hiking up the beach through the soft sand, though, I was really out of breath and breathing hard while washing off the salt water.

I only used about 1500 psi on the first dive and 1600 psi on the second dive.