Mountains and Islands

Mom and I kicked around Hilo Town Monday. We spent time at the Farmers' Market, bought matching Crocs , then cruised on up to Rainbow Falls, which is right in town. It's a beautiful spot. There, we met a man named Alvin. He described himself as "82 years young" and was more fit than most 4o year olds I know. Alvin told us he was third generation American, with ancestors from Japan. My mom told him she was third generation American too, with ancestors in Norway. We chatted with Alvin awhile. Then, we told him we were headed to boiling pots and asked if he knew where it was. He said, "Follow me," then jumped into his green, '57 Chevy to lead the way. When we arrived at the parking lot, my mom laughed at the name of the place. While it is commonly known as Boiling Pots (so names because when the water's raging it looks like it's boiling), it's real name is Pe'epe'e Falls. My mom pointed, then pronounced, "Pee Pee Falls! I love th...

Mom is here! Yay! We spent three fun days on another rock, where she says it's kinda like Disneyland with palm trees. Actually, I think Disneyland has palm trees, but they're probably fake. Still, Disneyland can be a hoot. We visited the Arizona Memorial, Bishop Museum and Waikiki Aquarium. We also ate lots of really good food, listened to good music and even spent a little time in the water and on the beach. We managed to get lost pretty much daily at our own hotel, which was really, really big. There were penguins and turtles and flamingos and other animals one would not expect to see in Hawaii. They all live at the hotel. We saw hula dancers, a fire dancer and lots of wealthy tourists. We fit right in. Really. We did. As you can see from this photo, we had a nice ocean view. This was not planned, but it was appreciated. We had a Vietnamese cab driver named Mike, a self-described "boat person" who came here when he was 16 with his cousin. He basically told us his w...

Friday night was my first social gathering with the winery crew. They are a pretty fun lot. Not everyone was there, but many were. We were toasting La'akea , the guy who has worked there the longest of any but who is leaving next week to attend school full time. He's a very smart guy with a great sense of humor and probably the chattiest man I've ever met. He actually makes me seem quiet and reserved. I'm sure he will do well with school. He's a born academic. Saturday it continued to rain, so we vegged. Today, the sun came out and the wind whipped up, helping to dry things out. The strong breeze also kept the poochies cool. We didn't need the fans; just a few open windows. Ron and I alternated mowing sections of the lawn. I went to town to pick up $100 worth of overpriced groceries. I'm applying for yet another job for which I am under-qualified. Actually, the last one had me over qualified. This one is pie-in-the-sky and it's on another island, but wh...

Flossie has flopped. That was the most boring hurricane ever. It's windier and rainier on a typical winter day. I was really hoping for some excitement. I wanted to see things fly around. I wanted to hear incessant, relentless, pounding rain. I wanted the electricity to go out so we could huddle around flashlights and listen to the radio by battery power. I wasn't looking for complete and utter destruction. Just a little action. Instead, Flossie fizzled. The news media sent scores of reporters to cover the destruction. It reminded me of the "team coverage" they employ whenever it rains in L.A.: "We just spotted three drops falling into a puddle here on Sepulveda . Over to you, Jane." "Thanks, Bill. Here on La Cienega , the sidewalks are completely wet. People are actually slipping as they try to walk, which they never do here in L.A. Back to you in the studio, Colleen." So the coverage to me was actually pretty comical. One interview was of a loc...

Hurricane Flossie is on its way. It is predicted to just skirt the island, missing us by about 100 miles or so, bringing some wind, lots of rain and fraying nerves. There's something comical to me about a hurricane named Flossie. I'm having trouble taking her seriously. It's like a Rotweiler named Fifi or a Bijon Frise called Fang. It just doesn't fit. "Whoopdee doo. We're going to be hammered by Flossie." It might make a great name for a cartoon character created to convince children of the merits of dental care. She'd be a female talking tooth with arms, legs and long eye lashes. But a Hurricane? Puleeeze..... If you want to scare me, give me an Ivan or an Andrew or even a Katrina. Not a Flossie. Just in case Flossie is not whimpy, we are fully stocked with all the important supplies like water and pet food. We moved the loose items around under cover and my tea plants up against the house. Reports say we could see 50 mile per hour winds. That's...

I set a new land speed record on the treadmill today; four miles in 44 minutes! OK I guess that would actually be a conveyor belt speed record, since I wasn't technically running across land. Anyway, for you mathematically challenged out there, that's an 11 minute mile. Yes, I know that real runners trot along effortlessly at between six and eight miles per hour for many more miles than I do. I am painfully aware that what I do is not running, but jogging. Still, for me, an 11 minute mile is blindingly swift. I swear there were flames shooting out from the heals of my sneaks. Truthfully, I think that treadmill is in serious need of adjustment. As a result of all that running, at whatever speed, my left Achilles tendon is sore, tight and a little inflamed tonight. See? inflamed ! As in flames. I knew it! I was ON FIRE! Poor little Crawford is suffering from rickety back legs and is in need of having her okole squeezed. In other words, it's time for the anal glands to be...

We've got our first coffee blossom. Woohoo ! It's on our largest tree, which looks as though it's ready to sprout more blossoms in coming days. We may actually have enough coffee by next year to brew and share a cup. Or maybe half a cup. Factoring in all the time, sweat and money we've put into the coffee trees to date, I estimate this cup will cost roughly $30,000. And you thought that Vanilla soy latte half-calf with a twist was pricey at Starbucks. But hey, this blossom? It's a start. It was unbelievably busy at the winery today. This, despite reports that visits to the islands are way down from last years numbers. One third of the hotel rooms on the big island are empty. Still, of the people who are here, a bunch of them decided to buy wine today. Some were buying by the case. This, after my suggestion that we offer a 10% case discount. Lots of wineries do this and plenty of visitors ask about a discount. So once again, my business genius saves the day. It...

This is Abner saying a-a-a-aloha! Actually, I was trying to tell him today how excited I am that I've finally gotten a story published here in Hawai'i nei , but he was a bit bored by my tale. Oh wait. I don't have a tale. I mean tail. I have a tale. He does, too. A tail, that is. Anyway, I am thrilled. It's technically my second story, but the first was a bit of a fluff piece previewing an event. This one is a full fledged feature. It will be available to read online in a couple of weeks. For some reason, the Hawaii Island Journal only puts an image of its cover on its website with access to current calendar and classified info, but only last issue's stories. The cover story is my story. You just can't read it yet online. You have to wait until the next issue comes out before you can read the story from the current issue. A'ole pilikia . No problem. I've picked up about a dozen hard copies to send to friends and family and to keep for clippings to ...