The trip from hell

It appears that Ron is experiencing the trip from hell. He was supposed to arrive in Hilo at 4:45 this afternoon after a long trip that took him to Colorado, Arizona and California. Instead, he was stuck at LAX for hours on end. He finally called to say that United would put him on a late afternoon flight and then arrange for a hotel in Honolulu since he would be arriving there far past the last departure to Hilo. He had a few other choice words about United. Apparently , there were hundreds of people stranded in Los Angeles, missing flights and connections. The lady standing in the line behind him was worried that her vacation would be over before she could get out of the airport. What a bummer. When he asked what was causing all the trouble, the gal behind the counter said, "It's summer." Hmmmm... Someone should buy the decision makers at United a calendar so they'll be able to see summer coming next time and can then prepare. Ron was in pretty good spirits, all things considered. I after so long waiting in lines and wandering around the airport the only thing you can do is laugh.
The new podcast is finally complete. Be sure to tune in. Just click on the link to the Hawaiian Rainforest podcast on this page, then on the Hawaiian Rainforest link on the following directory page. Or, search for Hawaiian Rainforest episode 3 on iTunes. You can actually subscribe to it there and it will download automatically for you when you log on to iTunes. I'll apologize here for the narration having a bit of an echo. It's the result of both the mic connection and the acoustics of the room. One day I'll break down and get a proper set up. I've included photos of the pool I've been bragging about (top), Hilo Bay near a place called the Ice Pond and a nice shot of Queen Liliuokalani Park. The park is supposedly the largest Japanese garden outside Japan. It's really a pretty place. At the bottom on the left is my psycho mutt, Doc. And in the final shot, see if you can spot the crab. Aloha!

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Born and bred

The creature stared at me, wide-eyed through the florescent glare, Saran Wrap stretched tight across its broad back. Alone in the seafood cooler, he was the only one of his kind, there among the farmed, color-added Atlantic salmon and mud-flavored tilapia, perched on a blue foam tray, legs tucked 'round him like a comfy kitten. He didn't blink. He was dead, red, cooked and chilled, ready to eat. Such a find is rare in the City Market fish department in Gunnison, Colorado. What if nobody takes him home? I thought. This beautiful animal will have died needlessly, ripped from his home, family and friends (Dory, Nemo, Crush and Gill?) only to be tossed in the trash when his expiration date came and went. I lifted him for closer inspection, checked that date, felt the heft of him, scanned his surface for cracks and blemishes. The creature was perfect. I lowered him back into the cooler, nodded farewell, turned to walk away, took one step, and stopped. Shoppers strolled past, stud

Fruity booty

It was a long drive from Glenwood to the northern tip of the island -- three hours -- so for sustenance, we stopped at Baker Tom's for malasadas on the way. My pal Kathy and I were headed to Kapa'au for a hike, one we'd read about in the local newspaper. The couple who run Baker Tom's (not sure if the husband is actually Tom or not) are delightful, with enduring stamina. They're as old as radio, yet they're always on duty, ready to serve behind the counter, as they have for many years, frying, baking, brewing and smiling, there in Papaikou , gateway to the Hamakua Coast. The malasadas are enormous, cheap and delicious, the coffee OK, the tourists all happy to have discovered this place, buzzing with sugar and caffeine. They make a killer pumpkin cheesecake at Baker Tom's, too. It's always a pleasant stop. Ahapua'a . It's a Hawaiian land division, usually a strip or wedge, stretching from mountain to sea. Hawaiians lived in villages wit

On Tennis and Writing and Being Too Nice

I've recently been recruited to play tennis for a local 4.0 ladies tennis league team, referred to as either "Team Debbie" for the nice woman who manages us, or "Have Fun," which is our pre-match chant. We're still looking for a proper name. But we do have fun, despite getting creamed most outings. Last Saturday, we played in the Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium in Hilo. Good thing, too, since outside it was pouring, complete with thunder and lightning. It's a substantial structure, covered, yet open all around, most famous for hosting the annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in April. It was about 85 degrees outside and 100 percent humidity, air so thick it took three sucks of my albuterol inhaler just to breath. Several of us arrived early to warm up, but after twenty minutes' steady rallying with my teammate, Keiko, the human backboard, I was drenched. I played doubles with a nice, extremely fit and excellent ground-stroker named Cynthia from Pahoa.

Mountains and Islands

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