Arrival in Paradise

All my weather worries (as usual) came to nothing. After a cruel 2:30 am wake-up, we were at the Hawaiian Airlines counter when when they opened, and the flight departed on time at 7 am. 

 

 

In minutes we were above the dreary Northwest clouds, cruising along in a spanking new Boeing 787. I like gazing out at the clouds and ocean below, doing some daydreaming on the Dreamliner.  

 

 

The 787 doesn't have those typical pull down window shades-- there's a button you press to lighten or darken the glass by your seat. 

 

Pretty slick technology, but on this flight the windows were controlled by the cockpit, and the cabin was dark for most of the 6 hour flight!  So I had this weird view of the sun through the dark window, looking like the moon. Everyone was either sleeping or glued to the screens.  

 

Anyway, about 2 hours from Honolulu, the windows gradually lightened like a fake sunrise, giving the discombobulated feeling of coming off a night flight.  

 

 

 

We were met in the baggage claim by the representative, and soon in the shared van to our hotel. Everything went smoothly, thumbs up Costco travel. 

 

 

Our room is high up on the 23rd floor with partial view of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head in the distance. The outside balcony is noisy for sitting, due to all the HVAC systems roaring below, but other than that no complaints. The service here is very nice.

 

 

Only the old people remember Don Ho. What would he think of this glitzy new Hawaii?

 

We walked around for a while in a daze, checking out the fancy malls and designer stores. This area is a luxury shopping destination for the world, and if nothing else, great for people watching. 

 

We shared a simple pizza at the Maui Brewing Company and went to bed early. What a long day.

 

 

 

And a new one begins. Up early for the included breakfast in the hotel lobby cafe. We plan walk over to the beach this morning and stick our feet in the ocean. Tomorrow, a bus tour of the North Shore, and on Saturday, Pearl Harbor. 

 

Aloha!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flight countdown

 

Wouldn't you know it? The Seattle weather has turned absolutely springlike this week, just in time for our winter getaway. Sunny days, but the downside is dense fog in the mornings, and we have an early flight tomorrow on Hawaiian Airlines. 

I always need to worry about something when we travel (preferably something completely out of my control ha!) so a fog delay will do nicely. 

We shall see. Hope to be posting some cool Waikiki photos in a couple of days. Stay tuned and aloha for now.

National Hot Tea Day

 

 

Tea is good and good for you. I look forward to my cup of Sleepy Time tea each evening. 

That contraption is a handy electric element to heat a cup of water for instant coffee or tea. Yes, most hotel rooms have some sort of coffee maker, but you're not getting Sleepy Time out of a Keurig. 

So that's going to Hawaii, along with some other new travel gadgets to try out. 2026 will make up for our lack of vacations in 2025. 

Next up, a Viking River Cruise in June. Now that will be a challenge to pack for, especially John, who obsesses about running out of clean shirts. I said if we can float along the Rhine like royalty, we can afford to send a few shirts out to be washed in the boat laundry. Don't sweat the small stuff. 

Anyway, sitting at my computer this morning sorting through all the travel documents. 

What a jumble of email for a relatively simple trip: airline tickets and unintelligible travel insurance documents, Costco hotel package with transfer information, tours we've already booked to Pearl Harbor and the North Shore. Everything of course is electronic and what on earth would happen if you lost your telephones?

Remember paper airline tickets? I still have this fine leather holder, buttery from use, bought from Levenger in the 1990's. I'm nostalgic about it and since it will never wear out, now I stuff it with documents printed out at home. Just in case. Hard to imagine what travel was like before the Internet.

Staying power

 

 

That Home Depot poinsettia looks exactly like it did a month ago. They seem to last much longer these days, and go easily from holiday decorations to houseplants that hang around for longer than you probably want to look at them. Easter is about my upper limit. 

It's been a quiet week but that's OK, we're gearing up for our trip and trying to stay well. I didn't go to ukulele yesterday. Two hours sitting on the cold crowded patio in a not-so-clean bar? Well, that kind of has flu written all over it. We've been healthy so far this winter and hope our luck holds.

Speaking of indulgent self-care, Amanda sent this picture of furry lumps toasting themselves in front of the Russian stove. Oh, the good life. 

We're also sticking close to home this weekend. Among other reasons, I-5 (the main freeway through downtown Seattle) is shut down for construction, so why drive anywhere if you don't have to.   

See you Monday.  

The art of winter

 

 

Richard von Drasche-Wartinberger, In Deep Winter

We haven't been to our home along the river since Thanksgiving, and with the trip to Hawaii coming up, it will be February until we can get over again. That's the longest stretch of being away since we bought it over 5 years ago. 

I don't worry much with Methow Homewatch checking in weekly, but I often think about the place with gratitude-- the river flowing endlessly by the empty house, the quiet rooms with everything left perfectly neat and clean for the next visit. A soothing thought.

Of course, there are always surprises with home ownership. This being winter, the beavers are certainly at work again chewing down the remaining trees along our little stretch of waterfront. 

I got in touch recently with the Methow Beaver Project, perhaps the premier organization in the country dedicated to watershed restoration and "partnering" with beavers. They sometimes relocate "problem" beavers, and I hoped these town dwellers might be good candidates. After all, they aren't building useful dams along the Methow River. Put them where they can do some honest work!

Anyway, someone sent a nice email back, sympathizing for the loss of our young trees, but explaining they rarely relocate beavers along the Methow River, that body of water being their "highway." 

Well, they're not grabbing a quick snack as they pass by, they live right there in the bank next to their own personal McDonald's all winter, as they have for decades, evidenced by many old stumps.

The only suggestion was to put heavy wire around all the trees, which is neither practical or aesthetic. I'm resigned to let nature take it's course. 

“I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want.” Andy Warhole

Which simply means, let it be.  

 

 

 

  

Correction

John pointed out that we were actually on the Oregon coast in September 2016. 

OK, still a long time ago.