Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Photography Fun – A 2020 Space Odyssey
I hadn’t photographed the moon yet this year – how could I with all that rain? – so when I saw it glowing last night in its crescent form with Venus nearby I thought I’d give it a whirl.
The sliver you see is the moon and the teensy speck on the right is Venus,
just before the moon seems to open up …..
and these come out!
What is it? A message from outer space? A space odyssey?
I doubt it. More like an unsteady hand!
Next time I’ll use my tripod! 😉
~ Susanne
Makaha Beach and a Surprise Lunch on Oahu’s Remote Leeward Coast
Time to drop back in on Oahu and take you to the remote west side of the island. To get there we left our base in Waikiki and headed northwest to the Farrington Highway where we had the ocean on one side and the Wai’anae Range on the other.
We made it to the end of the road where the young and hardy – not us – hike the five miles to the westernmost part of the island – Kaena Point.
Instead, we drove back down to beautiful Makaha Beach.
Makaha Beach
Noted for its high surf during the winter, we found it relatively mild on our visit. There were only a few of us on the beach as you can tell by our footprints where we sank deep into soft golden sand.
I could have watched those waves roll in forever.
A Lunch Surprise
Afterwards it was time for lunch and I turned to the Lonely Planet guidebook. We drove to the first choice off the beaten path but it was not for us. The rustic farm had a strange hippie vibe and Bob lamented that he didn’t recognize anything on the menu. When we couldn’t locate our second choice we asked a local who instructed us to follow him for a good restaurant on the beach. So we did.
He motioned for us to turn down a short road and we found ourselves at a military checkpoint. (This is not the first time we inadvertently wandered onto a military base on Oahu). But the young guard was friendly and after we showed ID, welcomed us onto the base, a playground reserved for military families.
The restaurant fronted the ocean and had a happy vibe.
I ordered a typical Hawaiian plate lunch with Kalua pulled pork, rice and slaw; Bob had fish and chips and we were both happy. Too bad we didn’t have room for dessert but we made up for it later.
After lunch we stopped by Poka’i Beach next door. The waters were calm and protected and while Bob took a catnap I splashed around in the surf till it was finally time to go.
But before we leave I have to tell you the truth – the west coast of Oahu has a large homeless population. We saw many little tents on stretches of Farrington Highway but the guide book had warned us so I wasn’t surprised. It’s an unfortunate problem but I guess if you have to be homeless, this is the place to be.
We headed back to Waikiki for our last night there,
and managed to find some dessert.
It was good yes, but too rich – what I really wanted was shaved Ice. I found some the next day on our trek to the North Shore where we would stay for the second half of our time on Oahu. Stay tuned for our adventures on the North Shore, Surfing Capital of the World!
Aloha!
Susanne
Playful Benji
It goes without saying that I miss the boys whenever I’m away and I’m certain they miss me too.
So I need to make it up to them as best I can.
Tiger is happy with a good scratching but Benji wants to play.
He finds Snake on a String and deposits it at my feet.
“C’mon, Sue, I’m ready!”
How can I resist?
I fling it high in the air and he captures it for a good working over.
Then he carries if off as prey,
before returning for round two.
~ Susanne and Benji
Oahu! A Walk at Ala Moana Park and Waikiki
It’s always hard to return from vacation and it’s even harder to share your enjoyment without putting your reader to sleep. (Remember the neighbor’s slideshow of no interest to anyone but him?)
So I’ll break our trip into chunks and dole them out over the next few weeks starting with Honolulu, the base for the first half of our stay on Oahu. More precisely, we stayed at the far end of Waikiki next to Ala Moana Park, a favorite of the locals.
The park is huge with broad beaches, wonderful trees and great views of Diamond Head, perfect for walking or reflecting any time of day.
I loved all the trees in the park especially the mysterious looking Banyan trees.
I also loved how the Monkeypod trees provided shade and a lovely canopy to bride and groom.
In fact we saw many couples ready for their nuptials – I counted three in the picture above.
And if you look closely you’ll find another bride and groom in the center of the picture below.
They’ll always have happy memories of Ala Moana Park and we will too.
But Waikiki is in the opposite direction and also deserved a visit.
Now, a bit on Waikiki. It’s basically composed of a string of beaches running two miles from the Hilton Hawaiian Resort to Kapiolani Beach Park. Waikiki Beach is one of them (mostly manmade) in the center. The area is iconic with luxury hotels and Diamond Head in the background and everyone visiting Hawaii should see it at least once. But just so you know, these are NOT the best beaches on Oahu, being rather narrow and crowded with tourists. (I’ll show you some of the best later.)
Even so, I was eager to make the trek to Waikiki and in particular to see the Duke at Kuhio Beach. I started my walk at the Hilton Lagoon, alone; Bob opted to visit Pearl Harbor that day and we were both happy.
At times I had to skirt around eroded areas or take walkways next to the beach;
but I finally made it to the center of Waikiki
and the Pink Lady, the historic Royal Hawaiian, one of the first hotels established in Waikiki in 1927.
Soon after I was at Kuhio Beach and saw the statue of the Duke.
Duke Kahanamoku (1890 – 1968) was Waikiki’s legendary surfer and Olympic gold swimmer who popularized the ancient Hawaiian sport of surfing.
There’ll be more about surfing later when we head to the North Shore but now it’s time to go back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool.
More to come.
~ Susanne
Ordinary Days after Oahu
Some of you asked that I bring back the sunshine from Hawaii and I obliged – at least in the Pacific Northwest.
When we left for Oahu last week, the skies over Seattle had been gray for weeks on end, the rain unceasing and the rivers swollen and flooding.
The day we flew back home I saw this in my news feed.
A welcome back to post vacation doldrums and ordinary days, making the transition from Paradise a little easier.
I’ll be sorting through my pictures and sharing our adventures from Oahu – the best vacation ever – little by little.
In the meantime here’s our last sunrise from the North Shore.
Wishing I was still there.
~ Susanne
Aloha from Oahu!
Apologies for not tending to your blogs last week but I managed to escape from the soggy winter of the Pacific Northwest to the perpetual summer and island paradise of Oahu!
Did you know that Hawaii has the longest life expectancy of any state in the USA?
I think I know why.
I’ll have much more to share with you soon but until then, Aloha!
Susanne 🌞🌴
Pull Up a Seat
There’s nothing better than a couple of Adirondack chairs –
Next to a field of lavender,
Overlooking the Pacific Ocean,
On the dock at Lake Washington,
Or in your own back yard.
For Pull Up a Seat, photo challenge.
~ Susanne
The Raw Beauty of Idaho
As you know by now I’m from Washington and I’m rather proud of our beautiful state.
But right next door we have a wild and rugged neighbor, Idaho by name, that I have neglected on this blog. So I rummaged through my photos and thought I’d share a few from our travels there. I’ll start with my favorite.
Sawtooth Range
Here we are, camping in the wilds of central Idaho at Stanley (population 69.) It was May and it was cold but we didn’t care.
Because we had this view to ourselves. I had forgotten! I think it’s time to go back.
Shoshone Falls
A bit further south we found majestic Shoshone Falls sometimes called ‘the Niagara of the West.’ I’ve seen the other Niagara and I think the comparison is apt. And here there are no crowds.
Bruneau Sand Dunes
Have you heard of them? I hadn’t either until we stumbled across them on the same road trip. Fortunately I like to pick up postcards in my travels and this one has been at my desk for years, reminding me of our trip and giving me finger tip facts. According to the info on the back these are North America’s tallest sand dunes at 470 feet tall. Who knew?
Craters of the Moon
Last but not least is the otherworldly landscape of Craters of the Moon where lava flowed again and again, thousands of years ago.
I remember taking the short trail to the top of Inferno Cone under the blazing hot sun without carrying water. I have never felt so dry in my entire life. Big lesson learned!
Surprisingly there was vegetation at the top along with wind and panoramic views.
You may have noticed a disproportionate number of pictures from Craters of the Moon. Not because it was more beautiful than other places in Idaho but because we went there more recently. Back in the olden days we judiciously took our pictures on film and hoped we would get a few good ones. And a few good ones is all we got.
So Idaho needs another visit to do it justice.
Hopefully, soon.
~ Susanne
A Winter Walk at Seattle’s Lincoln Park
The year started out balmy, lulling us into thoughts of spring, then surprising us with sloppy wet snow.
Then came the endless days of rain and even the locals grew weary. Did we let that stop us? Nope. We managed a walk whenever we could including this one at Seattle’s Lincoln Park.
This time we started out at the Fauntleroy – Vashon Ferry Terminal and though I love a ferry boat ride – and have taken hundreds of them across Puget Sound – I’ve made the trip to Vashon Island only once. Honestly unless you live in the bedroom island community there’s not much to do over there.
Instead we took the paved trail along the Sound
and had glimpses of the Olympic Mountains through the clouds.
I looked for killer whales frolicking in the water – and though I’m always hopeful – I have yet to see them.
Near the end of the paved trail we headed up into the woods via a steep – but thankfully short – trail.
Once on top of the bluff we encountered this beggar –
who might have smelled the peanuts we were snacking on.
After we relented, the crows appeared and demanded their share,
so it was time to move on.
We quickened our pace and were soon back where we started, refreshed after a two mile walk in the park and ready to head home for lunch.
Until next time,
~ Susanne
A Story of Tiger and Benji
“We need to talk, Sue.”
“Sure Tiger, what is it?”
“It’s the boy, Sue. He won’t leave me alone.”
“I understand Tiger. I’m having the same problem.”
“Really?” he asked. “You too?”
“Oh yes, me too! Benji insists on joining me at my desk, then knocks my stuff around and takes over my keyboard. I can’t get anything done.”
“And when I try to transfer pictures to the computer he messes with my camera. I don’t dare interfere when those claws are extended.”
“You got that right Sue. Believe me, I know. What’ll we do?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing Tiger.”
“Well, I just try to stay out of his way till he cools down. Maybe you should too.”
“Good idea Tiger! Out he goes!.”
~ Susanne and Tiger
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 