Hawaii: Underwater Creatures

The best kind of creatures!

You just can't keep that boy on the surface.

Smoochie fish!

Carolyn braving the undersea world!

My husband makes the best underwater tour guide.

Oliver didn't need one though.

Chris was a lone snorkeler, heading off by himself.

It's my fave when my husband sticks his head in an undersea hole and them motions me over. Yeah. Fallen for that one about 3 million times.

The gingers, hunting something.

Hooray for buoyancy!

OK, sometimes I'm below the surface too.

Louis was a natural.

It's like it was Christmas of 1997 all over again. :D

Hawaii: Our First Black Sand Beach

After soaking, we headed down to the next beach over to survey our first black sand beach that was also a surfing beach, tho there weren't many surfers on a Tuesday morning.

But we trekked out on the...jetty...thingy... and watched for a while.

And just kicked it.

There was cool art on the jersey barriers.

After a bit the gingers rolled up in their fat ride to tell the tale of their first finding of a juvenile turtle at our snorkeling site. THAT'S how Ron Swanson vacations.

We had a little trunk picnic...

And then ventured up the train for a bit of a hike.

Not so many tasty waves today.

But stunning views.

:)

Hawaii: Hot Springs at Ahalanui Park

My husband took Louis to go find turtles, my father-in-law decided to lay low at the house, and the rest of us were off to find a municipal hot springs facility just up the road.

It had a concrete wall, a natural bottom, and was refreshed with sea water, but was geothermically heated. We dug it.

And it was just picturesque too.

It was peaceful and relaxing and quiet. I kind of wished we'd returned in the evening once.

So nice to soak and gab.

Sal and I did some good catching up here.

Click for panorama of the place! 

Hawaii: Corals and Urchins and Weird Things

I banter with my mother-in-law about her birding habits, because i am mostly bored by birds, but i can relate, because i do attempt to ID fishes and creatures when we snorkel.

But after returning to regular life, all their specific names leave my pea brain, so I will now do you a huge disservice and give you my made-up names for these corals and urchins and whatnot.

Pantone Color of the Year Coral.

Non-slip coral

Paper coral.

Red chalk coral.

Fields of lilacs.

Pink lemonade coral

Blue ink coral.

Spotty crab!

Pixie stick urchin.

No idea what this is really called, but I think that orange thing is a hanger-on.

Creatures living on top of /off of other creatures.

Tiny starfish! (I didn't make that one up!)

Hawaii: Louie Cooks!

I especially enjoyed mornings on the deck and in the back.. And the 4-cup coffee maker we had in the guest house where I could make decaf. I didn't dare mention decaf around the Seattle crowd, lest they deem me week. Or just caffeine-sensitive.

WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE UKELELE.

The next morning, Louis was up and on breakfast duty! Everyone did such a lovely job preparing food for us all.

One of the things that's important to me in a rental house is a dining space to sit everyone. Breaking bread together is such a part of the fun.

And then, Carolyn came to visit the guest house and try to get us on the same page. Not knowing of course that I had already created a one-week planner of things we should / could / might do. Big shocker there.

Hawaii: Boys Hitting the Waves

Despite the rocky approach on our beach, Chris and Ollie decided to brave the sharp lava and attempt to hit the waves in front of the house.

And brave another trip over the lava.

I like their sense of adventure.

Cause those are some tasty waves. ;)

We wandered out to see if they would succeed.

In fact, we all wondered if there would be carnage.

They stayed out for a while, but then returned unharmed.

I appreciated them giving it a go!