You know your kid is getting
seriously spoiled to island life, when they look at you with the most serious
expression on their face and utter the words, “Mom, I really wanna see a
dolphin and a rainbow right now.”
Oh really, I ask myself, when
these incredibly indulged phrases come out of her mouth. “Would you like the
dolphin to also jump through the rainbow?” I ask jokingly.
“Uh-huh,” she says back as we
swing in the hammock.
Well, I guess that’s what I
should expect. She will probably never know how lucky she is, but we will and I’m
sure we will constantly remind her of that!
It’s amazing to me how whales
appear at the islands. One day, there are none – the next day, they are
everywhere. Isabel and Chris left for their daily morning dinghy ride –
smoothies in hand – and upon their return Isabel shouted excitedly, “Mommy, I
saw a whale. A baby and a mommy whale. They were swimming in the ocean with the
dolphins.”
Again, I couldn’t help wonder
when, and if, she will ever realize how lucky she is to be living this life
with us.
Her pure joy at this sighting
was fun to see, as was her immediate acceptance that this is just everyday life
for her.
The boat projects have been
numerous and very challenging for my multi-talented husband. The wind generator
is installed but not producing any power yet, but the solar panels are rocking.
The diesel generator was successful repaired at a minimal cost, and is now sporting new motor mounts. The list has been endless for him. I’ve been having
major flashbacks to our Napa re-fitting days, sweaty behind my dust mask as I
sand floorboards and the companionway.
We (and by “we” I mean Chris)
finally wrapped up some of the big projects in preparation for the Perry crew
invasion. My brother, his wife and their three kids rented a place in the
upcountry for the holidays. We rocked the big island everyday of their 10-day
adventure.
My Christmas gift from them
was a helicopter trip – best two-hour gift ever! It was incredible to see
Kiluea, the most active volcano in the world, up close and watch the
destruction those lava flows can cause. Ripping its way through heavily
forested areas, giant trees are left in its wake.
The coastal waterfalls left
us all speechless, and the lush, green, deep valleys were an amazing sight. Two
thousand foot waterfalls cascaded from one pool into the next into the next.
Our first sailing excursion
ended with all three kids feeding the fish overboard at some point. But they
were not to be deterred. Two days later, decked out with scopolamine patches,
we sailed out of the harbor again. We didn’t make it far before we spotted the
local spinner dolphins. The kids, my brother and I all jumped in for just your
average swim-with-the-dolphins experience. They came within 20 feet of us three
different times, and the kids were beyond excited. A mellow afternoon of whale
watching and unsuccessful fishing followed.
We hit the best beaches,
boogie boarded some fun waves, built some amazing sand castles and race tracks,
ate way too much amazing food, and drank way too much beer, great wine and
champagne.
As soon as the crew left, we
started prepping for our sail to Maui. Ryanda, our awesome friend from Maui,
flew over to join us for the mellow trip. We had a very easy motorsail, and
spent most of our time playing the playdough and looking for whales.
Our first night in Lahaina on
a mooring was awful, as unpredicted winds kept us beam to the swell. We bailed
first thing in the morning for Lanai, but had unexpected winds that gusted to
25-30 knots. Not a problem for our boat, except when we’re towing our dinghy
with the motor on, and the radar bracket dislodges. Despite surfing down 6-foot
waves and being jerked all over the place, everything survived the abuse and we
pulled into the idyllic Manele Bay. We ended up getting a slip in the extremely
small harbor, through Chris’ good looks and charm, and have been at the beach
and in the water, trying to forget all the projects that are still looming. Our
cousins’ from the frozen tundra, also known as Michigan, arrive next week, so I
better stop writing and get to work…
