Saturday August 19
I wake up way too early again, but on the plus side, I see beautiful sunrise color.
This morning is taken up with getting Becka’s friend Meg’s car to the airport. Once that is taken care of, we go to a place called Vibe Cafe with the intention of getting drinks and writing in our journals. I get a hot chocolate latte, but it is way too noisy here (I guess usually it is quiet, but with today being Saturday, it is different.) The noise is very troublesome for Becka’s brain, so we leave and run the errands on her list.
While chicken marinates for dinner we go to Banyan Drive for the calming peaceful beauty of it and to nearby Coconut Island.
After a very tasty dinner and cleanup, we visit a bit, but my Montana body wants to go to bed.
Hurricane Dora is on the news, adding to the devastation in Hawaii, as winds increase the wildfire damage.
Sunday August 20
Becka is working all day today with massage clients, so my son Fin and his wife Mandy pick me up for a trip to the Volcanic National Park, along with my granddaughter Molly and a friend from school. After buying some roast chicken from a roadside food stand, we go to the Visitor’s Center where there are picnic tables for a picnic. I was the one who suggested a picnic, which, to me, means food, drinks, paper plates, table cloth, napkins, and so on. What I didn’t realize is that Mandy, from a different culture (Chinese), didn’t really know what I meant by a picnic, and she and Fin just bring chips and candy. I have enough food for all (thanks to Becka – she knows what a picnic is!), but no extra plates or cutlery. We share the best we can, grateful for fruit and cold cuts that can be eaten without spoons and forks.
Then we hike the scenic trail where steam vents hint at the heat beneath our feet and we can see into the Kilauea Caldera where more steam rises.
Fin and I walk quite a ways, while Mandy and the girls take a slower pace.
In retrospect, which is good for future planning, we could have driven to the volcanic overlook for better views. The drive back to Hilo is very misty from the rain and the elevation changes.
Back at Becka’s place, she and I have tea and visit a bit before I text good-night to Clifford and head to bed.
Monday August 21
I am up about 6:00, but no sunrise, just a solid wall of rain, with rain off and on all day.
Becka is doing massage all day, so I have the day to myself with tai chi, taking care of emails, and sharing photos from yesterday’s outing with Fin and Mandy. In the evening, Becka and I have a delicious steak dinner and play cribbage.
Our outings are great, but quiet days on the lanai are also very good, as I am always surrounded by beauty of nature.