Blogger in the blink

Sorry about the duplication but the easy Droid posting is malfuntioning. I posted on Flickr a few scenic shots which will be the last until my Canon can go online. We are going to a dinner theatre doing South Pacific tonight. See you back in or from the desert. The Droid did a fine job of keeping in touch, thanks for letting me share my love for the 50th State and her Aloha spirit.

Kauai ATV

Spent a fun morning getting dirty in the woods and fields of the Kipu farm land. We went through a half mile crude tunnel dug by sugar laborers and swam in a double waterfall after lunch. Our guides took pictures and showed us many movie sites filmed on this crater rim. Dinner at Joes on the Green . A very talented balladeer sang for us in a rainy evening .

Kauai ATV

Yesterday we enjoyed a 20 mile mudbuggy drive through the coastal interior with a swim in a double waterfall , views of many moviesites ,Lunch and lots of dirt, wonderfully talented romantic balladeer at Joes on the Green for dinner, this is our last day, home for a few days then off to visit friends and family on the troubled gulf coast. Thanks for checking in and try to visit the islands.

Kayak to Secret Falls

Could not take the Droid Camera in the soaker trip up the river. We hiked along the stream and swam under the falls .....almost five hours of rowing and hiking ...quiet jungle beauty. My time in the gym really helped me enjoy the strenuous activity.

Kayaking

Five hours of rowing, hiking, swimming the Wialua River. No Droid pics today. My exercise time has paved off in my endurance today.

A Bay called Hanalea

Ke'e Beach was perfect today, including the miracle parking space. While eating lunch trucks from the Pirates Movie passed and set up base camp for shooting, very cool!!!!

Nature 1...Junk 0

A decades old trash dump becomes Glass Beach with tons of crushed beer bottles polished by the waves, cars and tractors pushed into the ocean become one with rock and coral , we loved our side finds today on Kauai's eastern side.

Zero Visibility

Rain and clouds made our Wiamea Canyon trip a bust, we may try again next week

Drenched

Laura was exploring a site where old machinery is being consumed by the ocean and she got soaked by a rogue wave....the book warned her!!!!!

Full Moon Delight

Dinner at Keoke's Paradise was very good, I love fish tacos. The moon illuminating the ocean and clouds is so amazing, matched by a complete rainbow this afternoon, tomorrow we go to Wiamea Canyon. and the Napali coast view from the top. Much anticipated return for stunning photos. Keep clicking on the Flickr link for added pictures

Good Morning Friends

The Point at Poipu is a family friendly resort we bought into in 2002. We love and hate it. The part we dislike is trying to trade with RCI and the maintenance fees which have doubled since our purchase. All that said, this is a wonderful vacation destination, sitting by a pounding surf watching a magnificent sunrise and I know what a privilege this time is , Thank You Lord, thank you SLCC, Thank you Laura my most endearing companion for life.

Hyatt Luxury

We walked around our neighboring resort , took sunset pictures on the ledge featured in six days seven nights where Harrison Ford and Ann Heche jumped from the bad guys. AM I am watching the sunrise ....We saw some giant sea turtles playing

Aloha from Kauai

3 syllables, ka wa e .....We like the room location as will Roger and Sherian when they join us , we have a four wheeling day planned and the rest will be beaches hikes canyons and mountains

Star alert on Kauai

The cast of Pirates of the Caribbean is filming, Spielberg and crew usually stay at the airport Marriot. This will be our fourth visit to the garden island but.six.years since our last. The view from the top of the Napali Coast is.one.of.the most.spectacular I have ever seen

Amimals

Resort birds have no fear of us, yesterday one landed on a man's finger. They also visit our Lanai and enter the room looking for snacks, We saw two mongoose, imported here to kill rats, we have seen no rats, On the ocean we visited a huge pod of dolphins ,the hundred on the surface were parting while more slept below, it was very special

Aloha Mixed Plate

An oceanside traditional Hawaiian dinner, listening to the Old Lahaina Luau next door .....a sweet way to say Aloha Maui

Coffee & Tees

Laura and I enjoy our twice a day coffee fellowship. We bought some Maui grown blends and toured the farm . Then our traditional visit to Hilo Hatties, there may be c lheaper stores but this place rocks. we saw Obama bobble head surfers.

Last full day on Maui

Soon we will move from collecting sunsets.on Maui to sunrises on Kauai. Tradewinds have been high all week, adding sound to the beauty. We are tired of driving so will relax at our beach, visit the Maui Coffee Plantation and try to get tickets to a Hawaiian show that is highly touted. This week has flown by, but my eyes were open...so I saw it, touched it, enjoyed it .

Are you looking????

I have taken 790 photos on the Xsi, 250+ on the small Canon, and 60+ on the Droid which takes pretty good quality for a minl cam, and I post 3 or 4 of them each day. All you do is click the red Flickr link and it goes to my account ....check it out and make a comment ....Thanks

The Road to Hana

We spent the day driving the Hana Highway and it lived up to all the hype . Lush tropicical vegetation ,narrow winding roads one driver bridges ,waterfalls , nature walks spectacular ocean views crashing waves . we saw Charles Lindbergs grave and drove around the island on the way home ....170 miles !!!!!

Island #4 Lanai

Trilogy Boat Outing was a perfect day trip on the ocean , the private beach of the Four Seasons Resort , we snorkeled, toured the city and heard its history, were fed all.day long , unfurled the sails on the way home ...nine hours in the sun ...I think I am burnt

Over 20 years since our first visit

Nothing I am using to share with you existed , wireless, digital images , instant satellite communications. The two major industries, sugar and pineapple are mostly gone ,yet the processes of life sustained by God continue ....plants food , rain ,sunshine .....life changes , newly weds visit people pass life continues ....what am I saying ? Sieze the moment and cherish. it and the Creator and our creativity . Be blessed today !!!

Restful Day

Hearty Hawaiian breakfast at Moose McGillicuddys , enjoyed US Open,watching men putting badly went beach searching north of the resort we are cruising to Lanai tomorrow so I will not wife till evening someone let me know if you are looking at my Flickr page!!!!!!

Sunday thoughts

It's fun to chat with people on vacation. We marvel at.how many large families make the expensive flight here. Today will be restful, will include the US Open and some long walks, It is probably good that I do not live on the ocean, I would not want to take this beauty for.granted ....enjoy your day and may the Lord bless you and keep you in his love,

Dinner at the Bylaws Grill

Fine seafood , a walk to black rock and TheSheraton, a beautiful sunset, my thigh muscles are sore? Must be sand walking ...we also enjoyed a bird watching hike in a forest filled with scented wood ...another special day 400 photos so far

Above the clouds

We wound up the volcano that formed this island enjoying vistas of ocean and the other islands, the crater is stark and shows evidence of other eruptions.

Looking for a.body

A couple were snorkeling at Black Rock and she was swept.away in a current. Coast Guard out in force

It's the humidity

We walked 5 hours. in Iao and Lahaina, off beach near 90 and we were drained We are going to swim qnd enjoy another Maui sunset

Iao valley

This revisit was awesome , a bloody battle for tribal control occurred here

Ocean View Gym

No vacation from fitness

Listening to Iz

The only dream in my life that has come true ,in this life I was loved by you .. Iz Listening to Hawian I love you Laura

Early ocean walk

OurBeach is strewn not with shells but coral , the morning sky paints the islands in our view

20 year redux

The Sheraton has greatly enlarged on both sides of black rock. Tonight we joined many watching a beautiful sunset and bought a Crazy T-shirt for Laura

Arrived in Maui

Arrived on Maui, 6+ hrs , airlines no longer serve , they sell, nice resort , We will enjoy coffee and explore the grounds. Gas is $3.75 Come back again , check Flickr link

Thinking of Jill in the midst of my present joy

Jill at Altared has ALS, and is determined to share her days left on earth with her friends. I always read her thoughts before I type mine. There is so much joy in my days and her joyful days are few of late.

I wish to share the beauty I will be allowed to see with people like Jill. Photography as a sacred art will be my goal. Check by and click on flickr on Thursday. Last minute details tomorrow and then our special island time begins. Aloha.

Countdown to Maui, coin counting, and head count

This will be our residence for a week. The Kannapali Beach Club. Tonight we emptied our change jar that sits in our entrance and put 99 dollars in change in wrappers, refusing even to pay the Coinstar the 8 percent commission for counting money. Now that is some serious vacation intent.

When I was growing up my Father was a coin collector so we always had our eye out for good coins. I remember when I was a teen ager you found four or five wheat head pennies in every hundred. Imagine my surprise when we found 3 wheats in the four dollars we wrapped tonight.

We also booked a day trip to Lanai, with includes breakfast and lunch, snorkeling in one of the most spectacular spots in the world, according the the company??, and playing on an exclusive beach. Its a 90 minute boatride out their so it will be a lot of fun.

Fifteen loyal workers came for Sandwich day. The Rescue Mission gave us a lot of pineapple pie filling to serve as the fruit in the Peanut Butter. It actually looked quite appetizing.

Personal milestones and landmarks

Special days coming while on vacation. When I preach again on the fourth of July it will mark the beginning of my 35th year of ordination and ministry. I am always thankful for what God allowed me to do in using my gifts and the growth I have known through joy and heart crushing disappointments.

Turning 60, something you can only do once and cannot take back. My 50s were tumultuous at the beginning and peaceful and rewarding for most of the decade.

Grandma under attack..,.takes revenge

We are double checking our list of things to take on our vacation. Filling the 3 ounce plastic jars with liquids…sheesh!!!! We are both traveling with carry on baggage this time, as a protest against baggage charges, even though we have direct flights both ways. A small statement, and a challenge to pack lightly. One of the things that makes Hawaii so special is that it is so darn far from here. It takes big time and money to make it there, so every day must be enjoyed to the fullest.

Grandma got attacked with power squirters today, and sought her own revenge. Hearing those kids squeal with delight when they connected with mom’s hat was precious beyond words. Tommorrow I am speaking on the role of God the Spirit in creation, revelation, new birth, and for me, the most precious of truths……Presence. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Flickr is working

This flag is flying from the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu.




I just uploaded a picture from my Droid to my new Flickr account successfully so I am ready to share my Hawaiian adventure each day. Probably around coffee hour I will upload two or three pictures of the days sights and then send a comment. You will see the stream grow from the seven test shots I have to more each day. Enjoy and dream of your next vacation, wherever it may be.

Its a grandchild weekend since we won't see them for a bit.

I have T.E. (trip excitement)

The time zone shift in Hawaii makes you wake up early till you adjust. In 89 we stayed at the Sheraton at Black Rock where people snorkel. We got up early and walked the path up to the rock, and the smell of tropical flowers, ocean, and early morning was so magical that we both cherish that memory often. They have since torn down and rebuilt so we look forward to seeing the New Sheraton property and seeing if we can find that spot near black rock.

Serendipity at The Hilton Hawaiian Village

OK, I'm back, and the blog now has a Flickr link. Each day I will add a couple of Andoid photos of the highlights of our vacation along with a brief comment. Since we will have no computer with us, the pics on the Canon Xsi will have to wait. It will be fun to share with you each day.

After three quick days on Maui 21 years ago, our Apple Vacation took us to Honolulu. I have to tell you that my first impression of that city was not good after the idylic quiet of Maui. We would later learn how lovely Oahu is when you have a car to get around the island.

We had a computer breakdown when we checked in to the massive city with a city....The Hilton Hawaiian Village. Mrs. Carter got in her room, and ours still had people in the room, so the porter made a call and took us to another room, that had luggage in it, and he apologizes profusely, put us in an elevator to the 32nd floor, and we spent our time in the Hilton executive suite. It was huge, had balconies on two corners overlooking Diamondhead and the north, a shower large enough to run laps in. We pinched ourselves and enjoyed every moment of this serendipity.

Out of bandwidth

Cannot post tonight, chueck back AM Don

Maui Serendipity

Mrs. C is with the Lord now. When I was her pastor my visits to her home were…..interesting. She was a mail order junkie. Every inch of her living room was filled with magazines and boxes with things she had ordered that she was sure would provide interest and usefulness to her. She had a vast room in the back full of unfinished projects and old hobbies, from rock polishing to painting to everything you could imagine.

As our friendship deepened, she began having real trouble finding someone to mow her grass, so I would time my visits to mow her lawn and trim the walkways. She had no relatives in our area and I cannot remember how she got from Lansing Michigan to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Her sister died several years earlier, and one day a lawyer called and said they had found a savings account willed to her with about 18K in it. I asked her what she wanted to do with her windfall, and after pondering it for a while, she said her biggest dream was to see Hawaii, and would Laura and I consider helping her along the way. That is how we went to Maui and Oahu in March of 89. A total and complete lawn mowing serendipity. Unsought and unexpected. We showed her a great time, balanced our time together with our time alone, and had some other serendipities happen along the way.

D Day plus 66

I stopped by a friend's home that is being prepared to sell. They were removing keepsake pictures from frames, including the picture he had taken after receiving his purple heart for being blown out of a foxhole by a granade at Guadalcanal.

I realized that except for VA Chaplains, I probably know more WWII veterans than the average person. And they are aging and leaving this world empty for their passing.
Like a couple today who stopped by who met during the war, celebrating 66 years of marriage. "We've seen and lived it all", he said. They are saddened by much they observe in the selfish and demanding generations that have followed the victory they won. Me too, me included in that observation.

I hope you all have friends in their 80s...they are wonderful to learn from and listen to. As we prepare to return to Maui after 21 years from our first visit, we even owed that visit to a spunky 83 year old who asked us to escort her on a dream vacation. I will share more of that story this week.

Nothing like Sunday Mornings

There is something very special about our communion Sunday each month. Nothing flashy, but a solemnity, a quietness, maybe a Christ centeredness. I love the way we sing the Lord’s Prayer, the way we partake in kind, waiting to all have been served and taking them together. I hope everyone there feels the way I do, like I have feasted on the goodness of God.

I used an illustration of me shushing a stuck hummingbird from our entrance light. He was afraid of the broom, and I was using enough force to free him. He thought I was out for his destruction but I desired to set him free. Such are the ways of our God.

107 degrees is an experience I cannot describe

A lovely sunset, a neat play program for parents and children at the Gym.

I have golf legs, they turn white at my sock line. I am two toned. Laura is embarrassed to walk the beaches of Maui with a two toned hubby, so I am sticking my white feet out in the 107 degree sun for ten minutes, two times today....I will keep you posted.

My Android is slowly replacing my Ipod at the Gym. Great FM reception so I can switch from Jazz to Oldies, to Classical. A totally nifty elapsed time clock so I can time my aerobics, and of course, I can answer the phone if someone calls.

I am also amazed at the camera capability on these things. You have to make sure its focused and has time to flash but really nice quality in a pinch. I finally uploaded the 70 or so shots I have taken since getting the Droid six weeks ago. Tonight you will see an example of an outside and inside shot.

Tomorrow we celebrate the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The revelation of Christ changed everything, He is more that we think, in Him we live and move and have our being, He is the first born of all creation.....better stop or I'll go to preachin....

Time together

Laura began her six weeks of summer break today, and we spent it together. She reported that because she has been working out with me for two months she was able to wrestle the children's seats around the room with ease. So we enjoyed our gym time together, and this evening we went to see the very cute romance "Letters to Julia" which makes you want to spend time in Italy, and helps you remember young love discovered and rekindled as the characters create a lovely Romeo and Juliet experience. Watching Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave together reminded me how long I have been enjoying romance in the movies, as they reconnect from starring roles in Camelot way back in the 60's. Touching.

The companionship of a long and good marriage is so sweet. We browse together in a Barnes and Noble, we eat chili at Wendies and then look at my new calorie counting app on the Droid to see the damage we did, as if it will change anything, we watch and laugh together as Laura's Chevy odometer turns 70,000, and we ask the car to keep going for at least 30,000 more.....this is normal life and love, and it is sweet and corny just like a chick flick.

A Beautiful Happy Child

Children are God's opinion that the world should go on. I pray for this next generation that the problems and debt we are creating will not hinder her freedom to learn, live and love.

Dream Fulfillment

Back in 2005 I fulfilled a dream to see Old Faithful, the third leg of my summer sabbatical will involve two more dream visits, to Sequoia National Park and Yosemite. I grew up seeing images of these place in National Geographic and this will be my chance to see General Tecumsah and the incredible Yosemite falls and gorges.

Yune thoughts

Its Yune, it’s the month that you are supposed to trim the dead palm leaves off your palm tree. It’s vacation month and I am really in anticipation mode for a change of view.

It’s month eleven of my return to fitness program. I am going four or five days a week now and today I did sixty minutes of aerobics. I have a hard time believing the ads where people eat differently and lose 80 lbs in three months. This has been hard and grueling and slow, slow, slow. The benefits are real but hard won.

I did a bit of portrait photography at a family gathering on Sunday. Like anything you get better with experience, but it was fun. My subject climbed a tree and we got some good shots, but I did not notice a stray branch obscuring her face that ruined most of the shots. I also discovered that bokeh, the fuzzy background that makes portraits pretty, is not easy to achieve.

I am not taking my computer to Hawaii, so I will not be able to post pictures, except on FaceBook. I have been so regular in posting pictures that I think I will feel lost not taking a moment each day to reflect on something that made the day memorable.