I opened an old cookbook and found these cards with seaweed on them that I collected from Barber's Point on Oahu in 1983! The colors are still fairly vibrant. DD's teacher taught them how to "float" the seaweed onto paper. We made note cards to send back to the Mainland for Xmas. I wound up teaching the Hickam Ofc. Wives how to. They were a big hit. Just wondering if anyone still does these?
They look delightful and so well preserved after 26 years. That cookbook is obviously a keeper. Is the seaweed glued onto the paper?
Sylvain.
No, I just floated the seaweed in a small tub of water and gently slipped the card under it. The stickiness of the seaweed self-glued it to the cards. Just dried them on a table on the lanai a couple of days till they stopped stinking... Some of the thicker ones, I covered with waxed paper and pressed under a board.
Very interesting.
Sylvain.
i don't know how to do this, would you explain it to me? i think i want to try it!
How lovely they are - I have never heard of that before! Seaweed is hard to come by here on the South shore - did you use the type that clings to the rocks that the turtles graze on?
Did you live on Oahu long?
Aloha,
Jen
westradd... After all these years, I can only remember what I wrote above.... After picking it up along the shore and taking it home, I placed the seaweed in a small tub of water and "swished" it a bit (you could also use a small baking pan). As some of it began to float, it would fan out. I'd slip a piece of art paper under it and gently lift it from the water. If I didn't like the effect, I'd slip it back under the water and let it move a little on the paper again. The seaweed is kind of sticky and glues itself to the paper as it dries. I started out just using one type, but soon added different seaweed textures and colors together. Some still had tiny grains of sand on them.
Once you try it...you'll get it....! Hope that helps explain it. No two are ever alike.
Jen....we were at Hickam for 3 yrs. Barber's Point was the farthest SW end of the island. The seaweed was thick there at times. All colors, all kinds and sizes. Just washed up all along the point. I would think any kind would work. If I remember correctly, the seaweed was kind of gelatinous,and dried a bit smaller than it started out.
thanks, Bigbubbles!
we have plenty of seaweed here, so i am going to try it. maybe this weekend, if the weather allows it. right now its cold and very windy, no rain though.
westraad
Very pretty!
westraad....please post and let us know if you enjoyed the process!
So pretty! And what great cards they would make! Wish we got seaweed out here!
Yokwe,
Shari
Walking along the shore here, one is more apt to find dead portugese man of war jellyfish or kelp. No matter how artistic one is, I don't think you could make pretty cards out of those.
Sylvain.
Funny!.... I remember stomping the "bubbles". As long as the only touch the bottom of your foot....they can't sting. Great morning exercise!
but very painful if they wrap around your leg, they are quite common here, especially after storms. still bad weather, hope it will clear soon. when it does, i'll try it, and if i succeed, i'll post a picture.
westraad
I should have added... stomping them along the shoreline...not in the water!
Looking forward to your photos .... Sandi
Here in Florida, one has good chances of being stung by jellyfish of all kinds. The man of war is not rare here. They seem to always be around. We hear about shark bites quite often, too. You mut remember that a full 3/4 or more of Florida's perimeter borders salt water. But still, when the purple flag flies at the beach (dangerous marine life), I take no chances and find a shady place to enjoy the scenery and a cool drink.
Sylvain.
Best seashells we ever found were on Santa Rosa Island beach after a spring storm yrs ago. Next day, a shark bit a 9 yr old right where we were jumping into the surf to get the bigger shells. Very hard to swim in the surf after that.
Here is a hypothetical situation for everyone:
When you go to the grocery store and decide to purchase a rotisserie chicken to go, which one do you pick? They're all the same price. Some are browner than others, some are slightly bigger but basically, they're just about all the same. Which one do you pick?
I'll tell you which one; the one you find is the plumpest for your money. The runt of the litter, if it's there, won't interest you.
Well, back to the beach now. You're now a shark. You're swimming around, minding your shark business when you see a snorkel excursion going on at the surface. You tell yourself you could eat something. There's ready-to-eat tourists up there floating and making a lot of noise with their rubber flippers. Which snorkeler do you choose? Remember the chicken analogy of a few minutes ago. You choose the plumpest one in the lot. The price is the same. Well, I'm very pleasantly plump, to put it mildly. In the surf or at the surface of the ocean, I am the one who will be picked off by dangerous marine life. That's why I hardly go into the sea. I'm just too plump and tempting to be out there. Let them all go to the grocery store and get their own rotisserie chicken.
Take care.
Sylvain.
hahahah! Pu'ole, you are a scream!
Christi
Actually, though your analogy is funny, it isn't accurate. The shark will go for the easiest prey...smaller, more/quicker splash action...think "seal-like"... You would be safe in our waters Sylvain :)
We swim with sharks all the time out here...small ones anyway, of nearly all varieties. However if there are any tigersharks, bulls or (oceanside) whites, we stay out of the water. I am much MUCH more afraid of jellyfish and baracuda. And we have had more triggerfish attacks than shark attacks!
Yokwe,
Shari
We would see hammerheads when we raced out of the Pacific Yacht Club basin at Hickam. I wasn't afraid of 'em, but sure wouldn't have swam with them....unless we were going to come up on the mark too fast and someone needed hang over the side and be "dead weight!"
Triggerfish are territorial and can inflict a very nasty bite. I swam with the sharks in Aruba; an unforgettable experience and that rotisserie chicken is what went through my mind while the sharks were swimming below us.
One day in Antigua, we asked the taxi driver if there were sharks around. The guy told us: I been living here 40 years and I never saw one. As we were making our way along the boardwalk, we saw one following us just below. A pretty 7-footer that looked like a bull shark. We forgot the snorkeling and discovered Amstel beer: gorgeously refreshing brew. All in all, it was a nice day and we didn't get wet.
Sylvain.
I can vouch for the triggerfish bite...have a nice little badge of honor from a Piccasso. Your lovely day in Antigua with Amstel sounds wonderful. Glad you enjoyed the non-snorkeling day!
Yokwe,
Shari
As a diver, I know that sharks are always there - well, unless they have been fished out for food. If you get in the water quietly, go down immediately and scan the horizon you will always see large gray shapes moving away. Most of the time they want nothing to do with us. I agree though that Tiger's and Bull's will get me back into the boat pretty quick. I've never had a barracuda go after me or anyone I know while diving. I did have a friend who got some nasty bites after a late night of drinking and while walking along the shore in less than a foot of water - those shiny white feet going splash, splash were too tempting. I've always had a personal rule that I don't dive where there are seals which hasn't been a big problem since I'm also a member of the WWW, the Warm Water Wimps and except for that one island in Hawaii, most seals hang out in colder water than I'm interested in.
Sylvain, you are hilarious!
where we live, we have a lagoon surrounded by a reef, and there aren't any sharks inside. on the outside, though, we get bulls, hammerheads, and whites. we also get whales.
ooooh, i guess i would look tasty to sharks then. i am quite tall, but very scrawny!
One year, our cruise took us to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We went on a snorkeling, catamaran and tequila tour (in that order). We got to a rock where elephant seals congregated every year. We were encouraged to snorkle around the boat and enjoy the corals and pretty fish in there.
About 5 days before, we were in the caribbean where the water was at 86F. Then, we transited the Panama canal and sailed towards San Diego. When I jumped overboard, the water was a balmy 68F. When you jump in expecting 86 and it's 68... how do I put this nicely? Hmmm... let's just say shrinkage occurs. I could use a good shrinkage but this was crazy. I got back into the boat in a hurry. My friend Denis tooted around in the water. That's when I spoke with the guy in charge of the tour. He told me they had to keep a close watch because great white sharks had been spotted in the water.
I called my friend back into the boat immediately. I didn't want to have to explain to his wife that I had lost him to a great white shark but he died with a smile on his lips, whispering her name. We got into the tequila and had a great tour anyway. The wind offshore was fierce and that catamaran just flew from one wave to the other. No problema!
Sylvain.
I've got a shark story from a number of years back when I was working oyster farming. We had 3 punt loads of catching frames to put out on racks in an estuary. Because the punts had to be moored high up while the tide was still high the crates were just tipped overboard. 3 of us stayed treading water making sure none floated off. The others went off with punts and boat, due back in about an hour or so.
So here we were quietly treading water and retrieving the occasional crate that insisted on breaking ranks. Sun shining, gentle waves lapping, but no birds singing, we were a long way off shore. Next thing I noticed something dark appear from behind the small waves. It's amazing how big a shark fin looks at eye level, especially with the eye still at water level.
I quietly told the others and began to pile the crates near me on top of one another til the lowest one touched the racks below or the bottom. Then I got on very carefully so it wouldn't over balance. The shark was circling, but not around us although coming closer. I was the middle sized one, but Big Al was about the size of 3 people (hence his nickname).
Eventually the shark started moving further away. But it seemed like an eternity before it had moved a long way off. When the others returned with the boat they wouldn't believe why we were sitting up out of the water and just ridiculed us. I didn't mind though. At least I was still around to be ridiculed.
yep, don't take chances when it comes to sharks!
Hi everyone!
i haven't been on since Saturday, i was in the hospital for 4 days. Swine flu. i want to warn all of you, that take EVERY precaution you can think of to avoid getting swine flu, its horrible to have it. the vomiting is beyond imagination, i was sicker than i was with malaria.
i take back some of what i said earlier about the hospital here, they have improved greatly since my last stay a year and a half ago. the doctors were kinder and more helpful, the process is better, and overall its much better. i was quite impressed. its not as good as a private hospital, of course, but it is very good for a third world country. i will just keep my mouth shut about the bathrooms. don't misunderstand me, the staff do their best to keep everything clean, its some of the other patients from the rural areas. they apparently don't know how to use a toilet, nor do they know the difference between a toilet and a shower. i refused to shower in my stay there, and when i was released yesterday afternoon i took a looooong, cleansing shower at home. felt like heaven!
it seems that i am the first official person i Mozambique to have swine flu, but do not think its an honor, i don't. i never want to go through it again, it was terrible, especially the first night. its scary, because i know if some people get it and they don't have any means of medical help, they could die. Swine flu has different degrees, and i had a very bad one. not all people get it as bad. but if someone does, and he can't get medical help, i can easily believe it can be fatal.
so, it will be a while before i have my strength back to go to the beach and get some seaweed, so my plans have been delayed. but when i am stronger i will go, and if i succeed, i will post pictures.
westraad
westraad
Good grief! That's terrible. Take care of yourself. Any idea how you were exposed to the flu? I'd be trying to figure out where I ate, who sneezed on me, what I touched, etc.!
i think i got it from the person from a friend of a friend. he had been sick before, but wasn't sure it was swine flu. i only met him briefly but i shook his hand, which i suppose is where i got it! but its not for sure, i could have gotten it anywhere. its hard to know for sure.
Well you stay off the beach and out of the wind and cold for a while! We can wait for your photos!
i will, especially with the horrible weather here. we have very strong winds, might rain too. good time to curl up on a couch with a blanket and read, or watch a movie!
Hi everyone,
sorry it took me soooo long!
Isaac
Nice! Please tell us your methodology.
Sylvain.
I first cut out the card from art paper, didn't do too a good job, as you can see. i am left-handed, and i don't do well with scissors. i then let the seaweed drift in a bowl of water, and slid the paper under it. i tried it several times, until i got it right. i then put it outside in the garden shed, so it'll dry without me smelling it all the time.
i just have a question, Bigbubbles. how do i completely straighten the card again? it got wet of course, so its a little misshapen. should i press it in a heavy book?
Isaac
Love your art work! We just walked in from the lake and I had to answer before we unload the car. Yes, I'm sure that's why I found all those pieces in my old cookbook. I was pressing them flat. Please let us see more that you do...and you might try a little stick or toothpick to "position" the frilly edges of the seaweed to your satisfaction. Sandi
Thanks Sandi, its going hectic with my schoolwork right now, but i will do it again. keep you posted.
Isaac
