One Year On Maui

October 20, 2010 marked our one year anniversary living on Maui.  Our good Seattle friend Pamela Dore was here to celebrate with us.

Someone said that a lot of people move here but leave during the first year. If you make it a year most likely you'll stay.  We're staying............no doubt about it!

(Photo by Pamela)

It's About Time

We've been very busy.......NOT Blogging - enough with the excuses.
We've moved into the new house (Sep. 1), hosted Tracy's Mom Ruth and 2 of her friends, flown to Kauai to see my Dad and his wife Dodie at their time share, flown back to Maui to prepare for Dad & Dodie's stay with us here, then Tracy flew to Seattle for her Mom's surprise 80th birthday party and returns this Sunday. On Tuesday next our good friend Pamela Dore arrives from Seattle for a week stay....................and through all this we've been moving in.
Here's the recap with a few pictures:

Staring with moving in, we were too busy to grab camera's but I did get this shot:

September 1, 2010 - a big day. Our 20 foot container arrived from Seattle completely filled with our stuff. There's Tracy checking off the boxes and bundles as they are removed from the container, unwrapped, inspected and then placed in the house per our directions. Nice service!

Also, the cable guys were there pulling the final coax through the underground pipes into the house so that we could get hooked up to internet, phone and TV, same day. Somewhere around 200 boxes, some still stacked in the garage. Moving lesson #1 - If you have to think about it, don't pack it. We moved way too much stuff, especially when one of the reasons for the move is to simplify and downsize. On the flip side, though, it's nice to have some good kitchen knives and some bowls and pots and an extra towel.

Soon after, Tracy's Mom (Ruth at the top waving) came with her friends :

Ruth Johnson, Karlene Chavez & Sandy Denoff, arriving Maui.

Happy reunion

The Maui Ocean Center is a fabulous Hawaiian Island sea life aquarium - not to be missed if you visit the island.

http://www.mauioceancenter.com/

Sandy & Karlene playing at Baby Beach - north shore, Maui, near where we live.

Hanging out on the last night of their visit. We had a blast with them here and so did they, so they say!

Kauai:

We stayed with Dad and Dodie at the Mokihana in Kapaa, about 20 min from the airport in Lihue. Here they are now, out for a little put-put on the "Moki" grounds. We had a nice room overlooking the ocean. This old style complex is located on the east side of the island

On day two Tracy and I had the privilege of using Dad's rental car for the day. They were quite content to remain pool side at the Moki.  Our first goal was an early morning snorkel on a south shore beach we heard about, called Poipu Beach. The northern swells that come in the fall and through the winter have come to all the islands in the last few weeks, so even on the south shore of Kauai the waves were kinda big and messy. But we got into the water and had some fun, especially with a pretty strong rip tide that carried us down the beach in record time.
After some breakfast we were still hoping for a good snorkel so we headed back around the east side and on up to the north shore, all the way to the end of the road at Ke'e Beach.

Well that sign made it clear......but it was evident why, the waves up here were plenty big and nobody was even swimming. Here, we realized there was no place on this island for snorkeling anywhere that day.


So we took a walk down the beach in the tree line. 

The part of a tree you rarely see.


After wandering down the tree line path for awhile we decided to walk back on the beach.

Here's Tracy wearing the sassy new hemp hat that her Mom bought her at the hemp store in Paia, Maui


Looking down the beach, I could see somethin' happenin'!

That huge wave crashing against the cliff got my attention. Woa, some really big waves down there!


So, I added my big lens (70-200 for those interested) and started shooting. Little did I know what I would capture.

A shot of a lifetime! It looked like those huge waves were crashing against the cliff and then racing back out and colliding with the next monster wave coming in. That's got to be 100 feet high or more.


Another day and a road trip with Dad & Dodie to Waimea Canyon

Astoundingly beautiful! Kauai is known for these colorful roosters running wild anywhere there is food! This proud fellow was in the parking lot of one of the many canyon overlooks.



And now, Dad & Dodie come to Maui:

We did a lot of different things including a visit with neighbor and good friend Katie. She has a beautiful 6 acre property just four blocks up the hill from us and she invited us for a tour. Here are Dad & Dodie relaxing in the shade of her most beautiful and favorite Koa Tree.

Katie offered to take this picture:

Big thanks to Katie - wonderful hospitality and friendliness.

Last night visit hanging out in the living room (is this becoming a tradition?). We had a great time in both Kauai and Maui. I realized that I have not lived with my Dad for this amount of time since 1964. We totally admire he and Dodie. They are active and interested and alive and well!