Poipu beach it is.Monk seals.One large turtle.And chickens. Truth in blogging. This chicken is at our hotel. Not at Poipu. He is more photogenic than the chickens at Poipu.
There were fish too. Ryan was happy to have some up close time with a snowflake eel.
I was glad that I brought my gear. I wasn’t too old.
We had lunch. Wandered around some. I came back for a shower and a rest and the younger people went in quest of ice cream.
Waimea Canyon and a pretty grand canyon is.Waterfalls today too.And chickens. They are everywhere.At breakfast, we watched a rooster brazenly steal the egg out of a breakfast sandwich. The diner was looking at his phone, not his breakfast.
We also checked out the western most bookstore in the US and the western most Harley dealership.
And why is the island overrun with chickens. In 1992 Hurricane Iniki essentially destroyed Kauai, and every single chicken on the island escaped. There are no natural predators on the island so the chickens lived happily ever after. Mostly the residents like them, because they eat vast quantities of cockroaches and centipedes. But they are everywhere.Roosters, hens, chicks. Everywhere.
Ok, so nothing went wrong. The cab showed up. The plane was fine and on time. The kids and car were waiting. We got into the one room early. Explored the neighborhood. Had lunch. Rested up from our hard travel day. 20 minutes for the kids. 60 minutes for me. Then we went to look at a waterfall.
The hotel is beachfront, but…
Almost every thing bad that can happen in the ocean is on the menu.
Well, there is no mention of sharks. Guess it’s too dangerous for sharks.
I decided to dedicate today to fretting. Unfortunately, I seem to spend more time fretting and worrying than I spend planning and executing. So what did I fret about:
I am still fretting about the possibility that my taxi will not show up to take me to the airport tomorrow morning.
Suspect that I might be too old and feeble to keep up with the kids. They have physical outdoor jobs. They aren’t office workers who exercise in air-conditioned gyms.
Fear that I am no longer a strong enough swimmer to snorkel in new locations.
Concerned that I have over-packed for my trip to Kauai. It’s more than my little backpack. A little backpack is all that anyone needs for 4 nights on Kauai. But snorkel gear takes up room. Especially the fins. Should I take the wet suit too? See something else to fret about.
What if the kids get bored?
None of these things would have bothered me one bit 5 years ago. Well, maybe the cab not showing up. But my friend Lynette at the hotel would have bailed me out. This fiddly worrying is new for me and I don’t like it one bit.
More Wall Art
So, leaving at 7:45 tomorrow if the taxi shows up. Should get to Kauai around 10:15. The Honolulu part of the family will already be there. Hopefully with a car. Then. Let the fun begin. They will snicker at me for bringing so much luggage.
Sorta stuck in a little rainy spell. But, you take the weather you get.
This dog was trying really hard to catch a small fish.
The dog wasn’t worried by a little rain.
There’s a tattoo shop on the ground floor. It provides a lot of entertainment.
Just think about “Walk ins welcome”. Just walk in and let a stranger inject indelible pigment into your body? Seriously?
Yesterday when the power was out they rolled their clients out on the sidewalk to finish up the work. Apparently tattoo guns have battery backup. I so wanted to take a picture. But, it didn’t seem polite.
Then, when I was coming back in after watching the sunset, the power was back on and business was back in the shop. There was a fine-looking man getting his fine bare-ass butt decorated. I wondered about that. How long before he could sit down? Or even wear pants. Was he going to go home wearing a malo?
Power was out for a couple of hours. The WiFi isn’t 100% solid yet. Haven’t a clue how to set the clock on the stove. And, if the clock isn’t working you can not use the oven. And, you all know how often I use the oven! But, I got the microwave clock set. So, microwaves are good to go.
Combined my exercise walk with a trip to the grocery early this morning. Picked up a Spam Musubi for breakfast. First time I fed Mr. C a spam musubi he just looked at it. “What’s this?” he asks. “Lunch” I tell him. After a couple of bites he was a fan. He especially liked the KTA’s rendering of the Spam Musubi.
Just got an invite to eat crabs for Thanksgiving. I can do that.
Life is good here in the 808. As long as the electricity and WiFi work.
The ocean looked fine. The currents were such that it was easy going out, but coming back in taxed my out-of-condition old body.
Yesterday, the fish were better and the ocean friendlier. Today, I had a camera.
So, first fish photo of the trip. Honest, yesterday there were “better” fish! But, I didn’t have my GoPro.
The Twilight Zone
I didn’t plan on being old. I certainly didn’t take care of myself. Or look both ways before crossing. And if my family history holds true, I will not be much older than I am now. Sort of a plan for the worst and hope for the best situation. But, I am unsure as to what’s the worst and what’s the best.
Going to Kauai next week with the zookeepers. I haven’t been to Kauai in 30 years and haven’t a clue what we will do—operating on the cheery assumption that the kiddos will have plans. I will have plastic to finance the plans.
But by grace. This woman has lived on the street for at least 8 years.
No way I could survive 8 years on the street. I am pretty sure I couldn’t survive 8 days on the street. She always wears a dress and I try to get a new one to her every year.
Our regular weekly visit from the Spirit of America.
Didn’t worry about doing anything today. I read, went to my favorite thrift shop, walked on the beach, took a swim, cataloged photos, and fixed a fine lunch. Then I rested!
avocado and papaya, local lettuce, and leftover chicken karaage.
And a fine lunch it was. And local lettuce is always exciting. Rat lungworm isn’t unheard of on Big Island. In theory, washing the lettuce removes the pathogen. But, one never knows.
Yes, I ate the whole thing. Moderation only leads to long life. I had not been to my favorite Kona bar/eatery in 10 months. Nothing had changed. Some things you don’t want to change. Quinn’s Almost By the Sea in the “old post office” is one of them.
Rain today. Kona always needs rain. So, it’s a good thing.
So far so good with the off-year election results. I am too afraid to even think about the Presidential election next year. I lived through one Trump administration. Don’t think I could survive another. It’s too horrid to contemplate.