Thursday, April 26, 2012

Oh, we had some good times the last couple of weeks! Friends visited from the mainland: Julie, Klaus, Silke, and George.

We went to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach. Everywhere we go, turtles (honu) find Abraham.

 It's illegal to approach sea turtles but this one was curious about us. We were about 15 feet away and it came over to check us out. I visited Punalu'u beach dozens of times when Melody lived in Pahala in the 1980s. I never saw a turtle. State laws now protect them and they're making a comeback.

This same day we also went to Na'alehu, the southernmost town in the US and home of the southernmost bakery in the US. YUM! Then on to Hapuna Beach, a beautiful white sand beach north of Kona. We had dinner with Melody in Waimea before heading home.

We snorkeled in the Kopoho tide pools. I love this place! Not wildly popular or easy to find. That's part of the appeal. There's a series of fairly deep pools -- well, depth depends on the tide -- around 10-12 feet when we were there last. When the tide is high enough you can swim from pool to pool. Otherwise you have to get out and get back in the next one. They're full of fish (that's a puffer fish below) and vibrant, healthy coral.

Last weekend was Makahiki and Abraham placed third overall in the Pinewood Derby. Congratulations, Abraham! Is that a happy smile, or what!

Our Cub Scouts had a booth and taught people how to tie a bowline knot. There were other fun things like taiko drumming, mochi-making, a Boy Scout Iron Chef cook-off, and interactive displays from the observatories and UH oceanography department.