September 30, 2011

My much needed afternoon snack... a large iced espresso.  One of our immediate neighbors happens to be on holiday (for several weeks!) and wisely set timers on all kinds of fixtures in their house.  One of these devices, I think, is set for the wrong time though because for the past two mornings we have woken to a radio blaring classical music for everyone to hear.  At 3:00 AM.  Hopefully tomorrow morning will be different due to the fact that I spoke with a visiting caretaker about unplugging the obnoxious beast!
Kailua, Hawaii

September 29, 2011

If you look closely at the water you can see how smooth and glassy it is.  Pretty, huh?  Well, it's not so good for sailing the El Toros or Laser sailboats, so the racers got to play around in these red Toppers.  They're loads of fun, but the boys end up getting injured when the use them.  Sam took a blow to the forehead while playing Pirate.  He's got a baseball size knot and the makings of a black eye.  Not much sympathy from mom after I found out he was standing up about to jump into one of the other boats so that he could take over the tiller.   That's the objective of the game....
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

September 28, 2011

Our next door neighbor has a large array of tropical backyard makings.  One interesting member just happens to be a small parrot.  She's the flirt in town.  A BIG flirt!  We always have a menagerie of birds flitting, chirping, dueling and singing around our houses.  This flashing man was particularly persistent and loud today.  He was also somewhat peeved with me when I got closer to him to get a better shot!  Take it easy, my friend.... there's room enough for all of us.
Kailua, Hawaii

September 27, 2011

Every time I walk or run the Lanikai Loop (about 3 times per week) I see these fishing poles.  I've rarely seen people tending to them and I've never laid eyes on a fish hanging from a hook.  I wonder if it's for sport, relaxation or just an excuse to hang out at the beach all day?  I just hope it's not for a livelihood.
Lanikai Beach, Hawaii

September 26, 2011

Here fishy, fishy!  Dave and I went on a trek to the other side of the island to look at a boat for sale.... because you can never have too many, right?!?!   Anyway, I was on a fish hunt while we walked the plank, um, I mean docks.  We came upon a dad and his boys tossing bread crumbs to a whole mess of fish.   I really mean a whole mess.... it was a feeding frenzy with critters jumping all over the place!  I found this big guy down away from the crowd.  He must not have been very hungry or he was having some alone time.
Waikiki, Hawaii

September 25, 2011

Since September is the hottest month (on average) for Hawaii, we've been hitting the beach every afternoon to cool off.  Most houses on island do not have air conditioning and lately the breeze has been almost non existent.  Anyway.... while the boys were wrestling in the waves I noticed several little crabs scurrying on the beach, doing their best not to get stomped on by un suspecting beach strollers.  During a lull this little guy graciously posed for me and my camera for over 40 shots.  Good boy!  If you look closely at the grains of sand you might be able to determine what size he is.....  less than 1 inch from claw tip to claw tip.
Kailua Beach, Hawaii

September 24, 2011

Sam's birthday was earlier this week as many of you saw from my post.  The log cabin from the Lego Creator line was one of the big gifts he received.  Sam took it a step further and for the fireplace  'borrowed' the light up piece from the other Creator set which grandma and grandpa sent.
Kailua, Hawaii

September 23, 2011

We finally got things organized and boxes put away upstairs.  This is the new hang out for the boys except when we have visitors.  Here you can see the living room, kitchenette, full bathroom.  There's also another bedroom on the other side of the wall.  Guests are welcome!
Kailua, Hawaii

September 22, 2011

I got my orchid to bloom!  What's the secret, you ask?  Do nothing.  That's right, do nothing.  Put it in a shady spot and forget about it.  Don't tend to it, don't fuss over it and most importantly, do not water it.  It's the perfect plant for me.  I've found my plant calling.
Kailua, Hawaii

September 21, 2011

This guy was pretty brave.  The speed limit on this flat stretch is 30mph and we were traveling at about 35mph.  Hey... I was just going with the flow of traffic!  Anyway, Brave Biker Guy drafted about 4 feet off the Suburban bumper for over 5 miles until the driver got fed up with him and did a sudden turn off the main road.   Oh well.... at least he got into downtown in under 12 minutes!
Kailua, Hawaii

September 20, 2011

I'm back in town just one day and I need to pull things together for a Birthday celebration.  That's right.... Sam turns 9 years old today!   Pancakes for breakfast, bagel pizzas for lunch, sailing practice in Kaneohe Bay, a dip in the Pacific Ocean, dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and a Cold Stone ice cream cake with present opening.  Can't beat a day like today! Bon Anniversaire mon petit garçon Samuel!
Kailua, Hawaii

September 19, 2011

My last day in Washington State.  After saying good-bye to Jordan I drove back up to Anacortes to put the car back in storage and catch a ride back to the airport. Thanks again Kelly!  I took a moment to get a shot of one of my favorite sites.... the ferry out to the San Juan Islands.  Amazing view, gorgeous day, wonderful (productive!) weekend.  Traveled all day.  It's good to be home in Hawaii, but I miss my girl.
Anacortes, Washington

September 18, 2011

This morning Jordan and I had a quick breakfast at Starbucks.... my 1st (and probably only) pumpkin spiced latte for the season! After that we cruised over to one of the campus dorm buildings to welcome our friend Matt Payne to UW.  Since it was turning out to be a beautiful Fall day in Seattle, we strolled the campus for scenic snapshots.  This is the quad which runs through the center of the University of Washington campus.
Seattle, Washington

September 17, 2011

Driving through the farmlands from Anacortes down to Seattle to set up the new UW residence.  Jordan did a total Mom move of, "Stop the car!  I need to get a picture of this!"  So, I decided to take a few shots while we were pulled off at the side of the road.  This is probably my most favorite time of the year, when the fields are being plowed and put to bed for the winter.  The sun was shining, the air was cool and crisp and the tall, dry grass was just waiting to be mowed.  Smells like Fall.
La Connor, Washington

September 16, 2011

For me, even though the view was spectacular, this morning was a bit chilly. By 9 o'clock the sun was shining, the temperature had risen a little and it was just perfect for a trail run around Cranberry Lake with Diana and Kelly.  A Fresh Mozza Sandwich from Gere-A-Deli for lunch with the girls.... then a little bit of shopping for Jordan's new house.  Topping of the day with Mexican dinner at Casa Bartlett.  AWESOME day in the North West!  Thank you!
Anacortes, Washington

September 15, 2011

Jordan and I are on the road today.  Here's a shot of our lunch in the San Francisco airport.  Split pea soup, tomato bisque and sourdough rolls.  Yum!
San Francisco, California

September 14, 2011

P.E. on the beach today.  Since Jordan and I had our nails done yesterday, we decided to supervise from afar.  Today is her last day in Hawaii before she heads back over to Seattle for school.  Soak up those rays baby!
Kailua, Hawaii

September 13, 2011

I had the pleasure to attend a luncheon at the Diamond Head Lighthouse today.  Our gracious host and hostess were the current residents, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Charles Ray and his lovely wife Mrs. Donna Ray.  Of course, we had another glorious sunshiny day, making the self guided tour absolutely spectacular!  Here is a shot of the original Fresnel lens which was manufactured in France specifically for this lighthouse in the Royal Hawaiian territory and installed in 1899.  For more information regarding this historic site visit http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=140.
Diamond Head,  Waikiki,  Hawaii

September 12, 2011

Happy Birthday to Spencer Charney!!!  We helped celebrate his 13th birthday by going out to lunch at this great burger place called The Counter.  A-MAZ-ING 'build your own burger' joint with hundreds of combination possibilities.  I had the small beef burger (really, that's the SMALL!!!) on a toasted Hawaiian sweet roll with sprouts, oven roasted red peppers, blue cheese, topped with onion strings and a side of garlic aioli sauce.  I could only eat half of it.  Well, that's only because we also ordered plates of sweet potato fries, onion strings and garlic, olive oil shoestring fries.   Oh...my...goodness, was that tasty!  I won't be hungry again until the middle of next week.  Thanks Karen for taking us to experience burger perfection!
Kahala, Honolulu, Hawaii

September 11, 2011

Amidst the hatred, destruction and devastation look for new life.  New beginnings.  New hope.  Hope for compassion and understanding.  Forgiveness.  Renewed strength.  Strength to carry on and make a positive impact on the world.  Never forget.
Kailua, Hawaii

September 10, 2011

This is the Gold Dust Day Gecko.  He was just hanging out, sunning himself in the mango tree this morning.   Nate was the actual photographer for this photo, Sam was the gecko chaser (photo positioner) and Zach gave the detailed gecko description.  At times like this, I think I need a camera just to get a picture of the 3 boys in action....
Kailua, Hawaii

September 9, 2011

We had our first (of the school year) Home School Group field trip today.  Thanks to Karen Charney, 30 students and their parents were able to spend the morning at the Hawaii Pacific University Marine Biology Research Center on Coconut Island.  We all got to ride the ferry, troll for plankton, use the microscopes in the lab,  rummage through nasty, stinky kelp for sea life creatures, check out some sharks, sea cucumbers and giant puffer fish and be outdoors for the morning.   Here's a group shot with most of the kids who participated.  Again, a great big thank you to Karen for setting it up!  Maybe we can do the Coco Head trail next month.....
Coconut Island, Hawaii

September 8, 2011

I had to stop on the side of busy Kalaheo Road to get a shot of this tree for today.  It is just one tree, a Banyan Tree, not a grove of them as it may appear.  I told the boys it reminds me so much of the Tree of Life.  They vehemently argued that it looks nothing like the Tree of Life which happens to be much shorter, is covered in graffiti and is in the middle of the nowhere desert.   True, the real Tree of Life is all those things .... and in Bahrain.  We went and saw it with our own eyes while we were in the Middle East.  I was thinking more along the lines of the man-made version in the center of The Animal Kingdom at Walt DisneyWorld in Orlando, Florida.  Another location we visited while we were residing in that state.  Very different trees.... all three.
Kailua, Hawaii

September 7, 2011

For the month of September our "catch up" day is Wednesday.  This just means we don't have any scheduled activities until in the evening, so we can take school slow and do fun P.E., Science or Art stuff.  This morning we decided to do some yoga and swim time at the beach before stopping at the Kalapawai market for breakfast.  Here's a sweet snapshot of the boys playing a not so sweet (or innocent) dunking game in the shallows of the ocean.
Kailua, Hawaii

September 6, 2011

Julie and I walked the Lanikai Loop this morning for some chat time and exercise.  It rained.  It poured.  It flooded!  I got a lot of beautiful, vivid pictures of the all sorts of new (to me) and interesting flora and fauna.  Despite the abundance of subject material available to me today, I'm using this as my picture to share with you.  It's an ivy flower.  A weed.  Thriving, growing up through the pavement and gravel at the side of the road, at the 4 way stop across the street from the Kalapawai Market.  Even the weeds are beautiful here!
Lanikai, Hawaii

September 5, 2011

Sam and I planted an herb garden this morning for a Science section.  He gets to study plants while I get to harvest the herbs for cooking.  A win-win situation!
Kailua, Hawaii

September 4, 2011

This is the vibrant Africa Tulip, but is also known as Flame-of-the-Forest or Fountain Tree.  The open flowers are cup shaped and hold lots of rain and dew, making them popular with many species of birds.  Like most plants in Hawaii, this tree grows profusely and in great abundance year round.
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

September 3, 2011

This is the view from our new place.  It's not as spectacular as the Hilltop house and Pacific Ocean view, but it's still quite awe inspiring to me.  Looking beyond the power lines, you can see the palm tree line foothills and Ko'Olau Mountain range reaching toward the vast blue sky.  This is a beautiful sight, but I especially like it when the clouds are hanging low and look like puffy cotton candy clinging to the rough terrain.
Kailua, Hawaii

September 2, 2011

Raindrops clinging to the gutter.  I love days like this because we can relax around the house free of guilt for not enjoying the magnificent and scenic outdoors of Hawaii.  The boys and I have our first review and catch up day for school.  What a great way to start the weekend.
Kailua, Hawaii

September 1, 2011

The boys had their first home school group art class today.  Ms. Connie is a professional art teacher who  until this year had been teaching at the local schools and with different co-ops.  Because of budget cuts she will be spending less time in the public schools and more time doing private classes.  Sad for the  schools but great for us.  Already, the kids can't wait for the next class!  The boys said they will let me take pictures when they have some finished works.
Kailua, Hawaii