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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

Underwater Photos

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.