Interesting Clouds

Neil Vonhof 
neil.vonhof@gmail.com

808-344-4463 - Mobile

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Maui's well known Axis Deer wanders by

Suddenly the dog started barking and a quick look revealed this deer in the pasture right next to us

As soon as it saw me with the camera it ran

Later on it appeared again - this is my favorite picture

The Girls Abide

Nice picture taken by friend Gwen with her BlackBerry cell phone.

The gift that keeps on giving. Here they are at one year, eight and a half months. Egg production has slowed somewhat, but still a steady 1 to 2 a day and sometimes even 3!

From left to right: Silent Bob (formerly known as Betty), Delores, Blondie and Ruby.

Thank you girls!

Michelle's Place in Ulupalakua

We had a fantastic visit to our friends place waaay out in the country on Maui.

I posted a "Gallery" of photos of her garden and coffee and bananas and mac nuts and mangoes. 

The photos are on my SmugMug site 
Notice the comments lower left under each photo or bottom center if you choose to run slideshow mode.
Click here

Meli Graduates Puppy Kindergarten

5 classes consisting of one hour a week for 5 consecutive weeks yielded this:

First thought was to frame it so that we could always look and celebrate. But then we thought, "Naw, Meli earned it, so let's just give it to her. she's now so well trained, she'll take good care of it."

Below some of Meli's classmates and their humans:

The class usually begins with all pups off leash and commanded to "go play."

Tracy had a handful of treats and instantly became the main attraction.

Another part of training is called "cradling" and indeed even these big Newfie babies love it. These two are actually younger than Meli. 

Carter has a big support group. Human Mom is just off camera on the left. Carter is quite excitable and needed a combined effort to manage the "cradle".

Meli learns to walk!

Oh yes, remember above that we decided to give Meli her diploma

Well...

We did!

Friend Gwen said that puppy training classes are really for training the humans. I guess we need more training....

Good girl Meli, you're a good girl!

Hungry Horse

Our neighbors' pasture has provided plenty of grazing for their horses for most of this year. (See January 22, 2012 post). But after 7 months they have pretty much chewed the acre and a half of chest high grass down to dirt!
Here is the mare discovering greener pastures - our back yard. It was interesting to see how graceful and careful she was, gently slipping her head between the barbed wire strands and getting to the fresh grass.

Horse sense - that's a good name for it!

Ulu, aka Breadfruit

Breadfruit (ulu) is something of which we have become quite fond here on the islands. It's all about preparation and after experimentation we have come up with a recipe we love.

We got this little keiki (baby) from a farmer down in Hana Town.

We named her "Lil' Ulu"

Arrived December 21, 2010

As you can see below, our tree is doing very well.

Nearer to now: September 1, 2012

A fully developed fruit ready for preparation

Latest Arrival: "Man Fern"

Sister Katie Neighbor Lady rolled in on Tracy's birthday with this present for her garden.

One of the names for it is: "Man Fern"

Gee, I wonder, why?

Interestingly, scientifically speaking, it's biological classification defines it to be of the family Dicksoniaceai, suitable, I suppose.

The Hawaiian name is Hapu'u.
(pronounced hah-poo-ooo - accent on the "poo" and the "ooo" sounds like the "ooo" in you, too!

Here is a photo grabbed from Google Images that shows Hapu'u much more grown up and old enough to wear clothes!