After our road trip it was clear that I needed a better solution to carrying my huge camera that didn’t involve keeping it around my neck or in a backpack. This is where targeted Instagram advertising comes in… I saw an ad for this carrying strap called Cotton Carrier and was sold. It is so helpful in carrying my camera. I wish it would sit a little higher on my body but I think I just need to adjust the straps.
This frees my hands to pick up sea glass or, like in this picture, pick up trash. My schedule has been crazy so I haven’t been in a bit, but when I can I go for walks and take my little grabber and pick up trash. Doing what I can to keep my part of the world a little bit cleaner.
This sunrise was very unique for a lot of reasons. First, my house keys are in Brian’s car which is at the Navy base… not helpful but at least not totally lost.
I think summer solstice was technically yesterday, but this morning some native Hawaiians were celebrating it with a path of flowers on the beach and some chanting. I didn’t take a picture out of respect, but it was neat to see.
The tide was really low, the lowest I’ve seen walking on the beach. This gave a huge opportunity for sea glass collecting. My biggest haul yet!
I was also able to get around a corner where the beach isn’t usually exposed. It still wasn’t, but it was shallow enough for me to try. I could see down the shoreline. I walked quickly for fear of being trapped, but I’d like to go back with Brian.
Here’s a picture from a different day of the reefs sticking out of the water during low tide.
I also saw a new creature. Not sure what it is. Sea snake? ETA- Undulated Moray Eel
And I found a big ish jellyfish. Usually they’re a lot smaller and I almost mistake them for seaglass. These guys do sting and can hurt pretty good. We think Brian experienced it, but not totally sure, and he’s fine now. I haven’t yet and been in maybe a half dozen times? I saw a lot more of them because it’s low tide, but you’ll also see a lot if there has been a storm.
I’m writing to you from our new table top. It’s very pretty particularly when the sun hits it. There are little sea shells and turtles and sand in the epoxy and it looks like the sea.
I had quite the adventure going to the DMV today. First, it’s really hard to get appointments, but I stalked the site like my friend suggested and was bumped from June 29th to today. I had to first get a failed safety inspection for my registration. Well, it also failed for “Tail lamps” except they didn’t tell me. I only saw it when reviewing paperwork. I figured I could get it registered and then go fix it… but nope. So I started crying at the DMV… It’s just so frustrating getting the run around, and in the military we experience it so much more often than most. I went back to the auto place and turns out it was a mistake and I passed… some good news, no repairs needed. The lady at the DMV was nice enough to give me a ticket to come back tomorrow. I filled out a registration application I found online… turns out it’s the application for the Big Island and not Oahu. Now I have to have Brian sign that, even though our title says “OR”, and I should be able to do everything. I tried to use a power of attorney, but turns out you need a specific one for cars, and I don’t have that one. Finally, the transportation service that received our car gave us a Bill of Lading, but didn’t put the date on it… so there’s another form for that and trying to figure out the date. There’s one more form I wanted her to look over before I left, but when I offered it, she said “Oh, you don’t need that”. I DEFINITELY need that form. So here’s to hoping it’s correct tomorrow. What’s more is there is still paperwork for Connecticut we need to deal with. What a circus.
I called a friend really upset and crying after the DMV. She’s a subspouse too, and it’s nice to be able to commiserate with someone who gets the circus we get put through trying to accomplish things. We have to bear the burden because God forbid Brian get anytime off to help.
On the bright side, I received my new camera lens today and can’t wait to start posting zoomed in pictures.
My capacity for activity is coming back finally. On June 12th we ran a 5k in the morning at the marine corps base (future post topic when we get pictures) and then went and hiked Makapu’u Pont Lighthouse trail. It’s about a mile and half up and about 500ft in elevation. It’s a really nicely paved trail that winds around both sides of the island. The first picture shows the parking lot and looking backward toward where we live. You can just barely see the ocean in the distance. On the way up there are great views of Koko Head Crater.
This is a very popular spot for whale watching when that’s in season (December through April). There’s ocean for days. I guess I didn’t get a picture, but at one viewing point you can see three other Hawaiian islands. This is the first view of the lighthouse you get before reaching the very top.
The two “mokes” that you always see in my sunrise picture are about midway out in this picture. In the very far distance you can see the marine corps base. On the left is what is considered Waimanalo.
Same view but prettier 😉
The path is very dry and hot, so highly recommend doing it when it’s cooler and with sunscreen/sun coverage. However, we did it at 2pm and it was fine. Once you turn to the windward side again it gets breezy.
Very doable walk, just be prepared with sunscreen and water. The views are really beautiful. There are tide pools going down a different path we didn’t really know about, but will go back for. The parking was a little packed but there were spots, I think it’s a high turnover parking lot because the hike isn’t that extensive. Have it on my list to go back to for a sunrise and tide pools.
Happy Father’s day to all the fathers and father figures out there. I’m lucky to have two really great ones.
We have started attending St. Anthony’s church in Kailua. Sundays are the only days I don’t go for my sunrise walk because we go to 6:30am Mass. We like the mass so far and one of the Deacon’s is a submarine spouse’s dad. He has really great sermons and gave today’s. It definitely has a Hawaiian vibe to it, but still formal Catholic.
Then we go to Morning Brew for breakfast. Brian gets a caramel latte, and we both get breakfast sandwiches. They are REALLY good.
We texted both our families, and my dad is in Pennsylvania picking up a second engine for his F1… so much for getting to talk to him today! Brian’s dad and family were going to lunch, but we Alexa called them for a quick catch up. They are planning a trip to visit us in October around Brian’s sister’s birthday.
We unpacked a lot, moved more furniture, continuing to put the pieces of our house together bit by bit. We have a guest bed frame and mattress ready! During this we heard a really loud whirring noise and discovered a helicopter making a rescue at the really famous hike right outside our condo.
It rained earlier today and we’ve been told a lot not to try this hike after it rains, so that could be it. It may be just a broken ankle, or may be something serious. As far as I know, Hawaii doesn’t charge for these rescues… what a favor! Needless to say Brian and I are waiting for the perfect time for our first trip up, both when I feeling good and it’s been dry. Brian brought up how my ambulance ride in Cambridge was $800, but a helicopter ride over beautiful Kailua is free. What a steal.
Speaking of rain, I FINALLY saw my first rainbow today! Brian didn’t drive slow enough for me to get a picture of it, and it was pretty faint, but FINALLY!
We’re off to go visit a woodworking place in Hawaii that make BEAUTIFUL pieces. We’re hoping to get a table top to replace one we have that is warped from winter damage. You can view some of their pieces here.
Brian is one of three department heads on a boat, he is the Nav (navigator). There is also the Weps (weapons officer) and Eng (Engineer). I will be known as Mrs. Nav. Mrs. Weps is from Vermont, so we clicked really easily. She’s very down to Earth, and Mr. and Mrs. Weps met playing hockey, so we all get along really well. We went to their place to watch a Bruins game on May 23rd, 2021… our 1 year anniversary. This is the view from outside their apartment, inland from Honolulu.
I am convinced that building on the left is the Prudential Center, and unless I see both in the same place I won’t be convinced otherwise.
Four more boxes unpacked and the Peloton was put together today, progress!
This is one of the photos I snapped of the couple watching the sunrise together. I grabbed their email and sent them the pictures, they were grateful! I hope they actually print it out.
I’ll tack on the sunrise pictures from the morning of the adventures of the day of blog post topic moving forward.
Brian’s friend Ty from when he served on the USS San Fransisco is in the Navy Reserves and had orders for a couple weeks in Hawaii. He and his girlfriend, Megan, arrived on Sunday and we gave them a proper hello by decorating their necks with a Lei and ate dinner at Waikiki brewing in Waikiki. Megan came to us before Ty, they came on separate flights, and I admired her self confidence enough to come meet people she’s never met before.
With all things Navy, she’s winging her scheduled according to what Ty can accomodate (which has changed… and changed… and changed again in the short time they’ve been here) On Monday she headed our way for the afternoon, and I didn’t have a lot of work going on so I played hooky. In the morning I had a stress test appointment for my heart. I haven’t been quite the same since having COVID, so it’s more reassurance that nothing is wrong organ wise. I passed with flying colors.
After, we met for lunch at Kapalawai market, a pretty famous local Hawaiian deli/convenience store. The food is really good beach food. We took our sandwiches and made our way to Lanikai so she could see the beach. We went for a quick swim, walk, and then went to the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden. It is a beautiful hidden gem, and free! Although I intend to donate.
It’s a very big park so it’s organized such that you drive to different parking locations and walk to explore a section of the park. We started at the first section to visit the lake. It’s a huge coy pond with tons of coy.
I’ll jump forward to our third spot, which was the “seasonings” path, we think. It had a really great view of the lake, and the only “Seasoning” we recognized was a tree that smelt like popcorn. As we were walking toward it, Megan was wondering if someone was eating popcorn.
We went to another section (this was our second stop) that has a great view of the mountains and the ocean. Here, there’s a plaque explaining you’re in the center (Caldera) of what once was a volcano. The volcano geography is what gives Hawaii the unique ridges on the mountain sides. We could see the view of the bay. The walk up to the viewpoint is awkwardly steep, so the lady told us to walk backwards, also so we could see the view. The mountains make up the Ko’olau Range.koÊ»olau means “windward” in Hawaiian
The park closes relatively early, at 4pm, so we left and explored the Marine Corps Base (I wanted to show her more private, quieter beach options). I’ll make a post about how in love I am with that base later. We tried to go to the commissary, the military grocery store, but it’s closed on Mondays… so went to Target instead. Then she went back to Waikiki.
That was my hooky half day. Definitely going back to the gardens with Brian and to see other parts.
Here are most of the flora I see on my walk to the beach every day. They smell beautiful, and I will sometimes pick up a fallen plumeria and put it in my ear; instant perfume!
We’ve heard that the bloom is in peak now, but I’m pretty convinced there are flowers year round and will believe this until proven otherwise.
Few flowers hold the allure of Hawai’i more than the plumeria. The huge varieties found throughout the islands make it seem as though they originated here, but in truth they are an introduced species. First discovered in the southern forest regions of Mexico in the mid 1800’s, the plant is also known to indigenous to Central America, India, the Caribbean and Brazil. The first plants were brought to Hawai’i in 1860 by Wilhelm Hillebrand, a German physician and botanist. In Hawai’i the plant usually grows as a small tree that mostly blooms from April to November. Flowers do not last long but the bloom pod can produce flowers throughout the year depending on climate and location. The flower colors are diverse in Maui and include white, orange, yellow, pink, salmon, and purple with hybrids containing combinations of all these colors. Plumeria have an amazing fragrance that is most intense at night as they lure moths needed to pollinate them. Interestingly enough they produce no nectar, effectively duping the pollinators to move from flower to flower in a fruitless search for nectar. The flowers are well known for their use in making flower lei. These beautiful and fragrant flowers can also be worn in the hair by women to indicate their relationship status – over the right ear if single and over the left ear if taken.Cordia Bougainvillea BushMore pink plumeriaRed HibiscusWhite HibiscusPinky PlumeriaWhite PlumeriaIn 1959, Hawaii became a state, yet it was not until 1988 that the yellow hibiscus became the state flower. Some of the traditional meanings of the hibiscus include delicate beauty, unity and peace, a perfect representation of what Hawaii is today.Heliconia (Heliconiaceae family) is another favorite among florist and floral designers. Commonly known as bird-of-paradise, lobster claws, or parrot beak flowers, Heliconia is easy to grow in Hawaii. However, it may become a pest by spreading uncontrollably and taking over the entire garden! Some Heliconia species can grow up to 15-20 feet tall! Birds, bats, and insects are attracted to the juicy nectar stored inside the brightly colored inflorescence.
There are more that maybe I’ll add as time goes by, but this is a snapshot of what I see on my daily walks! So colorful.
Engineers on Submarines are known for their really intense schedules. We were able to get one of Brian’s friends from SOAC who is now an Eng to come get drinks with us since we were on the other side of the island. Here he is on the phone talking to one of his guys about a critique they’ll be having on Monday. I sent it to another mutual friend with the caption “We found an eng out in the wild, doing his eng’ing”. It’s very hard for Eng’s to get time off or enjoy things without being bothered.
We were over there because a friend of Brian’s from the USS San Fran, Ty, was visiting Hawaii from Colorado with his gf Megan and we met them in Honolulu at Waikiki brewing for drinks. This was the start of a fun adventure of them being in Hawaii!
This second picture was taken using my very nice camera. I have this really awesome feature on my camera called “live view”, which basically gets the picture to show up on the screen before you take it, almost exactly like using a phone. So it makes for an easy hand off to a waitress or willing budding photographer. I turn that mode on and we show up on the screen, then they just have to click on any of our faces to focus and then click the shutter (big, round button) then voila! Picture on a really nice camera. I make sure the exposure settings are correct before handing it off, but they still have to fix the focus. It took me a while to discover this, but I figured it out so that Brian could start taking pictures with my camera of me in it.
I am in love with this picture. It was a breathtaking view of the golf course by us, mid pacific golf course, the one Obama plays. Membership is $200/mth. We’re passing for now, but it’s tempting!
This particular sunrise wasn’t entirely exciting, but I loved the light on the clouds and the mountains on the walk back. Reminded me that reflecting on what’s behind you can be beautiful, too.
On a whim I entered this photo into a competition. It stretched my comfort zone. It wasn’t picked to be apart of the final gallery, but that’s ok. My dream competition to win is the comedy wildlife award. I bought the books as coffee table books and for inspiration. They are soo funny.
