Gramma's Dinner Choice!

I got the chance to take care of the kiddos for dinner and bath tonight!  So, believing firmly in "no child left behind" in Hawaii, I bought Spam (new bacon flavor), becasue Spam is HUGE here!  The kids loved it, and so did I.  It took me back to Kern River camping days as a kid!  I still haven't done corned beef hash with an egg plopped on top for breakfast for the kids.  Maybe next year!

Deeeeezert (that's Benji-speak) was dull chocolate pudding from a cup, but I found some whipping cream hanging out in the fridge.  Sam was amazed that whipped cream could be made from scratch, and wanted to know how I knew how to do that!  With the cat (mommy) away, we piled it on so high that Ben quit before his mountain was finished.  Ummm, we got a little silly and messy, too.

Pacific Aviation Museum - Ford Island

Many people miss this remarkable museum because the only way to get on Ford Island is by tour bus leaving from the Arizona Memorial.  This is a place worth returning to many times.  Thanks to Alli and her friend, April who works at the museum, we had an enthusiastic and singular education!

Sam learned what happens when you turn the wheel! 

Both boys were in the cockpit!

Sam's sending the Hawaiian "shaka" along with his "crazy face"!

This view is only 1/2 of the hangar displays.  There's also an outstanding museum that we've been to several times, so it wasn't our main focus this time.

The museum floors have all been embedded somehow with aerial maps of the Hawaiian and neighboring islands.  Very intriguing.

Hike to Waihe'e Falls

Wild hibiscus (the hau tree) leaves flowers at the end of each day, decorating this trail to the falls.

The fragrance of the rainforest and the cool mist paired up with the sound and beauty of the falls is the reward for a mild 3.6 mile round-trip hike with 500' elevation gain.

We're hiking in the Ko'olau Mountains which surround Kailua, where we live.

After teaching Ben how to make the biggest splash in mud-ponds in the road, Sam gets a good laugh as he watches.

Just a small sampling of "puddle-jumping".  Ben manages to fall in some of the puddles, laughing all the way!  Do I have videos!!!

Richard Returns to Mainland and I return to the Kayak

Richard and I went to the airport (HNL) for his 8 a.m. flight to LAX, leaving me in Kailua to stay with Dave and Alli for almost 2 weeks.  As many grammas know, we don't get to listen to our daughters with young children running around, unless it's after the kids go to bed, so this is my gift to myself . . . to get to be where Alli has a chance to finish a thought every now and then.

Richard was kind enough to stay to help me pack up the cottage, a chore that takes a couple of days and lots of heavy lifting.  I really appreciate him!

These are the mountains I wake up to see every morning.  They take my breath away and make me think about God's creative genius that's so amazing, photographers simply can't capture it all.  These mountains are what remains of the crater that surrounds our lives in Kailua.  (Click on it for a larger image, and then click again to pop it up to the final size.)

I paddled past Lanikai and dipped the bow into Waimanalo Bay where this warning sign appeared.  I guess this must be part of Bellows Air Field.

I'm heading back to our cottage which is past those trees in the distance.  It's a 5-mile RT, something I wouldn't have known I could do if it weren't for Dave and Alli coming to Hawaii.  My life has been enriched so much, thanks to both my "kids" moving to places I now love.

MAY DAY IS LEI DAY!  Hawaiian Legends Play Music

Mostly, I video taped to get the music and hula, so I have only a couple of stills.  This was a remarkable evening held at a Kailua school cafeteria where "ohana" (family) was everywhere.  It's really a bit spiritual.  We had dinner of kalua pig, mac salad, pineapple, and several more sides and dessert, plus the music, and all for $8.  It soothed my heart about Richard's having to go home today.

Eddie Kamae, seated, whom we admire greatly.