tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87690797009558098792024-03-21T06:53:50.469-07:00Veggie Boy's BlogVeggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-73087685245354601852008-08-10T11:58:00.001-07:002008-08-10T12:36:56.339-07:00The Hawk Tree<div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNX8Lf4J6OC17lnCcD6q7arGQ1htY8KwqgqJxdY0FNUpkYqIMJxNovbcyrHm_B8BqCnjqL_fhACa-XkHfUmAa4yj96uVcUoPFzet3BuVyTBnU_U6riCQWnULWGhwAYL9X1SxCOC9cGpF3/s1600-h/IMG_0668.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232966081606303778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNX8Lf4J6OC17lnCcD6q7arGQ1htY8KwqgqJxdY0FNUpkYqIMJxNovbcyrHm_B8BqCnjqL_fhACa-XkHfUmAa4yj96uVcUoPFzet3BuVyTBnU_U6riCQWnULWGhwAYL9X1SxCOC9cGpF3/s200/IMG_0668.JPG" border="0" /></a> One of the many things I love about New Mexico are the gigantic cottonwood trees that tower mightily in the high plains desert. Their size seems counter to the amount of rain and nutrients that are available in this climate, but they must have adapted well. For tower they do. My friend John and I discovered "The Hawk Tree" while road biking in the Sandia Mountain foothills and exploring some side streets ("all those hills"...gasp, pant). As we rode this particular street the landscape transformed from hot, dry, scrubby vegetation, to a lush, tree filled oasis. The Hawk Tree was the centerpiece. We stopped at the dead end where it grew and stood amazed at the cool, green beauty that surrounded us. It wasn't only the cottonwood, but many other trees were attracted to this area as well, to the point that it reminded us of the forests of the eastern U.S. where we both grew up. As we enjoyed cooling down, we heard shrieks coming from above and behind us. Sure enough, a hawk flew overhead and landed in the cottonwood. He must have sounded the "all clear", because another, then another, and yet another came swooping to roost in the welcoming arms of the cottonwood! It was astonishing...they were talking to each other soaring from branch to branch until they found one they liked. They didn't seem bothered or excited by our presence (too old and slow to be a threat, to big for dinner!) To see that many raptors in one place was a special treat for sure. Since the area was bounded on the east side by city Open Space, I vowed to hike in and explore the eastern side of this unlikey oasis. Two weeks later I did and snapped the pictures you see here. That day I stood beneath its branches and witnessed 3 hawks...it was obviously a favorite place for them.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAdvo14xokCcRq0MhkMAn18H5ud_cKvHBvKhOOyXSCeP4MJHOx7oe2KmaHY_rVmG7NoxHxtfY-xk8DA1oBMcEXtFD0UvVjCe6u-Y7Sd6S4p6zlACWvUJF5GefMb7OyBLQFK-Et-Kml570/s1600-h/IMG_0670.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232972930921112242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAdvo14xokCcRq0MhkMAn18H5ud_cKvHBvKhOOyXSCeP4MJHOx7oe2KmaHY_rVmG7NoxHxtfY-xk8DA1oBMcEXtFD0UvVjCe6u-Y7Sd6S4p6zlACWvUJF5GefMb7OyBLQFK-Et-Kml570/s200/IMG_0670.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232973170364067138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYL7Vr7d8QKo4w3nD247VwJCHc2XvmMqylcLr8A0DIp2jvFZFfrs4MuVsJNNIkLga83mlcIvFtDvcOJF5MukVz1pn-6RC4pjyHY0LZhbETCUyX2VGHtKIzwf4oVv0zkhq7qIZ84plXcQXb/s200/IMG_0674.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Even though Hawaii was an awesome trip (and I was a bit depressed on my return home) I realized (I never really forgot) that NM is a truly incredible place. Since I have been home I have been treated to so many moments that make this so evident. The afternoon thunderstorms, the Mommy quail and her 8 tiny chicks that hatched in my backyard, the hummingbirds sipping nectar within meters from where I sit...I think the Universe was just saying..."This place is pretty cool too. Cheer up and look around you...open your eyes and your heart."<br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div> </div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-75712421507848572232008-07-04T10:37:00.001-07:002008-07-04T11:53:15.811-07:00Saying Aloha!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM3j4IGcim0_mAG6kyLVVYemxmfLWWuNAYZy0vndrrLF8JHOVqay0DVj4VwwegfOLrtpoYMzp_fHUL61KwoJagFT7TlvuGdQViQFjIGMKdaN5yGoLXUJQBAjWPUReIWwiG-kisUFKLWaq/s1600-h/IMG_0655.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219214798785332690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM3j4IGcim0_mAG6kyLVVYemxmfLWWuNAYZy0vndrrLF8JHOVqay0DVj4VwwegfOLrtpoYMzp_fHUL61KwoJagFT7TlvuGdQViQFjIGMKdaN5yGoLXUJQBAjWPUReIWwiG-kisUFKLWaq/s200/IMG_0655.JPG" border="0" /></a> We spent Wednesday <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hangin</span>' out at the condo to rest up for our last adventure we had planned for Thursday. Wednesday we spent in the surf, sand and grass. The surf has been HUGE, so bad for snorkeling, but great for body/boogie boarding, surfing, etc. We would just go out on the beach and body surf mostly...and let the waves just hammer us! It is a blast, and very tiring. We are going to need to rest up after this vacation. So with the beach and reading under the palms in the morning and afternoon, and our afternoon chill (lunch, nap, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">frisbee</span> on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">luscious</span> lawn in the pic), our day was pretty much spent. We ended up eating at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Keoki's</span> Paradise again for our last nice, big, $$ dinner, then walked back to the condo and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">creamscicles</span> for dessert. We hit the sack kind of early, since the wake up call (by me) was at 630am on Thursday and, as teenagers, B&M would sleep much longer than that if undisturbed!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ntHo6NEyn-f7Bm-Dl5BPzYRL5oLew6_dazi9ToQQQ4qPwM9AA6ZGPlfBI5JEXvgv0ptuZCCfd3QxC8XXdKjXL67OkEk-ItWmCkBshrKxx5Z8gk44wUEcBbYbx7XRcxybRmMG6JvXHWL0/s1600-h/IMG_0660.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219217561637915282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ntHo6NEyn-f7Bm-Dl5BPzYRL5oLew6_dazi9ToQQQ4qPwM9AA6ZGPlfBI5JEXvgv0ptuZCCfd3QxC8XXdKjXL67OkEk-ItWmCkBshrKxx5Z8gk44wUEcBbYbx7XRcxybRmMG6JvXHWL0/s200/IMG_0660.JPG" border="0" /></a>Ever since we got a guide book for Hawaii, Maddie scoped out <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">zip lining</span> as one of the top things she wanted to do while here. Since we were running out of time, and there were some thing I wanted us to do as well. we decided on a tour with Outfitters Kauai that had a bit of everything...kayaking up a (calm) river, jungle hiking, wagon ride through a huge working ranch in the middle of an ancient volcano caldera, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">zip lining</span>, swimming and rope swinging back at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Kipu</span> Falls, and a powered boat ride back to the start. It was an all day affair, with 20 people on the tour and 2 tour guides (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Aram</span> the Surfer Dude and Nate the Cable Guy...super nice guys). BTW, the pic to the left is the last you will see of this adventure (sadness). Maddie was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">snapping</span> some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">pre</span>-trip pics at the check-in shop, and the camera battery pack ran out of gas--<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">arghh</span>. No extra <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">pack</span>, no time to charge. Oh well, this was one for the memory banks...and we could all relax and soak it in since we didn't have to worry about snapping pics every couple of minutes. It's all good! SO if you want some pics, browse around their website: <a href="http://www.outfitterskauai.com/KipuFalls.html">http://www.outfitterskauai.com/KipuFalls.html</a> . Sorry!<br />The trip started with a van ride to the kayak launch point, then a 3 mile kayak up the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Hule'ia</span> River past the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Menehune</span> Fish Pond (long story by guide), past the rope swing where Indiana Jones escaped the dart-blowing Natives in Raiders of the Lost Ark (swinging into the river and swimming to the waiting sea plane...remember?) Cool. The kayaking was so much easier than the ocean kayaking I made the kids endure...the water was calm and there was no wind...so they were cruising!! We had some good splash-wars with the other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">kayakers</span>, the mangrove and "tourist bushes" (another longish story), and it seemed this leg of the journey was over with all too soon.<br />After abandoning the kayaks, we hiked through...and I am not kidding...a tropical <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">rain forest</span> jungle. It had rained the previous night (almost all night), and as we hiked you wouldn't know if you were in the Amazon or Indonesia or Kauai. Dark, dense forest, water dripping from the leaves, birds of all kinds singing, squawking, sunlight trying to find its way through the canopy...pretty awesome. I had to stop behind the group and visit the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Liki</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">liki</span> bush (too much coffee/water), and while making my way back to the bunch I hear thing loud grunt in the bushes next to me. I was thinking...whoa...that's a wild pig. And as I stood there, it grunted again and O could hear it snorting, but still couldn't see it. Knowing they could be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">aggressive</span> and could have 6 inch tusks...I didn't wait around much longer. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Aram</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">was</span> bring up the rear, so I asked him about it, and he said...oh yeah, there were quite a few out there. Hog encounter...nice. He also told me that many of the hard core natives hunt the pigs with dogs & knives..that's it. The dogs chase down the pigs (and he said the things can be HUGE beasts), grab <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">a hold</span> of it anywhere it can, then the hunters try to jump on and slit the pigs throat! A high adventure, high adrenaline sport! Too me, that is much more sporting than a using a rifle at 1000 yards. Right on dudes!<br />After escaping the wild boar, we came out of the jungle to a tractor pulled wagon where the caldera, refreshments and Hawaiian cookies awaited. (Not roughing it too bad, eh?) We rode the wagon through the caldera and some magnificent scenery. You could see how huge this volcano must have been, and where the side blew off millions of years ago. I mean this was many, many, many miles across in both directions! The property we were on was a 7000 acre working cattle ranch right in the middle of it (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Kipu</span> Ranch) and it reminded be much of Valle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Grande</span> in northern New Mexico (however a bit more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">verde</span>!) We shot the breeze with the guides as we rode along and soaked in the surroundings. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Ahhhhhh</span>.... Right before we turned of the path to the next leg of our adventure we saw some more (friendly, female) wild pigs in the road the cutest clan of little baby piglets. Maddie so wanted one! I have to admit, they were really cute. When we drove up, the babies scattered but the moms ( and some peacocks - equally impressive) came to munch on some feed the guides threw out to them. It was interesting to watch the dynamics between the pigs and the peacocks competing for the same food...animal kingdom <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">WWF</span>! "And in this corner....."<br /><br />To Be Continued...<br />(still lunch, zip line, Kipu Falls, hike, boat ride to come)<br />gotta go eat breakfast, pack and check out of here (maybe one more dip in the surf!)...sadness :-(<br /><br /><p></p>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-57793843233636069272008-07-02T10:00:00.000-07:002008-07-07T08:50:30.606-07:00Helo Tour - WOW!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuyJghm0g2L1qG1UyOiXRhVkdNA6-jpKACcwSyuA9iQ0CkBZiOcjSJOQaw_6gOxh5ldIWNV60r_4Gf31BGA54PqM5u_IOjYYzplVsUNwn6Unwq9Nwgxg_U9AjMM8HTFdPw52OCx_5_eHi/s1600-h/IMG_0627.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218488518114396034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuyJghm0g2L1qG1UyOiXRhVkdNA6-jpKACcwSyuA9iQ0CkBZiOcjSJOQaw_6gOxh5ldIWNV60r_4Gf31BGA54PqM5u_IOjYYzplVsUNwn6Unwq9Nwgxg_U9AjMM8HTFdPw52OCx_5_eHi/s200/IMG_0627.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>The Moday helicopter tour of Kauai was one of the highlights of this amazing trip, without a doubt. I am not going to take the time now to try to describe it in detail since it would take longer than the flight itself! I will update this post later after we return. Just a few details...we went on a Hughes 500 with the doors OFF (as pictured)...what a blast. I let the kids pick...they could have had a comfy, quiet ride on an A-Star instead...but to my surprise and excitement, they chose the open door. Great choice! The wind, noise, the ground thousands of feet below your sandal bottoms, the cliffs so close you'd think you could reach out and touch them...wow! Brian & I got the back seats (me right , Brian left), and from left to right in the front was the pilot (Jason), Maddie, and Christine (had to fly with 4 and she was our foursome, she actually flies helos, big ones, in the active military). Maddie was glad she wasn't the only girl, and Christine was great with her. The flight was about 60 minutes long (longer would have been better!) and it covered all the highlights of the island. We got to see some places we have been (North Shore, etc), and some places we haven't (Na Pali coast, Waimea Canyon, the wettest spot on Earth >420 inches of rain a year!) I ended up taking over 180 pictures on a 60 minute flight. Obviously, can't share them all here, but I will try to pick out some highlights! As I said, words can't describe, and I don't think pictures can either. Memories and feelings are what we will keep forever. If you ever get out here. I highly recommend it!!</div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DBA_DLzFrF2w324-CUW1yxTuPJqNw3kfsCk0tKKlc38u7OEnAiLL_EeE_5u5HvzttppW4Omw7Qa716Ak-RZ6lGj-ujqczlBLGO1i_mAl8Dr435RzBoFcuioTKJwOF8zLfbs-s6VUqoK4/s1600-h/IMG_0492.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218474273239749506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DBA_DLzFrF2w324-CUW1yxTuPJqNw3kfsCk0tKKlc38u7OEnAiLL_EeE_5u5HvzttppW4Omw7Qa716Ak-RZ6lGj-ujqczlBLGO1i_mAl8Dr435RzBoFcuioTKJwOF8zLfbs-s6VUqoK4/s200/IMG_0492.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhly8yVEpY5aOLI3HJhfAnMk0ZDLJqn3TxR46PiVxyUh7SqKLSM9IRxgWOP5D0oocRirKOyCezqFucCkfGIYH_zT3z_kYMP6frmTCK0Veg_uxKXn0vlt1bIBdwGwkH2EftwYo-nEMtIgrz0/s1600-h/IMG_0520.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218475231775434210" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" 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href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3TreB_oEu-q7eA3ey5wxI-5qbE8Aujt50KYuSwQXu8iCMiMkwaE1sCisg7rBxXewIN0p_Qmpe0WCd8Ypfby85fSsigttxLJ2EUPQN6hfH6LDh01ZEKajBH1MIev_IpVmNmthsbti4E02/s1600-h/IMG_0590.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218484794098211570" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3TreB_oEu-q7eA3ey5wxI-5qbE8Aujt50KYuSwQXu8iCMiMkwaE1sCisg7rBxXewIN0p_Qmpe0WCd8Ypfby85fSsigttxLJ2EUPQN6hfH6LDh01ZEKajBH1MIev_IpVmNmthsbti4E02/s200/IMG_0590.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMULRfdKEqk3j078SRQGBQLM_YAmYd4T7IqMwqjm1NhbQjLTY5U1mGDUWjSd_gV26_Kq6571spyBpuAsRgRkC6rAl2sKMCzjlYYPBZg1wh9Ty4e5UbxMYoFgfavy9Y9NWpW6wr-jltz1dQ/s1600-h/IMG_0621.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218485245521678082" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMULRfdKEqk3j078SRQGBQLM_YAmYd4T7IqMwqjm1NhbQjLTY5U1mGDUWjSd_gV26_Kq6571spyBpuAsRgRkC6rAl2sKMCzjlYYPBZg1wh9Ty4e5UbxMYoFgfavy9Y9NWpW6wr-jltz1dQ/s200/IMG_0621.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23Yw2KJpvPMEPtKESZEoccOY57LS3GFEsKcSTq-vKc5WWyScnHrMHG564SaCMwe9kgzCX33SDhKLK807cCA9pGubfU_6DCi2B7C_Dd5CHt_uVay17vLV5Z5YWYoTKn7ZoMO_DfT_fNJ99/s1600-h/IMG_0541.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218485721019528018" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23Yw2KJpvPMEPtKESZEoccOY57LS3GFEsKcSTq-vKc5WWyScnHrMHG564SaCMwe9kgzCX33SDhKLK807cCA9pGubfU_6DCi2B7C_Dd5CHt_uVay17vLV5Z5YWYoTKn7ZoMO_DfT_fNJ99/s200/IMG_0541.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioom5H0DDQmDvD8yRUkmPEV1Uu7xV6-gjj0VRCHAZmXGP0-Ts4gzwuy9RnQIoI-Pl9rxsfwPuzy__pA0E9uPyr4xT27lIf0Svape4mJ3DVG1GE6aP_OOzM0PpWgBLYXdKhNk2aGSfku4bz/s1600-h/IMG_0532.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218487022914229522" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioom5H0DDQmDvD8yRUkmPEV1Uu7xV6-gjj0VRCHAZmXGP0-Ts4gzwuy9RnQIoI-Pl9rxsfwPuzy__pA0E9uPyr4xT27lIf0Svape4mJ3DVG1GE6aP_OOzM0PpWgBLYXdKhNk2aGSfku4bz/s200/IMG_0532.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0y3QptXe4r9puFvKQ-toIfjlp95XHMAdMcyz5SAnX7KGpQLeVVZmZP4ZGWVvriX2YR3aBmu1EMZQ_HhC8_FNUNsNU-ZkmQcUYlc2LLTz2mT11-LmTMudNH-doBhTm2VAia1gVtARwDOq/s1600-h/IMG_0632.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218487561145046626" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0y3QptXe4r9puFvKQ-toIfjlp95XHMAdMcyz5SAnX7KGpQLeVVZmZP4ZGWVvriX2YR3aBmu1EMZQ_HhC8_FNUNsNU-ZkmQcUYlc2LLTz2mT11-LmTMudNH-doBhTm2VAia1gVtARwDOq/s200/IMG_0632.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuBdGGtlfAAazclpt_qFB7PjA3NDHmd-iXM7H2ALl8b7PYuC3LLvsjFQIif3Tn4aEC0g5CT918pm0qXrDaP7B6izrMfeShL68jU965Qv2gajYUR_gu1nrt79hX-r2gdha99yTmQOdap8o/s1600-h/IMG_0637.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218487993198350066" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuBdGGtlfAAazclpt_qFB7PjA3NDHmd-iXM7H2ALl8b7PYuC3LLvsjFQIif3Tn4aEC0g5CT918pm0qXrDaP7B6izrMfeShL68jU965Qv2gajYUR_gu1nrt79hX-r2gdha99yTmQOdap8o/s200/IMG_0637.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />It was fabulous! Gratitude.... Aloha for now!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-22512025125535953662008-07-01T13:33:00.000-07:002008-07-01T14:32:57.344-07:00Stand Up Paddling<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAt3yaJwGBIEqmAsMCSUk88XsNcuUUHb2bgIohb3wrhsr7Jg6abcj7EuBghp6Isog4nGEY6TGuQVysn8pHR5MYsBaiTd_GXcDfksgKA0v73iai_QgZV5e4pyEZVxZswn3jcfTMhZBy54i/s1600-h/IMG_0652.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218148068045306706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAt3yaJwGBIEqmAsMCSUk88XsNcuUUHb2bgIohb3wrhsr7Jg6abcj7EuBghp6Isog4nGEY6TGuQVysn8pHR5MYsBaiTd_GXcDfksgKA0v73iai_QgZV5e4pyEZVxZswn3jcfTMhZBy54i/s200/IMG_0652.JPG" border="0" /></a> Before I try to describe yesterday's helicopter tour of the island (on a later post, since it may take awhile), I wanted to post today's adventure...which was a solo (i.e. no kids), "stand up paddle" lesson for me with a guy named Sage Gasaway, whom I met after watching him in the surf way out from our beach. When he came in one day, I followed him to where he was loading his board in his truck and struck up a conversation...which eventually led to him saying he gave lessons (Google "stand up paddling" to learn more of what it's all about). So one thing led to another and I lined up a lesson for this morning at 630am starting at his house which is right on the Hanapepe River (so we launched right in his backyard, to the right in the pic). Sage was a gracious, patient, centered teacher and I really appreciated his positive, unhurried style...it was a pleasure to meet him and share this experience. It was also cool because it was just he & I, one on one, so I got his undivided attention which he freely gave. We started out on the river which was totally calm, just to get used to standing up on the board, falling off properly (which I got real good at), proper paddling, turning, etc. The river led to the harbor at Port Allen, which then led to the ocean...so it was perfect for learning because the level of difficulty could be adjusted to the student , from calm to heavy surf (easy to hard). Sage was sizing me up as we made our way down river to the bay, and decided I should go for the whole shabang. So first we went to what he called "the buoy", for which he said I have big bragging rights, then asked if I wanted to tey to go out to what he called "my buoy", which was further out in the harbor/ocean where the wave action kicked up quite a bit. (Let me throw in a Google pic to break up te text...I have no photographic evidence of any of this except the above since my camera isn't waterproof).</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlJVTX3H9nt61mPRuWMQXU5D2OThMDspodk4YV1LAEHitJ9GjVcr8A5_Kn6hhz0TpqHVWPrpxNnmd_DfiwckSTTaaixSf-2yvJ6THZCjZrt0p6wxqeA0r5ybCgdzC-4NM8gqd4AdfOkdn/s1600-h/StandupPaddle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218152879400379474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlJVTX3H9nt61mPRuWMQXU5D2OThMDspodk4YV1LAEHitJ9GjVcr8A5_Kn6hhz0TpqHVWPrpxNnmd_DfiwckSTTaaixSf-2yvJ6THZCjZrt0p6wxqeA0r5ybCgdzC-4NM8gqd4AdfOkdn/s200/StandupPaddle.jpg" border="0" /></a>So I made it out to "my buoy", for which he said I got huge bragging rights! Oh yeah! The only way I can describe the feeling of stand up paddling is that it is like standing up in a canoe and paddling...so imagine that. The boards we had were 11'6" (huge) and the paddles are about 5' long. On the way back from the buoy we saw 3 of the biggest sea turtles I have seen on this trip. One of them ended up swimming almost directly underneath my board (bonus) and I swear his shell was at least 3 feet in diameter! What a treat! What a setting. What a way to start the day! One of those moments in life when everything is peaceful and that you will always remember. Gratitude. So once Sage figured I could handle the waves, he asked if I wanted to try catching some waves at a spot where they broke in the harbor/beach area (which was perfect since it was shallow with a sandy bottom, i.e. softer landings than on rocky or reefy bottoms). So there we headed, Sage coaching and encouraging, hoping that I could catch a wave and ride one in (he said he never includes this in a beginner lesson, but thought I was up for it). The waves were small by his standards (he rides the big ones way, way out), but it is amazing how small a wave can upset your balance. So for me it was extremely challenging. Anyway, long story short, I ended up catching 3 or 4 really good rides (and crashing many, many more times than that, but like Sage said, it's not how many times you fall that counts, it's how many times you get back up!) It was awesome, and it seemed like he was as pumped as I was when I caught one and rode it in. We played there and talked for quite awhile, Sage trying to coach me on more techniques as he saw I was ready (he was so unhurried and relaxed and we were both having fun...there was no clock watching or caring about time). After catching one more bonus wave all the way to shore, he asked if I would like to paddle up the river to a swinging bridge. I said I was game, and he was too, so back to the calmer waters and up river we went. The view was phenomenal as we talked about all kinds of things and paddled leisurely up the Hanapepe to the bridge. On the way back to his landing, we saw a barracuda...very cool. The lesson ended up being about 3 hours long and I was (am) whooped...stretching and ibuprofen will be needed. Sage got the boards out, I told him I would like a picture to share, and we snapped the one you saw above. I feel like we became good friends, and he actually said he would bring an extra board with him if I wanted to join him in the surf on the beach where we are staying later this afternoon when he finishes another lesson. (this is one of the places he comes when he is on his own time and wants to ride the big surf). I may take him up on it (if I can still move)! Thanks Sage...awesome time!! Aloha!<br /><br /><div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-1920688756706636392008-06-30T10:17:00.000-07:002008-06-30T11:07:02.597-07:00Surf's Up Dude...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyi83x0FvyhnxKGSu2DJ3MHNzgCl4skNAj3Wx0_zCIurl4ZfxaO5Y9HVkPfTDfDrZ6SX-d2EvimjxpfTXJPQn9TjoSUzHqCneKcg8g0c8ID4YKvMz6uIVv_Sj0IfSMUUSK3V9jI6qHM5Z/s1600-h/IMG_0432.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217725787664805010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyi83x0FvyhnxKGSu2DJ3MHNzgCl4skNAj3Wx0_zCIurl4ZfxaO5Y9HVkPfTDfDrZ6SX-d2EvimjxpfTXJPQn9TjoSUzHqCneKcg8g0c8ID4YKvMz6uIVv_Sj0IfSMUUSK3V9jI6qHM5Z/s200/IMG_0432.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Today B&M got some surfing lessons (I was the official photog...my time will come Tuesday...I am going for standup paddling lessons in Hanapepe). There is a great spot right on our beach where all the local schools give lessons, so we just signed up at the beach hut and off they went. The class was ~2.5 hours, with 30 min. of ground instruction, 1.5 hours of surfing with the instructors help, and 30 min. of play time. I think they had a blast ad they did really well. Both of the made it all the way to shore many times over the course of the class (with style)! It was fun watching them too. I figured with Brian's snowboarding and Maddie's balance beam work, neither would have problems...and they didn't. <div><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1i_WLJ2_Em_SYAsjYqOH7-8wewyFttF3p4RgwztQBa0L9vMFPSBjwSdZx3N03caxSu3YogOGvaqvkhI7eE2wR7faq-EYYlb6pngdoazVKBTYnR3W3FqlPthY3pSFkP8UX6dFGsFS8Rn5m/s1600-h/IMG_0440.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217728020212722690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1i_WLJ2_Em_SYAsjYqOH7-8wewyFttF3p4RgwztQBa0L9vMFPSBjwSdZx3N03caxSu3YogOGvaqvkhI7eE2wR7faq-EYYlb6pngdoazVKBTYnR3W3FqlPthY3pSFkP8UX6dFGsFS8Rn5m/s200/IMG_0440.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217728525842153698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5N9jwx2SO9ROr7FCODvEXOVkQHt2wGCDHluXbgE-Hp0uqFU-FvQSDF7yBho9S_VtRTSeRxnMop1_Vy8yRBABv3VElSqzr-r3GKLe4iYDTlE_S1yJc9f4fXqDXk0kMgZf6e1XPXdWamFq6/s200/IMG_0446.JPG" border="0" />Here's Maddie! Her biggest problem was getting the board off the beach and back in the water. Beginner boards are big and bulky, but she muscled through it. You go girl!</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDsEJU0puGXkVIp79gBn8FU-7jcwuk2QgL1rLLwXpvFzSDaNeDaCDbw4PaRRxmhCSoaCcOcu35nhzjZNW4X8FK9p6n2gtXMY3JuXI4M1-NDLAJ2_2PNOYHQDGXG-vy8HGrL8F5Ta9nJpx/s1600-h/IMG_0443.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217729443311464546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDsEJU0puGXkVIp79gBn8FU-7jcwuk2QgL1rLLwXpvFzSDaNeDaCDbw4PaRRxmhCSoaCcOcu35nhzjZNW4X8FK9p6n2gtXMY3JuXI4M1-NDLAJ2_2PNOYHQDGXG-vy8HGrL8F5Ta9nJpx/s200/IMG_0443.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217730072554176690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaSnNOgvMiBO9m38j39z3kr2w_-pmOp94_5Nc4rm1dlUKHGGoTttymFgohmZ49K868ann1kYSxffMMtAC0NeFHZsVFyBCuri7EIuBz-SmptH2EZTdKj-QTVi22A7b78KoFqGPnWcwiDSJv/s200/IMG_0445.JPG" border="0" /> Here's Brian. Both had a few good crashes too, of course! A bit more practice (10 years or so) and they will be ready for the Banzai Pipeline! </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbctW3Cm1_hJ1M2F90YsDkUSHxaL0mkkURD4ChgKnDmqYBCTQLN8HiinkQv2ZFVcwGBRuhH8gVBg0I0plap8KtbDZ3nWeMx7F0nzeJuxeiZKr_RXydPSQ2rwZSflZcLzXWQpoygOPGbT_C/s1600-h/IMG_0441.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217730610074140274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbctW3Cm1_hJ1M2F90YsDkUSHxaL0mkkURD4ChgKnDmqYBCTQLN8HiinkQv2ZFVcwGBRuhH8gVBg0I0plap8KtbDZ3nWeMx7F0nzeJuxeiZKr_RXydPSQ2rwZSflZcLzXWQpoygOPGbT_C/s200/IMG_0441.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217731002018903986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Jta92Mgw6ugl5Q5Fngbz60bNOWuxRlOXtTphIFHkwLfuBMJkLaoluU_QUZcJ_W1vG0YgPC4VDFr7dBfYyI9e1uZmsl5dQ2ZU3XEZKnJmJy-goRalSLm73tO7O8Mbq8j6_3ltoHO_Z1bD/s200/IMG_0438.JPG" border="0" />We just hung around the rest of the day (they were whooped after surfing), had dinner at Puka Dogs, went for a nice evening walk along the beach, resupplied foodstuffs (and ice cream!) at the Koloa Big Save, and then settled in for the night. It was a good day (and I am afraid they are running out...ohhhhhhh noooooooooo). Aloha for today!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-LElLRjYn_eDzBU-idBTqBQ9H92puglIQh6_7VNixk8E-MOg8oUs9Nycf8i9WH60yqa9YN9GofHzyXQgO4zj8v9AKfJYN4NYkTa5xVGuHFYDpvKy1ecIS-sRekhOO0MxIRMzzetpn9fr/s1600-h/IMG_0469.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217733351122414770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-LElLRjYn_eDzBU-idBTqBQ9H92puglIQh6_7VNixk8E-MOg8oUs9Nycf8i9WH60yqa9YN9GofHzyXQgO4zj8v9AKfJYN4NYkTa5xVGuHFYDpvKy1ecIS-sRekhOO0MxIRMzzetpn9fr/s200/IMG_0469.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217734435761626466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0gzki9ct8RnJ61TdAdl0Wp0V6jgHsAk0VOOAzoJsxMK6pXdRD3cNPIpKTEYxIMOCrLaTrjItgfz1C12plUttzALg50yf_8ZKQqAIyN5YkDL0cl8KNmBVmxDcTFWxaoKob6o2TtUlBjek/s200/IMG_0470.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-45214296822729856962008-06-29T10:53:00.000-07:002008-06-29T11:49:25.732-07:00Waterfalls<div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1yLgIuJqExx5JXnj1nUUhQKW7pkH2saq9nlH9BpZqVxbup9OffHq40a4z_HTrRZUbjO2sy2ySCsC_Yy7UY0HVxnQoRibCrJ_L5RFbUrfpjK2iKEa9nTunv8eLaPkKTb5DtwGx9UBwJYP/s1600-h/IMG_0420.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217363881866603074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1yLgIuJqExx5JXnj1nUUhQKW7pkH2saq9nlH9BpZqVxbup9OffHq40a4z_HTrRZUbjO2sy2ySCsC_Yy7UY0HVxnQoRibCrJ_L5RFbUrfpjK2iKEa9nTunv8eLaPkKTb5DtwGx9UBwJYP/s200/IMG_0420.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Saturday was a recovery day from the North Shore blitz. Slept until our bodies said "Get up!", then Maddie made banana pancakes for breakfast. Maddie wanted to visit the pool, and Brian wanted the beach, so they decided beach in the a.m. and pool in the p.m. I had a bit of laundry to do, so I threw that in and met them at the beach. I had enouh sun from Friday...so I was hiding in the shade all day today. Met some more nice people today (some dudes playing bocce ball...I may join them in a friendly tournament). Brian met 2 young ladies (HS juniors) from San Francisco while folicking in the surf and has spent (and planning to spend) some time with them this week (they leave the same day as us). So the beach was a good call for the morning activities. We went back and chilled out for lunch and then B & M went to the pool while I had a power nap and did stuff around the condo. I met them over there just when they were ready to leave the pool, so we came back and played frisbee on the lushious lawns. Then I made them get in the car (nooooooo!) to drive to a couple of waterfalls I read about, Wailua & 'Opaeka'a. Both were "drive up and gawk", so we didn't have to work for these (except getting the kidsin the car!) Wailua was huge...173 feet tall (taller than Niagara?) and in an absolutely wonderful setting. You can hike to the bottom of this one (down a steep, slippery path) and play in the pool and spray from the falls. I didn't get any takers on this one, so we may have to come back when everyone is feeling more energetic. Met a very nice woman (Irene) and her Hawaiian boyfriend/SO, and had a very nice chat with them about the islands and lots of other stuff. She was quite a chatterbox and the kids were growing tired of us gabbing (like Dad...c'mon), so we jumped back in the car and over to the next falls...'Opaeka'a.</div><div> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPH5TZjo633EiK6iJgKAIL6KWWMEswh62BBmugDFUTax2TlXv3h5nOJbm-WtOhm-TfnnJKTNzKB68bJ8N_SsZDUD8VJfk9jCMtvo-bhO8N-bDtpefBXIEQ4th95EGVRaSl3XMKsNB7kme/s1600-h/IMG_0423.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217370071819703938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPH5TZjo633EiK6iJgKAIL6KWWMEswh62BBmugDFUTax2TlXv3h5nOJbm-WtOhm-TfnnJKTNzKB68bJ8N_SsZDUD8VJfk9jCMtvo-bhO8N-bDtpefBXIEQ4th95EGVRaSl3XMKsNB7kme/s200/IMG_0423.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217371000255357314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_v43tVSx8wg7ta5w5PbvogbcxJ9H_OdCvnPk3J9LuLUwivLVS5zXiuMBYs8j0c1O5_QgLpEitxJAaNx4r8dmlFZgVL5cCwEtJ9wTc5Eusa0Aq2yygyUE4pGUAVfU4u5NnYjPx78ToAvc/s200/IMG_0425.JPG" border="0" />We couldn't get as close to this one, but the bonus was that the Wailua River Valley lookout was right across the street, which was equally amazing! This is the river I would like to rent kayaks and meander up...it is a true jungle atmosphere...green and lush beyond description. We'll see if we have enough time! Aloha for today...another day awaits!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqemW1nq_IireYcA8HJDKsy5TBeXkS8K75UuBSJnePmrpAELUhx8tetStXMqz_b-r5fxuPJJogpcEHG0ByVDZDz_ZHhaUJDb4R3UxKpoKcow6HpD8zIoLyvd6m2yX2jhjgcb_VacAnq3La/s1600-h/IMG_0429.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217375777366837010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqemW1nq_IireYcA8HJDKsy5TBeXkS8K75UuBSJnePmrpAELUhx8tetStXMqz_b-r5fxuPJJogpcEHG0ByVDZDz_ZHhaUJDb4R3UxKpoKcow6HpD8zIoLyvd6m2yX2jhjgcb_VacAnq3La/s200/IMG_0429.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217377102868436274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqx7QlCn5ATaOO90LibWxnSZ45p8lm3oVd4xcfpKbtQEjhdvccv3-S-P676D73sVxZzX1SmXsbBeR2wtV9ht5kvJLeGkK81drWSQaIeq5LnkeMWv7BXCwE7fMhxT4qE4V83DmW2wrPeLw/s200/IMG_0430.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-74866764489162902622008-06-28T09:15:00.000-07:002008-06-28T12:22:52.886-07:00Headin' North<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbe2_i99YyIaFJ_GRmW5mq00jklx_xA2oKFoFnxZynzkngjPlr8P_xLCRw7qj0UwaQSKfQYWf1vachFz87OhlBO57LWE2Huf1yrMaXlRs09KSju1EqtI9S7I1KIqKnauR3EByFh1wKzCT/s1600-h/IMG_0378.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216985784800364834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbe2_i99YyIaFJ_GRmW5mq00jklx_xA2oKFoFnxZynzkngjPlr8P_xLCRw7qj0UwaQSKfQYWf1vachFz87OhlBO57LWE2Huf1yrMaXlRs09KSju1EqtI9S7I1KIqKnauR3EByFh1wKzCT/s200/IMG_0378.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216981676560497330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mQ4sBIZJRYkYejNNkVjIncO4fd9L38-LYL2o219lEgPt_2nSol-Bnkrja6jPPkdmj0eqgUAOdIZjV6kAMtGTsqMFzYF7ww2fJEKL5zdqeVUEs7XIA8hA9qanPHzMkLVBCBZRuUhNJCC1/s200/IMG_0333.JPG" border="0" />We forced ourselves into the car Friday to circumnavigate the island to the east and north as far as we could go (dead ends at the start of the Na Pali Coast). Packed up drinks, snacks, snorkeling gear and hit the road. I had an idea of quite a few beaches I wanted to hit, and figured if we liked what we were doing we would just stay or go as the spirit moved us. There is soooo much to see, and in a one day trip you just can't cover it all (not even in a month!) My plan to drive to the end of the road, and then work our way back and hang out where it felt good was changed as we approached a spot Maddie had picked from the guidebook...Queens Bath. It was near Princeville and was a beautiful little hike down a root-filled, dirt path through the jungle. If it was wet, it would have been treacherous (slippery roots), but as it was, the roots acted as stairsteps. Once we reached the ocean where a clear stream ran into it, we turned west (ask Maddie about the deposit she made) and made our way to this! Queen's Bath is a lava pool that fills as the tide comes in. Some people we ran into said it wasn't as full as they have seen it but it was still pretty cool!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IQHE8jt5NpmNaPSzLiaTPEG8LkGD7Rs2KiSl5xaHA5-OHMkn_uOPRh5glx5P1-lH1Y8tN9nBLm7N1FpdP-cQ-csv1OgGebSRMDqCuEyLKJtHPX1_pZpBYXl41i9bKDW5OwMeqaWV4N5K/s1600-h/IMG_0334.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216981192477788050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IQHE8jt5NpmNaPSzLiaTPEG8LkGD7Rs2KiSl5xaHA5-OHMkn_uOPRh5glx5P1-lH1Y8tN9nBLm7N1FpdP-cQ-csv1OgGebSRMDqCuEyLKJtHPX1_pZpBYXl41i9bKDW5OwMeqaWV4N5K/s200/IMG_0334.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV2rioDtNFbbUa7XPWhkG0Mzk7kE_pVkBRearQm6YcOOGRMVfLMotH6b6h7k5zAFjAQMHvE7MLqtGBNEuRfcPuNFCArieVrghTlLfvDIGC8fFXIGfKgkwJRq-Lij08feLoKk8Bx3ttyEl/s1600-h/IMG_0342.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216983620123030386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV2rioDtNFbbUa7XPWhkG0Mzk7kE_pVkBRearQm6YcOOGRMVfLMotH6b6h7k5zAFjAQMHvE7MLqtGBNEuRfcPuNFCArieVrghTlLfvDIGC8fFXIGfKgkwJRq-Lij08feLoKk8Bx3ttyEl/s200/IMG_0342.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV2rioDtNFbbUa7XPWhkG0Mzk7kE_pVkBRearQm6YcOOGRMVfLMotH6b6h7k5zAFjAQMHvE7MLqtGBNEuRfcPuNFCArieVrghTlLfvDIGC8fFXIGfKgkwJRq-Lij08feLoKk8Bx3ttyEl/s1600-h/IMG_0342.JPG"></a> </div><br /><br /><br /><div><div>The water in the ocean was crystal clear and we could see these huge turtles swimming off the edge of the lava flow. Too bad it was too rough to snorkel out there. Also, the views up and down the coast were phenomenal. On the way out we took advantage of fresh water stream to wash and shower the salt water off. Nice.........<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPSrsYqZMwBTjXsEr_kOqLihyphenhyphen4A7D-UacHzdmy6i9hkl969cDvcnAA7hfeZIxDUpVvzBbCF9ZAAgHZbe0W-8DY5ACtdPU36BqCU-AaQCtv8i2hJd1Bgknlk2aO4zyo86fQSBgrIYsnNSL/s1600-h/IMG_0345.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216986642814335282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPSrsYqZMwBTjXsEr_kOqLihyphenhyphen4A7D-UacHzdmy6i9hkl969cDvcnAA7hfeZIxDUpVvzBbCF9ZAAgHZbe0W-8DY5ACtdPU36BqCU-AaQCtv8i2hJd1Bgknlk2aO4zyo86fQSBgrIYsnNSL/s200/IMG_0345.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-erYAk1KyHyYg8ArnLliR8S19dBgdUmmyG_3tIHxui4rUE5fHAJ8a9bGtx_UhEoSKBPvBVM3InALMzMFyh4LPEih5-WOJjhIxsZMhXWhlSBq0DrIXPFbn6YJz2DRPQ93Eb30UlNjU6Ik/s1600-h/IMG_0350.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216987698011743410" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-erYAk1KyHyYg8ArnLliR8S19dBgdUmmyG_3tIHxui4rUE5fHAJ8a9bGtx_UhEoSKBPvBVM3InALMzMFyh4LPEih5-WOJjhIxsZMhXWhlSBq0DrIXPFbn6YJz2DRPQ93Eb30UlNjU6Ik/s200/IMG_0350.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Very near Queen's Bath was another beach that supposedly had good snorkeling and was pretty well hidden, hence the name Hideaways Beach. It turned out it was hiding...because I took the wrong path and we ended up on a beach (after a long, long walk) that wasn't so great as a beach or for snorkeling...but the views were great (below pics)! We didn't realize we were on the wrong beach until we got back to the car, and by then we were hungry and a bit whooped, so we opted not to try to find Hideaways Beach this go around.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Qrcuf8aXDT1TduPQYJqqHE2dpmniBXfUfZ_F-cO2dT2P1I0JlJI81grlJZE_NwnuXwroy9rjTNH4TYwbm9Oku6sHUiAo2bekgRGASnmjq8hoDy0xBzh241i0Hj8LAfvOo-1R8Ru2UIaO/s1600-h/IMG_0362.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216989564069508562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Qrcuf8aXDT1TduPQYJqqHE2dpmniBXfUfZ_F-cO2dT2P1I0JlJI81grlJZE_NwnuXwroy9rjTNH4TYwbm9Oku6sHUiAo2bekgRGASnmjq8hoDy0xBzh241i0Hj8LAfvOo-1R8Ru2UIaO/s200/IMG_0362.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216990544494656834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwWU6xbhYIOHMUeBXFun5S2GYqU-urmkmFJmeYPPNzjRZYa2GkFXPB_mL09wc3M72eTEAMwWJQll07tTlzC-ZIdAs66aNDe-N9AgxARGtnBcEAsmz23kQ_q_fzlZYSoh0xDvPxVzyviBg/s200/IMG_0363.JPG" border="0" />We then drove to Hanalei in search of food. I found where I am staying next time I come to Hawaii...Hanalei is a great little town with a wonderful feel about it. I asked a local at Java Kai where the best place to stay would be, and she recommended the local YMCA for $15 a night with <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw0zgJyhBUlxt-IqzEAqURQcNCFk2eKFG2vEn7xxkrq267kTr8HXOPABcZNzQTdYK8LTmGdjqVygyaYge58jaBXGgSCOA5cL2vmplSttfUE7McSQPiGCTrpzYiKtHtE0qzeB8oi_jcd1D/s1600-h/IMG_0365.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216995460617929346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw0zgJyhBUlxt-IqzEAqURQcNCFk2eKFG2vEn7xxkrq267kTr8HXOPABcZNzQTdYK8LTmGdjqVygyaYge58jaBXGgSCOA5cL2vmplSttfUE7McSQPiGCTrpzYiKtHtE0qzeB8oi_jcd1D/s200/IMG_0365.JPG" border="0" /></a>all the necessities...sold! Next time, I am there!! That way I can afford a hundred days instead of only 10! The kids got lunch at the Village Snack & Bakery..Brian got Mahi with brown rice and macaroni salad, which he woofed down with recklss abandon...and Maddie got "the best cheeseburger I ever had...you guys don't even know how good this is!" I went across the street to an organic market and got roasted potatoes & brown rice smothered in vegetarian chili (with a hude, crispy Fuji apple on the side). Needless to say, lunch was a hit (or we were just really hungry!) Now I just needed a tree to take a nap under...zzzzz. But no...there was more exploring to do...down the road with us! Next stop, Tunnels Beach for snorkeling. The roads on the North Shore are really congested with one lane bridges (part of the charm) so with lots of cars and people, parking can be problematic at times. Such was the case with Tunnels...although our hike to the beach turned out to be shorter than expected, and the snorkeling there was First Class...it s<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iCtr3yVnBK1HSYLANy-MjnkmJGlWIzDYEcXqFhG7b0kYXKW-APGniwD2Ow-Qx7tRLq1-RQ3G3utMCUbQ6MmF3wfqFx4YB5W2AKG-z1dgALUf0L9XqktLpyZ_jo67QwQajYuhYNLMCJvc/s1600-h/IMG_0366.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216997927494641682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iCtr3yVnBK1HSYLANy-MjnkmJGlWIzDYEcXqFhG7b0kYXKW-APGniwD2Ow-Qx7tRLq1-RQ3G3utMCUbQ6MmF3wfqFx4YB5W2AKG-z1dgALUf0L9XqktLpyZ_jo67QwQajYuhYNLMCJvc/s200/IMG_0366.JPG" border="0" /></a>upplanted Shark's Cove on Oahu as my first place snorkeling spot so far! We chatted it up with some nice people there and they pointed us to the area where they thought the snorkeling was best...and they didn't steer us wrong. Schools of fish in the hundreds, big, small, colorful, deep, shallow, warm, cool, turtles, eels, pipefish...wow...it was indescribable! We snorkeled until we were out of gas. Fantastic... After catching our breath and warming on the beach we reluctantly packed up our stuff because we knew there was one more destination on the list and right down the road...the end of the road at Ke'e Beach and the start of the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast. A few more one lane bridges and we were there and lucked into a parking spot (we noticed a fresh stream with a pool on the way for rinsing off after Ke'e). Well, Ke'e was alright, but the beach was small and crowded, and the snorkeling wasn't very good...maybe the charm is that it is the last stop on the road. Brian and I found the real gem as we snorkeled (Maddie opted out and stayed ont the beach to take pictures) west around a rocky point and found a secluded section of beach with towering cliffs as a backdrop. We got out and walked around the area (only 4 other people there) admiring the majesty of it all. One of the people was an Aussie dude that asked Brian if he saw any "totles"...Brian didn't clue into the accent for a bit until he realized the guy was asked for turtles...which we had seen, and susbsequently led him and his girlfriend to, for which they were very grateful.<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AHiKLUoIOqlUdlyOqzdR0MPFZUAiur3yQwpsOr83-1dbYp2ZDTobljCw74djdB7iJ1IajoyEOBIDH95fH-zue_Ur_wGyBy_5ctGFLLiNxjkm-G5ijnT8n05i813saeGk9hKRol59sIgQ/s1600-h/IMG_0368.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217007589594136354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AHiKLUoIOqlUdlyOqzdR0MPFZUAiur3yQwpsOr83-1dbYp2ZDTobljCw74djdB7iJ1IajoyEOBIDH95fH-zue_Ur_wGyBy_5ctGFLLiNxjkm-G5ijnT8n05i813saeGk9hKRol59sIgQ/s200/IMG_0368.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217008588673838066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCXMXL8qV03gYx8Oh9spfCp8Bpyz7gYQ-8vqG_kI_lwTG3wlEK2Cxg0kJzkQ_fVsIduhLE18oN3hM0UfP_INaMFCd7IPBdBa7-MPJq1jPcmqKBXUJvoATuRNwUcFaPKplHU2tjoW5Wa78/s200/IMG_0384.JPG" border="0" /><br />So by now we were all pretty spent and ready to do the about-face back home. But before the drive back we wanted to rnse the salt off so we drove back to the stream/pool, and I told Brian later that our timing was impecable, for as we got out of the car, three girls in thong/skimpy bikinis had the same idea as us. Maddie didn't snorkel, so she watched glaringly from above like a Mother Hen as Brian and I enjoyed all aspects of the scenery around us. I had to pinch myself and make sure I wasn't dreaming...LOL!! Maddie was not pleased with the girls or our male oggling (the girls certainly didn't mind us being there)...she doesn't quite realize that's life and the male/female dynamic...we were just enjoying the moment and appreciating the way the Universe provides! Needless to say we didn't get any pics of that episode since Maddie was the official photographer!</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIutkOBxD6TpgaFZjoVgb0K9LX1ZiEeeBxbBLQXwousc0-JgRpHsEpxFsD7JQAgC2FvPx03J-26yOoUSKldhLm5h3ruGT1FNLBS4SIRPBHX5Dw_5SRp47TouTyFRFKycnwzeecWIRK2B5/s1600-h/IMG_0411.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217012130089536418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIutkOBxD6TpgaFZjoVgb0K9LX1ZiEeeBxbBLQXwousc0-JgRpHsEpxFsD7JQAgC2FvPx03J-26yOoUSKldhLm5h3ruGT1FNLBS4SIRPBHX5Dw_5SRp47TouTyFRFKycnwzeecWIRK2B5/s200/IMG_0411.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217012580243364754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UCfE_YHYkziuKkzSuXfdqpE4-5Bi37eW-82FdiW6QEsWB6-MdLh__MRPnsR-_faTrSA161jc0O_m-vV3k1WJslx4hxnaz0vqR4m6_OtY2So3rOmy4hZH3jWL8_7j6tn0hrOMST6P7BaG/s200/IMG_0412.JPG" border="0" />So after rinsing we started back and stopped again in Hanalei for shaved ice at Paradise Shave Ice, coffee (to get me home awake) at Java Kai, and burgers (Brian) and fries (me & Maddie) at Bubbas Burgers. I gotta go back there (Hanalei)!! We arrived home safely ~8pm so it ended up being an 11 hour treat for all of us. It was showers, an Avatar episode on the web (Maddie & Brian, since we missed the airing at 630), then B.E.D. AAAAA - Aloha After Another Awesome Adventure!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-71589987139589696572008-06-27T10:19:00.000-07:002008-06-27T11:11:01.673-07:00Kipu Falls<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxZQh45dSeT1eZpszlO2QJ0orEkn20pZN9V2fEdjGrmBm8Rtaaf0_ygUtvNMVGu7sHEgsrSGk3qJj6aCmVl_MBzGLuX0M_ijYJOVYQtZUDmCIEb5GG2SfHi4mUjKISmbvnknr1IR70iOK/s1600-h/kauai-kipu_falls2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216613694514824546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxZQh45dSeT1eZpszlO2QJ0orEkn20pZN9V2fEdjGrmBm8Rtaaf0_ygUtvNMVGu7sHEgsrSGk3qJj6aCmVl_MBzGLuX0M_ijYJOVYQtZUDmCIEb5GG2SfHi4mUjKISmbvnknr1IR70iOK/s200/kauai-kipu_falls2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Yesterday (Thursday...amazing when I remember what day it is!) unfolded much like the day before...beach, body surfing, boogie boarding, reading, etc. right at Kiahuna...then lunch and chill out at the condo (Maddie crashed)...then afternnon adventure - this time to Kipu Falls. The falls was only about 6 miles away and really easy to access. It is pretty smal (by Hawaii standards) but it has a GREAT swimming hole and many places to jump in from the edge, which we took full advantage of! I couldn't get a good shot of the falls from below (since I was in the water) so I got this one off the web, o give you the idea. The best part was a rope swing on which you could play George of the Jungle and swing off the cliff, out over the water and plop right it. You have to let go at the right time, or belly/back flops result...and we saw a few...ouch! Here are a few more pics from the web that show the rope.</div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDDvzvsZ_8i65X7LtT2lumrLgrKaq4BgASJni1RMmGlumYZP1iH6vKlMWgUEXxSorte6VEubVB1AelsTT_dAtBUGljV_tRZPhTQt51owSlQfhhQlNaR3b5PsM94uRWuZIguxK_aPzUB6k/s1600-h/KipuRope2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216617268225077122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDDvzvsZ_8i65X7LtT2lumrLgrKaq4BgASJni1RMmGlumYZP1iH6vKlMWgUEXxSorte6VEubVB1AelsTT_dAtBUGljV_tRZPhTQt51owSlQfhhQlNaR3b5PsM94uRWuZIguxK_aPzUB6k/s200/KipuRope2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216617752006128354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUg1kMz6BYieYzvdm3YGF7F2ti8WWihzcAGE0a0FsaFIYJ2l6oX4CG4JeOuH4hERQD5HgGQTF5vIPcxb3aw7t8H3g4qypFS0TQr6F0B2FF0fqpvUA-ZmQ_omtG5yUR9UkEkeRrkqPTrRIP/s200/KipuRope.jpg" border="0" />We all took a bunch of tries off the rope and the rocks...it was a BLAST! At one point, one of the locals climbs the tree where the rope is tied, and walks out on this limb balance beam style, probably 40 feet above the water and 20 feet out on the limb, and launches from there! Incredible! Huevos grande! Brian and I got a bit braver and swung WAY out from up higher on the rocks (but nothing like the locals)...the ride was awesome and the landing so sweet! You can't get this stuff at Disneyworld! We shared a great afternoon together..high fives and gratitude were flowing forth! Some of my pic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkoFGHyewa2lEgQYR3LDLXkdtB4EciHmErc2tUmy0Fq2iPDjtJCRburGLUM9XKpXQdQNGGg0VLTKtTIeWhhOqiFo6iDxoYp1NGs780w7Z3vJSmMp11VEI4cRp-kVrtVTnpasT5odzfshD/s1600-h/IMG_0318.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216621953333067874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkoFGHyewa2lEgQYR3LDLXkdtB4EciHmErc2tUmy0Fq2iPDjtJCRburGLUM9XKpXQdQNGGg0VLTKtTIeWhhOqiFo6iDxoYp1NGs780w7Z3vJSmMp11VEI4cRp-kVrtVTnpasT5odzfshD/s200/IMG_0318.JPG" border="0" /></a>s are below. Enjoy and Aloha!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjwer-lp-i2443jOoKsYXJ_umt-UMykWHFbi__3fI_C8zYyCToRuEM1DWQMhsslUIr1yZoVM3P1kL0y6VuWY2ydhWpQ9ybEy_dydCFZ__Sz-vND5Ht3kJPJeiLo1Hx1oCGVYjfnBA0oeK/s1600-h/IMG_0317.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216620604458176546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjwer-lp-i2443jOoKsYXJ_umt-UMykWHFbi__3fI_C8zYyCToRuEM1DWQMhsslUIr1yZoVM3P1kL0y6VuWY2ydhWpQ9ybEy_dydCFZ__Sz-vND5Ht3kJPJeiLo1Hx1oCGVYjfnBA0oeK/s200/IMG_0317.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhziM3GMKqGsjALxJtEnglcfUfStmXPwqfcs7TvZZYifEH8FgiTOtbzeJhpxFi4rmEsqh9rY7jtGUdCB14mpKUI7z_NbCRd4bQbA3uohcszNAygoVFUy0amBRMEZIrHZ5Ll-e4124VaiJ-/s1600-h/IMG_0323.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216622785475467762" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhziM3GMKqGsjALxJtEnglcfUfStmXPwqfcs7TvZZYifEH8FgiTOtbzeJhpxFi4rmEsqh9rY7jtGUdCB14mpKUI7z_NbCRd4bQbA3uohcszNAygoVFUy0amBRMEZIrHZ5Ll-e4124VaiJ-/s200/IMG_0323.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QR6ioR7jglTvt5znaMzWAZeSatklIfmLN-Dgz5QUWNqSfMZWdhPXpi0c9xjEmCaF8FtgQRwg41041U8n0J3_ZbMYj5rLHC0Y3kGzDOrTiLO-szC8l-hJQ_y8eNvNCFTnrJXQMZS3yFVq/s1600-h/IMG_0322.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216623488141122770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QR6ioR7jglTvt5znaMzWAZeSatklIfmLN-Dgz5QUWNqSfMZWdhPXpi0c9xjEmCaF8FtgQRwg41041U8n0J3_ZbMYj5rLHC0Y3kGzDOrTiLO-szC8l-hJQ_y8eNvNCFTnrJXQMZS3yFVq/s200/IMG_0322.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjo8fEV6gccGDAwAScssG9OPeApHU3Bx-Z6O79ZWmCTH8fEDrkMDyatt5bAF6jhSZ4h8N91iAbjxF8NvnbTpjhzz3xe0sY27I5jEprPAykzWGpXTUDRnqIDlxtvRo3FYzLNV1ACuWlGde/s1600-h/IMG_0328.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216624601537667810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjo8fEV6gccGDAwAScssG9OPeApHU3Bx-Z6O79ZWmCTH8fEDrkMDyatt5bAF6jhSZ4h8N91iAbjxF8NvnbTpjhzz3xe0sY27I5jEprPAykzWGpXTUDRnqIDlxtvRo3FYzLNV1ACuWlGde/s200/IMG_0328.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216624120361836210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzfwYA828EAr2qaSwJ16fe1Y4gMnWf0Um7hTU0pIYzbnF5Wg8ZFeLM9R_dnWqrqnPEcQ1RVcMXBevo95ovmKGGgZssySLGoecAcnRhnKD-cCXuLInUV7rB5Q6xbpSdOw1splA6JiCjJKc/s200/IMG_0325.JPG" border="0" /></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-38898531762923650382008-06-26T11:42:00.000-07:002008-06-26T16:38:28.744-07:00Staying South<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RRca1zNQUZsETXkoj4_R1_qZ9oO9WjK84OsLd4BH40ayuo89qtdYuMf-JothduHfmlR70EqcG_pShn4PqrSHJsLhtQ6neZH9B7li00OJCApjyLT4597SfhtkGxjYIj63zNWLGOn4L1Bz/s1600-h/IMG_0296.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216263294112919218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RRca1zNQUZsETXkoj4_R1_qZ9oO9WjK84OsLd4BH40ayuo89qtdYuMf-JothduHfmlR70EqcG_pShn4PqrSHJsLhtQ6neZH9B7li00OJCApjyLT4597SfhtkGxjYIj63zNWLGOn4L1Bz/s200/IMG_0296.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216334074164410146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVbrvr8JxXdiE-e_92T2WJ8M8X0A3JoWJeWuHAlNBRwwNmfdvOuVHJ6IcDh08bkiUyQmD1X05cBtMzc_FijVPn0DBSI2P_f_fU0YwmTQf_aiQmu39MZ8YljQu4OUgv8lMjkRtKuDJStTd/s200/IMG_0298.JPG" border="0" /></a>A slow start to our Kauai stay...but slow can be good. Spent the morning in our grassy/beach area at Kiahuna, soaking up rays, reading, body surfing, snorkeling. All great stuff. The winds and surf have really been up both on Oahu and here...so the waves have been pretty wild! After a light lunch, I wanted to explore a bit, so we headed down the road to Spouting Horn, a blow hole through some lava rock. It was fun to watch...much like a geyser. We hung out here awhile while a huge shower moved through. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcTzWVwqa_LnFmSYdZWNExMhl9EeQXHEn05aDZ8tst-EV0DwnfCNfgb6nvDMIfvDIRd7y3efOvxuBgccoI432FJ8xxPVW2nW0FwPmj-Vz0BKPOz3SeqyneAjWPj8dwLWUKxWAQBpex7oq/s1600-h/IMG_0306.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216268369100801986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcTzWVwqa_LnFmSYdZWNExMhl9EeQXHEn05aDZ8tst-EV0DwnfCNfgb6nvDMIfvDIRd7y3efOvxuBgccoI432FJ8xxPVW2nW0FwPmj-Vz0BKPOz3SeqyneAjWPj8dwLWUKxWAQBpex7oq/s200/IMG_0306.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216333528447896338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVW4JnBJaTJTqTo0Ymn1BbNupJYwzZPoOB9lKI9ui2az042pTvXE-Aq714bDTO9JpuFP_tRoH65NbP5-fsl_rzxsqpsNlqVVXv8LKzv4ihBzZSEiRirR2s4tYX1PBhc-VPh4JzhzmOcK8/s200/IMG_0305.JPG" border="0" /><br />Vendors had trinkets for sale, so we browsed through that on the way back to the car...Maddie came away with something. Next we drove to Poipu Beach Park (which is just adjacent to Kiahuna, but a hike over some sharp lava on the beach side) just to check it out...looked like good snorkeling there as well (once the waves calm down). Next, I wanted to head to a string of 3 beaches that are off the beaten path a bit (neither of the kids likes when I do this...they weren't born with my adventurous spirit) called the Mahaulepu Beaches. Finding them, I got a bit...lost is not the word...diverted is better...which lead us to the Old Koloa Sugar Mill (see...the Universe provides!). Maddie was freakn' because I drove past some "No Trespassing" signs...most of which seem to be bunk on the islands (it turns out we were trespassing! Ooops) I managed to get some great shots of the old sugar mill...what a great place for a 'real' photographer to play!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECMvYbyPf5_Y2n2IpuGNXGy0LbzRAQb9vXp-_3q8yW2ZuhO3JUGwtrDkWZjD9hLSKzHitPB-4iVnILgfIlQ7pG8c682g4xIjNDINw9QeK4uDsrbWv0UfWZJBqx1mEJH4KB0v4U0loVRD5/s1600-h/IMG_0311.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216272450237320146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECMvYbyPf5_Y2n2IpuGNXGy0LbzRAQb9vXp-_3q8yW2ZuhO3JUGwtrDkWZjD9hLSKzHitPB-4iVnILgfIlQ7pG8c682g4xIjNDINw9QeK4uDsrbWv0UfWZJBqx1mEJH4KB0v4U0loVRD5/s200/IMG_0311.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216273313264948370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5tdeoSARtP2GfVMSi1qVZcMwjc0Ipg0oLCH7mQZFmfzMQOKKdctwIgW840bGB9tTXNTEbgYzuXsB3eEG99XEqDnFXYI7lLkPcicYQ5nmYjQey1zhobV4DiEsXmr3dEHfXj4y0ozpCKs5/s200/IMG_0312.JPG" border="0" />Eventually we ran into Security, a nice Grandpa-aged local gent, who after I did some explaining, told me how to find the beaches I was looking for...no harm done. Maddie said, as expected..."I told you so!" SO we drove to where Grandpa described (through some different "No Trespassing" signs ;-) and found the beaches I was looking for!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LFzo6ui8N_GQkszZ8cxZZF2qjEBjSZDNgnTfVpMS2aVJEY4eR1VztUHxYvZwdTHZ9krzyqHWhiaIRl2XdEdch95EA3F_By7TMneYV-aYiOjYfX4kTTeDe8LkKXt7VH0Y7b4JHa8mYgjr/s1600-h/IMG_0314.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216330422355796690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LFzo6ui8N_GQkszZ8cxZZF2qjEBjSZDNgnTfVpMS2aVJEY4eR1VztUHxYvZwdTHZ9krzyqHWhiaIRl2XdEdch95EA3F_By7TMneYV-aYiOjYfX4kTTeDe8LkKXt7VH0Y7b4JHa8mYgjr/s200/IMG_0314.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216332937896352386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHTjw3eYERx4pGALLxL5RhGlu2i7ym9nPBre7vuai7V_VHgIXyQDcfjmSpg7Q44z7raU-ynAR4YLFGURXbEIraABDDeZD2HW3cWe5-EYjAmK-mbICR0zfAu0PqD1fCLpmUJkyQ85ZPltO/s200/IMG_0315.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />We ended the day with a delcious (expensive!) dinner at Keoki's Paradise. We were all famished, and the atmosphere was lush...so it was voted best dining experience of the trip so far. Not only that...they served each dinner with an edible flower (orchid) of which only yours truly partook! It was pretty non-descript tasting (I've eaten way worse!) , but beautiful! My tummy must have loved this unique treat! Aloha for now!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216338243501156658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsjDeoLgXh4XdeT492epBQreUqGualiOZ48AmgmAnXh5onaxGwqCJLQzSdvsMK9YKfvLLADBb6tgZYYFTdUYOD1KRvHzbSI332bpuO_njbPdZEj2gknC6FrgYxrqUWM7XtWks3BM3S-Y2/s200/IMG_0309.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-76576642636817809132008-06-25T09:58:00.000-07:002008-06-25T10:42:41.360-07:00Kickin' Back on Kauai<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9uYlkzL_VXuOPUKJG8a78gMaTVEtpdpPYjdriI6EUTMScXBW2vKW2yQYvq2etT5sabvKzzgmSS0T1Z5X_IUzwpmJcgc9LxgX7-co7OjlBwaiWVXH1G3Yr6jiG-Q3c4kV_wDgml2vJKPU/s1600-h/IMG_0292.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215865399669952626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9uYlkzL_VXuOPUKJG8a78gMaTVEtpdpPYjdriI6EUTMScXBW2vKW2yQYvq2etT5sabvKzzgmSS0T1Z5X_IUzwpmJcgc9LxgX7-co7OjlBwaiWVXH1G3Yr6jiG-Q3c4kV_wDgml2vJKPU/s320/IMG_0292.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This morning I was greeted by a soft rain shower & a rainbow...not a bad way to start the day. Yesterday was a travel day and just flew by. We were all exhausted by 8pm. We landed ~1130 and meandered over to the south shore to the Kiahuna Plantation where we will stay the next 9 days (pic outside our condo below). I thought it was green on Oahu..this island is amazing...and we are on te 'dry' side! Our unit wasn't ready when we arrived so we explored the surroundings...where the pool & tennis courts were, the shopping across the street, the beaches, the huge expanses of green soft grass. This area is definitely more 'touristy' than where we stayed on Oahu's North Shore (and I don't know if I like the 'feel' as much...kids don't seem to mind it). After we checked in, we unloaded all of our crap, then the kids hit the pool while I hit the supermarket (doesn't seem fair, does it?) By the time we reconnected, it was 7 o'clock!! I whipped up a quick dinner of salad and rice and cheese tortillas (notice, no carne ;-), we all rotated through the showers, checked e-mails, and crashed! This is a one bedroom place with a kingsize bed, so wee tried fitting all of us in that last night rather than mess with the pull-out. I think we are going to banish Maddie...even the king wasn't big enough with the way she squirms in her sleep!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVq7PGOhYb1VJvo5uT7RhoGTJ0sPPAD-eBQkrKkqbefryY-Brt-lgTU2D41cw_2DP4mgtQ8yksy63N4SuDz1w9770u73eBjM9q5rJRaOhkAdKblCilsKpjxu5b0O0QemNWkRbCRpMPmFu/s1600-h/IMG_0293.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215870888170709698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVq7PGOhYb1VJvo5uT7RhoGTJ0sPPAD-eBQkrKkqbefryY-Brt-lgTU2D41cw_2DP4mgtQ8yksy63N4SuDz1w9770u73eBjM9q5rJRaOhkAdKblCilsKpjxu5b0O0QemNWkRbCRpMPmFu/s320/IMG_0293.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2BfxAzI-Ecu-7aWDNGZQiq9Tsn47drifRTu7pDJ4-OWfhzMWL2NKFeck9Ztt0e1uL0LEO3LsBYg2AuJd5qzYRzsAcqinithGrUx6O66Ouj2el5QP07MCVDEdWAp9AZVE4rddtmI64tzB/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2BfxAzI-Ecu-7aWDNGZQiq9Tsn47drifRTu7pDJ4-OWfhzMWL2NKFeck9Ztt0e1uL0LEO3LsBYg2AuJd5qzYRzsAcqinithGrUx6O66Ouj2el5QP07MCVDEdWAp9AZVE4rddtmI64tzB/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215871684792170706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2BfxAzI-Ecu-7aWDNGZQiq9Tsn47drifRTu7pDJ4-OWfhzMWL2NKFeck9Ztt0e1uL0LEO3LsBYg2AuJd5qzYRzsAcqinithGrUx6O66Ouj2el5QP07MCVDEdWAp9AZVE4rddtmI64tzB/s320/IMG_0251.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2BfxAzI-Ecu-7aWDNGZQiq9Tsn47drifRTu7pDJ4-OWfhzMWL2NKFeck9Ztt0e1uL0LEO3LsBYg2AuJd5qzYRzsAcqinithGrUx6O66Ouj2el5QP07MCVDEdWAp9AZVE4rddtmI64tzB/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"></a> </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2BfxAzI-Ecu-7aWDNGZQiq9Tsn47drifRTu7pDJ4-OWfhzMWL2NKFeck9Ztt0e1uL0LEO3LsBYg2AuJd5qzYRzsAcqinithGrUx6O66Ouj2el5QP07MCVDEdWAp9AZVE4rddtmI64tzB/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"></a> </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2BfxAzI-Ecu-7aWDNGZQiq9Tsn47drifRTu7pDJ4-OWfhzMWL2NKFeck9Ztt0e1uL0LEO3LsBYg2AuJd5qzYRzsAcqinithGrUx6O66Ouj2el5QP07MCVDEdWAp9AZVE4rddtmI64tzB/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"></a> </div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2BfxAzI-Ecu-7aWDNGZQiq9Tsn47drifRTu7pDJ4-OWfhzMWL2NKFeck9Ztt0e1uL0LEO3LsBYg2AuJd5qzYRzsAcqinithGrUx6O66Ouj2el5QP07MCVDEdWAp9AZVE4rddtmI64tzB/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2BfxAzI-Ecu-7aWDNGZQiq9Tsn47drifRTu7pDJ4-OWfhzMWL2NKFeck9Ztt0e1uL0LEO3LsBYg2AuJd5qzYRzsAcqinithGrUx6O66Ouj2el5QP07MCVDEdWAp9AZVE4rddtmI64tzB/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"></a></div></div><div>Back and front of the condo.</div><br /><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1Zwo4tnGZOLpa9k8-W4e3hGUwl5AwuapdYccOoKOFaWBcrtmO5nIGB8DjHMUsubs4GJp_A9Il3A1aDYLb9WJrcILvkG3TRSY-HLT7H2frWIR6OJkzBI8Gz0WXjsfWG-h30RwXZWw6Oqx/s1600-h/IMG_0253.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215872452929122706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1Zwo4tnGZOLpa9k8-W4e3hGUwl5AwuapdYccOoKOFaWBcrtmO5nIGB8DjHMUsubs4GJp_A9Il3A1aDYLb9WJrcILvkG3TRSY-HLT7H2frWIR6OJkzBI8Gz0WXjsfWG-h30RwXZWw6Oqx/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_26aj3Xke1HlAyxdsbAt0MUlrhQfPmImrcia526DkvAf7oArWtoBq3olwc5ssH9Rmspi9kbk16MVrPyUFyxnGErfQNzmdXkkLEi1P5zR4go1T4rFT1tgax6XeHjtdzWvTIS-wC80Irle/s1600-h/IMG_0262.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215872895881363586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_26aj3Xke1HlAyxdsbAt0MUlrhQfPmImrcia526DkvAf7oArWtoBq3olwc5ssH9Rmspi9kbk16MVrPyUFyxnGErfQNzmdXkkLEi1P5zR4go1T4rFT1tgax6XeHjtdzWvTIS-wC80Irle/s320/IMG_0262.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div>Maddie welcomes you to the pool area!</div><div> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOL01WsRMrPqD30-NKZI9UkyHZcVYNTTaT4ixbkiE-1x0ipbVMCkc9Yu5N2h0zuiohyq4efoqr4k_arisgH6PXTG-Rrpp5UUcBrcoCD7LOZVqpzCvc3y9v5_pH_mZgpw-J_PRcqrZ0kwcO/s1600-h/IMG_0290.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215874225916321378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOL01WsRMrPqD30-NKZI9UkyHZcVYNTTaT4ixbkiE-1x0ipbVMCkc9Yu5N2h0zuiohyq4efoqr4k_arisgH6PXTG-Rrpp5UUcBrcoCD7LOZVqpzCvc3y9v5_pH_mZgpw-J_PRcqrZ0kwcO/s320/IMG_0290.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN2K1aZBRUDBdDU1uvgGRsn83hEtn6Gv3fBrGDZ_ldQKGHluOimWYl0OpfenVlRLwt46roTQHxc2lihw49d2Liq6NqhXF_nwyOh8BALtR3z5r0U3fwIHuq26qo6GpwAUeiaVagUpttqTn/s1600-h/IMG_0286.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215874710742945906" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN2K1aZBRUDBdDU1uvgGRsn83hEtn6Gv3fBrGDZ_ldQKGHluOimWYl0OpfenVlRLwt46roTQHxc2lihw49d2Liq6NqhXF_nwyOh8BALtR3z5r0U3fwIHuq26qo6GpwAUeiaVagUpttqTn/s320/IMG_0286.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Ok...Maddie just woke up so I better get things rockin'. We are going to explore the south areas of the island today, and probably just enjoy the beach/grassy areas right here when we are done. Aloha for now! Peace. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-26791738947593284222008-06-23T19:23:00.000-07:002008-06-23T20:14:03.911-07:00Hangin' Loose at Turtle Bay<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXOJs5CjFIU55D8_nAyOU368YjGH9Zj1VoLN65IOZ60pKrkeVoZ5l7niiaLE4rafw8kvD4ET9P9QQCNoT4dJrEWbjJhhPCWuDyb55GzFBdzwTiQK6ORRfaSPVUVCK2A_Xq2nk0Da1yFi7/s1600-h/IMG_0206.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215279046209966434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXOJs5CjFIU55D8_nAyOU368YjGH9Zj1VoLN65IOZ60pKrkeVoZ5l7niiaLE4rafw8kvD4ET9P9QQCNoT4dJrEWbjJhhPCWuDyb55GzFBdzwTiQK6ORRfaSPVUVCK2A_Xq2nk0Da1yFi7/s200/IMG_0206.JPG" width="213" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd-LCyngdSKyxZoteNTzJz2nHyX9mnmaIQvtdMlQTIP7kRH5zn21r8UvkDA8er6dDFibGXdl74KRnR05aLabpUJ1ZtYQXxVVND-LgboFQXLgpSkAxUVajBlwJ77NkRQ1ZA5Pqf8zsPrdT/s1600-h/IMG_0226.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215277399475162866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZd-LCyngdSKyxZoteNTzJz2nHyX9mnmaIQvtdMlQTIP7kRH5zn21r8UvkDA8er6dDFibGXdl74KRnR05aLabpUJ1ZtYQXxVVND-LgboFQXLgpSkAxUVajBlwJ77NkRQ1ZA5Pqf8zsPrdT/s200/IMG_0226.JPG" width="214" border="0" /></a><br />Today was a relaxing day...starting with breakfast at the Kahuku Grill (banana pancakes...mmmmm) and then just hangin' around the condo, pool and beach at Turtle Bay. I went for a run to Kawela Bay (still one of the most beautiful places I have seen on Oahu), and then swam and soaked up some rays with the kids at the pool. I walked around <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsba9ScJxqx7VBzzzAkfBX2P6Zd7h-dzj__MmZzPlr7O0rUCe5pQxt_GadVa4nglyiZCehz0_wZFCEVNdy95VQ9n9unpwKr64ZjGlVfDtMqMPcs7UT0KE9Gg2Q0IvSxvqkfDi-Q_jV3u1/s1600-h/IMG_0208.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215269786794848450" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsba9ScJxqx7VBzzzAkfBX2P6Zd7h-dzj__MmZzPlr7O0rUCe5pQxt_GadVa4nglyiZCehz0_wZFCEVNdy95VQ9n9unpwKr64ZjGlVfDtMqMPcs7UT0KE9Gg2Q0IvSxvqkfDi-Q_jV3u1/s200/IMG_0208.JPG" border="0" /></a>the grounds (which are so lush and green) and snapped pictures to share here and for our e-photo album. After we had enough of the pool, we went back, ate some lunch and started getting organized for tomorrow mornings flight to Kauai. Yes, nearly 2 weeks has flown by since we hae been here...incredible! Somebody slow the clock down....please. On Kauai, we will probably do adventure days interleaved with relaxed days, reading on the beach, strolls at sunset, snorkeling, etc.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyjZkOE25nfw0jZE0uPztui7sNiCHGnhPqGN3_NOY8CWPmvWYs867vZ9Jbwi2809DuwwVEVrMbxVXJvflevUgtwUkNXz1ISSU30p86D1UuoJuXrXJNJylP2y4Scw2U8XYGk41weP_wLZI/s1600-h/IMG_0215.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215271883750483042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyjZkOE25nfw0jZE0uPztui7sNiCHGnhPqGN3_NOY8CWPmvWYs867vZ9Jbwi2809DuwwVEVrMbxVXJvflevUgtwUkNXz1ISSU30p86D1UuoJuXrXJNJylP2y4Scw2U8XYGk41weP_wLZI/s200/IMG_0215.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215273916466580626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGYgE5T1osFp1nuz-ECZ43ENctLKGWmcf00-k6XcGKjGP0stBuvZMUuo20lp4BW_Psb4D7OQBV88amt183qgdxv4ctKa59eLtmZmml7FyVPoNZ8Y_xvkG2tffgKO7Lt3XRmiSkWXu6Mks/s200/IMG_0221.JPG" border="0" />For now, let me post a few pics from around the prperty here at Turtle Bay and then sign off until we settle in at the Kiahuna Plantation on the south shores of Kauai. Aloha!!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8f6RRVsfTSa3i93KYsEUv-6Cs8IuVCIFqo2LARde5oru2IcYaJ1xEPOIpfUWTgwliyxvZZSj5tMNxGqA-s7ftR7cQNm6f47qc2i45ZfIm9K-a5ixjE98VzyWUorT_qf4l0El-Rh6eOd9/s1600-h/IMG_0227.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215275426281590322" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8f6RRVsfTSa3i93KYsEUv-6Cs8IuVCIFqo2LARde5oru2IcYaJ1xEPOIpfUWTgwliyxvZZSj5tMNxGqA-s7ftR7cQNm6f47qc2i45ZfIm9K-a5ixjE98VzyWUorT_qf4l0El-Rh6eOd9/s200/IMG_0227.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmbDj67raxYcUyGdDLddSRvDJQhsuUjOoZCvIi57PzutjE79g9p_gmqSTGjuqfuhKKJpvyKy7bA6rxVrxUBM9OaEU8r-1dBAhwgZAk1-BsqtckTBce6io95MlohrTOt1tPMrL0a-3IBD0/s1600-h/IMG_0219.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215275125792979346" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmbDj67raxYcUyGdDLddSRvDJQhsuUjOoZCvIi57PzutjE79g9p_gmqSTGjuqfuhKKJpvyKy7bA6rxVrxUBM9OaEU8r-1dBAhwgZAk1-BsqtckTBce6io95MlohrTOt1tPMrL0a-3IBD0/s200/IMG_0219.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-Nf9LVr-v__39ywALPKyBFeO1jWgbBKFEmmDXUgNgFeZqdTfg34_N8pjMrJuXM59f2paw7wyiIHyt1YwtpHepXnOyw4ed8u-ILizaV6ijaBunyBck0ZaEOk-Zeio5zaPKNvZ_CZtm42G/s1600-h/IMG_0224.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215275902827581378" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-Nf9LVr-v__39ywALPKyBFeO1jWgbBKFEmmDXUgNgFeZqdTfg34_N8pjMrJuXM59f2paw7wyiIHyt1YwtpHepXnOyw4ed8u-ILizaV6ijaBunyBck0ZaEOk-Zeio5zaPKNvZ_CZtm42G/s200/IMG_0224.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQewNR2f3mmBmJmrBI-6Rq5Ou13YUBtkM3tHUHJsW_1qdOGypWwc6_eO__6mgUPNzsd-HgIKV1V7hYlfy3qH7NS8pgXbF6eqWGFZ-Lh9vGBJgivqPvLyePj-RD_z-YWQqSe3-zOmoove3/s1600-h/IMG_0230.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215276287218048706" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQewNR2f3mmBmJmrBI-6Rq5Ou13YUBtkM3tHUHJsW_1qdOGypWwc6_eO__6mgUPNzsd-HgIKV1V7hYlfy3qH7NS8pgXbF6eqWGFZ-Lh9vGBJgivqPvLyePj-RD_z-YWQqSe3-zOmoove3/s200/IMG_0230.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyjZkOE25nfw0jZE0uPztui7sNiCHGnhPqGN3_NOY8CWPmvWYs867vZ9Jbwi2809DuwwVEVrMbxVXJvflevUgtwUkNXz1ISSU30p86D1UuoJuXrXJNJylP2y4Scw2U8XYGk41weP_wLZI/s1600-h/IMG_0215.JPG"></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-5004357082306801472008-06-22T22:32:00.000-07:002008-06-22T23:42:16.117-07:00Kahuku to Kailua<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-nyCstWhVZ9geKQivFC8dbMW75QFV-DCPZlR1TKkD3htySHYVdJDwp1YO2YsyZpJhfRYKbA9es_qtzWddKGUFValMpjTLpw_hR-uFgnlg5hSbBy4VDtI089hrg1zSZSJaZrt7KKlE4Mx/s1600-h/IMG_0192.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214946136072965522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-nyCstWhVZ9geKQivFC8dbMW75QFV-DCPZlR1TKkD3htySHYVdJDwp1YO2YsyZpJhfRYKbA9es_qtzWddKGUFValMpjTLpw_hR-uFgnlg5hSbBy4VDtI089hrg1zSZSJaZrt7KKlE4Mx/s320/IMG_0192.JPG" border="0" /></a>Today was our first totally non-soccer day so we decided to try our hand at kayaking, and some of the best was supposed to be at Kanehoe and Kailua Bays. The drive from Turtle Bay to the east and south was absolutely beautiful...green towering mountains, palm-lined bays, jungle covered roads. One thing that did not bode well for us was a constant east wind at 20 knots. We figured we would check it out anyhoo and see how bad the surf was when we got down there. There were 2 choices I had picked, one to Disappearing Island in he middle of Kanehoe Bay, and the second to some islands off of Kailua Beach. Once we found where the kayak shop was, we decided it best to do the Kailua trip just because of the logistics of getting the kayaks where we would want them. For the Kailua Bay, we could park at the State park and pick up the boats near a canal/river that lead right to the bay near the beach...perfecto! So off we went against the wind AND against the waves (like biking uphill against the wind). Maddie and I were in a tandem and Brian had a solo kayak. I wanted to head to one of the Mokulua Islands (which are bird sanctuaries; one you can land on and stay on the exterior, the other you can't land on at all) It turns out this island is ~2.5 mile kayak, which doesn't sound too bad, but the winds and the surf conditions made it a VERY tough grind to get out there. I was talking Maddie through it, but Brian was on his own. Here's what the crew looked like right after we beached the crafts.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFFgcHDpcjSH-j2SXClSq0HHT-SNsl-YlTb-cYR_OLPt6aFqJKapE5eriAUJ5yK5D41CBnwCyRyQbihiW3GbHxeZp81wWa0rYPVXiDGC53kYYn3oD0NhMAi0rjinguROFEUeUamTL8jbw/s1600-h/IMG_0197.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214959635729664610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFFgcHDpcjSH-j2SXClSq0HHT-SNsl-YlTb-cYR_OLPt6aFqJKapE5eriAUJ5yK5D41CBnwCyRyQbihiW3GbHxeZp81wWa0rYPVXiDGC53kYYn3oD0NhMAi0rjinguROFEUeUamTL8jbw/s320/IMG_0197.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div></div><div>I don't think they were too happy with me for what we just went through (and I can't blame them), but after w refueled and rested and played on the island, they cheered up. It was so funny, where they were sitting in this pic, stuffed up in a hole in the rock, someone stashed 4 stakes and 4 horse shoes, so Brian got them out, set them up, and he and Maddie played shoes for half an hour. Horseshoes on a deserted island!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Views from the island.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq0JPO4IDaEpc-SMYXw29JV1IITg961Bd1Qo0cxYEayNhnUDrjFVusGfl5rSwaOwQJM31VodGyTdbl1B8odKb6rmW4FbVWuofX6RnGXEy2J2nwgrY4NqwuDBcaKjLnOee1f0334fmp5uU/s1600-h/IMG_0200.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214956338250893922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq0JPO4IDaEpc-SMYXw29JV1IITg961Bd1Qo0cxYEayNhnUDrjFVusGfl5rSwaOwQJM31VodGyTdbl1B8odKb6rmW4FbVWuofX6RnGXEy2J2nwgrY4NqwuDBcaKjLnOee1f0334fmp5uU/s320/IMG_0200.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6GLwrCCTEeBHp9wH2-2I6QdrBz5F86TbXjJVg9DnUnTFeUmzeVKZxkK1lHMpg8Ttq0oD1mX5CE-c2Bh8Y4Vz5Y8tSooDmMgAlsmavjhqQgh4Soa-EtK8h8CRLiRavaYjD2N9euBT-59C/s1600-h/IMG_0198.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214956025931490034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6GLwrCCTEeBHp9wH2-2I6QdrBz5F86TbXjJVg9DnUnTFeUmzeVKZxkK1lHMpg8Ttq0oD1mX5CE-c2Bh8Y4Vz5Y8tSooDmMgAlsmavjhqQgh4Soa-EtK8h8CRLiRavaYjD2N9euBT-59C/s320/IMG_0198.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I talked to some boys who had hiked to the top of the island and saw a shark off the east end of the island (which is where we planned to snorkel while there), so after I told Maddie, there was no need to unload the snorkeling gear. We hiked around a bit. I met another gentleman, Bill, who was out there on a single man outrigger. He was 71 years old and said he was born on Oahu in 1939 (so was there when Pearl was bombed). Had a wonderful conversation. We saw another monk seal trying to come ashore to have a nap but found it to crowded for his tastes.</div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgxiNaBBQ7ISO6cfbje4NRMymShRmbTTePuWFmWsFouZepS4CK2dAztNyH8MmYxh1E9L-X2MLR6KFop3F92F7emrPFnWwXQkDb-vSqf0QMZjr1Qni8rP60aV3i6BytahmEMv7JdI09JSc/s1600-h/IMG_0203.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214959214552508834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgxiNaBBQ7ISO6cfbje4NRMymShRmbTTePuWFmWsFouZepS4CK2dAztNyH8MmYxh1E9L-X2MLR6KFop3F92F7emrPFnWwXQkDb-vSqf0QMZjr1Qni8rP60aV3i6BytahmEMv7JdI09JSc/s320/IMG_0203.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />So with the wind and with the waves we were back to the beach where we launched in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the effort (for which we were all thankful!) We treated ourselves to pizza and shaved ice in Kailua, drove home, cleaned up and relaxed for the evening...well deserved. Ahhhhhh.....<br /><div></div><div>Maddie found she got pretty burnt on the legs today...failed to sunscreen as requested....so tomorrow we will find things to do around here and get organized fo our flight to Kauai on Tuesday. I wanna try some more snorkeling where I heard the turtles hang out. Twas another fine day in Hawaii!!! Oh yeah..... Aloha!</div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yNdLAjSL_3VRx7bXSzkQ-b16GvVVKgRok00qVp8x_uP24au-b60jOB7yAVPABMGt-U-MRqGDKAWv7HHhb_YpRt1fa9RHJWzCURfYIAlO8NE6omV1c2D4MTkoH2Et1Txus-Mdun64NigM/s1600-h/IMG_0202.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214962367810056338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yNdLAjSL_3VRx7bXSzkQ-b16GvVVKgRok00qVp8x_uP24au-b60jOB7yAVPABMGt-U-MRqGDKAWv7HHhb_YpRt1fa9RHJWzCURfYIAlO8NE6omV1c2D4MTkoH2Et1Txus-Mdun64NigM/s320/IMG_0202.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EsHRcOCWTwf8cFkgtPxLgkB2p6lTh8DdVZLlDqaEProoxUHVbObNtpuhXxqgSTWUg3L8R14x97W2w8mbNhAaRKRGP2JWOo0NVvar_NIyMHfRrxO31yieyBDu4i5imGxWOiv_OHGv3ss4/s1600-h/IMG_0205.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214962665738386402" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EsHRcOCWTwf8cFkgtPxLgkB2p6lTh8DdVZLlDqaEProoxUHVbObNtpuhXxqgSTWUg3L8R14x97W2w8mbNhAaRKRGP2JWOo0NVvar_NIyMHfRrxO31yieyBDu4i5imGxWOiv_OHGv3ss4/s320/IMG_0205.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-2830034300460543602008-06-21T17:15:00.000-07:002008-06-21T17:44:40.019-07:00NM Gladiators 1 - CS Arsenal FC 2 SemifinalWell, our streak has ended in the semifinals once again. We started the game too slow (tired from yesterday's OT?) and went 2 goals down in the first 15 minutes. We finally got up to speed by halftime and in the second half put good pressure on them and got a goal. But alas, too few too late. Arsenal FC was a VERY fast, skilled team (as are all CA teams at this level) and it was a pleasure to watch 2 teams play the same style of possession, quick passing futbol. This was the first team we played that played our style...too bad they played it a bit better than us. Hats off to them and kudos to our boys for the valiant attempt at a Regional title!<br /><br />Soccer is done (for this trip) so let the vacation & adventures begin!! I will continue to update the blog with our daily adventures from here and Kauai. Today, Brian and Maddie are heading to Waimea Bay (the Rock) with different families. I have some free time and will try some snorkeling near here that I heard was quite good. Thanks for your support and attention! ALOHA! ScottVeggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-67910400775186589622008-06-20T20:06:00.000-07:002008-06-20T20:23:20.839-07:00NM Gladiators 2 - WA Crossfire 1 (2OT)Whoa...I aged a bit during this game. Early first half goal by Gladiators, early second half goal by WA, 1-1 at full time. We had 1 sub, they had 8, so the thought of two, 15-minute (No golden goal/sudden death) Overtime periods did not bode well for us. With 9 minutes left in the second OT period we had a free kick from ~5 yards outside the 18 yard box. Nico Muniz takes it, and drives it hard toward goal, deflecting off of their wall and in for the 2-1 lead and ultimate win. Our boys had to dig soooo deep for this one. WA had three >6'5", trees in their backfield (2 central defenders and their keeper) and the rest of the WA team was relentless with continuous fresh troops off the bench....continuous pressure and attacks at our goal. Huge credit to our boys to come out with a victory in this one!!! Well done.<br /><br />SO I believe we are the only NM team left in the tournament for the Semi-finals, and the only NON-California team in our semifinals! Quite a feat! Tomorrows semifinal game is at 10am against Cal-South Arsenal FC. We could use all the positive energy y'all have to send our way! Thanks and Aloha!Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-30161393008812134942008-06-19T23:40:00.000-07:002008-06-20T00:28:06.855-07:00Waimea Bay<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcGVjccI6CjebJzwodQEXF3gFwNBC6wyr5NXUp-14pGHkm4BeqqFkUI0hqjZxb2XQK3YXQ-OKVkvg4DLCgDg6nVZwg1-PyeqBmaBc8CiqUT740AkLFDzdf9BLdTO-1DKN6Hcn-4dVrIF8/s1600-h/IMG_0185.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213850346837672386" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcGVjccI6CjebJzwodQEXF3gFwNBC6wyr5NXUp-14pGHkm4BeqqFkUI0hqjZxb2XQK3YXQ-OKVkvg4DLCgDg6nVZwg1-PyeqBmaBc8CiqUT740AkLFDzdf9BLdTO-1DKN6Hcn-4dVrIF8/s320/IMG_0185.JPG" border="0" /></a>While Brian and his team trained and spent the day trying to stay rested and out of trouble, Maddie & I set off on another adventure, again, not too far from home. Today Maddie decided we were going to Waimea Bay and jump off the famous rock. I was game. So we left fairly early (930am) so we had a chance of getting a parking spot (which fill up and don't free up unless you hover around the parking lot for half an hour and are lucky enough to catch someone leaving). We scored and found a nice one (in partial shade even). Then we hiked to the rock to see what that was all about before we got the snorkeling gear and drinks and stuff out of the car. The rock wasn't crowded yet, so we decided to give it a go right there and then. On the pic below, we jumped from the opposite side shown. I walked up to the highest spot where I saw people jumping from and without stopping to think about it too long, jumped in. It was a blast! The water was ~12 feet deep at this time (changes with the tides) and it was plenty to land in. Maddie perched on a bit lower launch point, and it took about 15 minutes to finally coax her in...but she finally did it (during a driving rain shower that came swiftly though).<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytWh4HKjfbzefgwg_eklg1f3kYCAOcF_DHSK1a4Dmkbl6Tn15CZs9mWnzYx0MlgP41ouoYEfn32fr7aBacynWabHzSI5eBZAf-yzch_QoYrwHUv4JBHlcgZL00PAvHPrsJO92mDdIfBr8/s1600-h/IMG_0170.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213852490143740130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgytWh4HKjfbzefgwg_eklg1f3kYCAOcF_DHSK1a4Dmkbl6Tn15CZs9mWnzYx0MlgP41ouoYEfn32fr7aBacynWabHzSI5eBZAf-yzch_QoYrwHUv4JBHlcgZL00PAvHPrsJO92mDdIfBr8/s320/IMG_0170.JPG" border="0" /></a>I jumped twice more and Maddie once more before we figured we found a cool place and would set up camp for the day. We grabbed our junk from the car and went to the left of the rock where it looked primo for snorkeling...which it turned out to be. We spent most of the day enjoying the sights and sounds of this gorgeous bay. We swam with a couple of sea turtles, saw what we think was a baby barracuda (freaked Maddie out), and saw a buch of other amazing sea life. The snorkeling here was great, beat only by Shark's Cove so far. One of the turtles came to within a few feet of shore and was very friendly.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yfIZRJrHYIg-fuEiaLxbnkVU68D7Y5AbX0bngKKlzfd5Y8aXB5Xtu_IRfaAgoOAxJzOLOvovhpkd33o_8nGPRjc49nt1UFkO9KU_b_nOV7rxleFHy3WRH1N8nV1QPc05-3id5Za-iyfW/s1600-h/IMG_0174.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213861355016726082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yfIZRJrHYIg-fuEiaLxbnkVU68D7Y5AbX0bngKKlzfd5Y8aXB5Xtu_IRfaAgoOAxJzOLOvovhpkd33o_8nGPRjc49nt1UFkO9KU_b_nOV7rxleFHy3WRH1N8nV1QPc05-3id5Za-iyfW/s320/IMG_0174.JPG" border="0" /></a>You can see his fin as he swam out of frame in this pic. I just couldn't get a good shot of him. But we have him in our memories! It was a great day and I am glad to have my adventure girl with me. After we had our fill of the beach we hauled our stuff back to the car through the HOT, deep sand (it was our workout for the day...two round trips), and had a power nap under some trees in the grassy part of the park. Ahhhh. That's vacation. What day is this? What time is it? ...Who cares!!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="left"></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXySh8U8XxZsxOE87co3ENyv62OAVp9Jnq0lY20TZMxajaa4Q8ePaqx82hzsBfYYRaE9gZACs0RIYd2-x5USu1Ie5duelaqG9xHVmgCJC4YwaDE8vi51DyXRVGtdwAoqioIMIn1asNxiy/s1600-h/IMG_0183.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213858118307598162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXySh8U8XxZsxOE87co3ENyv62OAVp9Jnq0lY20TZMxajaa4Q8ePaqx82hzsBfYYRaE9gZACs0RIYd2-x5USu1Ie5duelaqG9xHVmgCJC4YwaDE8vi51DyXRVGtdwAoqioIMIn1asNxiy/s320/IMG_0183.JPG" border="0" /></a>After we left Waimea Bay we drove up to the ruins of an ancient Hawaiian Temple above the bay where we took these shots. Quite a view! We had a bird's eye view of the entire bay and everywhere we had just played.<br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /> </div><div>Maddie by the Temple ruins & an altar that was adjacent to the Temple ruins. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEQkDxyPcZlZQmYtD3fq1VBDtfAgTbOEGaBl0XwCF_jsZBArrNAmbSWq4NpjekjJjcJ3nwDybgqNZBw44vtX7Bxub23v3g9EVuZwg9aEKG_iJilaSC_KEFegh6dpdQyvqkwgWoqrcxg_y/s1600-h/IMG_0180.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213860788860021634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEQkDxyPcZlZQmYtD3fq1VBDtfAgTbOEGaBl0XwCF_jsZBArrNAmbSWq4NpjekjJjcJ3nwDybgqNZBw44vtX7Bxub23v3g9EVuZwg9aEKG_iJilaSC_KEFegh6dpdQyvqkwgWoqrcxg_y/s320/IMG_0180.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp1swFfZSOZY9fjSnxWMn2dwnHpNN2MaMoMJmGnAvzfnLYamhTeJdmx9yYxS2Sou2DVd9xby9y7WmJz75D3kD_xIkTanv5qXr-PHodlsRszB0XftG_tJdIeRay5qGKzLszX32WAcL-HTV/s1600-h/IMG_0179.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213858956553231362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp1swFfZSOZY9fjSnxWMn2dwnHpNN2MaMoMJmGnAvzfnLYamhTeJdmx9yYxS2Sou2DVd9xby9y7WmJz75D3kD_xIkTanv5qXr-PHodlsRszB0XftG_tJdIeRay5qGKzLszX32WAcL-HTV/s320/IMG_0179.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-83609073502483822812008-06-18T22:27:00.000-07:002008-06-18T22:46:46.858-07:00Afternoon walk on the beach...<div><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEQS-47nSphb_-FNzdFZOw0pU80zg3bDOCI1xMrwQ7tCGdLcja29odp9HgWLWbZkX6Gc4pyI0IiyyX0_riU9Zke-ftcVQvui4WErWv1GnMa3NPH1fd4MLeAjaIac2e5BAspkwb82oW4Ht/s1600-h/IMG_0158.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213461328169887682" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEQS-47nSphb_-FNzdFZOw0pU80zg3bDOCI1xMrwQ7tCGdLcja29odp9HgWLWbZkX6Gc4pyI0IiyyX0_riU9Zke-ftcVQvui4WErWv1GnMa3NPH1fd4MLeAjaIac2e5BAspkwb82oW4Ht/s320/IMG_0158.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="left">Royal Palm Slalom </div><div align="left"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUACGgprpG3_VbRhWZcbyEB0jiGRza0nGOxhPy7hyphenhyphencmR0WnLzsxNqvaZBi4H2xrAetFeniQsRVyYRxL6Lfkb5PJA1sA6AZfh_1pVplpE9Kbw5T5Fj4fsUfiJ8kVyrRhWhiM-z26ezH-P-G/s1600-h/IMG_0161.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213461853977470178" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUACGgprpG3_VbRhWZcbyEB0jiGRza0nGOxhPy7hyphenhyphencmR0WnLzsxNqvaZBi4H2xrAetFeniQsRVyYRxL6Lfkb5PJA1sA6AZfh_1pVplpE9Kbw5T5Fj4fsUfiJ8kVyrRhWhiM-z26ezH-P-G/s320/IMG_0161.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />High Tide On the Rocks</div><br /><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzFPwnndQtHhprU13NhlPMCmR78tB3_DVKuV5AAC8qcghbKCEvUSWoE32L7JOjafH_lxF8N-vopWMzqb9zt07BTSW_aF1Jtq0Aj1xuOqhS1yz3fKFJam-5FdSU3Fjl-Twhh0S7u0mzydX/s1600-h/IMG_0162.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213462500980693874" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzFPwnndQtHhprU13NhlPMCmR78tB3_DVKuV5AAC8qcghbKCEvUSWoE32L7JOjafH_lxF8N-vopWMzqb9zt07BTSW_aF1Jtq0Aj1xuOqhS1yz3fKFJam-5FdSU3Fjl-Twhh0S7u0mzydX/s320/IMG_0162.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div>View from the Dunes</div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1206Te0ZRPGbu8pG2NJ-KBcKf6yYRcov0qAeDyAArU-eFq3VaojtFuOrx715nDlTQP1TZHz7o2aSldt1apjLJfgPWi7Z6sH4jbuU9uV_OwAnQnqh9Mmya1gVW7RTpiWAEL6JjOSneFwJ/s1600-h/IMG_0165.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213462934800221666" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1206Te0ZRPGbu8pG2NJ-KBcKf6yYRcov0qAeDyAArU-eFq3VaojtFuOrx715nDlTQP1TZHz7o2aSldt1apjLJfgPWi7Z6sH4jbuU9uV_OwAnQnqh9Mmya1gVW7RTpiWAEL6JjOSneFwJ/s320/IMG_0165.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Tree in the Wind</div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_NOB7poJ-LoWxvomp0IycU58lw6fHYAxUsydUDBgDL7FYgKe8z_7ImDPZW8gdD3EFWu0kojzq8MWjQ1jvAfdx_0xPTRhZVfedJsGJ-z278dxFrSz9jCVjIhlASm9556Kms44f8iXcW6w/s1600-h/IMG_0167.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213463614831114178" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_NOB7poJ-LoWxvomp0IycU58lw6fHYAxUsydUDBgDL7FYgKe8z_7ImDPZW8gdD3EFWu0kojzq8MWjQ1jvAfdx_0xPTRhZVfedJsGJ-z278dxFrSz9jCVjIhlASm9556Kms44f8iXcW6w/s320/IMG_0167.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Trees in the Wind<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPvyLQSn0QR_36OMKeG5gcuUCDMFFPfFnjF2OEfU3sKv737ABTIEmTYa6ONfThxygSrZ2NKkK2y9OMExHc19yIBzjHIRtLhZnG0sBCMkxWXYQFSLlcVMsXk4R3s6aBH1cL5oAysixNkQF/s1600-h/IMG_0169.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213464150245140866" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPvyLQSn0QR_36OMKeG5gcuUCDMFFPfFnjF2OEfU3sKv737ABTIEmTYa6ONfThxygSrZ2NKkK2y9OMExHc19yIBzjHIRtLhZnG0sBCMkxWXYQFSLlcVMsXk4R3s6aBH1cL5oAysixNkQF/s320/IMG_0169.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Brian in a Major League Funk</div></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-71687554428192664772008-06-18T17:14:00.000-07:002008-06-18T17:25:13.138-07:00NM Gladiators 4 - OR FC Portland 0Another shutout and we came through bracket play in first place, which means quarter-finals vs WA on Friday. WA is a very tough team and this will by far be our biggest test to date. Today's game took a bit of a toll as our keeper tweaked his hip/back (a recurring injury with him) and one of our strikers tweaked his back (another injury that has given him problems over the years). Unfortunately, Brian did not go in at all today since Gabe didn't like the way he was favoring his ankle during warm-ups, not being able to plant and cut comfortably. This is proving to be yet another frustrating Regional tournament as far as Brian's playing time is going. Hopefully with another day of rest and strengthening, he will come out strong on Friday. I hope. I guess there is always the vacation aspect of this trip to look forward to...so silver linings.<br /><br />No adventures yet today, but we are going to break out of here soon and se what awaits us. Aloha for now! ScottVeggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-53967200851349715912008-06-17T20:24:00.000-07:002008-06-17T20:42:15.369-07:00NM Gladiators 5 - NV Premier 0<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90FSIuxpdSxXWl7YbQ5CxSwgRkRy3zQifUILHfF1ByIZXappWRHYvLzZS8nQ609v8d8pdwIrTsKEc33zgWuUOYvTIj04oCAJcOXCG7sqzvsffM_C5QlYYESwqtuw6o3N603cG2rkgt8v6/s1600-h/IMG_0051.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213061681160075218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90FSIuxpdSxXWl7YbQ5CxSwgRkRy3zQifUILHfF1ByIZXappWRHYvLzZS8nQ609v8d8pdwIrTsKEc33zgWuUOYvTIj04oCAJcOXCG7sqzvsffM_C5QlYYESwqtuw6o3N603cG2rkgt8v6/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This game unfolded much like the last...awhile to settle, 1-0 at halftime, 5-0 at full time. It was a 2pm game and we were extremely thankful for cloud cover and rain showers to keep things cool. NV was a small but very dirty team...cheap shots all game long that the less-than-capable referee deemed to let go (afraid to call or just inept) Brian got in in the second half and played the last 20 minutes to test out his ankles. He was still a bit shaky, but it will probably take a few games to build confidence in his stability after such a long time off (and get used to playing with both ankles taped up tight). It was just good to see him get a run out before the more intense games coming down the road. Mentally it was good for him to get out there and mix it up.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This win should get us out of bracket in first place (we need to tie or win tomorrow vs OR), for a quarter-final showdown with one of two very tough opponents, the WA or CA-S state champs, on Friday. Thursday is a day off (play day for Maddie & I), training and recovery for Brian. The boys are playing well as a team, and that is their strength and must continue if they hope to achieve their goal of going to Nationals!! We will see how it all plays out...fingers crossed. I will try to update again tomorrow after the 10am game vs OR. Aloha for today!</div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-10829464387238867862008-06-17T13:56:00.000-07:002008-06-17T14:15:02.235-07:00Maddie, Me & the Monk Seal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSFJFkwxgeuBkImd-p30-VrSxfGSfEHOvwc2P9wICmoCN4785SxBhq0P6ejQPu_s2LOolZgnLmmGeeaO3J6iL68l5liTmuwzxIS2nvmoAAbRVY8dr_9KAYMySgWWwt9Up-MHzZaXVOylX/s1600-h/IMG_0154.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212957399067507426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSFJFkwxgeuBkImd-p30-VrSxfGSfEHOvwc2P9wICmoCN4785SxBhq0P6ejQPu_s2LOolZgnLmmGeeaO3J6iL68l5liTmuwzxIS2nvmoAAbRVY8dr_9KAYMySgWWwt9Up-MHzZaXVOylX/s320/IMG_0154.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>So I was telling Maddie last night that sometimes you have to work a bit to have a memorable adventure. On the way back from dinner last night walking to the condo, the only work we had to do was to look up and view the near-full moon glistening through the palm trees..<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ahhhhhh</span>. Today's work involved another hike. It started out as a search for a nearby place to snorkel. We walked past Turtle Bay where we played in the surf last week (then it was murky, today it was crystal clear) and we vowed to return and snorkel the reefs we spied this morning. We continued eastward down the beach (a wonderful, sunny morning with a cool onshore breeze to cool us) and were just walking and talking. Maddie asked what these holes in the sand were, and I explained that crabs dig them out and hang down there. A few minutes later I hear Maddie hyperventilating, thinking she spotted one of the crabs we talked about. Instead I look back and see a 500 pound Monk (I think) seal!!! I was walking in the surf and must of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">walked</span> within a foot of his head (see pic), and Maddie was walking above him thinking it was a rock, when his tail flipper swung around and scared the breath (an other things) out of her. We both nearly tripped over this thing without even noticing it! We laughed so hard...how could we miss a 500 pound seal?! We stopped and took some pics and had a great time laughing at ourselves. So a day we thought would be all soccer again had a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">snippet</span> of wonder awaiting us...we just had to get out and walk and the Universe delivered...awesome. How grateful we were! More later after the game...Aloha!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqwBNsgerKuR475dqS6n4qHavGuODyoF-3P2Xa_6ad9F9XJqt2mKqxVQojgCAmg-7kjR2XURoVarm-NK2ZIxv9GExVtS7eRA7Zg56dus6uBDh0mnQHjYI3ztg6Sa_B4q5Xz2noF23wT5F/s1600-h/IMG_0150.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212961499435924178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqwBNsgerKuR475dqS6n4qHavGuODyoF-3P2Xa_6ad9F9XJqt2mKqxVQojgCAmg-7kjR2XURoVarm-NK2ZIxv9GExVtS7eRA7Zg56dus6uBDh0mnQHjYI3ztg6Sa_B4q5Xz2noF23wT5F/s320/IMG_0150.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-66068454337445314142008-06-16T18:36:00.000-07:002008-06-16T19:02:25.328-07:00NM Gladiators 5 - CO Storm 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XGrAAzQJXuL7rXdm7xSNEyOb9ox5gqZmGweYKmiBktfo2uRiJ5UiT9gSAz9_qo1zRD4f8tk7723bBQOSkA1BeJZeDgcf-wRfGj7N1rtBbul4FEjdJgnQ7sR5YhucLE-6G3Wnz-Dhyphenhyphen6ha/s1600-h/IMG_0148.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212658648145365234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XGrAAzQJXuL7rXdm7xSNEyOb9ox5gqZmGweYKmiBktfo2uRiJ5UiT9gSAz9_qo1zRD4f8tk7723bBQOSkA1BeJZeDgcf-wRfGj7N1rtBbul4FEjdJgnQ7sR5YhucLE-6G3Wnz-Dhyphenhyphen6ha/s200/IMG_0148.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br />5am wake up, eat, drive, warm-up, 8am kickoff!! Let the games begin! We started off as well as could be expected...5-1 versus the team we thought would be our toughest, in-bracket rival. Winning that first game (and scoring some goals, to boot) really relieves alot of pressure...so, phew....until tomorrow when we match up against the NV state champs. The complex is very nice and immediately adjacent to Pearl Harbor. Quite a setting. As Maddie and I watched the second half, we were facing west and it came to both of us that the view was amazingly similar to the view in Bernalillo looking toward the Sandias! I will try to capture the shot tomorrow. The game started (as usual) with both teams coming out strong and getting over the 'first game jitters'. It takes about 20 minutes to settle things down, and after that, the Gladiators were clearly controlling the flow of the game (which doesn't necessarily translate into winnning). We were knocking on the door quite a few times, and CO had a few counters, but we ended up poking one in for the 1-0 lead. That score stood until halftime. In the second half, again, both teams came out strong and aggressive. It settled a bit quicker this half, and we went up 3-0 with only 10 minutes gone in the half. Soon CO scored after we gave the ball away in our half, and the comfy 3 goal cushion was gone, as CO continued to pressure. Once we settled again, and pressured them back, 2 goals (a 3rd was called back on offside) made it a comfortable win without any nail biting. Way to go Gladiators...great start to the tournament. (As expected, Brian did not play today, although he warmed up at probably 70 % speed. He is going to try to get in the game tomorrow. It has to be painful to watch from the sideline) Anyway, today is turning out to be a 'soccer day'...no good adventures. We are co-hosting the team dinner tonight so we had to shop at Costco and are going to start putting it all together soon. I hope Maddie and I can sneak out tomorrow morning and find a new hot spot before the soccer game at 2pm! Aloha for today...the cooking has begun and I gotta run!Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-39104476936207392862008-06-15T22:10:00.000-07:002008-06-15T23:15:10.198-07:00Kawela Bay<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1Bq4D4fRfwjAI-LhiEVexHzLxqH9bAu39hASUppue0NI3HQSfLq0GwY7P5DjEtf7w2oROQwMoxl7zk34krypAKdDjk5AWIGSdn-iMEtMu_irSfgZv7UM5yj7JJbg0hup2fYY_vobo73Z/s1600-h/IMG_0134.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212355281990342514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 205px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1Bq4D4fRfwjAI-LhiEVexHzLxqH9bAu39hASUppue0NI3HQSfLq0GwY7P5DjEtf7w2oROQwMoxl7zk34krypAKdDjk5AWIGSdn-iMEtMu_irSfgZv7UM5yj7JJbg0hup2fYY_vobo73Z/s200/IMG_0134.JPG" width="224" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yDZsBUXfXkPzWMonOeKwDj_lW0qwjlUGmU64sEtSEwBxk05lzAcAAFKLer33AqBIb49tmD94tfTC0mYGjRmau1VTF5g6q3WWK17ZOoS4NFEwCAo3Lu_hI6crpXOZ3BKVbJ_zlc4ChNNU/s1600-h/IMG_0138.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212358204782421794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 204px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yDZsBUXfXkPzWMonOeKwDj_lW0qwjlUGmU64sEtSEwBxk05lzAcAAFKLer33AqBIb49tmD94tfTC0mYGjRmau1VTF5g6q3WWK17ZOoS4NFEwCAo3Lu_hI6crpXOZ3BKVbJ_zlc4ChNNU/s200/IMG_0138.JPG" width="207" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>Today was a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">relatively</span> slow day...peaceful and quiet. I have been wanting to hike to a nearby, but little known bay called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kawela</span> Bay since reading about it in my guidebook...for 2 reasons. One, it's isolation. Two, scenes from the TV show 'Lost' were filmed there. Again, with Brian at training, Maddie and I set off to find this hidden treasure (with the help of our full-time resident condo neighbor Linda...thanks Linda!) I gotta say the journey was every bit as excellent as the destination (as is usually the case when we pay attention). It was ~2 mile hike, maybe less, along the coast and in and out of the bordering 'jungle'. Wow. I am hooked. Maddie was less enthused since we were hiking fast and it was hot and we were getting the sweat going good. When we arrived, what awaited us is captured in the pic above right...tropical wonder. Deserted except a few fishermen, a couple of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">kayakers</span> and the two of us. We had to hurry back to go retrieve Brian, so it was about face and hike quickly home. But I knew I was coming back...which I did at ~4pm this afternoon by myself (I couldn't convince Maddie to return and Brian was doing 'soccer things') SO off I went with 1.5 liters of w<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFlM5EOrK8ZSTzkwBYR0_SpFNrMuRPZ_znKKCVZbNqspRMnYfigsWqnE-FNo2zOSYG-2Znz-KQfA1NgMOyEY2rySh23eSyglzKtrrcBW6XH41XeGFFJ01j0A1qAs29YWlUbX1mnBddIYI/s1600-h/IMG_0145.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212347197770872082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFlM5EOrK8ZSTzkwBYR0_SpFNrMuRPZ_znKKCVZbNqspRMnYfigsWqnE-FNo2zOSYG-2Znz-KQfA1NgMOyEY2rySh23eSyglzKtrrcBW6XH41XeGFFJ01j0A1qAs29YWlUbX1mnBddIYI/s200/IMG_0145.JPG" width="223" border="0" /></a>ater and my snorkeling gear. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212347685444446130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 201px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRNheSNOFGJiwigX7IQqQrsNWlK6E6tRMZ209moK-yo_m10y7PrGlPJ353NvtMSCcZwNXRpNz_qySCDau-ErA2k6_dK8tHbrExiTRg9-9E1em0gZFUZkwKD62QzK8DFuwT8oG9vvVPEj1/s200/IMG_0144.JPG" width="220" border="0" /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Again, the hike was other worldly, and what I saw when I arrived, you see here...a beautiful, nearly-deserted, peaceful paradise. The sun warmed me, the breeze cooled me, the surf soothed me...as I sat and looked about me in wonder...absolutely heaven on earth. As my buddy Pete would say...it brought a tear to my eye. After soaking this all in for awhile I tried the snorkeling here, but the bay was very murky, so I decided to try my luck at a spot I noticed on the hike in. That was much better, but a bit rough and not as much sea life as Shark's Cove (still the best snorkeling we have had).</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRSenlhtadnkoL47LSS7sBxU5w-4F_cNLmwWHYET1FaoioLqxJ0kB23Z6UFgIQk2RBUufZVa7h6EeXFUIAmruU8_vt-n2we11j8_5MJ87Tk8pajs0EzIjuM9Wzh_ysno-mV_mf0JhR60G/s1600-h/IMG_0136.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212350413757502530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRSenlhtadnkoL47LSS7sBxU5w-4F_cNLmwWHYET1FaoioLqxJ0kB23Z6UFgIQk2RBUufZVa7h6EeXFUIAmruU8_vt-n2we11j8_5MJ87Tk8pajs0EzIjuM9Wzh_ysno-mV_mf0JhR60G/s200/IMG_0136.JPG" width="220" border="0" /></a></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAoQhYO2jqrD9CUT_vFecubwdcD1kGkQUY9cU-V_3kf6tp-ES8tDuE4fepAGMVwamlQjq2xRLC-u7_y8t6hZg31K2jxXQ1k5Iv2lU9KL1cWK3bSwkpjWsyhfXR5H9NYyH4jB9SRDZQkY3/s1600-h/IMG_0135.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212354950164793922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 197px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAoQhYO2jqrD9CUT_vFecubwdcD1kGkQUY9cU-V_3kf6tp-ES8tDuE4fepAGMVwamlQjq2xRLC-u7_y8t6hZg31K2jxXQ1k5Iv2lU9KL1cWK3bSwkpjWsyhfXR5H9NYyH4jB9SRDZQkY3/s200/IMG_0135.JPG" width="221" border="0" /></a></div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAoQhYO2jqrD9CUT_vFecubwdcD1kGkQUY9cU-V_3kf6tp-ES8tDuE4fepAGMVwamlQjq2xRLC-u7_y8t6hZg31K2jxXQ1k5Iv2lU9KL1cWK3bSwkpjWsyhfXR5H9NYyH4jB9SRDZQkY3/s1600-h/IMG_0135.JPG"></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div>Ah well, tomorrow the soccer games begin (with a 530 am departure from the condo...ugh. So the adventures may slow as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">futbol</span> kicks into gear, bu we will keep you updated regardless. Tomorrow (Monday) we play Colorado, probably the toughest team in our bracket...so it should be a battle. Brian will probably not play as his foot is still not 100% and Gabe (his coach) doesn't want to chance it yet (everyone will have to be 100% tomorrow). I will let you know what happens. Aloha for today. May the peace I felt today be with you all. </div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-89245388460722006472008-06-15T11:09:00.000-07:002008-06-15T12:12:52.036-07:00Sunset Beach to Pali Lookout<div><div><div><div><div><div>OK..so when you fanatasize about what a Hawaiian paradise looks like (at least when I did) Sunset Beach is the picture that probably comes to mind. Four miles of deep, white sand beach, crystal clear water, rolling surf, towering green mountains behind you, palm trees to laze beneath...it has it all. This is one of the beaches that forms the famed North Shore surfing mecca. The Banzai Pipeline is near (looking west in the 2nd image). The waves now are small (1-2 feet), but in the winter surfing season transform into 60 foot man-eating monsters!!<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6i9qoZxS5d4lu_JjI02i9L6lzfG-EQdN-6IV-xbeeyECAYV7iZZPhiuPDGeJxViZCojZEDU_pqXW0l4Zbw_JFB4LOAtNjdxuJUDc5YGsNPOrfVvDMo1Wb4QumIcV00Vu4XgXjpwC7UwkI/s1600-h/IMG_0066.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212172869382037474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6i9qoZxS5d4lu_JjI02i9L6lzfG-EQdN-6IV-xbeeyECAYV7iZZPhiuPDGeJxViZCojZEDU_pqXW0l4Zbw_JFB4LOAtNjdxuJUDc5YGsNPOrfVvDMo1Wb4QumIcV00Vu4XgXjpwC7UwkI/s200/IMG_0066.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVINzfKdIVVFy8XuKt20tz0mCneW6qQPfneCvDpi1KdMMZt-W5y0UGltaLgD9rAs__GhRmoJ_WWepj7efRiDMTuL_ZfnsykumvoFb2uD3CdIAMZp3vupfuEVlzohJWRMWfu9t4nMYjtb0/s1600-h/IMG_0061.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212172550814043730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVINzfKdIVVFy8XuKt20tz0mCneW6qQPfneCvDpi1KdMMZt-W5y0UGltaLgD9rAs__GhRmoJ_WWepj7efRiDMTuL_ZfnsykumvoFb2uD3CdIAMZp3vupfuEVlzohJWRMWfu9t4nMYjtb0/s200/IMG_0061.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div> </div><div>When we arrived about 9 am the beach was virtually empty and we spotted the palm tree (in the 1st photo) and made camp there...for some shade and for the ambience. Little did we know that it would attract tons of picture snapping tourists as the day proceeded, since it was, as I said, what you picture when you picture Hawaiian paradise. And we were parked right in the middle of it! Nice... Soon after we arrived, we spotted Ted Kim and his family (Christina, Josh, Zach) heading tward the palm tree (it attraced them as well!), so we shared the shade and a fun morning of frisbee, footbal, snorkeling, swimming, sipping cool coconut milk and enjoying the beauty surroundin us! Words can't describe. Soon after we got there, Maddie & I ran/strolled to the point in the pic below. As we approached we ran into a gentleman walking his dog and playing catch with a stick in the surf (the dog was lovin' it!).</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uEQBYLq69EZIf9kntjqRwPsEzeV9WQXUrNkUJmX81_K-WQCGQgsPl_RgCTUTDQ7ycvdDbTKI1vLesuC7k80mMrGP8lC9M8p0Bv6BNMf9_BrmwABbCqUWpniBpAp5oLfl7CnrF0_c1nm6/s1600-h/IMG_0064.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212176859205455314" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uEQBYLq69EZIf9kntjqRwPsEzeV9WQXUrNkUJmX81_K-WQCGQgsPl_RgCTUTDQ7ycvdDbTKI1vLesuC7k80mMrGP8lC9M8p0Bv6BNMf9_BrmwABbCqUWpniBpAp5oLfl7CnrF0_c1nm6/s200/IMG_0064.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1J_kGAKxpBi0IcvbWveqQlYjdnbzmwkz-YbWQ0c18oWrTavm9osBiftH4wIhpBll3xMyA1c2rQxufMF2kje6sOlNwfYwDg_gVWDXvbiBgWB9xvPBmEZxB11qRltyl6f7ZQHDMcdUH0oC/s1600-h/IMG_0059.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212177112344872098" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1J_kGAKxpBi0IcvbWveqQlYjdnbzmwkz-YbWQ0c18oWrTavm9osBiftH4wIhpBll3xMyA1c2rQxufMF2kje6sOlNwfYwDg_gVWDXvbiBgWB9xvPBmEZxB11qRltyl6f7ZQHDMcdUH0oC/s200/IMG_0059.JPG" border="0" /></a>We struck up a conversation and ended up gabbing for the next half hour. His name was Carl and it turns out he is an old-school surfer who moved to Hawaii from NoCal back in 1974 at the age of 18 with $2 in his pocket to surf the famous Hawaiian waves. He said he slept in a parking garage until he made enough money working at a fish market to afford rent and get off the street. He was the one who told us about the 60 foot, North Shore winter waves. He updates <a href="http://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/">http://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/</a> with live webcams of the waves at Sunset Beach, and the daily surf report. Check it out...you can see real-time vids of the waves off Sunset (3 miles dow the road from where we are staying). We had a great conversation and many laughs (it's amazing the people you meet when you extend yourself a little). He recommended a surf school for lessons so we hope to take advantage once the soccer business is complete! Thanks Carl!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AqG7LWLvPZWh6MCl1MWFFaGxiWHityLVmPVG1B6wGgBRh9RdNr43vYJtdWZXEucCujrKFN2GlFNb2n4yaQ7knZI9v9x9dkxLZwvGXdB_-spK3NnDCloVEXi7VWDkrM-IAxNLiJcMUIrJ/s1600-h/IMG_0075.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212180809293396226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AqG7LWLvPZWh6MCl1MWFFaGxiWHityLVmPVG1B6wGgBRh9RdNr43vYJtdWZXEucCujrKFN2GlFNb2n4yaQ7knZI9v9x9dkxLZwvGXdB_-spK3NnDCloVEXi7VWDkrM-IAxNLiJcMUIrJ/s200/IMG_0075.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppwSr_OVXBDiJN9Agjm6wFRhE4zUqkaApQsPw6gsQO8FIBlErKdCG4Q47zWNxEMAWF6CEcl4Dgj-eqoLEbfEYxEmXnS5mTbAFm82igzXh5jA9iCes1f2rjJKleFCxnlneBNR-_XT-sb9s/s1600-h/IMG_0093.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212181469347922082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppwSr_OVXBDiJN9Agjm6wFRhE4zUqkaApQsPw6gsQO8FIBlErKdCG4Q47zWNxEMAWF6CEcl4Dgj-eqoLEbfEYxEmXnS5mTbAFm82igzXh5jA9iCes1f2rjJKleFCxnlneBNR-_XT-sb9s/s200/IMG_0093.JPG" border="0" /></a>After chillin' out and having some lunch back at the condo, we had to make a trip back to Honolulu to exchange cars at the airport. After messing with the traffic back there (so glad we are on the North Shore!), we took a cruise to Pali Lookout, which is through the mountains that separate the south part of Oahu from the east. Maddie was going wild with the camera and snapped the self portrait and a pic on the way above. The view from Pali is hard to describe and harder to capture on camera, here are a few. We had some good laughs as the wind buffetted us atop the emerald cliffs!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZCAT7OTrrsThWGcwLIJy2KunwBwuAKOc6a90b5FVcs1bPoBYB46I9gaOiSLlmPIh9KCQZbbxJJ0-2wisYUTyTZHntgAJ6sQebMzIPHnt-gliJ-XHlg7fYq_p0pKBzhJWDWJTlacRRoeA/s1600-h/IMG_0128.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212184486741163458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZCAT7OTrrsThWGcwLIJy2KunwBwuAKOc6a90b5FVcs1bPoBYB46I9gaOiSLlmPIh9KCQZbbxJJ0-2wisYUTyTZHntgAJ6sQebMzIPHnt-gliJ-XHlg7fYq_p0pKBzhJWDWJTlacRRoeA/s200/IMG_0128.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONDqnQ0i9CoRulxzDmyVypDHZV8z3hFt-esluJQL6NOTpxoWvPNU6RuEkLEF1DUEc3s4xOxKUVqB9RdsWxWEgT5VzuyHipWStmz4LEwTBtfVqw8ge55fsqW0SUYKOfZ8lBpMOhXuhWo27/s1600-h/IMG_0111.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212184191797934738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONDqnQ0i9CoRulxzDmyVypDHZV8z3hFt-esluJQL6NOTpxoWvPNU6RuEkLEF1DUEc3s4xOxKUVqB9RdsWxWEgT5VzuyHipWStmz4LEwTBtfVqw8ge55fsqW0SUYKOfZ8lBpMOhXuhWo27/s200/IMG_0111.JPG" border="0" /></a> Somehow we let the Nuvi take us all the way back toward Honolulu on the way home (you have to be careful what you ask for), so the drive home was back the same way we came ( I meant to go a different way). We just went with the flow and stopped in Hale'iwa @ Killer Taco for a nice late evening burrito which we chomped down while watching surfing videos they had playing. Back in the condo we fell asleep watching 'Elf', yes, a Christmas movie filmed NYC while in Hawaii in June. We laughed our butts off...Will Ferrell is great! Aloha for today....more adventures await!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9_CWCEAcXhbJnS83e3c-GDgy26RGItyueVR2qxtyfXjrlqjuko7ECs0onagNJfmtkirG2_XICsW2wpsSIb7_u2dLzIKMg5bERDAL86trw1E52IRuLorBJaypn6arwFUjL3qJq11O6uBM/s1600-h/IMG_0109.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212184736257998770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9_CWCEAcXhbJnS83e3c-GDgy26RGItyueVR2qxtyfXjrlqjuko7ECs0onagNJfmtkirG2_XICsW2wpsSIb7_u2dLzIKMg5bERDAL86trw1E52IRuLorBJaypn6arwFUjL3qJq11O6uBM/s200/IMG_0109.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyhRjH7uRLnyvmkhs0wNiaUKB15DDHsO1sT9a469wD_vniCsCYmpY-2dmRbKSJgF3w1qMqNL3nqgm90_VlAeuo8-8Yho85fkyvxV8D_Yv5ThT1id1JkZqq3BXjBX2mg0Cm_qfGX2EJDrJ/s1600-h/IMG_0108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212185202178664946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyhRjH7uRLnyvmkhs0wNiaUKB15DDHsO1sT9a469wD_vniCsCYmpY-2dmRbKSJgF3w1qMqNL3nqgm90_VlAeuo8-8Yho85fkyvxV8D_Yv5ThT1id1JkZqq3BXjBX2mg0Cm_qfGX2EJDrJ/s200/IMG_0108.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-62589711593712682952008-06-14T10:13:00.001-07:002008-06-14T10:54:11.650-07:00Getting Pounded @ Pounders Beach!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyZftojI3Y2gkjpMq7deS9vwDLIaVmQFbc2PIqsJYdwUursDgqtEHiJvYQ2ViMyaiDjJ-etYjUA0KB9RxEb2UOanvOB9n6pnL-9yjWW7QfjyVskTX8ZUnXN1knRU1VF9spA9Z06ELj1VE/s1600-h/IMG_0046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211787355141000034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyZftojI3Y2gkjpMq7deS9vwDLIaVmQFbc2PIqsJYdwUursDgqtEHiJvYQ2ViMyaiDjJ-etYjUA0KB9RxEb2UOanvOB9n6pnL-9yjWW7QfjyVskTX8ZUnXN1knRU1VF9spA9Z06ELj1VE/s200/IMG_0046.JPG" border="0" /></a> As was the drill the previous day, "Maddie the Adventure Girl" and I explored for cool places to hang out for the day whilst Brian was training. Today we didn't have to go too far. We found our thrills at Laie Beach Park, a.k.a 'Pounders Beach' by the locals. Well named, as the surf there taught us some respect for the power of the ocean...we got pounded! At first, Maddie was a bit hesitant, but I coaxed her in and tried to teach her how to deal with waves and undertow. In her usual spirit, she was a quick study and all over it...playing in the waves, boogie boarding a bit, and body surfing. It was wild. We knew we would be coming back after picking up Brian and having some lunch.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhYhp7R86lwPFwffJvWGQZjeGIKvwA7DiYDuVQm5ttY3iwP48HLA5Ds0BfsDziFrshG7Nes0neb3xywG-LBw1vr2mDwX41eBiPNdeBYrEYPiJV44JF0eyLnDljGY_sGcfRk-etsbSFVv1/s1600-h/IMG_0042.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211789352665301746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhYhp7R86lwPFwffJvWGQZjeGIKvwA7DiYDuVQm5ttY3iwP48HLA5Ds0BfsDziFrshG7Nes0neb3xywG-LBw1vr2mDwX41eBiPNdeBYrEYPiJV44JF0eyLnDljGY_sGcfRk-etsbSFVv1/s200/IMG_0042.JPG" border="0" /></a> It was high tide when Maddie & I first got there, so we figured after lunch things would calm down a bit with the waves. Well, we were wrong! The waves were actually more gianormous at 3 o'clock when we returned. I am not great at estimating wave height, but I swear ther were waves that reached 7 feet (which doesn't sound big unless you are standind in front of one that is cresting!) So within 15 minutes with a boogie board, Brian gets crunched by a wave, snaps the boogie board, and tweaks his already weak right foot...great.... So he is out of the water (he is OK...walked it off and got back in later to battle some more). Maddie & I are out there re-calibrating to the new waves heights when this monster catches us off guard...I did a couple of sommersaults beneath the foam and lost Maddie in the chaos...and come up looking for her, only to see her 10 m away with her butt crack showing since the wave undressed her a bit! We both looked at each other with the same thought in mind...WHOA!!!!! We all came away from Pounders with a few souvenirs...scrapes, bruises, tweaks...and most importantly, a renewed <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyrZj0tdSauk9NsJ59ni1f82-_5FmhAykY5RHsA-UNy0M68dIU780FwLDZ2q7830JG10c1RXpIkyvMI4AeigRyCun750W8vicC0losZnUTFbADjw4N-ZqeZDuUG4SMsqykGfPeR3QBNgj/s1600-h/IMG_0049.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211793159503378354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQyrZj0tdSauk9NsJ59ni1f82-_5FmhAykY5RHsA-UNy0M68dIU780FwLDZ2q7830JG10c1RXpIkyvMI4AeigRyCun750W8vicC0losZnUTFbADjw4N-ZqeZDuUG4SMsqykGfPeR3QBNgj/s200/IMG_0049.JPG" border="0" /></a>respect of the power of Mother Nature. It was a blast. Oh yeah, as we rinsed off the salt water, Brian found a new friend, Steve, the baby Geko. They became fast friends... that is until Brian dropped him and almost stepped on him. Then we said goodbye to Steve and 'Pounders'...ouch. We stopped for Chinese at a little dive in Laie that my guidebook recommended, which was very good, then got our first shaved ice of the trip for dessert. The 'smalls' were about the size of Maddie's head! While we were having dessert, enjoying the weather, we hear this car alarm go off in the parking lot. I am thinking...that sounds like about where I parked. I walk over and sure enough...the car is going nuts. All the doors were unlocked and now the keyless entry doesn't work anymore. What the heck?! I wonder if I wasn't supposed to be swimming all day with the keys in my board shorts??!! Fussy electronics, I guess. SO to top the night off, we go home, get showers, start settling in and getting comfy after a hard day at the beach...and Maddie ends up barfing up all of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchrevKs0Gz9c628HftbgbD-YXwrR74rzvM6XKVESX_ek2-jAxCY0g_FxApqxiiA6iGZoRSJ5kaOP52gsGMJxbNwUN_6iqa3oQEpGNx5RFGrwba3LuXa3ShzfRKMsea62b8Y0ya_zNxzjt/s1600-h/IMG_0050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211795212907875650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchrevKs0Gz9c628HftbgbD-YXwrR74rzvM6XKVESX_ek2-jAxCY0g_FxApqxiiA6iGZoRSJ5kaOP52gsGMJxbNwUN_6iqa3oQEpGNx5RFGrwba3LuXa3ShzfRKMsea62b8Y0ya_zNxzjt/s200/IMG_0050.JPG" border="0" /></a>her dinner and dessert AND then some!! Poor baby girl...something didn't sit right..even though she said dinner was excellent and the shave ice was good. She is OK...just purged what was in there and that was it. She felt better almost right away, and even better this morning...so all is well...phew. Anyway...enough for now. Have to exchange cars in Honolulu today by 6pm so we may do Pearl Harbor on our way...we will see how the day unfolds. ALOHA for now...Scott, Maddie & Brian!Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-4744536446335686682008-06-13T11:14:00.000-07:002008-06-13T12:01:55.078-07:00Aloha from the North Shore!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnj19CX1v5k2P-1U0A4sOLHZ9TSD77Znv5nPEWJZlJiuxEv94f6NNOrmEDzrzXE11Et6VADqrB8Xrq6_iNBzLH2nWOAP60ulX3gOuco4hPFcvAmetXA_KEpnvqVzW-eOdB2G3TvkRWF_4/s1600-h/IMG_0023.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211440457218446306" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnj19CX1v5k2P-1U0A4sOLHZ9TSD77Znv5nPEWJZlJiuxEv94f6NNOrmEDzrzXE11Et6VADqrB8Xrq6_iNBzLH2nWOAP60ulX3gOuco4hPFcvAmetXA_KEpnvqVzW-eOdB2G3TvkRWF_4/s200/IMG_0023.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is right outside our condo! Brings a tear to your eye!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM31PHlXC7TyyLLoK6JsGmRiGsqLsn7qZiK4oICAH6ggUmGbOEv3Q_reZOiq-XJJUwO64jNa9rY0MzNn66bgNLeOaSUlR0OnCywwsYbc-wOgBn7DI-Fo48SQxfou0pUe4c64_4QFwjPglq/s1600-h/IMG_0030.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211434191458855634" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM31PHlXC7TyyLLoK6JsGmRiGsqLsn7qZiK4oICAH6ggUmGbOEv3Q_reZOiq-XJJUwO64jNa9rY0MzNn66bgNLeOaSUlR0OnCywwsYbc-wOgBn7DI-Fo48SQxfou0pUe4c64_4QFwjPglq/s200/IMG_0030.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We arrived safely after a smooth flight on Wednesday, June 11 and our Nuvi guided us flawlessly to Costco in Waipio, and then on to our condo at Turtle Bay on the North Shore of Oahu. The property is somewhat dated, but comfotable and so much better than staying in a tiny hotel room in Honolulu. It is more laid back and peaceful up here, with near empty beaches every couple of miles in either direction. Unbelieveable!! What a change from NM! From brown, dry & 10% humidity to GREEN, water everywhere & ~100% humidity. It is a nice change.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO9Ha26lC2H-cnsMxjBeliu_PASfwij6EMlrD-vLVhJ56pno8gwFGYuw-Vtm7xw80er2qsTMlvhGiq5tq3sbbf1bc5Q2PQru22u4Zj9MKCvW3ESa9_TELtxfGpAA174s7aW8plzgedq0N/s1600-h/IMG_0027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211433251847591314" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO9Ha26lC2H-cnsMxjBeliu_PASfwij6EMlrD-vLVhJ56pno8gwFGYuw-Vtm7xw80er2qsTMlvhGiq5tq3sbbf1bc5Q2PQru22u4Zj9MKCvW3ESa9_TELtxfGpAA174s7aW8plzgedq0N/s200/IMG_0027.JPG" border="0" /></a>B</div><div>Brian's foot and ankle are healing nicely and he is training lightly on it with his team (10-12am daily) before the tournament begins. Hopefully he will be full strength by Monday when play begins! Maddie and I have been the explorers while Brain is training. We scout out the spots that we want to revisit when Brian is done with practice. The arch is at Lihue Point and the beach is Malaekahana State Park...we are going to swim to the small island in the distance during low tide (~500 yds offshore) The surf was pretty rough at this beach...Maddie and I tried boogie boarding unsuccessfully here, but had fun in the waves nonetheless (sand in all cracks and cevasses!) In the afternoon, we all went snorkelling at Shark's Cove and experienced some fabulous sealife. The kids got to swim with a sea turtle their very first time out! Maddie was strong and did well even in deeper water. We even saw many of the colorful state fish...Humuhumunukunukuapuaa!</div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uzKSIH5hdiUmL7Bbr7lrOMMi1evyqX9IIV1VBMM44I7sbejeFGpQBVETc1h49o0IbrJuF2KPuQDCdFdSjP4LZlbP6e1S5uGz_TqeJ7UcJYY2V8F7aEFq_qT0tVHqbGGw-3lrQFsADtLG/s1600-h/IMG_0036.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211439285241784978" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uzKSIH5hdiUmL7Bbr7lrOMMi1evyqX9IIV1VBMM44I7sbejeFGpQBVETc1h49o0IbrJuF2KPuQDCdFdSjP4LZlbP6e1S5uGz_TqeJ7UcJYY2V8F7aEFq_qT0tVHqbGGw-3lrQFsADtLG/s200/IMG_0036.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Today we are looking for a hard to find bay where they shot some scenes from the TV show 'Lost' (which Brian andI love, there are quite a few sites around Oahu where they did filming), and going to a beach called 'Pounders' to try our hand at boogie boarding again. Trying to take full avantage of our time here in Paradise! More later from today's adventures! <br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO9Ha26lC2H-cnsMxjBeliu_PASfwij6EMlrD-vLVhJ56pno8gwFGYuw-Vtm7xw80er2qsTMlvhGiq5tq3sbbf1bc5Q2PQru22u4Zj9MKCvW3ESa9_TELtxfGpAA174s7aW8plzgedq0N/s1600-h/IMG_0027.JPG"></a></div></div></div></div>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8769079700955809879.post-55609704241878450372008-06-01T17:42:00.000-07:002008-06-01T17:46:08.082-07:00Wildflower from the backyard.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6Oe5neNsed1eFYaCm9usoOa1Np2wc_gDzJfHzNMiKNcPlWsUsx_W2wNVTA_MOx5MjD5Fg_5cpgmnPm4CpjOa8JxwfO7hTs8AWXQiNI5p1HmbI5wT67sGtpcd5R0JcAOybjT8sELHykXJ/s1600-h/IMG_0002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207078362080743442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6Oe5neNsed1eFYaCm9usoOa1Np2wc_gDzJfHzNMiKNcPlWsUsx_W2wNVTA_MOx5MjD5Fg_5cpgmnPm4CpjOa8JxwfO7hTs8AWXQiNI5p1HmbI5wT67sGtpcd5R0JcAOybjT8sELHykXJ/s320/IMG_0002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I just got on again today to try to upload some imagery and try adding a new post in preparation for our trip to Hawaii.</span>Veggie Boy's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08934765097674859688noreply@blogger.com2