Friends 'til the sun doesn't shine

At the onset it should be clear that this is not about Noah's circle of friends. These ladies were not in his generation, not his gender and certainly not his acquaintance during the years when the bonds of their friendship were gaining strength one day at a time. Chronologically they were born between 7 - 10 years after Noah's introduction into the antediluvian world.

Nonetheless, Noah knows some of them like they were his friends too even if he hasn't met most of them.  Thanks to one of them who updates him with the latest news in the unending turn of events of their friendship, like  who just got a grandchild, who reconciled, who celebrated what, etc. and what they used to wear in school like starched skirts, sinking socks, chemise and hair bands. Yeah - girl stuff. Certainly not the likes of Noah to be around with.

Here's a photo of the main group that these friends came from. They were classmates in high school batch 1980 at the Immaculate Concepcion College in Davao city, which was an all-girl school.

A smaller circle of friends from this group is what Noah is talking about now. This "core" group is more than friends - something like sisters. They make it a point to have reunions as often as they can manage and these get-togethers take place anywhere in the world that they may happen to agree on.

Recently, Noah had the medium-rare chance of getting a taste of how it is to be around them. Here are some photos:

 dizzying - this photo aptly describes

how it is like to be around them as

a spectator or driver - as in

Noah's case.

when they say "jump," by heaven's sake

you gotta jump or in the case of the lady 

in the far right - fly. That's how Lalaine

Alvarez looks seconds before she landed with

a big thump on all fours. This group is 

hilarious, to say the least.

before Noah runs out of breath describing these

girls, here's a more domesticated photo of them

at the hollywood walk of fame.

Noah just could not resist including this photo

with a lady (far right) who's not a "friend." She's the 

daughter of the lady (second from left) and she happened 

to be with them by choice - her choice. She missed work

that day just so she could drive them around - with

Noah frantically trying to catch up in a second car.

She designed the tour herself, drove for them, took

their photos, gave advice on how to pose, and all the

while she maintained a very cheerful disposition...

...she even bought dinner for a mentally challenged

kid who was hanging around this joint while they

were having dinner. This was really something that

touched Noah to his soul. Apparently Jesus is in this 

lady's heart and she flaunted His love so naturally.

Before this piece ends Noah would like to introduce the reader to another aspect of this group's existence. It's about the non-member

who is forced by circumstance to tag along and silently bear all the repeated stories, girl-stuff issues and talks that would drag hours on end sometimes to the wee moments of the morning. Noah was offered his position more than once, but declined due to the hazards that came along with it. His recent introduction into the group at Los Angeles opened Noah's eyes to the reasons why Ric could survive under such stressful conditions, and Noah wouldn't need to think twice about joining when another reunion presents itself.

To the ladies in this story, Noah would like to give a warm hug of endearment. Thanks for keeping his wife happy and young throughout your friendship.

A Tribute to Eleazar Alburo Moreno (1928-1986)

Pastor, educator, musician, sportsman, outdoorsman, comedian are some of the many titles that allude to Eleazar Alburo Moreno. He was also the father of Noah - this writer.

Dodo - as he was fondly called by his kin, was the second in a brood of 8 by poor fisherfolk parents who thrived solely on what they could catch in the sea. So to be able to get a college degree he had to work his way through school to attain his highest career point as President of Mountain View College.

Physique-wise he was a fine-tuned rumbling engine. In the last decade of his life he would start the day at 3 AM on board his outrigger canoe, fishing in the predawn darkness a good distance from the Northern Mindanao coastline. His usual catch of about a bucket of fish was a coveted gift among his neighbors. The next stops in his daily routine were a game of tennis, office work and visiting church-related projects, another game of tennis at 5 PM and then a round of badminton, table tennis or bowling would cap the day's activities.

Apparently he knew the formula for a happy and healthy life, and making people happy with his presence came naturally to him. He sure was the epitome of a well balanced life.

Dodo could have enjoyed more of this if only he lived past the age of retirement, but an Aedes Aegypti mosquito unintentionally cut his run short, and at the ripe age of 58 he literally bled to death from Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.

Fast forward 30 years and his son, now 60, reaches the mandatory retirement age at Yanhee International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. The challenge to do something epic in honor of his dad coupled with the unfinished business of trying to please him to make up for the mischievous years of a rebellious youth looms in his mind. 

At this point there was only one thing that would bring closure to a once strained father-son relationship, and that was to spend a year doing what his dad would have wanted to do if only he had the chance to live longer. So upon reaching the 6th decade of his life Noah set out to pay honor and respect to his long gone progenitor in a year-long marathon of activities.

This one's for you dad!

April - scuba diving in Koh Mak island, Thailand. The sea was your turf dad. You knew by heart what was under the waves. We went diving together along the coast of Lanao del Norte when we were collecting marine life for the aquariums at home and the hospital. You taught me what was edible, what was difficult to catch and what was better left alone.

 June - Cave diving in Hundred Islands, Philippines. You were a very good swimmer and diver, dad. A fisherman with a swimming instructor certificate from the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, you had the grace and fluidity that mimicked the dolphins in the water.

May 2016 - January 2017 Cycling: 
- solo cross-country cycling Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia = 400 km, done in 3 days. Dad, you had the knack for testing the limits of your body and I know you would have also enjoyed cycling through these countries. 

- solo long distance cycling through the Big Sur (Highway 1) and other picturesque roads in the states of California, Virginia and Florida, Thailand and the Philippines for a total of 1,366.2 kilometers/848.9 miles.

The memory of my first bicycle at 8 years old is still fresh in my mind, Dad. You came home from a trip to Manila and it was raining very hard at about 7 in the evening. You told me that you had a present for me and sis Ethel, but that I would have to fetch it myself at the administration building, which was quite a distance from the Jamandre village where we lived. You said that it was too heavy to carry and that I may have to ride it on the way home. I knew in that instance that you got me a bike and I ran like mad in the dark with the rain beating down. The sleek and shiny brand new red bike got wet and muddied. If not, I could have kept it beside me on my bed that night. In those days, to own a bike in Bukidnon, one had to buy it in Manila and I know that it cost you a fortune to get one each for Ethel and me.

I know that I have to honor you dad for being thoughtful about getting a bicycle for me at that age. In retrospect, I can see that it was the best treatment for my ADHD (undiagnosed - since this entity was not yet discovered back then). 

December - fishing: I left this for last dad, because this is your passion. I know you could spend hours by yourself in a spot out in the sea with the 300+ hooks that you had in one long line. 

Deep-sea fishing was your real sport dad. We tried our luck at it in Clearwater, Florida, and we didn't come home empty-handed.

You have gone from our lives for 30 years now dad. It may have been too soon for you to go, but not too soon to be handed your reward by the giver of life himself - the Almighty God. We miss you like we miss mom, but you are always with us in thought and in spirit.

I hope you enjoyed this tribute dad.

.....

Noah would like to profusely express his thanks to the following for their direct participation in the realization of this tribute:

Arven and Marie Fe Somoso
Alice, Mafel and Rommel Cobangbang
Marilyn and Tagore Calma
Howard, Harold, Hardin, Mervyn and Geronima Joyce
Benjamin, Ethel, Aya/Bryan/Iya, Benny, Benjiro and Elaine Bibay
Jo Ann, Jaypea, Nok, JJ, Kukie and Kailee

...and above all to Jesus Christ for the gift of life and health.

Horseshoe bend with no horse

The great Colorado river is 1,450 miles long and along its tortuous course, somewhere by the city of Page, is a portion that attracts more snapshots than on any other point in its course - the horseshoe bend.

 What a beautiful scene if not only for

the sluggish and polluted water

add a beautiful lady and the mood

changes dramatically

Let's get back to the right order of the story. To get to this view there was a lot of traveling to do... 

http://sunnimoreno.blogspot.com/2017/01/antelope-canyon-trip.html

From the Antelope Canyon the group traveled about 9 miles to the horseshoe bend through scenes like this:

this is the parking lot for visitors

at the horseshoe bend

about a hundred meters from the 

colorado river. the outer rim

of the horseshoe bend is visible

behind the lady

that's the usual crowd around the rim

trying to get a good shot

these dudes are not tired nor nauseated,

they're just finding another pose nearest

to the cliff.

here's a video to appreciate the

approach to the rim and the awesomeness

that it inspires

the trip ain't complete unless

you've posed with the love of your life

just teasing the acrophobia and

trying to find a cure by sitting

at the farthest point on the ledge

on the way back to the car we 

see this sign with a head on top.

yeah, thanks too, Glen Canyon for

the memorable trip.

Antelope Canyon trip

Itchy feet or happy feet, call it what you may, but Noah had to do something to catch up with his hyperactive hooves. This time they took him to a barren place by the lake Powell in Arizona, a place called the Antelope Canyon. This trip started in the wee hours of the morning at the Westgate Resort Flamingo in Las Vegas where three families were billeted for a five-day vacation.

There were two cars for this expedition and 

the Tahoe held this bunch: Jo ann, Ariel, Ethel

Benny and Noah. The Lexus had Bryan, Aya, Iya

and Elaine.

The cold morning dawns as they drive through

St. George, Utah. That's Signal Peak laden with

snow and covered by a blanket of clouds. You can

forgive this couple for posing beside state-line

signs (below) since it's not every day that they 

get to drive through these highways.

With the word "canyon" what immediately comes to mind is the greatest and grandest canyon ever - the Grand Canyon. The smallest and yet spectacular canyon is often left out by tourists due to several reasons: 

1. Distance: The Antelope canyon is located at Page, Arizona - a power-generating town by the banks of lake Powell. It is about 272 miles from Las Vegas, 386 miles from Salt Lake city and 273 miles from Phoenix. By car, it would take about 4 hours drive from Las Vegas, which is the most common route taken by tourists.

2. It is very small: the upper antelope canyon is 200 meters long while the lower antelope canyon is 407 and the depth is only about 37 meters. This will show that one of the two canyons itself is just slightly bigger than a football field.

3. It was only opened to organized public tours in the year 2,000. Prior to that tours where not supervised by the state and were too risky.

4. The canyon is closed at about 2 hours before sunset and when the weather is too hot or it is raining or there is a weather forecast of imminent rain. This means that even if you have booked and paid for a tour and you may have traveled the whole day, your tour can be cancelled due to the conditions mentioned above.

5. The Antelope canyon is hid from view: You don't see it when standing on the desert plain/hills. All you see is a large crack/fissure on the desert floor.

 This is the location of the Antelope canyon, but 

where's the canyon? The arrows at the left point

to the exact spot of the canyon, which is actually

sub-terranean or underground.

 entrance to the canyon is via some

metal steps that were constructed to

make it easier for tourists. Noah had

a gopro ready for the tour, but the guide

said that videos were forbidden. He didnt

suspect that Benny had a snap chat video

lens in his sunglasses and that's why the 

two photos are spherical in shape.

the steps take you down to the bottom

of the canyon from where you work your

way through it so a spot where another

set of stairs take you...

...up, back to the surface. this is 

the exit from the lower Antelope canyon.

The huge fissure is the only ventilation

and lighting for the tourist in the canyon.

Here are the photos that were taken while the group was snaking their way through the canyon.

 a group photo at a spot that was 

wide enough to accommodate the shot. The

next 4 photos were taken looking upwards

to the fissure on the top.

that's "sitting buffalo" - the 

Mojave indian tour guide. He had

all the answers to our questions and

a lot of tales to boot. 

 While the group was intently listening

to sitting-buffalo this dame had to have

some photos taken.

 this is proof that aliens once roamed

the desert plains. They left some images.

 that's her again... i mean the

gorgeous dame, not the alien.

from this point it is up a flight

of steps...

...back to the desert floor.

From this point the group motored to the "horse-shoe bend" - a spectacular spot on the Colorado river. Coming up next.

The Grandkids and Noah

One nice part of growing old is the entry into the "grand" stage of life. It's a time when the title "papa, daddy, father" gets an added prefix - "grand." Another good aspect of aging is when you enjoy the company of the kids without the responsibility of bringing them up as parents... a role that is the cream of grandparenthood.

Noah's recent travels brought him to the hills of Santa Clarita north of Los Angeles where he had the blessed chance of staying for a few nights with a niece and her husband and kids. It was a rare opportunity after not seeing Daphne for decades and to bond with her adorable and well-mannered kids was an added feature that Noah felt right at the core of his heart.

Nathan, Camille, Kimmie and Jordan...that's

the order from youngest to the eldest (Noah not

included of course).

mommy Daphne and granny Jo ann

at the kitchen.

with the kids in school and the parents off

from work, breakfast is slow and relaxed. Dad

Frank had the breakfast served just as we came

out of the bedroom.

the eldest daughter - Kim, and she plays her

role really well by looking after the welfare

of her younger siblings.

These two urchins are all over the house just like

normal active kids. What grandpa Noah liked best was

Camille's activity on the piano. She's a budding

musician and Noah would love to see her play the

piano and clarinet a few more years from now.

This is Sunday evening activity. The kids prepare

their lunch boxes for the following day.

monday - the first day of school for the 

year 2017. It is 6:55 and they're already 

dressed up for school and having breakfast 

they prepared themselves. Nathan is waiting 

for mom coz he wants fried eggs.

That's inside the van for the short ride to school 

on a winter morning. Jordan left earlier.

Dad Frank at the wheel. the roads were

slippery and we passed by two car accidents.

we get to their school and there is a steady

drizzle, but they obliged to one more pose

for grandpa Noah.

Noah doesn't hold favorites among his grandchildren, but

Camille just has a special tug at his heart.

the kids disappeared into this entrance,

but not from Noah's heart. Thank you Jesus

for such adorable grandkids and thanks too,

dad Frank and mom Daphne for bringing up such

respectful, happy and well-mannered kids.