Houseguests

Well, we're moving - again. I guess it's only right that the new president should live in the President's House. Mike's being a good sport about it, but I'm a little miffed - I'm too old and we have to much stuff to make this a yearly event. And there is one other little problem - nowhere to go as yet, and we have to be out in two weeks.

Even though we've only been here 15 months, we had a bunch of fun people stay with us. This is a great house for guests. Here are a few. I had to leave out Alexis Reynolds (July 2006) and John (Heather Meese's friend, March 2007) because I didn't take pictures of them:

Carolyn and Russ Hanson played chaperones for Divine Comedy and brought them over for a private show (April 2006) on the lanai. The Hansons stayed here, the students bunked up at Turtle Bay.

The Smiths kids, Clinton, Rachel and Clara, came last summer. It was so fun to have them here, they're so enthused about everything. Clinton even ordered Spam and Eggs at the Hukilau Cafe.- Clinton, Rachel, Clara (July 2006) Of course, they came with their parents, Dave and Ann, who came back the next year (and April 2007)
Dave is almost as annoying as Dad used to be on family vacations - taking pictures of us at inopportune times, like in a swimsuit. Marlin and Annette came for the family "meeting" in April 2007. Adam was here for Spring and Summer semesters (2006) doing an internship.
The Adorable Emma (Feb through August 2006) was with us from the day we moved in. She perfected her walk in the big living room. She like it best before the furniture arrived.

The Falco family came April 2006. Here they are with Hannah and Emma eating Shave Ice. Michelle and Chris returned in 2007. That's Michelle buying souvenirs at Matsumoto's a year later. We invited Mom Ross to come and celebrate her 80th birthday here in Hawaii (December 2006). We took a little side trip to Maui and this is me, Mom and Dad at the historic Pulehu Chapel.
June 2006 was a bonanza for me, with Sarah and Ariel (they got engaged at Turtle Bay), Adam, Hannah, Jason and Emma, all under one roof. What fun to have so many family here and we actually had room for them all.

Tom and Diane & Doug and Robin from BYU Print and Mail dropped in. Even though Mike was out of town, they invited me to dinner at their rented beach house. Steak sure beats Cheerios.

Elaine came this month (May 2007). There's nothing like having your best friend stay for two weeks of gab and galavanting. Bonnie Huff introduced us to boiled peanuts at the Hygenic Store on our self-proclaimed art gallery tour of the East Shore.Marianne Rich and Sara Sargeant spent the night and brought back their roommates, including cousin Elisa Patterson, for Mother's Day. If I can't have my own children here, the Patterson offspring are next best. They even brought flowers.
And the last, but certainly not the least, to stay in our house on Kulanui Street was El Little. She wanted to do some island hopping. We went to the Big Island and Maui, but we spent a few nights right here too. Unfortunately, she took all the pictures, so I'll post one later.

Breathtaking Molokai

The alarm went off at 3:15 am. We dragged ourselves out of bed, and began a one-day adventure to Kalaupapa Friday, April 27. After a short flight, we were in Molokai. The first stop was the reknowned Mualapuu Cookhouse. P.S. The French toast did not hold a candle to Hukilau Cafe. Next stop was the mule corral "topside."

Away we go. We couldn't choose our position; it was determined by a mule pecking order. Mike was the leader. Nancy brought up the rear. This mule business will be a breeze on my new pal, Balooga.

On second thought ... Yikes! Easy, Boy.
Straight down. Our first look at Kalaupapa. This is where the government banished patients with Hansen's disease (leprosy) for a century until 1968. The sea cliffs created a secure fortress to send the unfortunate victims until they died.I'm glad to be at the bottom. The ocean was deep blue, the weather ideal, the scenery absoultely breathtaking, but my knees and "sit down" will never be the same. Supporting the local economy while getting a brief rundown from Riley Moffat on LDS Church history sites on the peninsula. It may not be a luxury bus, but the tour was great. Ken Arima, in the middle, is the expert on Mormon history. He found what is believed to be Jonathan Nepela's homesite. Our bus driver was from Kaneohe and gives tours about twice a month. This is where visitors came. They were only allowed in Kalaupapa a total of seven days a year and could not roam about. They were restricted to the visitor's sleeping quarters and this visitor's room a few feet away. It was a prison within a prison. Patients went in one door, visitors in the other. No physical contact was permitted ...... not even in the LDS church. Notice the two pulpits and the big aisle down the middle of the chapel. There are only 3 LDS members remaining in Kalaupapa and 2 of them were in the hospital in Honolulu.

Not far from the Napela home site, a crater rises out of the middle of the peninsula. It provides a nice view and was used as a burial place.

This might be the most beautiful vista I've ever seen. Behind us lie the tallest sea cliffs in the world, Hawaii's longest waterfall, and crashing surf. It was here that the first patients were put ashore and left with no provisions, no shelter and no hope.

Father Damien, a contemporary of Jonathan Napela and champion for the patients on the island, is buried here in Kalawao, on the opposite (eastern) side of the peninsula from Kalaupapa.

Along the road to the air strip, the Protestant cemetery goes on and on. I took these out of the bus window. The photos aren't great, but you get the picture.

It's back in the saddle again. Ready for our assent 3.5 miles up the cliff.

It's a long way down.

Unforgettable.

Serenade at the top.

Corporate Meeting

The J Smith Investments LLC convened its second annual meeting at the Waikoloa Hilton on the Big Island of Hawaii April 20. Officers include, from left, Michelle Falco, Annette Parry, Nancy Bliss and David Smith. Other principle members shown above include spouses, Chris, Marlin, Mike and Ann.

The conference began with an authentic Hawaiian meal (greasy and starchy) at Captain Cook Village. The first workshop was conducted at the Kona Temple and included a guest speaker, Leroy Alip. For years he arose at 3 am to throw papers so that his family and others could attend the temple in Laie. Because of the large numbers of Big Islanders attending the temple, a temple was announced in Kona and was dedicated in 2000. Did someone say "never give a Polynesian the mike"?

After picking up our registration materials (see beach bag), the next item on the agenda was whale watching from the ocean walkway at the resort.

There are dolphins somewhere in the pool behind us.

The ancient Kings Road was our next meeting place. Some hunted archeological petroglyphs.

Others hunted more modern treasures to be appraised later at the golf course.

The more mature couples spent their evening exploring the northwest coast of Kohala, watching the sun set over the ocean from 4,000 feet and eating beef on the Parker Ranch.

Our final day on the Big Island included:

David surveying tsunami damage at Laupahoehoe (say "lau paw ho ay ho ay") where dozens of school children were swept out to sea in 1946.

Hiking through the rainforest on the Windward side (for a motion picture of Akaka Falls, try a temple near you).

Checking out the flora - a botanist's dream.

Despite handicaps, these principle shareholders had no trouble keeping up. Injured knees did not prevent them from hiking around the Kilauea volcano crater or through the Thurston Lava tube.
Back to Oahu for four more grueling days. "Workshops" included snorkeling in Turtle Bay, walking Haleiwa Beach to the "Lost" set, attending the Polynesian Culture Center, a golf tournament, beach, beach, beach and fabulous food - Grass Skirt Grill, Mackey's Shrimp Truck, Shark's Cove Grill, steaks grilled on the lanai at the Bliss's, and don't forget shave ice at Matsumotos.