Andi's Blog

2012-01-28T14:46:00.004-10:00

Apple of Sodom

I am not familiar with this poisonous plant that is native to Sodom and the Dead Sea area in Israel. Chris, Kory and I hiked Puu Waa Waa this morning. After a week of desk work we were ready to stretch our legs and the three miles up hill and three miles back down really did the trick.

The yellow dots are Sodom's apples which are growing near the top of the Puu Waa Waa cinder cone with the Kohala Mountains in the background.

2012-01-26T22:50:00.004-10:00

Getting the band together

Weekend before last I had the privilege of playing Brahms Symphony #1 with the Kamuela Philharmonic. This symphony is an incredible, benchmark piece which was a thrill to play. It made me forget how exhausted I was and how much my back hurt after two solid days of rehearsal and performing the hour-long piece. Playing with a group of this caliber is really amazing. I feel blessed to share the stage with such talented and dedicated musicians. What an opportunity! I was especially inspired by the three young solo competition winners we accompanied before playing the Brahms.

These past couple of months have been a whirlwind. I just looked through our pictures from Okinawa so I could remind myself that it wasn't a dream. We did, in fact, go to Japan. We returned just in time for the Christmas party season, then I was preparing for the Brahms concert. Now I can take a deep breath and catch up on the blog.

Preparing for our dress rehearsal Sunday afternoon.

2011-12-30T20:43:00.006-10:00

We Found It

We are really proud of Christoph who passed his last check flight before Christmas and is now finished with his helicopter training. Christoph took me on a flight Thanksgiving weekend where he practiced airport approaches using instrumentation only. While Christoph was navigating the skies 2,000 feet above Kona, I noticed a skylight to a cave in the lava field below so I snapped a picture. Chris matched the photo with the satellite image of the lava field on Google Earth to obtain the skylight's coordinates. We programmed the point into our GPS unit and took the trek to find the cave on Christmas morning.

We've been exploring lava tubes for about four years and this one is just what we've been looking for. Our goal has been to find a stand-up cave (no crawling) near town so we can conveniently take friends to enjoy the cave, too. On Christmas morning we hiked up the cave for 800 feet when the tube intersected with another cave, which we hiked down for about the same distance. By then, we were late for Christmas dinner. We haven't finished exploring up or down in either cave and we feel there is potential for the cave to go a long ways. We're impressed by the volume of the flow and the height of the cave. It's the winner we've been waiting for!

Light streams through a small skylight in the cave we found on Christmas day.

I'll throw in this photo of Hualalai just because it's pretty. This is the volcano that made the lava flow that formed the cave we're exploring.

Christoph navigates over Kona International Airport.

2011-12-02T14:45:00.004-10:00

Hello from Okinawa

I am here in Okinawa with my husband who is performing a soil survey on a jungle warfare training area. I will post pictures when I get home.
It's a rainy day so I am hanging around the hotel waiting for the clouds to clear so I can go to the beach. My swim suit is on. I'm ready, if this weather would just cooperate.
If anything has struck me so far about Okinawa it's how nice the people are. Everyone is helpful and they seem so genuine and respectful. They really want me to have a good time while I am a guest on their beautiful island. It makes me wonder what Japanese visitors experience when they come to the Big Island. My best guess is they find a little less aloha than we have found here.
The food we're eating is fantastic and our chef tries hard to cater to my tastes. No eggs, no vinegar and I don't care for tomatoes, but I assured him seafood and raw fish are very good. Menus are set each day and we never know what they will bring us. My food preferences keep him guessing, but he has managed to amaze us with his delicious fare. Pictures coming, I promise!

2011-11-24T10:50:00.005-10:00

It's a girl!

Eight months ago I planted papaya trees from seed and I've obsessively watched the trees grow inch by inch. A couple of the trees are now taller than I am and the flowers are finally opening up. This is a big deal, at least in my little papaya excited mind, because papaya trees have gender and the male trees do not bear fruit. At my husband's advice, I planted seven groups of five trees. Two or three trees sprouted in each group. We'll keep the best tree in each group and cut the others down.

From what I can tell, about half my trees are female and half are hermaphrodite. I am pretty sure none are male, but one might be. So my long wait is paying off, I will end up with about seven fruit bearing trees.

The Hermaphrodite trees are actually preferred because they self-pollinate. Female trees must be pollinated by other papaya trees nearby, which means they can cross-pollinate with other trees that may be inferior. And their fruit is shaped funny. Either way, I am stoked that soon we'll have fresh, delicious papayas to eat and to share.

Hermaphrodite papaya flowers. Yes!

A blossom from a female papaya tree.

2011-11-20T21:10:00.005-10:00

When the Jaspers Come to Town

What a great time we had with Chris' parents who came to visit us for a week. I've always said the worst part about living in Hawaii is being so far away from family. But the best part is not only enjoying the island but getting to share it with friends and family when they come. It was also an excuse to try a few of the restaurants my co-workers are always talking about (we rarely eat out so that was a real treat). We also had a great time visiting with my parents, going to the beach and strolling the botanical gardens in Hilo. And Chris' dad hooked up with a plein air painting group on the island, so I hope that will bring them back before too long for a return visit. Hana Hou!

Chris' dad wanted a project so we made use of his talents by asking him to paint flowers around our bath tub. They're beautiful, and they're even native species.

Our God's creativity shines at the botanical gardens north of Hilo.

Enjoying a stroll around the grounds at the Hilton in Waikoloa.

2011-10-24T19:22:00.003-10:00

Evidence of Lives Past

During our trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon we read about the Kayenta Anasazi who lived on the Unkar Delta along the Colorado river in the bottom of the canyon 900 years ago. Some of the tribe members would hike to the north rim in the summer to farm beans, corn and squash. Chris has a particular interest in discovering archaeological sites and piecing together small clues of the lives that were lived in generations past. His skills as a scientist helped us find spots that would have made advantageous summer homes for these natives based on soil fertility, possible water sources, etc.

There we found the remains of many stone dwellings, some with evidence of mud that held the stones together. We also found countless remnants of clay pots that have survived at least 900 brutal north rim winters with herds of animals walking on them, forest fires and anything else nature has dished out. Some of the clay fragments still bore the fingerprint of their makers. We also found flakes from arrow heads and a river rock with a patina on one side that indicated it must have been used as some type of striking tool. It's illegal to keep artifacts found in the park, so we piled up our treasures for the pictures, then scattered the goods how we found them for the next discoverers. I hope they have as much fun as we did.

After marveling for some time, I looked around the forest and tried to envision the land's previous tenants. Their lives must have been so different than ours, and yet so similar. Living through life's joys - the birth of a baby, and life's hurts and struggles. All lived out right there on the canyon's rim.

2011-10-23T20:47:00.006-10:00

I'm a Grand Fan

I've always been captivated by the Grand Canyon. My family drove from Indiana to see this wonder when I was three years old and I still have memories of that trip. During most of my growing up years, I imagined there could be nothing better in life than a return trip to the Grand Canyon, and I finally made that journey five years ago and did the four-day rim-to-rim hike I always dreamed of.

On our recent trip, I was thrilled to stand on the edge and marvel beside my husband. What a great thing to share together! We spent several nights camping in the Kaibab National Forest near Grand Canyon National Park, taking in dozens of viewpoints in and outside the park and hiking many trails. It's such a huge area, a person could spend years exploring just the rim of the canyon, not to mention what's down below. When I think about a trip to Havasu Falls, Horeshoe Mesa or someplace even more secluded I get antsy to pack my bags.

2011-10-23T20:30:00.007-10:00

A Little Bit of Backpacking

We did a couple of overnight backpack trips. The first was up the steep Hendrickson Lake trail where we had a gorgeous alpine lake all to ourselves. We watch trout create ripples on the surface of the lake at sunset. Then the sky was light by stars that reflected off the water. Incredible!

Our second overnight hike was in Zion National Park. We were able to escape the crowds while discovering an incredible view of the park's back country. We heard elk bugling late into the night. At dawn eight elk trotted through the meadow where we were camping. Awesome!

On the trip we also saw an endangered California Condor on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, a tarantula in the Utah desert, dozens of mule deer and several Kaibab squirrels, which are endemic to the forest surrounding the Grand Canyon's north rim.

Well above the heat and crowds in the main canyon at Zion National Park, we enjoyed solitude and quite a view!

The hike up the steep Hendrickson Lake trail was well worth it!

2011-10-23T20:12:00.007-10:00

Taking Time to Enjoy the God-made

I often long to go camping, and when I finally get out there it's even better than I had hoped. There is no schedule to adhere to and I can spend all day with my sweetheart exploring new places and admiring God's handiwork. We spent the last day of our trip in Las Vegas and the difference between what's God-made and what's man-made was striking. All the flashy lights, fake Lady Liberty statues, pyramid shaped hotels and showy water fountains pale in comparison with the grander of the great outdoors.

Chris takes in the view on one of our hikes.

I had to shield myself from the hot campfire while preparing apple oatmeal on our trusty Pocket Rocket camp stove.

Peering through the golden Aspens in Dixie National Forest.

2011-10-19T20:26:00.005-10:00

A Cure for Traveling Woes

The airlines have really taken all the fun out of traveling. Half way through the flight I wonder why I choose to ride overnight in a crammed cabin with a bunch of coughing strangers with no food or water, lugging heavy bags through the airport because they cost so much to check. But after the endless flights and a day of driving we arrived at our first campsite in the Dixie National Forest near Brianhead in Utah. All was right with the world. The smell of pines, the feel of the dry moutain air and the warmth of an evening campfire sent me to sleep with a smile. The next morning we took a hike through the forest up to a ridge with an amazing view.

Chris washes our breakfast dishes in a spring.

Once we arrived at our first campsite it finally felt like vacation.

2011-10-19T20:13:00.003-10:00

A South Point Ride

There aren't many places to legally ride dirt bikes on the Big Island. South Point isn't really a riding area, but riding there is not prohibited, either. So we occasionally make the trek to the southern most part of our island, and the southern most point of the country, to ride. Chris, Ben, Christoph and I took in the sights of the ocean, the dry, grassy plains and the famous Green Sands Beach while we navigated the road's rocks and red dust. The weather was typical - dry, windy and ridiculously hot. But we had a great time.

2011-09-10T20:18:00.004-10:00

My Friends on Rainy Street Like Steak, Too

Chris, Christoph, Ben and I attended the Parker Ranch rodeo in Waimea on Labor Day weekend. It felt so good to be surrounded by mountains, cheering fans and dust as we watched barrel racing, roping and bull riding. I have always been amazed by cows, the magnificent creatures that turn grass into steaks.

On somewhat of a related topic, I made a major accomplishment today: I watched the final episodes of King of the Hill. It's my all time favorite TV show that went off the air a few years ago. I've been watching the episodes mostly in sequence on Netflix so I could catch the ones I missed on TV, and I can now say I have watched every single one. I saved episode 20 from season 13 for my grand finale because of the great topic: it was all about Bobby's skills of judging cuts of meat. He and his dad, Hank, finally found something in common, a love for steak. It couldn't have ended better as the sun set over Rainy Street in Arlen, Texas, Bobby and Hank grilled side by side, and all the neighbors came to enjoy the sumptuous steaks. All was right with Texas and America that day, I tell you what. But I did feel a little sad, as if I was saying goodbye to a group of close friends. We're cancelling the watch now portion of Netflix now that it costs extra, so I'll have to go back to watching the first six seasons on DVD, the rest were never released.

After attending the rodeo, I wished I was a cowgirl.

2011-08-30T20:55:00.007-10:00

House Progress

It feels like we're really advancing on the house projects. Instead of removing, we're adding. Heaps upon heaps of weeds and unwanted vegetation has been removed and we've constructed planters all along the front of the house and along our curved rock wall. Pieces of flat pahoehoe lava form the border, and the inside will be filled with red a`a lava. We've hauled about ten truck loads up here from lava fields so far, but we need more.

My soil scientist husband tells me the soil in our yard is terrible and I believe him because he's really smart, and because many of the fruit trees that were here when we moved in were almost dead and the grass is patchy. So Monday, we brought in two truck loads of nice red soil and a also a truck load of gravel to create the pad for our future gazebo. We also rented a bobcat for two days to move the dirt around.

We practically spent our life's savings at Sunrise Nursery Saturday (a great place by the way, she had everything on our list except the sugar apple which I am told is pretty hard to find) Now our investment can thrive in good soil. Wow, digging holes for fruit trees is a chore in our rocky soil. A jackhammer would really be in order.

Chris waters the plants we bought Saturday: white bird of paradise, Tahitian tiare gardenias, croutons, seven orange trees, a pomegranate tree, a star fruit tree, a mango tree, a jaboticaba tree.

Ben spreads dirt where Chris plans to make a parking area with grass blocks.

I forgot to mention Chris refinished our front doors. It's too bad I don't have a before photo. What a difference it made!

2011-08-25T18:57:00.007-10:00

Our Strange and Incredible Ocean

Duane took us on an overnight deep sea fishing trip last weekend and we had an amazing time. Duane is energetic and optimistic at every opportunity and he loves to fish. We trolled until just after sunset and had two good strikes but no hook-ups. Then we headed a couple of miles off shore and set out our parachute which drags in the water to slow the boat down so the current and breeze don't push us too far. Next, we sent two lines down with small fish as bait, and Duane put out one floater line near the surface.

Not long after dark the squid started biting and we filled up a cooler with squid to use as live bait. The rest came home for calamari. I get so caught up with the squid that I forget about the potential of getting a bite on the big reels. Squid are one of the strangest animals I have encountered. Their tentacles grab you while you're trying to place them in the cooler, when you reel them out of the water they spit ink everywhere, and in the water they are amazingly fast, stealthy and they can even light up in a fluorescent green color. Dolphins show up frequently to hunt the squid. It's a thrill to hear them breathing heavily as they cut through the water, chasing squid and hunting as a team. One dolphin swam just under our boat and snapped up a squid right in front of my eyes.

When the dolphins show up the squid scatter and quit biting. A couple of squid tried a different approach and came right up to the boat and held perfectly still to avoid dolphin detection. Always a hunter, I reached over the edge of the boat and snatched up one a squid with my hand before it knew what happened.

Strange, strange creatures swim around the ocean at night and all kinds of crazy, indescribable animals were attracted to our underwater light: long, needle-like fish, various blobs, a small flying fish, tiny crabs that float around. When it comes to ocean animals, fact is stranger than any fiction of science fiction humankind can imagine.

We caught a really nice mahi mahi (about 30 pounds) on a live squid, and later they let me reel in a small ahi. The fish are beautiful- so brightly colored, strong and streamlined. Really amazing creatures! I was even more impressed the next evening when we enjoyed seared ahi for dinner.

Duane shows off our 30-pound mahi mahi.

We found this bizarre creature stuck in our parachute the next day. I'm telling you, there is weird stuff out there.

2011-08-24T21:15:00.002-10:00

Blowing Up Some Cheap Chinese Junk

Americans are terrible consumers. With all the practice we have at shopping you'd think we'd be good at it (my mom sure is!) but too many of us make purchase decisions based on price alone and we completely ignore quality. This has made airplane travel miserable because airlines provide minimum service so they can compete on price. It has also resulted in stores packed with cheap junk that we insist on filling our houses with.

The fridge in our old house only lasted seven years. My parents' water heater lasted about that long. Chris installed a brand new Chinese piston into a 50cc scooter, and it wore out after one week. Next, the windings in the motor of our Shop Vac melted after less than two years of ownership. So to get full enjoyment out of our Shop Vac, we sucked up some gasoline into the machine and watched it explode.

Safety tip: If you want to vacuum up gasoline with a Shop Vac, take a few steps back.

2011-08-13T20:13:00.004-10:00

A chance to stretch my legs

I've always wanted to hike into Honokane Nui Valley, which is the next valley past Pololu Valley in Hawi. After a week of constant sitting at my desk at work my legs were happy to make the trek down into Pololu, up the other side, then back down into Honokane Nui. Chris and I took our time and made a whole day of it. The view from the ridge between the two valleys is incredible! And the drop down into Honokane Nui is pretty fun because the 2006 earthquake wiped out part of the trail, making the descent super steep. Someone put a lot of work into stringing ropes between the trees. With those to hang on to, the descent wasn't too difficult. We also enjoyed walking through a small bamboo forest in the bottom of the valley that gave way to a babbling brook. Very peaceful.

A view of Honokane Nui Valley from the top of the ridge.

Chris demonstrates the steep section of trail dropping down into Honokane Nui.

A view of the beach from the top of the ridge.

The beach. We've arrived.

2011-07-02T19:13:00.003-10:00

Eli Eli Kau Mai

Let awe possess me. That's what the sign said at the edge of Kilauea Crater. As the sun set and the sky darkened, a towering steam plume and the walls of Halemaumau Crater took on a bright orange glow, reflecting the lake of lava that pooled inside. It's hard not to be in awe of the Creator when you see such a sight. He makes stuff like this. The sign at the overlook went on to talk about the significance of this site to Hawaiians who still come to pay homage to Pele, and it compared the spot to significant religious sites like Mount Sinai, which got me thinking. Seeing the glory and fanfare and firey fury of God revealing his presence on Mount Sinai must have paled in comparison to the melted rock that thousands of visitors flock to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see. When I think about the one true God, may my prayer be, "Let awe possess me."

2011-07-02T16:40:00.007-10:00

No Wonder Tourists Love Volcano Nat'l Park

What a spectacular time I had camping at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Thursday night. I was prepared for typical blowing rain and was surprised by sunshine and a peaceful calm.

While in the park I racked up a few more miles on my terribly worn hiking boots and realized I have often underestimated the beauty of this park. Highlights included driving out to the Hilina Pali overlook first thing in the morning before the vog settled along the coast. I could see all the way to Na`alehu. For dinner, I fired up my pocket rocket stove and just as I finished eating pasta I heard the honk, honk of geese. Sure enough, I looked up just in time to see a flock of rare nene flying overhead. These unique birds are thought to be descendants of Canadian Geese, and this species is endemic to Hawaii, only on two islands, I think. Once the sun set, I was treated to a view of lava lighting up a towering steam plume and the walls of Halemaumau Crater. Still feeling the stoke, I returned to my campsite at Kulanaokuaiki Campground only to be greeted by an unbelievable sky- the Milky Way had so many stars it appeared as a long cloud, stretching across the sky.

Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea set the back drop for this vista of Kilauea Crater.

Three nene browse the area near Devastation Trail for Ohelu Berries.

A view of the park's back country from the end of Hilina Pali Road.

2011-07-01T16:41:00.005-10:00

Circle Island Tour

I have accumulated extra vacation time at work, requiring me to take 7.5 days off before mid-July. So I took this whole week off and didn't leave the island, which is something I have never done before. I've been getting a lot accomplished around here, but after five straight days of working on the house I decided to take a little holoholo around the island. I've never properly explored Boiling Pots in Hilo, so I spent some time climbing on the rocks and poking around the waterfalls, then it was off to camping in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I think I put 250 miles on the Jeep in less than two days. No wonder they call it the Big Island.

2011-06-29T14:04:00.006-10:00

What a great garage

Judging by the comments on a previous post, there is more interest in reading about our house projects than I thought. Come to think of it, I do like to hear about other people's projects. And it's good timing to realize that because we're moving past the stage of dealing with deferred maintenance and swinging machetes at out-of-control vegetation and into an era of actual improvements that would be more fun to blog about. (Chris just fixed our last water leak yesterday) On our wish list: a complete kitchen remodel, a master bathroom remodel, tiling our car port, building a BBQ gazebo, and lots of landscape improvements.

First and foremost, of course, was the garage. Before we even moved our stuff inside Chris, my dad, and Christoph fixed a boarded up window, completed the framing, hired Duane to do the drywall, painted, built shelves and workbenches, painted those, wired in new light fixtures, applied epoxy and glitter to the floor, overhauled the garage doors right down to the gears inside the electric garage door openers. (Why buy new when you can fix what you have?) Chris has good reason to be proud of his shop and he's open for business if anyone has a motorcycle or other device in need of repair.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

2011-06-19T21:18:00.004-10:00

The View is Tremendous

Chris and I have had a couple of memorable hikes to our "red rock canyon" near Oniuka Center at the 9,000 foot level of Mauna Kea. If John Glenn had been on our hike with us he would have said, "the view is tremendous." Instead I shared the day with my two favorite guys, my dad and my sweetheart. The cool, dry mountain air was perfect for hiking. When we finished we stopped by the Onizuka visitor's center where we were treated to a view of the sun through their super fancy telescope. We could make out a couple of solar flares on the edge of the sun. Awesome!

2011-06-04T19:18:00.007-10:00

All eyes on the sky

Kona had its first air show over Memorial Day weekend, and since Kona doesn't really have any events to speak of, this was a big deal. Several military planes were on display as well as some old Army Jeeps, the first airplane flown by Hawaiian Airlines, and more. The show included Melissa and Rex Pemberton, who jumped out of an airplane and "flew around" in bat suits, an F-16 demonstration, a WWII plane that sounded just like the movies and other cool stuff. I am sure the show was small compared to those on the mainland, but there was enough to keep us entertained for most of the day and I have to hand it to the organizer of Hawaii Airshow Invitational for putting so much work into bringing something like this to our area. I hope they do it again.

Chris lays in the back of the KC-136 Stratotanker while he figures out the controls used for refueling planes in mid air.

A B-1 Bomber provides refuge from the hot sun.

2011-06-04T19:03:00.005-10:00

One Man's Trash

Chris and I bought a foreclosed house in February and our recreation time has turned into yard work and house repair time. We've accomplished a lot and for the most part we're having fun, but I haven't been blogging because I didn't want to bore everybody with, "we painted the garage, we cleared weeds," etc.

For some reason, I think this story is worth noting. We have cleared huge areas overrun by monstera by yanking it out with the Jeep and slashing it with machetes. This created massive heaps of yard waste, including one pile about 3 feet deep and almost 200 feet long. Then the daily summer rains came and the discarded monstera began to sprout, threatening to take over our yard once again. So Chris had the genius idea to put an ad on Craig's List for free monstera root and we had at least a dozen customers. They filled trucks, trailers, bags, boxes, and one guy even took a whole dump trailer full. They also raided our ginger and plumeria. I had no idea the world is full of friendly people willing to come take our garbage away. It was great!

2011-05-10T18:18:00.002-10:00

Lake Minnetonka Fishing

Lake Minnetonka fishing with Chris' brother Dan Jasper is highly recommended. Dan left his corporate job a couple of years ago to pursue what he really likes to do ... fishing. Dan is now a fishing guide for all kinds of Lake Minnetonka fishing. It is one of those inspiring stories of somebody who decides that life is too long to stay in a line of work that doesn't suit them. So he made the risky move to leave the high paying secure job and charge ahead with his passion for Lake Minnetonka fishing. Dan's wife Jill says, "He is completely different now that he is fishing on Lake minnetonka, he funner to be around." His clients are also glad he made the move to Lake minnetonka Fishing. I think the most important trait of a fishing guide is not just thier skill but how much fun do you have fishing on the lake. That is what fishing is all about having a good time on the lake. Dan has both excellent Lake Minnetonka fishing skills and when he is on the lake he is right where he wants to be. His Lake Minnetonka fishing clients catch fish and have a good time. Last summer on our trip to Minnesota, we got to fish with Dan a lot and he is an excellent host and really knows how to catch big fish. His lake minnetonka fishing website is highly recommended if you are ever in that area and want to catch some fish!

2011-03-27T19:10:00.007-10:00

Friends in High Places

We have a friend named Christoph who is here from Germany training to become a helicopter pilot. He will take his test to obtain a commercial license in just a couple of weeks.

He recently had instrumentation training which required a four-seat helicopter so Chris and I were invited to ride around the island for two hours while he practiced flying by instruments only. For the exercise, he wore blinders so that he could not navigate by landmark. So we climbed into a helicopter with our blinded student driver who - no joke - had to ask his instructor how to start the chopper.

All kidding aside, we could see that Christoph is already a skilled pilot and I was completely comfortable flying with him. I've seen our island from the air before, but I was just as stunned as ever by the beauty. Incredible!

Christoph works his way through his preflight checklist before we leave Kona.

Christoph prepares to land in Hilo with his blinders removed.

The entire flight offered views like this one of the Kohala Coast with Hualalai peaking up through the clouds.

2011-03-21T18:10:00.006-10:00

Feeling Blessed

I was going to title this post "our acre in paradise" to show off the new home that Chris and I recently purchased that, in my opinion, really sits on one acre of paradise. But I decided the real story is in how blessed I feel and how apparent it is that we're really being taken care of.

On moving day, lots of church friends and some co-workers came to help us with the big project. We started at 8 a.m. and by 10:30 we were all moved out of the old house and all our belongings had been placed in the new house. Amazing!

Our new home met all our criteria: close to work (less than 15 minutes), big garage, big yard, and as a bonus, it has a pretty nice view of the ocean and coastline. We've been working hard, and we have a long way to go, but it feels like we really scored.

Living room is all set up but we still have a lot of boxes to contend with.

Our new house after hours and hours of weed clearing.

Moving day: with all the help we had, the garage emptied out fast.

2011-03-12T15:33:00.007-10:00

An Unfortunate Disaster

After looking at photos of Japan I am grateful we only sustained a little damage by comparison in a small tsunami that struck Friday morning. I forget how powerful nature can be until something this catastrophic happens- it's hard to even comprehend the destruction in Japan.
That's why I thought West Hawaii Today's headline, "It's Total Devastation," was a bit overstated even if it was a quote from a cop. Besides being kept awake by tsunami sirens all night I was not even inconvenienced by the waves that hit our coastline. However, I sure feel bad for the businesses and homeowners that have a lot of cleaning up to do, or lost their homes entirely. If the waves had been much bigger I'm afraid my workplace would have been swamped, so I'm grateful it was spared and we even got a newspaper out on time. Read today's local tsunami coverage and see photos or post your own on our newspaper's website.

An amazing You Tube video someone took at Kailua Bay.

A shopkeeper cleans up his store in the King Kam hotel after wave action cleaned him out.

King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel just finished a two-year renovation. Now their beautiful restaurant is filled with rubble.

A bulldozer cleans up busted concrete by the Kailua Pier seawall on Alii Drive. The ground was littered with debris from stores and restaurants: bags of Kona coffee, tables, bathing suits. etc.

2011-02-19T19:35:00.004-10:00

Party Night

The Jaspers organize a big family trip every year to be sure all 28 of us get to spend some time together. The trips include nightly gatherings for drinking beer and wine, plenty of poker playing, story telling and games. On Dan's birthday we played a "how well do you know Dan?" game in the movie theatre at Tuscana where we stayed. It was a nice little theatre with a pretty darn big screen and quite the sound system. The theatre can be reserved by anyone staying at the resort. Plenty of good times were had just visiting with the family that's spread out between Hawaii, Alaska and Minnesota. We don't get to see them enough.

2011-02-19T12:46:00.005-10:00

Let's Go Racin'

For anyone heading to Orlando, I highly recommend riding the fast go karts at Orlando Kart Center. We were told they get up to 45 mph, I didn't think it felt like we were going that fast until we got the lap times from our first session and saw we were averaging over 30 mph, so we must have been hitting 40 or more in the straightaways. For a dollar we bought a print out of our lap times to see who was fastest and and see how our times changed depending on which driving techniques we tried. It was just us family members racing against eachother which really made it a lot of fun. No kiddie, touristy go-carts here, these were the real deal.

2011-02-19T12:38:00.003-10:00

Family Hike

A person could spend a week's vacation in Orlando without having any idea what the natural environment is like. Luckily, Chris found some natural spots for us to check out, like this hiking trail in the Green Swamp wildlife refuge. We chased an armadillo, observed the local fauna and even spotted an alligator in a pond.

2011-02-17T06:14:00.003-10:00

Busch Gardens

Another highlight on the trip to Orlando was a day to Busch Gardens near Tampa. My parents raised me right- they took me on the American Eagle at Six Flags when I was 3 and took us to King's Island every summer. As a teen, I always got a season pass to Six Flags Great America and treasured my trips to "American's Roller Coast" Cedar Point. I have grown to understand engineers cannot build a roller coaster big enough or fast enough. And Chris has never ridden one, so it was fun to share that with him for the first time. Busch Gardens didn't have any record breakers, but they had several pretty good coasters, including our favorite, Shakra, that featured a 90 degree drop and speeds up to 80 mph. We also enjoyed Manta at Seaworld, which positions riders in a laying-face-down, feels-like-you're-superman position.

Busch Gardens is beautiful and definitely a step up from the roller coaster in the parking lot look of Six Flags. I recommend it over Disney World any day. It's just as pretty and much more fun! The Jasper clan loved it. To add icing to the cake, there weren't any lines and we ate delicious meat for lunch.

Chris enjoyed his many rides on Shakra.

2011-02-13T19:55:00.003-10:00

Fishing with Bassmaster Dan

Chris' brother, Dan, is a bass pro who gives Lake Minnetonka fishing guide trips for a living. We had the opportunity to fish with him in Orlando during the recent Jasper family trip. Even though Dan enjoys catching crappie from his super fancy ice house in the winter, the chance to catch a big bass on a warm Florida day brought him joy. The group caught several nice bass and fishing was one of many highlights of the trip.

2011-01-17T20:37:00.005-10:00

Getting the Band Together

I had the incredible pleasure of performing Holst's The Planets with an 82-piece orchestra (plus chorus) last night at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea. It was the largest and most talented group of musicians I have ever played with, I am so grateful to Dr. Madeline Schatz and to the Kamuela Philharmonic for putting together such a huge undertaking. Many musicians were flown in from Oahu and even the mainland to pull it off.

Our next gig is March 20, we'll be playing Beethoven's 6th Symphony and a Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Yeah!

2011-01-01T18:15:00.004-10:00

Hau`oli Makahiki Hou and Hau`oli La Hanau

Today I am celebrating a new year as well as a birthday- Andi's blog turns 5 today. We went to a fantastic party last night to mark the occasion. Well, the party was about the new year and not so much about the blog. Hours of fireworks, visiting and eating ensued. We ate bratwurst, Italian sausage, pizza, sheep sausage, fillet mignon, ono, smoked salmon, Korean chicken, chilli, and well, you get the idea.

New for this year's fireworks display was a contraption Chris put together using a 2X4 and a motor taken out of an old movie projector that he powered by a car battery. We had endless joy spinning piccolo peats, fountains and crackle strings from his device. It was such a hit, I am sure this creation will make appear again in July 4th.

2010-12-28T20:33:00.003-10:00

Love Seat

My dad made us a totally awesome glider swing for Christmas. It was my mom's idea. Now we can sit on the lanai, tell stories, hold hands and watch the sunset. It's such a cool present! I guess I've always liked swings.

2010-12-24T12:58:00.004-10:00

Christmas Comes to Kona

The Nazarene Church held a walk-through nativity where travelers witnessed an angel announcing some big news to Mary, angels proclaimed the birth of the Messiah to shepherds while they watched their flocks, and finally Mary, Joseph and wise men worshipped a baby in a manger. They did a great job of putting it all together, the sheep were hilarious, and it was a welcomed break from all the Santa Clauses, snowmen and "happy holidays" greetings that try their best to compete with the true meaning of Christmas.

2010-12-21T19:44:00.005-10:00

Christmas on the Beach

Our employee Christmas party this year was a breakfast buffet on the beach beside the Orchid at Mauna Lani Hotel. It's always nice to visit with the work gang when we're not in a work setting, and it was also a great last hurrah for our publisher, Rick, who is retiring this year after more than 37 years with the company.

Besides being entertained by my friends, I was mesmerized by the nearby koi pond. After the party cleared out I put on my swim suit and goggles and took a quick dip in the pond to get a better look. There wasn't a 'no swimming' sign to be found anywhere and the curious and colorful fish were absolutely delightful. The gorgeous beach setting at Mauna Lani did not disappoint, I had a nice long ocean swim and took time to read a book.

2010-12-21T19:15:00.005-10:00

An Elegant Evening

Our little community orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Kona, is growing and Saturday we held our most impressive performance yet. We performed our Christmas concert on the luau stage at Kona Village Resort where rates range from $555 to $1,380 per night to stay in a thatched hut near the beach.

We performed selections from the Nutcracker with dancers from West Hawaii Dance Academy who dressed in stunning costumes. For a bunch of volunteer musicians and dancers I felt we put something together that we could be proud of. The feel of old Hawaii blended with traditional wintertime carols as the full moon rose between the coconut palms, reflected on the lagoon, and as the ocean's waves gave their applause.

Afterwards, several of us gathered in one of the hales to snack, tell stories and dance hula. What a great evening!

2010-12-04T21:42:00.006-10:00

December 5, 1993

Seventeen years ago today I gave my life to Christ and was baptised. I was riding in the car the other day when it occurred to me that I have now been a Christian for half my life because I was 17 at the time and now I am 34. I'm not sure why that thought popped into my head because I don't think it is particularly significant. However, I can say this was by far the best decision I have ever made or will ever make.

When December rolls around I find myself reflecting on what it felt like the first time I realized not only that God is real but also that he loves me and forgives me. It is just as true today as it was then, and taking time over the past 17 years to seek God has really been incredible.

Besides worshiping a God of mercy, ours is also a God of justice who demands payment for wrongdoing. As a sinner, there was no way I could pay the debt I owed. That's why Christ gave his life on the cross. Instead of sending me to hell, Jesus paid my penalty. One of the most familiar passages in the Bible promises this forgiveness to all who believe:

For God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

2010-12-04T21:33:00.004-10:00

Underwater Photos

Here are a couple of pictures taken near Honokohau Harbor last weekend.

2010-11-14T13:48:00.004-10:00

Get Outta Town

Chris particularly wanted to get out of town this weekend, so we packed up our dirt bikes and headed to Mana Road. Our last three trips to this spot have been thwarted by rain, wind and mist as we rode through the clouds. Yesterday was picture perfect. We started in Waimea and rode through rolling pastureland with views of Mauna Kea. As we progressed and began to climb the mountain we gained elevation and saw plenty of tall and twisted Koa trees and a forest of Redwoods and Douglas Firs. The Hamakua side provided summit to sea views with white caps visible on the ocean and towering cinder cones above us. A fresh, cool breeze blew and the trees gave off the fragrance of Christmas. We were definitely out of town. Fifty-five miles later we were refreshed though a bit tired and just a little chilly. We dusted off our pants and hit up the Chinese restaurant in Waimea for some hot soup and stir-fry.

2010-11-07T11:38:00.004-10:00

The One That Didn't Get Away

I lost a good fish last week, but that's not today's story. God blessed us with a great catch this morning, it is the biggest fish Chris has ever shot.

First, I shot a tiny Tiape (bluefin snapper) and that seemed to catch the interest of two sharks who came in to check out the sounds and fish blood in the water. Chris swam close to me to protect me from the sharks while they investigated. Then, a giant Ulua swam by; we think the Ulua was hunting with the two sharks because we don't usually see Ulua free swimming and not timid of divers. Chris got within range of the Ulua and shot it, causing the sharks to bolt.

The whole time I was fumbling just trying to reload my gun so I could A. put a second shot into the Ulua if required or B. Defend against the sharks in case they came back for a bite of Ulua. Neither was necessary as Chris wrestled that giant fish like a pro and strung him up on the kui. His spear shaft was bent and I wasn't prepared to risk losing this prized catch to the sharks, so we swam to shore and celebrated the catch of a fish that looked even bigger out of the water. 42.6 pounds, which became 24 meal sized packages now in the freezer!

2010-10-30T14:34:00.003-10:00

The One That Got Away

I shot the best fish I have ever hit with a spear, but it got away. It was a large Mu, the big eye emperor that is coveted by divers because they are very difficult to hunt and they are delicious. At least I have heard they're delicious, I've never actually eaten one because they're so hard to get. I've never even had one in range before. My spear went right through the fish but the flapper must not have opened and the fish slid off the spear before I could get to it. I grabbed the fish tightly once it was off the spear and I wrapped my legs around it. Yes, this was a decent sized fish. I tried to get my finger into the gill so I could grip it better but before I could it wriggled loose and swam into a crevice. By the time I caught my breath, reloaded my gun, and went down to try to recover it, it was gone. My heart is broken! Who knows if I will ever get a chance to shoot another one.

2010-10-24T18:09:00.005-10:00

We Found Mud

Living in Kona, I rarely get to play in the mud because the ground is entirely composed of rock and cinders. Recently, Chris took me up to the Kohala forest reserve above Waimea where the ground was completely saturated with water. Walking on the soaked dirt and moss was exactly like stepping on a sopping wet sponge. Hiking with Chris is like having my own nature guide because he knows soils and plants so well I always gain appreciation for the ecosystem.

To get there we drove through ranchland above the Kohala Mountain Road, then hiked to the top of the ridge where the weather changed and the Hilo wind was gusting. The forest was too thick to allow for much of a view, but the view of cinder cones, pastureland and the coastline from the edge of the forest was beautiful.

The view from just inside the forest reserve.

Fun times.

2010-10-21T20:58:00.006-10:00

Abundance

My parents joined forces with Chris and I and we had a big garage sale last weekend. The garage is full, our closets are full and we felt it was time to get rid of some of this junk. It's funny because neither Chris or I like to shop- how do we end up with all this stuff in our house? It's a funny problem to have too much. It seems strange to complain about having abundance.

Chris has a theory that time and possessions are inversely proportional. Po sessions take time. Time to use, time to store, time to fix. When we go camping all we have is a little camp stove and some food, and the amount of free time we have is astounding. Meaningful conversation, listening to crickets, finding God's beauty in shimmering cottonwood leaves...that sure beats spending the evening sorting out plastic junk from Walmart. So, we're happy to clear out the closets.

Chris makes excellent garage sale signs.

My dad decided to part with Rudolph and his sleigh.

2010-09-06T20:30:00.005-10:00

Lobster Season

Hawaiian Spiny Lobster came back into season September 1 so I had lobsters on my mind when Chris, Larry and I went diving today. Because lobsters tend to come out only after dark and because I have never actually seen a spiny lobster, I really didn't expect that Chris and I would get one today. But about an hour into our dive I spotted the bug crawling around on the reef. We had a little tussle and he lost a couple of his legs but I got a good grip on it and swam it over to Chris. Only male lobsters are game so I was hoping Chris could determine gender, and also, I didn't know what to do with it next. It was spiny and his strong tail was fwap, fwap, fwapping, his legs were scrathcing me right through my gloves and I could barely hang on to it. Finally, I caught up to Chris and held the lobster out of the water to get his attention. At that moment, the darn thing slipped out of my hand and swam to the bottom. I was too out of breath to retrieve it, so Chris dove down and saved the day. The lobster turned out to be male, and he turned out to be quite delicious.

2010-09-06T20:15:00.005-10:00

Underwater Pictures Return

I've been without an underwater camera for more than a year since my old camera finally went kaput. I really missed it a lot until Chris recently surprised me with an underwater case for our current camera. It's a soft plastic case which is required because our camera is the touch screen Sony that won't work with the traditional hard case underwater housing. The soft case really keeps out the water, but beyond 25 feet in depth the touch screen is not usable because the pressure pushes against the back of the camera. But it's perfect for snorkeling and shallow dives.

Here are some photos from Scuba diving Saturday with the work gang. We decided to stay shallow on our second dive so I brought the camera along. It worked great and we had an amazing day at Keei. The water was unbelievably calm and clear.

2010-08-14T19:35:00.004-10:00

The Circle of Life

Chris prefers to hike in combat boots and he buys them by the box full. On August 23 of last year, Chris pulled a shiny, new pair out of the box and headed on a hiking adventure up the mountain. The boots had a great life, but after a year, the lava has worn the soles smooth. It's time to retire them and reach into that box for a fresh pair. Good times ahead, new boots!

2010-08-14T19:16:00.006-10:00

It's Huge!

After discovering a gigantic cave while dirt biking Mauna Loa several weeks ago, Chris and I returned with flashlights, food and anticipation. And this cave didn't disappoint- it's the best one we've found in more than two years of searching. The cave was full of interesting geologic features that captivated my scientist husband who enjoyed figuring out how the formations occurred. He pointed out the lava was so hot it cut through several layers of old lava as it passed, which was something we have not seen before. We've never found a cave that is taller than it is wide, now we know this cave got its shape by eating away the old a`a layers underneath it.

The cave was often a double decker, with smaller caves running under the floor beneath us. Occasional holes in the floor revealed the lower caves that were often tall enough to stand up in, but we didn't explore them.

After more than two miles of caving, the ceiling slanted downward and lava filled the hole to the point that we couldn't crawl through. Game over. We turned around and walked for 1.5 hours to get back outside, thrilled with our great find.

These squiggly stalagtite things are are just one of the unusual lava formations we found inside.

Mauna Kea towers over the island's lava landscape while the entrance to our cave leads to the dark and rocky world underneath it.

2010-07-06T21:52:00.006-10:00

Isn't it Ironic?

Chris particularly enjoys irony, which is why we found our receipt from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to be so hilarious. I commend the park for taking steps to become, "a climate friendly park." However, cutting emissions in park vehicles or using fluorescent light bulbs seems like a drop in the bucket against a volcanic backdrop where where massive amounts of sulphur dioxide spew constantly from the Halemaumau and Pu`u O`o vents inside the park. It's worth a chuckle, right?

Halemaumau emits volcanic gasses that create a voggy haze over Kona most days.

Climate Friendly

2010-07-06T21:32:00.005-10:00

One Park, Many Landscapes

I am always amazed by the varying landscapes in Volcano National Park. Chris and I camped down there a few weekends ago. A highlight for me was driving up Mauna Loa Road, which I had never done. Rich green grass and towering native trees thrive on old volcanic soil in kipukas that more recent lava flows failed to engulf. Most of the drive is over new, rough lava and vegetation varies greatly. Inside the park, a wet fern forest gives way to Ka`u desert, huge, steaming craters, mountain views, a rugged coast and even a beautiful white sand beach for those willing to do a little back country hiking. Chris and I walked to a distant overlook of the active Pu`u O`o vent and we also climbed up a volcanic cone where steam escapes from cracks near vent. Crazy weird may be the best way to describe the terrain.

Trees create a tunnel around Mauna Loa Road in one of the kipukas.

Chris prepares to huck a rock into the volcanic crater below.

Enjoying the thick, cushy grass growing in the kipuka.

2010-07-06T20:59:00.004-10:00

Lucky, lucky girl

I am reaping the benefits of the labor Chris and my dad put into a special wood project. A while back, Chris started going to my parent's house once a week to work in my dad's wood shop while I was at orchestra practice. The result is a beautiful and comfortable, one-of-a-kind massage table. My mom even helped with the upholstery.

The table is contoured like a body so the back is in a comfortable position, arm rests fold in for easy storage, not to mention it has style! After we finished it, Chris organized a couple's massage class at our house. Lora had some great instruction for us, and now when I come home from work with tired shoulders and a stiff neck I am ready to receive a treat!

2010-07-05T17:10:00.004-10:00

Lewis & Clarking It

The plan was to dirt bike Mana Road but crummy weather forced up Mauna Loa instead. Barley above the clouds we explored every gravel road we could find, then we gave up on roads all together and took to riding cross country across pahoehoe lava. Quite a ways from any road we discovered the tallest lava tube we have ever seen. Chris threw rocks and could not hit the ceiling. Unfortunately, we were down to one flashlight and it was lunchtime, so this cave will remain unexplored until our next trip up the mountain. My favorite aspect to searching out lava tubes is feeling the satisfaction of discovery.

The cave is colossal. We can't wait to get back up there and see how far it goes.

When you run out of roads, "smooth"pahoehoe lava is the next best thing.

2010-06-26T17:19:00.004-10:00

Sword Fight

Duane took us fishing overnight aboard his boat, Hoku Loa. I was excited to spend the night on the water to watch all sorts of small bizarre sea creatures swim past our underwater light, catch squid and hold out hopes that a big fish would bite. We only caught two squid to use as live bait and it felt like a pretty slow start until one of the rods got a bite around Midnight. Duane reeled it in without too much of a fight, and Chris stuck a gaff into the gill plate and through its head and helped bring it on deck. A baseball bat was required to subdue the swordfish - I guess I can't blame it for being mad. It was weighed in at 42.5 pounds, and it's the first broad bill swordfish caught in Kona's waters this year, so Duane's name will make the Big Fish List.

I am told this is pretty small for a swordfish. Duane used to hold some sort of swordfish record for a 200 something pounder until his own son beat him with a 500 something pound fish. Sorry my details on that are so sketchy. One thing I do know, that fish will taste delicious at Duane's 4th of July BBQ. Yeah!

Kona's first Broad Bill Swordfish.

Duane maintains control of the sword as he and Chris wrestle the fish.

2010-06-16T19:40:00.002-10:00

76 Steps

Take a walk up the 76 steps from the bottom of the castle to the tower. Thanks to Ken for doing the video edits!

2010-06-16T19:20:00.001-10:00

A Fascinating Fortress

We stayed about a 1.5 hour drive northwest of Barcelona in the tiny town of Selra at Castle d'Escales which is a real live castle built in 1032 with the purpose of protecting the area from French invaders. The building captured my imagination and I lay in bed wondering what dramas had played out in that very room. How many battles were fought by archers shooting arrows out those windows? Had a princess ever been locked inside? It's fun to think about, anyway, the whole family enjoyed exploring the castle and wondering about its past. It was unlike any vacation rental we have in Hawaii.

Castle Exterior - the top two tiny windows were in our bedroom.

Gordon takes advantage of the castle's Wi-fi hotspot.

2010-06-16T19:16:00.004-10:00

La Familia

Spending time with the family was my favorite part of the trip to Spain. Hearing Paul's wise cracks on the walkie-talkie, learning about previous family trips that I missed because I wasn't yet a Jasper, and hanging around the castle drinking wine, laughing and playing silly games were all good times.

Dad's birthday celebration took place in this incredible dining room in the Castle d'Escales.

2010-06-04T18:08:00.005-10:00

From Dust to Dust

An ancient cathedral could be found at the center of most of the towns we visited. They're just like the pictures in the art and history books and nothing like any church building I have every seen.

I wish I had a better understanding of the symbolism of the statues and artwork. I get the feeling that at the time they were created, every detail of the layout and design had meaning and significance that was lost on me, a believer who is used to worshiping in a church that doubles as a basketball court and only has two walls. To my knowledge, the oldest building on our island is Mokuaikaua Church, and it was constructed in 1820 by the first missionaries to Hawaii.

One of the cathedrals we visited had graves in the floor, and the cement emblems marking the burials were impossible to make out because they were worn down by the footsteps of a thousand years. It made me wonder if folks in Europe are more aware of their own mortality than we are. In American we live in the here and now, and when a building is 20 years old, we tear it down. The culture in Europe seems to be built on the generations that preceded it, and my guess is, it would be apparent to someone there that a human lifetime is very brief.

One of many old churches we saw.

2010-06-04T17:58:00.004-10:00

Old Stuff

We visited many ancient and beautiful towns. I know I should have read up on the history so I could report fascinating details. Honestly, I don't even remember most of their names and I couldn't pinpoint them on a map. I can say I have never seen anything like it: narrow, cobblestone streets, ancient city walls, towering cathedreals. It's unlike anything we have in the U.S.

2010-06-04T17:43:00.004-10:00

Beach Day

Twice we took the half-hour car ride to enjoy the Mediterranean. The coastline is comprised of steep, rocky cliffs that drop down into the water and the steep drop-off continues below the ocean's surface. Beautiful sand beaches were dispersed throughout the cliffs. We spent one day in L'Estartit where we took a boat ride and I went scuba diving off the Medes Islands. We saw two octopus, lots of fish that we don't have in Hawaii, and colorful plants. I wore a full 7-mil wetsuit, and an additional 7-mil "farmer john" wetsuit, and in the 60-degree water I still got cold after about 20 minutes! It was fun to experience diving somewhere besides Hawaii.

The Medes Islands where I dove near L'Estartit.

2010-06-04T17:27:00.004-10:00

European Kine Grindz

Everyone asks about the food we ate. I am one of the pickiest eaters around, and yet, every meal was delicious. This paella pictured below was one of my favorites, and I ate it the last day in Barcelona. It was a rice dish seasoned with saffron and it had mussels and some type of crawdad things on top and bits of octopus mixed throughout. The veal was one of my less favorite dishes, but it was still pretty good- nice and tender, but I couldn't get over the texture being like beef but not quite like beef. The rabbit was an above average meal, it wasn't unlike squirrel, not too chewy and it was well seasoned.

Breakfast consisted of fruit and bread everyday. Their kiwi were the best I have ever had and the giant loaf of bread required a HUGE toaster about three times the legnth of an American toaster. I tried to like the sausage but it tasted raw, as if it was smoked or cured and not cooked. I just couldn't bring myself to eat it.

I was also frustrated in how long it took to get service and eat a meal. My life doesn't revolve around food, I am always on a schedule, and I tend to eat out of necessity. I can see dining out in Europe is about something else.

Becky and I share a deliscious paella in Barcelona.

After lots of hand gestures and smiling between our group and the man working the meatmarket in Selra, we purchased some sausage. I thought I liked it at first, then it grossed me out. The meatmarket would fit inside our bedroom, and they sold rabbit and had huge pig legs hanging unrefrigerated from the ceiling.

2010-06-01T16:04:00.003-10:00

A Long Trip

Chris and I literally traveled half way around the world to meet up with his family in Spain. It was definitely worth it! Spending two nights in a row on an airplane is tiring to say the least, but I have to admit even the travel was fascinating because it gave me a new perspective on our world and made it seem quite small and enormously massive at the same time. Oceans and continents passed by my little airplane window like cow pastures and Walmarts do on a driving trip. First the Mediterranean, then Spain, then the Atlantic, the continental USA, the Pacific, then I was finally home.

This was my first trip out of the country (unless you count visiting the Canadian side of Niagara Falls as an international experience) Everyone said it would be a real eye opener to spend a week amongst a different culture but what struck me more than anything is how similar life on the other side of the world is to ours. Sure, people in Europe eat weird sausage, but in my limited experience I would have to say people from around the world have a lot more in common than we like to admit.

2010-04-29T15:05:00.002-10:00

Dunk the Editor

West Hawaii Today's own editor, Reed Flickinger, and publisher, Rick Asbach, and other WHT staff, just agreed to be in the dunk tank 5:00 p.m. Friday in the Safeway parking lot to raise money for West Hawaii Special Olympics. It's a great cause...AND...I know a few community members who would enjoy this opportunity. See you there.

2010-04-14T18:33:00.001-10:00

Trip Highlights

The following several posts describe some highlights from a recent two-week trip to Glenwood Springs, Colorado and Moab, Utah. So many good times!

2010-04-14T18:09:00.006-10:00

Return to Winter

Going back to Glenwood Springs felt like a homecoming of sorts. I have had three previous visits and all are filled with fond memories. While moving from Indiana to Hawaii ten years ago we drove to Oakland, Calif. to put our cars on a Matson boat for shipping and a visit to Aunt Alice in Glenwood Springs was on the way. I still remember how close to God I felt as I hiked up the majestic mountains, being amazed that in the midst of all that splendor and beauty He cared about me and wanted to involve me in His plan of ministering to others. I thought about that a lot during my first trip to Glenwood for some reason, and I have since flown back twice to spend some time with my dad's super sweet older siste, Alice, and to get a taste of winter.

Well the three days Chris and I spent in Glenwood Springs did not disappoint. Alice is doing great, I finally met her son, Patrick, and we even visited with two Hawaii friends who moved to Colorado a year ago. Chris loved my favorite ski spot, Ski Sunlight, where a day of good snowboarding costs half of what it does down the street in Aspen. This is the kind of place where lift tickets are sold out of a single window by a friendly woman eager to answer questions, and locals are not ashamed to duct tape their jacket if it gets a tear. Our kinda spot! And on the second day it snowed constantly so we had about a foot of fresh powder on the ground. Chris amazed me with his skills- after not having skied for 15 years he was hitting moguls after his second run and he even pulled off a perfect helicopter in the terrain park. I felt so proud!

Too cool for school: Chis poses at the top of Sunlight Mountain with Mt. Sopris in the background. I married an amazing skier, and he even puts up with my silly snowboarding habit.

Hanging Lake: One of the most tranquil and beautiful spots I have been yet.

On the hike to Hanging Lake. The bridges in Hawaii never get this much snow!

2010-04-06T21:04:00.003-10:00

Knuckle Head

We drove out to an amazing overlook on our first day in the desert near Moab, and on our last night we ended the trip by camping in the bottom of the canyon viewed from the overlook. It was a peaceful ending to our fun in the desert. We also explored some mines in the bottom of the canyon. The letters AU were spray painted on the wall of the mine so we are guessing it was a gold mine.
Click on this video to see why a panoramic view of a beautiful canyon has been titled Knuckle Head.

2010-04-04T15:54:00.005-10:00

Road on a Ledge

Our first night of camping may have been my favorite. Chris sure knows how to find neat roads and spots. Narrow switch backs descended into a canyon where we had dinner and camped near the river. The road was super fun with commanding views of steep cliffs and the Green River below. We chilled two local brews in a plastic rotisserie chicken box with some snow we had picked up earlier. Camping is all about improvising. Dinner, a quiet stroll, then it was time for a campfire as we watched the moon rise and light up the canyon walls surrounding us. This is what vacations are all about.

Our red car blends in with the rocks on the switchback into the canyon:
In the bottom of the canyon, we had dinner and set up camp among the cottonwoods.

2010-04-04T15:41:00.003-10:00

Dinner in the Desert

After driving around the desert looking for a way to drive to the backside of Arches National Park, and exploring what we were conviced were old Uranium mines, the time got late. So we pulled off a dirt road and set up camp next to this pond. These still waters beautifully reflected the majestic hills surrounding them. Strangely, it may have been the muddiest water I have ever seen. (and Chris bravely used it to wash our dishes) We took a peaceful, evening hike and hit the sack.

2010-04-04T15:36:00.002-10:00

Exploring Arches

Chris poses near Landscape Arch at Arches National Park. We did a couple pretty neat hikes in the park. Not long after this picture was taken, it started snowing.

2010-04-04T15:24:00.004-10:00

Taking a Break on the Slick Rock Trail

We rented mountain bikes and rode Moab's famous slick rock trail. I think Chris really bonded with the sport. He likes exercise, challenge, working the controls, going fast, and the thrill of always being on the verge of crashing. I used to mountain bike a lot in Indiana and had high hopes but the trail was just too darn hard for me. The downs were so steep I was afraid to ride down them, the ups so steep I could hardly push the bike up them. The wind howled consistently and it always seemed to be a headwind. Whoever designed the trail chose absolutely the most difficult route navigating through miles of petrified sand dunes, so it seemed. Even the practice loop kicked my butt.

The scenery was beautiful and it was amazing to see how well bike tires gripped slick rock. I can see why the trail is world famous- it's kind of like a roller coaster on a bicycle. Skill, nerves, and muscles necessary. Later in the week we found a trail that better suited me. Weeeeee!

2010-04-04T15:16:00.005-10:00

Brrrr.

Temperatures dipped below freezing a few nights during our stay in Utah. After two nights, I purchased a new sleeping bag: the North Face Goliath model, which is rated to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Look at all the junk inside our car! Even with the new bag purchase, we were able to pack all this up into two suitcases for the plane ride home. United charged us $20 per bag each way so we were careful what to pack, which was a bummer because I really could have used more, warm clothes!

Mess:

Frost on the car:

2010-04-04T14:53:00.006-10:00

Stuck!

Against our better judgement, we headed out into the dessert on what was considered an easy off road trail to find a remote camping spot for the night. Around 11:00 a.m. I struck a patch of wet, green clay that was the slickest, stickiest mud I have ever seen. The road was on a ledge heading down into a canyon and the road was sloped the wrong way. I knew if we did make it down the hill without going over the edge, there was no way we'd ever make it back up. Too scared to try, I asked Chris to try backing up. Precise driving was required because I had just driven around a large rock lying in the road with only inches to spare between the rock, our car, and the edge. It was immediately apparent that backing up was not an option - we had absolutely no steering in the mud, and any attempt to go down caused our car to slide closer to the edge of a slippery slope slanted the wrong way. We did rent a 4X4 this time, but the grocery-getter tires and lack of a limited slip differential dampened our fun several times during the trip.

Being the start of the Jeep Jamboree week in Moab, we decided to wait for a Jeeper with a winch to come by and un-stick us. So we read books and waited. And waited. When the rain stopped, we got out and scraped half of Utah's desert off our tires and made a cobblestone path in the mud to direct our tires in the right direction, and off we went. The mud dried faster than my soil scientist husband expected and we were able to make it down and back up the hill with aid of our homemade rocky road. Total stuck time: about five hours.

2010-04-04T14:39:00.004-10:00

Crawlin', Crawlin', Crawlin'

Chris found this awesome place for serious offroaders just outside of Moab. Area BFE is someone's private land where folks are allowed to check out gnarly trails and they hold events and concerts and such. We drove out there hoping to spectate, and man, did we hit it on the right day. A group of people from Colorado were out there putting their rock crawling buggies to the test! They could drive straight up cliffs and over rocks that are bigger than my whole Jeep. After a while, Mike offered us a ride in his buggy (pictured above) What a thrill! This vehicle absolutely defied gravity. I crossed my arms near my chest to be sure they didn't come outside the car. I have no idea why the vehicle didn't roll over.

2010-03-06T10:26:00.003-10:00

Jasper Enterprises

Chris has been working on setting up a small coffee business. He buys locally grown coffee wholesale and takes orders from individuals through a website. The orders are shipped out to the mainland through UPS or the Post Office. It is a pretty simple concept but he has been working on the business for a while. It has taken him a lot of effort to make the logos and labels and buy the boxes, bags, stickers, labels and get a website created. I guess the hard work of being a business owner is all part of that American dream they talk about. His favorite part of setting up the American coffee business was making a machine to help put the labels onto the coffee bags. The machine works really well even though it was made mostly of parts from a broken computer printer. Chris projects the coffee business to be a part-time thing he will do on the side.

2010-02-27T15:17:00.002-10:00

Evacuees

Dozens of cars, people, pets and boats retreated from the coastline to our neighborhood to wait out the potential tsunami. We don't have an ocean view from our house, so we packed up a shade tent, lunch and binoculars and headed up the hill to join the crowds to watch for waves. Our house is just a stone's throw above the tsunami evacuation zone.

Alii Drive during the evacuation- normally it has constant traffic. I bet once they sound the all clear and let people return to their houses and hotels, it's going to be a giant parade down there.

2010-02-27T14:45:00.005-10:00

Small Kine Tsunami

Chris and I set up our shade tent on an empty lot with a view of Kahalu`u Beach to watch for tsunami action. Just a little while after the tsunami was projected to hit (around 11:00 a.m.) we could see swells filling up the bay, then water receded. This happened several times over about a two-hour time span. It took about five minutes to fill the bay once it had been emptied. Watching the water recede was pretty fascinating- lots of rocks were protruding that I have never seen exposed and are usually under several feet of water. The tsunami occurred during a very low tide, I speculate this may have prevented water from rising too high and causing damage. It was interesting to watch. I think many of the people in our crowd on the hill wanted to see more action, but were happy, overall, that nothing got broke and no one got hurt. A tsunami generated from a 1960 Chile earthquake killed 67 (I think) people in 1960.

After 1:00 p.m. we decided it was safe to head to the coast so we blew past the civil defense guy who was supposed to be blocking the road to the ocean and we took a ride along Ali`i Drive. We took some close up pictures of Kahalu`u but the ebb and flow wasn't nearly as dramatic as it had been earlier. Ali`i Drive, which winds along the coast at sea level, was desolate. No cars, very few people, empty beaches, parking lots were void of cars and hotels were closed and gated. Quite a contrast to the practically bumper-to-bumper traffic I sit in on Ali`i Drive daily. I never knew a tsunami could be so peaceful.

Water drained from Kahalu`u Bay, leaving rocks exposed that are normally a few feet underwater. Second photo shows the bay filling back up. (click photo to enlarge)

After the biggest swells had struck, Chris and I took a ride to Kahalu`u (same bay as pictured above) and noticed there was still some ebb and flow. The two following pictures were taken just a couple of minutes apart:

2010-02-27T09:19:00.003-10:00

Chile

Our prayers are with the people of Chile today. I can't even imagine what an 8.8 magnitude earthquake feels like and I know we're going to be hearing a lot of bad news from that area in the days to come.

We're under a tsunami warning here in Hawaii. The sirens sounded at 6 a.m. this morning and it may be the first time I have heard them in the past ten years other than the monthly tests. Our house, and my parent's house, are above the tsunami zone and we aren't expecting excitement here on the west side of the island. The Hilo side (east side) has had significant damage from tsunamis generated in Chile before, so we'll see what happens. We're just hanging around the house now and maybe we'll find a place with a view so we can watch if any waves hit.

The tsunami sirens been sounding every hour since 6 a.m. today.

2010-02-23T20:19:00.005-10:00

Relief From the Torturous Office Chair

Chris and I both felt particularly stale after sitting through another work week so we hiked a couple of miles above the highway in search of lava tubes. We're about ready to give up on the Kiholo flow because its lava tubes have too many cave-ins, making the caves too short. The hike helped get the blood flowing through our legs again, but crawling around in caves was a bit uncomfortable for my sore, stiff, office neck. Does anyone else's body object to sitting in a chair for 8+ hours per day? I made my very first visit to a chiropractor today because my neck has been stiff for the past two weeks and I said, "nuff, aready." Our bodies just weren't made to sit at a desk- and that mainly explains why I haven't been updating the blog as often as I would like. Don't worry, I haven't gotten sucked into social networking sites or reality TV.

I don't want to sound like a complainer because I like my job and I am still finding fun in life pretty much anywhere I look. On a recent Saturday I saw four endangered species- a Hawaiian Monk Seal sleeping on the beach, several Humpback Whales breaching and spouting, a Green Sea Turtle swimming and a pod of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins gliding right by me. Wouldn't you know it, I left my camera at home that day! Didn't they teach me anything in journalism school?

One of many caves we explored on our last caving day. Notice Puu Waa Waa in the background.

2010-01-10T20:56:00.004-10:00

Show Time!

Sixty-five musicians played a full house at Kahilu Theatre this weekend during Kamuela Philharmonic's second concert of the season. I was incredibly fortunate to be part of the group. We rehearsed all day Saturday, then did a dress rehersal and one concert today. It was both thrilling and exhausting, and mostly, I'm just honored to get to play with these guys. Here is a snippet of Rossini's William Tell Overature filmed on Sarah's phone.

2009-12-26T07:53:00.004-10:00

Thoughts About Paul's Yacht

The road leading to my office was finally paved Tuesday after more than two weeks of construction to install a private propane line for Microsoft Co-founder, Paul Allen. Paul has been in town all week, as evidenced by his yacht in Kailua Bay. Many of my co-workers saw his helicopter buzzing around and we think he has been flying the chopper from his house behind our office out to his yacht which has been parked in the bay less than a 1/2 mile from his house. It sure beats taking a dingy out to his yacht and having to drive a block in Kona traffic to get to the boat ramp.

Last week I went on a Christmas caravan with the Realtors to look at houses on the market. One of our stops was a $9.4 million mansion at Kukio. (Yes, you read that correctly. Nine point four million dollars) Homes at Kukio are commonly purchased as second or third homes so the filthy rich have a place to call their own when they want to visit Hawaii. The home we saw was typical for the style- granite counters, pocket doors that open up to an ocean view and infinity pool, tropical hardwoods, pod style construction, giant, glass showers and Jacuzzi tubs in every bathroom. To be quite honest, it's really not that impressive. There's nothing in that house I need, and although it's professionally designed and decorated, the house was lacking in personality. It didn't feel like a home.

It made me reflect on my own home (which is rented) and I honestly didn't desire the Kukio mansion or any of the other 1+ million dollar estates I saw that day. OK, they were pretty nice, but my point is, I'm content with what I've got. Maybe the people who own them are quite happy, but so am I. There's love in our home. I am greeted by a happy husband every evening when I return from work. We grill a steak and enjoy each other's company and there's joy and I feel at home. I hope Paul Allen and the buyer of the $9.4 million home have that happiness, too.

2009-12-26T07:45:00.002-10:00

Standing Between the Skylights

Here's a photo from another recent caving trip. We still haven't found the mile-long, stand-up cave we're looking for but we found one cave that went back about 100 feet and saw lots of interesting lava formations.

2009-12-26T07:30:00.002-10:00

White Christmas

Like most of the nation, north and west facing shores of the Big Island enjoyed a white Christmas yesterday- our coastline is being slammed by waves and our island is bordered by white water as far as you can see. A pretty good size swell is predicted to continue through today. Chris took this picture of me watching the splashes at NELHA Christmas morning.

2009-12-12T13:53:00.003-10:00

Got Gas?

Apparently, Microsoft's co-founder, Paul Allen, does not have gas but he desperately wants some. Mr. Allen owns a home behind my workplace and he is having a private pipeline installed that reaches about 1/2 mile from the local propane dealer down to his property. So for two weeks we get to listen to bulldozers tearing up the street and deal with driving through an intersection full of machinery and workers.

I can't help but think it's hilarious, and it appears that Mr. Allen has put about a dozen guys to work for two weeks, which is great in this economy. But I can't help wonder why a propane line is so important to him. Besides running a BBQ and lighting tiki torches, what could he need lots of propane for? If the line is simply for aesthetics (perhaps he doesn't want an ugly tank on his land) Chris suggested that it may be cheaper for him to purchase the house next door and hide the tank there. Listings in the adjacent subdivision start at $1.2 million, which is probably cheaper than paying to tear up the road.

2009-11-29T19:05:00.003-10:00

On the Hunt

We took a trip up Mauna Kea Saturday to do some bird hunting. I was happy to pull the 4WD "fun lever" and away we went, up the mountain to where frost remained on the ground until after dawn. The air was crisp, the breeze bone-chilling, and anticipation high. Larry was especially excited after a successful hunt a few weeks ago. He turned out to be the sharpshooter this weekend, too. He brought home a turkey, a chucker and a quail. I am not sure I react quick enough to be a bird hunter. One quail flushed from a tree right where I was standing and before I figured out that I was supposed to aim and pull the trigger the bird was already gone. It was the only decent chance I got all day and birds didn't cross Chris' path at all. Slow hunting, but the view was fabulous.

Hunting on Mauna Kea with cinder cones in the foreground, Kohala Mountains in the background, and Haleakala on Maui towering into the sky.

2009-11-29T18:50:00.005-10:00

Could I Have Some Fish with those Bones?

Thanksgiving morning was already off to a good start. In addition to waking up next to my sweetheart (which I get to do everyday) I had a relaxing day with family to look forward to, a fresh cup of Kona Coffee, I was swimming in newspaper which showed our staff's success at warding off the recession by selling oodles of Thanksgiving Day ads, and I also had a fried flounder on my plate. The meat was tender and yummy and it tasted exactly like a freshwater fish. However, I have never seen so many bones in a fish in my entire life. Bones ran ever which way and they were long and stringy like hair. Chris gave up on his portion of the fish, but after about 45 minutes of effort I managed to lick most of the meat out of the bone pile. The spectacle reminded me of my uncle, Wayne, who I know could have done a supurb job of eating that fish.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to remember family. It frustrates me that life gets so busy and distracts me from things most important. Spending a calm day hiking with my two favorite men (husband and dad) eating a fabulous meal prepared by mom and browsing Christmas decorations and old photos was a great time to reflect on things I highly value. The day was well spent; it felt right.

2009-11-15T19:16:00.004-10:00

Trials Riding on Hualalai's 1801 Flow

Chris likes to ride his trials bike on the lava near the airport but only when it's cool out. This kind of riding is slow and strenuous so cooler weather is a must. Trials riding is a specialized kind of dirt biking where the object is to make it through the obstacles without touching your feet to the ground. The lava is perfect terrain with lots of "obstacles" to traverse. The photo is of Chris doing a "nose wheelie" also called a "stoppie" if performed on a street bike. You do a nose wheelie by applying lots of front brake but not too much. Once the back tire is in the air you can set it down wherever you want, which allows the rider to make a zero radius turn. A handy manuver while riding on rough lava where deep cracks leave little room for turning.

2009-11-15T19:03:00.003-10:00

Roi Roundup

The Hilo dive club put on a spearfishing tournament Saturday morning in Kawaihae. Chris and I camped with the group Friday night, then dove the tournament. The goal was to hunt as many Roi as possible because they are an invasive species. The University of Hawaii was supposed to keep our fish to study what they eat, but they didn't show up to to pick up the fish. Because Roi have high levels of cigeterra they are dangerous to eat, so the fish went to waste, but it's probably beneficial for the reef to get rid of them anyway. Chris shot seven and I shot four (the winner shot 11) We also saw manta rays, a huge eel, conch shells and a shark. It's always fun getting in the water and we met lots of divers from Hilo side. Time well spent!

2009-10-19T20:15:00.004-10:00

Pizza, Anyone?

Another Ironman has come and gone. Each year, about 1,800 athletes along with their families and fans converge on our town, wear their Speedos on our streets, and sweat all over our grocery carts. Actually, I really like Ironman because it brings excitement and money to Kona each October. I always look forward to the event. And every year I am amazed again that anyone can swim 2.4 miles in open ocean, bike 112 miles in high winds and ridiculous heat, then run a marathon. As my mom likes to say, "I can't even drive that far!"

The more I see of the race the less inspired I am, however. Two seconds after the thrill of crossing the finish line, many runners can be found puking, falling down, shivering, etc. Why do they do it? The race creates an entire city of need in a 17-hour period. Huge circus tents become make shift hospitals with rows of IV's tapped into dehydrated athletes. Mobs of massage therapists, physical therapists, nurses and doctors scurry around like busy ants. It is in this light that I present a photo from this year's Ironman. Not the classic shot of a champion clad in a flag and orchid lei, but one of the empty pizza boxes piling up on the other side of the finish line, consumed by hungry athletes who just burned up an entire month's calories in eight hours.

2009-10-19T20:04:00.005-10:00

Coasting

Joe told Chris about a fun bike ride he and a friend did, and it's been on our to-do list ever since. We finally borrowed my dad's bike and went for it. We coasted several miles down an abandoned road to a second car we had parked at the bottom so we wouldn't have to ride up hill. The only work was lifting the bikes over a couple of cattle gates. We had a nice view of the coastline, some cinder cones, and we saw some bizarre lava formations near the source of Hualalai's famous 1801 lava flow, shown in the background of this picture.

2009-09-26T19:35:00.003-10:00

Mountain Ride

Chris and I planned to dirt bike Mana Road, but by the time we arrived, clouds had socked in a good part of the mountain. So we choose to ride the hunting road instead. The first 20 miles were cold and wet but we finally got above the clouds. We were forced to take a nap in the warm cinders above 11,000 foot elevation where the sun was shining. We had great views and fun the rest of the day, and before we headed down the mountain the clouds had cleared.

We stopped to check out some beautiful siverswords. These rare plants are considered threatened and they are endemic to Hawaii. They only grow in very specific mountain areas on the Big Island and on Maui.

2009-09-08T19:47:00.003-10:00

A Little Mountain Exploration

It's still hot down here so Chris and I headed up Mauna Kea for a Labor Day hike. We were met by clear skies, cool mountian air and unbelievable views. We stumbled around at 12,000 feet for a while looking for an ancient adze quarry. Hawaiians discovered this patch of lava that had no bubbles in it, which made it the best substance they had for constructing tools. However, we did not find it before lunch time, so we retreated to 9,000 feet so we could catch our breath and eat under a shade tree.

The next hike was a favorite of mine- to a red rock canyon Chris found during his days as a soil scientist. We did this hike when we first started dating and it has always been a memorable one for me.

Chris and I pose with the Red Rock Canyon behind us.

Checking out an incredible view of Mauna Loa.

Hiking above the clouds at 12,000 feet. Note the volcanic cinder cone in the background.

2009-09-08T19:31:00.003-10:00

Hitched

Ron and Jen's wedding was a joyous occasion. I have been friends with Ron for the past nine years, and I've always enjoyed his humor and friendliness. We've had many nights of drinking with the old gang at Durty Jakes and hanging at his house has become my Superbowl tradition. Several years later, Jennifer started working at West Hawaii Today and her 'can do' attitude and positive approach to life really impressed me. It was pretty fun befriending each individually, then watching them grow together and decide to marry. They're a great fit, the wedding was beautiful and I am so happy for both of them.

2009-08-23T15:40:00.006-10:00

Run from Summer

We were tired of being hot so we rounded up some friends and retreated to the 10,000 foot level of Mauna Loa to look for lava tubes. The air was misty and the 65 degree temperature was ideal for hiking. With the help of his GPS unit, Chris lead us right to some pretty sweet caves. The first skylight we found had a good 30-foot drop to get down into, and the tube looked HUGE. Ben didn't give up easily and he found another way into cave, where we took entertaining photos in the sun's rays beaming through the first skylight we had found.

We discovered a few other tubes, also, and we saw amazingly bizarre lava formations. The lava surrounding one skylight was smooth enough to ride a skateboard on. We think it could have formed when the lava tube got clogged up and super hot, runny lava was forced out that skylight onto the surface. Another hole revealed a drop of at least 30 feet to the floor of a cave, and the ceiling was less than a foot thick. No wonder bulldozers sometimes fall through during excavation. The ground isn't alway as solid as it appears.

Chris and Sam check out a hole in the ground that is a skylight to a large lava tube below.

Chris "Hangs 10" on the lip of what used to be a pool of lava.

Ben has seen the light.

2009-08-23T15:27:00.004-10:00

Church Hike

Somehow, Chris and I have become known as hikers among our church family, so we occasionally plan church hikes to be sure everyone is included on the fun. Many people do not realize Puu Waa Waa is open to the public for hiking, and the view from the top is phenomenal. We could see Hualalai, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Haleakala on Maui, and an amazing coastline view. The three-mile hike gains about, 1,800 feet in elevation, and in the summer sun it was a bit warmer than I would like. But a good time was had by all and we are already getting requests to plan another hike.

2009-08-23T15:17:00.003-10:00

The Jaspers

I never really finished posting about the family trip to Minnesota, so I'll just complete the story with a family photo.

2009-08-05T22:12:00.005-10:00

Minnesota Aloha

Chris and I returned last week from a trip to Minnesota to visit with his (our) family. When I married Chris I knew I was really getting something good, but I didn't appreciate how big of a blessing my new family would also be. Chris' parents rented a cabin on a lake where I had a whole week to get to know the clan better. I couldn't have felt more welcomed and it's obvious Hawaii isn't the only place that knows about aloha.

In addition to spending time with my new ohana, I was given a true Minnesota experience: fishing, lakes, loons, hail, bait shops, northern accents, wild rice, wild raspberries, mosquitoes and more.

With the help of Captain Dan, I caught this 17" walleye. Chris measured it with a homemade tape measure to be sure it wasn't too big to keep. (18" and larger go back in the lake)

Peaceful setting:

When Reed's sporting goods stocks jigs they don't kid around.

2009-07-12T17:36:00.004-10:00

Catch More Fish

This turkey was reluctantly adopted into the Jasper clan, and it seems to be a fairly unwanted member of the family. It is entirely too obnoxious and it invokes a strong negative emotion. After that emotion follows silence as you ponder your options for politely getting rid of the offending object.

Mom and dad first tried to leave it in Hawaii with Chris several years, but he "graciously" declined their gift. After having been passed from house to house in Minnesota amongst Chris' family, my brand-new relatives displayed their generosity and sense of humor by giving us the turkey as a wedding gift. Chris was quick to pawn the turkey off on my parents, inducting them in the Jasper shenanigans. They got right into the spirit and searched for an opportunity to foist it onto the next unlucky recepient. It was mailed to Chris' brother, Dan, in Minnesota, but not before Chris tampered with the bird. The bib used to read, "Eat more chicken," but in honor of Dan's new fishing business, the bib has been changed to read, "Catch more fish."

2009-07-12T17:32:00.002-10:00

Pretty

I realize there are too many ugly pictures on this blog lately, so here is a nice picture. I was mesmerized by the flowers growing in Larry's pond.

2009-07-12T17:23:00.002-10:00

Nice Nenue

I got this nice nenue, which is a fish we like to eat because it's not a cig candidate. Ciguatera is a nasty diesease that attacks the nervous system and it is contracted by eating reef fish. As a precaution, we try to only eat "cig" fish once a week and we fillet them to avoid eating parts of the fish that may have higher concentrations of the chemical.

I was proud of my shot because this fish was hiding under a rock 35 feet below the surface. I dove down and when he came out of his hole I got him.