Lorelei

Hiking the Kilauea Iki Trail

The second day in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we decided to hike the Kilauea Iki Trail.  The trail starts on the rim of the Kilauea Iki Crater which erupted in 1959 and has now cooled.  We started out walking on the rim through the rainforest.  It had rained the night before and it was a beautifully sunny morning.  The sun shone off the moist trees and everything glistened and smelled incredibly fresh.  Steam was rising from the earth.  We could hear the sounds of many different birds.

As we walked down toward the dormant crater, we were treated to spectacular views.

We walked down into the crater.  The first part was desolate and flat.

As we walked farther, we went over hills and chunks of a'a, a type of lava.  We saw the area where the explosion happened.

Then, we hiked back up to the rim.  It was one of the most beautiful hikes I can ever remember.

Staying near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island

Ever since I came to the Big Island of Hawaii with a tour group in 2006, I wanted to bring my husband here to see the geology.  It is so fascinating to see new earth forming with hot lava.  Last time I came, I actually was able to see the lava flow bright orange against the dark sky.  This time, you cannot see it up close, but we did see the caldera above glowing orange at night from the bubbling lava below.

There is something essential and primal about seeing an island that is still churning and forming.  We walked past steam vents and rocks colored by sulphur.

Since we are staying on the other side of the island where there is sun and beaches, we decided to stay one night here so we don't have to make the three hour drive back home.

We picked the Volcano Inn and ended up in the middle of the rain forest surrounded by huge ferns and listening to the rain on the roof all night.

This fern-lined path leads from our door to a hot tub nestled in the ferns. It is cozy and intimate.

Off to hike more today in the park!

Ringing in 2012

I have always wanted to go to a big blow out party on New Years Eve, but I usually just sit at home with my family and watch the ball drop on TV.  This year it was different.  Michael, Adam, Sarah and I actually went into San Francisco and stayed at the Westin San Francisco Market Hotel.  We started out our adventures with the Masters of Venice exhibit at the DeYoung museum.  Lunch was first.  I had pumpkin soup, beet salad and half of a custard fruit tart.  We ate outside in the glorious sunshine.  The temperature was in the mid 60's.  It did not feel like winter.

My favorite artist was Tiziano Vecelli who lived in Venice from 1488-1576.  He is known as Titian. My favorite series he did was about mythology.  It is called poesie because he compares his pictures to visual poetry. 

This painting is called Danae and the Shower of Gold.  Danae's father was told by an oracle that she would bear a son who would kill him.  So, he locked her up in a tower so no man could find her.  But, the god Zeus appeared to her as a shower of gold and seduced her.  Titian was one of the first people to use oil paints.  I love the beauty of the colors and the sensuousness of the painting.

This painting is called  Mars, Venus and Cupid.  Mars and Venus are lovers caught in a passionate embrace.  I love the idea of love overcoming war.  To see the original painting is so inspiring because of the richness of the color and the beauty of the design.

After seeing some beautiful art, we checked into our hotel.  We had adjoining rooms on the 21st floor and I was immediately stunned by the beautiful view.

 

 We sat in our room and watched the sun set for several hours over the city.  It was stupendously beautiful. We could see all the way out to the bay.  The heating and cooling  in Adam and Sarah's room was not working right, so they gave us a bottle of wine as an apology.  We toasted to the new year and talked about all the good things that 2011 has brought us:

• Sarah getting into a Top Ten law school with a scholarship
• Adam getting funding to continue with his PhD and submitting his first paper
• Michael winning two contracts
• Laurie have her most abundant year ever
• All the family is healthy and we are getting along well

We toasted to a wonderful and prosperous 2012.

Then we got ready to go out with my brother Kermit to a Chinese restaraunt down the street called "Fang".  Mr Fang came to our table and told us that he had a special meal created just for us. I got to try some new dishes:

• pot stickers
• clam and cream wonton soup
• tomato beef sizzling rice salad
• duck cutlets sandwich
• outrageous ribs with bok choy
• sesame chicken with sweet potatos
• white fish with spinach

Yummmmmm.

 We took a walk thorugh Yerba Buena Gardens and the Martin Luther King memorial.  After that, Kermit went on to his dance parties and we got ready for ours.  Dressed in all our finery, we went down to the ballrooms where the New Year's Eve bash was happening.  Adam and Sarah did not want to get hats or noisemakers, but Michael and I got decked out in our New Year's hats.

We all were enthralled by the talent of our friend Sonya Jason and her band called "Tigress".  Sonya is a master on the saxophone and we were so mesmerized, we did not want to go listen to anything else.

If you are not familiar with Sonya and her music, you can find out more on her website here.  She played alot of jazz from the years I was growing up--the 60's and 70's-- and many original pieces as well.  This was her new band's debut and we were all very impressed.  It is always inspiring to me to see someone doing what they love and putting so much love and passion into their work.  Plus, she was damn good.

 

 

All in all a wonderful New Year's Eve and celebration of 2012.  Now I need to rest up and recuperate:)  Happy New Year to all.

 

 

 

 

The Miracle on Amelia Island

"When courageous enough to relax our soul open, the pace which our mind thinks slows to the pace at which our heart feels, and, amazingly, together, they unfold the rhythm with which our eyes can see the miracle waiting in all that is ordinary."  --Mark Nepo

I have been here at Amelia Island for one week.  One week of hearing the ocean outside my room every night and sitting by and walking near the ocean every day.  One week of unwinding and filling up my senses with the sight, sound and smell of the ocean.

I am amazed at how the sky is never the same.  There is such a wonderful variation of clouds and blue sky.

  The colors of the waves change from blue to green to gray.   

When I first got here to Amelia Island, Florida, it took me a while to wind down.  My husband went to work at the conference and I barely saw him.  I was on my own.  I looked at the ocean from my balcony and celebrated being here.  After a couple of days, I spent my first full day sitting by the ocean.  The negative ions blew through me clearing out any problems, concerns or worries and leaving me in awe of the earth.  The ocean and the beach is so vast.  It is amazing to me how the waves never stop rolling in.  There is such a deep feeling of peace and serenity.  I let it fill me up.

The next day, there was a woman lying on the ground near me. I invited her to join me in the lounge chair next to me that I was paying for under my unbrella.  We connected right away and she wanted to buy me lunch and take my picture.  It was great fun making a new friend.  After she left, I found my first shark's tooth on the beach.

 I settled into a rhythm where I felt connected to the earth and the sea. My pace slowed down and I felt a huge peace within.  I didn't need to "do" anything--just be in nature.

When my husband Michael told me he might have to work more this weekend, I took a deep breath and just accepted it.  He was able to get his work done late at night and early in the morning and we had a wonderful time together hanging out on the beach.

I will be leaving tomorrow, but I realize, for me a miracle did happen in this magical place.   The beauty of nature and this planet we live on has crept up into my heart and stayed there.

80 Years Young

My mother, Marilyn Probe, met her best friend, Marilyn Young, when they were sixteen years old in 1946.  They have been friends for a looooong time.  The pictures here show them in the Ozarks last week and at the Jewish sorority they were in at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.  The two Marilyns have been going on a women only tubing/canoe trip with their friends in the Ozarks for 26 years.  This week I decided to join them and had a fabulous time.  My sister Karla and her daughter came with us and so we made it three generations of women. 

  There were about twenty or so women the first day for tubing and twelve women for canoeing.  They were all so welcoming that I felt like their long lost friend.  I was so impressed with their combined talents and capabilities.  They were intelligent, interesting, compassionate and friendly.  As women in their 70's and 80's, they could have spent their time complaining about all their aches and pains, but instead they focused on the joy of being together in the moment in a beautiful environment.

Missouri's weather is fickle.  It changes all the time and severe thundesrstorms and extreme heat in the summer are common.  So as we drove out in the country to explore the rivers, I didn't know what to expect.  The weather Gods were kind to us.  The sky was a beautiful blue and the sun shone down with love.  It was the beginning of a heat wave, but the heat had not yet become unbearable.

I had spent many of my weekends as a child in the area of MIssouri they call the "Ozarks" and have always been compelled by its beauty. American Youth Hostel (AYH) sponsored those trips and I met many wonderful people.  One of them was a man in his sixties named Orville who had the patience of a saint.  He endured being hit by branches and knocked into rocks while I learned the art of guiding the canoe in the stern.  He patiently taught me the "J stroke" and how to maneuver the canoe like a sleek snake thorugh the waters.  He also taught me how to read the waters as they tell their story--how to find the "V" to guide your canoe through, how to work with the person in the bow to warn you about obstacles and how to turn the canoe on a dime.  All those summers of my childhood, I fell in love with the river.  A love affair that has never dwindled.

Life happens--career, children and all the rest and there is not much time for the river.  But then, the children leave the nest and bits of time come back.  My body is not as young, or strong or supple, but I can still remember how to read the water and guide the canoe. It is in my bones and has never left me. 

The first day we did tubing down the Meramec.  I sat in the tube and drifted down stream with the sun shining on me.  It was gloriously beautiful.  We came to a rope swing and I thought about jumping, but decided to let the younger ones take the risk.  The sun and the water slowly relaxed me until I could float and think about nothing, nothing at all.  The present beauty filled my eyes and ears and the sun baked my skin.  The water sounded like the most delicious melody that stirred my soul.  I had forgotten how beautiful and joyous it was. The river was still here flowing...without me...and welcomed me back.

The second day, we went canoeing on the Courtois.  Marilyn was quite the tour guide.  First we went through the historic town of Cuba, Missouri and saw some of the murals there. 

The Courtois is often too shallow to canoe, but this time the water table was up with all the rain so we were blessed to be able to canoe it.  I was a bit nervous about the heat for my Mom.  I doused her with water during the journey to make sure she was OK. 

As I put the paddle in the water, memories started streaming back.  What I love about the Courtois is all its twists and turns.  You never know what is around the next corner so it is always a surprise.   My Mom and I were the lead canoe for most of the journey and we were rewarded by seeing the Great Blue Heron several times flying ahead of us, leading the way.

I was happy to find that my canoeing skills had not abandoned me as I followed the river on its trek.  We stopped on a shady sandbar for lunch next to a riffle. The food always tastes so much better outdoors.  I loved sitting in the rushing water and letting it flow over me while I turned my face to the sun.

The women were an inspiration to me.  They laughed and chatted delighting in the moments together in such beauty.  It gave me hope that should I live that long there is still much to enjoy.  Thank you Mom and Marilyn for reminding me about the importance of friendship. Thank you to all of the women for helping me remember what is important--to love and laugh and bask in the moment in the beauty of nature. 

Cherishing my Solitude on Amelia Island

 
Michael said he had a convention on Amelia Island off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida and asked me if I wanted to go with him.  He would be working the first three days and then we would stay two extra days and have some time together.  It sounded great to me.  I didn't know where Amelia Island was located.  I pulled out the map.

 
It looked like it would be a pretty area.  So, I told him--sure.  We are staying at the Amelia Island Plantation.  Evidently, it was ready to go bankrupt, but just two weeks ago Omni ought it for a cool 62 million dollars.

 
When I got here, people told me it had been horribly hot for two months and the weather just cooled down.  It has been absolutely gorgeous.  It ranges from the mid 60s to the mid 80s.

After an exciting and eventful party for my mother in St. Louis, I was ready to unwind. I had no idea , however, how much I would enjoy the solitude.  I wake up in the morning and can do whatever I want all day long.  There are no schedules, no activities and no one else to have to coordinate with.  There is just time to be and hang out in nature.

The first time I went down to the beach in the early morning, I noticed it was very different fronm California or Hawaii.  Northern California beaches are wild and the waves crash on the rocks with great force.  The water is cold--too cold to swim without a wet suit.  Hawaii had pristine water so clear you can see your feet.  You can snorkel and see many fish below the surface. 

The water here is muddy and almost green and very warm.  The waves are almost non-existent.  It is as smooth as glass and the waves don't break until they almost get to shore.  The first day I sat on the sand and let the waves break against my body.  I was mesmerized by the motion of the water and the freshness of the air.

I also noticed many seashells here.  As I walked up and down the beach there are such a variety of shells in all shapes, sizes and colors.

 
 
 
As I walked along the beach collecting shells, I noticed this man talking to someone and showing them these shark teeth.  I was fascinated and wanted to find some of my own.

 
I had no idea there were so many varieties--sand, corax, mako, tiger, mackerel, hammerhead, great white, bull, dusky, goblin and lemon. I looked and looked but so far have not found one.  I kept picking up broken shells and thinking they were teeth.  It is now a quest.  I had to find out the right times when the tide is down and look then.  Someone told me about a beach that is not well traveled, but not having a car, I need to hang out here.  I love spending my time lookng down at the sand with the water trickling between my toes looking for shark teeth.  Whether I find them or not, it is a wonderful process.

Addendum: After three days of searching,  I did find one shark's tooth that, according to my chart came from a dusky shark.  Here it is:

 
I wasn't sure how I would feel about the solitude--if I would miss the company.  I don't.  I love listening to the ocean and the birds.  I love hearing the wind blow through the trees.  I love watching the sunrise over the ocean and set over the marsh.  I love seeing the blue herons and white egrets fly with grace. 

I started out every every morning with a meditation on my balcony listening to the ocean. 

 
Then, time to walk on the beach as the sun rises.  After breakfast it is time for yoga in this beautiful tree house.  

 
 Each day I do different things, but mostly I hang out in the sun by the pool or the ocean and swim.  I read a good book or just lie there.  Today by the pool the sun was perfect.  It was not too hot and not too cold. 

 
I read for a little while, but then I decided to fully experience the beauty of the day and just lie in the sun and let the relaxation pour through me.  I was in a blissed out state between waking and sleeping.

Well..it is time to go to the final dinner with Michael.  It is out by the pool tonight and is supposed to be "southern style".  I am looking forward to it and to my two days with Michael.

I want to remember, though, the bliss of solitude in nature and give myself this gift more often.  I feel renewed and rejuvenated.

  

 

 

My Love Affair with Kauai

I have been in Kauai for four days now.  This is my second time here and I am remembering all over again why I love it so much.  I used to scoff at those who went on and on about Hawaii when they came back home.  I thought it couldn't possibly be that nice. I have now been to three of the islands and I love them all.  Kauai though, has crept up into my heart and settled in for good.

I have always enjoyed nature, but have not particularly been passionate about it.  I get involved in my work and my life as much as the next person and often forget to look outside.  There is something so compelling about the land and the ocean here that draws me in.  I am mesmerized and enchanted and I go to this place of bliss.

What is it about this place that draws me in?

The weather?  It rains, then it is partly cloudy, partly sunny, sunny, cloudy and rainy again all in one hour.  Yesterday evening I watched the storm come in from the ocean until it hit the shore. It looked  like a dark sheet against the blue of the ocean. I was sitting in the hot tub and I let the cool rain drops hit my face.  The temperature is a perfect 70-80 degrees here--not too hot, not too cool.  There is almost always a pleasant breeze that is just the right amount of air movement.

The fruit? The fruit here is so luscious.  There is no comparison between eating pineapple here and on the mainland.  The juice squirts out and flows down your arms.  The papaya and mangos melt in your mouth.  The apple bananas have just the right amount of tart and sweet.  I just tried my first lychee nut today.  Wow, I am completely hooked!  It is hard to explain the flavor.  It is very sweet with just the right amount of tart.  The lychee nut is only in season for a short time and now is that time.  I can sit an eat a whole bag all by myself. Yummmmmmmmmmm.

 

The fruit is helping me to stay with my diet so I can (hopefully) keep off the ten pounds I have just worked so hard to lose.  So far, I have eaten well and not been too tempted by all the treats..although I have indulged in sharing one shaved ice with my sweetie.

 Here we are getting ready to share our favorite---the macadamia  nut ice cream with the rainbow topping.

The ocean?  The sight of it outside my window make me gluttonous for more.  It is constantly changing.  The waves are varied sizes and shapes and the colors of seaweed are brown and gray and green.  The color changes from light blue,to dark blue to gray to brown to black depending on the color of the sky. It is also the same, shocking and delighting  me that it is still there every time I walk into my room.  I love the sound and keep my door open so it can lull me to sleep at night.

 

 

The land? The mountains are stark and bold in their grandeur with waterfalls pouring down them.  The vegetation and growth is lush and varied with flowers of every kind imaginable.  We bought some gardenia at the market and the smell of it fills our room.

 

 

It is hard to put my finger on the magic of Kauai, but it is there nonetheless.  It fills me up with delight and gratitude. As the moments go by I put them in my heart and treasure them.  I want to always remember the awe and wonder and beauty of this planet we live on.

Under The Sea

Michael and I went to Hideaways Beach today. it was a glorious morning where we watched the sunrise and it was completely clear (which is rare for Kauai).  There was  no wind.  It felt like the perfect beach day.  I have been snorkeling a couple of times, but this was the first time I have been totally mesmerized by the experience.  The water was spectacular--not a cloud in the sky. 

I have been singing the song "Under the Sea" all day and here it is now on video if you want to take a listen.

I did not bring an underwater camera.  So, here is someone's home video of snorkeling to give you an idea of what I saw.

What this video does not show you is the spiritual experience that being under the sea with the fish can be.  After I put on my mask, I went into another world.  The fish were all around me in this beautiful clear water.  I was so entranced.  I followed them around gasping at the beauty of their colors and the variety.  Some were so small and thin and some were huge.  They were every color in the rainbow.  One huge fish had blue lips and yellow stripes. It was like going into another world.  Time stopped and I was totally in the present moment--just me and the fish.

They swam through the holes in the coral reef.  I could see them go in and then come out the other side--or not.  It was quite the wonderful dance.  The coral reef had so many holes and dips and bends and the fish loved swimming in and around it.

I am grateful for that sneak peek into another world.  What a delight!

Sunrise at Harbin on Valentine's Day

Harbin Hot Springs is one of my favorite places to go for a solitary retreat, with friends or with Michael.  It is only one hour and a half away from where I live and it so beautiful--out in the country with mountains and streams and natural hot springs.  No pictures are allowed, so I have to use ones already on the internet.  Cell phones are also forbidden (there is no coverage anyway).

They have all my favorite things there--group meditation, yoga classes, a beautiful open space for dancing, decks to lay out in the sun and read, a movie theater with cushions thrown on the floor, and a restaurant with delicious organic food.  They have a beautiful vegetarian kitchen as well so we can bring our own food and eat simply.

There is no extra charge for any of the activities.  On Valentine's Day, Michael and I ate dinner at the restaurant and then exchanged cards.  We walked next door to watch a romantic movie  called "The Wedding Dress" and then walked down the hill to a Valentine's Day dance afterwards.  After the dance, I got my own rose and chocolates as a parting gift.

Michael and I used to go to Harbin when he was in college at University of California Santa Cruz and we slept out on the deck under the stars because we could not afford a room.  Then, we had children and it is not really kid friendly, so we have not been there together for a long time.  Children are allowed in some areas, but  the hot springs areas and one of the decks do not allow talking, so you can imagine how well that would work with children.  Now, just the two of us, it a great getaway for the Valentine's Day weekend. We can afford a room now with a bed.  Smile. 

I was there last summer with my good friend, Dana, and we took Watsu lessons.  Watsu is water massage.

I got to practice my new skills with Michael.  It is very relaxing.  Michael lies in my arms while I move him around in the water.  One of the things I was taught is to try to coordinate my breath to his. I couldn't really hear his breathing, so I tried to sense his breath and then match mine to his. I don't know how well I did, but I sure enjoyed trying.  Michael said it felt great.

They have a whole massage center there with every kind of massage and body work imaginable. I got a fabulous massage while I was there.  My thumb had been hurting.  I twisted it trying to open a jar just before I left.  That is always a concern for me because I make my living with my hands.  My masseuse had magical hands.  She unwound my muscles from my thumb all the way up my arm and the pain dissipated and was gone by the time I left.

I have my favorite spot where I like to hang out in the warm pool.   The warm pool is huge and there are gorgeous views of the mountains all of which you cannot see in this picture.  And, obviously, I am not that guy.  I found this pic on the internet.  I love that spot, though, because there is a hole there where the water from the hot pool pours into the warm pool.  It feels wonderful--like my own special jet.  The vase is always there with fresh cut flowers and the scent is luscious.

Here is a poem I wrote on Valentine's Day:

Sunrise at Harbin on Valentine's Day

We walk giggling with our towels
Sliding into the warm water
Like silk on our skin.

The mountains are black marble
streaked with orange and gold
The sky an eggshell white
I stand entranced

Flowers above me
White, red and blue
Lilies with streaks of deep purple
Smell like freshness, newness
possibility and hope

The sun bursts
from behind the mountains
a bright blast of light
Glorious

The birds sing in celebration
The mist rises from the water
The trees sigh

I touch my husband
Content

Water

I went swimming yesterday at my local pool.  While I was moving through the pool, I was thinking about how much I love water. I got an astrology reading in my early 20's and was told that almost all my signs are "fire" signs.  I am not sure how water figures into that because water is supposed to "put fire out". All I know is that if I am near water or in water, I feel like a different woman.  My problems disappear and I am renewed, refreshed and invigorated. 

I tried to convince Michael to build a pool in our backyard, but he was concerned that children might drown in it and it would be too much effort to clean it.  Those are both good points.  During our remodel, we compromised on a 6 foot long bathtub with jets.  The tub was always too short for me and and it was a thrill to finally have one that fit me. 

It turns out that swimming in the neighborhood pool is social.  Ken has decided to mentor me and is showing me better ways to move my body in the water.  It makes sense to move my whole body and not just my arms and legs.  I am looking forward to checking out the book he recommends--"Total Immersion".

When I was growing up, I had another mentor on the water.  Almost very weekend, I went with American Youth Hostel (AYH) on canoe trips to the Ozarks.  Canoes, to me, are so different than motor boats.  They don't interfere with the beauty of nature, but flow along with it.  And the rivers, oh the rivers. I loved everything about them.

The Buffalo River in northern Arkansas was my absolute favorite.  It had just the right amount of rapids.  They were not too strong, but just challenging enough to get that adrenalin going.  I loved that feeling of making it around the rocks and getting through the rapids successfully.  It also had beautiful slow sections where you could lie down in the canoe and enjoy the serenity of the river as you slowly slipped downstream. It had the perfect mixture of forest and gorgeous cliffs.  My favorite part (this was in the 70's and 80's) is that it was far away from civilization and we rarely saw other people.  There was  a sense of spaciousness and isolation that I craved. 

There was a man who seemed very old to me at the time--Orville-- who was my mentor.  He was probably then the same age I am now. I felt like I had come as far as I could in the bow and wanted to learn how to steer in the stern, but no one else wanted to take the risk.  Orville was so patient with me.  He was willing to dodge branches and help navigate as much as he could in the bow around rocks until I learned.  I will always love him for literally "risking life and limb" so I could learn.  Because of him, I became quite a skilled canoeist and have a life long love affair with the caneoing on the river.

When I moved to Oregon, I taught Michael to canoe.  He fell in love with the sport too.  Unfortunately, the rivers in the West are more suited to rafting than canoeing.  They just move too fast and are too big.  Rafting is fun, but not the same as canoeing.  The rivers that are smaller tend to be very slow.  And, it is rare to find one where there is not a lot of civilization all around.  We bought a canoe, though, and we still have it sitting on the side of the house.

There is a special place that I go when I am in or near a river.  It brings me back to essence of who I am.

Waterfalls are especially close to my heart.  One of my fantasies is to have a waterfall in my house.  I know I would always feel joyful sitting next to it.  My favorite thing with waterfalls is to sit in them.

This is Turner Falls in Oklahoma.  When I drove across country from Missouri to Oregon looking for a teaching job, I discovered Turner Falls quite by accident.  You cannot see all of it in this picture, but if you walk down the stream there are small waterfalls for about a mile.  You can sit in them and let the water pour over you.  The feeling is like none in this world.

I found a teaching job in Ashland, Oregon and moved out West and started a love affair with the ocean. Growing up in the middle of the country I had only seen the ocean a few times.  Being able to go there whenever I want was enchanting.

There is scientific evidence that the air is actually different by the ocean.  The negative ions fill your lungs and change the seratonin levels in  your brain. I believe it. I can't imagine now ever leaving the ocean and being any farther than an hour or two drive away.

Michael and I got married in Ashland, Oregon and we paid for our own wedding.  We had no money left for a decent honeymoon.  For our twenty fifth anniversary, I wanted to have our "renewal of vows" ceremony and honeymoon of my dreams.

We hired an native Hawaiian Minister to blow the conch shell and bless us in Hawaiian.  It sounded a lot like Hebrew.  We were barefoot and got to be right there on the beach.  We saw swimming turtles in the waves and we exchanged leis. We also renewed our vows and our love for each other. It was perfect.   We spent two weeks there in Hawaii on the island of Kauai.  They were two of the best weeks of my life.  Michael is a geologist and a "land lubber".  So, I checked out the land with him and he went on the water with me.

 

You can see the Hawaiian canoes with the double barrel design.  That was a luau to raise money for the high school canoeing team.  We all got to try out the canoes.  We also kayaked down a beautiful stream.  The last two pictures are on a boat out in the ocean.  On our way to snorkeling, these dolphins followed our boat for most of the way. They jumped up and spun in dizzying circles.  They exude such joy and delight!

This blog is a good reminder to me that being near or in the water is a sure way to feel good and I need to remember to do so more often.