A Visit to Kaua'i

And a bright star rose in the eastern sky....on the island of Kauai!

I took a little break from the rain and cold and tacky Christmas music in all the stores and said yes to a wonderful invitation to go to Kauai with my dear friend Phyllis. Phyllis and I have known each other for about forty years, so hanging out together in a place she knows really well was a treat for me in all ways! Not only did we enjoy spending time together, but I benefitted from her great generosity as a tour guide and facilitator of travel ease. We stayed in a friend of hers condo in Kapa'a, rented a car, and spent a wonderful week relaxing, exploring, eating, drinking, and learning about Kauai. 

Mornings are my favorite time; the sunrises were fantastic.

The Pacific at Sunrise

Her rugged ruffles,

Torn and wind whipped,

Greet the glare

Of first light.

Relentlessly

She hurls the debris

Of distant forests

And her belly’s discharge,

Taunting me

To examine
 the metaphors.

A wild and windy surf
Collides, splashes and slides

Hibuscus flowers startle the unassuming observer....brilliantly colored and huge...
ephemeral as the wearer's courage to make the plunge.

Hawaiian Monk seal...endangered and way too fearless for its own good.

Southwest Kauai at 5,000 feet

Northern Kauai's Agricultural Area

Flora

Roots

Rill in the National Botanical Gardens

There's a story here about life on the island.

Short week, but long enough to get into the swing of island time!
This is the end...waiting, as we usually do, for the return flight.
Memories of sun and warm breezes and amazing vistas and animals and foods
will carry me through these next few dark cold months.
Aloha!