Yesterday played out like most days here.... I have a general idea of what I'd like to do, but life brings unexpected surprises along the way.
I had heard that there are several walking trails, with gorgeous views, at Kukuiolono Golf Course. I had been there the week before, but just to see the Japanese Gardens.
So, armed with my camera and a spring in my step, I left my house around 7:30 am. I was greeted with another beautiful rainbow the moment I stepped out my front door.
Rainbows are so frequent here, since misty rain showers occur from the smallest of clouds. The sky can be almost completely blue and one little overhead cloud will provide brief sprinkles for just a moment or two. It's kind of refreshing actually.
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| Kakela Makai Rainbow |
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Within 10 - 15 minutes of my hike, I met a woman walking her dog, XoXo (zuu zuu). She was very pleasant and invited me to go with her to the National Tropical Botanical Gardens to volunteer for two hours that morning. In return for the volunteer time, a free potluck lunch is provided. So, I never really got to see much of the hiking trails / views, but below are the few pics I took before I was recruited by Mehia.
It's interesting to note the different types of foliage and plant life here. It's not all palm trees and tropical flowers.
I agreed to meet Mehia back at the golf course in 1/2 hour so I could follow her back to the gardens. It's a good thing I followed her because the 'road' she took me on didn't even appear on my GPS and seemed like it was just for 'four wheelers' in some points. I congratulated myself for shipping my SUV here. It truly was the best decision I could have made regarding transportation in Kaua'i. A car would have had a challenge with the route.
Another woman ended up following us to the gardens. When she got out of her vehicle, I was surprised to see Jody, a woman I met at the Hyatt last week. She participated in the Hula Aerobics and Water Aerobics with me during the Kaua'i Aloha Festival. It really is a small island. It's amazing how many people I 'know' that I've run into multiple times already!
Once we got to the gardens, I was introduced to Bob, who directs the volunteers for the day's projects. Mehia, Jody and I ended up joining a group who was taking down a Haunted House. Turns out they had a big event the night before. They said they considered it a huge success since they had 1,200 people go through. Wow! Sounds like it was a great night.
After pulling down black tarps, taking apart stuffed mummys, and piling up the bamboo used for supports, we headed back to the greenhouse. For the last 45 minutes of my 2 hour volunteer time, I washed plant pots with two women who've lived in Kaua'i for over 25 years. They were full of tips and suggestions; very friendly.
I did learn from Melia that she recently sold a loveseat and outdoor lounge chair; each for $35. Drats! Those are the only big items left on my wish list. Guess I need to keep checking Craigslist and head out to some more garage sales.
The potluck lunch was good and at the end of the buffet table was a huge selection of fruit that people brought to give away. I left with a sense of accomplishment, a full belly, and lots of locally grown fruit: a papaya, some bananas, star fruit and passion fruit. It was a satisfying day in many ways.
Typically, they offer a free tour of the gardens for the volunteers, but the guide was exhausted from the Halloween event so there was no tour yesterday. I'll be back....
They did have a brief talk about the plants they were potting yesterday; very informative and interesting.
FYI- I was told that volunteers can also get a free pass for a guest or two. So, if you come to visit, we can get a behind the scenes tour of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens. :)
Since I wasn't planning to spend 1/2 the day volunteering, I didn't stick around too long afterwards to learn more about the gardens. Will find out more next week. The grounds appear quite extensive. Here are a few pics I took on my way out.
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| If you enlarge this photo and look closely, you'll see a red car about 1/3 from the right. In the distance, you can see a bit of the ocean. This gives you an idea of how extensive the grounds are. Can't wait to see more... |
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| These two live in the neighborhood on the way out of the gardens. |
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Last night, I ended up handing out Halloween candy for Genevieve and Dale since they were out trick or treating with their little ones. The trick or treaters here actually get to wear their costumes sans gloves, coats, scarves, etc.
It certainly is a different world. The weather is rarely an issue regarding your plans. It's pretty much the same every day ~ Lots of sun with some light sprinkles when you least expect it.
I'm so used to listening to the weather at 'home' each day to decide what to wear. Here, it is so cool to just get up and get dressed in shorts and t-shirt every single day, without a thought about the weather forecast at all.
However, today I woke up to gray, cloudy skies and some serious rain. I felt like I was back in NE Ohio. But, since I've been here a full month already, I'm ok with one rainy day to 30 days of sunshine. And, BTW, it cleared up in about two hours and we have sunshine again :)
Wow! I am so not used to that. Cleveland has so many back to back gray days that we get excited when we actually have a full day of sunshine. Another thing that is different here is that no one talks about the weather. It's the same every day...gorgeous. At 'home', the weather is a frequent topic since it is so changeable. It's always a safe subject; a conversation starter; an ice breaker, etc. In Kauai, it's a non issue.
Well, I always feel like I am 'wasting time' when the sun is shining and I am indoors, so I need to accomplish some mundane tasks like internet research and paying bills, before I go outside and get the day started.
Wonder what today's adventures will bring....?
Aloha!
Kauai Kathy
