Here are pictures from the first day of rowing in December. Strong currents and winds made for colder than usual conditions and “muddy” water, but it was a challenging workout, which we appreciate. The fog wasn’t nearly as bad as yesterday when I drove through the area on that Carquinez Bridge pictured. There was a heavy fog/low visibility alert, but it dissipated before we went out today. I particularly like the picture of coxswain Tori with the horn as we head back into the marina, something we do for safety, perhaps to the chagrin of those who live nearby or who live on their boats in the marina.
This was very much worth flying back from Hawaii a little earlier! Shea and I took the redeye on Friday night and after a very brief rest I headed over. Shea joined me later. I wasn’t about to do something without my dogs, so I had them the entire time, even though Bonnie was her cranky self and startled a few folks. Fortunately, she’s harmless (but loud). Snoopy, on the other hand, was such a good ambassador, that he even was held by a stranger for her photos since she missed her late dog.
As you can see, once again we had families with kids, dogs, and without sitting with Santa and Mrs. Claus (Tom and Julie).
Thank you to Bill, America, Ted, Shea, and Sara for your contributions to these photos!
Interactions with birds on the patio were fun. I worked remotely from this location, especially after I rearranged the furniture. At one point, one of them walked in, so we learned to keep the screen door closed when we weren’t using it. In this video, the bird did NOT take the chip out of my hand, but a bird of this type often took it directly from me when I was not on camera.
On the day we flew out we had leftovers that had to be consumed or thrown out. I made sure that it was safe for the birds to eat, so they had a bonanza:
I’m so grateful that my friend loves Snoopy (who everyone loves) and higher maintenance Bonnie (who takes some patience to get to know). I missed my dogs so much when Shea and I were in Hawaii, but these pictures (and watching my own videos of them) helped! Mei and her husband went up to Napa for a few days, so Bonnie and Snoopy had their own adventure.
We made sure to watch as many Big Island sunsets with as much awareness and appreciation as we could, even though that meant Shea didn’t have a chance to hear the coqui frogs on the Hilo side the entire trip (maybe he’ll thank me when he hears what it would have been like online). I had told Shea that sunsets were a daily event that stopped traffic on the Kona side, and for good reason! Last night was one of the more brilliant ones with fractals and clouds on the horizon, making the water all the more brilliant and colorful. Obviously cameras can only capture so much, but it was worth the sand in the pants (and shoes).
We spent Harvest Day/Thanksgiving snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay in a Hawaiian town called Captain Cook. I could tell Shea was excited. He took some footage on the way there.
The best snorkeling is near a monument where Captain Cook was killed by a Hawaiian chieftain after the locals had welcomed his crew with food and gifts.
Cook and his crew apparently returned the favor by accusing the locals of stealing a boat and then trying to capture their chief. Shea calls it a story of thanks and giving, so he took the opportunity to “dance” on the grave of a colonizer.
I took a video of Shea diving from the boat waving back at me, although I honestly wasn’t sure if that was him when I shot it.
Shea later found a picture of the monument with highly hilarious graffiti which made me laugh very loudly when I first saw it posted by him, and he didn’t even realize what was written in. Read carefully!
Technically he was not allowed to get up on the land from the water access without a permit, but he is a very accomplished swimmer and snorkeler. I was impressed. I snorkeled, but I was much more about relaxing in the water and taking in the goats on the hill, the ancient caves that were made by indigenous Hawaiians on the side of the cliff, and the general serenity of the cove we were in.
Anyone who knows me knows that my whole life I have loved being on the water, in the water, and on boats.
After a long day on a boat and in the car, Shea took some more footage on the drive back.
Pictures of the cauldron from the rim of Volcano National Park, one of two active volcanoes on the Big Island.
Panorama of Western Crater Edge:
A nice couple offered to take pictures of us outside of the main lava tunnel.
These pictures are closer to where the lava of this active volcano meets the water. Some of the parts were inaccessible and we had to walk to them because the road is now closed. That’s the nature of volcanoes! I also call this the end of the world, since it’s terraforming and making the Big Island bigger regularly.
Driving to Hōnaunau Bay the first stop is the Painted Church.
This is still an active church with a congregation. It has interesting architecture which makes sense for this climate and has unique depictions of biblical history on the inner walls. I don’t know if we’re allowed to photograph them, but a violinist was playing at the time anyway. It’s pretty much an open-air church on amazing grounds on a hillside, which is the slope of a volcano.
