Halloween in Hawaii

We may not have falling leaves, but Hawaii shares in the Halloween fun!

This witch must have been texting when she ran into the pine tree!

Only on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam will you find a purple skull, palm tree, and US flag!

This is my neighbor ... 

.... perhaps I should borrow their sign for my kids' closets ...

... I invited my neighbor to decorate all of the flower bed that we share in front of our townhouses!   What's your favorite Halloween decoration?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 3, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 4.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Hubby took this picture on base in Korea!

Aloha to Bellows Beach

Aloha!  We have a winner from last week's posts - Kim H!   Best wishes to the East Coast as they prepare for Hurricane Sandy.   Let me offer you serene pictures as you weather the storm.  Above are wild flowers that grow just past the sand dunes at Bellows Beach - a recreation center for military personnel on Oahu's East Coast.  

Looking southward, the Makapu'u Peninsula jets out near Sandy Beach.  The uninhabited islet to the left is Mānana Island - "buoyant" island.  Mānana is a marine bird sanctuary. 

Looking northward is the recreation center.  I was walking along the "public beach" that is closed during the week for the Marines practice their assault landings.   On the weekend, the "public beach" reopens to all - Hawaiians love to bring their families for overnight camping adventures!

Because the public beach was closed, I only found one companion ... a coconut!  No Marines to be found!

This patch of green is my marker to leave the beach and walk back into the recreation center via the front gate.   Do you have a favorite place to walk, think, and reflect?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 3, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 4.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Aloha to the Mighty Mo - Gulf War Service

Continuing the tour of the USS Missouri ... above is the gangway that the crew rolled back in BATTLESHIP.

Above is the Tomahawk missile system, installed for the first Gulf War in 1991.

Here is the bow ...

  

... with its famous guns!

Check out the sniper's gauge ... 

... and the lifeboat!

She is mighty proud of her military service!   What do you know about Missouri - the ship, the state, or the river.   One commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers. Comments are open through Saturday, October 27, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 28.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Another tribute to her service in the Persian Gulf

Eagle Scout Ceremony aboard the USS Missouri

On Sunday, we attended an Eagle Scout ceremony aboard the USS Missouri.   The Mighty Mo is know a floating "museum", docked on Ford Island, overlooking the USS Arizona Memorial.   The Missouri Foundation erected a semi-permanent tent over the aft for special ceremonies such as enlistments, retirements, and the Eagle Scout induction.    Above is the flag flying from the aft with Ford Island in the background.  In fact, hubby previously worked in one of the buildings.

Again from the aft, I spotted a ferry used by the National Park Service to transport tourists to the USS Arizona Memorial.  In the background is a historic control tower recently refurbished by the Pacific Aviation Museum.

The small craft is a Navy patrol launch that often escorts the nuclear submarines into Pearl Harbor.

The ceremony area is flanked by the 50 state flags donated by Seal Deliver Vehicle (SDV) Team One as noted above.

Notice the first name on the dedication list - Michael Murphy.  As a SEAL in Afghanistan, Michael drew fire away from his trapped team.  He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.   The US Navy recently christened a new guided missile destroyer as USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112).   

Sailors man the rails aboard the USS Michael Murphy.
public.navy.mil

I'll post pictures more pictures from the Mighty Mo tomorrow.   Comments are open today.   One randomly selected commenter from this week's posts wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 20, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 21.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

 One more view of Old Glory as she unfolds

across the aft of the Mighty Mo.

Aloha to Maui - Random pictures

Tandem surfing

Palms reaching over the beach

Dragon Turtle

Totem Pole made from tree trunk

Open comment today!  One randomly selected commenter form this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 20, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 21.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Red sky at night, sailors delight.

Aloha to Maui - Ma'alaea Bay

On our last day in Maui, we drove south to the land bridge which connects the two volcanic mountain chains.    As we rounded the southern curve of West Maui, we pulled into an overlook that offered panoramic views of the Ma'alaea Bay.

To the left is the South Maui coastline and to the right is Kaho'olawe - an uninhabited island.  Thousands of years ago, Maui was one land mass, including the outer islands of Kaho'olawe, Lana'i, and Moloka'i.   

Haleakala - House of the Sun - rises in South Maui.  It is home of the Haleakala National Park.

The bay is a favorite spot for humpback whales from November through April.

In the town of Ma'alaea, we found the Coast Guard Station ... 

.... a small harbor ...

... and a humpback whale carved from a tree trunk! 

We also found a shrine to bless the fisherman!  What's your favorite fish?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 20, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 21.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

We found a book store operated by the Maui Friends 

of the Library.  It offered a wide range of  "local" books!

Aloha to Maui - Dusk turning to sunset

At dusk, I walked along the beach and found a few of nature's treasures.

Someone else laid out these coral pieces atop the volcanic rock.

  

I played around with the shadows ...

... the same rocks from different angles.

A fallen tree that will find new life on the beach.

The sun sets between Lana'i (left) and Moloka'i (right.)   What's your level of photography - click and hope for the best?  Or do you know how to use a lens?    One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 20, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winners on Sunday, October 21.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

The green flash is about to appear ...

Aloha to Maui - Pu'u Keka'a (Black Rock)

Breaking News - the cast of Hawaii Five O are special guests at

the Navy Ball at the Sheraton Waikiki (as I write this blog).

We have a winner from last week's blogs - Winnie wins a book choice from my convention stash.   I start with the above picture, taken at dusk, of the the Pu'u Keka'a (Black Rock).   It divides Ka'anapali beach in half - I featured the boardwalk along the southern beach at this link (when I took this picture).   The following day, we parked near public access to the northern tip to walk down to the Pu'u Keka'a.     

The Sheraton has built a sprawling resort around it.   Here is a viewing point atop it - Moloka'i looms in the distant.

Looking south, we spotted the tourists staking their claim in the sand.  All Hawaiian beaches, even those fronted by hotels, are open to the public.

Let's check out the sail boat in the distance ... more tourists board for a snorkeling cruise!

  
We followed the hotel's breezeways for more views of Pu'u Keka'a.   Hawaiians before the missionary invasion believed it was a "leaping point" to the afterlife.*  They hoped that their ancestors' spirits, 'aumakua, received them.  If not, their souls wandered the area and attached themselves to rocks.  Hence the prohibition from claiming rocks as souvenirs!

* Some Hawaiians still practice the "old religion" while some Hawaiian Christians still honor the "old ways".

In Season One of Hawaii Five O, Steve referenced 'aumakua when he threw the gun runner into a shark cage.  Hawaiians believe that 'aumakua will protect them. 

It amazes me the beauty that grows from volcanic rock!

A few local kids jump from the Pu'u Keka'a.  Most of the tourists snorkel around it.   Would you jump from, snorkel around, or take a picture of the Pu'u Keka'a?   One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, October 20, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii