Snorkelling and Beaching

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snorkelling chat

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 Post snorkelling ennui

Post for surveying all and sundry

Beaching is becoming tolerable

If only I could hear out this bloody ear

Attempting beach mindfulness

Going out to find the waterfall

Scrambling around creek beds

Beautiful forest trail

Very triumphant deep diver emerging from depths

Superlative snorkelling find after tenacious diving attempts

Heading out for dinner at Harmen and Donnas - Big Island Brewhaus must miss us

Just like it always happens - the holiday is drawing to a close and you just get in the rhythm of things. The snorkelling is getting better and better - aquarium like conditions - hardly any waves - plethora of turtles and fish. I'm starting to get on top of my asthma - diving deep is an immediate cure for shortness of breath - I think the pressure on the lungs helps force the air from the closed airways! We finally got the dehumidifier working - so now at least our dry clothes are not getting wetter as they hang there. We are on the cusp of maybe figuring out how to fill the japanese soaker tub. All in all we are settling into a happy routine. I'm just on the cusp of sending for the dogs as a tiny surprise for Joop and Kyr. Nobody would love lying on the lanai and perusing the ranch lands more than my Herm. Probably Rooster and Archie would still be indoor dogs.

That is one thing that this holiday has shown me - I can't live without animals. I have never been away from animals for so long - even in Greece every restaurant and hotel has resident cats and dogs. Right now the only animals I see are horses in the distance. I'm getting desperate. Yesterday when I was diving at Mauna Kea beach to find neat shells I noticed that repetitive diving in an area attracts these small fish. Because I am not a skilled diver it takes me many attempts to retrieve anything - just enough time to collect a whole school of these little fish around me - finally friends I thought! I wonder what they hope I'll find? Some great tidbit? The experience has served to show me that I chose my career well without even knowing it.

We traveled to the Hawaiian wildlife centre the other day near Hawi - a centre designed to preserve native Hawaiian birds and one bat. It is quite sad to reflect on how little  of the original plants, animals and insects survive. Such a short time and almost nothing left but invasive species. I guess it is really evident on such a small land mass. And then I feel guilty for loving the landscape of the ranchlands because it is definitely all foreign plants and animals. I so desperately worry about the ocean changing now that I have a window on it from snorkelling. It is all so fragile. Who knew that Hawaii didn't even have earthworms? Not necessary apparently. 

Had supper at Harmen and Donna's yesterday. Paradoxically Kyr was socializing with all of the UBC O students - comes to Hawaii just to get corrupted by the same students that he just left - forcing him to play beer pong of all things! 

Big Island Routines

Sighting of Mauna Kea from Lanai

Mauna Kea looming large

Requisite bouquet from farmer's market

Nightly view of Kyr and Joop either pre or post Big Island Brewhaus

Side of our beach cave at 69 beach

Joop thinking about going snorkeling

Kyr giving it serious thought as well

Front of 69 beach enclave

View of lava island - great snorkelling opportunities

Joop heading out to boogie board at Hapuna

Kyr catching a wave at Hapuna

I suppose there is nothing wrong with having a routine while vacationing. But sometimes I wonder if we've taken the  whole thing a bit far. We wake up lounge around the computer stations - I usually sit on the lanai. I make the boys nice breakfast sandwiches, make our lunch, then we board the rental car, stop at starbucks for our drinks, go to our little beach cave at 69 beach - read and snorkel, head home about 5pm, snack, shower , head into Waimea to Big Island Brewhaus where we inevitably end up chatting with people: many canadians, the chef, the waiter, sometimes locals then home and bed. I like it. In fact I'm loathe to incorporate many more activities - because what if it interferes with our time at the beach? time at Big Island Brewhaus? We met a local who had been born and raised here - Aaron - he went away to architecture school and then came back. He was full of tidbits - seemed quite amazed by our rental - acted like all of the amenities - the pastures, the streams were unheard of. He said this luscious grass that we see is from africa and is not that nutritious. I wondered about that because the horses don't seem that fat. Historically all of the beautiful pasture lands that I am so fond of were covered with trees. Hunting is quite big here - pigs and birds. The most worrisome little tidbit was how big dog fighting and cock fighting are. Joop quickly looked it up and dog fighting has been recently outlawed. I wonder how much difference that will make. A little horror in otherwise paradise. Most people own 2-3 dogs - mostly outdoors. One night I couldn't sleep and was sitting on the lanai - I've never heard so much distant dog barking in my life. Who knows what they are saying to each other? Unlikely to be predators - though the pigs do look quite mean.  Not sure how my type of veterinary medicine would fare here. I was quite horrified to think of outdoor dogs - which is quite stupid when you think of how benign the climate is.
I'm glad we've found our little beach enclave - mostly it is just us and the most darling little crabs in the world - so hilarious to watch them - Kyr actually caught one but I was minus my camera. On weekends we are happy to share with the locals - who we hear from Aaron probably only go to the beach once per week. The other day we happened upon our enclave with another family in it - we happily made ourselves at home in an unused spot - the family indignantly got up and crawled through many trees to find their own privacy. I was happy that with time our enclave was completely filled with local people  - I felt it showed that indignant family (had to be tourists) just where it is at on a public beach. This weird little family then proceeded at the end of the day to spend 45 minutes constantly trucking down to the water edge attempting to wash the sand off everything they had brought. One of the most incredible acts of futility that I've had the pleasure of watching.

At our beach enclave it is very easy to access the water - only a gentle slope of sand - no rocks or big hunks of lava. It is very easy for me - plus I love it because often I get to swim with turtles.  Hapuna beach where the boys go boogie boarding isn't so accommodating. The sand is wide and hot enough to burn your feet. The waves can be huge. Yesterday I couldn't even get in - knocked over in the shallow end - the waves come fast and furious and I'm not able to get up unless the water is deep enough. Poor Joop almost dislocated his shoulder trying to help me.

Pu'u Menehune

View from Lanai - a horse grazing just below the trees

View from the front yard looking south east

Approach to Pu'u Menehune

Side yard

My writing desk

Chair on Lanai

Path leading to waterfalls

Shed on the west side

View of house looking North east (direction of BC)

Hill behind house

Looking into living room

Pristine Parlour/Living room

Joop happy at his computer station.

Life at Pu'u Menehune is pretty wonderful. I think a person could sit contented on the Lanaii morning, noon and night and never tire of the bird songs, the horses and foals galloping on the hill tops, and the occasional view of Mauna Kea looming like a spectre, reminding us all of the volcano that caused such splendour.
Staying at any of these spectacular vacation rental homes you become very intrigued by the owners. My number one question of all of them is how often do they get to stay here themselves? Especially this home. It is such a labour of love - such a clear vision that inspired it.
The home has an interesting history of being a part of the original Waimea hotel. It was built in the 1920's and consisted of 4 identical rooms - 2 bathrooms to share. It was slated for demolition in 1999 so the present owners had it sawed in half and moved to this location - a 13 acre former steer pen on the Historic Parker ranch. You can see by the photos in the house that the land was more barren than it is now. Most of the trees around the house were planted by the owners in the last 15 years - all native Hawaiian species. I'm amazed by the rapidity of growth.
The house has almost a museum feel to it. Just a moment of time at the turn of the last century captured and catapulted into now. I love the purity of their vision - I realize that despite all of my attempts to capture the same feeling in my homes and in my clinics - I am more messy - bringing in way more modern elements - partly for convenience - partly for comfort.
It is relaxing though to have such simplicity, when there was way less stuff. The thank you book in the house has not many entries for the number of years that have passed. I would hate to see it become too popular. It has a fragile feel to it.
It is funny how these vacant Hawaiian homes have the same musty Hawaiian smell - you can get quite fond of it. Our days are really routine already - Morning on Lanaii, starbucks then afternoon on beach snorkelling, evening on Lanai and supper at the Mexican restaurant - Big Island Brewhaus- I told the waiter last night when he was so pleased to see us again that he'll be sick of us soon.
One of my favourite things is sitting on the Lanai in the dark evening and hearing the horses snort around us.