tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316066352024-02-20T07:46:27.904-08:00Gambits from GailGambits from GailGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-52889914943114652122011-06-16T12:09:00.000-07:002011-06-16T15:45:05.197-07:00The Magic of La DunaA bit north of La Paz in a remote desert hideaway is <a href="http://www.ecobaja.com/601/index.html">La Duna</a>, an ecological retreat center. Here are some La Duna-inspired poems.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gift of Water</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYG7bMdVYQE5KqpJ1iNLl7JpEk4Tr3RMgll7OJbN_u7hmNqwvmFDw7YESQ5kECVW6tQ2GJPnfb3ucPWykxJcxSE7QU0A2dYOVJo82FzFpi2pEstNF4HgujM6JEYpjLgoCxRNUO/s1600/IMG_3536.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYG7bMdVYQE5KqpJ1iNLl7JpEk4Tr3RMgll7OJbN_u7hmNqwvmFDw7YESQ5kECVW6tQ2GJPnfb3ucPWykxJcxSE7QU0A2dYOVJo82FzFpi2pEstNF4HgujM6JEYpjLgoCxRNUO/s320/IMG_3536.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618902659322960002" border="0" /></a>Hot sand, hot sun, piercing, brewing, wavering<br />We find shelter in the shade<br />Under the palapa<br /> In the chill of the night<br /><br />Oh! The majestic Cardón<br />These cactus skyscrapers that rule the desert<br />With giant arms and armor of barbed thorns<br />Stand sentry—and warn of desert peril<br /><br /><br /><br />Nevertheless, we enter and climb the canyon path<br />We follow the stream<br />And find delicate blooms<br />We see nature's beauty on the canyon wall<br /><br />So precious is the water, so rare<br />Along the way we discover nature's cruelty<br />La vaca pobrecita—<br />Lay dying of thirst on the desert floor<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtM0mMYCD3tI6mS9YOlCYaYN3fkzX4tARcrpOONml35JyuP_oRhvsHU07-qHAYHnuw794i5XBct_wUA5i8Yo3T4vEkOdfz39JeLhsegbyIugnxJaRVcHqNRqfUqGiPAy7eJWL/s1600/IMG_3551.jpg"><img style="text:center; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtM0mMYCD3tI6mS9YOlCYaYN3fkzX4tARcrpOONml35JyuP_oRhvsHU07-qHAYHnuw794i5XBct_wUA5i8Yo3T4vEkOdfz39JeLhsegbyIugnxJaRVcHqNRqfUqGiPAy7eJWL/s320/IMG_3551.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618902654566847810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ode to La Luna</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiHo7sba0ej_YQiDE0GmoEF_UsxFyZwIa7ylGeBk1b-5-rMrQGpOVuJa0a0jJI1PcnnCZwNr7ALIeUpyG5TBLECfLBMvJcgiaL_SQKKRZDXVRKAIpPogBUEKjH4PeGvhchu3L/s1600/IMG_3602.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiHo7sba0ej_YQiDE0GmoEF_UsxFyZwIa7ylGeBk1b-5-rMrQGpOVuJa0a0jJI1PcnnCZwNr7ALIeUpyG5TBLECfLBMvJcgiaL_SQKKRZDXVRKAIpPogBUEKjH4PeGvhchu3L/s320/IMG_3602.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618902660624291026" border="0" /></a>Low on the horizon<br />In the early evening afterglow of sunset<br />Between the outstretched arms of a mighty Cardón<br />Rises La Luna<br /><br />You are the goddess of the desert<br />You create shadows in the night<br />Shadows that move as you move across the sky<br />You outshine the brightest stars<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Full and luminous,<br />You mock our adoration<br />You do not hear our songs or smile at our poetry<br />Each night you arrive later<br />Each night you arrive changed<br /><br />And eventually, despite our platitudes, you disappear<br />The shadows in the night no longer move<br />The shadows in the night no longer appearGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-6739305036544915412011-03-16T09:23:00.000-07:002011-03-16T11:08:59.566-07:00Travels on the Big Island: Body Boarding in Kohala<style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >Part 7 Conclusion</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal">(<a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-reflections-on.html">View Part I—Overview</a>)</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>This concludes the description of our Big Islands adventures—one couple's take on traveling in Hawaii. The Big Island offers so many choices in accommodations and activities that part of the fun is finding the mix that's right for you. This multi-part post describes what we found. To read from the beginning, click on the Part I link above.</blockquote>After a full day of snorkeling, we reluctantly gathered our snorkel gear and towels and headed north on Highway 11 towards Kailua-Kona. We have now completed our circle of the island and we're back where we started. But, we're not done yet. In our research, we found two highly rated body boarding beaches: Hapuna Beach and Mauna Kea Beach, happily right next to each other. Our thought was to stay at the <a href="http://princeresortshawaii.com/mauna-kea-beach-hotel/">Mauna Kea Beach Resort</a> (where each night cost approximately 3 times the cost of the other places we stayed), rent boogie boards, and play in the waves for two days.<p></p> <p> </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz-Ugg4Pta2o7bzEQ5NEtCoiyIKdqtV5bcvGsJ60lgbj35Y00OdvkS-ulI1sZeUksAXoJp0AJ1IboAJQM0wKIrE43uRM_w9bMYxPn05g7qNz-ZeUMvC1BnVpHGcYJJ9hGneF2/s1600/MaunaKeaBeach.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz-Ugg4Pta2o7bzEQ5NEtCoiyIKdqtV5bcvGsJ60lgbj35Y00OdvkS-ulI1sZeUksAXoJp0AJ1IboAJQM0wKIrE43uRM_w9bMYxPn05g7qNz-ZeUMvC1BnVpHGcYJJ9hGneF2/s320/MaunaKeaBeach.jpg" alt="Nice beach for boogie boarding" title="Nice beach for boogie boarding" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584723851108783762" border="0" /></a> <p> </p> <p>We arrived late in the day, checked in to our lovely mountain-view room, and had a very expensive and delicious dinner at one the resort's restaurants (we sort of felt we earned this wonderful meal).</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvRWMeUXKxMN-iLvfGo77GfghKiVcztgicZ0iDnNlgeLOGAO_HMQUSsV4ZFjFqLKp9kfykSD-6RYdx1E-YZT5aW4jzlUx4rETKia19435QwZ6GoUwZVmTt-fK1MyUTjWWtrfK/s1600/MaunaKeaObservatory.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvRWMeUXKxMN-iLvfGo77GfghKiVcztgicZ0iDnNlgeLOGAO_HMQUSsV4ZFjFqLKp9kfykSD-6RYdx1E-YZT5aW4jzlUx4rETKia19435QwZ6GoUwZVmTt-fK1MyUTjWWtrfK/s320/MaunaKeaObservatory.jpg" alt="Mauna Kea Observatory at 13K feet" title="Mauna Kea Observatory at 13K feet" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584723985700572658" border="0" /></a>The next morning, we had another lovely meal (yes, my two eggs over easy with fruit and toast costs $20) and headed to the beach to rent boogie boards. To our surprise and exasperation, Mauna Kea does not rent boogie boards during red flag conditions. Unfortunately in the winter (when there are waves), every day is a red flag day and we soon realized that if we wanted to boogie board, we would have to find our own equipment.<p></p><p>Now, was the surf big? No, not at all. Were the waves strong? Well, yes, even the small waves pack more of a punch than the waves I am used to in San Diego. And, some of the waves close out, meaning they don't break gradually in a nice line, but tumble straight over all at once. These waves are not fun to catch because they throw you over the falls. But, many, many people sported boogie boards and were enjoying the surf.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RryOivj3Z1ROPekQweo-d0i3bG6Bmc6-ROWqQaZbn87CbbLspB-Eu6VWdUEOvWlGn9txr-EnY7x9JkB6TO5RBb-nXqv4mblcTGGgr8Wacb4WGNTly-lJ3w22T2Bq7d1YX4Dn/s1600/CatchWave1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RryOivj3Z1ROPekQweo-d0i3bG6Bmc6-ROWqQaZbn87CbbLspB-Eu6VWdUEOvWlGn9txr-EnY7x9JkB6TO5RBb-nXqv4mblcTGGgr8Wacb4WGNTly-lJ3w22T2Bq7d1YX4Dn/s320/CatchWave1.jpg" alt="Catching a nice left" title="Catching a nice left" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584723868249596002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2rsP-iO9odE7oGJVyu39FnVNZCm920bSQ87USof8nPdmhF3CchAufktOFt0-nla8BMgBCXT3OHNHi_eGjq4BaLE7krOz7fX5IV1uatrqH8ybYo8f2FXOjUsDfovxPiMFSabJ/s1600/CatchWave2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2rsP-iO9odE7oGJVyu39FnVNZCm920bSQ87USof8nPdmhF3CchAufktOFt0-nla8BMgBCXT3OHNHi_eGjq4BaLE7krOz7fX5IV1uatrqH8ybYo8f2FXOjUsDfovxPiMFSabJ/s320/CatchWave2.jpg" alt="Catching a nice left(2)" title="Catching a nice left(2)" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584723858446907154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjak99cR88jKTW747KqMd-G2I8BTpd02N96kPjw8CYvwW-UuvZvwOmNcjd01eo1FULkz8i3DT_kE3P6_SHgzUEKvuIH8Hymd4FQvCENyKgY0_DB7C0xmKJ3G-4fpNh3ysUzmFS/s1600/CatchWave3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjak99cR88jKTW747KqMd-G2I8BTpd02N96kPjw8CYvwW-UuvZvwOmNcjd01eo1FULkz8i3DT_kE3P6_SHgzUEKvuIH8Hymd4FQvCENyKgY0_DB7C0xmKJ3G-4fpNh3ysUzmFS/s320/CatchWave3.jpg" alt="In the tube" title="In the tube" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584723853251304722" border="0" /></a> <p>Approaching a boogie boarder as he exited the water, we found out that Costco sells boogie boards. A 30-mile detour to an area very close to the Kona Airport brought us to Costco and for $26 apiece, we were the proud owners of two new Body Glove Boogie Boards! (Bonus: we checked them at the airport and they arrived home undamaged. Amazing!)<br /></p><p>Back at Mauna Kea Beach, we spent the remainder of the day taking mostly lefts and enjoying our time to the max. Again, the lightweight wetsuit tops let us stay in the water until we got tired. (Wetsuits are totally optional. The water is about 75 degrees.)<br /></p><p>The next day, we took the short coastline hike to Hapuna Beach to check out the waves there. Impressed, we decided to boogie board at this second beach. We were not disappointed. We spent a full day in and out of the waves.</p><p>Our flight left that evening at 10:45pm, giving us the entire day to play and plenty of time for dinner, rental car return, and airport check-in.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In order, here's the list of places we stayed. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel<br />Hotel at the pier in Kailua-Kona<br />Least favorite place (it's a hotel and it's fairly close to the Kona Airport)<br />reservations@konabeachhotel.com<br />808-329-2911<br />1 night<br /><br /><a href="http://www.halehamakua.com/">Hale Hamakua Guesthouse</a><br />Guesthouse in Honoka’a, easy walking to downtown Honoka’a<br />Not fancy but comfortable, complete kitchen!<br />8 miles to Waipi’o Valley<br />2 nights<br /><br /><a href="http://www.waterfall.net/">The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls</a><br />Bed & Breakfast 15 minutes upcountry from Hilo<br />Awesome! Great breakfast, great meeting other travelers; this was our favorite place<br />waterfall@hilo.net<br />1 night<br /><br />Hale Ohio Cottages<br />reservations@haleohia.com<br />Cozy cottage/bed & breakfast<br />1 mile from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park<br />Breakfast in room, so no chance to meet other travelers<br />2 nights<br /><br /><a href="http://www.konabedandbreakfast.com/">Areca Palms Estate Bed & Breakfast</a><br />Delightful upcountry bed & breakfast in Captain Cook Village<br />Convenient to great snorkeling beaches<br />Great breakfast, lovely rooms & grounds<br />Usually 2-night minimum<br />1 night<br /><br /><a href="http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/mauna-kea-beach-hotel/">Mauna Kea Beach Resort</a><br />30 miles north of Kona in the Kohala Resort area<br />Pricey resort with all the amenities<br />Great beaches<br />2 nights</blockquote>Aloha!<br /><p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLNQ8rwfAFhliUhKCPEpjoG-r1GWkMo8R2d-MfBpeAtg4hQXTjcke96ltKo2iESX_73njaM7Qno34KzwGonP7WIhudhFeFFEjhDULlgHpfNMewGORID22HnTVVbpOjHdRbgHl/s1600/Aloha.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLNQ8rwfAFhliUhKCPEpjoG-r1GWkMo8R2d-MfBpeAtg4hQXTjcke96ltKo2iESX_73njaM7Qno34KzwGonP7WIhudhFeFFEjhDULlgHpfNMewGORID22HnTVVbpOjHdRbgHl/s320/Aloha.jpg" alt="Aloha" title="Aloha" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584723844776693010" border="0" /></a><p></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-57091471709604567552011-02-28T15:38:00.000-08:002011-03-16T10:27:33.294-07:00Travels on the Big Island: Snorkeling with the Dolphins<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >Part 6</span><br />(<a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-reflections-on.html">View Part I—Overview</a>)<br /><br /><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal">Leaving Volcanoes National Park, we follow Highway 11 towards the village of Captain Cook and our next bed and breakfast. </p><blockquote>Note: The village of Captain Cook is near the Captain Cook Monument, a white obelisk on British soil erected to honor the famed explorer killed on this spot in 1779. To visit the monument, you can kayak from across the bay or follow a steep hiking trail from the road up above. We did this hike in 1979, but skipped it this trip.</blockquote> Along the way, we take a slight detour to visit Punalu’u Black Sand Beach. We are rewarded with seeing two beautiful Hawaiian Green Sea turtles sunning themselves on the black lava rocks.<p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cWlhbANKV2eGzMVJXVYrrOQSDBcPoHpZKbMK1pDmvydIc___iWzdV-MzI9FnAkmdbxY5HKTrX8AL9cZUWQyz-NePMTi2cJZioi14gCsmsN_0gErZkGVcb3ivrUw6SQllgEra/s1600/SeaTurtles.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cWlhbANKV2eGzMVJXVYrrOQSDBcPoHpZKbMK1pDmvydIc___iWzdV-MzI9FnAkmdbxY5HKTrX8AL9cZUWQyz-NePMTi2cJZioi14gCsmsN_0gErZkGVcb3ivrUw6SQllgEra/s320/SeaTurtles.jpg" alt="Hawaiian green sea turtles at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach" title="Hawaiian green sea turtles at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578892408959868882" border="0" /></a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We find our way to the village of Captain Cook and the <a href="http://www.konabedandbreakfast.com/Accommodations.htm">Areca Palms Estate Bed & Breakfast</a>. The house sits up on the hill above Captain Cook and offers great views of the sea to the west. The breakfast is superb—we had a lovely quiche, fresh fruit, bread, juice, and tea or coffee. They have a two-night minimum, but we were able to stay just one night.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe3-EYIYsClHfJGDVwUyzt4QlfT_S6n8z0CqK53JalO8JfuW0etdjmwh6fVe1UCqnHWEExQFraz5TL6rWMZM_kv4V9AM1JyO2ljjDRu-TQsbQlX-DF-YkK9znv8yn_riYTvHi/s1600/Coral.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe3-EYIYsClHfJGDVwUyzt4QlfT_S6n8z0CqK53JalO8JfuW0etdjmwh6fVe1UCqnHWEExQFraz5TL6rWMZM_kv4V9AM1JyO2ljjDRu-TQsbQlX-DF-YkK9znv8yn_riYTvHi/s320/Coral.jpg" alt="Coral" title="Coral" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578892259688717922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrhXvsVGHfqg4_3Exp_tEmuwUKSRSVfvl85b15V8jpfH3eKXQoPYWEMZrRPwzOQVu9O6JRFG1T1sEOSJ7GZNQ7d-tmxAiQElesfE9-ODXKzw7ugaAvLp_pHLjDgJvJaVYh-CN/s1600/Coral2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrhXvsVGHfqg4_3Exp_tEmuwUKSRSVfvl85b15V8jpfH3eKXQoPYWEMZrRPwzOQVu9O6JRFG1T1sEOSJ7GZNQ7d-tmxAiQElesfE9-ODXKzw7ugaAvLp_pHLjDgJvJaVYh-CN/s320/Coral2.jpg" alt="More Coral" title="More Coral" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578892254430360594" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">Hosts Steve and Janice Glass helped us plan our snorkeling trip the next day and we selected Honaunau Bay (commonly called Two Step—because of its convenient two-step entry into the water) and Pu’uhonua o Honaunau (Place of Refuge), a wonderful cultural attraction.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmhRG91BGQPXjcWJvUEKJIP_xzKgePJVu2AmbCgC_Ep5qVjS7_jVnO5ALOleSRfadOUlZjVul4OphRWqPlmm45qXxdwxfSgE4yvqxoIyeYyRe3rUi9b7l60R0lwYeua2KUloa/s1600/Gail.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmhRG91BGQPXjcWJvUEKJIP_xzKgePJVu2AmbCgC_Ep5qVjS7_jVnO5ALOleSRfadOUlZjVul4OphRWqPlmm45qXxdwxfSgE4yvqxoIyeYyRe3rUi9b7l60R0lwYeua2KUloa/s320/Gail.jpg" alt="I'm snorkeling!" title="I'm snorkeling!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578892248912769186" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">The snorkeling experience was one of the highlights of our trip. We donned lightweight wetsuit tops that allowed us to stay in the water for over two hours. The coral was varied, colorful, with intricate structure. Deeper in the bay (beyond the coral and any good snorkeling), we saw many, many spinner dolphins. They generally kept fairly deep, but of course, surfaced for air. At one point, a frisky dolphin put on a show, jumping and spinning as if frolicking in a park.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lgHqRyzjMUyAKLJuTPOoH4UMtmmbYmblZ6s7Whf12GP02l3R1VHoI9tx7bU58Vjd6SEcACT8ReFsANmEDvv7W2sU8Pc3NczTsmmYJmNEDYy5PQ-fXFGjqvMJ6TaAxW2K_y2N/s1600/Dolphins1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lgHqRyzjMUyAKLJuTPOoH4UMtmmbYmblZ6s7Whf12GP02l3R1VHoI9tx7bU58Vjd6SEcACT8ReFsANmEDvv7W2sU8Pc3NczTsmmYJmNEDYy5PQ-fXFGjqvMJ6TaAxW2K_y2N/s320/Dolphins1.jpg" alt="Spinner Dolphins" title="Spinner Dolphins" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578892247660876898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouGIGCUOYGtLQ74LCggxzGLiUfyucpulF8SLu45pvUakn_S5dpGrUIgrvg1l-phXZjTlxUZX-lHUhbd5RoRr9dgqxFKoUt60Rf-8O8cIWmZZdvLscHSzFFh65JcZauzpei57j/s1600/Dolphins2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouGIGCUOYGtLQ74LCggxzGLiUfyucpulF8SLu45pvUakn_S5dpGrUIgrvg1l-phXZjTlxUZX-lHUhbd5RoRr9dgqxFKoUt60Rf-8O8cIWmZZdvLscHSzFFh65JcZauzpei57j/s320/Dolphins2.jpg" alt="Spinner Dolphins coming up for air" title="Spinner Dolphins coming up for air" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578892240517520626" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">Unwilling to leave such a magical place, we came out for lunch, rested a bit, then returned to the water for more time with the dolphins.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:12pt;" >Next: <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/03/travels-on-big-island-body-boarding-in.html">Body boarding in Kohala</a></span>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-61082440503419506302011-02-28T14:37:00.000-08:002011-02-28T16:03:42.951-08:00Travels on the Big Island: Hiking in Volcanoes National Park<style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >Part 5</span><br />(<a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-reflections-on.html">View Part I—Overview</a>)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Just a mile outside of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, the <a href="http://www.haleohia.com/">Hale Ohia Cottages</a> provided us with a cozy room in a rustic wooden building. The room featured a queen bed, a mini-fridge, a couple of chairs, and a generously sized bathroom. While technically a bed and breakfast, breakfast was in-room coffee, freshly baked bread, fruit, and juice. I had to ask for hot water for tea, and the rusted out electric teapot sent me looking for take-out tea the next morning. Because breakfast is delivered the day before to your room, you miss out on the usual camaraderie among guests that bed and breakfasts typically provide.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z8D6YPCV-P-Pk2QKQs29D7JVPm4FXkxlqgbVtnRHChpNqTx4qkysBiwxMN3nJL4VdQP4fwXxibP0Q2zAthDSi_N_iqOq-8lvPUGZXD354PBinFWmu-DCTxDcw-PAvnkkSCj9/s1600/Kilauea+Caldera.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z8D6YPCV-P-Pk2QKQs29D7JVPm4FXkxlqgbVtnRHChpNqTx4qkysBiwxMN3nJL4VdQP4fwXxibP0Q2zAthDSi_N_iqOq-8lvPUGZXD354PBinFWmu-DCTxDcw-PAvnkkSCj9/s320/Kilauea+Caldera.jpg" alt="Kilauea Caldera" title="Kilauea Caldera" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578883551743197330" border="0" /></a><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Volcano at night can be quite chilly, with temperatures dipping below 50. So, while the space heater in the room generates warmth, we really wanted to hang out in a common room with a roaring fire. The fireplace in the common room was dormant and no one was around.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu_znENTHwIXuXTbd6SY-Ldn-Ase8rn0MeTZtJ_6Sqlr1p-C8f5QXEW2lZ1n0xrYZgN3b1y05LqTbFHt9toQ4XrLkn4J42BB02Ks3Hcb1AvgPCODramEFRXTpWo8vDfQvw3iN/s1600/KilaueaOverlook.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu_znENTHwIXuXTbd6SY-Ldn-Ase8rn0MeTZtJ_6Sqlr1p-C8f5QXEW2lZ1n0xrYZgN3b1y05LqTbFHt9toQ4XrLkn4J42BB02Ks3Hcb1AvgPCODramEFRXTpWo8vDfQvw3iN/s320/KilaueaOverlook.jpg" alt="Kilauea Overlook" title="Kilauea Overlook" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578883545307658098" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">The next morning we drove to the park (paid our $10 entrance fee, which is good for seven days) to explore a not-so-dormant volcano, the mighty Kilauea. </p><blockquote>Note: Areas in the park are always subject to closure due to current activity of Kilauea. A portion of Crater Rim Drive, between Jaggar Museum and the Chain of Craters Road junction is closed indefinitely due to the new vent that opened within Halema`uma`u Crater in March 2008. Halema`uma`u Crater is within the Kilauea Crater. (Link to closures in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park <a href="http://www.nps.gov/havo/closed_areas.htm">here</a>.)</blockquote>We elected to hike the Kilauea Iki Trail. The Kilauea Iki (“little Kilauea”) is a crater within a crater. It erupted in 1959, providing fountains of gushing lava up to 1900 feet above the vent. The hike is approximately 4 miles long and takes you through lush rain forest before descending about 400 feet onto the crater floor. You walk across the crater floor, viewing steam vents and vegetation that struggles to retake its place amidst the cooled lava. ‘Ohi’a blossoms, ‘ohelo berries, and ferns dot the floor. In some cases, ferns sprout from cracks in the lava floor.<p></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4lVdAZqKiJR6XO9U-Zme6iFgLOWOBPG1_Cy71s4G7Il1tOoj0s6tMbgCHZ-rAMBfsQEL8_VxCLt3wFvKRo5DRRmmC4v1N_1pzbpXhLuyn_HcQJJLzAD3WPe9iaK1TkSFT65Y/s1600/RainForestFern.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4lVdAZqKiJR6XO9U-Zme6iFgLOWOBPG1_Cy71s4G7Il1tOoj0s6tMbgCHZ-rAMBfsQEL8_VxCLt3wFvKRo5DRRmmC4v1N_1pzbpXhLuyn_HcQJJLzAD3WPe9iaK1TkSFT65Y/s320/RainForestFern.jpg" alt="Rain Forest Fern" title="Rain Forest Fern" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578883540540660722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbUWLV0qzHSP-vpeQ00u885gIrabsxYgwPDfroWAaJdn1OBcM-oTJ6MscM4bC54jJd79nWYaH_3hCCA50QPRuGM_57FbyxjIVst1gXV6YeGYOccxQPbB0rcu_s8k0D1Qt-D4X/s1600/OhiaBlossoms.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbUWLV0qzHSP-vpeQ00u885gIrabsxYgwPDfroWAaJdn1OBcM-oTJ6MscM4bC54jJd79nWYaH_3hCCA50QPRuGM_57FbyxjIVst1gXV6YeGYOccxQPbB0rcu_s8k0D1Qt-D4X/s320/OhiaBlossoms.jpg" alt="'Ohi'a Blossoms" title="'Ohi'a Blossoms" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578882599296958594" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal">Back up to the top, you can take a short detour and view the Thurston Lava tube. Lava tubes form when surface lava cools while hot lava underground continues to flow. When the flow stops, a hollowed-out tube remains. The current lava flow from the Pu’u O’o vent travels to the ocean in similar tubes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEBLdRVWfkv_NGWuqKiQ00EaVaG330kq2_RmKfnd1c5yTSnVkQRBp5wprO63vHFsRKpITxK1xcCLuJSF1xGZ-fpfZGoxtMt8qyh7e0vkFS-iC6tu5_4ssJcQ2hxkPuYxI1A46/s1600/ThurstonLavaTube.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEBLdRVWfkv_NGWuqKiQ00EaVaG330kq2_RmKfnd1c5yTSnVkQRBp5wprO63vHFsRKpITxK1xcCLuJSF1xGZ-fpfZGoxtMt8qyh7e0vkFS-iC6tu5_4ssJcQ2hxkPuYxI1A46/s320/ThurstonLavaTube.jpg" alt="Thurston Lava Tube" title="Thurston Lava Tube" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578882594216395730" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">We finished our hike ready for lunch and our next adventure: finding a place to watch the Pittsburgh – Jets playoff game. (Love is a compromise! I get my morning hike and he gets his afternoon football. The good thing is that he enjoys hiking and I enjoy watching football!) We drove back down highway 11 to Hilo and found Cronies Sports Bar & Grill (11 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo), a great sports bar with many large-screen TVs. Volcano Village is a bit lacking with places open on Sunday afternoon to catch an NFL playoff game. Bonus: we met some very nice and knowledgeable Hilo football fans!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspPpKV9jfqeZcKQid8WhfPmctCsqtRxHVdjP3_hfvNZVZ8BfO7qiXCSLjyLSCfZT9iDic4Xil0-WlsSl6leJWxOnox9WtSZs-YPvr-njkfMQePdAr2bzngFxm0v0qqGrM5GmK/s1600/Nene.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspPpKV9jfqeZcKQid8WhfPmctCsqtRxHVdjP3_hfvNZVZ8BfO7qiXCSLjyLSCfZT9iDic4Xil0-WlsSl6leJWxOnox9WtSZs-YPvr-njkfMQePdAr2bzngFxm0v0qqGrM5GmK/s320/Nene.jpg" alt="Nene (Hawai'ian Goose)" title="Nene (Hawai'ian Goose)" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578882591232822818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jaEKBRGOZ84Dyx6eHFhfESVslVrMBC1A0tQOF-hCsHC4Wd6TnIUFOFFCzdrzUTOe04LhWw7w26fttZ0SE-C8Stynj2JSOqxx1cUHyd5ilnUbbqObGOKWYTw1iOXCdKeX5AZW/s1600/LavaTrees.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jaEKBRGOZ84Dyx6eHFhfESVslVrMBC1A0tQOF-hCsHC4Wd6TnIUFOFFCzdrzUTOe04LhWw7w26fttZ0SE-C8Stynj2JSOqxx1cUHyd5ilnUbbqObGOKWYTw1iOXCdKeX5AZW/s320/LavaTrees.jpg" alt="Lava Trees" title="Lava Trees" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578882587792659394" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">The next morning, we selected our second hike. A fairly short hike (2.5 mile round trip) takes you to the top of the Pu’u Huluhulu cinder cone, providing a nice view looking towards Pu’u ‘O’o. You walk through old lava flows filled with lava trees, structures that echo trees destroyed by lava. Before succumbing, these moisture-filled trees cool the surrounding lava quickly enough to preserve their shapes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pz1E1fNWX-EDgu7EKFrLbfVOjRZzKwLC_4wmhyphenhyphenZY00qqD2rihII2DFmH9M4C1NeY3fqIVPGW9kXn5nTRVX_LWx_7RfCRQqSq8x6S5ROyOstNimsUWBKZwUUKCjgwHNIlsyhU/s1600/OheloBerries.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pz1E1fNWX-EDgu7EKFrLbfVOjRZzKwLC_4wmhyphenhyphenZY00qqD2rihII2DFmH9M4C1NeY3fqIVPGW9kXn5nTRVX_LWx_7RfCRQqSq8x6S5ROyOstNimsUWBKZwUUKCjgwHNIlsyhU/s320/OheloBerries.jpg" alt="'Ohelo Berries" title="'Ohelo Berries" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578882578790886594" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Cambria;font-size:12pt;" >Next: <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-snorkeling-with.html">Snorkeling with the Dolphins</a></span>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-46373956320947394382011-02-24T11:58:00.000-08:002011-02-28T15:30:14.675-08:00Travels on the Big Island: Lava Viewing<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >Part 4</span><br />(<a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-reflections-on.html">View Part I—Overview</a>)<br /><br /><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal">The <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-helicopter-tour.html">helicopter tour</a> whetted my appetite. I wanted to see more lava! The second way you can view new lava is to drive from Hilo to the end of Highway 130, where the road is closed from lava flow.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfcoIaN54dmPwXUYNP3n_0KJujjKY-9UHMm8YecP3ZuhGjcCdftIpauSzHGA_uUFAYUZSapZ8eSYs-SEFZtuICau380sNpqBSa7Str20f8r6GyEN-_HaZZkt1Q3K0Pr9eG6Zi/s1600/forestCanopy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfcoIaN54dmPwXUYNP3n_0KJujjKY-9UHMm8YecP3ZuhGjcCdftIpauSzHGA_uUFAYUZSapZ8eSYs-SEFZtuICau380sNpqBSa7Str20f8r6GyEN-_HaZZkt1Q3K0Pr9eG6Zi/s320/forestCanopy.jpg" alt="Forest Canopy" title="Forest Canopy" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577353173259797458" border="0" /></a>What you get to see exactly, no one can say ahead of time. It’s a lava lottery! The viewing area is open from 2:00pm until 10:00pm. People like to stay after dark so they can see lava glowing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJ1AF9IO4Tlgw4yga3dYP-PfPrOfDqleOnBRrJy5znk6kkkUTSF82XQulkOC1s1byH_xhQ8iA-nr94iJ9wBtGpwL7BGFw-Yd2OAyE0T2jwb6u6WFxHA5HpePgD8NxOtZcXoKx/s1600/LavaRockBeach.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJ1AF9IO4Tlgw4yga3dYP-PfPrOfDqleOnBRrJy5znk6kkkUTSF82XQulkOC1s1byH_xhQ8iA-nr94iJ9wBtGpwL7BGFw-Yd2OAyE0T2jwb6u6WFxHA5HpePgD8NxOtZcXoKx/s320/LavaRockBeach.jpg" alt="Lava rocks at the beach" title="Lava rocks at the beach" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577353167387570226" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We arrived that afternoon. Two days previously, new flow crossed the road and took out a residence. When we arrived, that new lava was still hot, steamy, silver in color, but not glowing. Disappointment! But about 50 yards away, we saw a river of lava (well, maybe a stream of lava) glowing red as it coursed down a crack of older lava. In the area vendors were selling escorted hikes to the sea, hikes to active lava, and souvenirs. As the crowds got bigger, the security guards kept a tight watch to make sure people wouldn’t take off and walk on hot lava. (I’m not kidding.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5AeiECifU0TGFHlkYObTmngeFMIkp6q_2Ual3zUmfHoKMXZVEBFs9076X8XpmPrt2f1nrB02rJfb4hRSMvGy7nFxfxA6YBSZ9tFRW-GYrw5nLDCgeJomGQgAPAxNiOxN1EFu/s1600/RoadsEnd.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5AeiECifU0TGFHlkYObTmngeFMIkp6q_2Ual3zUmfHoKMXZVEBFs9076X8XpmPrt2f1nrB02rJfb4hRSMvGy7nFxfxA6YBSZ9tFRW-GYrw5nLDCgeJomGQgAPAxNiOxN1EFu/s320/RoadsEnd.jpg" alt="Road's End" title="Road's End" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577351336197651362" border="0" /></a><blockquote>At Road's End Highway 130</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqrZUijBc26oTUCTyw9ax2R_6tb0bsmc6xQd0spQhStBphHey7nojlUsQZgIBhsZ1Y10HPS9YRashyX8W65axcLy5FiOJ-T04BSA8nfvdHacdnGDmfru4P4owAIay7mrWH8VJ/s1600/HouseSurvives.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqrZUijBc26oTUCTyw9ax2R_6tb0bsmc6xQd0spQhStBphHey7nojlUsQZgIBhsZ1Y10HPS9YRashyX8W65axcLy5FiOJ-T04BSA8nfvdHacdnGDmfru4P4owAIay7mrWH8VJ/s320/HouseSurvives.jpg" alt="A house survives" title="A house survives" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577351323011993394" border="0" /></a><blockquote>A house survives amidst lava flows</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDkjUXkWczKIjITXZBOYk-227TpZQ5bmdSBGqwPJvB-Zl4KVj272emYgr0n_XH0f1UWAy92ToO4-1JM8BRkpFaWDRRyUxfje0bhGN_f3gor64iJXSVS7_f52MelGv3PhTLpzj/s1600/Fern.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDkjUXkWczKIjITXZBOYk-227TpZQ5bmdSBGqwPJvB-Zl4KVj272emYgr0n_XH0f1UWAy92ToO4-1JM8BRkpFaWDRRyUxfje0bhGN_f3gor64iJXSVS7_f52MelGv3PhTLpzj/s320/Fern.jpg" alt="Fern peeks through" title="Fern peeks through" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577351316941572834" border="0" /></a><blockquote>A fern peeks out</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PnSeoy1bOc3ESOV5kCKkl1LCATLNuFwnkQoUMJhvmqjymtRvIcRn3ZHwUxxvYMTv08bk5OzREJNQSYz_e1aOYwQrNNdWXa5ZOKhZZd2rHpqXt0tqbhNsY18Cg6BYT7u3Fi4b/s1600/HotLava.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PnSeoy1bOc3ESOV5kCKkl1LCATLNuFwnkQoUMJhvmqjymtRvIcRn3ZHwUxxvYMTv08bk5OzREJNQSYz_e1aOYwQrNNdWXa5ZOKhZZd2rHpqXt0tqbhNsY18Cg6BYT7u3Fi4b/s320/HotLava.jpg" alt="Hot lava glowing in the distance" title="Hot lava glowing in the distance" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577351316660282530" border="0" /></a><blockquote>Hot lava!</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeIDNbICacAi236hdy3HCi3s_SBMGlwEacUPtj8ehoCdrNn5rQhNXh38q4jwE1EoRX5nhvCLY2rpOtgcm0AdnFdpx1veskYI2ZKAMGE7dJK81M8LaqHwq9PTBwwP02JHvLd9v/s1600/PelesArt.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeIDNbICacAi236hdy3HCi3s_SBMGlwEacUPtj8ehoCdrNn5rQhNXh38q4jwE1EoRX5nhvCLY2rpOtgcm0AdnFdpx1veskYI2ZKAMGE7dJK81M8LaqHwq9PTBwwP02JHvLd9v/s320/PelesArt.jpg" alt="Pele's Art" title="Pele's Art" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577351310784956802" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Pele's Art provides awesome formations</blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After a bit of time viewing the awesome destructive power of lava flows, we retreated back to Highway 11 to make our way to Volcano Village and our next lodging.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Next: <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-hiking-in.html">Hiking in Volcano</a></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-6955913698506631812011-02-23T13:46:00.000-08:002011-02-28T15:34:05.131-08:00Travels on the Big Island: Helicopter Tour<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >Part 3</span><br />(<a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-reflections-on.html">View Part I—Overview</a>)<br /><br /><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal">The best way to see active lava flows on the Big Island is by helicopter (well, unless you are lucky enough to see an active flow at the end of Highway 130, but that’s hit or miss). But helicopter tours present some decisions. First, helicopter tours are expensive. The consolation is that years from now, you will probably remember the exciting helicopter tour and you will forget how expensive it is. Second, the weather on the Hilo side will almost always have clouds and some rain. With <a href="http://www.bluehawaiian.com/bigisland/tours/circle_of_fire/">Blue Hawaiian</a> Helicopter Tours, you are given big discounts by signing up online ahead of time, but then you are locked in. If the weather is not ideal, you’re stuck. On the other hand, if you wait for perfect weather, you may wait awhile. Of course, if the weather is really bad, so that it is dangerous to fly or you can’t see anything, Blue Hawaiian will cancel the tour and either reschedule your flight or give you a full refund.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5ShfLy1EowNtbzBn6GxgQRwtJkQlw8qoZePwYuop7A8RxO6Rm97XrEfkzZC8sxbEwtJxtwmRa-ImhdPwPd9ZQoUkZzpi3ho59qCLFzhAS34sQZka6rSNTNneuVmdxjANdUNq/s1600/HamakuaCoastWaves.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5ShfLy1EowNtbzBn6GxgQRwtJkQlw8qoZePwYuop7A8RxO6Rm97XrEfkzZC8sxbEwtJxtwmRa-ImhdPwPd9ZQoUkZzpi3ho59qCLFzhAS34sQZka6rSNTNneuVmdxjANdUNq/s320/HamakuaCoastWaves.jpg" alt="Hamakua Coast Waves" title="Hamakua Coast Waves" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577016594201316866" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We signed up for a 10:00am tour ahead of time and hoped for decent weather. We left our cute little guesthouse in Honoka’a Friday morning and took a leisurely drive along the Hamakua Coast to our next lodging, the <a href="http://www.waterfall.net/">Inn at Kulaniapia Falls</a>. Along the way we saw Laupahoehoe Point, a rugged point that is the site of a 1946 tsunami that killed 21 school children. We also saw ‘Akaka Falls, a 4-mile scenic drive to Onomea Bay, and somewhere along the way, a scenic overlook where we had lunch. We arrived early at the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls.</p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilP3FX_dceuT1vTTybxZWStGCFzcO6LENs2bf8x2jUrQhonU5fChoGOAcDPOdAhhyOYuT_UxcgDwdUcRDx8UTpWAfFoilTBnwZXE0bqxSvDpog77uNNHyMQtDEH4YgdOLvR0zF/s1600/TropicalFoilage.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilP3FX_dceuT1vTTybxZWStGCFzcO6LENs2bf8x2jUrQhonU5fChoGOAcDPOdAhhyOYuT_UxcgDwdUcRDx8UTpWAfFoilTBnwZXE0bqxSvDpog77uNNHyMQtDEH4YgdOLvR0zF/s320/TropicalFoilage.jpg" alt="Tropical Foilage" title="Tropical Foilage" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577016327692000034" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">This charming bed and breakfast is a multi-building complex built in an Asian style. <span style=""> </span>It was by far my favorite place, and I was sorry that we had only booked one night here. It is about 15 minutes from downtown Hilo up the hill in the midst of a macadamia nut orchard. The complex generates its own electricity and uses solar panels for hot water. The waterfall on the property is visible from the main house, and you can hear it from all the buildings. There is a short path to the waterfall, and if the weather is good, you can swim in the pool by the falls. The breakfast includes made to order eggs and waffles with fresh local fruit. Perhaps the best part of staying at a bed and breakfast is meeting the other guests. In our guest building, they were all friendly and quite willing to share their Big Island travel experiences.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7sN7c2bf226rrXRZM4ZhzHq-oulvY0335FSnJk1aD4hFYxZ3d7Yf5kTDugZQo5DoCU0UFbgnTWgJDUUrK5EK5K8TAXtx8OTLM-L6ItYgKLrKKig2clJu8DdtKsE9mh8sx2W4/s1600/KulaniapiaFalls.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7sN7c2bf226rrXRZM4ZhzHq-oulvY0335FSnJk1aD4hFYxZ3d7Yf5kTDugZQo5DoCU0UFbgnTWgJDUUrK5EK5K8TAXtx8OTLM-L6ItYgKLrKKig2clJu8DdtKsE9mh8sx2W4/s320/KulaniapiaFalls.jpg" alt="Kulaniapia Falls" title="Kulaniapia Falls" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577016322653324066" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Saturday morning we had breakfast in the common room and packed up, driving to Hilo airport, our check-in point for the Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tour. We flew in an EcoStar, a helicopter that holds the pilot plus six guests. The weather was overcast, but we were hoping for the best.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0upjgjq4-N7Rh2p9AfU0Yz25gUJTIsKPnpl4aniIr0-fWmZLRritOkjeGeW1OqzWpHi8ks7vQJFcQkvNRH3F9RrTWVSIGOzK65qyX4LEHrIwYR-v-9byiQS0eV9jLBXJK-Cc/s1600/PuuOoVent.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0upjgjq4-N7Rh2p9AfU0Yz25gUJTIsKPnpl4aniIr0-fWmZLRritOkjeGeW1OqzWpHi8ks7vQJFcQkvNRH3F9RrTWVSIGOzK65qyX4LEHrIwYR-v-9byiQS0eV9jLBXJK-Cc/s320/PuuOoVent.jpg" alt="Pu'u O'o Vent" title="Pu'u O'o Vent" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577013957109630418" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <blockquote>Pu'u O'o Vent: The site of the current volcanic activity.</blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2zzXa1irD3E_4AsgT9c2Kw2Cr3tb-rLUZpUo3yhy9-BZac3xHuL2UFl9WdNWwzpw70AZhO5j1eIGGy2uteSuhCyieAeSSRB1SyZCA27vyzSCFmVjUZO-iGoD8kSmHJL9eytm/s1600/HotSpots.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2zzXa1irD3E_4AsgT9c2Kw2Cr3tb-rLUZpUo3yhy9-BZac3xHuL2UFl9WdNWwzpw70AZhO5j1eIGGy2uteSuhCyieAeSSRB1SyZCA27vyzSCFmVjUZO-iGoD8kSmHJL9eytm/s320/HotSpots.jpg" alt="Lava Hot Spots" title="Lava Hot Spots" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577013951009997554" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Lava hot spots zoomed in from the helicopter.</blockquote>The tour was approximately 50 minutes. We saw both sun, clouds, and even some rain. Our pilot gave us breathtaking views of Kilauea Volcano, the Pu’u ‘O’o vent (the source of most current volcanic activity), and close-ups of lava meeting ocean. The sun and rain even combined to give us a beautiful rainbow!<p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3dSv0aXxGX2_-r84yOCpx58_S5uzBfrxADjuNYRRO_KenIN8aVukjsr46RYNw7a-yVzcbWb1kgEM08NJD2pE7V-EPpusoT_xtgDGjByaWrE23zAWv5gNda4Y3gYH_zJj_ngy/s1600/LavaCoastline.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3dSv0aXxGX2_-r84yOCpx58_S5uzBfrxADjuNYRRO_KenIN8aVukjsr46RYNw7a-yVzcbWb1kgEM08NJD2pE7V-EPpusoT_xtgDGjByaWrE23zAWv5gNda4Y3gYH_zJj_ngy/s320/LavaCoastline.jpg" alt="Lava Coastline" title="Lava Coastline" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577015784182066578" border="0" /></a><blockquote>Volcanic activity builds new land!</blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuQm-EqqnH7Yl41Nan9eV6ecv_5e0tMxoGx8SVpsiroFSM_oM17I8ctp1fL-hTLJyu-j-SzkSXlzu4G6fbOBvvb_n8CSFa3wGFWa7htO0I-TtYaA8bj1EZ3y-GsMoX-hpd4OI/s1600/LavaMeetsSea.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuQm-EqqnH7Yl41Nan9eV6ecv_5e0tMxoGx8SVpsiroFSM_oM17I8ctp1fL-hTLJyu-j-SzkSXlzu4G6fbOBvvb_n8CSFa3wGFWa7htO0I-TtYaA8bj1EZ3y-GsMoX-hpd4OI/s320/LavaMeetsSea.jpg" alt="Lava Meets the Sea with Steam" title="Lava Meets the Sea with Steam" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577013943565213314" border="0" /></a><blockquote>Lava meets the sea in a steamy brew.</blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHitBKtdy_jn3m9baLib9WzxXteUplpdGtvPGYr77ir28WLdgbfZXtG07MaJ_L8gd82bhau4KLLwCehdXDohpVWgl8E-llDrH47Y-N9AH_TYgRnq6ouGg3Edb-pXcs1GGgUmm0/s1600/CreepingLava.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHitBKtdy_jn3m9baLib9WzxXteUplpdGtvPGYr77ir28WLdgbfZXtG07MaJ_L8gd82bhau4KLLwCehdXDohpVWgl8E-llDrH47Y-N9AH_TYgRnq6ouGg3Edb-pXcs1GGgUmm0/s320/CreepingLava.jpg" alt="Creeping Lava Flow" title="Creeping Lava Flow" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577013935508131682" border="0" /></a><blockquote>Hot lava creeping along older flows.</blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> Next: <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-lava-viewing.html">Lava Viewing</a>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-78576322977637714532011-02-20T14:24:00.000-08:002011-03-16T10:18:13.821-07:00Travels on the Big Island: Exploring Waipi'o Valley<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >Part 2</span><br />(<a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-reflections-on.html">View Part I—Overview</a>)<br /><br /><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal">Hawaii’s Big Island is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands, and it is still growing.<span style=""> </span>Recent volcanic activity has added landmass to the island. The Big Island is also the youngest island. It consists of five shield volcano peaks, with two, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, reaching over 13,000 feet. Kilauea in the southeast part of the island is very active, with current eruptions occurring continuously since 1985.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We arrive late in Kona from the mainland, rent our car, and check into the <a href="http://www.konabeachhotel.com/">King Kamehameha Hotel</a> in Kailua. <span style=""> </span>(Kona is the name of the airport, Kailua is the name of the town, and Kailua-Kona is the name the post office uses. Confusing, but basically Kailua and Kona refer to the same town.) The hotel is well located right at the Kailua Pier where the famous <a href="http://ironman.com/#axzz1EXdKWm1n">Ironman Triathlon</a> begins, but we don’t particularly like the hotel. It’s big, impersonal, and a bit old. However, our room is comfortable, recently refurbished, and we have a partial view of the bay. We walk to downtown Kailua and pick a nice café for breakfast overlooking the bay. We notice a cruise ship outside the harbor, and soon, small tether boats begin depositing scores of cruise ship people in Kailua. We decide to hit the road. Before leaving, we briefly tour <a href="http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/html/sites/ahuena_heiau.html">‘Ahu’ena Heiau</a>, the personal temple of King Kamehameha the Great. He lived here for the last seven or so years of his life.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSZwMxwVug9hXbCL-Ts1sPSgEp0F1SDLkUF5E_OtlBvjrSeWp4UMJ0jBsgG_r-lipTyHJhhNKD-KJfaSSpxe5nGAitL2617TPV3MfcYNJ87qQ6ilWJNQ-4-zLaxB9uIy_6Qe9/s1600/KamehamehaTemple.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSZwMxwVug9hXbCL-Ts1sPSgEp0F1SDLkUF5E_OtlBvjrSeWp4UMJ0jBsgG_r-lipTyHJhhNKD-KJfaSSpxe5nGAitL2617TPV3MfcYNJ87qQ6ilWJNQ-4-zLaxB9uIy_6Qe9/s320/KamehamehaTemple.jpg" alt="‘Ahu’ena Heiau, the personal temple of King Kamehameha the Great" title="‘Ahu’ena Heiau, the personal temple of King Kamehameha the Great" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575931342343472482" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We drive north to Highway 190 towards Waimea (called Kamuela by the postal service to distinguish it from Oahu’s Waimea). Waimea is a bustling town that sits in the valley between the extinct Kohala and Mauna Kea volcanoes. We pick out a likely place to have lunch—<a href="http://www.merrimanshawaii.com/big_island.htm">Merriman’s</a>. Paul has a great nose for finding excellent places to eat and we are not disappointed. We also find a Foodland and purchase future lunch supplies and a cheap Styrofoam cooler.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p><blockquote>Tip: Be sure to sign up for their discount card. We saved over $60 on our purchases. You just need to give them a phone number and spout the number in any other Foodland.</blockquote> Great decision! We made our lunches for the next week, saving time and money. My Swiss Army knife came in very, very handy. <p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We continue winding our way to the small village of Honoka’a, where we secured a cute little house for two nights: <a href="http://www.halehamakua.com/">Hale Hamakua Guesthouse</a>. This house has a wonderful ocean view from the backyard, full kitchen, living room, three bedrooms, and bath. It is a block from the town and the town’s only real restaurant, <a href="http://www.cafeilmondo.com/"><span style=""> </span>Café Il Mondo</a>, <a href="http://www.cafeilmondo.com/"></a> a pizzeria that makes excellent thin-crust pizzas. You bring your own wine.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Why stay in Honoka’a for two nights? Honoka’a is a mere 7 miles from alluring <a href="http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/html/sites/waipio_valley.html">Waipi’o Valley</a> where we planned an early morning horseback ride in the valley, followed by an afternoon hike. <span style=""> </span>Staying in Honoka’a enables us to avoid the long drive from either the Kohala resorts, Kona, or the Hilo area.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Waipi’o Valley</blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbp4YezaFXQEJ3kQTu6zAyrg81nVTrIPok_6k8rVivkIHPGZ8Zq2Zgmq7C5Biv0-Gujg9xKFY8sN5ss9eLcDQSKu_Ac6_T2YfsN-gae5imvxbx-vdTMimX2kbOEmvVrItbR8mR/s1600/WaipioValleyCoast.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbp4YezaFXQEJ3kQTu6zAyrg81nVTrIPok_6k8rVivkIHPGZ8Zq2Zgmq7C5Biv0-Gujg9xKFY8sN5ss9eLcDQSKu_Ac6_T2YfsN-gae5imvxbx-vdTMimX2kbOEmvVrItbR8mR/s320/WaipioValleyCoast.jpg" alt="Waipio Valley Coastline" title="Waipio Valley Coastline" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575931337167900610" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal">We signed up with <a href="http://www.naalapastables.com/">Na’alapa Stables</a> for their horseback riding tour. The scariest part of the entire trek is the ride in their 4-wheel drive van down the 25% grade road. As we clambered into the van, our driver told us: </p><blockquote>leave the sliding door open and don't use the seatbelts</blockquote> I, however, dutifully fastened my seatbelt. He promptly told me to unfasten it. I exclaimed, ‘I thought you were kidding’. Apparently, no. If the breaks or transmission fails, your only hope of survival is to jump out of the van. I realized that there was no way all 9 of us could possible exit that van before the van began its descent to the valley floor—the short way.<p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAkQx5HYTVKRImyTeP06-MlCiNPeqqYy06f4DKIVFOF2OL8GonqqIHmsY1TNZXUFASpflrJozQq92M6GllTgw-cVLw-ZnV0GKMybS53fmBlc5rBhPndbcH3tWvYqSqMd4Lzyn/s1600/Horsebackriding.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAkQx5HYTVKRImyTeP06-MlCiNPeqqYy06f4DKIVFOF2OL8GonqqIHmsY1TNZXUFASpflrJozQq92M6GllTgw-cVLw-ZnV0GKMybS53fmBlc5rBhPndbcH3tWvYqSqMd4Lzyn/s320/Horsebackriding.jpg" alt="Horseback riding in Waipi'o Valley" title="Horseback riding in Waipi'o Valley" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575930982227332306" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thankfully, we successfully made the trip to the valley floor, forded a few streams, and arrived at the stables. We were assigned mounts, took sips of water, tied our rain gear onto the saddles, clutched our cameras, and began our tour. We passed taro farms, forded streams, and saw waterfalls. Waipi’o Valley is truly a sacred, magical place.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kuO5D79W-oiwshZ-2fc6E3q4FS4TsWlfe5p-bNsCdI1JfBxMbMgLKiEgbKIPOVlxsY6isF5rZELloQf3-m6fyacHXGSpKOXRrKHHllA6ANofksz29L-HDAc4rkz5-GcYQvox/s1600/WaipioValleyTaroPatch.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kuO5D79W-oiwshZ-2fc6E3q4FS4TsWlfe5p-bNsCdI1JfBxMbMgLKiEgbKIPOVlxsY6isF5rZELloQf3-m6fyacHXGSpKOXRrKHHllA6ANofksz29L-HDAc4rkz5-GcYQvox/s320/WaipioValleyTaroPatch.jpg" alt="Taro Patch in Waipi'o Valley" title="Taro Patch in Waipi'o Valley" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575930974969366482" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">A few hours later, we finished our ride (it was a walk, really). We declined the return ride to the top of the valley so that we could commence with the second part of our Waipi’o adventure—hiking the switchback on the far side of the valley. We brought daypacks with water and lunch and headed to the valley’s black sand beach to reach the trailhead.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0ETGHFY8bvZTvMOYTWs8bI6akDB6yad6-rBZ9neEAWhLZTKH_TrN6pGal6YXb5fo4dOL9JWgO7Q7mCobxpObxLzxYK7H_8xyHcP7HCDoaiZ-b9PFvyDb8y6e6el0pZ7lay3B/s1600/WaipioValleyTree.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0ETGHFY8bvZTvMOYTWs8bI6akDB6yad6-rBZ9neEAWhLZTKH_TrN6pGal6YXb5fo4dOL9JWgO7Q7mCobxpObxLzxYK7H_8xyHcP7HCDoaiZ-b9PFvyDb8y6e6el0pZ7lay3B/s320/WaipioValleyTree.jpg" alt="The most interesting tree in Waipi'o Valley" title="The most interesting tree in Waipi'o Valley" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575930976746933602" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We walk to the beach and find a sheltered place for lunch. The beach is quite windy and the surf looks rough. After lunch we remove our hiking boots to ford the Waipi’o River. It’s moving pretty fast. We enter a place near the mouth, but a bit back from the raging surf. The water reaches past our knees and I grab Paul’s hand to make sure I don’t fall. I’m worried about my camera and my new zoom lens. Once successfully across, we make our way to the far side of the valley and find the trailhead to the next valley, Waimanu Valley. We hike to the top of the third switchback and have an amazing view of the coastline, the valley, the hazardous road into the valley, and the back of the valley. The sun has come out and we just take it all in.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCxx72WtXu1eENXcytE-l40HhYQljfHWPrdxtsmtDPjQ45qRSQf__yKTal1u4rLiao4YOiLIWiHWHMND8Ls0UMiEp7nIpTaPd6n-Nn4QB1S4rnVOdHkN6pBufxslfOy3PJZSi/s1600/ProteaFlower.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCxx72WtXu1eENXcytE-l40HhYQljfHWPrdxtsmtDPjQ45qRSQf__yKTal1u4rLiao4YOiLIWiHWHMND8Ls0UMiEp7nIpTaPd6n-Nn4QB1S4rnVOdHkN6pBufxslfOy3PJZSi/s320/ProteaFlower.jpg" alt="Protea Flower, Waipi'o Valley" title="Protea Flower, Waipi'o Valley" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575930966958794626" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The return hike is uneventful, with fording the river the most challenging part. And, we must hike up that 25% grade road. It’s like being at the gym, doing a workout. But we feel good (and tired) when we’ve arrived.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36yS-nr-0uaA1bhCCeRkBwBfT0ZVKf0VMB46QeOh-BW1AXKI59VkpymsQwCwGzNm3vasMSjlBr3nHNRK2Lmf15Zby1JkDCG-UrjKHlzsw91Eh8pJUXJYJXAT5lnpPd2JXmEzD/s1600/WaipioValleyBlackSandBeach.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36yS-nr-0uaA1bhCCeRkBwBfT0ZVKf0VMB46QeOh-BW1AXKI59VkpymsQwCwGzNm3vasMSjlBr3nHNRK2Lmf15Zby1JkDCG-UrjKHlzsw91Eh8pJUXJYJXAT5lnpPd2JXmEzD/s320/WaipioValleyBlackSandBeach.jpg" alt="From the switchback trail, looking at Waipi'o Valley's black sand beach" title="From the switchback trail, looking at Waipi'o Valley's black sand beach" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575930965821241266" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Back in Honoka’a, we decide to check out the town’s only bar, the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hamakua-Sports-Bar/113332994252">Hamakua Sports Bar</a>. We were really hoping for a cold brew and a hamburger. We get the cold brew, but the only food consists of hot dogs, wings, chips and salsa, and popcorn. We went for the hot dogs because we were too tired to cook! The beer was good, the bartender was great, and we even met the owner. Honoka’a people are very friendly! And yes, they even have several TVs for sporting events.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Next: <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-helicopter-tour.html">Helicopter Ride</a><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-42511741346104868022011-02-20T12:20:00.000-08:002011-02-28T15:34:34.962-08:00Travels on the Big Island: Reflections on a recent trip<style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Part I—Overview</span></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Big Island of Hawaii is a magical place, in part because nature provides countless wonders (active volcano action, old and new lava flows, beaches, mountains, rainforests, and stunning views) and in part because the Big Island is the birthplace and home of King Kamehameha I (1758-1819), who united the islands under one ruler. As the Arthurian-like story goes, at age 14 Kamehameha was able to lift a large stone. This presaged his royal ascension and his ability to unite the islands and rule them as one.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJ-1ZdvSkLR_MgFEkAxTY5bXG2T5lJu3ftM7LvcDn4AtR34m34axjyNEvKEg5NqXhfh8R0VFXzzNnB0_BA4SAXvjR82mrZ-vn9iAA_Zg_406PdhBMgAZPAb3EQg2vl18D52xX/s1600/rough_surf.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJ-1ZdvSkLR_MgFEkAxTY5bXG2T5lJu3ftM7LvcDn4AtR34m34axjyNEvKEg5NqXhfh8R0VFXzzNnB0_BA4SAXvjR82mrZ-vn9iAA_Zg_406PdhBMgAZPAb3EQg2vl18D52xX/s320/rough_surf.jpg" alt="Rough surf on the Hakuma coast" title="Rough surf on the Hakuma coast" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575897059796328562" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal">The Big Island is the largest Hawaiian island, yet its population is less than 200,000. It boasts wonderful beaches, and offers hiking, snorkeling, surfing, and lush vegetation. After reading and researching online, we came up with the short list of what we wanted to do. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Exploring Waipi’o Valley—Helicopter ride—Lava Viewing—Hiking in Volcano—Snorkeling—Body Boarding—Photography </blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We’ve been to the Big Island two times previously, but both trips were many, many years ago (don’t make me say how many!). For this trip, we planned on renting a car and staying in bed and breakfast type places. The last two nights we wanted to splurge and stay in a fancy resort. We had our eye on staying in the Mauna Kea Beach Resort. Many years ago when we were young and poor and camping, we had brunch at the Mauna Kea and vowed that one day we would return as guests (even though today a two-egg breakfast costs $20).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XzfPchaFMXUkYTSERxEr7t26HPRfTqX9kxmgs7i9tal4N452dWunxrjpF5Q-VlkZSA73LoTnyhUNlSUrSCOyhH7h6ACI5fNtKr3xacXrGcyugyXR0mvNP-hm4ZlEnt7evub-/s1600/hibiscus_flower.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XzfPchaFMXUkYTSERxEr7t26HPRfTqX9kxmgs7i9tal4N452dWunxrjpF5Q-VlkZSA73LoTnyhUNlSUrSCOyhH7h6ACI5fNtKr3xacXrGcyugyXR0mvNP-hm4ZlEnt7evub-/s320/hibiscus_flower.jpg" alt="Hibiscus Flower" title="Hibiscus Flower" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575897053494525810" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Bed and breakfast type places may not be for everyone. But, staying in such places is a great way to meet like-minded people, the hosts are typically friendly and helpful, and communal breakfasts are an inspiring way to start the day.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhfN0wPWYUTUzh8Vpcl9OMsFLvFJvp8CFrFuwOYUs35Tib8VNFQwzxvLg_0liyO7kzi6Mxs2fMiiplHayTaB776-rslWpEfHhCLgh1aORTeImWk62zPtMdqzguDMhogx6XP4x/s1600/hapuna_beach.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhfN0wPWYUTUzh8Vpcl9OMsFLvFJvp8CFrFuwOYUs35Tib8VNFQwzxvLg_0liyO7kzi6Mxs2fMiiplHayTaB776-rslWpEfHhCLgh1aORTeImWk62zPtMdqzguDMhogx6XP4x/s320/hapuna_beach.jpg" alt="Surf at Hapuna Beach, Kohala Coast" title="Surf at Hapuna Beach, Kohala Coast" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575897046695099650" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">With only a few weeks to plan, we began by redeeming some American Airline miles to secure our flight between San Diego and Kona. We departed January 18 and returned on January 27.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The bad:</span> we arrive late (9:15pm) and it will be dark. The solution? Get a hotel fairly close to the airport for that first night. The flight from Los Angeles to Kona is approximately 6 hours. At this time of year there is a two-hour time change, so 9:15pm will feel more like 11:15pm.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The good:</span> our return flight doesn’t depart Kona until 10:45pm, giving us an entire last day to play, have dinner, turn in the rental car, and arrive at the airport. The return flight (from Kona to Los Angeles) is approximately 5 hours.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Next, figure out where we need to be so that we can loosely circumnavigate the island (by driving) in a clockwise direction. By staying in different places, we will see more of the island and drive less. We minimize backtracking. We decide to stay two days in a place whenever possible so that we can easily participate in early-morning activities without having to get up super early and drive a long way.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo87hsXjm77D6yFctw5WFluJvEHpmqlenl4EBSTFpYjlEKEjfGzfVfQgp7voeyNPjD_mrtB-u4Auf-8QI7miyj2pFn4EtyJp-UIlCO1E-3-OdpK4vy1alLTE-Rh6seN1IrHyo1/s1600/bigisland_surfer.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo87hsXjm77D6yFctw5WFluJvEHpmqlenl4EBSTFpYjlEKEjfGzfVfQgp7voeyNPjD_mrtB-u4Auf-8QI7miyj2pFn4EtyJp-UIlCO1E-3-OdpK4vy1alLTE-Rh6seN1IrHyo1/s320/bigisland_surfer.jpg" alt="Surfer at Waipi'o Valley's black sand beach" title="Surfer at Waipi'o Valley's black sand beach" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575897044986163378" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our final itinerary includes six different accommodation locations: 3 for 2 nights and 3 for one night.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Next: <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2011/02/travels-on-big-island-exploring-waipio.html">Exploring Waip’io Valley</a></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-75495797509935218092011-01-03T23:58:00.000-08:002011-01-04T00:08:13.023-08:00Storm Clouds at Sunset<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoPGITLrNI1D97VRjJAzQEbfHjtmxovnoWgRz6P9UDjdERvzHe_9_PYb_Xi-97sdTvN8TJyQp2DVlDAH-hK-Na9BEfs6cYKcwu7YdYN3idbgN_Xg568sf0rFx7EgeizibriHD/s1600/rainsunset0956.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoPGITLrNI1D97VRjJAzQEbfHjtmxovnoWgRz6P9UDjdERvzHe_9_PYb_Xi-97sdTvN8TJyQp2DVlDAH-hK-Na9BEfs6cYKcwu7YdYN3idbgN_Xg568sf0rFx7EgeizibriHD/s320/rainsunset0956.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558237613491513282" border="0" /></a>Today's rain storm cleared right at sunset, painting the sky with vivid colors and great cloud shapes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UB0mIGfN7ZRNnWJ3L1flbX9RMfHV3G-wPdEtXulOsoNRim7Xcf89LsdRafLLyakQ7j_5cnIjCjoGVHXDiCcUUA4IPqwsFYh37xyUxA0UXoAztKrGnZ5ug4irBBPFv3GG2AAu/s1600/rainsunset0961.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UB0mIGfN7ZRNnWJ3L1flbX9RMfHV3G-wPdEtXulOsoNRim7Xcf89LsdRafLLyakQ7j_5cnIjCjoGVHXDiCcUUA4IPqwsFYh37xyUxA0UXoAztKrGnZ5ug4irBBPFv3GG2AAu/s320/rainsunset0961.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558237611719700242" border="0" /></a>A painter's brush stroke softens the sky.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbevsSKn7_5qjdvMceHk8dqPVlx2pt8vRylklHYqHSTHwSFlsYZNGpltuioqvDGu6d3MZ3WZeuJ5_fD2eboRKPkoNnxi78mVwS4lPauqSgDSY0tvQotLFU5QsBenBdoci01Y9P/s1600/rainsunset0971.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbevsSKn7_5qjdvMceHk8dqPVlx2pt8vRylklHYqHSTHwSFlsYZNGpltuioqvDGu6d3MZ3WZeuJ5_fD2eboRKPkoNnxi78mVwS4lPauqSgDSY0tvQotLFU5QsBenBdoci01Y9P/s320/rainsunset0971.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558237610782449922" border="0" /></a>The sun descends below the clouds . . .<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeI2MzOnJ59RjsM5SJk_KRCwM52z_T_LFPa3217HNnSAVJZBUGVE6W81JF-o1f4adzVIcUvpB0EoYh2F1mND2nmQKV7VOxV7DEEaIzF8vhKesMYcyNpyXOtiqTbOcPkKv8gE5/s1600/rainsunset0976.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeI2MzOnJ59RjsM5SJk_KRCwM52z_T_LFPa3217HNnSAVJZBUGVE6W81JF-o1f4adzVIcUvpB0EoYh2F1mND2nmQKV7VOxV7DEEaIzF8vhKesMYcyNpyXOtiqTbOcPkKv8gE5/s320/rainsunset0976.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558237607448682482" border="0" /></a>and the caramel cliffs withstand another day of relentless surf.Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-13383346563514512652011-01-01T16:28:00.000-08:002011-01-01T16:45:27.381-08:00New Year’s Day Labyrinth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWuy3-mACzsz3AI8Yz9gd8PKLe3aNoy-YB7qYTJd_0LihDKyFsPCVODqSF6YjgLtxq363aIVAQ8sudhz4FaGzbcFT8a1tUxG4yb-2Tbyl4opy5cPZhzAF05ieh-S4E5O6RvV2/s1600/labyrinth0936.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWuy3-mACzsz3AI8Yz9gd8PKLe3aNoy-YB7qYTJd_0LihDKyFsPCVODqSF6YjgLtxq363aIVAQ8sudhz4FaGzbcFT8a1tUxG4yb-2Tbyl4opy5cPZhzAF05ieh-S4E5O6RvV2/s320/labyrinth0936.jpg" alt="Labyrinth at StoneSteps" title="Labyrinth at StoneSteps" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557381154265296754" border="0" /></a>How lucky we picked one of my favorite beaches for our low-tide run today. An extremely low tide on New Year’s Day 2011 gave sand artist <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2007/02/patterns-in-sand.html">Kirkos</a> the opportunity to create a meditation labyrinth that was well attended. Indeed, parking was scarce and summer-like crowds milled about.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDa6hsc7okl-IwsrB9f8Siii1sA8fSPGdlqdBF7sPRAHk0PyQ92Rdrlh0Mw1WuRzW2oCDtl1TAz-hsz_fO-8Y6s-SyeoQ93CE8rN584wuzOVOvXUpZQK7aZ4H84zKD1t4h9gF/s1600/labyrinth0942.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDa6hsc7okl-IwsrB9f8Siii1sA8fSPGdlqdBF7sPRAHk0PyQ92Rdrlh0Mw1WuRzW2oCDtl1TAz-hsz_fO-8Y6s-SyeoQ93CE8rN584wuzOVOvXUpZQK7aZ4H84zKD1t4h9gF/s320/labyrinth0942.jpg" alt="Labyrinth at StoneSteps" title="Labyrinth at StoneSteps" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557381153355579730" border="0" /></a>People walked the labyrinth and brought items to help decorate this awesome artwork.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6b0LoxPJ7cWWGghcQJ4L5EeEyY_emG1PvoxCzJwePpudyjJriJKSsAwV2alBI72TD7NXapCxAwnfbGfC1fp1lHUGOKA5LuacMKbTAotu7N4HfuWoKa0Z1gsyv0MO3cJDUxpy2/s1600/labyrinth0945.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6b0LoxPJ7cWWGghcQJ4L5EeEyY_emG1PvoxCzJwePpudyjJriJKSsAwV2alBI72TD7NXapCxAwnfbGfC1fp1lHUGOKA5LuacMKbTAotu7N4HfuWoKa0Z1gsyv0MO3cJDUxpy2/s320/labyrinth0945.jpg" alt="Labyrinth at StoneSteps" title="Labyrinth at StoneSteps" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557381147649019506" border="0" /></a>Low tide provided plenty of beach for walkers, runners, and sand artist Kirkos.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-iAIPnf3D5adh4wzzMTcj38FTyo8UrUiRTFkLlUn4gKKcvCYPJL1khyMQa62uEC7376Dcc20IWPJIXmi-Tj90z9p_FZdnrkWMwMH7dtL8PmqKM3_MM-Znl3MyCSHesDdLsGj/s1600/labyrinth0952.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-iAIPnf3D5adh4wzzMTcj38FTyo8UrUiRTFkLlUn4gKKcvCYPJL1khyMQa62uEC7376Dcc20IWPJIXmi-Tj90z9p_FZdnrkWMwMH7dtL8PmqKM3_MM-Znl3MyCSHesDdLsGj/s320/labyrinth0952.jpg" alt="Labyrinth at StoneSteps" title="Labyrinth at StoneSteps" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557381143708617586" border="0" /></a>Here is Stone Steps Beach in Leucadia, looking north on a crystal clear (and sunny) New Year's Day. Happy New Years to all!Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-54795302226073114982010-12-31T11:07:00.000-08:002010-12-31T11:33:24.928-08:00Culture Clash?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan0ucOJ9jrVl9caZ0xo8biooWWovMiI54rAdz5INwGSeaOhNEpysJqQy_m-NMsW8OIlAni1nHyptUNyrQrPjlG98vZbHAQODCyrwM9o8tsK0qYyznsMul75r8yLIlTLPRdlRN/s1600/chocolatepiebeer.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan0ucOJ9jrVl9caZ0xo8biooWWovMiI54rAdz5INwGSeaOhNEpysJqQy_m-NMsW8OIlAni1nHyptUNyrQrPjlG98vZbHAQODCyrwM9o8tsK0qYyznsMul75r8yLIlTLPRdlRN/s320/chocolatepiebeer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556925490056412706" border="0" /></a><br />When life gets hectic, as only life can around the holidays, strange things happen. Early Christmas morning, I open up the ‘fridge and as I’m ferreting out the ingredients for our Christmas morning breakfast, I see a horrible sight. Way back under the deli meats tray is my prized chocolate pie brutally bludgeoned by a beer. Initially angered, I could only collapse in giggles when I realize that beer and chocolate pie make an utterly funny pairing.<br /><br />But Coors Lite? This is easy to explain, but then again, not so easy.<br /><blockquote>I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis . . . or Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale . . . or anything but lite beer.</blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Never</span> do I prefer Coors Lite. Okay, okay. There is <span style="font-style: italic;">one</span> situation in which I do prefer Coors Lite. That is when I host (or play) beer pong. There. I said it. I do play beer pong (sometimes) and that is the reason that a Coors Lite beer landed in my prized chocolate pie. Well, that and the fact that my refrigerator was obviously packed to over-capacity.<br /><br />For the record, although an ugly wound persisted after the beer can was extracted, a generous serving of whip cream fixed the pie up quite nicely. The beer was unscathed.Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-15293028580747992412010-12-27T16:19:00.000-08:002010-12-28T16:43:05.463-08:00The Gift<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplFOcx-au2ATFokA56xcyTWkxreyaMJ0Nac6395zjmtRXlDHzm3OaVjqAlqsdr0g9XJWAKnerhxiW6rd_ii7nH1wMw-jF1GeO6g7shreu-VwTljrTX62QIibVAR3KKCYUXldl/s1600/christmas_ornament.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplFOcx-au2ATFokA56xcyTWkxreyaMJ0Nac6395zjmtRXlDHzm3OaVjqAlqsdr0g9XJWAKnerhxiW6rd_ii7nH1wMw-jF1GeO6g7shreu-VwTljrTX62QIibVAR3KKCYUXldl/s320/christmas_ornament.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555521479168705010" /></a>Christmas time is here, and along with greeting cards, holiday parties, tree decorating, and lots and lots of great food, we all deal with gift giving. Society has long over-commercialized Christmas gifts and shopping, and we can easily lose the spirit of giving that embodies Christmas. However, I like to search through the torn Christmas wrappings and discarded bows and ribbons to find that nugget of Christmas spirit we all seek. This year I tell our family’s story of The Gift.<br /><br />The story begins a few weeks before Christmas as invitations fly out to Christmas-themed parties. Both my twenty-something kids are attending the same gathering: An Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Yes, wear that hideous sweater with garish yuletide motifs—a reindeer or a jolly ol’ Saint Nick. Extra bells or ribbons for adornments are a plus.<br /><br />Now, my daughter has a particular problem or two. One, she finds it difficult to pick out clothing that is inherently ugly. Two, she ran out of time to scavenge the local thrift shops and second hand clothing stores. When her boyfriend’s mother volunteered to send her an ugly sweater, dear daughter said yes. A few days later, she received not one, but two ugly sweater candidates.<br /><br />Well, apparently boyfriend’s mother has the same problem as daughter. The two sweaters she sent were perhaps a bit out of style. But they were not ugly. In fact, one was a soft red sweater with a fake fur collar. Would I wear this? No. But, at one point I am sure this sweater represented the height of wintertime elegance. The second sweater was a plain wool sweater-jacket with gold buttons. The shoulder pads screamed “no longer fashionable” and the straight cut was something, well, something my mother-in-law might like. In fact, daughter and I looked at each other and said, “Yes, Grandma would really like this. It’s perfect for Christmas.”<br /><br />This red sweater-jacket was, in fact, in perfect condition. We took it to the dry cleaners for good measure and carefully wrapped it with paper and ribbon. On Christmas Day, Grandma opened her gift, fell in love with it, and immediately put it on. It fit perfectly. And it was a perfect Christmas sweater and a perfect Christmas gift.Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-43791571872007041382010-12-21T19:11:00.000-08:002010-12-28T16:40:55.562-08:00Christmas Food PreparationsOne year Christmas dinner was a thrown-together pasta, bread, and salad meal. My excuse was that we were in Cabo at the time. I don’t cook in Cabo. Other years we join the cousins at their home and my contribution is a pie or two. But this year Christmas dinner is at our house. I look forward to the planning and cooking. Indeed, hosting Christmas dinner is an honor.<br /><br />Over the years I have relied on the Los Angeles Times Food editors as a source of great recipes and good food advice. The LA Times has perfected the turkey technique and I am now a fan. The recipe is easy and fool proof: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/theguide/holiday-guide/food/la-fo-calcook18-2009nov18,0,4954438.story">dry brined turkey</a>. Dry brining means that you salt the turkey with approximately one tablespoon for each five pounds of turkey, seal the bird inside a plastic bag, and let the turkey sit in the refrigerator for three days. The salt draws out the moisture, but the moisture and salt are then reabsorbed. When you roast the turkey, the meat stays moist.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKrSIPRmsyA5X0E1spDJ8JimGZTVMeXrC_u0eLln-eDfKlZotQOW2xTx56MUKPB44vBJRkwtsZjo1V4q3atDhlYcLig6wbGKCY5iVrnbvsKP-yOefLoyTKarXyJgrn1I7BkpQ/s1600/rosemarysprigs.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKrSIPRmsyA5X0E1spDJ8JimGZTVMeXrC_u0eLln-eDfKlZotQOW2xTx56MUKPB44vBJRkwtsZjo1V4q3atDhlYcLig6wbGKCY5iVrnbvsKP-yOefLoyTKarXyJgrn1I7BkpQ/s320/rosemarysprigs.jpg" alt="Fresh rosemary sprigs" title="Fresh rosemary sprigs" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553339254025380946" border="0" /></a><br />This year I’m adding fresh minced rosemary and thyme to the salt. We shall see, but this should impart a subtle rosemary-thyme flavor to the meat (not just to the skin). The turkey is sitting in the refrigerator, absorbing flavors right now. I just need to turn it and massage it once a day.<br /><br />Another LA Times classic recipe is <a href="http://www.latimes.com/theguide/holiday-guide/food/la-thanksgiving-cranberry,0,2088542.story">Mom Parsons’ Cranberries</a>. I love this recipe. You can make the cranberries days ahead, stick them in the refrigerator, and forget about it. You start with a bit of sugar and water combined with whole cloves, allspice berries, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. When the sugar is dissolved, you add the cranberries and cook them until they just pop, about five minutes. You then add the zest of one orange—leaving your hands with the sweet smell of orange just to remind you of the yummy food coming your way soon!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIYo-q1EPOkL8vvM70l92WHwd9E612DeEm26ZHNA9UVoMfv9redKnN1M8wgrONXBbLhSgbIe4qA2u506qWKsUBfP91cX_ZR3g_w2WKnGI4t8-B3UBu3mz2oa0AYH3zbICHj_J/s1600/cranberries.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIYo-q1EPOkL8vvM70l92WHwd9E612DeEm26ZHNA9UVoMfv9redKnN1M8wgrONXBbLhSgbIe4qA2u506qWKsUBfP91cX_ZR3g_w2WKnGI4t8-B3UBu3mz2oa0AYH3zbICHj_J/s320/cranberries.jpg" alt="Cranberries popping" title="Cranberries popping" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553339249060318146" border="0" /></a>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-24840151402959292542010-09-05T13:18:00.000-07:002010-09-05T13:37:13.061-07:00Out of State Coffers Feed Proposition 23<p class="MsoNormal">In the 2008 presidential election, I was distracted and excited about an <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2008/11/its-obama.html">Obama victory</a>. In the midst of a European trip, I was in Paris on Election Day and the following day. We whooped it up, happy to celebrate the change in administration. I pretty much ignored Proposition 8. I didn’t pay too much attention to Prop 8 because I thought: This is California. We are a progressive state. We frequently lead the nation in social and environmental issues. I voted against Prop 8. What’s the problem?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The problem, as it turns out, is that out-of-state money helped fund blatantly false ads that scared people into thinking that . . . oh, I don’t know what! That gay marriage would not only undermine heterosexual marriage, but that gay marriage would undermine our society as a whole.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fear is a powerful motivator and spending money to spread fear can help the fear mongers’ cause.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two years later, we have another proposition on the ballot, another proposition being funded by out-of-state interests, and another proposition whose passage depends on fear mongering. I’m talking about Proposition 23. This ballot measure would suspend California’s Global Warming Law (AB 32) until the state’s unemployment rate drops below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Global Warming Law’s aim is to cut state’s emission of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020 by developing alternative fuels and generating electricity from solar, wind, and other (other than fossil fuel) sources.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The supposed reasoning behind Prop 23 is that AB 32 will cost jobs and we can’t afford to lose jobs right now. So, let’s just temporarily suspend AB 32 until our unemployment drops. It doesn’t <i style="">sound</i> too unreasonable.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are a few problems with this logic. One—California’s unemployment hasn’t dropped below 5.5% but three times in the last 30 years. This proposition doesn’t suspend AB 32; it cancels it. Two—the real opposition to AB 32 and the real support for Prop 23 comes from out-of-state big oil. These out-of-state companies don’t really care about California’s unemployment figures. They really care about the profits of their own companies. And, they certainly don’t care about addressing the issues surrounding global warming. In fact, they would like you to believe that global warming doesn’t exist.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two Texas-based oil companies have mostly financed Prop 23: Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp. Now, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prop-23-koch-20100904,0,969078.story">according to a September 4 Los Angeles Times article</a>, a subsidiary of Koch Industries recently contributed $1 million to support the passage of Prop 23. Koch Industries owns refineries in Alaska, Texas, and Minnesota. It controls about 4,000 miles of oil pipelines. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here are more facts about the supporters of Prop 23 according to the above article:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>So far, the Proposition 23 campaign has raised $8.2 million, of which 97% has come from oil interests and 89% from out of state.</blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Also, according to the same article, billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch (owners of Koch Industries) have </p><blockquote>“helped finance efforts to develop arguments denying that global climate change is a real phenomenon.”</blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Any job losses that occur as a result of AB 32 will be short-term as we create jobs to fuel an alternative energy-based economy. The fear mongering will say that AB 32 will cost California jobs and that global warming is not real.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Please, follow the money. Don’t let out-of-state big oil scare you into voting for Prop 23.Vote NO on Prop 23.</p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-71511674082725571812010-06-10T19:37:00.000-07:002010-06-10T19:59:15.210-07:00Sweet Land of Liberty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTrtibdmGPbrOF0oh4IqSPK1IrBkIA_g0VurIUMwSyE9b33yCWdXMFv5gc40o8BiZkCaDs_gEzKYTvfnmW_CYg_KYX835HzuA1v0yNFVyQu_YFHjhF6zUesyXaSwNd0MxX7rE/s1600/AmericanFlag.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTrtibdmGPbrOF0oh4IqSPK1IrBkIA_g0VurIUMwSyE9b33yCWdXMFv5gc40o8BiZkCaDs_gEzKYTvfnmW_CYg_KYX835HzuA1v0yNFVyQu_YFHjhF6zUesyXaSwNd0MxX7rE/s320/AmericanFlag.jpg" alt="I weep that this proud symbol has come to represent a nation that tortures" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480905163080878722" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Two and a half years ago, I wrote a post decrying the practice of torture by the Bush administration. Way back in 2005 I participated in a letter-writing campaign and wrote a letter to then President Bush protesting water boarding and other “enhanced interrogation techniques.” I received a response from the White House, full of fluff and, well, hot air.<span style=""> </span>Here is a portion of the reply:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""></p><blockquote>"The President has repeatedly affirmed that he does not condone torture in any circumstances, and he has also directed our military personnel to treat all detainees in their custody humanely. American personnel are also required to comply with all applicable United States laws, including the Constitution, Federal statues, and our treaty obligations." </blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="">The response itself enraged me to the point that I wrote the <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2007/10/moral-high-ground.html">above-mentioned post</a>. 2005 seems like a long time ago. We now have Obama as our president, and still the war in Iraq and Afghanistan drags on. We are supposed to be making America safer, yet I can’t help but feel that we’re making America less safe as our fighting and drone attacks kill many innocent people. I can’t help but thinking about all the investments we could be making in our educational system or our healthcare system or our infrastructure with the money we spend on wars, creating jobs while improving our country.</p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">And then an article appeared in the <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/08/nation/la-na-torture-20100608">Los Angeles Times</a> that described a report prepared by a group called <a href="http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/">Physicians for Human Rights</a>. The report is the accumulation of analyzing public U.S. government documents dealing with the treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody during the Bush Administration. You can read the full 30-page report <a href="http://phrtorturepapers.org/">here</a>. Apparently, a strange catch-22 situation presented itself to the legal and administrative authorities of the Bush Administration. Here it is:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">The well-known Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (John Yoo, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Office of Legal Counsel) redefined torture by establishing legal thresholds for torture acts such as water boarding, stress positions, prolonged isolation, and sleep deprivation. These acts of torture were deemed legal as long as interrogators did not cross the threshold for “severe physical and mental pain.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Well, okay, that sounds mighty fine. So, how do you make sure that you don’t cross the threshold for “severe physical and mental pain?” Easy. You get some physicians, medical doctors (you know, those people who study many, many years to learn to heal the sick and above all do no harm?) and you have these physicians monitor the enhanced interrogation sessions and as soon as you’ve crossed the threshold, then you stop! </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Well, no, you can’t do that. Because then you’ve crossed the threshold and now you’ve committed a crime—torture. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Okay, here’s another tactic. You get some physicians, medical doctors (you know, those people who study many, many years to learn to heal the sick and above all do no harm?) and you monitor each session very carefully. You keep accurate data. You can measure physical and psychological impact of the interrogator’s “enhanced” interrogation techniques and as you collect data, you can provide a clear basis for a legal defense against possible torture charges. This medical monitoring demonstrates to all clear-thinking, freedom-loving people a distinct lack of intent to cause harm to the subjects, uh, detainees.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Well, this well-thought-out plan to protect interrogators from violating any torture laws, the very foundations of the supposed defense (the medical monitoring), effectively violates “well-established legal and ethical codes” protecting prisoners (or anyone actually) against human experimentation. Quoting the PHR report: “This current report provides evidence that in additional to medical complicity of torture, health professionals participated in research and experimentation on detainees in U.S. custody.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Hey, do you know what one tidbit of torture information they found out? (This is really useful stuff, so pay attention!) If you administer a water boarding session, you should use salt water instead of fresh water. Fresh water increases the risk of hyponatremia, a condition of low sodium levels in the blood (too much water, not enough salt), which can lead to brain edema and herniation, coma, and death. Now, how did they figure that out?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Are you sick yet?</p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-55369534269408332082010-04-02T18:25:00.000-07:002010-04-02T18:32:18.276-07:00Healthcare Reform: Yes We CanRecently I participated in a virtual town hall meeting led by my Congressperson, Representative Bilbray. The phone-based town hall consists of constituents listening in and posing questions or bringing up issues. Bilbray also asked us to choose our top-priority issue out of five possible topics. I chose Issue Number Two, health care reform as my number one issue. Among the choices was, of course, immigration reform. (I say ‘of course’ because Bilbray always brings up immigration reform; indeed, that was the mainstay of his successful election campaign.) Immigration reform is an important topic in southern California.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I stayed on the line listening to questions posed by constituents. A woman in her forties was concerned about health care costs. I know. I am self-employed and have paid for my own health insurance for years. Health insurance is a large portion of our monthly expenses, our deductable is quite high, and it goes up every year. But Bilbray does not support health care reform. (Actually, he claims that he does. He supports letting you purchase your health insurance across state lines.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A retired nurse came on the line next. She complained that illegal aliens appeared in large numbers in emergency rooms with sniffles and fevers, looking for medical care. “When are we going to stop providing medical services for illegals? I go in there and see so many Mexican people.” I was shocked at the obvious racism of this woman and Bilbray’s response (I am paraphrasing). “The problem is that the federal government has mandated that hospital emergency rooms must provide medical services to anyone, regardless of whether they can pay or not and regardless of his or her citizenship.” This is true for emergency medical care, but not for non-emergency medical care. How can someone in the medical profession embrace the concept of denying medical treatment to anyone? Aren’t we all people? Where is your compassion, woman? As I listened on the phone, I wondered where the humanity had gone. Do we need immigration reform? Yes! Should immigration reform begin by denying emergency medical care to illegal immigrants? No! First of all, as an emergency room attendant, can you imagine denying coverage to a dying patient (regardless of her citizenship) because she can’t produce papers proving her status? Do you carry your birth certificate or passport with you at all times? Oh, I’m sorry. Perhaps you’re not worried about that because you aren’t Mexican American? When I hung up the phone I was saddened that the solution to health care reform should be dumped on illegal immigration. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have called Bilbray’s office numerous times as a constituent asking him to support health care reform. He doesn’t think that the government is capable of providing effective health care. He thinks the American health care system is basically just fine the way it is. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What’s wrong with the Canadian system? They spend less on health care, have a higher life expectancy, have less uninsured people, and are healthier. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here is some data from a recent (2007) study.<o:p> (</o:p>Peterson, Chris L. and Burton, Rachel, <span style="font-style: italic;">Domestic Social Policy Division. Congressional Research Service: U.S. Health Care Spending: Comparison with Other OECD Countries.</span> September 17, 2007.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: Times;">The United States spends more money on health care than any other country in</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).<span style=""> </span>The OECD</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">consists of 30 democracies, most of which are considered the most economically</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">advanced countries in the world.<span style=""> </span>According to OECD data, the United States spent</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Times;">$6,102 per capita on health care in 2004 — more than double the OECD average and</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Times;">19.9% more than Luxembourg, the second-highest spending country.<span style=""> </span>In 2004, 15.3%</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">of the U.S. economy was devoted to health care, compared with 8.9% in the average</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">OECD country and 11.6% in second-placed Switzerland.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p> </o:p>How does the U.S. life expectancy compare to these countries? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: Times;">The average life expectancy for a person in the United</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">States is 77 ½ years — slightly below the OECD average, and 4½ years less than top-rated Japan.<span style=""> </span>Life expectancy is nearly 2½ years longer in Canada than</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">in the United States.<span style=""> </span>The United States is ranked 22</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: Times;">nd</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> out of 30 countries on life</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">expectancy at birth, but once people reach the age of 65, U.S. life expectancy</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">improves to a rank of 11</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: Times;">th</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> for men and 13</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: Times;">th</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> for women out of 30 countries reporting.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family: Times;">I, for one, am glad that Congress passed health care reform. I am glad insurance companies can’t deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. I am glad that if I get sick, my insurance company can’t cancel my policy. Maybe now some of these people flocking to the emergency rooms for non-emergency situations will be able to get health care and go see a primary care doctor instead of an emergency room physician.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-14457708256362879112010-01-05T17:34:00.000-08:002010-01-05T21:36:10.863-08:00Does Avatar have lessons for us?I have seen James Cameron’s 3D spectacle Avatar and I am a fan. The advanced technology it uses to create and animate the graceful beings on the moon-planet Pandora bring non-human forms to life with human-like facial expressions and emotions. Actors wearing specialized headsets with cameras recorded their emotions as they spoke and showed fear, anger, tenderness, curiosity, and even love. This digital information was then processed to create the vision we see on the screen. The audience relates to 10-foot blue-skinned people, the Na’vi. These are not cartoons we’re watching, but human-like aliens. Besides the people, Cameron also created a whole world with its floating mountains, communicating trees, and unique plants and animals. The Na’vi are basically hunter-gatherers, who tame, but don’t really domesticate, flying horse-like creatures that help them hunt.<br /><br />The human (presumably American, but this is 2154, so who knows?) military-corporate complex is the evil intruder set on mining Unobtainium (a ridiculous name, but it is apt) at all costs, including the destruction of the Na’vi people. Scientists who have studied them are present for the appearance of good intentions only. The corporate president and the military commander are both unabashed stereotypes, sadly spouting rhetoric similar to our own military justification for the invasion of Iraq (yep, “preemptive” included), our long disastrous military presence in Vietnam, and our present quagmire in Afghanistan.<br /><br />The lesson that Avatar seems to offer is that we (American military presence) should just go away. But today’s <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times</a> front page offers an <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-medical-corps5-2010jan05,0,3501241,full.story">intriguing alternative</a>. A Los Angeles-based nonprofit, International Medical Corps, goes into areas that need its services and these places are typically war-ravaged with little or non-existent medical services. Medical personnel are able to go into these areas because they refuse to take sides. They work with the Taliban in Afghanistan as well as other community members. They have a presence in other countries as well. Besides providing medical care, they also train local people. This allows medical services to continue even after International Medical Corps people leave.<br /><br />It seems that we have been trying to rebuild both Afghanistan and Iraq for years. But we’re rebuilding with tanks and guns and troops and helicopters. The Iraqis don’t “hate us for our freedoms.” They hate us for our guns and destruction.<br /><br />So, let’s pull out all the troops and bring in medicine and doctors. Let’s build schools and hospitals, not military bases and war rooms. And while we’re at it, maybe we can also figure out how to provide health care for Americans too!<br /><br />Enjoy Avatar!Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-66862384712438134192009-11-13T14:39:00.000-08:002009-11-13T15:09:32.925-08:00Saying goodbye to zemblyI was involved with the leading-edge web site, <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2009/06/javaone-tale-of-two-technologies.html">zembly</a>, beginning in fall 2007, writing example widgets, applications, and data services for the companion book ‘<a href="http://www.asgteach.com/books/zemblybook.html">Assemble the Social Web with zembly</a>.’ zembly, the brain child of Todd Fast, began at Sun Microsystems as a web-based social development environment, enabling users to write widgets and other software. The site automatically keeps track of versions and publishes code, deploying the services and widgets for you. You can share the widgets, embedding them in web pages or posting them on sites such as Facebook. The site also lets you build and deploy Facebook applications. The book was published early this year and we presented a sold-out Hands-On Lab at JavaOne in June. Sadly, the site <a href="http://www.zembly.com/">announced its closure</a> this week. Besides thoroughly enjoying the time I spent coding applications on zembly, I really appreciated the interaction with the zembly folks, including Todd, Chris Webster, and especially Jirka Kopsa.<br /><br />I have two favorite examples I built for the book. One is a Facebook application, Capital Punishment, which helps you learn the world’s capitals using a 20-question multiple choice quiz. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Z1gGJyyQujgu_KrruoqHGbN78BRWRPT_Fu0bR2l53dTyM8DYdgMNEfiZYQpA_TczTjmrGuaxWquSFSFlGnaduQ7P-vY9u2EoQQ45f3QovzRpkh8YgmCQp1ZxZpm5bJ6FDOTT/s1600-h/zembly_capitalpunishment3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Z1gGJyyQujgu_KrruoqHGbN78BRWRPT_Fu0bR2l53dTyM8DYdgMNEfiZYQpA_TczTjmrGuaxWquSFSFlGnaduQ7P-vY9u2EoQQ45f3QovzRpkh8YgmCQp1ZxZpm5bJ6FDOTT/s320/zembly_capitalpunishment3.jpg" alt="Capital Punishment Facebook application" title="Capital Punishment Facebook application" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403726694607361298" border="0" /></a>You see each answer mapped using Google maps. It includes all the usual social features of Facebook applications—challenging friends and letting you compare your scores with your friends.<br /><br />Probably my favorite is a widget that shows you how to navigate the London Tube. It maps the station sequence (with Google maps), drawing a color-coded line (matching the tube station colors) to each station. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDxHnnrqdHmDyLh3E_82-RGw8alE88N5Li02NH3goHVye_iM1chq14xxCKgFjsIltmJeI1-_ulMqyVepFnk-AbW2TkYQxoBNH5tWLDyzBxlJAXfeHLQlMhvM7_wVa8wmHouHl/s1600-h/zembly_londontube.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDxHnnrqdHmDyLh3E_82-RGw8alE88N5Li02NH3goHVye_iM1chq14xxCKgFjsIltmJeI1-_ulMqyVepFnk-AbW2TkYQxoBNH5tWLDyzBxlJAXfeHLQlMhvM7_wVa8wmHouHl/s320/zembly_londontube.jpg" alt="London Tube Widget" title="London Tube Widget" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403726129510072754" border="0" /></a>The data comes from <a href="http://www.tubeplanner.com/">tubeplanner.com</a>, via <a href="http://www.dapper.net/">Dapper</a>. With Google maps, you can follow the route. Markers locate the stations and information windows tell you the station name, line, and where you need to change lines.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOO5YYle8VlESDMmD2O02a97Y2ES9_m3kH-ckCdl__YdnkdYorx2rmpbC5nD1Z-UQmtD1aBdagnxoFHffTAOBKPShYNCi8kOLbbVJceAmZf0IDa4htU1bxpmF3xrjqfDz8DhYY/s1600-h/zembly_londontube3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOO5YYle8VlESDMmD2O02a97Y2ES9_m3kH-ckCdl__YdnkdYorx2rmpbC5nD1Z-UQmtD1aBdagnxoFHffTAOBKPShYNCi8kOLbbVJceAmZf0IDa4htU1bxpmF3xrjqfDz8DhYY/s320/zembly_londontube3.jpg" alt="London Tube Widget destination" title="London Tube Widget destination" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403727831645772642" border="0" /></a>It's tough saying goodbye to zembly. It will be missed by many!!<p/>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-9480637565889395972009-11-12T16:49:00.000-08:002009-11-12T17:02:31.726-08:00Fighting for choices in alternative healthcareI am one of the many people who regularly use and passionately embrace alternative healthcare. Yes, I still make annual visits to my OBGYN and see traditional doctors for acute injuries. But I visit my chiropractor for illnesses such as colds, the flu, any back or leg aches. I haven’t taken any antibiotics for 20 years until this year (ear infection from body boarding in the ocean). I take vitamins regularly, including fish oil.<br /><br />In their Health section this week, the L.A. Times published an article (<a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-alternative-medicine9-2009nov09,0,5522507.story">Alternative medicine becoming mainstream by Tammy Worth, November 9, 2009</a>) describing how more and more people (not just the ‘out-there fringe’) are taking advantage of alternative healthcare. The article is a caution for those who choose to follow alternative healthcare, with these three broad points:<blockquote>“Then there’s the issue of safety” meaning that vitamins and supplements don’t go through the rigorous approval process of the FDA.</blockquote> Until the medical industry separates itself from the profit motives of the pharmaceutical industry I don’t think traditional medicine can criticize alternative healthcare. We are constantly bombarded with ads for pharmaceuticals on television and in magazines. The possible side effects always seem worse than the original problem. Somehow people think that if you list the side effects then it’s okay to take the drug (even when possible side effects include death!).<blockquote>Only one-third of people who use alternative healthcare discuss their treatment with their physicians.</blockquote>This does not surprise me. I tell my doctor about the vitamins I take and the treatment I follow from my chiropractor. Usually this admission is met with derision. I always feel like my doctor and my chiropractor should work together to provide the best of both worlds for me. But, it is up to me to judge the treatments of both alternative and traditional medicine and pick and choose myself. I’m not happy about that, but I see no other choice. I’m certainly not going to give up either form of healthcare.<blockquote>“I think people using alternative medicine are wasting their money and are being fooled into thinking they are getting something that is beneficial for them.” (Dr. Jerome Kassirer, distinguished professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine.) </blockquote>Uh, maybe this is why more people don’t discuss alternative healthcare with their doctors! Unfortunately, Dr. Kassirer’s broad dismissal is not uncommon among traditional healthcare providers.<br /><br />I look forward to the day when the medical industry becomes more open-minded and chiropractic and other alternative treatments are given a well-earned place in mainstream healthcare.Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-29076640045414565262009-10-01T11:40:00.000-07:002009-10-02T17:34:18.172-07:00Not In My House<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1Ds0bUv1lUi7iUe4iOyUb_zAxdQ1AbJVDzAbdgPPgdUViEgB5RH7YmSjXBQsyCH4Zmd60xHFp7tONy_mKCLwqtk3XFWHqd0fN_NowABEpXH71H8ST-D18xqFOVpQVjopCl2h/s1600-h/2009_09_29+Padres+3+v%235AE42.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" title="Manny striking out to end the inning on Tuesday 9/29/09" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1Ds0bUv1lUi7iUe4iOyUb_zAxdQ1AbJVDzAbdgPPgdUViEgB5RH7YmSjXBQsyCH4Zmd60xHFp7tONy_mKCLwqtk3XFWHqd0fN_NowABEpXH71H8ST-D18xqFOVpQVjopCl2h/s320/2009_09_29+Padres+3+v%235AE42.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388163071562212354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo by Tom Mills</span><br /></div>Congratulations to the Padres on an exciting game, denying the Dodgers' celebration at PetCo. LA Times sports writers gave no credit to the Padres for the win, but we know--we saw--amazing pitching, hitting, and most of all, great defense. Labeled the likes of "lowly Padres" and "next-to-last-place team," opponents don't seem to quite realize how well the Padres have played in August and September. Cabrera may make an error, but he more than makes up for it with dazzling plays. In fact, sometimes I think he makes an error just so he can initiate the double play for the next batter. And, what's with the wrestling move, (ex-Padre) Loretta?Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-54668551379042218062009-06-10T13:08:00.000-07:002009-06-11T09:44:17.988-07:00JavaOne: A Tale of Two Technologies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4vQQXbhHfgiR8N5F0tRc_-M_SpLaz1uVxYXJtwPoX4PLWSUaoXANMh9h7kj-2vqGoWHNsrgAiMpaJMCnx05P4_naeJdIoKt7mJhuUnXFJ594MEiK1xOKnPg-1cV5SDwNPl6V/s1600-h/JavaOne09007clip.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4vQQXbhHfgiR8N5F0tRc_-M_SpLaz1uVxYXJtwPoX4PLWSUaoXANMh9h7kj-2vqGoWHNsrgAiMpaJMCnx05P4_naeJdIoKt7mJhuUnXFJ594MEiK1xOKnPg-1cV5SDwNPl6V/s400/JavaOne09007clip.jpg" alt="JavaOne 09: Night Hackers Diner" title="JavaOne 09: Night Hackers Diner" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345800413862393282" border="0" /></a>“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .” and so begins Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities as well as this Tale of Two Technologies. For at JavaOne, indeed it seemed like the best of times with mostly exciting Keynotes (please, not Microsoft!), technical talks, and, my favorite, well-attended Hands-On Labs. The less-than-normal attendance made lunch-time so much more pleasant, although tearing off the requisite lunch tickets continued to challenge the most nimble of fingers. I was never herded into an overflow room nor ever denied entrance to even the most popular presentations.<br /><br />But the worst-of-times feeling loomed large for many attendees, despite the ease with which we negotiated the underground maze of Moscone. Book sales at the <a href="http://www.digitalguru.com/">Digital Guru</a> book store were down by more than 50% from previous events (not just JavaOne—other technical shows as well). And the recent announcement of the Oracle takeover of Sun Microsystems, although perhaps a less troubling result than a Big Blue ownership, created a heavy cloud of dark unknown. What will happen at Sun Microsystems? What path will Java take? Is this the last JavaOne as we know it?<br /><br />Following the long escalator down into the show, bean bag chairs dot the floor space in front of the nostalgic Night Hacks Diner mural, where James Gosling sporting a half-smile shares a cup of Java with Duke behind the counter. The Linux Penguin and the Dolphin (is this the Dolphin Express-MySQL bundle?) sit nearby. Is this meant to be some last-time gathering of close friends as they each make their separate ways into the world? And Scott McNealy’s reminiscent-laden Keynote sounded eulogy-like. Take heed, rumor has it that Sun Microsystems has a paid contract with Moscone for 2010. But, that’s no guarantee, mates.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4mUlfoo1ZYqYsI1Aq2HAKBZMvkpPy4J82LrA6KhM0DPHV332O_IoBwHjdZMvnIu0By9RudNS7IwV0-ly8vOvKb28_OjjaysK5m6TuAx7lWv1tJK1bl506yDinb1OLT0WS595/s1600-h/essential_javafx.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4mUlfoo1ZYqYsI1Aq2HAKBZMvkpPy4J82LrA6KhM0DPHV332O_IoBwHjdZMvnIu0By9RudNS7IwV0-ly8vOvKb28_OjjaysK5m6TuAx7lWv1tJK1bl506yDinb1OLT0WS595/s320/essential_javafx.jpg" alt="Essential JavaFX book at the Pearson/PTR Booth at JavaOne" title="Essential JavaFX book at the Pearson/PTR Booth at JavaOne" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345810419658455922" border="0" /></a>But back to my tale of two technologies. The biggest buzz of the conference was JavaFX. There were multiple hands-on labs, technical talks (I went to them all), and demonstrations at Keynotes featuring JavaFX applications. On the Pavilion Floor, there were the JavaFX-based App Store and early-stages-under-development slick JavaFX App Builder. Two JavaFX books make their debut at JavaOne (<a href="http://www.asgteach.com/books/javafxbook.html">Essential JavaFX</a>, ours, was one) with several more books in the works. JavaFX was the technology darling at JavaOne 2009. As both an attendee and book author, it was exciting.<br /><br />The second technology I tuned into was <a href="http://zembly.com/">zembly</a>. As one of the co-authors of <a href="http://www.asgteach.com/books/zemblybook.html">Assemble the Social Web with zembly</a>, I have been involved with this Sun Microsystems-based technology since the fall of 2007. I have built widgets, data services, and Facebook applications. I have seen zembly grow and improve and I love it. We presented a zembly Hands-on-Lab at JavaOne this year. It was completely full and all participants received a detailed introduction to this amazing site. They all saw how easy it is to build (and zembly hosts!) Facebook applications. People want to know how to hook into the social-based application market. It’s new and young and the under-30 crowd seemed especially interested. zembly’s presence at JavaOne included one book debut (ours), one <a href="http://developers.sun.com/learning/javaoneonline/">hands-on-lab</a>, one <a href="http://developers.sun.com/learning/javaoneonline/j1sessn.jsp?sessn=TS-5428&yr=2009&track=nextweb">technical talk</a> (Todd Fast and Jirka Kopsa whipped up a Facebook application with amazing speed), and one station in the cavernous Sun Microsystems exhibit space. True, the product is officially in Beta, but it is a very mature Beta.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKr9hKAjf19KTie9tB0wjabgSxKoM3Pcl2qVJ0BTISBiXywxK7NyQKvDWushxJxkhmfR4N7fKgLmNOful94KgweJxJAy6XfLiY8t04PV7vg7bq0QOEF8Y662ya2O0ilzjtLTn/s1600-h/JavaOne09032clip.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKr9hKAjf19KTie9tB0wjabgSxKoM3Pcl2qVJ0BTISBiXywxK7NyQKvDWushxJxkhmfR4N7fKgLmNOful94KgweJxJAy6XfLiY8t04PV7vg7bq0QOEF8Y662ya2O0ilzjtLTn/s320/JavaOne09032clip.jpg" alt="Chris Webster, Gail Anderson, Paul Anderson, & Todd Fast at zembly book signing (JavaOne)" title="Chris Webster, Gail Anderson, Paul Anderson, & Todd Fast at zembly book signing (JavaOne)" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345812310521874274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Bottom line, I’m waiting for the rest of the world to notice zembly. It’s something worth looking into. And, we all wish for the continuance of the Good Times for JavaOne.Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-73285799515295415902009-05-27T21:13:00.000-07:002009-06-11T09:43:43.644-07:00Have Gun – Will Backpack<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULGUuIrhHNWszlHGuxWod7ZNidSSrg14Dd7zN-KUty-BXvKbHShZ8R0iZM-HGRwzEzlSQ3nLb3nMy2nfWQL2jZyvLscGRE9PsIue-3PusndJ-31IfrvAOpyw_xkfuP9B15anE/s1600-h/nature.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULGUuIrhHNWszlHGuxWod7ZNidSSrg14Dd7zN-KUty-BXvKbHShZ8R0iZM-HGRwzEzlSQ3nLb3nMy2nfWQL2jZyvLscGRE9PsIue-3PusndJ-31IfrvAOpyw_xkfuP9B15anE/s320/nature.jpg" border="0" alt="Our treasued National Parks" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340724709566674450" /></a><br />Is it just me, but why do people need to carry concealed, loaded guns or rifles in national parks?<br /><br />Last week Congress passed a Credit Card bill. Riding its coattails is a clause that allows visitors to national parks to carry concealed, loaded guns and rifles.<br /><br />I am officially registering my disappointment in the actions of these gutless legislators.<br /><br />So, I am camping in Yosemite Park and the guy in the campsite next to me may have a concealed gun on his person. If I accidentally amble too close to the border of his campsite, will he shoot me thinking I’m going to rob him?<br /><br />Or, let’s say I’m out backpacking. It’s bear country, so I dutifully rope up my food out of paw reach of would-be bear guests. But, the group 100 meters down the path ain’t so backwoods savvy. They leave their food just laying around. And, what do you know . . . that bear comes amblin’ in looking for a hand-out. Bam! That high-powered rifle sure stopped the bear. No problem. My bacon ain’t bendin’ to no bear-theft Yogi wanna-be! Jes protecting my property, thank you kindly.<br /><br />I ask yet again—who needs to carry a loaded concealed weapon in a national park? What kind of country are we?Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-602583698479587732009-04-05T11:29:00.000-07:002009-04-05T12:06:42.161-07:00JavaFX Path Animation (A Request)Here is a screen shot from a JavaFX program that performs path animation (a request from a reader).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_9JUSTlLj9vWCUkYVncM4WbYdYyCfOzld_mx6TI2rOuuzuY9wKmgzeLO_0-HZJFFRylA3PSSSl-1v3P_WZBS0YsCoW0YqTMUi_5ns8_XZ4GQdTHCgB7awo6azOQzHn8S40MK/s1600-h/javafx_pathAnimation.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_9JUSTlLj9vWCUkYVncM4WbYdYyCfOzld_mx6TI2rOuuzuY9wKmgzeLO_0-HZJFFRylA3PSSSl-1v3P_WZBS0YsCoW0YqTMUi_5ns8_XZ4GQdTHCgB7awo6azOQzHn8S40MK/s320/javafx_pathAnimation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321276635026931906" border="0" /></a><br />I just received a request based on a recent <a href="http://www.gailanderson.org/2009/02/javafx-path-animation.html">JavaFX Path Animation post</a>: How to create an animation that<br /><blockquote>Path is simple circle.<br />Object is a line bar.<br />This bar should move around the circle.</blockquote>I don't usually do this, but the request was indeed simple and it took a mere 10 minutes to put together the code. (The complete code for the Chutes and Ladders animation is included in the upcoming book I'm writing with Paul Anderson. If you like this, please buy the book. Look for it at--God willling and the stars align--JavaOne.)<br /><br />Here is the complete code (minus the import statements). For more details on the JavaFX path animation, see the <a href="http://java.sun.com/javafx/1.1/docs/api/javafx.animation.transition/javafx.animation.transition.PathTransition.html">JavaFX 1.1 API</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><pre>// change these to change the<br />// dimensions of the path elements<br />def startX = 100;<br />def startY = 100;<br />def radiusX = 50;<br />def radiusY = 50;<br />// this provides the path elements for the animation<br />// (using PathTransition)<br />// and the Path (which is a Shape)<br />def circleElements = [<br /> MoveTo {<br /> x: startX<br /> y: startY + radiusY<br /> }<br /> ArcTo {<br /> x: startX<br /> y: startY - radiusY<br /> radiusX: radiusX<br /> radiusY: radiusY<br /> }<br /> ArcTo {<br /> x: startX<br /> y: startY + radiusY<br /> radiusX: radiusX<br /> radiusY: radiusY<br /> }<br />];<br />// this is the path, not needed for the animation,<br />// just shows the path<br />def path = Path {<br /> stroke: Color.DARKGRAY<br /> strokeWidth: 2<br /> elements: circleElements<br />}<br />// marks the center of the "circlePath",<br />// not needed, just for decoration<br />def circle = Circle {<br /> centerX: startX<br /> centerY: startY<br /> radius: 5<br /> fill: Color.BLUE<br />}<br />// this is the object that gets animated<br />// along the path<br />def lineBar = Rectangle {<br /> width: 40<br /> height: 10<br /> stroke: Color.BLACK<br /> fill: Color.YELLOW<br />}<br />// put all of these things in a group<br />// you can change the location of the group<br />// with properties translateX and tranlateY<br />def group = Group {content: [ path circle lineBar ] }<br />// This provides the animation<br />// repeatCount can be a number (defaults to 1)<br />// also autoReverse: true lets the animation repeat<br />// in reverse, repeatCount must be at least 2<br />// for this to have an effect<br />PathTransition {<br /> repeatCount: Timeline.INDEFINITE<br /> duration: 15s<br /> node: lineBar<br /> orientation: OrientationType.ORTHOGONAL_TO_TANGENT<br /> interpolate: Interpolator.LINEAR<br /> path: AnimationPath.createFromPath(Path {<br /> elements: circleElements<br /> })<br />}.play(); // start the animation now<br /><br />Stage {<br /> title: "Simple Path"<br /> width: 250<br /> height: 250<br /> scene: Scene {<br /> content: group<br /> }<br />}</pre></span></span>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-86807817347689997432009-03-12T20:49:00.000-07:002009-12-02T16:29:06.474-08:00JavaFX Flickr Photo CarouselJavaFX makes it easy to manipulate images and move things around in general. So, here is my take (screen shot) at a rotating photo carousel that displays photos from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKVx5csxUDZQAYhN8UB7vRB8QDUq-6RgBp0JilwHLEsPunzsrf3lLKYoE4hWCUaVH91LUQ-xCUR9RlK2X04hkKThiTniv-haeIJH4VhCsQEA5O1ymPZ4pEehef1yfo_qAQr0a/s1600-h/flickrtag_surfer1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKVx5csxUDZQAYhN8UB7vRB8QDUq-6RgBp0JilwHLEsPunzsrf3lLKYoE4hWCUaVH91LUQ-xCUR9RlK2X04hkKThiTniv-haeIJH4VhCsQEA5O1ymPZ4pEehef1yfo_qAQr0a/s320/flickrtag_surfer1.jpg" border="0" title="JavaFX Photo Carousel Screen Shot" alt="JavaFX Photo Carousel Screen Shot" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410799803298389906" /></a>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31606635.post-59013879233304318052009-02-21T09:23:00.000-08:002009-12-02T16:32:10.748-08:00JavaFX Path AnimationPath animation in JavaFX lets you define a path (or several, if you like) and animate an object in the scene graph along a path. (JavaFX calls these objects <span style="font-style: italic;">nodes</span>.) Here is a screen shot of an example that animates Circle nodes along three separate paths hooked together: the Chute, the Ground, and the Ladder.<br /><p/><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwU1bY86k-THV63zSH44yzvkuCZyq3pdQGpggprNBGthOtk5dkpOIGq85X-K1XSs2502QZfYPamDDnJ1ee9a41MGzKGTHrRDKwLHWH4et81o6UdBOS4VFR6ei2QyFEr6uLgR_/s1600-h/chutesApplet2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 204px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwU1bY86k-THV63zSH44yzvkuCZyq3pdQGpggprNBGthOtk5dkpOIGq85X-K1XSs2502QZfYPamDDnJ1ee9a41MGzKGTHrRDKwLHWH4et81o6UdBOS4VFR6ei2QyFEr6uLgR_/s320/chutesApplet2.jpg" border="0" alt="Chutes and Ladders Screen Shot" title="Chutes and Ladders Screen Shot" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410800891658328610" /></a><br /><br /><p></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02007592486246852235noreply@blogger.com1