Not an ordinary day

This morning on our routine morning walk down the Donkey Mill Road we saw the usual group of neighborhood chickens – a rooster, three hens, and about 6 to 8 chicks.  Cherry, who lives on this bend in the road, feeds them as well as the turkeys and whatever else likes chicken scratch.  There were a lot more chicks than usual – a happy extended family.   We stopped to pick up the morning paper across from Dakota Joe's farm.

We were right on time at the DonkeyMill Art Center.  On Tuesday and Friday mornings at 8:00 we gather our chi at the Center’s Qigong class led by Wayne Chenault. We gather on the lawn at the fourth out of five levels on this steep piece of land where the art studios are built, emerging out of the rocky hillside.  Two cats call this area home and are always curious about these creatures on “their” lawn so early in the morning.  They will sometimes rub up against your shoe or climb on your pants for attention.  This morning was no exception.  The gray calico was pawing onto one man’s pant leg.  She was quite persistent.  Then we saw a tiny mouse emerge from the pant leg seam and run away.  The cat playfully followed.  I’ve heard of the saying “playing cat and mouse” but never observed it until now.  The mouse ran back towards the cat and sat in front of him!  The cat stared down and left the mouse alone.  Then the cat jumped away and the mouse scampered to the side.  Next thing I see is a limp mouse in the cat’s mouth.  She is looking bored and wondering where to put this thing now that she got it.  No fun now that it can’t move.

Group of Nene

We moved on to another sequence called ShiBashi.  As our eyes were raised and our arms wide, “opening our heart to embrace nature” six large birds swooped from above swiftly flying purposefully down towards the ocean, three on three.  Someone said they might be Nene.   Nenes are geese descended from Canada geese, but smaller, and are only found in Hawaii.  They are the official Hawaiian bird and are being protected from extinction.  Before we did the next movement, another bird flew over, catching up to the ones before, so we took better notice.  This time we all confirmed they were Nene.  They did not resemble turkeys – they can achieve flight but rarely fly so high and so long; nor pheasants, which like to stay on the ground.  They can fly, but not in groups.  The birds we saw were medium large and seemed comfortable in flight, like a goose.  There is no other possibility but the Nene.

Nene

After class, on the walk back up the hill,  we noticed the chickens were on the other side of the road. Unlike before, they were suddenly running , squawking, flapping wings and all looking to the West.  A grey hawk was swiftly coming in for a meal, claws in front ready to grab.  No amount of chicken screams were going to stop him from getting his chick.  Hens running in circles were trying to keep track of their chicks and protect them while keeping their eye on the hawk.  The rooster was in front, protecting the flock.  One hen, excited and confused, inadvertently stepped on one of the chicks.  It all happened in less than two seconds.  We clearly saw the hawk, but couldn’t tell if it captured anything.  When he left, the group dispersed.  David said “I think the hen stepped on its chick!”  We looked under the tree, and sure enough, a tiny chick was tucked among the rocks and macadamia nuts, unmoving.

Several minutes later as we were heading down the driveway home, anticipating breakfast and Kona coffee, we saw three pheasants.  It is ordinary to see them on the driveway, especially at this particular section.  They are impossible to photograph because they are hurrying across going one way or the other.  They are Kalij pheasants, common on the Big Island.  However today, there were three and they were in the middle of the driveway facing each other, prohibiting us to pass.  Each one was posturing to the other, prancing forward, then back.  Usually quiet, they were squawking loudly.  Not a “pheasant” conversation. 

When we were allowed to pass,  approaching the farmhouse we noticed a palm frond had finally fallen to the ground next to the house.  We decided to lift it out of the way and put it in the green waste pile. It was heavy!  I’d say 50 pounds.   It took both of us to haul it there.

After breakfast, we noticed the coconut that had fallen the day before, now had its “hat” off.  It was time to attempt to open our first coconut.  It looks easy, if you watch Samoans do it at a luau.  They use a “sharp stick” anchored in the ground to impale it, breaking open the outer husk.  They pull this away with their bare hands, removing the inner dark brown round coconut like it was a banana.  They crack  big nut quickly and hard with a hand sized rock, hitting in the exact spot on the “face”.   Two seconds later miraculously the shell is in two perfect halves with all the coconut milk and meat held in both breast sized cups! 

We have no sharp stick in the ground, so David used the curved saw used for cutting tree limbs to saw his way inside.  Surprisingly, it was fairly easy to cut through the outer husk.  He was able to pour out about a cup of juice.  Then he sawed all the way through the middle of the coconut.  But there wasn’t any hard brown shell inside or coconut meat.  We saw a round space where the juice was held, and on the insides a little bit of coconut jelly like substance.  Either the coconut is not the species you usually think of that produces coconuts with round hard nuts inside, or it fell off when it was still too young.  We were disappointed not to have ta regulation coconut, but relieved that we didn’t have to perform amazing feats of strength and agility to prove we could open it.

In the evening, we ordinarily have our dinner at the table which faces out at the wide expanse of the Western side of the island and our view of the ocean from 1,500 ft. elevation.  We linger to watch the setting sun.  This evening it began to rain really hard, not unusual at this time of year or time of day.  While the rain pounded on the corrugated metal roof, we were amazed as we watched through the screen a cloudless sky and a beautiful glowing sunset.

CU Buffaloes vs. UH Warriors

By a very roundabout, impulsive and even tragic way, David and I went to Oahu for the weekend of the University of Colorado vs. University of Hawaii football game held Sept. 3rd.  The former Dean, and well known American Indian law scholar, David Getches, who was a mentor of David’s, had suddenly passed away in July.  After David gave a sizeable donation to a scholarship fund in his honor, the Law School Development Director called to invite us to the game, since we were in Hawaii.  David could meet the new Dean and talk to people who knew Dean Getches.

CU Buffalo Cheerleaders

We were able to stay at the beautiful Marriott Ihilani Hotel at Ko’Olina.  That is also where the CU Buffalo football team and cheerleaders were staying.  The school chartered a plane for the team and some fans got to fill up the plane with a package deal.  None of the Colorado Law School people were allowed to do this, however.  They flew commercial and arrived at all sorts of times and left at all different times.  Thus, the new Dean, Phil Weiser, staying in Waikiki, was over an hour late for the alumni reception held for him. 

Sunset and Paradise Cove Luau

That evening the whole Colorado group, including the team, attended the Paradise Cove luau.  This is one of our favorite luaus which we were happy to attend a second time.  We spent the early afternoon, swimming in their cove where you always see sea turtles.  Because the Dean was late to his reception, we were late to the luau.  We saw him and his family trying to get into the luau faster by going through the cove walkway, which is closed off at night.  We tried to tell him that wasn’t an entrance, to no avail.  We never did see the Dean that evening.  But we had a wonderful time with several of the CU fans at our table. 

Friday we spent the day on the lagoon beach in front of the hotel.  It is also the lagoon in front of the new Disney resort, Aulani, which opened the week before.  David had wanted to try stand uppaddle boarding.  You could rent a board from Ihilani or Aulani.  The Ihilani price was $40 for a half hour.  Aulani’s was $35 an hour.  Their paddleboard had a window in the front so you could also lie on it and look at the fish.  It was really cool to actually stand up and paddle around the lagoon.  We did it!  We could stand on it and paddle, fulfilling a Hawaiian goal. 

View from 'Ama'Ama

Aulani definitely had the better toys and the better prices.  We made reservations to their premier restaurant that evening called ‘Ama‘Ama.  The menus lit up when you opened them.  Each item had a suggested wine pairing.  Seating was right on the ocean with a spectacular view of the sunset.   It was probably the most expensive dinner we have ever had in Hawaii but a cut above any restaurant we've been to anywhere.  We took the opportunity to tour the rest of the hotel before dinner.  They have thought of everything.  This resort is a dream vacation to Hawaii.  We haven’t seen anything here that can compare, including the Four Seasons Resort.  The prices are in the $500 a night range, but what an experience if you can afford it. 

Saturday was the big game.  It started at 4:30pm and was broadcast on ESPN2.  The tail gate parties began early afternoon.  We were told to arrive around 2:00pm and to go to Gate 6 where the Colorado party was being held.  We knew we would have lots of traffic, which we did, so we left the hotel before 1:00pm.  The traffic pattern signs near the stadium told you to go to Gate 1, 2, or 3.  Not Gate 6.  We went around twice, even stopping to ask a parking lot attendant what to do (and promptly got rear ended).  He said that the parking lots were reserved and people paid $300 for a spot.  So around we went again and eventually parked in a shopping mall, walking 25 minutes to Gate 6.  Along the way people were trying to buy tickets from passersby.  The parking lots were full of tents and UH Warrior logo wearing fans  ctually around tailgates with families and friends, barbecues and beer kegs and lots of food.  Coming from Alaska, we have never experienced the tailgate culture before.  David got a hat recently at a Lids store that he thought was the UnderArmour logo.  However, it was a UHlogo hat.  Luckily he didn’t wear it to the game; however he did wear it to the luau.  Oops.

CU Fan at Pregame party

We finally found the Colorado pregame party in a huge tent.  We didn’t know a soul, but luckily someone put us “on the list”.  The lively party was catered and with a disc jockey, balloons and lots of happy Colorado fans full of beer.  None of the people we had met from the law school were there.  That didn’t bother us, we got right in and ate the hot dogs and hamburgers and sat with some fun fans.  We brought two bags of Kona coffee to give to the law school Dean and Development Director.  But we gave one to a couple we met there because they were so enthusiastic about Kona coffee.  They have since purchased Kona coffee from our friends, Mike and Mary MacCheyne. 

We left for the start of the game.   We were directed to our seats by a CU fan and saw the Development Director and his wife next to us so we knew we were in the right spot.  We gave them the other pound of Kona coffee and proceeded to enjoy the game and their company.  We had a spectacular view near the endzone of the very first touchdown.  We could see the cheerleaders and the mascot up close, but we were still high enough to see the whole field.  It was a beautiful day. Even the sun came around putting us in the shade.  The Dean didn’t make it, he got sick.  The whole reason for the trip was to meet this man that David Getches had handpicked to replace him, and we barely got to see him at all. No coffee for you!

At the game

An hour and a half into the game, Colorado was obviously losing.  They had scored a touchdown, but U of H has those huge Polynesian players so there was no contest.  We noticed that it took an hour or so for the  stadium to fill up.  Suddenly, we got interrupted by an usher.  A family was on the aisle saying we were in their seats.  We looked again at our tickets which showed the correct row and seat number.  But the usher looked at them  closely and told us we were in the Yellow section, not the Blue section.  This was written in small letters sideways on the left of the ticket.  So we left our great seats.  David and I had to catch our plane back to Kona and we were going in 15 minutes anyway, so we decided to just leave. The other couple left soon after and caught up with us. They told us that the Yellow section was at the very top of the stadium in the nosebleed section.  Their hotel was  1 ½ hours away, so they decided to leave as well.  This misunderstanding saved us from watching the rest of the slaughter of the CU Buffaloes.  We actually got to finish watching the game in the Honolulu airport sports bar.  The final score was 17 to 34.  Colorado still hasn’t won a game this season.