The S.P.A.M Chronicles - Day 2

Day One ended and we turned the page And embraced a tradition that has become the rage In Iowa or Nebraska it would be considered insane In Tucson or LA it's never considered vain As Oregonians enter the "No Socks" Age Today begins that annual season we Northwesterners eagerly anticipate when we can expose our lower extremeties to fresh air and sunshine from mid Feb-early March. We view going sock-free as a right not a privledge although Merlin invokes the NW Birkenstock option of using socks with his sandals. Still we all are united in being knee-free.. Those of you in Arizona or California (except for maybe this year) may not appreciate how important this opportunity is to us but most likely the chance won't arise again until around the summer solstice... The first full day on the island began with the usual tradition of walking out to the point and greeting the sunrise at 7:00 AM. All indigenous cultures emphasize acknowledgement of the cycles of life such as sunrise & sunset, the changing of seasons, or birth & death and I think we'd all benefit from spending a little time in gratitude for such things. As such, once the sun returned our welcome with a cloud-tinged sunrise, we were ready to face the day. Breakfast is always the first order of business and oatmeal and toast are always staples which give us a literal base as we metaphorically chew over our plans for the day. Today appears windy with a chance of showers so we're in no hurry to race outside and instead enjoy the weather from our lanai as Merlin plays the ukelele. I work on the overarching theme of this communication and put enough down on-screen that I can send out the the initial issue to an unsuspecting public. Late morning we head out for a little sightseeing and stop at Spouting Horn which is usual a good vista for whalewatching. The wind makes it difficult but does enhance the effect of the volcanic blowhole that gives the vista it's name. We wander by a regular stop on our visits, a local takeout shop called the Snack Shack and grab some food for a picnic at Brenneke Beach in Poipu. This is only about a 10 minute walk from the condo so we're down here a lot. Again the wind makes whalewatching or card playing a challenge but as is typical during the "No-Socks" age, we find little to complain about in 75 degree air. Back to the condo for reading, card playing, and napping while I stay connected to what's happening elsewhere with the use of my laptop. At 4:30 it's time to head off to our birthday date with Jim and imagine our surprise when we arrive at the Camphouse Grill and find it abandoned and overgrown. Jim had already scoped it out and we arranged to head to the Brick Oven for some pizza and a sandwich. Had a good visit and headed back home in time to catch the color at the tail end of a sunset. The evening consisted of equal enjoyment of Hawaiian music,Pinochle, Five-Straight, ice cream, and reading before closing the books at 10:00>Aloha - Mahi-Mahi -Mike