Pololu Valley

Yesterday the waves at Mauna Kea were wild. Mist and Kyr tried to rent some boogie boards from the hotel because Joop had them in the car and he had gone off to try and meet his nephew Harmon. The hotel refused to rent them on days like that because they wanted them to be able to come back next year. So that meant Mist and Kyr just body surfed them. Initially I thought the currents to wild to go out snorkeling. But after watching the motley crew that headed in I changed my mind and attempted it even though I was apprehensive about a few of the types snorkeling around. While I sat there on the beach contemplating a group of what I term the ruthless russians strode by. Ruthless in the sense that they appear to be the successful type that has become flush since the end of communism. With all of the corruption, I'm sure some of these types are quite ruthless. The group that passes me certainly seemed it. It was headed by a guy with expensive snorkel gear and wielding a large spear gun. He was attended by a guy in a white outfit that followed in his steps 1&1/2 paces behind, tentatively speeding up every once in awhile to catch up. They both were attended by a woman in a sarong and a blond boy. The young boy watched the two men gear up in giant waves, the guy in the white suit staring at the head guy mimicking his movements several minutes behind. After the masked hunters entered the water the young boy scampered up over the volcanic boulders and was lost to sight. The woman just watched the hunters bobbing about in the waves. The whole thing perplexes me. I don't know about the fishing rules but it doesn't seem right to hunt with a spear gun at a crowded public beach. And I could tell all of this equipment was foreign to them. They hadn't the slightest confidence putting it on or how to even hold the gun. I was determined to stay way away from them and headed out into the corral. The waves were so strong you just bobbed around like some flotsam and jetsam so I got out. A tiny bit sorry to witness the masked hunters return somewhat later, with no bounty. I was pleased about the no bounty part but I felt they should have looked worse for wear from their stupidity.

After the beach we headed to an old historic town Hawi (pronounced haavii) on the north west coast. It is an incredibly beautiful area, to my mind the most beautiful on the island. Not as wet as Waimea but still the undulating ranch lands. Just north of Hawi the highway ends at the Pololu lookout. I wan't able to do the hike down 4 years ago, but this year thanks in no small part to reef shoes - just socks with rubber soles, I was able to navigate down. I rarely feel vulnerable to kneecap luxation if I'm in bare feet and these shoes mimic the feeling of bare feet so I am able to go down small inclines. Such a huge triumph for me psychologically. I still require the security of Joop's arm for most of it and my knees begin to swell just from the quad contraction, but it works and I have no lasting pain. Down on the black sand beach we were treated to the sight and unbelievable horrific smell of a dead whale in the shallow water on the beach. The whale had been dead three weeks and sometimes up to 17 tiger sharks were witnessed to be feeding on it. In one of the pictures you can see the grey undulating mass near the shore that was the whale. Aside from the whale it is a spectacular beach. Very isolated. Some hardy souls try to stay there awhile, you can tell by the plethora of rope swings scattered everywhere. The most disconcerting thing though was the amount of beach plastic everywhere. Just small pieces that are reminiscent of sea glass but they are only plastic. Is this the new wave of collecting? I certainly hope not.

Afterward we attended Melissa's gourmet feast. It was very tastey although Melissa encountered the pitfalls of cooking in a kitchen with out any staples and it necessitated multiple trips to the grocery store in the midst of preparations.

Little Pip was in very fine form thank god. And Tabs was wildly practicing her golf swing. For some reason I can picture her a champion golfer.

Today we're off to Hilo again to the market. Just can't stay away.

Beaching around the island

Saturday we went to the market in Hilo. A very thrilling experience. All of the vendors are very pleasant, most of some asian background. You really feel that it is a treasure trove of kitchy items that you must have. I finally purchased a hawaiian quilt after coveting them for months. My most exciting purchases are the vases of tropical flowers. Just too beautiful to imagine. Just old coffee cans lined with banana leaves and filled with delightful flowers. Only $5 . If I lived here all of my rooms would be filled weekly. As it is the bouquets I bought and augmented with even more glorious types are still going strong providing a colourful epicentre to the rooms of Morning Fire.

After the market we took a most delightful windey road lined with tropical vine laden trees to the tide pools. The tidepools are treacherous to get in with their lava lined shores. A wave pushed me back as I was getting in and a piece of lava jammed far up my fingernail. For the rest of the day it was irritating and by nightfall it was a raging bacterial inferno. I practiced as much surgery as I dared and then fortified myself with antibiotics and salt water soaks and then diligently watched the progression of the lava for the next three days until its triumphant removal on Monday night. Once in the tidepools it was an amazing array of multicoloured coral. Who would have dreamt it comes in so many spectacular colours.

Sunday was spent in a confusion of time change. We forged ahead an hour. The rest of the island didn't. It didn't become apparent to us until our dinner guests were all an hour and a half late. My pineapple chicken was drying out. The early part of the day was spent on Hapuna beach with the rest of the big island. The snorkeling was the best I've seen. It is quite a trek out to the corral reefs but once there it was like an aquarium. Joop and I followed a sea turtle that appeared to be flying in the bright deep turquoise water. It is the first time I have seen them in clear deep water. With the sun beating in above it appears that they are flying gracefully.

Our small group(aside from Mistaya - assidious in her application of sunscreen) is fighting a losing battle with the sun. Despite vigilant reapplication everyone is burnt. I forced gallons of water on Kyr last night and still dreamt he needed reviving throughout the night. He was fine, it was just my anxiety. Which had probably been piqued by Pip's horrible ear ache at the beach we went to yesterday. While Mist and Kyr and Joop boogie boarded, Pete went in search of medication, Tabs and Melissa and I tried to doctor the crying Pip. Some helpful woman on the beach told Melissa of her cure for her surfing children and that is hot socks filled with sand. Tabs and I diligently searched the beach for a rotation of hot rocks wrapped in napkins to hold against the dear girls ear. She finally fell asleep on Melissa's chest and woke up fine. The rest of us were worn to a frazel. We toured the Arthurs condo. Very posh and wonderful.

Today I will try to rally the worn out troups to meet the Arthurs at Mauna Kea. The boy and girl lie in bed reading in the morning and Joop rustles to get out just as the coffee maker gurgles its last perk. Kyr claims to be nauseated. I forcing green iced tea on him. Mauna Kea is hard to get into after 10 am. They only let in 30 cars a day. We might not make it. I should phone and warn the Arthurs.

Waipi'o

We trudged down and up the 900 foot drop in less than a mile (americanisms have seeped into my psyche) into the sacred Waipi'o valley where the guy on the top admonished us to not take anything up or leave anything down, not even a rock. The valley is still used for Taro farming. But judging by the derelict sheds and sort of secret feel to the place you wonder if Taro is a euphemism for pot. The ocean is very powerful on this north eastern tip. You wouldn't even dream of venturing in. But you can imagine just a line leading from the edge of the cliff all of the way across the ocean to BC. The black sand is very fine and feels nice. There is nothing to be seen on it though, no shells, no vegetation, no sea creatures except the occasional small jelly. At the edge of the river leaving the valley and meeting the ocean Kyr and Mist built an inukshuk with volcanic rock which is always surprisingly light to lug around.

There is a small feeling of triumph when you finish the climb, enough to let Joop share his turkey sandwich with a stray cat that had a lame hind leg. I couldn't tell if it was a fracture or infection. The poor thing had a voracious appetite. Hunting is not so great when you are ill.We thought we'd finish off the day with a snorkel on the west side and a trip to visit the Hart-Arthurs new condo. We were thwarted by a brush fire that had blocked off the ocean highway. I hope it is under control today so the Arthurs can join us on our trip to Hilo market and the lava tree park. Plus I don't want to be kept from our beaches. A day without snorkeling can feel like a poor day indeed.

Clouds

The clouds gallop around Waimea. I've never seen the likes of it. Perhaps because you can see their shadows on the hillsides you really appreciate how quickly they sprint across the sky. Because of their speed I am never too defeated by foul weather as we approach Morning Fire in the car enroute from the intense heat of the beach. It seems normal and okay because the worst storms could be gone in seconds. It is a wierd lack of investment in the local weather.

I took a little walk this morning hoping to find the trail in the forest that leads to the beach we will be going to this am. It is a 2 day hike and I had no intention of actually going, I just wanted to find it. Unfortunately all the trails are closed since the earthquake, deemed too dangerous. I couldn't have scaled the barbwire coated gate if I wanted to. It is a bit sad because some of the comments in the guest book at the ranch suggest that this trail was beyond any description of loveliness. It had access to the other side of the Waipi'o valley where we will descend this morning to access the lovely windswept beach on the east side of the island. This is not a beach for swimming, just one for observing the windswept power of the east side ocean. The top picture is where the gate was. Black dots on the hillside are the ubiquitous angus cattle that cover the landscape.

The lowest of the landscape photos is view down our driveway. Usually there are cattle grazing in the pasture. Every piece of property lining Whyte road this morning had at least 2 dogs, sometimes up to four. The lots are city sized so you can imagine the cacophony of barking. Add to this rooster crowing. Shockingly everyone has roosters. Just roosters. One lot had 8 cages and 6 free ranging roosters that perched on wooden teepees filling the yard. They are beautiful roosters just like my Cecil. Could they be for cock fighting? Isn't that illegal?

The newlyweds - that is what Joop calls Kyr and Mist because of their complete delight in eachother have been having a good time. The bottom shot is of their Dr. Pepper floats. Who would have thought the beverage was so fortified that it lead to shrieking and racing around the house all evening.

The Sun

I am a patchwork quilt of burns. Small slashes and squares of redness randomly throughout my skin. I don't know how it happened. The first day I attributed it the the uneven coverage of a spray sunscreen model. The next day I changed types and was super vigilant in the slathering. At walmart that evening as I was examining my back in a horrified manner through a wavy jewellery counter mirror a passer by said "What did you use?" I exclaimed banana boat sport 30 our tried and true. She agreed that it was the most exceptional product having lived and boated here for 25 years. She then proposed to quiz me on time of sun exposure. It was true.

We were in the sun at noon. I was feeling all triumphant since Misty's arrival that she seemed to inspire us to get out of the house way earlier. But perhaps its too early. And then to hedge all bets I went back and got SPF 50 even though I heard this winter that anything over 30 is a waste of time. We used to use 50 and I never got burnt. Hopefully this will solve the burn issue. And the other precaution I will take is to wear a "hubby clubber" while I snorkle. Kyr bought himself a 5 shirt package of tank tops that he lovingly refers to as "wife beaters" -common teenage lingo. So when I tried to borrow one and he was reluctant I said - fine I would wear my girl tank top which Joop quickly called a "hubby clubber" in contrast. I like it. I hope it catches on.

Mist got her great reward of seeing a huge gathering of mongeese (mongooses for those in the know). A species she loves and fears in equal shrill measure. When we stopped at the bookstore we found a weird cat woman feeding at least 20 stray cats by a huge lava wall embankment. She tersely said she doesn't feed and water them on Saturday and Sunday - someone else does, in response to my questions. Waiting patiently in the rock crevices were all of these mongeese. My only consolation is that they wait patiently until the cats finish eating before they come over and finish it off. They all seem to exist quite companionably together.

Snorkeling was lovely. I had a huge eel swim underneath me. Quite exciting. Unfortunately the Fairmont beech boy (that is indeed how he introduced himself shaking my hand) decided to wait until everyone had wandered off except Kyr and I and then he asked if we were guests. I said no but my sister was. He then nervously handed me a pamphlet outlining the $2000 annual fee for the privilege of their sand and then asked that I stop by the cabana next time and pick up "Fairmont" towels. It is hard to be seen as beach riffraff. I guess my platinum member status is not emblazened on my head.

While we were getting our star bucks yesterday morning Joop overheard this conversation between two hawaiians. "Is he a coloured guy?" "Yup, he's a local product."

Too much.

The picture is how we start our mornings. Notice how easily Mist has slipped in. I still have to struggle to access my computer. We'll try to beach it again today. Perhaps not the Fairmont as they have successfully scared me off.

Morning Fire

Back at Morning Fire Ranch. It feels like coming home - from the geckos running around the walls to the rooster crowing from 3 am onwards. Part of coming home is the lack of feeling of all your cares slipping away. It feels so familiar you don't enter into that anticipatory anxiety that upon reflection makes you think you have really removed yourself from your other life. I'm hoping that the rush of relaxation is happening under the surface. I think it is. My back feels better.

We're lucky to have little Mystical(Mistaya) with us. Although she fits in so nicely I have a hard time remembering that she hasn't been here before. Yesterday we went to Mauna Kea beach for frolics. The wind was so severe it pelted your eyes and ears with sand at every moment. It was a challenge to hunker down on the sand with the eyes clenched tight and try to absorb the hot sun. Snorkeling was wonderful though. I have and eye for octupi and spotted a large one scurrying along the ocean floor. It froze knowing that I saw it and perched on a rock observing us. They have the dearest hesitant, nervous expressions in the blob that is their face when they watch you. It is hard to believe and it isn't anthropomorphisizing them. Unfortunately despite recent repair Kyr's expensive underwater camera bit the dust again or should I say ate seawater and is non functional. We have supersleuth repair guy Joop working diligently on the issue and if anyone can save it, it will be him.

We will probably head down to the Fairmont beach to visit Melissa's family today. I'm excited to snorkel with all those little girls. Those posh resorts are a completely different world from our experience where we battle night time chills and spend most of our time outside of beaching it buying groceries. In fact the tellers at the grocery store already know Joop's familial history. They are very friendly here in Waimea. It doesn't seem fake.

Pender Island

Pender island was a wild and crazy time with two families in one house and two darling dogs demanding much attention. Trouble seemed to loom our first night when after a 4 hour ferry ride and an arrival at 11pm at the cabin after a very meandering road; that traversing on every subsequent trip was a revelation - how on earth did we find the place that first night? (I memorized the map and the little silver jetta is a great sleuth), the septic sewer system smell overwhelmed us all. It was so horrific on the pool table/ table tennis floor that the three darling boys were driven out of their beds and forced to sandwich together on the futon couch in the next room. It took a day to beat the smell into submission amongst much theorizing with Brent and much anxiety by me.
Once the smell was under control the fun began. Multiple pool tournaments, ping pong,and beach excursions. Brent and Joop were super diligent each morning and hiked the mountain on the island. Caroline and Marlee and I translated our energy into daily coffee and shopping excursions. Each were equally exhausting. Our attempts to beach it were satisfying on the collecting front and the witnessing front. One of the highlights of the trip was being at a beach when a pod of at least 20 killer whales swam past blowing and breaching. It was spectacular. Aiden, Marlee, Kyran and I found amazing sea glass and sea pottery. Massive amounts. It was very satisfying. Aiden thought he could translate it into a money making business, but his potential buyers were also competitive collectors unwilling to spend. The ocean turned out to be too cold for most. I eventually managed to get in and enjoy it even though the circumference of my head really ached with the cold but I had absolutely no tolerance for the jelly fish. Millions it seemed but probably in reality just in the double digits. They were the very large lions mane type. As Caroline said - unbelievably ugly with their ugly red beached bodies. No amount of research could reassure me about their numbers. Is this what the ocean is coming to? Or is it just a seasonal, current variation? I am very nervous because even with extreme vigilance I sustained multiple stings. Kyran was badly stung just sitting on the beach when some tentacles washed up over his foot. I literally couldn't think of it and any time we went to any beach I obsessively scanned the ocean. I was probably very boring with my obsession. One day coming back from the beach I spotted incredible flowers at a farmside stand. Joop nearly burnt out his clutch reversing back to the farm. It was an honor system and the bouquet of flowers was unbelievable so I stuffed money in the little can. How trusting are people? The flowers were an boon to recovering Caroline and lent a beautiful fragrance to the rest of our stay.
After wonderful meals each night we would sit on the veranda staring at the ocean or engage in Karaoke competitions. We canoed a beautiful bay our last night together and managed to canoe up to a mother seal and her baby on an island. She seemed very complacent about our interest and just lounged on her side cuddling her baby to her it seemed with her flipper. The 3 boys had their own canoe and filled the bay with their exhuberant singing and wildly competitive shouts of "stroke!"
A number of our excursions were to the south island and one of Brent's favorite memories is having all of the kids in the truck with him driving, the ipod blaring, and the getting "air" as the truck sailed over the bumpy road. Mico managed to read 4 novels in the middle of all of the activities. Marlee managed to complete many beautiful paintings, Aiden independently pulled an all nighter that seemed to stretch on for days if you are a friend of his on facebook. Caroline managed to survive a dreadful illness but somehow not affect her activity level. Kyran and Joop and I just managed the dogs and took inspiration from the Meige-Moffat clan. I was mesmorized by the Moffat childrens' style. Even at a cabin on an isolated island the boys managed to appear each morning in well coordinated outfits with freshly ironed shirts, Marlee in different hat, high waisted skirt ensembles. I wondered where they got it from. Brent vociferously denied any influence. Caroline just batted her style maven eyelashes and pranced off with once again another scarf/hat ensemble. The night that the adults went to the resort for evening cocktails while the kids swam in the pool it was assumed that she was part of the fashion show!

The last day on the island was very quiet for the 3 of us plus dogs. We were even too tired to kayak. Although when one of the guides did not seem amply horrified by the jellies or didn't even notice the plethora of their numbers I was reluctant to trust myself to their tutelage. Joop took Kyr and I out for a lovely supper at the resort. It was a lovely last evening to a hectic holiday.