Car Wash

Every Saturday at the WCA (Waialua Community Center) there's a car wash.  Different groups, like soccer, baseball,football, high school sports, dance groups, etc,

are able to do this as fund raiser.  The cost is reasonable, they do a good job and we're

helping the local economy. 

Saturday we think the group was a Tahitian dance group.  There were kids on drums

and dances behind the building.  This group of dads were the ones

doing the washing and drying.

Sometimes we go once a week...all that red dirt out here!

$$ well spent!

R & R

Rickey and his friend Rachel are here for a very, very short visit.

We met at Kono's for breakfast.

Wish they were staying longer so that we could do more and hang out more.

until the next time

a hui hou

A songbird from Arkansas and ...

Last night went to Waikiki again with my girlies.   Last week there were people who stopped and listened.

This week this little lady from Arkansas actually wanted to sit with the girls and sing. 

When I asked her what song she liked she said "anything done by Don Ho".

She and her family were having the best time in Waikiki and she was ready for a good

time, she even had her silk flower lei.

Once again this uncle came up the street.  He didn't have his uke with him, but it didn't take

him long to join in with the girls. 

There were some Japanese tourtist that had just bought some ukeleles and he got them tuned up.

This couple were so happy to have someone actually play them!

I was thinking on my way home about these nights.  After talking to the shopkeepers in front of where

they were playing, the locals who came into Waikiki for holoholo and just people

who hadn't been back here for 30 years~ people really MISS having real Hawaiians

playing real Hawaiian music.  I'm not surprised how many people will ask me "they are real Hawaiians, right?"

There are still people out there that remember the "old Waikiki" and first time visitors that

have a mental picture of what Hawaii should be.

Well thanks to these friends, maybe someone left Waikiki last night with

a wonderful memory about those two ladies with the beautiful voices!

(oh and their friend, who wishes everyone walking by "Aloha")

Snowbirds and hula

Last night I went to Waikiki to help my friends during their show.  The audience

was filled with "snowbirds" enjoying the warmth of the night. 

It's always fun to go and watch live music and hula.

Once again when I was talking to people before and after the show I found out

that most of the people there were from Canada.

They're always so friendly and soooo happy to be here in Hawaii.

For Those Cold Mornings...

Have you had McD's oatmeal?  It's really, really good!

Fresh apples, raisins and cranberries and not too much liquid.

It's just perfect for a quick breakfast on our cold winter mornings!
(BTW it's 65 right now)

Winter showers

In winter we have more showers.  Coming home from Mililani yesterday, I hit

one of those showers.  The clouds were down low on the Mt. Kaala

and it started raining.

Pretty much rained all the way to the top of snake road and

then stopped.

 I didn't get a picture of it, but there was the biggest rainbow.

Nice cool winter weather.  Love it!

House Party

Last Saturday I went to a House Warming Party at Gloria and Scott's house in Pearl City.

They live in a great house that they have practically re-done every bit of.

Their house is single walled with the original wood floors.

Since Scott is a woodworker, he's done some beautiful things to the house.

Gloria just has a keen eye for finding great stuff (swapmeet or rubbish).

 Scott just finished re-doing their kitchen.  Let me tell you it's beautiful.

The picture doesn't do it justice.  Yes, he made all the cabinets.

 Scott and Glo.  I actually met Glo when she worked at Dukes in HB.

They moved here not too much before we did.  She still works at Dukes Waikiki.

Thanks again for such a great party at your beautiful house!

(some photos~Gloria Carlson)

Bringin' it back

A couple of nights ago I went to Waikiki to support a couple of my friends who decided to "bring back some Hawaiian

music to Waikiki".  We had talked about this and I really encouraged them.  I've seen what Waikiki is like with all

the crazy street stuff (that's a whole different post).  These two are professionals just wanting

to make some extra $$.

For the few hours that they were there, it was good fun!  We had all kinds of people stop.

Some singing with them,

 some dancing with them,

 some stopped to play music with them (this uncle was so great, retired HPD, musician, just loves Hawaiian music)

some just glad to be in Hawaii enjoying the music!

They say that they'll go back again because it was so much fun.  I hope so...I'll be there.

Mahalo to Coco and Lei for bringing back

some of the real Hawaii to Waikiki!

ps...I really think that most of Canada are wintering in Hawaii! Everyone I talked to was from Canada.



It didn't go but...

there was still a lot going on.  On Wednesday afternoon I took a drive up to Foodland and through Waimea Beach Park.  There was a flurry of activity.  They had been saying for two days "it might go" and on Wednesday

it looked like it was going on Thursday. 

There were people already starting to get their spots...

T

 media trucks

 scaffolding going up,

 On Thursday morning I got up early and thought I'd go up and see what

it looked like.  People were biking up to the bay from Haleiwa.

 This year it seemed like everyone was more prepared.  The City & County

put up barricades along Kam Hiway, so that people weren't in the road.

 They finally made the call at 9:00am not to have it, due to inconsistant waves, there was

still plenty to see...Men Riding Mountains!

(last three photos by Kanai Rod...thanks!)

There are still 6 weeks left in the waiting period and they said that

there is another huge swell expected...so we'll see.

SURPRISE!

Our neighbor Billy was home from his Iraq deployment for R & R.

He will be gone for his 40th birthday next month, so his wife, Molly, wanted to have

a surprise party for him.

He really was surprised!  He thought they were going to dinner at Ed & Laura's house, but everyone

was next door.

Christine fixed so much yummy food and Ed did all the grilling.

 

He blew out all 40 candles in one breath!

Happy Birthday Billy!  Can't wait for you to get back home!

Will Eddie Go?

Looks like "the Eddie" might go tomorrow.  I went up there about 7am this morning and this sign was at Lani's.  The

barricades are up at the bay and the bouys are rising (FAST, a foot an hour!!!!)

So we'll see if it's a go two years in a row!

WOW, wouldn't that be something?

BTW, the sun came out and no clouds.

Chocolate Water

We've had so much rain in the last few days.  Huge storms- wind, rain, thunder and lightning have come through

here.  Roads have been closed because there is so much water on the roads.  One of the results of

of all this rain is all the "chocolate water".  Not just huge puddles, but the ocean all

along the North Shore the color of a latte.

Don't see too many locals in this chocolate water.  Not only is

it gross, but sharks seem to like this murky water. Yikes!

A Blessing...

A ten year old dream started to take shape this week at Waialua Elementary.

Four years ago I was on a committee that looked at designs for a new library/media center.

With all the budget problems, furlough, etc, I know people never thought it would come about.

Last week the principal got a call and they were going to start breaking ground on Monday!!!

a Koa tree and a shower tree were in this area of the playground.

So today they had a blessing of the project.  This is a Hawaiian custom. Blessings are done

at ground breakings, store openings and even new houses (we had our house blessed).

So a Kahu from Kamehameha Schools came out and used special Hawaiian sea salt and ka wai ola (water from the source) to bless the project.

There will be another blessing when the project is completed.

This is what I love, people take the culture so seriously and include

it in all parts of life.