There are so many pets who need to be adopted at the Kauai Humane Society (KHS). I volunteer there weekly to get my 'kitty fix' since I'm missing my two cats, Smitty and Indy, but it's hard..... I feel so badly for all the sweet animals and would love to rescue each of them. My lease says "No Pets", so I can't even save one little guy or gal.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
3/19/2012 Simplicity and Peace
Freedom is the thing I most appreciate about my life here. I realized last night that for the first time in my adult life, I do not have a written 'to do' list. Indeed, I don't even have a mental list of things that need to be accomplished.
I don't have grass to cut, a driveway to shovel, or a work schedule to obey.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
3/14/2012 Blessings of Aloha
Aloha – like many Hawaiian words, it has multiple meanings. While it is commonly used to say hello, good-bye and to express love, the beauty of the word comes through when it is broken down into the foundation root words.
Alo means to share in the present moment.
Oha is joy.
Ha is life energy
Therefore Aloha translates to meaning “The joyful sharing of life energy in the present” or “joyfully sharing life.”
Viewed another way, Aloha means living in harmony.
Aloha wau la 'oe means I love you.
Kathy ~ Sending the the Aloha Spirit of Kauai to the mainland....
Thursday, March 1, 2012
~Some Stories Have Happy Endings ~
If I haven't already emailed this link to you, check out this beautiful short video with a very happy ending. It might even make you cry (in a good way!)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
2/29/2012 Here, kitty, kitty...
The apartment / ohana / mother-in-law suite that I'm renting through the end of March doesn't allow pets. I thought I'd be OK with that policy but I miss my two cats, Smitty and Indy, so much that I've been dreaming of them each night. I made the mistake of stopping by the Kauai Humane Society the other day to get a 'kitty fix' and met Abigail / "Abby".
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wild Kingdom ~ Kauai Style
I know I should take my camera with me everywhere, but sometimes I think I'm just going out for a short walk and won't see anything special. Not true ~ there is always something that catches my eye or captures my interest.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Na Pali Cruise pics
This is the link for the slideshow of 28 pics Margie and I posted on Meetup.com:
Saturday, February 18, 2012
2/18/2012 Blue Dolphin Excursion
Today, 10 fellow members of the "Kauai Adventure Club" Meetup Group and I ventured out on Blue Dolphin Charter's Whale Watching / Snorkeling / Na Pali Coast trip. I had high hopes of seeing breaching whales and dancing dolphins since they've been so active, but it was not to be.
Our check in time was 8 am. By the time all guests were registered and signed a waiver, it was around 8:30 when we boarded the boat. After the captain presented some safety info, we headed out to sea. He said it would be choppy until we made it out of the harbor, but it ended up being pretty rocky the whole day. It was an adventure, for sure.
Friday, February 17, 2012
2/17/2016 Baby Albatross
After a fun morning kayaking the Kalihiwai Stream yesterday, Margie, Gina and I drive over to Rodney's to see the baby Laysan Albatross 'up close and personal'; very cool! He was hatched in my friend's yard in Princeville, on the North Shore of Kauai, just a few weeks ago.
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| DeShawn |
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
2/13/2012 Pe'e Point
I've been hearing from locals that the whales have been super active this year. So, on Sunday instead of staying home and sorting through mail, paying bills, etc. as originally planned, I decided to go to Pe'e Point and watch for whales.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
Kilauea is a former sugar plantation town located on the north side of the island. Their most popular attraction (besides the Kilauea Bakery!) is the Kilauea Lighthouse and National Wildlife Refuge, located on 203 acres.
I visit the peaceful Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge almost every time I travel to the North Shore. I live about an hour away, so I don't get to stop there very often. If I'm lucky enough to visit early in the morning, I frequently have the place to myself. When I have guests, this is one of my top 'must see' recommendations.
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| Kilauea Lighthouse |
2/12/2012 Grow Your Own Pineapple
Did you know you can grow your own pineapple from store bought pineapples? I certainly didn't. I'm going to give this a try..... take note, however, that it will take about 18 months or so until you have a ripened pineapple.
Since my current lease is up in two months, I won't get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, but I will get to see if it takes root and begins to grow.
GROW YOUR OWN PINEAPPLE ~ Instructions from the Dole Pineapple Plantation website.
Growing a new pineapple from the crown of a ripe one is rewarding and easy to do. It makes for a beautiful plant, a fascinating process to watch, and an end result that is just plain delicious. This is a great kids’ project, too.
First, twist the leafy crown from the fruit. Place it in a dry, dark place for a full week to allow the end to harden.
Layer an 8-inch porous clay pot with an inch of coarse gravel, then fill with a good, light garden soil mixed with up to 30% well-composted organic matter. Be sure the pot has good drainage. Later, when the fruit grows, you'll want to transplant to a 12-inch pot, again, with gravel and good drainage.
Water the soil once a week, and fertilize with a household plant food fertilizer about every three months. If you live in a climate that’s warm all year round, the potted plant should do well outdoors. If you have cold winters, keep the plant indoors during frost or freezing temperatures.
Note that this tropical plant can suffer from “sun shock” if it is moved too quickly from an indoors environment to direct sun. If you are going to move your pineapple plant outside, put it in a semi-shaded outdoor spot for the first few days to let it adjust.
When the plant is about 12 months old, it should sprout an unmistakeable bright red cone.
If the cone hasn’t appeared by 14 months, it’s time to “coax” it out by putting the entire plant, with its pot, in a plastic bag. Place a ripe apple in the bag and tie it closed, move to a shady spot and leave for three days. Remove the bag and return the plant to its usual sunny location. The bright red cone should appear within eight or nine weeks.
The next stage will bring row upon row of bright blue flowers, which open over two weeks. When the petals of the last flower have dried, the fruit begins to develop. When your fruit is six months old, it will ripen, becoming sweeter and turning from green to a rich gold on the inside and outside.
Time to pick and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Since my current lease is up in two months, I won't get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, but I will get to see if it takes root and begins to grow.
GROW YOUR OWN PINEAPPLE ~ Instructions from the Dole Pineapple Plantation website.
Growing a new pineapple from the crown of a ripe one is rewarding and easy to do. It makes for a beautiful plant, a fascinating process to watch, and an end result that is just plain delicious. This is a great kids’ project, too.
First, twist the leafy crown from the fruit. Place it in a dry, dark place for a full week to allow the end to harden.
Layer an 8-inch porous clay pot with an inch of coarse gravel, then fill with a good, light garden soil mixed with up to 30% well-composted organic matter. Be sure the pot has good drainage. Later, when the fruit grows, you'll want to transplant to a 12-inch pot, again, with gravel and good drainage.
Water the soil once a week, and fertilize with a household plant food fertilizer about every three months. If you live in a climate that’s warm all year round, the potted plant should do well outdoors. If you have cold winters, keep the plant indoors during frost or freezing temperatures.
Note that this tropical plant can suffer from “sun shock” if it is moved too quickly from an indoors environment to direct sun. If you are going to move your pineapple plant outside, put it in a semi-shaded outdoor spot for the first few days to let it adjust.
When the plant is about 12 months old, it should sprout an unmistakeable bright red cone.
If the cone hasn’t appeared by 14 months, it’s time to “coax” it out by putting the entire plant, with its pot, in a plastic bag. Place a ripe apple in the bag and tie it closed, move to a shady spot and leave for three days. Remove the bag and return the plant to its usual sunny location. The bright red cone should appear within eight or nine weeks.
The next stage will bring row upon row of bright blue flowers, which open over two weeks. When the petals of the last flower have dried, the fruit begins to develop. When your fruit is six months old, it will ripen, becoming sweeter and turning from green to a rich gold on the inside and outside.
Time to pick and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
2/11/2012 February Fun
What a fun filled week! It started off on Super Bowl Sunday with a two mile hike down the hill in my development with Dave, my neighbor. The trail leads through the coffee fields to a secluded beach. I had no idea it was even there. I understand it is only accessible through the coffee fields. Since all beaches in Hawaii are public, not private, it was OK for us to be there. Evidently, Kauai Coffee Company permits people to hike through their fields, as long as it doesn't negatively impact their harvesting season which is in the fall.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
2/5/2012 Aloha!
Aloha from Kalaheo :) All is well here, I've just been very busy playing tour guide to many friends from the mainland.
My cousin, Diane, who was here in December, came back already. She was only able to be here for one day this time, so we had a whirlwind tour of the island. Great fun! I think she is already planning her next visit. Gee, do you think she loves it here?
My dear friend, Robert, and his girlfriend Pamela were here in mid-January for a week. I so enjoy showing 'my island' to my friends. There is SO much to do here, it's always hard to choose what to see and do during the short time each has been able to spend here. They stayed on the east side, near the airport, and I was pleased to hike with them up Sleeping Giant Mountain, visit Kauai Coffee, and share a few good meals. I introduced them to some of my friends during Happy Hour at Casablanca, too.
Friday, January 13, 2012
1/13/2012 Reading, Relaxation, Rejuvenation Required
Aloha, Friends and Family ~ There is not much to talk about this week. It has turned out to be a quiet week; a time of Rest, Reading, Relaxation and Rejuvenation; not by choice, but by requirement.
I've been struggling with a minor sore throat / head cold all week and am trying to fight it off by staying home and resting. I haven't been around anyone who was sick to my knowledge, but here I am anyway.
My body and brain are both tired, so I'm not reading as much as I would like. Having said that, I started reading two books this week and both look like they will be very interesting.
"Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness" - Jon Kabat-Zinn
and:
"Getting the Love You Want" - Harville Hendrix
Neither were books I sought out. Both were given to me. Interesting that they both deal with healing in one sense or another. Have any of you read either one? If so, I'd like to hear your review.
Will keep you posted on my thoughts as I read through each.
Aloha and good health to all!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
1/11/2012 Geckos and such.....
We have geckos in Kauai and lots of 'em! I took the photo below of this colorful little guy on the lanai yesterday. Officially, he is a Gold Dust Day Gecko.
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| You lookin' at me?? |
They can be brown and rather drab, or incredibly colorful. Check out his turquoise feet ~ so cool!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
1/5/2012 "What do you do all day? "
Several friends have asked "What do you do all day?" Perhaps they can't conceive of a life without a full time job, yard work and/or shoveling snow, family responsibilities and endless rushing around trying to accomplish everything on the never ending 'to do' list.
Indeed, the standard question I received after announcing that I was leaving the corporate world and moving to Hawaii was some variation of "When are you going to start working again?" It seems many believe that one must always be working at a paying job to be complete / whole. I never thought that to be true for me. Indeed, I've always felt that working interfered with my life.
I can happily say that life can be fulfilling, busy, interesting and fun even without working. Today's post is an attempt at describing of my "typical" week in Kauai. I use quotes around typical because a lot of what happens here.... just happens.
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