Achuete that wows!!!

Found in our backyards, for the last two months they are in bloom.

The secret ingredient of the "Miki ti Batac", opulent red, an old issue of the Town and Country shows us an amazing, classy arrangement by Irene Marcos-Araneta using the achuete. Try it at home :-)

So they say Kapuluan is 1.5 hours from Laoag, and a grueling13 hour drive from Manila by day... think again... it's exciting all the way...

The roads are very good, you can even drive your BM to Ilocos if you want too ;-)

Ilocos is packed with surprises. a mere 50km radius from Kapuluan, you get to see Cape Bojeador and the light house in Burgos, the 20 windmills in Bangui, the Patapat Viaduct, etc ;-) And from Ilocos Sur to Ilocos Norte, every town has a must see ;-)

It's a mix of centuries old and the ultra new structures ;-) Today's tour the guests simply

said Wooooooowwwwwwwwwwww!!! Beauty!!!

Yeah, summer sun still ;-)

Happy Independence Day ;-)

Of course, it's summer sun still in Barangay Baloai/ Kapuluan ... Yeah!!!

And it's going to be mild weather here the rest of the year ;-) Ah, the weather forecasts will just get you worried... throw you caution to the wind, grab your backpacks, take the bus or drive to Balaoi... you will be amazed... summer sun still ;-)

No excess packaging needed...

A friend who shuttles Ilocos -Manila shows us how to pack the right way... zero waste packaging. She mixes mangoes, tomatoes, on a bed of "ampalaya" (bitter melon ) and "saluyot" (jute) leaves.

No plastics needed, not even newspapers. Green shipping, definitely. It does survive the 10 hour trip by land. What more if you're taking the plane :-)

Wowie cat...

Walk up to Blue Lagoon and meet sociable orange cat. Friendly to people as well as to his four legged counterparts...

Cats are know to be good swimmers. We're so tempted to teach this cat how to surf... But then again, new tricks need to be introduced to the young...

Should you want to try it with your baby ... lots of tips on youtube... check these out ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbhW0G-hyjQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LivOqapQJxs&feature=related

Feel joy this Valentine's

... engaged, happily married, just in love...

or comfortable alone ;-)








Valentine's is for everyone ;-) ;-) ;-) Celebrate life '-)

TAKEN FROM BINKY'S GUIDE TO LOVE
http://www.amazon.com/Binkys-Guide-Love-Matt-Groening/dp/0061124931/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234347565&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Binkys-Guide-Love-Matt-Groening/dp/0060950781/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=english-books&qid=1234348081&sr=8-1

This Valentine weekend...

Whisk your love away to Kapuluan and experience serenity accompanied. Or if you are loveless feel immense contentment totally alone.

The endless walks along our beaches... smooth sand to rocky shores.. go barefoot, feel the earth under you feet... soak in the scenic views... the tranquil sea in the morning, the rougher waves in the afternoon.

It would be boring if we are all the same...

So we choose the one who makes us happy...

Have fun this L-o-v-e month ;-)

More of this on...

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Hell-Matt-Groening/dp/0679756655/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234347709&sr=8-3
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0679756655/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

http://www.amazon.co.jp/Love-Hell-Cartoon-Matt-Groening/dp/0679756655/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=english-books&qid=1234348150&sr=1-2

Kung Hei Fat Choy - Happy Chinese New Year

Tonight is the eve of Chinese New Year ;-) A walking tour at China town seemed right to usher in the year of the ox... see some noticeably pre-new-year's eve's frenzy;-) ;-)

• The dragon up close
• The ox and the other eleven animals
• Of pineapples and calamansis;-)
• Tikoy galore

Wishing you a happy, healthy, prosperous Year of the Ox ;-)

Wishing you safe kayaking...

From your biggest fan in the Philippines... praying for your safety, health, strength as you paddle new waters this January and February. May the elements always be in your favor. God bless you ;-)

Estrella nocturna, 31 December 2008 ;-) Welcome 2009 ;-)

Our sincere appreciation to those who joined us this 2008.

And to mother nature, what better way to say thank you than to witness the sunset and the rising of the evening star.

Kapuluan is on the northernmost tip of Ilocos and our beach faces east. Sun rises on our waters so we rushed to another beach hoping to catch a glimpse of the last sunset of 2008 and the rising of the evening star ;-) The evening star guided the Three Kings to the manger where CHRIST was born.

These two heavenly bodies will be with us when we welcome 2009 tonight ;-) Happy new year to everyone ;-)

We sing for CHRISTmas ;-)

While buying gifts in the bookstore, the piped in music changed from trance to "Angels we have heard on high" by Corrinne May. It hit my soul... I realized it is really CHRISTmas ;-)

Happy birthday Jesus CHRIST ;-) ;-) ;-)

God's art on animals???

One of His basic designs;-) Bee hive inspired... or a prototype for a bee hive? Hmmmm ;-) ;-) ;-)

Contrary to popular belief, coral is certainly not stone, not plant but an animal... Corals 101 -- read on ;-)

Don't miss the final episode of Kahit Isang Saglit tonite ;-)

We are big fans of Echo (Jericho Rosales) ;-) ;-) ;-)

Hey, don't miss the final episode tonite of Kahit Isang Saglit starring “primetime
sweetheart” Jericho Rosales and Malaysian superstar Carmen Soo (12 December 2008) on
ABS-CBN.

Great performance of Echo, Carmen Soo and everyone in the cast ;-)

A few useful links on Kahit Isang Saglit ...

Whoa...wikis of the heroes ;-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho_Rosales

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_Soo

Lyrics to the theme song by Martin Nievera

http://www.lyricsdownload.com/martin-nievera-kahit-isang-saglit-lyrics.html

Hmmm... wiki of the Teleserye ;-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahit_Isang_Saglit

But nothing beats this blogspot ;-)

http://kahitisangsaglit.blogspot.com/

Way to go Echo ;-) Congratulations for another great telenovela ;-)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/12/04/08/soo-inspires-echo

It's a beautiful day ;-)

"Dance dance in the morning light.
Open your darkened eyes.
Hey, hey, it’s a beautiful day.
It’ll be ok. It’ll be ok."

Who Will Find Me
http://www.lyricsmania.com/

Home is for the birds too ;-)

Our roof as apit stop ;-)

It ain't brain coral ;-)

Between deep red and violet. Pure velvet. One contiguous petal. Easy to grow. Can last for days. "Taptapingar" (cock's comb - scientific name: "Celosia cristata"), is yet to be rediscovered. BTW, it was identified as endangered in 2002.

Happy Halloween

Gosh... the halloween melt in your mouth donuts ... melted in the box ;-( ... See what the 10 hour drive from Manila did. But hey the taste is incredibly the same , YUMMY ;-)

Happy Halloween ;-)

Where we live and play

We share you the beauty of our home ;-)

Wake up to dawn... do an open yoga ;-) Choose your adventure for the day... surf, bike, hike , fish.... embrace the outdoors... welcome to the open ;-)