KAUAI

April 12

Curtis and Camas invited us up to their home for a visit and a nice early dinner.

What a delight!

me, Sharon, Camas, Curt

April 11

Guess what, still raining so we’re down south again where there is continuous construction going on in the Poipu area.

Aloha Oe!

Having a little beverage break at the Hyatt waiting for the nearby Farmers Market to kick off.

Such gorgeous produce. The aroma coming from that herb basket filled the air so wonderfully I wanted to buy the whole thing and carry it around with me.

Yay a Farmers Market, and a good one at that.

“Kauai Culinary Market at Kukuiula Shopping Village. This is a beautiful outdoor market, with vendors spread along the outdoor mall. Shoppers can buy local honey, coffee, gourmet salt blends, kim chee, tropical pies and jams, tropical flowers and produce. Live music, a beer and wine garden, and cooking demonstrations make it especially fun.”

The booths were laid out nicely and it was a beautiful venue. This is the ritziest part of the island after all.

April 10

Another rainy day so once again we headed south to the Poipu area this time for our traditional visit with the parrots and walk at the Grand Hyatt.

Some new retaining walls along the walk. We were pretty far out when the clouds opened and soaked us through but then we were almost dry by the time we got to the car.

April 9

A duck out in the back wandering around the mini-golf course.

Here’s the bridge I take pictures of all the time from the house, taken from the other side which is at the end of Lydgate Park. We met up with Sharon and Bob and then stopped by their place, a fine condo complex also right on the path.

In the early evening everyone gathered at Kathy and Kenny’s new rental. They’re between tenants now so we got the whole tour and enjoyed another fine meal.

From the outside dining area.

Walking home…Bob, Sharon, Me, Kathy, Kenny

April 8

RAIN! We took a spin into Kapaa for lunch at the Olympic Café and a visit to the de rigueur ABC Store…in the RAIN. Then I went home and enjoyed the sounds and sights of the storm while Sharon did a little shopping.

April 7

Camas came by to drive us to the biggest Farmers Market on Kauai at the Kauai Community Market at Kauai Community College, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Besides fruit and vegetables, this gourmet market features locally made goat and feta cheese, tropical flowers, local honey, coffee, kimchi, tropical pies and jams, and European-style breads. Meals include kalua pig and poi, authentic Thai, Puerto Rican style tacos and sandwiches made to order.”

All the parking at the community college was full of cars going to the Farmers Market. It was totally packed in the pouring rain.

Plenty of fruit and vegetable stands, prepared foods, craft items, it was lovely (in the pouring rain!)…

…and they even had a sweet as sugar candy petting zoo.

Camas bought a fish in a bowl from this guy who also prepares the flower displays himself and he was very Aloha.

We stopped off at the local Kauai Nursery and Landscaping for Camas to pick up some fillers for her hedge. It was fun to look around.

And then Lunch!

And back to the house to appreciate the cozy day.

April 6

Today’s Farmers Market was a new project, open six months, of mostly small craft stalls inside an old warehouse, called Warehouse 3540 (because the address is 3540 Koloa Road) and a few times a week they advertise a Farmers Market which is…

…this one guy. Yup, one guy so Farmer Market might be a more descriptive name. It was sweet inside and I wish them good luck.

Then we went to Spouting Horn. It was beautiful out, not too windy, not too hot…

…refreshing and beautiful.

An example of the Splendid Red Jungle Fowl that populate Kauai, one per square foot required.

At the turn-off to Poipu and Brennecke’s we had a swing by the Ke Kahua O Kâneiolouma complex “a cultural site containing the remnants of an ancient Hawaiian village at Poʻipû, Kôloa, Kauaʻi. The 13 acre complex contains numerous habitation, cultivation, sporting, assembly, and religious structures dating to at least the mid-1400’s.”

April 4

We have been hearing about all the rain that has been pouring down on Kauai for weeks and with rain, we get rainbows. Here’s a morning view from the lanai.

April 5

Good morning!

Here’s a clear and cloudless sky…

…although it didn’t stay clear for long.

This is the touring garden at the Kauai Coffee Company. We learned at this visit that they never pick the berries from these trees and they prune them in April which is why some years it’s twiggy out here and some years…

…it’s full and blooming.

They get one pound of coffee out of each tree and they harvest each tree once in every three years. But then they do have several million trees so there is money to be made.

We went into Waimea town, the most western community on the island, also the driest.

More.

A sign in the Spice of Life.

We ate at the Paniolo place (Hawaiian cowboy bbq) in Waimea and then puttered around in Hanapepe and then we came home to watch Merrie Monarch on tv. It was a lovely day!

And then from the lawn looking the other way. Usually the landscape guys clear the coconuts but we’ve got a ton this year.

Watch your head!

Party time! Kenny, Kathy, Sharon, Bob, Sharon.

April 3

This is an internet drawing of the Coconut Marketplace, the shopping center closest to the house and a place that has been under renovation for many years.

It’s looking pretty good now and was our first stop for this year’s project…

…Farmers Markets!

They have this one in the Coconut Marketplace parking lot on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is it, pretty small…

…but fun nonetheless.

Here’s a semi-truthteller? These nuts are marketed as locally made but come to find out upon close inquiry, they send the nuts ‘off island’ by boat and truck to New Mexico where a Kauai lady roasts and flavors them, and then sends them back to Kauai also by truck and boat.

How this is locally made and more economical than preparing the nuts ‘on island’ is a math I don’t know.

The signs are as entertaining as the produce:

No Squeezing Sweet Sweet Papaya; Brazilian Cacao; Custard Apples; Mountain Apples etc.

Just picked Longan; Fresh picked Mountain Apples; Pink Guava etc!

We met up with Idaho Sharon and walked over to the Lava Lava Beach Club for a tasty and scenic lunch.

The Lava Lava Beach Club is located in the Kauai Shores Hotel, an historic place but I can’t find the details right now. We’re thinking ’50s-’60s. Maybe I’ll ask next time we’re by there.

Hello ladies, it’s The SHARONS!

April 2

It’s off to Hawaii today for me, next story coming up from the Land of Aloha!

April 25-26

Morning out my bedroom window.

We went over to Smith’s for the slow yet quick boat ride out to the Fern Grotto. You can see the house across the way.

The water was running like crazy.

Very fun entertainment on the way back.

In the far far back you can see the peak of Mount Waialeale, the second highest peak on Kauai…

…andhere it i closer. This was the first day since my arrival that she was visible. It’s the clouds that constantly hover over the center of the island that hides the volcano.

At the front door.

From another walk at Lydgate Park.

A FEW MORE DAYS TO FOLLOW.

April 24

This is me on the day back from the Big Island enjoying this massive bed and this massive view in my glorious climate controlled room catching up on pictures.

April 16 and 17

The Spirit House feeling snug in its landscape.

We took a swing by Hanapepe and enjoyed the swinging bridge too.

Looks like such old-fashioned aloha.

OFF TO THE BIG ISLAND! (that’s a link you can click on to see the story if you’re in the mood).

April 18

We’re off to the Big Island early today. It’s all in the Big Island, click!

Fun to compare 2012 to 2017. They have some talented decorators there at Saint Raphael’s.

This is my picture of Saint Raphael’s Easter preparations from 2012.

Behind that door lies MAGIC!

April 15

Nice, right?!

Oh my oh my Spa Day for me and Sharon.

And then we got to eat lunch that was so delicious I had to sigh many times.

Then off to catch a couple of churches…

From their website:

“Saint Raphael Catholic Church in Koloa…is the oldest Catholic Church in Kauai. St. Raphael’s was founded in 1841; two years after Catholics were granted religious freedom in Hawaii after the French threatened Honolulu. Father Arsenius Walsh established the parish.

“The first stone chapel was built by Father Walsh in 1842. In preparation for the Centennial anniversary in 1941, the Chapel sanctuary was rebuilt by parishioners.

“The present sanctuary of St. Raphael’s Church in Koloa, Kauai was completed in December 1854, however the blessing did not take place until October 24,1856 to coincide with the feast day of St. Raphael the Archangel. In 1933 the bell tower was removed and a permanent adobe tower was added to the left of the sanctuary. In 1936 Father Philibert enlarged and renovated the church to double its seating capacity.”

The Easter decorations were charming…

…and here’s more. It’s very modest inside but welcoming and sweet.

From their website:

“History of the Koloa Church…The first missionaries arrived in Kauai around the year 1820. They were brought to the island by George Kaumuali’i, son of King Kaumuali’i, the last ruling monarch of Kauai before King Kamehameha I took control and united all of Hawai’i.

“George had been sent by his father to the United States to be educated in New England. During these early times, people met in their homes and were visited occasionally by the missionaries who were in Waimea.

“The Reverand Peter J. Guilick began the mission in Koloa in 1834. With no official house of worship, they lived closely with each other in thatched houses and worked on the idea of building a church of their own. In 1837, they built a chapel on the premises where the current church now stands. Its original dimensions where 95 feet in length by 40 feet in width with an 8 foot lanai that went completely around the chapel.

“The chapel served the congregation until 1859 when it was torn down to make way for a new frame building. This undertaking was carried to completion through the energy and devotion of Reverand James W. Smith, M.D. He served as a missionary, pastor and doctor from 1842 to 1887. This new and improved church served the congregation for 70 years. It stood as a silent witness to all of the changes which have occured in the islands over the years.

“It was recorded in the Missionary Herald of 1860 that this church stood on the high ground and could be seen from far out to sea, forming a landmark which ships used for navigating as they approached port.

“In 1929, the church underwent repairs and was given a New England style finish. The Ohia (Hawaiian wood) timbers hewn by the Hawaiians in those early years are still supporting this church in their former positions, with the exception of a few timbers. (This text was taken from the writings of Judge Henry Blake. Some content has been edited for grammar.)”

The door was locked but I knocked and a sweet lady let me in. She said to be sure to come back on Sunday for the special Easter service because they were going to have a band, singers, and a hula performace!

April 13

Turning into the ever gorgeous…

…Tunnel of Trees!

Then it started raining and we just drove around in the rain looking at Kauai from the windows of the car.

When we got to the Kauai Coffee Plantation the rain had stopped falling and we could enjoy their always entertaining walking tour.

And PIZZA! Our favorite Brick Oven Pizza. Owww, there’s still some leftovers in the fridge!

April 14

This guy was flapping around the foyer and at first I thought it was a bat. He’s about five inches long, but not a bat.

Based on some googling about we believe her to be the Black Witch Moth. I made er rather lighter than she was to stand out against the wood of the ceiling The moth and the wood were the same color.

We drove out to the taro fields where it was hotHot and super sunny…

…but fabulous nonetheless, full with birds and the rich smell of the fields.

There are at least several dozen fields in the valley that look like this one and it’s a treat to be able to walk beside them.

From the Christ Memorial Episcopal Church, Kilauea website:

“The Episcopal Church in Hawai’i began in 1862 when King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma invited the Church of England to Hawai‘i. The King and Queen supported the Church’s establishment throughout the islands with gifts of land, and by founding the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu. Queen Emma also founded Queen’s Hospital (now Queen’s Medical Center) and St. Andrew’s Priory School for Girls in Honolulu.

“As early as 1888 worship services were held in Kilauea under the direction of lay leadership and Bishop Willis. Bishop Willis had been sent to Hawai`i by the Church of England and on occasion, confirmed people in Kilauea. By 1924 the time had come for a permanent church in Kilauea, and under the leadership of Bishop LaMothe and the Rev. Henry Willey, Episcopalians in the area started worshipping in a frame building owned by the Hawaiian Congregational Church.

“In 1939 the Kilauea Sugar Company deeded the churchyard to the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii and gave the native stone used in the erection of our present building. The chief benefactor, however, was Mrs. Robert Shapard, of Griffin, Georgia, in memory of her husband, and on the Second Sunday after Epiphany on January 19, 1941, the Right Rev. Harrington Littell consecrated the church.

“The graveyard surrounding the church dates back to the earliest days of the original Hawaiian Congregational Church, with many graves dating back over 100 years. Unfortunately, many graves are unmarked and the number of people buried here will probably remain a secret known only to God.”

We couldn’t get in so I took this picture through the front door. Maybe we’ll be back another day!

From the patio of Kong Lung Trading in Kilauea, my favorite tchotchke shop in Kauai.

They have plenty of water features around Smith’s too.

Then we went out for a fancy dinner at Jo2 with Bob and Idaho Sharon. YUM!

April 12

We went across the river to Smith’s to take a picture of Sharon feeding the chickens for Sharon’s granddaughter whose favorite thing is to feed the chickens at Smith’s.

She has two favorite things actually, feeding the chickens and eating Puka Dogs.

Once you start feeding the chickens you have a flock of new best friends.

Pictures of The Gang follow since here I am 10 days in with not one picture except for me and Camas on our hike.

Shortly after my arrival Kathy and Kenny left for a three week trip in Europe. They’ll be back a few days before we leave.

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Idaho Sharon and Big Bad Bob who makes unrelenting fun of my stature because he is in fact a giant.

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Camas and Curtis from a recent visit to LA.

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April 11

All the churches are in top form for Easter so we’re making a tour of them. We saw the most historic one on the 6th (The Wai`oli Hui`ia Church) and we saw two more today.

This is the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, built in 1924. I wanted to tie all these churches together in the history of Kauai but I might fail in this effort.

I can’t find anything about the history of this church except that it was built in 1924. It’s located off the road in Hanamaulu just outside Lihue.

A local version of stained glass.

The unmistakable smell of a Catholic church.

In the small graveyard I saw this headstone with the sheep and immediately thought of Will Bullas who made my ‘Cocktails at Six’ piece and who also made this one: ‘Peaceable Kingdom with Olives’ which I could totally have on my headstone were I in the least interested in having a headstone.

Next stop All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Kapaa.

All quotes from their website: “The church building was designed by Honolulu architect Guy N. Rothwell… It was completed on December 6, 1925, and contains many items of historical interest. The building utilizes the native lava rock stone in its structure, and features magnificent stained glass windows.