Driving in Paradise

Today I drove to Honolulu to take my son to school. For some reason, I never grow tired of this drive??!!

Just Another Day In Paradise

I have lived in many different places and in many different states. Most of the time if I wanted to see beautiful scenery, I had to drive long distances. I don't mean looking out my kitchen window into my beautifully landscaped back yard or driving down a street full of trees that are in bloom. I mean being able to walk or drive for 5 minutes and see this! Wow!!!

Kalua Pig

I'm sure everyone that comes to Hawaii for a visit goes to a local Luau....they are a lot of fun, great entertainment and authentic local food. The main dish is Kalua Pig which has been buried in a pit in the ground for many hours. This insures the pork just falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. Well, for those of you who don't have immediate access to a Hawaiian Luau or enough room to dig a pit in the back yard for a pig....try this recipe listed below. I guarantee that you will enjoy!! Ingredients: Loin Pork Roast Hickory Seasoning-Liquid Smoke Banana leaves or ti leaves Preparation: Rub a tiny amount of the liquid smoke on the roast Wrap with the leaves Put into microwave and cook on Lo for about 8 hrs. I use banana leaves from my neighbors tree but you can usually buy some type of leaf similar in your grocery store or possibly a Chinese market. And remember the liquid smoke is very strong so just a tiny bit in the palm of your hand and rubbed on the roast will do fine. That's it! Serve some white steamed rice and a veggie and you will surely have a Tropical delight.

Sunshine in the Rain

Woke up, filled my coffee cup and headed outside.

Today we are getting the tail end of what began as Hurricane Felicia, but by the time it arrived here, is just a 'Tropical Depression'.

Cool(er), light rain showers..mostly cloudy...but in the midst of the gray sky light the color yellow, POPS! The hibiscus opened up and are happily lapping up the rain. Wow....what a way to start my day!

Sea, Shore & Kites Galore

KITES....

On windy days when I was a child I would go to the park and watch all the kids trying to fly their brightly colored kites...I was one of those kids from time to time.

Now I go to the beach and watch the kids ride their boards and fly on and above the water with their brightly colored kites. I am not one of those kids-at anytime!

Pugs in Paradise

Mali and Lili, my two pugs, are enjoying their new lives in Hawaii!!

Coming to the islands is a process that takes 3-4 months before you can even plan to fly them over.

Hawaii has a 'no rabies' policy and they are very careful about letting animals from the mainland or anywhere else in without going thru all the proper procedures. They don't want to take any chances of the disease being brought over. We started with our vet in California back in March of 2008 and we finally moved over here the end of August last year.

It was a hard decision for me to choose how to get them here. I was so afraid to put them in the cargo hold of any plane (I heard all sorts of horror stories). So I decided on PAC (Pacific Air Cargo) which at least let them ride in their crates in the body of the plane behind the pilots. The down side to that was that I couldn't be with them....but my husband picked them up at the airport in Honolulu and my son and I arrived a few hours later.

They adjusted immediately.....but that is just how they are. Really, isn't that how we all are?? It doesn't really matter where we put down our roots.....as long as we are with the ones we love.... it is truly bliss!

Pet Sitting in Paradise

Pet sitting is a wonderful job! I love it!

In California most people hire a pet sitter to take care of their pets while they go away on vacation. There are the exceptions who need someone to walk, visit, feed their pets during the day when they are at work. Here in Hawaii most of the clients that I have, so far, need someone to walk their dogs because they spend so many hours away from home working! It is tough to make a living here for most of us. Many husband and wife teams work, that in itself is not unusual, but sometimes it takes one or both of them to work two jobs to make ends meet!

Good news for me, the Pet Sitter!

In California walking dogs was not something that I did alot of...but here on the island it is what I do the most of. And, who could ask for a better place to walk...no matter what area I am in or what kind of neighborhood....no matter which way I look, there is an amazing piece of God's imagery surrounding me! When I walk Nico and Riley, current clients, I can see the Ko'olau Mountains from just about any direction and we pass the Wetland Bird Preserve daily! It is truly awesome to have a job you love, with the creatures that you love in one of the most beautiful places on the Planet!

Gecko's In My House

The sound of the Mo'o or gecko as they are more commonly referred to is very distinct. Kind of a chirping sound. It can be heard any time of day or night, inside or outside of the house. But, inside my house the sound resonates, especially in the middle of the night when all else is quiet.

There are over 900 species, but only 7 have settled here on the islands and they have all been introduced. There are many stories of exactly how they came to be here, but some we are sure must have snuck aboard Polynesian canoes as stow aways!

The Mo'o has been a part of ancient mythology and appears in many legends throughout Polynesia. This little creature is known as a guardian. He guards individuals, families and places.

I know that we are very happy to have them scurry around in our yard and in our house; guarding us. They bring good luck, you know!

Canoeing

Did you know that canoeing is the #1 water sport in Hawaii?? 3,000 paddlers. It is alot of fun to watch and the ages that enjoy the sport vary from kids to seniors, and every age in between. Men and women, girls and boys participate in this fun!

There is a long line of tradition behind paddling. It is a very revered event. The majority of the canoes are fiberglass. They are used in some races but mostly for practice. The koa wood canoes are hand made and so beautiful. The koa wood canoes are used in the Regatta's.

I love being at the races and watching.....being able to be a small part of such a wonderful tradition. I love that my son loves it and is able to participate in such an athletic sport. Each and every day of island living is a wonderful experience.

Island Flora

One year ago, I was living in Southern California and had tried my luck growing orchids(many times before). But, no matter what I did, what book I followed or what fertilizer I bought (and I was talked in to buying many) The orchid always died.

When I moved to the islands a friend brought me over an orchid as a housewarming gift. I thanked her but told her that I didn't have very good luck with these flowers. She laughed and said that they were so easy to grow here. She told me to keep them in the house, if I liked, while the flowers were in bloom. After they fell off, just take the pot outside and hang it under a tree or on the fence out of bright sun. She told me to give it a spray of water from time to time.

Sure, I thought....that will work!

Well, it is truly unbelievable. This orchid pictured ( I wish I could tell you the name but in my search for the right one I came upon hundreds......) anyway, this plant is in a broken down plastic container with no soil. The roots are just hanging down and blow in the trade winds every day. I occasionally spray it with water and as you can see, it bloomed.

It has been a year, but yesterday the bud came out and today it opened up. Aahhh! The islands....truly an amazing place to live!

Treasures in Paradise

One of the many wonderful pleasures of living on an island is the local cuisine. You can go to your local Farmer's Market and try all the flavorful fruits and veggies. The prices are bargain and the quality is found no where else! Or.....you can go out in your front yard (if you are me) and pick your own flavor for the day! Yum!!