Author: Peg

Went snorkeling at 7AM. As soon as the parking lot was opened. I tried very hard to be a serious photographer with the GoPro. I was rewarded with this white yellowtang. I knew they existed, but I have never seen one.

Note to Carlton: This would make you laugh. Billy and I were coming out of the water at low tide after an hour of snorkeling. I thought I was making a rather graceful exit. You know it is tricky. As soon as I stood up – I heard applause. I was embarrassed. I thought I had done a good job. I sure didn’t deserve ridicule. Fortunately, I remembered – it is Sunday. They have AA in the beach shelter. Sure enough someone was reading “…. a fellowship of men and women…” Nobody was paying any attention to me – well except for Billy. He always makes sure I make it out OK.

I spent the rest of the day making a video from today’s clips. Here is a mini version.

I had plenty of time to work on origami while the videos were “processing”. BTW – I still like still photography better.

Playing with origami stars today. This one is a winner. It what is called a “modular” in the origami world. It is made out of five modules which magically fit together. It is pretty easy to make – but a little expensive. Minimum cost $5.

So, I experimented with lower cost options…

Note to Carlton: I hope you are having fun. Being the center of attention in anatomy lab. Our world isn’t too much fun right now. The “civilized” world seems very unsafe. A group of Muslim fundamentalist are on a mission to precipitate the end of days by starting a holy war (don’t you love that phrase) between the faithful (them) and the infidels (us). I think it has something to do with the Crusades. The faithful (them) are willing to die and kill everything and everyone in sight. The infidels (us) haven’t a clue what to do. We aren’t willing to die. So, we are just afraid. I am ashamed to say, I am feeling safer here in Dengue-ridden Kona than I might feel in a more urban setting. The new normal. It is like 9/11 all over again.

Speaking of Kona – a little glimpse of Kona

Snapped that image at the grocery this morning. I went in to get a paper and maybe something to nuke for dinner. Well, I was taken “domestic”. Ended up getting eggs, ahi, potatoes, pineapple, salad stuff, real food. Food that requires “prep” above and beyond nuking. I had the ahi with avocado and a fine salad for lunch. Oh, and a beer. Egg sandwich on tap for dinner.

Went up north with friends, old and new, on this rainy day. Good time.

Grateful for friends, old and new.

And, on a more trivial level – grateful that I successfully repaired my snorkel yesterday. At least it worked fine when I took it for a test swim this afternoon in the safety of my hotel pool.

88 cases and counting. But, we don’t have bug spray.

Now, I remember that last summer I was hugely amused that The Donald was running for president. Well, stop already, it isn’t funny anymore. President Trump. Couldn’t happen. Could it? Scary.

“Kids” living on the beach. Nothing too wrong with living on the beach. This beach is across the street from a bathroom and shower. Hope these kids get back to “where ever” before they fall in with some of the long term serious druggies. Hopefully the kids are just on a little low budget vacation.

I walked like a crazy woman today. Don’t know what I was thinking. Logged almost 7 miles on the Fitbit. Needless to say, my body is sort of yelling “send down some real food please”. Might just go have a little dinner somewhere. Or go get a nice bowl of pho at my neighborhood Vietnamese joint. Don’t think pho is “real food” however.

Honl’s is my favorite place for ghost crabs.

 

Late last summer, I was at my desk in my beloved old apartment – “processing snail mail”. I happened to have my checkbook, new address labels, etc. The Daughters of Hawai’i sent me a newsletter and a couple of raffle tickets. I usually just pitch the raffle tickets. Figure, I give the Daughters enough money. But, since I was going to send the Daughters a change of address – I wrote a check for the tickets, stuck address labels on them, and sent the tickets back along with my request to change my address. And promptly forgot about it.

Well, you can imagine how surprised I was when I got a phone call telling me I won a king size handmade quilt. It is set up for hanging – but it is HUGE and I am out of wall space at the Old Bat Cave. Guess it will just have to end up on the bed. And, my lawyer will have to add the quilt to her list of “stuff that shouldn’t just go to Goodwill” when I go.

But on to the outrage. I have been watching with great dismay all this anti-refugee talk. But, it reached a new level of outrage today when I am reading the Washington Post and found this article:

The small, southwestern Virginia city of Roanoke should refuse to help settle Syrian refugees in the U.S. just as Franklin Delano Roosevelt interned Japanese Americans in America during World War II.

That’s the argument being made by Roanoke’s Democratic mayor, David Bowers. In a statement Wednesday, he said he was requesting that all government and non-government organizations in the city of 99,000 suspend any assistance to Syrian refugees “until these serious hostilities and atrocities end.”

As justification, he compared the situation to World War II.

“President Franklin D. Roosevelt felt compelled to sequester Japanese foreign nationals after the bombing of Pearl Harbor,” he said, “and it appears that the threat of harm to America from ISIS now is just as real and serious as that from our enemies then.”

The internment of Japanese, many US citizens, during WWII was a dark time in our history. When I went to school, we didn’t learn about the internment. I was a so called educated grownup when I realized that many of my “Japanese” friends here in Hawai’i were born in places like Arizona and California. I had to ask “why were you born in Arizona?” And, ever so carefully, with no obvious animosity, I was told about Manzanar, Amache, Heart Mountain etc…

Not the greatest photo. I don’t see them in great numbers where I usually swim.

But, the prize fish today is the Saddle Butterfly. Don’t see them very often – anywhere.

We had the whole beach/ocean to ourselves. Which is good, because we made less than elegant egress. But, no skin was lost.

About time to think about gratitude.
Grateful for my wetsuit that protected my okole during my ocean dismount this AM.

Another cheese sandwich and salad for dinner – not missing tonight’s New York strip steak at the asylum one bit.

PS – Ended up with less than 400 images today. I am not loving the GoPro. Having fun with it. But not loving it enough to actually buy one. Part of it is my new “simplified” lifestyle. But mostly, my little old lady life just isn’t GoPro material.

Note to self: If you decide to snorkel around for 50 minutes or so… and have the GoPro set on 30 shots per second – you end up with 1260 images. And, you have to spend the rest of the day tagging and deleting images. Not to mention a couple of videos. I have about 150 images left on the Airness.

(Gee – I’d best reformat my little micro sd card.)

Well, you guys have to see some more GoPro photos. Because – those are the only pictures I took today.

Over 50 cases of dengue fever on our island.

One of the entrees at the asylum tonight is “apple glazed duck breast”. The entree here in winter quarters will be cheese sandwich with a little salad. And, I’d rather be here eating a cheese sandwich here. Than at the old bat cave eating glazed duck – never mind that it is “free wine night” as well.

It really is a “Palace” – and there really are members of the royal family still alive. And, they came to the party.

These people would be called King, Queen, Prince, Princess – if it wasn’t for the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy – by “big sugar” and the US. But, we needn’t feel but so sorry for them – they are very wealthy. And active in politics – Republican of course.

As for the party. It was good.

Now, for something really curious…

Found these at the Kona Market in the “tourist trinket section” this morning. There is a reason that they call us “dumb haoles”…

Still lots of concern about dengue fever. Big public service ads in the local paper… Advising us to “wear long pants and shoes” – like that is going to happen. And telling us to cover ourselves with bug repellant – but it is completely sold out on the island.

This old guy is huge. At least I think it is a yellow eel. Could be a viper eel. But, I think not. Viper eels are sort of evil looking and this guy just looks big.

And for something totally bad – a video of the big eel.

The video illustrates total lack of skill as an underwater videographer.

But, now, I must get ready to go to a fundraising event. I was told to wear a dress. I actually went to the thrift shop and acquired a dress, a pair of shoes, and a purse. Got change back from a twenty. No expense was spared! No,

Vive la France Malama Pono. Paix.

 

Went swimming out by the harbor today. You can see a fishing boat going out when we were swimming out to see the fishes.

Lots and lots of fish – but they were too far away for the GoPro.

My wetsuit (and bodyfat) makes me too floaty to get down much past 10 feet. So, I couldn’t get down to where fishes were. But, they were there.

There is a boat that goes out to feed the fish in the fish farm. It came by. I did wonder about sharks. I mean, wouldn’t a shark follow the food truck? Not to worry, my swimming buddy is armed and dangerous – he always takes a butter knife out.

It was a fine swim. We were out for about 50 minutes.

I took a few videos. And, edited one using GoPro Studio.

It isn’t worth looking at. Trust me. I’ll do better. Maybe.

Note to Carlton: I am starting to get used to you not being here at meal time. I was in the grocery store this afternoon and my hand instantly went to the small bottle of salad dressing. And, I must tell you – I have sort of given up cooking. I am still a killer hunter-gatherer – but, I hunt and gather stuff that is ready to eat. Fruit, salad, veggies, cheese, hardboiled eggs, oatmeal, granola bars, tuna.. I figure I fixed at least 25,000 meals for us over the years. 50,000 if you count it as 25,000 meals per person. And, that doesn’t include breakfast. Or snacks. So, I don’t cook any more.

I still seem to accidently set the creature off while I am swimming around. And, it happily snaps away.

Now for a few fish.

and finally,

Dengue fever cases: 33 now. But, no new shark problems.

Note to Carlton: Kona is the same. Other than dengue fever and sharks – the most serious problem seems to be the coral bleaching. At least 1/3 of the coral has turned pure white. The ocean was so warm this summer that the coral sort of ejected its friendly alge. Only time will tell if the coral recovers or dies.

Sort of laid back time here. The social season is starting to crank up. And, I try to remember your “Misery is optional” guidance.