What we love about this condo…What?…We done our own cleaning for the first time in two years! Third shark attack!

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The sky at sunset.
We don’t have access to the sunset view from our condo in Maui. There’s a monstrous hill blocking the view which would require a lengthy drive. However, we are able to see glimpses of the sky at sunset which is a good alternative.

Without a doubt, this condo is one of the most well equipped vacation homes we’ve rented in two years, so much so that we haven’t minded being “house bound” during Hurricane Ana and now recovering from our recent virus.

Lots of gadgets along with our own stash.

We continue to cough all night (Tom more than me) making us feel exhausted during the days and we’re anxious to get out and do a little exploring in Maui. Soon, we’ll feel well enough to get out and share lots of new photos with our readers. Please bear with us and our current lethargy.

The condo feels like a home with artwork and decorative items on the walls and tables in each room.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the casual ease of everyday living which we find to be pleasant. This morning, after only about four hours of sleep, we decided it was time to clean having arrived one week ago today and it was time.

We flipped when we saw this tidy “junk drawer,” a must in every home.

We washed and dried the bedding and remade the bed, swept and washed all the floors, dusted, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, and “windexed” every glass surface in the entire condo including the table on the lanai.  Tom swept the floor of the lanai while I washed the sliding glass door inside and out.

Memories of our old lives with a drawer designated for plastic bags. Nice.

As we busied ourselves with the cleaning, it dawned on me that the last time we didn’t have a cleaning person(s) or service was two years ago when we spent from November 3, 2012 to January 1, 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona finishing our paperwork and digital needs. 

There’s plenty of kitchen utensils.

In every other location in which we’ve lived (except Waikiki), someone else has cleaned and scrubbed our surroundings with us only tidying up after ourselves from day to day, periodically doing laundry, and washing dishes.

High quality dinnerware.

Comparable to driving a car, one doesn’t “forget” how to clean and we breezed through the process with ease and good humor. In no time at all, we were done.

Tiled showered with great faucet, plenty of fluffy towels, drawers and spotless countertops.

In a funny way, we kind of like doing our own cleaning after this long hiatus. I’m always cleaning before the cleaning help arrives to avoid embarrassing myself making it a welcome break to be unconcerned about preparing for their arrival and getting out of their way.

A table and chairs for dining wasn’t always available in every vacation home.  This is ideal for our meals. 

However, part of our rental agreement of this lovely condo includes one complimentary mid-rental cleaning by a professional company hired by the kindly owner. That’s two weeks from now. If we clean at least two times after the mid cleaning, we’ll have it covered.

With the cupboards filled with dinnerware and supplies, there’s literally not a single cupboard for food supplies. In this case, we’re messy, leaving everything in easy reach on the kitchen counter. Tom wanted us to buy Spam for Hurricane Ana which now he’s eating a little each day. It’s gluten-free and low carb so I don’t complain.

When the cost of a cleaner here in Maui is $100 to clean this small space, we opted to do it ourselves. The most we’ve paid for a full house cleaning in the few countries where it wasn’t included in the rent, was $25 for about three hours.

The owners went over the top including these high cotton count Charisma sheets and so comfortapillowcases which I used in our old lives. Comfy bed and covers.

Although some of our photos appear that we are messy, we aren’t. At times, we don’t have ample storage for all of our stuff, especially those items we often use. We don’t leave dishes in the sink and we clean the kitchen each day. We make the bed everyday. We frequently empty the trash and we clean the bathroom everyday.

The owners explained this is a new bed. It is the most comfortable bed we’ve had in a long time, perhaps over two years.

In other words, it may be a little cluttered with our stuff but it’s always clean. The exception to that may have been that little condo in Waikiki where we spent 11 nights which was nearly impossible to keep it clean with no broom, cleaning supplies and it was old and worn. It’s hard to clean “old and worn.” 

This large sturdy chest of drawers was a delight to fill with our clothes.  Tom took the bottom three drawers, leaving me the top three (as he always does).

On another note, yesterday afternoon, a third shark attack occurred in this area of Maui. Click here for the article. With this news as in the case of the last two incidents, we continue to have no interest in entering the ocean once the beaches are reopened after yesterday’s temporary closing. 

Neither of us particularly cares to swim in the ocean especially when each time we lived walking distance to the beach there’s either been sharks, stingrays, or jellyfish, none of which we care to bump into. 

There are actually four chairs for this table.  These are comfortable swivel chairs.  Plus, the view is amazing.

The lava flow on the Big Island continues to advance toward the main road in Pahoa after a few day break in its movement. For details, please click here. We continue to keep a watchful eye on the lava flow hoping it won’t be an issue for the two houses we rented in Pahoa in the Puna District on the Big Island for our family for Christmas.

Have a happy day, dear friends.

                                            Photo from one year ago today, October 23, 2013:

We were excited while living in Kenya to finally see the elusive Bush Baby while dining outdoors at a resort. For details and more photos, please click here.

Grocery prices in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii including photos of products and receipt…

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Here I am driving down the road on my way to the Safeway store in Kihei., totally at ease. By the way, for safety reasons, I didn’t focus the camera while driving. I simply held it up and clicked.

Yes, driving a car is like riding a bike, one doesn’t forget. The moment I pulled out of the driveway, I instantly felt at ease behind the wheel. With the directions on my phone, I had no fear of getting lost. As it turned out, I remembered how to find my way from the last trip to the Safeway in Kihei almost a week ago. Although I kept the navigation on during the trip.

As I entered the store, my eyes darted everywhere in awe of all of the “stuff” for sale.

Twenty minutes later I walked into the Safeway market attempting to turn off the navigation on my phone when I realized that the grocery store has free WiFi! I’d never have imagined a grocery store having free WiFi. Only in the US!

Please keep in mind that using the navigation in many other countries is pointless when the directions are never correct. We’d tried on many occasions in many countries to no avail. 

Having not purchased any meat at this store on our visit almost a week ago, I was pleased to see the prices on meats was no more than we paid in our old lives.

It was those past experiences when navigation wouldn’t be correct that intimidated me when Tom and I tried to find new locations and “she” sent us driving around in circles, “Turn right, turn right, turn right,” she’d say over and over again. We became sick of her monotone.

I guess I forget that we’re in the US where everything, literally everything, is accounted for, available, user friendly, and accessible. It’s hard to believe and above all, it’s more excessive than it was when we left almost two years ago.

I needed one box of Ziploc freezer bags in the half gallon size that surprised me at only $4.49.

The beautiful grocery store illustrated a perfect example of excesses. Every possible grocery item that I could imagine or want for even the most obscure of recipes was available, fresh, wrapped well, and priced accordingly.

I’m sorry. But those of you who believe grocery prices are so high in Hawaii are mistaken. They are no worse than the prices we paid in Minnesota over two years ago at the local Cub Foods where I shopped each week. None of the items I perused or purchased were more outrageously priced than prices in over half the countries in which we’ve lived.

I purchased this 3.32-pound package of three New York Steaks for $26.93 at $8.98 a serving. That was an excellent price!

To prove my point today, I’m sharing pricing and photos of some items I purchased yesterday including a copy of the receipt for the total bill. For those considering a move to Hawaii, unless you live in Africa, Belize, or Madeira, Portugal, our perception is that you’ll pay no more in Hawaii for groceries than in any other country we visited thus far. Although in some highly popular tourist locations, prices are higher.

I can’t speak for the cost of utilities and housing. Hopefully, while we’re here we’ll be able to explore these costs and share them. As far as fuel is concerned it maybe 20% more in Hawaii based on the prices we’ve seen at the pump, around $4.25 a gallon, certainly less than many other countries.

Upon returning home, I used the Ziploc bags to individually wrap each of the three steaks which Tom will eat while I’ll have the rack of lamb.

In Maui County, the sales tax on most items is 4%, not the 6.875% in Minnesota (as an example), 7.875% for the maximum local surtax, and a maximum of 10.775% on prepared foods. And yes, there’s a tax on items in Hawaii not taxed in Minnesota such a groceries and clothing. (We’ll discuss prices and taxes on both the Big Island and Kauai after we’ve shopped on each of those islands).

Of course, one must take into consideration the types of foods one purchases. We don’t buy pricey snacks (other than nuts) and processed food. I noticed the cost of numerous brands of cold cereal at no more than $4.50 for a large box, certainly no more than in other states in the US and other countries.

I cut this free-range rack of lamb into three portions which I’ll have when Tom has the above steaks. At $20.15 for the entire package, it is $6.72 per serving.  We’ll cook the lamb and the steaks on the outdoor grill that overlooks the ocean, which we’re anxious to use.

I wish I’d been more diligent in taking photos with prices. I was so busy trying to find the items on my list, I was distracted. Figuring my way around a new market has always taken a few trips to get it under control. After yesterday’s second trip to Safeway in Kihei, I feel comfortable that I’m able to find most products.

Last week, when the cashier encouraged me to sign up for a Safeway Club Member card I shrugged it off. This time I decided to go for it when she explained I’d save quite a bit, which I did, saving a total of $15.16 as show on the receipt. 

This receipt is not easy to read resulting in my listing the items above for details and clarification.

I didn’t feel comfortable holding up the line when I filled out the form. I offered to step aside to complete it but the cashier explained it was necessary to do it now in order to get the offered discount on my items. I apologized to the others in line as I hurriedly filled in the form with name, address, and email in my illegible handwriting.

When I realized how much I saved, I was thrilled, saving a total of 7% on my entire bill. Please keep in mind that I purchased several non-food items when I was excited to find a few items that hadn’t been available in any other grocery stores in our travels; a few cosmetic items at $22.67, Crest Whitening Mouthwash at $8.49, two small paring knives at $4.29 (last week I’d purchased a larger knife that disappointingly wasn’t sharp enough). 

Tom’s gluten-free, low carb, starch, and sugar-free pizza with fresh mushrooms, green olives, onions, and Italian sausage, topped with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  This will last for three delicious nights.  We never mind repeats three dinners in a row.  The crust is made with cheese and egg.

These non-edible items totaled $35.45 excluding tax. Taking this amount off the total bill of $215.58 leaves $180.13 for the remaining grocery items with tax.

When food shopping I tend to consider, “How many meals will we get out of a trip to the grocery store?” In this case, I purchased enough meat and produce to last for more than a week, in the following manner:
 
Protein                                   Total Cost           
3 New York Strip Steak             $ 26.93                     
Rack of lamb                            $ 20.16                     
2 packages Italian Sausage       $ 12.00 (for Tom’s LC, GF pizza)                     
1 4lb package ground beef        $ 19.06                      
2 package nitrate free bacon     $ 13.98                     
Chicken Sausage                      $  6.00 (for my pizza – LC, GF)
Total                                       $ 98.13

Of course, I purchased vegetables and other items to accompany the above meats including:
 
Vegetables
Zucchini                                   $  2.57
Eggplant                                  $  1.79
Tomatoes                                 $  5.50
Cabbage                                   $  6.85
Romaine lettuce                        $  6.99
Bag Bell peppers                        $ 6.00
Total Cost                                $ 29.70

Miscellaneous Items 
Black pepper                            $ 6.29
Anchovies                                $ 3.09
Enchilada sauce (GF, SF, LC)     $ 3.69
Taco sauce (GF, SF, LC)            $ 4.09
Pork rinds – 4 bags                   $ 9.56
LG. grated cheddar cheese        $10.49
LG. Ziploc freezer bags (20 ct.)  $ 4.49
Bleach                                     $ 2.99
Total cost                                 $44.69

Total of above                       $207.97
Tax                                               8.62
Grand Total                            $216.59

Based on the receipt, the total bill was actually $215.58. After carefully perusing the receipt I can only assume the $1.01 difference must have been an additional discount I couldn’t find on the receipt or a tax adjustment on a particular item. In any case, it’s close enough to illustrate the point.

We already had a few ingredients on hand to accompany the above items in making full meals but, overall this list is comprehensive. From the above products, we’ll be able to make the following meals (for two) which we began last night, starting with making with our LC, GF, SF pizza:

Pizza –  3 dinners
Steak – 3 dinners (for Tom while I’ll have the rack of lamb on those three evenings)
Ground Beef – 3 dinners (taco salad for two nights, Italian meatballs with pasta sauce and mozzarella for one night)

My pizza made with free-range chicken sausage, anchovies, onions, olives, mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers, organic zucchini, eggplant with mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. This crust is also made with cheese and egg and is low carb and gluten, sugar, and starch free.  Love it!

In the worst-case scenario, we’ll have nine dinners for the above $180.13 averaging at $20.01 per day (includes the cost of non-edible grocery items, not toiletries). 

This amount is slightly less than our daily average in our old lives. Also, for us, we don’t eat starches, lunches, and desserts, although I’ve made breakfast every other day this past week since we arrived (thus, the bacon purchase) in Maui.

Gosh, I’d love to see how others manage their groceries and how much they spend. It’s not a topic that readily entered into the conversation as if what one spends on food is sacred or in some cases embarrassing and private.

For us, it’s all a part of the process of making our lives work with delicious homemade meals befitting our way of eating which Tom has joined with me during our time in Maui. Every item listed is low carb, gluten-free, sugar-free, and starch free. As much as possible the foods are organic. (Grass-fed meat wasn’t readily available all of the cuts we desired).

The gorgeous Maui scenery on the return drive to Maalaea Beach.

I hope this provides our readers with a perspective while dreaming of living in Hawaii at some point. We certainly understand the passion for this dream as we languish in Maui feeling relaxed and somewhat lazy, not yet up to getting out and about.

Although, at the moment the pool and two chaise lounges are calling us on this beautiful sunny day in paradise.

                                          Photo from one year ago today, October 22, 2013:

Aerial view of home (middle house).
It was a year ago today that we posted the second house that we booked for Big Island for our family reunion upcoming in December. For more photos and details, please click here.

First time driving a car in almost two years…Here goes!…

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It was a joy to finally see the sun on the sea early in the morning. 

I was never the best driver in town. I can admit that now that I haven’t been driving in almost two years. Most cars we’ve rented only allow Tom, an excellent driver, to drive the vehicle. We haven’t seen any reason to pay an extra $10 a day for me to drive.

At long last, blue skies.

As a result, he’s driven every time we’ve gone out. When we rented the car in Maui, a benefit of the rental agreement stated the “spouse drives for free!” Yikes, I thought. That’s no benefit according to me!

The interesting sky as we walked along the row of condos on the beach.

It’s not my driving that worries me. It’s getting lost. (Gosh, I don’t like sounding like the “helpless little woman.” Otherwise, there’s nothing helpless about me). 

Yesterday, we spent 40 minutes by the pool on the chaise lounges. The sun in Hawaii is very hot.  We welcomed the occasional cloud cover.

Over these past few years, I’ve become so determined to look for photo ops, I haven’t paid a moment’s notice as to how to get to and from any location. Over the years, I’ve analyzed this as to the reason why I have a bad sense of direction. 

Gecko.

My apparent lack of interest in paying attention to the route while I busily become enthralled checking out the surroundings prevents me from recalling the route. I may remember that we passed a certain unusual tree but I won’t remember how we got to the tree.

We continue to watch for colorful birds but have yet to spot any in Maui.

Actually, the combination of Tom and me in the car together greatly aids in our finding our way around which usually is not a problem. He has a sense of finding our way and I recall the landmarks. 

Since we have no cell service on our phones, only SIM cards when available, we have no GPS. We’ve tried to find a world GPS device but the technology for our worldwide locations is just not available unless we’re willing to pay $1000’s.

We’ve watched the tide go in and out each day, noting the number of rocks and boulders that are evident at low tide. I wouldn’t want to drive a boat toward this shoreline.

So far, this hasn’t been an issue for us. We map directions on the smartphone while going online in our vacation home, saving the instructions offline for later use. This has served us well.

The golf course quality lawn at our building is lush green after the rains.

Today, I’m going to the grocery store in Kihei, a 20-minute drive with only three turns. Why am I concerned? I think it’s a combination of finding my way and also driving for the first time in so long. One doesn’t forget how to drive. Why would I? I know I won’t.

As soon as I post this, I’m off to the Safeway which I must admit I’m otherwise looking forward to, especially since this will be the first time in two years that I’ll be in a grocery shop on my own with no impatient Tom pushing the cart or sitting in the car with a specific time designated for him to come inside to help me check out. I can easily check out on my own. After all, I did this for almost 50 years by myself.

We’re both always perusing the shoreline looking for sea turtles or other signs of life.

It must be a guy thing. He’d never sit in the car and not get out to help me put the grocery items on the conveyor belt and then into the bags. It never bothered me doing this alone. However, I’ve greatly appreciated his enthusiasm for being helpful since he retired, more than he knows.

So off I go with no time constraints. I can spend 20 minutes checking out the Italian sausage if I’d like with nary a thought of checking the time. 

Then again, it isn’t often we have to be concerned as to the time of day. That’s nice.

                                           Photo from one year ago today, October 21, 2013:

This was my delicious grilled squid at the Sands at Nomad in Diani Beach, Kenya one year ago today. For details, please click here.

Sunshine, at last…Ebola fears as we travel in the future?

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This is a Gold Dust Day Gecko that we found on the wall in the lanai during the storm. He looked up at me as I shot this photo. 
This full-body shot of the Gold Dust Day Gecko shows the colorful spots on her back and the cute little blue fingers.

Tom has been plagued with the awful cough which I’m finally winding down. In the middle of the night, he had several horrible rounds of coughing that sounded as if it would never end. 

During the day he’s fine, coughing only on occasion. His symptoms are almost identical to mine and we anticipate that within three to four nights, his coughing will subside. I’m still coughing at night, but not nearly as often and for as long as Tom’s bouts.

The surf settled down as Hurricane Ana wafted away.

We’re on the mend. Hopefully, a week from now, we’ll be fine. Yesterday, finally feeling well enough to get out, I decided on a walk. A vigorous walk would have been my preference, but with the recent illness, I decided on a medium energy walk, setting the timer on my phone for 20 minutes, knowing I’d work my way up a little each day as I rebuild my strength.

Forty-five minutes later I returned to our condo, excited and refreshed realizing how lucky we’ve been to find the condo in this wonderful quiet area at Maalaea Beach.

A warning sign on the ground of the condo building.

I made my way toward the Maui Ocean Center, the world’s largest tropical aquarium in the western hemisphere.  As I arrived two buses of cruise passengers were being unloaded as they made their way into long lines to buy their tickets. 

As curious as we may be seeing what this attraction has to offer, after our glorious experiences of watching animals in the wild in Africa, I have a hard time seeing wildlife confined. This is a phenomenon that affects many who have been fortunate to go on photo safaris and in our case, live in the bush among the animals for three months.

The flowers blooming on a tree in the yard.

Having seen the lifestyles of animals in the wild, it’s impossible for me to find pleasure in seeing wildlife trapped in an existence that may be tolerable with their easy access to being fed but, bound by borders that prevent them from exploring their natural habitat, foraging for their own food. 

Walking past the entrance to the exhibits, I was surprised to find I was at a small mall with a variety of shops and three new restaurants, including the backside of Beach Bum’s BBQ & Grill where we dined on our first night here, last Thursday.

This interesting palm type tree is growing on the grounds of the building.  Tom’s walking along the shore checking for points of interest.

Surely, we’ll try each of them as we explore new restaurants once or twice a week while we’re in Maui. At the moment, we’re loving dining in enjoying our favorite homemade meals. 

A few of our readers have inquired as to our concerns over Ebola as we’ll continue our travels outside the US next spring in the South Pacific. At this point, we can only say it’s a “watch and see” scenario. 

The Maalaea Marina walking distance from our condo.

Five months ago, we were living in Africa, not leaving until May 15, 2014. Would we have gone to the continent for almost nine months had Ebola been in the news as it is now? It’s hard to say. Ebola is not prevalent in the countries we visited. Although, we may have decided against Morocco with its closer proximity to the ravaged countries in West Africa where outbreaks are rampant.

Our hearts break for the victims of Ebola all over the world, including those isolated cases in some of the countries in which our readers live. They too understand the fears the media have imposed upon us.

Flowers on a walk.  Had we visited Hawaii in the spring and summer, we’d have seen many more flowers. 

When one thinks about it, hundreds of thousands of patients die of hospital-borne infections, Antimicrobial Resistance, in the US, Canada, and Europe, and others of countries each year although these numbers are seldom mentioned by the media. What is being done to prevent this? Washing hands? Not enough.

I won’t get on my health soapbox here. We both prefer to save these conversations when among others who share the same passion, often on a cruise ship during dinner. Our site is intended to share our personal experiences as we travel the world.

Both boaters for most of our adult lives, neither of us longs to ever own a boat again. 

Ebola is a disease that has spread to other countries through travel and then, it has the potential to have an impact on all of us. In reality, our potential exposure is no greater through our travels than any of our readers who may travel three times a year. 

For our worried family members and friends, we continue to travel with caution and common sense. Of course, we won’t visit an Ebola ravaged country. Other than that, we’ll continue to enjoy our worldwide travels.

A view of the Maalaea Marina from the mall.

For now, we continue to work on feeling well again. Viral and bacterial illnesses most often are as a result of exposure to others carrying the germs. Somehow, in Waikiki, either touching a railing, sitting at a dinner table, or grabbing a menu put the contaminants in our hands, and then we ate our dinner. That’s most assuredly is how we became ill.

When we assess how easily illness is transferred from person to person, it makes us realize how vulnerable we all are. Although washing our hands helps reduce our risks, as we’ve heard regarding Eloba, it’s much more complex than simple hand washing.

This shop from the Pacific Whale Foundation is located in the mall. I wandered inside and was impressed by the nice clothing they had for sale at reasonable prices.

The world is our oyster and we’ll continue on our travels, albeit with added caution, to cherish this fulfilling life we’ve chosen.

                                           Photo from one year ago today, October 20, 2013:

During our three months in Kenya, we fell in love with Jessie, Han’s little outdoor dog. She slept outside at night, often sitting by our door in the morning waiting for us to come outside to spend our day in the outdoor living room. For details for that date, please click here.

Shark attacks a surfer on beach in front of our condo…Photos…Hurricane has passed…Rain, wind and high surf ended…

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There were several of these police jet skis in the water for hours after the shark attack occurred in front of the building.

Yesterday early afternoon, as we watched the effects of Hurricane Ana as she bypassed the island of Maui, we were curious as to action in the ocean outside our building. Looking through the camera lens and binoculars, we observed no less than eight jet skis skimming through the water, seeming to focus on one specific area.

Although it was raining surfers took advantage of the surf generated by Hurricane Ana.

Curious as to what was going on, we checked the news a while later to find a news article that read the following story we copied from Maui News.

PHOTOS: 12-14 Foot Shark Bites Board of Surfer in Māʻalaea, No Injuries

12-14 foot shark bites board at Māʻalaea. Courtesy photo.
12-14 foot shark bites board at Māʻalaea. Photo courtesy DLNR Enforcement.
By Wendy Osher
Crews from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources are working to clear a section of beach in South Maui after a confirmed shark bite incident, in which a shark bit the board of a surfer, with no injuries was reported.
“It was confirmed a 12 to 14-foot shark did bite a surfer’s board. DLNR will be clearing the surrounding water,” said Brianne Savage, Interim Director of the County of Maui Parks and Recreation department.
The incident was reported in the South Maui area of Māʻalaea at around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014.
Dan Dennison with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources tells Maui Now that the surfer had to shove the board into the shark to fend off the attack.
According to Dennison, the water is “very dirty” and the Department’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement launched two jet skis to help lifeguards warn people to stay out of the water.
There is currently a flash flood watch and a high surf advisory in effect for the south-facing shores of Maui County waters through 6 p.m. tonight with waves expected to be in the 10 to 14-foot range. Forecasters with the National Weather Service say the large swell is one of the impacts as Hurricane Ana passes south of the state.
Maui Police say beaches are closed between McGregor’s Point and Kealia Beach Pond due to a shark sighting. Affected beaches will remain closed until at least 12 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19. DLNR will reassess the beaches during that time.
The Dept. of Parks and Recreation today announced that all County of Maui parks, recreational facilities, and campgrounds are scheduled to reopen tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014.
Parks facilities were closed due to the unpredictability of weather conditions related to Tropical Cyclone Ana, and will remain closed for the remainder of today, said Maui County Communication Specialist Lois Whitney.
12-14 foot shark bites board at Māʻalaea. Courtesy photo.
12-14 foot shark bites board at Māʻalaea. Photo courtesy DLNR Enforcement.
Shark sighting in Māʻalaea (south Maui) 10/18/14 11:30 a.m., Photo by Jack Dugan.
Surfers being called out of the water following a shark bit the board of a surfer in Māʻalaea (south Maui) at around 11:30 a.m. 10/18/14.  No injuries reported. Photo by Jack Dugan.
Shark sighting in Māʻalaea (south Maui) 10/18/14 11:30 a.m., Photo by Jack Dugan.
Surfers being called out of the water following a shark bit the board of a surfer in Māʻalaea (south Maui) at around 11:30 a.m. 10/18/14. No injuries reported. Photo by Jack Dugan.
Shark sighting in Māʻalaea (south Maui) 10/18/14 11:30 a.m., Photo by Jack Dugan.
Surfers being called out of the water following a shark bit the board of a surfer in Māʻalaea (south Maui) at around 11:30 a.m. 10/18/14. No injuries reported. Photo by Jack Dugan.

 

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After that round of excitement and feeling grateful that the surfer was uninjured, we busied ourselves the remainder of the day watching the storm move through our area with torrential rain, winds, and surf. It was an unusual day.

We’ve yet to sit by the pool or spend a lot of time outdoors. The weather report indicates rain for many days to come. Sightseeing is out of the question in the rain when we’ll have plenty of time to explore the island on sunny days allowing us to take good photos.

We’re content, comfortable, and happy to be in Maui. Rain or shine, Maui epitomizes our perception of an island paradise. In the quiet area of Maalaea, next to the bay and situated on the Pacific Ocean, we couldn’t be more in our element especially when the Whales soon begin to enter this area. 

The winds and the rains continued throughout the day but, we certainly dodged a bullet when there was no damage on this island. The Big Island was the hardest hit with some damage and flooding.

As for the sea turtles, we’ll keep a watchful eye and post photos as soon as we spot them. In the interim, we’re finding pleasure in checking out, “Small Things” which we’ll share tomorrow with some amazing photos.

As we lounge, enjoy great homemade meals, visit our family and friends online, and do general housekeeping, we’re more content than we’d imagined. I suppose it takes being away from certain comforts that inspire one to feel grateful over the simplest of amenities; a TV in the bedroom, a whistling teapot, a large enough bowl to make a salad, a sturdy roomy shower, and…as always, each other. 

                                            Photo from one year ago today, October 19, 2013:

When I heard a noise on the attic level of the house in Kenya, we made our way up the steep spiral staircase to check it out. Alas, this Owl was trapped inside. We called Hesborn to help get it outside which he gladly did in a matter of minutes. For details of that date, please click here.

It’s official!…Hurricane Ana is a Category One hurricane…A year ago…A ride in a single engine airplane…

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We’re in awe of the ocean views as we stopped along a beach on our way to Kihei.

As of news reports this morning, overnight, Hurricane Ana decided to hit the Hawaiian Islands with less intensity than expected. As I write now, weather warnings continue to pop up on the TV screen for flash flood warnings on the Big Island which Ana is approaching.

Hurricane categories.

Big Island has been hit by heavy rains, winds, and high seas in the past 12 hours, resulting in considerable flooding but not to the degree as in higher category hurricanes.

We purchased more food and water than we can possibly use, but as mentioned yesterday, we’ve decided to ship a box to ourselves for when we arrive on the Big Island on December 1st, the food we can use when the family arrives. 

The sandy beach in front of our building.

Yesterday afternoon, we drove eight miles to a regular grocery store to purchase a few smaller items we weren’t able to buy at Costco. You know how that goes at Costco, not all products are required in “jumbo” sizes. That was always the case (no pun intended) when we shopped at Costco in our old lives, an imminent trip to a regular grocery store was required to fill in the blanks.

Bird of Paradise, definitely an appropriate name here in Hawaii.

Although it takes a good 20 minutes to drive to the Safeway in Kihei most likely that’s where I’ll grocery shop going forward. A lesson I finally accepted in the Safeway was to do not to expect Tom to go grocery shopping with me ever again! Overly grumpy!

As the tide went out we searched for signs of life, at time fooled by the large boulders that appear at low tide.

With no sense of direction, I paid special attention to the return drive as to which turns to take to get back to Safeway next time I need to shop. The rental car company included me as a driver at no extra charge. I have not driven a car since December 2012. I hope it’s like riding a bike.

When we were outside the US, driving stick shift vehicles often on the “wrong” side of the road, Tom would drive me everywhere, waiting in the car reading a book on his phone while I shopped.

On our way to Kihei, we stopped at a roadside area on the beach to find this sign.  We didn’t see any turtles.

I know how to drive a stick shift but not with my left arm when the driver sits on the right side of the vehicle, also driving on the “wrong” side of the road. It goes against everything my brain is willing to process.

In any case, after the rushed moody shopping trip I couldn’t get out of there quick enough. Luckily, they had everything on the list, an app on my phone. How exciting it was to see ingredients I haven’t seen in almost two years. There was nothing on my list that couldn’t be found.

Another gorgeous sandy beach at the Turtle Nesting Area.

As for pricing, next time I do a complete grocery shopping trip, I’ll take a photo of the receipt for those of our readers who may be considering a move to Hawaii and are concerned about grocery prices.

Using the app on my phone for the past five years or more, I’ve become very familiar with prices. Honestly, from what we experienced yesterday and at Costco on Thursday, prices are not much higher than they were in Minnesota over two years ago. – an 8oz package of Philadelphia cream cheese at $2.99, the same price back then; a can of unsweetened coconut milk was $1.79, slightly less than in Minnesota long ago.

Moss growing on the rocks along the shoreline.

Could we ever return here based on what we’ve seen so far?  If it was to Maui, we’d say yes, perhaps someday, if we’re able to rent vacation homes comparable to where we’re living now. It’s beautiful, people are friendly, the weather (usually) is ideal and the vegetation is exquisite. 

The only aspect we’ve yet to discover is wildlife. Last night before dark, we wandered along the shoreline searching for the sea turtles we’ve heard often visit in the early evening. It’s a little early for whale watching but, the season will soon be upon us. We can hardly wait.

As for the next few days, staying put makes sense as the storm maneuvers its way to Maui. The surf is picking up this morning as we watch surfers taking advantage of the ever-increasing waves as the effects of Hurricane Ana gradually arrive.

Late yesterday, the surf had yet to pick up with Hurricane Ana still hundreds of miles away.

Without a doubt, we’re safe based on the local news reports. It won’t be as devastating as the media had feared. Costco made a lot of money this week when shoppers were in a frenzy filling multiple carts with supplies. We certainly fell prey to that mentality.

Tom’s back in his usual good mood and of course, I’m overly bubbly. Wait! Am I supposed to go back to worrying about lava flow?

                                                     Photo from one year ago, October 18, 2013:

For the return flight from the Masai Mara to Diani Beach, Kenya, I was no longer fearful of the small single-engine plane as Tom and I sat behind the pilot.  For details of that day, please click here. 

Changing posting time…Heavenly…Settled into domestic life…

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A snail we found on an exterior wall.

We’ve tried to accommodate early morning readers in the US, other countries and for those in all time zones throughout the world by scheduling automatic uploads at 3 am mountain time. The problem with continuing to do so requires me to write today for tomorrow’s post.

This boat takes tourists out for various adventures.

Life happens as it happens and we prefer to post each morning immediately after we’ve written a new post. As a result, today, you’ll see two posts. Going forward you’ll see a new post each day. You can continue to read each morning to see a new post from the prior morning.

By posting twice on October 17th, it enables us to avoid missing one day’s post as we strive to maintain continuity.

Tom walked toward our private beach near the breakwaters.

We apologize for the inconvenience but we’ve found it better to post in “real-time” as opposed to 24 hours before it is seen.  The news will be newer, the events more relevant time-wise. Thank you for your understanding.

The post you saw this morning was written last night on Thursday. As I write this now it’s early Friday morning.  Not much has transpired since last night other than at 9:30  pm we hunkered down to watch an episode of Hell’s Kitchen on my laptop. Perhaps boring to some but, it was fun for us!

The beach for our building only.  As nice as this is, we prefer to sun and fun by the pool.

Finally falling on our faces we headed to bed after 11. Oddly, the bedroom has no AC and the single unit in the living room is too far away to have any impact on cooling the bedroom. With the threat of Hurricane Ana still looming, supposedly heading our way tonight or tomorrow, the air is thick with heat and humidity.

We anticipated that sleeping would be difficult after 77 nights in AC comfort. In Madeira, the last vacation house in which we lived, the temperature rarely was higher than 75F, 24C during the day cooling down considerably at night.  With Maui daytime temperatures as high as 88F, 31C, it was still 79F, 26C when we went to bed, leaving us anticipating a fitful night.

Aside from our occasional fits of coughing, we slept well, finally cool enough to pull the covers over us in the middle of the night. Perhaps, once this storm passes it will cool down a few degrees.  Here are the average year-round temperatures for the general area:

Annual averages temperatures in Kaanapali Beach, which is approximately 20 minutes from our location

Awakening this morning, I was impatient to get up and get the day going. First things first, I turned on the burner for the whistling teapot, an item I drooled over when we first walked inside the condo. I haven’t had a real teapot to use for so long I can’t remember. 

We know we should be drinking Kona coffee while in Hawaii but with Tom cutting out sugar, starch, and carbs as of today, he has no interest in coffee without two spoons of sugar per cup. 

Views from the private beach.

In support of him, I won’t drink coffee as he’s supported me in my diligent observance of this way of eating.  Tea is a fine substitute for me. Of course, when the family arrives for Christmas, we’ll certainly have Kona coffee available. (I doubt Tom will stick with the plan over the holidays and will join in on the Kona coffee).

Another aspect of an easy life in this lovely condo is the ice. Although the freezer’s ice machine doesn’t work there are six ice cube trays. This means we’ll only have to make ice once per day. Add the huge pitcher we found, we’ll only have to make iced tea once a day

As we roamed the grounds at our building, we spotted this warning sign.

I couldn’t get the washer going fast enough. With only enough dirty laundry for one load, I was excited to use the stackable washer and dryer in the unit. We haven’t had a dryer in a vacation home since November 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona as we busily prepared to leave the US. 

In a little over 75 minutes, the laundry was washed, dried, and put away. How wonderful! Ah, the simple things. They mean so much.

The surf outside our door.

As for Hurricane Ana, some of the news people are still calling her Tropical Storm Ana while others say, Hurricane Ana. Her winds are 70 MPH, heading our way. Once it hit 75 MPH which is expected today, she will officially be called Hurricane Ana. She has yet to hit the Big Island, her first target in the chain of islands. 

Also, the lava flow continues on the Big Island with little hope that the torrential rains will have any impact on the flow. 

A closer view of the flow front courtesy USGS HVO, burning vegetation at its flow margin.
The lava flow is currently 150 yards wide heading toward Pahoa, where we’ll live beginning December 1st. Helicopter operations to view the flow have been suspending due to Ana.

There’s always the good and the bad, the yin and the yang, and the ups and downs in life. Hawaii is no different in that manner than anyplace else in the world. We chose to spend this period of time on these lush tropical islands. With that comes a price to pay, as is the case with almost everything in life.

Happily, we pay that price, hoping in the long haul, the benefits outweigh the worrisome aspects. We’ll continue to stay in touch sharing what we discover along the way.

Have a safe and happy weekend.

                                                Photo from one year ago, October 17, 2013:
In today’s earlier post we included a photo for this date. With the above-described readjustment of uploading time, we included another photo from that date. For details of that post, please click here.

The chef at Camp Olonana made every effort to prepare delicious well-seasoned meals for me. He succeeded beyond expectations. For details from that day’s post, please click here.

Safari luck in Hawaii…Today’s flights to Maui cancelled…Luckily we made it to Maui yesterday…Love the new place! Here comes Hurricane Ana!

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The clouds have begun to roll in as Hurricane Ana makes her way to the islands.  View from our lanai.

Thursday afternoon we arrived in Maui after a relatively painless 39-minute flight along with the usual two hours of waiting time at the airport in Honolulu. 

For once, we weren’t charged for excess fees for overweight baggage, although, we were assessed $120 for the four checked bags, two large, two small. For the first time in a long time, curbside check-in was available, allowing us to avoid the long lines of travelers trying to get out of Hawaii before the arrival of Hurricane Ana.

Last night, we heard that all flights to Maui are all being canceled started today. Had we not left Honolulu on Thursday, we’ve been stranded with no place to stay other than moving to a pricey hotel. Safari luck prevails. Now let’s see how it does when the storm hits tonight.

View of Maui taken during the 39-minute flight from Honolulu.

As soon as we picked up the rental car we were relieved to be on our way with the good directions the property owner provided for our new home over the next six weeks.

View from our lanai.

As we pulled out of the Enterprise lot we noticed a long line of traffic moving in and out of what appeared to be a Costco parking lot. The car was loaded with our luggage but how convenient it would be to shop for food and supplies.

We decided to change it and shop for bottled water, non-perishable foods, and a small number of perishable items (in the event the power doesn’t go out after all). An hour later we were shocked by the $604 we’d spent and challenged as to how we’d fit it all in the car.

Surely, we’ll be spending time by the pool as soon as the storm is over.

Somehow, with the utmost creativity, we managed to fit every last item, including huge bundles of toilet paper and paper towels, into the luggage jammed vehicle.

A pretty flower in the yard.

In no time at all we arrived and couldn’t have been more thrilled with the first-floor ocean view condo. Not only does it have virtually everything we could possibly need or want, but it’s also appealing, spotless, and exceedingly comfortable.

The grills at our disposal in the yard.  What a view while flipping a burger!

The thoughtful owners left a gift bag for us filled with macadamia nuts, a lovely bottle of white wine, chips, and cookies. What a pleasant surprise. We’ve been lucky with property owners in our travels, seldom having any type of issue often overjoyed with their kindness.

The grounds at the condo complex. We’ll take more photos soon.

This condo is roomy, and much-appreciated after having lived in the most recent tiny studio, hotel rooms, and cruise ship cabins. 

Our digital equipment was quickly set up with a good WiFi signal, each with our own plugin which was quite a novelty. The furniture is very comfortable.

Since July 31st each property in which we’ve stayed has been less than 200 square feet. We’veve eaten every meal out hoping that after the huge food purchase at Costco, we’d feel up to preparing dinner. 

Beach Bum BBQ & Grill where we dined last night.

After hauling everything inside, putting everything away, unpacking our luggage, and getting settled, we were too pooped to cook. Also, I’m still a bit under the weather with a recent virus.

Tom finally ordered a beer to celebrate our first night in Maui.

Dining out one more night was fine with us. We took off at 7:00 pm for Beach Bum’s BBQ & Grill for a great dinner, a mere two-minute drive from our condo. If we weren’t so tired, we could easily have walked. The food was great and worked well for my way of eating. Finally, we both felt as if we really were in  Hawaii, dining outdoors on a quiet evening in a more remote location.

My dinner, barbecue chicken, and ribs made without sauce but seasoned well. Tom helped me eat the ribs while I ate the dark meat of the chicken, bringing the chicken breast home in a doggy bag.

Today is a new day and we’ll enjoy chopping and dicing once again to make our favorite bread-free sandwiches and coleslaw, a dinner we both have missed. Plus, with a washer and dryer in the condo, I’m actually looking forward to our first load.

Tom’s dinner, pulled pork sandwich, fries, coleslaw, and cornbread. The bill for the dinner including one beer, tax, and tip was a total of $53 which we thought was reasonable.

With the news on constantly, we’re carefully watching for hurricane updates. As soon as we know something, we’ll add a note here to keep our readers well informed.

Stay tuned.

                                           Photo from one year ago today, October 17, 2013:

As our days at Camp Olonana came to a close, we attended a dinner in the bush, presented by our hosts. Again, a fabulous evening. For details of that day, please click here.

Hurricane Ana on its way to Hawaiian Island…Lava, hurricane…Oh, my!…Final expenses for Honolulu! One year ago photo with Chief Richard…

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Sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Today, we’re on our way to the island of Maui where we’ll spend six weeks in a first-floor condo on the beach.  With more space than we’ll have had since July 31st when we lived in Madeira, Portugal in a three-bedroom house. With closer proximity to the sea than in Honolulu, we’re excited to move on.

We’re grateful our flight is today as opposed to Friday or Saturday when Hurricane Ana is on her way to the Hawaii Island expected to reach landfall over the weekend.

Another evening’s sunset over the beach.

Although the news is reporting that the Big Island will be hit first, the other islands including Maui is in her path. Between the lava flowing to the neighborhood of the houses we rented on the Big Island and this hurricane, the adventure has picked up the pace.

Who knows what will transpire over the next several days?  With Hawaiian residents “batten down the hatches” in preparation for the hurricane, our plan is to pick up the rental car at the airport, drop off our luggage at the condo, and head directly to the grocery store.  Will it already be low on food when area residents are preparing for the hurricane?

The dilemma is, do we buy lots of food to see us through or a small amount?  If the power goes out, we’d lose the perishable food. After careful consideration, we’ve decided to be optimistic and purchase enough groceries to last for a few weeks, much of which will be non-perishable which we’ll use in six weeks in any case.

Sunset Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii.

We don’t eat processed foods. Once we’re situated in a vacation home doing our own cooking we usually don’t have to be concerned about keeping non-perishable foods on hand in case of an emergency. 

We discussed the possibility of a power outage in Maui and came up with the following items for meals which can be prepared without power. When we shop today, we’ll be purchasing these:

1. Canned ham (small sizes) with canned veggies
2. Canned tuna with celery, onions, and mayo (we’ll purchase several small jars of mayo since it won’t keep without refrigeration once opened) and canned veggies
3.  Herring in a jar with canned veggies
4.  Nuts and salmon, beef and turkey jerky
5.  Bottled water

We had all of these sunset photos in Oahu accumulating, deciding to share them on our last day on this island.

We’ll purchase enough of the above to get us through two weeks without power. At this point, we’re not worried. We continue to watch news updates on the progression of Hurricane Ana.

We aren’t thinking beyond two weeks without power. Of course, if the power is out, the WiFi won’t work and we won’t be able to post. 

Cloudy evening sunset Waikiki Beach.

If you don’t see a new post for Saturday, Sunday, or Monday one can assume that we’re unable to post. Please keep checking back. As soon as the power and WiFi are working again, we’ll immediately post an update with our hurricane experiences and photos. 

Our three camera batteries will be fully charged, easily lasting for a week or more. And yes, if the hurricane hits, we’ll be taking many photos. If it doesn’t make landfall,  we’ll still be taking many photos in our new location, the beautiful island of Maui.

The sky looked as if lights were turned on.

Yesterday, we did the laundry and packed, leaving out clothing and toiletries for the morning. At 10:30 am, we’ll grab a taxi to head to the airport. We’ve weighed all of our bags and they comply with the maximum 50-pound weight. We’ll see how that goes.

Of course, this sky was more unreal in person.

As for our final Honolulu expenses, here are the total expenses:

Vacation rental:  $2,137.00
Airfare to Maui:       218.58
Taxi fares:                55.00
Tours:                    165.74
Laundry:                   19.74
Meals & Groceries     598.99 

Total:                $3,195.06

Waikiki Beach on a cloudy evening.

The average cost per day (11 days) was $290.46. When looking at these numbers it’s important to consider the reasons why our cost per day may be less than the average tourist visiting Hawaii:

1.  Low airfare – We’ve only included our cost to fly from Oahu to Maui since we arrived by cruise ship.  Most tourists would be flying in and out from much further away increasing airfare costs considerably.
2.  Low taxi fares – We only dined in restaurants we could reach on foot and explored the general area.
3.  Low sightseeing costs – With the upcoming family reunion in December, we chose to keep our costs to a minimum.
4.  Meals and groceries – Here again, with a goal of eating in restaurants that work for my way of eating. When we found one, particularly, Cheeseburger in Paradise, we stuck with it for over half of our dinners when they have the best Cobb Salad and bacon cheeseburgers on the planet which we each enjoyed. Also, we only eat one meal a day and don’t order appetizers, beverages, or desserts with our meals, keeping the cost as much as 50% less. If a couple were to eat three meals a day, with beverages and an occasional appetizer of desserts, they’d easily spent a minimum of $150 a day, dining in the most economical restaurants.

Although the sun wasn’t visible its impact on the clouds was breathtaking.

We’d estimate that the average couple would spend no less than $7,000 for 11 nights in Honolulu (depending on their selected hotel), including extra airfare, tours, shopping, and dining expenses.  A Hawaiian vacation/holiday is definitely expensive.

Washington Place, the Governor of Hawaii’s residence.  For details, please click here.

In no way did our budget impede the quality of the experience for us. Other than being sick for four days (during which time we continued to go out for dinner each night), we’ve had an excellent time in Oahu, easily anticipating our return in May to be equally pleasurable.

Iolani Palace, the only palace now a part of the United States.  Click here for details.

Look for us tomorrow with Maui photos, the results of our first trip to the grocery store, our new accommodations, and of course, updates on the hurricane.

Aloha.
                                                 Photo from one year ago today, October 16, 2013:

We were inside one of the mud huts in Chief Richard’s Maasai village. It was really hot that day.  We were wearing our BugsAway clothing when the mosquitoes and flies were heavy in the village with the abundance of livestock. For details on the peculiar diet of these healthy people and more information about their lifestyle, please click here.

Pearl Harbor presented in movies and video over the years…Today’s post is #800!…One year ago, a mating lion…

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Gun turrets aboard the USS Missouri.

Tom was moved by the reverence, respect and attention to detail presented at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. 


This is the armor piercing shell weighing over one ton.  To the right, is two of three packs of gunpowder wrapped in silk to avoid sparks.



Gun turrets.


Standing atop the memorial of the sunken battleship USS Arizona, the final resting place for many of the 1177 crewmen killed on December 7, 1941 when their ship was bombed by Japanese Naval Forces.


The Captain’s dining hall aboard the USS Missouri.

Captain’s dining hall seating area.

In all, the Japanese attack killed a total of 2390 people; 1990 sailors, 233 soldiers and airmen, 109 marines and 49 civilians.  Of the eight battleships in the harbor, five were sunk.  In all, 21 vessels were sunk or heavily damaged.


Shells to be shot from smaller gun turrets.
Officer’s mess hall.

After the attack, the Navy undertook a massive salvage operation and all but three vessels were returned to service; the USS Arizona, the USS Oklahoma and the USS Utah. The attackers destroyed 164 aircraft , damaging 159.


Junior officer’s sleeping quarters.
Junior officer’s lounge.

The Japanese Navy lost 55 airmen and 29 planes.  Of the five midget two-man submarines launched, four were lost and one was captured which was America’s first prisoner of war.


Junior officer’s bunks.
Officer’s mess hall.
 

Millions of people from all over the world come to the majestic setting to see the location where World War II  began for the United States.  It is currently the number one visitor destination in Hawaii.


Junior officer’s mess hall.
Vegetable prep area.

Having an opportunity to board “Mighty Mo,” the USS Missouri, only added to the significance and depth of his experience.  Of course, it was important that visitors take extra precautions to avoid “knee knockers” and “head bangers” when most visitors have no experience or knowledge in boarding a battleship with its many ladders and small spaces.  Tom exited unscathed.


Kitchen baked goods area.
Marine’s are on board the USS Missouri as ship’s security.  These are their sleeping quarters.

As we discussed his experience, it came to mind that there has been movies, videos, and even songs, attributed to the memory of Pearl Harbor and its tragic loss of life.  Today, we share some of those here with the following video links and a short description:

Mail room.
Executive officer bedroom.

For those World War II aficionados, you may enjoy clicking on the above links.  On YouTube some of theses movies are offered in their entirety by simply typing in  the name of the movies on their site.


Executive Officer lounge area.
View from the USS Missouri’s bridge to the memorial.

Thanks to all of our readers for sharing this powerful experience with Tom.  Although, I wasn’t in attendance on the tour, I feel the significance and powerful message portrayed in this magnificent memorial along with him as we share these details with you.


Various US military flags.
View of the port side of the USS Missouri.

Tomorrow, is our flight from Oahu to Maui at 12:45 with Hawaiian Air.  The flight time is only 39 minutes.  We’re going to love that!


The monument at the Punchbowl, which is the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

The grounds of National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific where the memorial for Hawaiian born Astronaut,  Ellison Onizuka, is located, who was killed on the Challenger in 1986.

We’ll end on a happy note with this fabulous World War II Christmas music video by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, “Christmas Without You.”


Statue of the classic Tim magazine shot of a nurse and sailor kissing at the end of
World War II.

Happy day!
_________________________________________________

Photo from one year ago today, October 15, 2013:

Contented male lion during a short break in the mating ritual.  For more photo and details, please click here.