The Joys of Retirement Production Company

We started our day to the Volcanoes National Park with a stop at the Pu’unalulu  Black Sand Beach to visit the turtles. 

There was a local net fisherman patiently watching for the fish….. I wasn’t patient enough to wait for him to cast that net,  however!

Our ultimate goal,  the National Park

The most recent explosive episode of volcano has rained down tephra, a mixture of lava and gasses that was blown into the air.  it covered the ground like feather-weight gravel and chuncks.

We visited the Thurston Lava Tube along the String of Craters Road

The lava and vegetation were very interesting!

We went all the way to the cliffs of the ocean edge of Kilauea to see the Holei sea arch

A great day but a long drive!  Fun to share with Mark and Bodhi

The weather is spectacular!  so we swam a bit, walked on the lava rocks to see a treasure,  one is the 15 monk seals around the big island,  and then did a great whale watch

our whale watch was a great success!  we saw many blows, a mother and calf,  and a splendid breach.  Nice gentleman caught the photo of the day and shared with us!  Thank you. Dale

A dead Sperm whale beached just north of Kona.   There are many sharks feeding off it as well as fisherman catching the scavengers

We enjoy seeing the cruise ships that come to see the Big Island while we are there.   there have been several!  Today was a special 1, The Queen Mary 2 sailing from San Francisco to Sydney!  I’d only we could jump on her for the next leg of our journey but we wouldn’t arrive in Sydney in time to catch our Viking ship to Bali!  We will just wait and fly there next week!

Earlier 2 ships had to firm away because is the high surf.  Kailua-Kona is a tender port and big waves male it difficult for the tenders to dock.   Right now,  this is the only tender port in Hawaii, since ships do not stop in Lahaina.

We have company from home! My son and grandson Bodhi joined us today.   They spent 4 days on Oahu first.  Bodhi didn’t know where they were going until the airport! 

They stayed in Honolulu and visited the North Shore big waves,  and hike the Diamond Head Crater!

Our first day on the Big Island!

Some years ago,  a hotel near our resort was destroyed by a hurricane but the only part that remains is a saltwater pool,  fed by waves.  Since we have had huge waves for the last 3 of 4 days,  it was at capacity!  the kids often stand on the pool edge closest to the ocean and wait for the waves to wash them into the pool.   Today,  the waves were still too powerful,  so the kids just played in the water.  

It is a beautiful place for sunset,  even when the sun is shrouded in clouds

Royal Sea Cliff maintains beautiful gardens.   On a short walk around we saw all these

Our resort has an entertainment lady,  Papua, who not only organizes the events here. but dances too!  she brought be 2 young daughters this week to dance for us too.  They were so cute, very self conscious but this was ony the 2nd time they have danced for an audience like this.

This is Napua, mother of 10!  7 boys and 3 girls.   The oldest son is a Marine and the youngest is 14 months!

Yesterday Kathy and I made Orchid leis. 

I brought mine to our friend Henry,  who is not

Our dear friend Henry Sent love these gorgeous flowers for my birthday!  what a sweet gentleman!  Thank you,  Henry!

We had dinner at my favorite restaurant,  Huggo’s too!