I'd rather be on Hawaii

Those of you who know me (or regularly read this blog) know I am not a fan of winter -- and bolt for warmer climes whenever I can.

For my latest escape, I flew to the Big Island of Hawaii. (Alternate title of this blog post, "Hawaii J-TWO-O.") It was actually the teenager's idea. And what a fabulous idea it was.

While I had been to Kauai (with the spouse, on business), when the teenager was a baby, and to Maui, seven years ago (for a big birthday, which was a big disappointment), we had never been to the Big Island (aka Hawaii). While Hawaii doesn't have the lush greenery or multiple white sand beaches like Kauai and Maui do, it has many other charms, such as...

Coffee. OMG. If you like coffee, Kona coffee is the best. And you can find dozens of varieties, from small growers to plantations, on the Big Island. (Interestingly, there is practically no decaf as their is no decaffeination plant on the island -- too expensive.)

Delicious (and exotic) fruits and vegetables. The Saturday Farmers Market at the Keauhou Shopping Center is amazing. Had I known how much I would love dragon fruit...

I would have bought a dozen. (Who knew there was only one guy who grew/sold them on the island -- and that he'd head off to California for a week?)

We were also quite fond of the romanesco, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower.

(Do you think there's any money in being a vegetable photographer? Anyone have a beloved veggie they want a portrait of?)

And the flowers! So beautiful.

And the waterfalls! Amazing.

(Though couldn't they come up a better name than "Akaka" for this waterfall?)

Speaking of water, I could watch the waves crash against the rocks all day...



(The spouse has a way better, smarter phone than I do.)

Indeed, there were so many beautiful spots on Hawaii, it is hard to pick just one. But the Pololu Valley Lookout in the north (be sure to have lunch at Sushi Rock either on the way there or back)...

and the infinity pool at the base of Mauka Meadows, a fabulous botanical garden and coffee place...

were among my favorites. (That last shot doesn't look real, does it? And did I mention, free coffee?)

Sigh. I could go on (and on), but I won't.

Aloha a hui hou, Hawaii....

Au revoir

Going biking with the spouse... and the kid... in France for a few days.

Will be sort of like this... only with clothes... and far fewer people.

Will post some photos of chateaux upon my return.

I also have a big announcement to make.

Stay tuned... à bientôt!

Gone fishing

Am about to shut down the computer, give the cats a little extra food and water and love, herd the kid, help the spouse finish packing up the car, and head off on vacation for a few days (assuming we don't miss our ferry -- ever the optimist).

Although I have now been informed there is WiFi at the place we are staying, computing (including blogging) is frowned upon. So you may not hear from me for a few days.

So until then, I wish you all a glorious weekend. (Especially to my readers in the Northeast, where it's supposed to clear up and get warmer.) As for me, I'm looking forward to some biking, hiking, not making my bed, and not cooking dinner for a few nights. Woohoo!

The Island of Kittens*

Imagine an island where no dogs are allowed...






















And the cats are quite happy about it...






















Where kittens are free to roam where they please...































And cat food magically appears two or three times a day...

















And humans are helpless to resist their feline overlords.















Hmm... On second thought, I don't think it's too hard to imagine such a place. Do you?

*I thought about calling this post "A Tale of Two Kittehs," but there were actually six kittens, just as the place we stayed on St. Martin, as well as three cats.

My warm happy place

I wasn't always an anxious, uptight bitch. In fact, sometimes I can be downright mellow. And it doesn't even require alcohol or drugs. Just need a few warm, sunny days, a body of water (preferably with a beach attached), good food (that someone else cooked and cleaned up), and no computers -- in other words a few days, unplugged, on St. Martin. (Picture me as this contented cat, minus the three dozen bottles of rum -- and enjoying a higher grade of cat food.)



























































































Ah... paradise. (FYI, all the pictures are mine, taken with my new Canon PowerShot S95. Love that little camera. Love St. Martin. Until next year...)