“I didn’t start out not liking carnivorous pets and I am not a vegetarian. I think there are too many dogs and cats and I am kind of an off-beat person. Everyone else has cats and dogs. I have birds. They are pretty low-key most of the time and normally aren’t in a cage, but they love going for a ride and coming to the park. I have had parakeets for about 14 years and one of these is 12-years-old. I had budgies and finches when I was a child.”

“I lived on a boat in Hawaii for 25 years and delivered lunches to businesses. It was a good life, I was through by 2 in the afternoon and went to the beach to swim. I now live here part of the year and Texas the other part. When I first came to the South, I went to fast food places each morning and drank iced tea. I always had long, interesting conversations with strangers. Now I am into playing the ukelele. I started playing it back in Texas with other Hawaiian musicians. We went to play for Alzheimer’s patients and I needed that. I had been looking for something to give me direction.”