Still 'ALOHA!' after all these years

The Graceful Dancers of Kona Airport

HUZZAH! For the 5 or 6th time - I've actually lost count - my long time friends Ron & Jeannie invited me again to join them for a week's visit to Hawaii - the Big Island. last time we visited the 50th state together was 2015.We are now 20 years out from our first island trip. However did that happen? 

As at a previous trip stayed at the Kona Coast Resort which I remember fondly from an earlier vaycay. 

During our week in paradise, we hit the Farmer's Markets, visiting markets in Kona and in Hilo. 

I went decidedly bonkers over the fresh fruit sold at the stalls.     

Imagine any tropical fruit you can,
and it was for sale at the market

Assuming we were all going to eat fruit
for breakfast during our stay, I purchased at least
a half dozen types of Hawaiian goodness

This lady's specialty was coconut milk
in the shell - massive straws a plus

Jeannie bought gifts for her many grandchildren and her great-grand as well. All I bought was fruit: a cocoa pod, 2 varieties of flavorful bananas, Rambutans, Mangosteens & more. Like Harry Potter on his first trip to Hogwarts I was all "I'll take the lot!".

One activity we enjoyed was hitting various restaurants on the island. We had Thai food in Hilo.

Street food at a Hilo Farmer's Market

Shave Ice Shop

We absolutely HAD to have some shave ice. So we visited Da Hawaiian Brain Freeze shop where we went for gigantic 'Halo Halo', a Fillipino dessert of layered shave ice, fruit, cream, flavored jelly bits, topped with a giant scoop of ube ice cream, sweet cream drizzle and coconut flakes. 

Halo Halos 

One morning we hit Punalu'u's the Black Sand Beach, which I remember from an earlier trip.

My favorite thing about this beautiful beach - other than the cool ocean breeze - are the Hono - Green Sea Turtles. 

Ooo, the turtles are so ashy I wish I could get at them with some nice lotion

By far, the most interesting meal we had was at the Paniola Ranch on the northern end of the island. Here lies one of the big differences in this trip vs previous ones. We opted to skip attending a Luau! Why? I guess most of our reticence was Luaus these days are about $200 per person. We scratched our heads trying to recall what the Luaus cost to attend back in the early 2000s and it was approximately half the current amount, or less - $85-ish? Anyway, the bottom line is this was my first Luau-less visit to the islands. That is what led us to the Paniola Ranch for their alleged famous Barbeque. 

The Barbeque was Wednesday night, so we spent the second half of the day along the coast, driving northward. viewing a few sites. 

Mãhukona Beach Park

We stopped at Mãhukona for a short visit. I remember us snorkling there eons ago. 

Pololu Lookout

We drove to the Pololu Lookout, one of the northern most roads on the island. Along the way we passed an old friend - His majesty, King Kamehameha.

county courthouse in Kapa'au

Arriving at Paniolo Ranch, there was beautiful sunset scenery, as well as horsies and cattle which were busy having their own dinners.

The feed has arrived!

We only just climbed out of our rental car when I spotted something, got excited & raced away. Up from the parking lot there were a couple of folk, demoing how to throw a lasso. Well boy howdy I was there, swinging a lasso and as per usual missing my target steer, lol! I, and my cousins had all had lasso lessons from cousin-in-law Tom's Aunt Judy. That was in Colorado at Judy's Bridge Party. 

Ron got his first ever Lassoing lesson

Prime Rib, BBQ Chicken and all the fixings

The Barbeque was served up buffet style, a table at a time. A young woman joined us at our table and we chatted with her. She said she was from the mainland and came to Hawaii to stay with friends who encouraged her to sign up for the barbeque. She was told the Paniola folk first told her they were full, so she was disappointed. But later they called her back, and asked to her attend the dinner, as their guest, free! So that was surprising that in this day and age, there are still nice folks out there!

The talented singing Cowboy

Jeannie's Branded Block

While we happily wolfed down our dinners, there was a singing cowboy up on a little stage. I assumed I would tune out whatever he sang because Country Western is no big thing for me. However, the guy was so flippin' talented that even old farts like me were soon laughing and singing along with him because he. was. awesome. The funniest bit was he started a tune... Jeannie squeaked, 'that's Gilligan's Island! I remember! The Minnow sailed from Hawaii!' I, being a stubborn soul, looked that up immediately on my phone and by golly, Jeannie was correct. 

Ron branding his wood block

When our main course was done we hit the dessert table which featured large brownies and/or Macadamia Nut Pie (think Pecan Pie). Yum. But Paniolo didn't stop there... just outside the dining room was a set up for roasting your own marshmallows for S'mores. But we skipped the marshmallows and went for another  post dinner entertainment special - making  your own hand branded souvenir. 

Here's a closer look at the 'Honu' on the beautiful Black Sand Beach. 

So Long Atilla, my old friend

I have a history of getting way too attached to my cars. Back in the early 1980s, my first car, a 1979 Honda CIVIC had fallen into so much disrepair that was getting a little embarrassed to be driving it around. I had it painted because its brown paint had oxidized. under the steady California sun's UV rays  the car's synthetic seats fell apart. I had pulled T-shirts over the two front seats so it wouldn't look so crappy.

1979 Honda Civic Hatchback

But finally, although the car, at 80,000 miles was still running well I bought a new car. I took the dealership's offer of a measly $200 for my old car. 

The very night I sold the car I had a heart wrenching dream. I had an old hound dog which I hugged and wept over because I was being forced to give it up. Next morning I woke, called Honda and got my car back! Shortly thereafter I sold my old friend to a nice Hispanic man who needed a car for his daughter. I gave him my auto maintenance log that listed all car services and its milage per gallon of gas. When he drove off with the car, I felt good. 

Skipping over the car that replaced my brown bomber, in 2004, my friends Jeannie & Ron went with me to bargain and purchase a new car. I got a Mojave Mist color (brown again!) Honda CR-V. That was 21 years ago. I remember being horrified that the car cost as much as I thought my first house would cost, being approximately $20,000.  My brown CR-V ran by the name 'Atilla the Honda'. For years I commuted to the light rail in that car, as well as birded, including 2 trips to Yellowstone and a b'jillion wildlife refuges all over the western USA. 

My 2004 Honda CR-V

Alas, no car, not even my dear 'Atilla the Honda' can run forever. Last January after 21 years and over 280 thousand miles of faithful service, my poor old CRV suffered an oil leak. Two different Honda dealers couldn't stop the leaks. Anyway it was time for a new vehicle. 

I donated Atilla to National Public Radio. It was picked up from where it  sat in my drive way for 2 months while I worked up the courage to say 'goodbye old thing'. My next door neighbors commiserated with me, as they too had known and lost cars they loved. It was nice having the moral support. 

Atilla was stripped of its Washington License Plate

An honor guard Doe led the procession 
as my dear Atilla was driven off into the great unknown

End Note: The Honda is dead - long live the Honda!

My new car is, no surprise, a Honda: a 2026 CR-V Hybrid in Ash Green. This one, as the Scots say, is sure to 'see me out'.

The Starling Wars

Male Flicker visiting the suet feeder

Northern Flickers, a type of woodpecker, are all over Sequim. What Sequim lacks in variety of species it makes up for with some species in good numbers. There are Bald Eagles everywhere and I even see them shooting by from my living room windows. There are a couple of pairs of Northern Flickers that hang around, hopping around my balcony railing and sitting atop the Swallow nesting box I put there, but which is not large enough for Flickers. 

It occurred to me that HEY! I bet the Northern Flickers would love a nesting box. So I blew the mint on a beautiful Flicker nesting box from Wild Birds Unlimited. Handyman Don, hung the box off the back 2nd story patio, so the box faces trees and gets good lighting. The box was filled with cedar shavings and the only thing to do was to wait for the Flickers to discover their amazing dream house. 

Now, Barbara, my neighbor and long time friend, has the best view of the Flicker box from her cottage livingroom window. I was in my upstairs room at my desk and I got a call from her, telling me "There are Starlings going in and out of the nest box."

Oh, holy crap. A battle had begun. I raced upstairs and outside to the nesting box and lifted its lid.

The nest contained three, sky blue eggs. You would think that would make me happy but...

I double checked on line and sure enough, the blue eggs were Starling eggs - the EFFING Starlings hijacked the Flicker box! 

The battle for the Flicker nesting box had begun... 

Tip Toe thru the Tulips with We

Roozengaarde, a Tulip Haven 

Been in the Pacific North West for more than 5 years, meaning it is about time I took a trip to view the lovely tulips of Skagit Valley. My buddy Barb's 3 cousins visited the valley last year and came back with photos and tales of the splendid scenery. So we took the ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Stayed 2 nights in the town of Mount Vernon while toodling around the Skagit. 

Less than an acre, but so pretty!

April is tulip season, and having squeezed in a visit on the last week of April, made us worry we would be disappointed, as in far fewer tulips. Instead, although we did miss views of dozens of acres of bountiful color, in no way were we deprived of tulip displays.

Triumph Tulips - var. 'Rem's Favorite'

Double Peony Tulips

Triumph var 'Suncatcher'

Flaming tulips sprouting 8 ft up on tree branches

Barb enjoying tulip art

Fringed tulips renamed 'Porcupine tulips' by Barb and myself

lily flowered tulips

This is what the tulip beds & fields look like just after deadheading. The tulip fields are picked clean, then plowed under.

Triumph - var. Flamingo 

The tulip touring was so fun, might just have to do it again next year.