Love the Tropics!

As I look out of the window of our vacation rental condominium, with a glass of crisp white wine nearby, the trade winds are dancing with the palms, the light is angling down on the hibiscus hedge with its bright red blossoms and my companions are sitting on

the lanai with their drinks and books, chatting about important issues like who will cook the vegetables tonight. No wonder we dream of this place when the rains and winds are smacking our windows at home at this time of year.

Our days slide by all too quickly. This mornings adventure was to return to the seaside path between Kappa'a and Kealia, but this time by bicycle.  Over the years we have walked this path many times, in fact when we first discovered the walk from the trail head at Kealia the trail down to the ocean and Donkey Beach was a mud path. It is now all paved and is very popular with walkers, cyclists and runners. It winds around the shoreline just at the tree line in the photo below.

Our rental bikes were clunky and rusty; good old fashioned push bikes....but it was fun breezing along, agog with the mighty ocean.

When we had walked down to the trail the other day we were surprised to see that the previously barren walkway was now enveloped in a tunnel of the most beautiful growth. I have tried to identify this "bush" but so far can not. The foliage is variegated; green and white with occasional pinkish leaves. The blossoms when newly budding are yellow..... but when mature and fallen to the ground are a brilliant orange/red. On this day following a heavy night rain, the blossoms stained the pavement in a delightful mosaic. Let me know if you know what the name is of this intriguing bush.

Other hikes have taken us through a mahogany forest and through a heiau, a sacred place, where I am always silenced by the sanctity of the place.

"A heiau is a Hawaiian temple. Many types of heiau were built, including heiau to treat the sick (heiauhōʻola), offer first fruits, offer first catch, start rain, stop rain, increase the population, ensure the health of the nation, achieve success in distant voyaging, reach peace, and achieve success"

Could be though that I am also focused on hip and knee pain...it is a bugger to be

getting old.


 Bruce is once again surrounded by women.....I think he likes it! This is JoAn, Betty and Gail trudging along through the mahogany forest. Good Kauai coffee is the reward.

On the home front we have a house guest who also reminds us that we are in the tropics. 

We daft northerners were clever enough to trap the cockroach under glass, but what now????

Stay tuned!