Grand Auth Visit

Dick and Nancy came for a visit from Marck 9 to the 21st. Sue and John Bothwell joined them for the first part of the visit. We has a great time!

Timber and I were on Spring Break so we got to relax with the visitors quite a bit. They rented a house, Hale Kai Nalu, down the road. It was a beautiful place on the cliffs by the ocean. We would sit on the back poarch and feel the salty mist from the waves and watch whales. The house had a pool (which miley loved) and a hot tub (which I loved). It was very nice to head over for dinner, drinks, chatting, and soaking. Yipee for family!

Dick and Nancy hosted a birthday party for Timber just before they left. Many of our good buds showed up for a pot luck grill by the pool. It was overcast and cool...so the hot tub was the place to be. Miley loved hanging with her friends of all ages.

This one Goes out to Kenny

Last weekend we headed to Kona for a mini vacation. Our buddy Kenny, a member of the elite Halau O Kekuhi, did his first public hula performance. The Sheraton Keauhou hosted a birthday celebration for Lani Kauikeaouli Kamehameha III. The hula was beautiful! I was so impressed with Kenny's grace especially during one chant/dance done completely in a low squat. Whew my thighs were burning with sympathy. I am a bit partial, but Kenny was one of the best performers of the group. He had a way of making the art look peaceful when others couldn't mask the fatigue. Thanks Kenny for working so hard at keeping an ancient tradition alive! (If you missed this performance, Kenny will be performing with the Halau at the Merrie Monarch Festival on April 7th.)

After Kenny's performance we hung in Mark, Jamie's room overlooking the rest of the celebration. The balcony provided a marvelous view of the festivities with the ocean in the distance. It was great to catch up with good friends. We enjoyed conversation, beer, pizza, babies, laughing, all with lovely Hawaiian music in the background.

We shared Mark, Jamie, and Betty's room and met up with KnK in the morning, poolside.

The resort has the most impressive water park. There is a slide, lazy river, tunnel, waterfall, water spouts, sand beach, volleyball net...it is awesome. We had a great time! Miley loved crawling around the water spouts. She would live in the water if we'd let her. We loved this vacation. I'm glad Kenny had the performance. It brought us all together.

Chipp'n

It's been awhile since I made a post... a lot has happened. I swear I've been trying to get info up for you all to read, but our internet has been a buggah. We have a Verizon Access Card. It sucks don't get one. It seems like every time I try to get online, the "device is not inserted". Um, yes it is. I'll get on with this post (while the darn thing is working).

We had a couple trees break in a wind storm last fall. John Eldon came over and fell what was left standing and bucked it into movable pieces. We are so grateful for his man skills. He's a great friend.

Then we let the wood sit for ages...

In January or February, we moved the logs and limbs out from the overgrowth. Timber mowed the tangled uluhe and increased out backyard about a third. It had the chance to grow... but there hasn't been much rain so the area is still just dirt.

I finished making nice stacks for Eddie, the wood chip man, to come over. He drove a HUGE truck and one scary powerful machine into the back yard. Mark came over to help Timber and Eddie chuck the wood into the chipper. They chipped all the piles in about 2 hours. It was quite a physical task. I am glad Mark came over to help. I am really glad the guys were safe.

The trees made an entire dump truck full of wood chips. We are going to use that pile of chips to mulch around our fruit trees.

Done, and done. Well, it will take us awhile to distribute the chips. At the rate the project has progresses, we might have it done by the fall.

Remembering Dad

On this day last year, my dad removed an oxygen mask that enabled his pneumonia ridden lungs to bring oxygen into his body. His body, weakened from stomach cancer, held on to life for about an hour before he transcended. While he labored his last breaths, I walked the beach praying for him....praying for my family...crying. It is so difficult to say good-bye. All I can do is keep on trucking along, carrying his love and memories with me. I can support my family in their grief. I can rest knowing his spirit is enjoying a ride on a John Deer tractor through a freshly mowed green lawn. Perhaps my own lawn here in Hawaii.