Kauai April 21-June 2, 2004

--writing with Apple laptop--

--Becky writes unless noted by Marilou--

This is our 6th trip to the island, 2nd after buying house.

Friday, May 21, 2004

Aloha,

We arrived April 21st. A friend met us at the Lihue airport and loaned us his little convertible Miata sports car with which to drive ourselves home. We returned it to him several days later.

The first morning, as usual, we woke at the crack of dawn, 6:00a, to a beautiful day. As we had coffee on the porch a shower came down the Hanalei Valley and produced this magnificent rainbow, almost a complete double.

Friends said the island was glad to see us again. --grin--

The past winter has been a really rainy one and locals say it's been needed. The wettest place on earth has been experiencing a drought for years and the water table has become very low. This spell of rain is more normal, they say. The rain has continued since we've been here. Almost every day there has been some sort of rainfall, from just a short light shower, to the bottom falling out, to day long drizzles. And of course, between the rains are the rainbows and wonderful sunshine.

The second photo is of a rainbow that is so low in the valley that just it's top is barely visible over the rim's edge.

It was so foggy out one morning that nothing beyond the rim could be seen. Most of the day was like this. Very unusual.

We've been mostly doing the "fix-up the new house" thing. We've gotten our feet wet in the ocean only once so far.

Lessons to learn:
1. If something isn't on the island already, ordering it and getting it here may be an ordeal. Be patient, it will get here.
2. Folks who aren't used to seeing us yet, thinking we are tourists, ask the preverbal question, "Enjoying your vacation?". Yes. Be patient, they will learn to recognize us.
3. Business people from Georgia call us not realizing the time difference, thus our phone ringing before 8:00a. Be patient, they don't know that an 808 area code is Hawaii.
4. 68 degrees can be down right cold! Long pants and a jacket are a sign you're local.
5. While geckos are cute and everywhere, their poop is everywhere, too, and not so cute. Sweep the porch before coffee each morning and check your chair.

I've completed my first painting on the island, an oil on canvas, 48x36 inches. It's great to be able to work on the porch. This is the first time I've done palm trees. Quite different from pines, oaks and forest scenes.

Marilou is working on a watercolor. To the right are some shots of us working on the porch.

We have planned out our fruit tree area and will be going to Lihue soon to buy them and then to plant them in the back yard. All the rain will be good for them. There are two pineapples growing on our plants that we saved in January. Hopefully the larger one will ripen before we leave. --fingers crossed-- We are still learning about how long they take.

Our yardman, Steve, brings us all kinds of plants without homes, like puppies. He can't stand to see them go to waste. We don't mind. Free is good. --grin--

That's it for now. More later.

Becky & Marilou

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Sunday, May 23, 2004

Aloha,

The rain has finally let up and it's been "clear" for several days. When I say clear, one has to always take in to account that it's rarely ever clear directly over the mountains of the island. There is a perpetual daily cycle of rain, evaporation back into the clouds, until the rain once again falls on the mountains.

We have gone swimming earlier this week and today at nearby Kalihiwai Beach (ka-lee-hee-why). The waters have been very calm and clear.

We have planted the fruit trees that I mentioned in the last log entry. 5 papaya, 2 starfruit, 1 mango, 1 macadamia nut, 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 tangelo. The dirt here is good and drains well. It also stains everything it touches. That's why the Japanese custom of taking off one's shoes before going into a home is followed here. And that's why may folks just wear slippers (flip-flops) to easily accommodate that process, besides it's the next best thing to being barefoot.

"Our" chickens run around the yard. They come with every piece of property as a bonus gift from Hurricane Iniki of 1992.

Marilou has made a shirt for me. The first shirt she's ever sewn. The material is a native Hawaiian print, Polynesian in style, in dark wine colors. I had picked out the material some time ago. She finished it earlier this week and I wore it when we went out to dinner Thursday. She did a great job. I felt so special in my personally tailored shirt.

Here's Marilou lifting up to me a trash can lid of black cinder rock. That's red cinder behind her. This is crushed volcanic rock that a lot of folks use for ground cover in landscaping. That's how we're using it. It looks good and the chickens don't scratch it out as easily. This is at the big crusher site south of Lihue where you can get this kind of stuff cheaper by the truck load or any other container you wish to use, rather than paying for it by the bag at Home Depot.

The late afternoon's sunlight is so incredible here. This was taken from out kitchen window.

On another day I went outside to get this pic (to the right) of our Traveler's Palms in the late light with rain clouds and blue sky behind them. Rain clouds (actually raining on you or not far away) and blue sky is quite a common sight as near the mountains as we are, and often there's a rainbow thrown in for good measure. After all, this IS the rainbow state.

These next two pics haven't been changed to b/w. This is how it actually looked. And then in the 3rd one the sunset threw the color back into the world.

Our jalousie windows have come in after being ordered almost two months ago. Hopefully, our contractor is going to get them installed before we leave. If not, then shortly afterwards. We are having some existing sliders and glass block windows replaced with jalousies. It's hard to believe that this house was designed with some glass block windows (can't open) on the most key tradewind side of it and sliders (only opens halfway) everywhere else. Without AC (that's normal here), the house needs all the tradewinds it can get. With the breeze, temps are nice. Without the breeze, temps can get a bit sticky. So, getting some of these key windows changed is very high on our to-do list. Eventually, the whole house will have jalousie windows.

Here's my 2nd painting that I've done in this visit. It's also 36x48 inches. These are two of the common Humuhumunukunukuapua'a Fish, otherwise known the world over as Picasso Fish, as their markings may remind you of his art. I've named this one Picasso's Dream (he just wishes he could paint as good as Mother Nature). This is the Hawaiian State fish. This painting is for Marilou. She loves fish. Last year she put in a large Koi tank at the GA house.

I began a 3rd canvas yesterday. This place is so inspiring.

Becky & Marilou

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Monday, May 31, 2004

Aloha,

Our time here is almost done for this visit. We leave Wednesday afternoon and arrive in GA Thursday morning. We are looking forward to seeing our kitties, doggies, fishes, friends and family, not necessarily in that order ... well, maybe. --grin--

I know I keep sending this shot from our porch over and over again, or so it may appear, and the reasons probably just don't show up in a several square inch photo. The sunlight on these mountains in combination with close proximity of the clouds offer an endless movie. I'm so enthralled by this beauty and to have it right here in front of us each day is a dream come true.

This series of shots at the right I took as we sat on the porch drinking our coffee the morning of May 29th between the times of 8:52 and 9:39. This is just a sample of what occurs almost each and every day, at differing times of the day.

This series below are from yesterday as we 4-wheeled the Powerline Trail (thus the powerlines in the last shot looking back to the ocean). This is at the end of the road we live on. It's an old dirt road that's been left to hunters, hikers, ATVs, and the occasional power company maintenance truck. It's pretty rough in places and after rain, the puddles are big and deep. The road goes for about 30 miles all the way to Wailua through the forest and mountains, across about a quarter of the island. We only went a couple of miles. It's very slow going and the further you go the less the road gets traveled and the worse it gets. Hunters go for wild boar and turkey. Hikers go for the beauty and solitude.

Here's my latest painting, just finished it today. Another oil on canvas, 24x48 inches. This is the Na Pali Coast, the northeast coast of Kauai that is only accessible by boat, foot, or helicopter.

We are now in "prepare to leave" mode. --frown-- Hope to go for another swim or snorkel, though. Not much to pack, one of the great results of having our own place here now.

Already talking about coming back in September.

Aloha,

Becky & Marilou