The last few weeks I’ve been having lots problems getting pictures to insert into the blog. I reset the blog several times and though I lost a few paragraphs, it now works again, but only from my computer. It still doesn’t work from my iPad.
During the first week of July, Donna and Tree, two of our most active seal volunteers, left Kauai for two months on the Mainland, leaving us very short of seal volunteers. That week too, we had very few seals hauling out so it wasn’t too bad. However, the second week was much busier, with seals up almost every day. The highlight of the first week was the opening event for the annual Koloa Plantation Days celebration, a 10 day celebration highlighting Koloa’s sugar plantation history. This year it was held at a new venue, the site of former tennis courts at the Poipu Athletic Club. It was reminiscent of the country celebrations in Wisconsin…. .kids summersaulting across a big grassy area, families with their folding chairs set up around the field in front of the stage and the field rimmed with food and beer vendors. We set our chairs, along with Peter, in front of a beer tent. Kathy is in California. It was quite the event. The most interesting food to be bought at the event was a Kauai Kailua Hot dog, consisting of a hot dog, smothered in Kailua bbq pork, onions and pineapple salsa. Yum!
Quite the feast but we had to leave partly through the festivities to check out a seal at the Grand Hyatt.
We also attended two different BON Dances in the past two weeks the first was at Hanapepe and was more elaborate than our Koloa one. Held at the Soto temple there were Japanese Taiko drummers at (half time) and two halves of the BON circle dance in honor of ancestors. This was brought to Hawaii by Japanese sugar cane workers. It is very structured and everyone participating is familiar with the dance moves, though there have been practices over the past few months, I haven’t yet gone to learn the moves.
Taiko Drummers
The beginning of the Bon Dance.
The second one at Koloa at a much smaller venue, the field was smaller thus more crowded. The contrast was interesting but we saw many of the same folks at both. They are held at all the different Buddhist temples in June and July throughout the islands.
On Saturday, the big Koloa Plantation Day Parade was held to wrap up the week long celebration. It was led by every vintage car on the island, as well as all the beauty queens, south shore resorts, and many horses. including one on which the mayor was mounted. Concern was expressed for the health of the horse, our mayor is quite rotund. Great fun though was had by all.
Beauty queen
Male Hula dancer……also the leader of the Zumba exercise group (the same group that exercise next door to us on Tuesday evenings).
The ubiquitous Zor Shriner
Grove Farms steam locomotive (one of the original sugar cane train locomotives)
Vintage Car
The events of the week were capped off by a Fun Run, 5km, 10km, and 10 mi. of which I ran the short one but managed to place first in my age group….and I wasn’t the only entry!
