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Friday, December 28, 2018

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? There Be Whales Here!

Hi, all!

It's here - the very last Friday of the year!  And I couldn't let it pass without a chance for all of us to whoop it up.  I know you've got things you can share now that Christmas has passed, so here's your chance!  

I, on the other hand, have not been sewing this week - because I am in Maui, Hawaii!!  So I have something a little different to whoop it up about.   Let's get started!

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We decided back in February to take a trip to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, and because we both like to be warm in the winter when it's possible, we decided to go to Hawaii, because it's ALWAYS warm there.  



We chose well, because the highs are in the low to mid 80s and the lows in the mid 60s.  The weather has been awesome, and we chose today to go out on a cruise to try to see some humpback whales.


And guess what!  We saw LOTS of whales!  Here's a whale fluke...


...and this one is harder to see, but this whale is lifting his head above the water.  The white cloud you see over his back is the blow from when he came up.  This picture was taken during a "competition", where several whales are competing to be the "primary escort" for a female.  We were very lucky to see several competitions, or "com-pods", during our boat trip.  We had to stay at least 100 yards away (unless the whales chose to come closer) so these are very enlarged shots.  And I missed a lot of much better ones because it was so much fun to watch, I forgot to take pics sometimes!


Here's another pic of a whale's flukes.  It really is amazing - those flukes are about 15 feet across.  The whales weigh about 90,000 pounds, and basically don't eat for the six weeks it takes to get from Alaska to Hawaii, the two to four weeks they stay in Hawaii to breed, and the six weeks it takes to return to Alaska.  The waters in Hawaii are warm and shallow, making them a poor location for predator fish, and thus safe for the calves that will be born here.  (The females who are impregnated here this year will return next year to have their calves.)  But the beautiful blue waters of Hawaii are that color because they don't contain phytoplankton, which is what humpback whales eat.  Water that contains phytoplankton is much greener!  And so the lesson ends.

And then I stopped at a neat little store...



How could I pass this by?


Look how welcoming it is...


And inside it's even better!  






So many beautiful samples, each one a great reminder of a wonderful trip  Gorgeous fabrics, too!  So many beach and Hawaii themed fabrics, and some of the prettiest batiks I've seen in a while.


In the end, I chose one of the pretty sashiko embroidery kits to commemorate our trip and our day - 
I'll share that with you later!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop?

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And now it's your turn!

What's got you whooping it up this week?


What's making you do a little happy dance?

Share!  We want to dance right along with you,

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah



19 comments:

  1. Happy 40th wedding anniversary! Enjoy your trip in this beautiful island (yes, shopping for fabrics too!)

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  2. We did our 20th in Maine, I think 40 def needs to be in a warmer clime! Looks like it was a fantastic trip!

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  3. Both outdoor and indoor highlights of the day look like a wonderful time! So happy for you!

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  4. Looks like tons of fun. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. We spent some time in Maui during whale migration some years ago, loved it! I hope you get to go snorkeling at Molokini!

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  6. Congratulations!! 40 years, wow. What a perfect spot to celebrate. I have been to that fabric shop and I came out with my arms loaded. And whales, what a treat.

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  7. Happy 40th!!! Huge Congrats!!! And I totally heard "there be whales here" in Scotty's voice, just brought a smile to my face ;)

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  8. It sounds like you're having a great time. Enjoy.

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  9. Congrats! on your whale of a tale (and a whale tail shot) for your 40th anniversary trip. Such a wonderful time of year to be in Hawaii!!!

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  10. Hi Sarah, enjoy your trip and congrats!

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  11. Wow! In Alaska we chased a whale (or the small ship we were on...) for 5 or so hours and all I got was a partial flute. It was a really lazy whale is all I can say. Maybe we need to go to Hawaii during mating season to get a good show! Glad you had a good time.

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  12. Wow, Hawaii! What a great time y'all are having. Amazing whale photos. The quilt shop does look wonderful. Looking forward to seeing your embroidery kit and what you create with it.

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  13. Oh, the Maui Quilt Shop! They are great there. I visit every time we visit Maui! Good for you being in warm and sunny Maui.

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  14. Happy anniversary! Great pictures. I had to laugh at myself. When you said 'here's a whale fluke' I thought you meant you didn't catch much of the whale so the picture was a fluke . . . I had no idea that was what the tail fins are called!! Good choice on the sashiko. I've always wanted to try that technique. One of these days I will splurge and get one.

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  15. Great whale pics, Sarah! And that quilt shop - oh my!! I hope the rest of your trip is wonderful and you have a safe trip home!

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  16. I have a set of those sashiko blocks that I am very slowly working on...very slowly.

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  17. Congratulations on your 40th anniversary! I would love to see humpback whales one day, I really enjoyed your photos. Love the sashiko kit too! It's so exciting to come across new fabric stores.

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