Saturday, December 31, 2011
Warm Fuzzies for the Holidays
Wishing you the best of the season from Natasha, Alec, Max, and George. We hope that your 2012 will be full of peace and love and plenty of good naps.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Occupying Oaktown
Hanging out at Broadway and 14th with the rest of the 99%...
Nice day for a movement.
Nice day for a movement.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Trick or Treat!
No pumpkin-carving party this year, but we still made a couple of jack o' lanterns.
They didn't scare George, though.
And they helped Natasha welcome the holiday's first trick-or-treaters, neighbors Diana (as a pirate) and Diego (as a fly, before he put on his bug-eyes).
Happy Halloween, everyone!
They didn't scare George, though.
And they helped Natasha welcome the holiday's first trick-or-treaters, neighbors Diana (as a pirate) and Diego (as a fly, before he put on his bug-eyes).
Happy Halloween, everyone!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Honeymoon (5)
Tuesday, April 5
Outfitted with snorkel gear from Boss Frog's and Vietnamese sandwiches from Ba-Le, we drove over to Beach 69.
Just a handful of people were around on this small beach in South Kohala. We gave the snorkeling a whirl, and spied lots of little fish and some sea urchins. The waves were a tad aggressive, and tossed us around a bit, sometimes into the coral. We took breaks to read, eat, and soak up the sunshine, and eventually hopped back in the car for a short drive down to the small community of Puako in search of tide pools. We didn't find much animal life, though, and this goofball doesn't really count:
Plenty of white coral pieces were laying about, though, and imitating what we saw beside stretches of Big Island highway, we wrote our own messages with it.
We then headed back to Kailua, where we grabbed dinner at the Pine Tree Cafe on Paul Ota's excellent suggestion, and afterward paid one more visit to the old reliable Big Island Grill for some ice cream pie. Delish!
Wednesday, April 6
Hoping to get the most out of our Boss Frog's gear, we drove down to Kealakekua Bay, one of the most heralded spots for snorkeling on the Big Island. Many people access the snorkeling area via kayak, but we opted to hike there, which takes about an hour from the road on a fairly steep downward slope. No matter how you get there, the destination is something to behold.
One woman we spoke to arrived by the power of a pair of flippers, swimming from the far shore pictured above (whereas our path led down from behind the camera's vantage point). She said she's made the trip a number of times, and once saw tiger sharks. Apparently, there were also dolphins, which she said help keep swimmers safe, but we were glad to hear all this after we had come out of the water.
The snorkeling was truly amazing, with crystal-clear water and a wide variety of eye-catching fish. We stuck to the shallows, but the forest of multi-colored coral drops off into a mesmerizing blue abyss where scuba divers dare to explore at greater depths. It's a shame we couldn't take pictures from beneath the surface, but the ones from above didn't turn out so bad:
After taking a gander at the monument to Captain Cook that is nearby (big thumbs down to that guy), we made our way back up to the road and into the car just as a thunderstorm rolled in. We grabbed a bite at Patz Pies and then drove around a little, but the rain would not relent enough for us to actually do anything more than that. Finally, we stopped in at Keauhou Store, waiting out the weather while chatting with owner Kurt Brown about the facinating history of the place, which was opened by Japanese immigrants ages ago.
We departed as the rain was abating, and took in a comforting dinner at Teshima's Restaurant. After that, we went back to Kailua, and quickly canvassed an ABC store for last-minute omiyage -- since sadly, we would have to leave in the morning.
Thursday, April 7
Goodbye, Big Island! Mahalo for the memories!
In case you missed it, here are the previous installments from our honeymoon:
Honeymoon (4)
Honeymoon (3)
Honeymoon (2)
Honeymoon (1)
Outfitted with snorkel gear from Boss Frog's and Vietnamese sandwiches from Ba-Le, we drove over to Beach 69.
Just a handful of people were around on this small beach in South Kohala. We gave the snorkeling a whirl, and spied lots of little fish and some sea urchins. The waves were a tad aggressive, and tossed us around a bit, sometimes into the coral. We took breaks to read, eat, and soak up the sunshine, and eventually hopped back in the car for a short drive down to the small community of Puako in search of tide pools. We didn't find much animal life, though, and this goofball doesn't really count:
Plenty of white coral pieces were laying about, though, and imitating what we saw beside stretches of Big Island highway, we wrote our own messages with it.
We then headed back to Kailua, where we grabbed dinner at the Pine Tree Cafe on Paul Ota's excellent suggestion, and afterward paid one more visit to the old reliable Big Island Grill for some ice cream pie. Delish!Wednesday, April 6
Hoping to get the most out of our Boss Frog's gear, we drove down to Kealakekua Bay, one of the most heralded spots for snorkeling on the Big Island. Many people access the snorkeling area via kayak, but we opted to hike there, which takes about an hour from the road on a fairly steep downward slope. No matter how you get there, the destination is something to behold.
One woman we spoke to arrived by the power of a pair of flippers, swimming from the far shore pictured above (whereas our path led down from behind the camera's vantage point). She said she's made the trip a number of times, and once saw tiger sharks. Apparently, there were also dolphins, which she said help keep swimmers safe, but we were glad to hear all this after we had come out of the water.The snorkeling was truly amazing, with crystal-clear water and a wide variety of eye-catching fish. We stuck to the shallows, but the forest of multi-colored coral drops off into a mesmerizing blue abyss where scuba divers dare to explore at greater depths. It's a shame we couldn't take pictures from beneath the surface, but the ones from above didn't turn out so bad:
After taking a gander at the monument to Captain Cook that is nearby (big thumbs down to that guy), we made our way back up to the road and into the car just as a thunderstorm rolled in. We grabbed a bite at Patz Pies and then drove around a little, but the rain would not relent enough for us to actually do anything more than that. Finally, we stopped in at Keauhou Store, waiting out the weather while chatting with owner Kurt Brown about the facinating history of the place, which was opened by Japanese immigrants ages ago.
We departed as the rain was abating, and took in a comforting dinner at Teshima's Restaurant. After that, we went back to Kailua, and quickly canvassed an ABC store for last-minute omiyage -- since sadly, we would have to leave in the morning.Thursday, April 7
Goodbye, Big Island! Mahalo for the memories!In case you missed it, here are the previous installments from our honeymoon:
Honeymoon (4)
Honeymoon (3)
Honeymoon (2)
Honeymoon (1)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Battle of the Veggies, Round 4
The garden is full of tomatoes right now, but most of them are still green. Grown from seed, they're a mix of Purple Cherokees and Boxcar Willies. Not sure which variety the one on the left is, but it was our first to ripen. On the right is an unidentified variety that came today in our Full Belly Farm CSA box. Our tomato was quite sweet, with a smooth, velvety texture; theirs was slightly tart, with a more granular texture.
We also received a few ears of corn in the box, so it seemed like a good time to peel back the husk on ours and see how its doing. The Full Belly offering measured longer by far, but on taste they were both quite flavorful. The kernals on the backyard version (grown from seedlings) were surprisingly large; we'll have to try and germinate a few and see how they fare.
We've been growing a small patch of arugula, and while we haven't received anything comparable from the CSA box lately, it deserves a little blog love.
And finally, this summer's sunflower crop has been a bounty. Some of them have been more than 10 feet tall!
We also received a few ears of corn in the box, so it seemed like a good time to peel back the husk on ours and see how its doing. The Full Belly offering measured longer by far, but on taste they were both quite flavorful. The kernals on the backyard version (grown from seedlings) were surprisingly large; we'll have to try and germinate a few and see how they fare.
We've been growing a small patch of arugula, and while we haven't received anything comparable from the CSA box lately, it deserves a little blog love.
And finally, this summer's sunflower crop has been a bounty. Some of them have been more than 10 feet tall!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Battle of the Veggies, Round 3
Cool as a...
Top row: 12 inches of tape measure
Second row: homegrown cucumber, standard variety
Third row: homegrown cucumber, tsuyataro variety
Fourth row: Full Belly Farm cucumber, Armenian variety
On length alone, the CSA box wins. On taste, it's kind of a toss up -- the difference is pretty subtle. On crunch, the homegrown varieties win, but they have the natural advantage of having just come off the vine.
The standard variety looks like a natural for pickling. Perhaps if we feel adventurous, or simply get tired of cucumbers, we'll give it a whirl.
Finally, for no good reason: Daisies!
Top row: 12 inches of tape measureSecond row: homegrown cucumber, standard variety
Third row: homegrown cucumber, tsuyataro variety
Fourth row: Full Belly Farm cucumber, Armenian variety
On length alone, the CSA box wins. On taste, it's kind of a toss up -- the difference is pretty subtle. On crunch, the homegrown varieties win, but they have the natural advantage of having just come off the vine.
The standard variety looks like a natural for pickling. Perhaps if we feel adventurous, or simply get tired of cucumbers, we'll give it a whirl.Finally, for no good reason: Daisies!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Honeymoon (4)
Sunday, April 3
A little breakfast by the pool, a quick stop at KTA for provisions, and we were on our way to the Pu'u O'o Trail. The trail begins off of Saddle Road, a thin strip of asphalt running east-west between the island's two major peaks, Mauna Kea to the north and Mauna Loa to the south. We found the trailhead and headed out for a hike that lasted nearly 6 hours across a landscape that continually alternated between lush greenery and barren expanses of lava rock. Unfortunately, Alec forgot the camera at the hotel, and had to resort to his low-grade cell phone for photo documentation.
What would have been even better than a camera for this outting, however, would have been an audio recorder -- we didn't see very many birds, but we sure heard a lot of them. So melodious!
Upon returning to the car, we headed over to the nearby Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station. We watched a video about the natural wonders and cultural legacy of Mauna Kea, had a cup of hot chocolate, and then skipped out before the evening stargazing program in order to seek warmer elevations.
Monday, April 4
Besides beautiful sandy beaches, tropical forests, volcanos, and plate lunch, what else is Hawai'i known for? Kona coffee, of course!
Our Monday morning coffee adventure kicked off at Holualoa Kona Coffee Company, an organic farm and processing facility with a short self-guided tour of said facility and an informal tasting setup in the gift shop. Those are their (scrumptuous!) beans in Natasha's hand.
We dropped by Sugai Coffee Farm next; they don't have much to show the public, but we got another sample and chatted with the staff for a bit.
Our third and final stop on the bean trail was Kona Blue Sky Coffee. This place was a little more fancy. After yet another sip of paradise, the guy working the counter took us to see some of the coffee trees, which were budding:
Our caffeine fix satisfied, we stopped by Kimura Lauhala Shop to check out the various wares weaved from the leaves of the hala tree. We didn't buy anything, but learned that the proprietor's family came from the same small island in Japan where Alec's great-grandmother lived before she immigrated to Hawai'i.
After a cheap lunch at Choice Mart, we visited Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. The reconstructions of ancient structures like this temple were interesting:
But the real treat was taking in the views along the park's back-country trail:
We returned from our hike as the park was closing. There was time for a quick dip in the ocean at dusk before we made a return visit to the Big Island Grill, where we were pleased to find that the loco moco was just as good as the kalua pig.
A little breakfast by the pool, a quick stop at KTA for provisions, and we were on our way to the Pu'u O'o Trail. The trail begins off of Saddle Road, a thin strip of asphalt running east-west between the island's two major peaks, Mauna Kea to the north and Mauna Loa to the south. We found the trailhead and headed out for a hike that lasted nearly 6 hours across a landscape that continually alternated between lush greenery and barren expanses of lava rock. Unfortunately, Alec forgot the camera at the hotel, and had to resort to his low-grade cell phone for photo documentation.
What would have been even better than a camera for this outting, however, would have been an audio recorder -- we didn't see very many birds, but we sure heard a lot of them. So melodious!Upon returning to the car, we headed over to the nearby Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station. We watched a video about the natural wonders and cultural legacy of Mauna Kea, had a cup of hot chocolate, and then skipped out before the evening stargazing program in order to seek warmer elevations.
Monday, April 4
Besides beautiful sandy beaches, tropical forests, volcanos, and plate lunch, what else is Hawai'i known for? Kona coffee, of course!
Our Monday morning coffee adventure kicked off at Holualoa Kona Coffee Company, an organic farm and processing facility with a short self-guided tour of said facility and an informal tasting setup in the gift shop. Those are their (scrumptuous!) beans in Natasha's hand.We dropped by Sugai Coffee Farm next; they don't have much to show the public, but we got another sample and chatted with the staff for a bit.
Our third and final stop on the bean trail was Kona Blue Sky Coffee. This place was a little more fancy. After yet another sip of paradise, the guy working the counter took us to see some of the coffee trees, which were budding:
Our caffeine fix satisfied, we stopped by Kimura Lauhala Shop to check out the various wares weaved from the leaves of the hala tree. We didn't buy anything, but learned that the proprietor's family came from the same small island in Japan where Alec's great-grandmother lived before she immigrated to Hawai'i.After a cheap lunch at Choice Mart, we visited Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. The reconstructions of ancient structures like this temple were interesting:
But the real treat was taking in the views along the park's back-country trail:
We returned from our hike as the park was closing. There was time for a quick dip in the ocean at dusk before we made a return visit to the Big Island Grill, where we were pleased to find that the loco moco was just as good as the kalua pig.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Honeymoon (3)
Friday, April 1
After another tasty breakfast whipped up by Akiko, we bid farewell and hit the road to Volcanoes National Park. On occasion, visitors to the park can see lava flows, which are legendary. We were not so lucky as to witness the spectacle of fiery molten rock, but our hike of the Kilauea Iki Trail provided an intriguing view of an otherworldly environment.
Our trek was dampened by rain, but we soldiered on across the lunar landscape of the crater floor.
After a peek at Thurston Lava Tube and a picnic lunch, we headed to Hilo and our next lodging, the Hilo Honu Inn.
This upscale B&B was our "splurge" for the honeymoon. We did save a little money on dinner, however, trying out Nori's Saimin & Snacks at Lonely Planet's suggestion. We were not disappointed! Not sure what exactly makes the Hilo-style saimin different than what you get elsewhere, but it sure was tasty.
Saturday, April 2
Want a good way to kick off a Saturday in Hilo? Try a little coconut at the farmers market.
We headed down to this bonanza of produce and crafts after checking out from Hilo Honu Inn. Strolling around downtown a little, we then popped by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo's 4th annual Ocean Day Festival, an educational fair dedicated to all things aquatic. The highlight was one of the students from Ke Ana La'ahana Public Charter School telling us about their exciting fish pond project.
We left the festival and headed south -- way south. To the southernmost point of the United States in fact, a spot called Ka Lae.
We soaked in this beautiful panorama before heading to the nearby Papakolea Beach. Well, almost -- the hike over to the beach is about an hour, and we still needed to make it up to Kailua-Kona before dark, so we had to turn back before we spied the beach's famous green sands. We got close, however, by the look of things:
Stare long enough, and you can see the green in this sand, right?
We made it back into Kailua-Kona just as it was starting to get dark. After checking in at the Kona Tiki Hotel, we gave Kanaka Kava a try for a late dinner. This time, the Lonely Planet failed us. Get your lau lau elsewhere, folks. As for the kava, it was an interesting experience, producing a mild numbing of the mouth. Perhaps it even helped bring sleep that night, but sweet dreams more likely came courtesy of the soft sound of crashing waves below our hotel room.
After another tasty breakfast whipped up by Akiko, we bid farewell and hit the road to Volcanoes National Park. On occasion, visitors to the park can see lava flows, which are legendary. We were not so lucky as to witness the spectacle of fiery molten rock, but our hike of the Kilauea Iki Trail provided an intriguing view of an otherworldly environment.
Our trek was dampened by rain, but we soldiered on across the lunar landscape of the crater floor.
After a peek at Thurston Lava Tube and a picnic lunch, we headed to Hilo and our next lodging, the Hilo Honu Inn.
This upscale B&B was our "splurge" for the honeymoon. We did save a little money on dinner, however, trying out Nori's Saimin & Snacks at Lonely Planet's suggestion. We were not disappointed! Not sure what exactly makes the Hilo-style saimin different than what you get elsewhere, but it sure was tasty.Saturday, April 2
Want a good way to kick off a Saturday in Hilo? Try a little coconut at the farmers market.
We headed down to this bonanza of produce and crafts after checking out from Hilo Honu Inn. Strolling around downtown a little, we then popped by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo's 4th annual Ocean Day Festival, an educational fair dedicated to all things aquatic. The highlight was one of the students from Ke Ana La'ahana Public Charter School telling us about their exciting fish pond project.We left the festival and headed south -- way south. To the southernmost point of the United States in fact, a spot called Ka Lae.
We soaked in this beautiful panorama before heading to the nearby Papakolea Beach. Well, almost -- the hike over to the beach is about an hour, and we still needed to make it up to Kailua-Kona before dark, so we had to turn back before we spied the beach's famous green sands. We got close, however, by the look of things:
Stare long enough, and you can see the green in this sand, right?
We made it back into Kailua-Kona just as it was starting to get dark. After checking in at the Kona Tiki Hotel, we gave Kanaka Kava a try for a late dinner. This time, the Lonely Planet failed us. Get your lau lau elsewhere, folks. As for the kava, it was an interesting experience, producing a mild numbing of the mouth. Perhaps it even helped bring sleep that night, but sweet dreams more likely came courtesy of the soft sound of crashing waves below our hotel room.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Honeymoon (2)
Wednesday, March 30
After a quick breakfast from the Kailua farmer's market, we headed over to the Hamakua Coast on the northeast side of the island to check out Waipi'o Valley. The area has deep cultural significance for Native Hawaiians, and you can see why it inspires reverence.
We hiked down to the floor of the valley, where people still live today (like Darren, the friendly park staffer we spoke with at the lookout point by the parking lot). Once at the bottom, we trekked inland for a while along a dirt road. There were a few houses along the way, many of them with signs posted asking passersby to "malama our 'aina," or respect our land. Apparently, some tourists have been less than courteous toward the residents' property and privacy. Eventually, we turned around and made our way over to the ocean where it meets up with a stretch of black sand beach.
We had a picnic lunch and a little stroll along the shore.
After hiking back up to the parking lot, we hung around in the small town of Honoka'a before heading over to our lodging for the night.
Akiko Masuda is from Honolulu, but she's lived everywhere from Oakland to Africa. She got the idea to open up her B&B in Wailea after doing the famed 88 temple pilgrimage on the Japanese island of Shikoku. We highly recommend her digs for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike!
We stayed in the Mango Tree Cottage -- very rustic. After settling in, we drove down to Hilo for dinner at Miyo's. It was Akiko's suggestion, and it was delicious.
Thursday, March 31
We don't know when the coqui frog found its way from Puerto Rico to the Hawaiian Islands, but it sure makes its presence known now. We were able to sleep through their loud chirping without a problem, but if you ever do have the chance to stay at Akiko's, you might want to think about bringing ear plugs.
She cooked us a dynamite breakfast, and then we went for a look at Akaka Falls, perhaps the most famous of the Big Island's waterfalls. Legend says Akaka was some kind of philanderer, who got caught and then committed suicide by jumping off the precipice. The water cascading down is supposed to be his lovers' tears.
We checked out the nearby historic town of Honomu for a spell before heading back down to Hilo, where we stumbled upon a storefront for Suisan Company. They were selling maybe 20 different kinds of poke. As the locals say, broke da mouth! 
The guy who served us seemed to harbor some mild disdain toward Punahou, where our president went to high school, and whose colors Alec was representing. Go figure.
Next, we took in Lili'uokalani Park and Gardens.
They aren't especially big, but they are picturesque. Afterward, we took a dip in the ocean off of adjacent Coconut Island before picking up dinner at a supermarket and heading back to Akiko's.
After a quick breakfast from the Kailua farmer's market, we headed over to the Hamakua Coast on the northeast side of the island to check out Waipi'o Valley. The area has deep cultural significance for Native Hawaiians, and you can see why it inspires reverence.
We hiked down to the floor of the valley, where people still live today (like Darren, the friendly park staffer we spoke with at the lookout point by the parking lot). Once at the bottom, we trekked inland for a while along a dirt road. There were a few houses along the way, many of them with signs posted asking passersby to "malama our 'aina," or respect our land. Apparently, some tourists have been less than courteous toward the residents' property and privacy. Eventually, we turned around and made our way over to the ocean where it meets up with a stretch of black sand beach.
We had a picnic lunch and a little stroll along the shore.
After hiking back up to the parking lot, we hung around in the small town of Honoka'a before heading over to our lodging for the night.
Akiko Masuda is from Honolulu, but she's lived everywhere from Oakland to Africa. She got the idea to open up her B&B in Wailea after doing the famed 88 temple pilgrimage on the Japanese island of Shikoku. We highly recommend her digs for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike!
We stayed in the Mango Tree Cottage -- very rustic. After settling in, we drove down to Hilo for dinner at Miyo's. It was Akiko's suggestion, and it was delicious.Thursday, March 31
We don't know when the coqui frog found its way from Puerto Rico to the Hawaiian Islands, but it sure makes its presence known now. We were able to sleep through their loud chirping without a problem, but if you ever do have the chance to stay at Akiko's, you might want to think about bringing ear plugs.
She cooked us a dynamite breakfast, and then we went for a look at Akaka Falls, perhaps the most famous of the Big Island's waterfalls. Legend says Akaka was some kind of philanderer, who got caught and then committed suicide by jumping off the precipice. The water cascading down is supposed to be his lovers' tears.
We checked out the nearby historic town of Honomu for a spell before heading back down to Hilo, where we stumbled upon a storefront for Suisan Company. They were selling maybe 20 different kinds of poke. As the locals say, broke da mouth! 
The guy who served us seemed to harbor some mild disdain toward Punahou, where our president went to high school, and whose colors Alec was representing. Go figure.Next, we took in Lili'uokalani Park and Gardens.
They aren't especially big, but they are picturesque. Afterward, we took a dip in the ocean off of adjacent Coconut Island before picking up dinner at a supermarket and heading back to Akiko's.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Honeymoon (1)
Eleven months and no honeymoon photos yet. Well actually, we didn't take an official honeymoon until the end of March, but these are still overdue. We'll start with day one for now, since we have quite a lot to cover.
Tuesday, March 29
We arrived at Kona International Airport at 9:30 a.m. Picked up the rental car and rolled around looking for breakfast. Found it at an Italian restaurant in some fancy-pants resort area; not the most authentic of island eateries, but it did the trick. Then, it was time to hit the beach!
On the recommendation of our trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, we headed over to Kekaha Kai State Park. There were a fair amount of people around, but it wasn't crowded, and the water was nice. While we were there, a group of dolphins swam by:
After a little swimming, we headed south to Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. They have a small visitors center where you park and then hike down to the ocean. On the way, you can walk a small loop that displays a few ancient petroglyphs. Down at the beach, there are the remains of the 1.7 acre 'Ai'opio Fishtrap and, as below, what look to be some historic reconstructions (a tower in the foreground and a large shelter in the background).
A fellow park visitor told us that a sea turtle was hanging out on the sand, but we couldn't find it. After wandering around a little, we headed back to the car and drove to Kailua-Kona, where we were to stay the night. After grabbing a plate of kalua pig at Big Island Grill, we checked in at our hostel:
The Koa Wood Hale Inn was the cheapest place listed in Lonely Planet, and it was excellent. We did spring for our own room, but the price was still quite low. The staff was friendly and the building was very quiet.
And that, folks, was the first day of our honeymoon. Stay tuned for more!
Tuesday, March 29
We arrived at Kona International Airport at 9:30 a.m. Picked up the rental car and rolled around looking for breakfast. Found it at an Italian restaurant in some fancy-pants resort area; not the most authentic of island eateries, but it did the trick. Then, it was time to hit the beach!
On the recommendation of our trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, we headed over to Kekaha Kai State Park. There were a fair amount of people around, but it wasn't crowded, and the water was nice. While we were there, a group of dolphins swam by:
After a little swimming, we headed south to Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. They have a small visitors center where you park and then hike down to the ocean. On the way, you can walk a small loop that displays a few ancient petroglyphs. Down at the beach, there are the remains of the 1.7 acre 'Ai'opio Fishtrap and, as below, what look to be some historic reconstructions (a tower in the foreground and a large shelter in the background).
A fellow park visitor told us that a sea turtle was hanging out on the sand, but we couldn't find it. After wandering around a little, we headed back to the car and drove to Kailua-Kona, where we were to stay the night. After grabbing a plate of kalua pig at Big Island Grill, we checked in at our hostel:
The Koa Wood Hale Inn was the cheapest place listed in Lonely Planet, and it was excellent. We did spring for our own room, but the price was still quite low. The staff was friendly and the building was very quiet.And that, folks, was the first day of our honeymoon. Stay tuned for more!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Hanami in Oakland
A few months ago, Aunt Audrey bought us a cherry blossom tree. Uncle Mike and Cousin Jimmy came by and planted it in the corner of our backyard. Early indications didn't seem promising for any flowers in its debut year, but lo and behold:
We were very excited that our little tree decided to strut its stuff for us. The cherry blossom season lasts for just a brief span in April, so we have to enjoy it while it lasts.
In Japan, this time is so special that people organize cherry blossom viewing parties around it. Basically, you just get together with a bunch of friends, sit under the trees, and drink sake. This is called "hanami," or flower (hana) viewing (mi). Right about now is when the trees bloom in Northern Japan, but of course the mood there isn't so conducive to celebration.
The people who suffered through the tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear disaster remain in our thoughts. Our hearts go out to them as they attempt to rebuild their lives.
We were very excited that our little tree decided to strut its stuff for us. The cherry blossom season lasts for just a brief span in April, so we have to enjoy it while it lasts.In Japan, this time is so special that people organize cherry blossom viewing parties around it. Basically, you just get together with a bunch of friends, sit under the trees, and drink sake. This is called "hanami," or flower (hana) viewing (mi). Right about now is when the trees bloom in Northern Japan, but of course the mood there isn't so conducive to celebration.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Battle of the Veggies Round 2
We did a little bragging last month about how our homegrown kale stacks up against the kale that comes in our CSA box. This month, we compare radishes. Full Belly Farm's are on the left, ours on the right. That's a quarter at the bottom, and in the middle is another one of ours from a batch that interestingly enough was planted a month or two before the bigger ones. Not sure why its growth was stunted. Weather, maybe?
We can't really claim victory this time around, since this picture represents half our harvest -- we barely planted any radishes this winter, just kind of experimented. These turned out pretty well, though, so maybe we'll up the ante next year.
We have a new planter box to play around with for such possibilities. Built off the model of the one that Liza and Willie made for us, it stands beside that one now as a kind of baby sister:
It's made out of a 10-foot plank of wood and a fence post that we found just laying in the backyard. There's already spinach, tomatoes, and onions poking their little heads out of that dirt. We'll keep you posted on how things go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)