Updated yesterday's weblog late last night, with additional text in quite a few places and editing for better readability. Today's set of pictures is from yesterday's snorkeling trip to the Honolua Bay Marine Area Preserve (click on small pix to enlarge, file sizes ranging from 88 to 161k):

Pictures 1 through 5 (left to right, top row to bottom) were from the trail on the way to the bay. #3 shows trees being overtaken by rapacious vines (not sure which ones these are). The rampant growth of non-native plant species is getting to be a problem in the islands, and is a serious challenge to botanists and ecologists. Non-endemic, or introduced, plants tend to spread far and fast, choking out indigenous plant and animal species which have not evolved the means to combat the intruders. (This is why when you fly to Hawaii on any airline, towards the end of the trip they hand you a form to fill out asking if you're bringing in plants or animals with you from the mainland. If you are, they'll impound it.)

The picture in #4 shows a whole bunch of purple-black berries on the ground. I know these (from my childhood) as lumboy berries, which are sweet with a slightly tart and chalky aftertaste, and leave purple stains on your teeth and tongue. We prized such fruit when we were kids... here, they're just falling on the ground, and no one gathers them up. What a waste! Well, I had a field day eating my fill of 'em, from the numerous trees by the trail. Can you tell where the feral black cat is, in photo #6? This was at the end of the trail, and the bay is just visible at the far left background of the image.

Photo #7 shows the remains of an old boat ramp, and the photo after it shows another sign indicating that the bay (and the one to the left of it) is a marine preserve. The last picture, #9 is a closeup via the camera's weak zoomlens of the surf spot on the far-right corner of the bay. The waves in the picture are about 5 to 6 feet. Perfectly nice. I'd go surf there on my boogie board, except that lots of locals (and surfing tourists) go there all the time now, and I read in a local magazine that the aloha spirit of sharing waves has now given way to a dog-eat-dog competition for rides. Bah... not my scene.

half past noon...

Attended the 8 a.m. church service this morning at Waiola Congregational, an old Hawaiian missionary church, where my mom's going to be the part-time interim minister come January. Then went for a walk and a bike ride afterwards, down the coast. Passed many local houses with Xmas stuff on 'em and in the yard. This picture here shows a typical one, with the odd, jarring quality of mainland-type Christmas decorations on a Hawaiian house. (Click on the small picture to see the whole scene.) Note the reindeer on the roof, the candy canes on the driveway and the snowman on the green, green lawn. I wonder how he manages not to melt away in the tropical heat. *chuckle*

As I rode along, I started thinking about writing a "Christmas meditation" for my weblog tomorrow -- I guess the preacher's son in me is coming out, eh? Well, not to worry, I will otherwise not condemn you to reading sermons from me every day of the year, save one. Heh-heh. This is another nice thing about weblogs: you're not forced to read them. Unlike, say, at a church service, where you're stuck listening to the minister's sermon, whether you like it or not (well sure you could up and leave if it's really boring or you're offended, but such a thing is rare, and a serious breach of churchish etiquette. haha.) Whereas here, you can always click away. Of course, I'm not gonna write now. It's only midday, and I am off to, you guessed it... more communing with the elements of the sea, where the colors of life therein absolutely beggar the colors humans make in apparent 'celebration' of this particular holiday.

As I look out on Front Street and the bustle of Christmas Eve day, I see nothing spiritual about it at all. What little meaning there is lies crushed under tons of gilded doodads. Away, I must get away! LOL. So, I'll see you all later, friends...

{ net.casting }
^