Kona Highlights

Sometime between the wedding and the new year we ran off to Hawaii.  Not because we have money oozing from our pores and an excess of leave or anything.  But because I have friends who live on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean.  Like half way between Australia and Hawaii.  8 degrees north.  They don't leave the island often.  Like once a year.  While I strongly desire to go visit them, it's more expensive than going to Hawaii and they have limited passes to allow visitors.  Which I now realize sounds like they are imprisoned.  Which they are not. 

Somewhere in the planning of the this trip I learned that the man had never actually been to Hawaii.  Which part of my brain understands.  And part can. not. quite. comprehend.  I love taking a picture whenever I leave Alaska, to remind me of some of the many reasons I live here.  Look at those mountains!

This is not Alaska.  It's one of the many reasons that I love to visit Hawaii.  Our beaches do not look like this and you do not visit them wearing shorts and flip flops.  

These are some very cool people.  Note the baby.  She is very young and the reason they were off island.  To skip a lot of the details - they had to fly home to her family, on the east coast, to have the baby.  Its a long journey and they stopped off in Hawaii for a couple days to adjust/recover before continuing on to their tropical home.  It was lovely, lovely, lovely to see them.  I hope to see them again before their sweet girl can drive.

After they flew away, we fled to the big island.  I have not properly explored the big island.  I had a little taste when I took a cruise there a couple years ago.  The main theme is lava.  

Ah, palm trees.  So different to anything else.  I still remember the first time I saw them, in California, when I was a kid.  It was like being in a movie.  It's a relaxing sight, every time.  

Since we were short on time for this initial exploration visit, we rented a car and drove around.  Not a lot of planning went on.  We were a little planned out after the wedding and the move, etc.  So we just went places that looked interesting and saw cool stuff.  Like a pond by the beach with Hawaiian ducks.  Or geese.  Probably I should actually know the difference. 

At that particular beach we got to see evidence of classic American stupidity.  Or at least I assume the majority of these humans are American.  Or as I like to think of them - Merikin.  There's a turtle at the edge of the water and a rocked off area with lots of signs telling you to back the f**k off and give them room to do their thing.  The animal was cool.  The humans - very not.  

And then....the giant hole in the ground.  Even that has to be fenced off.  Definitely worthy of national park status.  Access to the other side of the volcano where the lava was flowing into town and destroying stuff was sensibly restricted to locals.  So we settled for the cool exhibits and camping nearby.

Which meant that we could walk the half mile back on the trail once the sun went down.  Now that was even cooler.  

More cool lava stuff - lava tubes.  Think caves.  Where lava is the walls and floors.  I never really understood how many different kinds of lava there are.  It totally makes sense when the science side of my brain actually kicks in.  And the plants!  Amazing.  

We didn't have time to properly explore the observatories and stare at the stars, but we did take the time to drive near the top of the volcanoes.  Surprised how lush and flatish it was.  I understand a little better how there is agriculture here.  Mountains are all different shapes.  Pretty sure my art teacher tried to tell me that in 5th grade.  I'm a little slow sometimes.  

We only had two nights - so of course we caught the sunset by the ocean.  But then were terrified by the crowds at the campground - absolutely no room there, so we had to flee and find a B&B.  We got seriously lucky.  This is the view from the deck.  We stayed in the old coffee plantation processing room.  probably will be back there again if I have any say in the matter.  Local fruits and nuts and coffee galore.  Delicious and amazing.  Listened to frogs all night and birds all morning.  

Until it was time to flee to the airport again.  Can't wait to go back and see more.  Thanks for the breather Hawaii.  

Hello snow, where have you been all winter?

I didn't believe the forecast this morning.  For a good reason. It's been wrong for months and 38 seemed unlikely to be able to create snow. I was wrong. Too bad the resort closed yesterday. And one of the Avalanche centers stopped forecasting for the season.  But really glad I went for a long ride on the road bike. 

March Madness

I recently discovered it was April.  And it made me realize I have no idea what happened to March.  So I looked back at my calendar and in my photos to see what it was all about.  Here is a sampling of what I found.....

The leader, for many years, of the organization who pays me money, retired.  I feel lucky to have known her as much as I have and honored that she ever remembered my name when I happened to be in the elevator, in a meeting, or in a village with her.  It was an honor to even be invited to attend her retirement dinner.  Where we got to hear many stories of her career from many different viewpoints.
Well done Marie.

We finally made it to WA for our 'winter' trip home.  And right before we left we found out the house (duplex) we live in and that our friends who live next door own, was for sale.  I hold nothing against them.  We just weren't really planning to buy a house for at least another year.  So we went to the bank and we got a number and we went shopping.  And we put an offer in on the lowest priced place we could find. 

While we were down visiting the family our offer was accepted.  We had a lovely time with his family, including seeing his niece and going for a walk in the wetlands.  She's very pregnant so it wasn't a long or strenuous walk.  

While there we celebrated 6 months of blissful (not boring) marriage with another installment of the Manhattan project.  At a dive bar that used to be his local.  Near his uncle's house.  Unless I messed up the family tree again.  We also saw my mom and sister, though somehow I don't have any pictures.  And I finally met my mom's new (old, new again, it's complicated) boyfriend.  He's very nice.  

And then, the climax of the trip.....finally, after too many trips where this got pushed off the list, we got to visit 2bar.  Galt was there to great us.  So was some yummy liquid.  Oh, and so was Nate, eventually.  We didn't get to see the amazing Marissa or any of the rest of their clan, but at least I have now seen the distillery.  And I have a big bottle of bourbon.  

Then it was home to the bleak-no-snow-winter again.  View from my downtown office window.  Normally this is a snowshoe golf event they host.  Never observed the annual event before.  It includes a sub-event of spear throwing and shooting.  In the park.  Downtown.  I love Alaska!

My friend with the cute (huge) baby that I keep making presents for brought me eggs.  Because he has chickens.  And they lay eggs.  Always better than store bought.  Mmmmm.....  I thought about having chickens when I lived in PDX.  

Guess what else was in March??  SKI TRAIN!!!  It was cold.  And there was very little snow.  Ten minutes of skiing and Tatonka had sliced both ankles.  We bandaged him up and he hung out in the train until the snow softened up so he could work a moc problem.  

He loves to work.  We hung out as long as possible outside while the drunks were all rounded up and counted.  Which makes us a prime target for media interactions.  

Luckily we were soon apprehended by the volunteer organizer and had to be shuttled back onto the train for the journey back to Anchorage.  Since I kenneled him for the journey it was the first year I was able to get a shirt.  It also helps that I finally remembered to bring cash.  

The ride back usually allows for this view - a reminder of all that lies to the north.  It looks so close, and it is by Alaska standards, but it's still a ways away.  

And then I ran into this picture on my camera and I remembered what happened to the rest of the month....I got a new road bike.  My first big decision was new road shoes and clips.  Then saddle, and tweaking the fit.  Despite the patches of ice and copious amounts of gravel still present on the trails, we have been out.  A lot.  And then had to buy a new wheel for his bike because he slipped on the ice in the tunnel.  Walking through the tunnel that is.  

And the house....was supposed to close yesterday.  Latest word is tomorrow or Monday.  Then it's 60 days of renovation before we move in.  It's on the far side of 'fixer upper'.  More like a 'tear it back to the studs' and redo the HVAC and wiring and insulation.  Saying it's a project just scratches the surface.  I'll take pics.