Our First Rains!! The Garden Sings.

Aloha,

Upcountry Maui is smiling today. Yesterday in Makawao we broke a long dry spell. It rained, it poured, it soaked the ground, and put a smile on many faces.

I had been bargaining with myself, the water gods, and the water department since last Feb when we had our last good rain. My vegie garden took a beating over the summer. One conclusion I came to, was although a spring planting brought a sense of renewal and promise, watching the garden wilt over the summer was painful. I have to look for a shadier spot for my summer food next year.

I know some visitors to the islands are only looking for sun. Take heart, even if we have some rain, it is still probably at least 72 degrees outside, and the waterfalls are glorious. No more trickles, they are downright roaring today. I may go out in search of a great photo, and will share it when I get one.

The other good news is, usually if you drive 15 minutes in either direction, the weather will change, one way or another. Even if you sit still, the trade wind showers will blow through in no time. This rain , that made sleeping so wonderful last night, looks to be more than a passing trade shower. This is marking a seasonal change, and we welcome it. I may have to re-think the crater hike I was planning for tomorrow. When the sun bursts through in a couple of days, everything will be sparkling, and the papayas and bananas will be fatter.

The white flowering bush off the lanai is just coming into it's glory. My daughter calls it "snow on the mountain." I love that name, it suits the plant well. It fills the air with a subtle fragrance, and it is one of our holiday treats.

Staying cozy, with Aloha,

Cherie

Fall in Makawao

Aloha...........It's Fall in upcountry....our trees don't turn red, but check out the sky! This is the sunset from the back lanai of the bed and breakfast last night. These bright colors are not caused by vog. The tradewinds have been blowing and keeping our air fresh and clean. The ice crystals in the clouds made this spectacular sunset. The weather man said it was coming, and he sure called it.

Summer is always a wonderful time in the islands, love those long summer nights. However, it is now giving way to chilly mornings, and house lights on at 6:30 pm. We are still in a drought in upcountry Maui. I have my fingers crossed that the Oct. rains don't wait until March this year. Today I planted my greens in the hopes that the rains start falling soon.

This really is a great time of year to visit Hawaii. There is lots of parking, the beaches are quiet, no reservations needed for dinner, and the air is so crisp. The first humpback whales have been spotted. We all get excited when we hear that news. Soon, I will be out in my kayak paddling around with the gentle giants. I love this time of year!

E komo mai

E komo mai.......Come in, come in.

Welcome to a new Maui sharing spot. Here I hope to share my mana'o, my thoughts, with you. Mana'o is a Hawaiian word that I like a lot. It means "to think, to wish."

On Maui we have a very special listener supported radio station called Mana'o Radio. You can find it locally at 91.5, it is also on the web at www.manaoradio.com The music is very eclectic as the d.j.'s are all volunteer.. Many of the folks at this radio station are musicians as well. If you want to get tuned into local events, listen to a great Maui station.

If you are a visitor to Hawaii, or a new resident, the Hawaiian language can be a bit tricky. Something that may help you correctly pronounce a daunting Hawaiian word, is apply basic phonetics. This will get you closer to sounding like you've been here before.

The Hawaiian language allows for one to take a moment and really look, listen and feel. There are many ways to describe the rain of Hawaii. It can be gentle, or strong, come from the mountain, or the sea. This is the in depth approach I hope to have as I share my mana'o , my stories and experiences of living in Hawaii Nei with you. I was not born in Hawaii, and the first 20 years that I lived here, I was in awe of the beautiful place I called home. I am close to completing the next 20 years of living here now. During this time, I have begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be "of Hawaii" . I am a part of the latest waves of immigrants fortunate enough to land on these shores.

I've begun to see deeper into the stunning, breathtaking beauty of Hawaii. The soles of my feet are now stained red from the clay soil of Maui. I eat and serve fresh fruit from my garden every day.I feel blessed, and, I am grateful. In Hawaii, we live closely aligned with nature . We spend a lot of time outside. For me, this is a more complete way to experience life. When we have Kona weather, it means our weather comes from the south. People can get a little edgy when the weather is Kona. Big, wild storms could be on the way, or, there is not a breath of air moving. The trade winds keep our Maui air clean and fresh. Without the trades, the "Vog", volcanic particles in the air from Madame Pele on the Big Island, end up blanketing most of the islands. This week we have had Kona weather, hopefully it will bring some much needed rain for the garden.


In this journal, I plan to serve up a fresh little slice of paradise to keep you coming back for more.

A hui ho, until later.