It’s Friday and another beautiful Blue Hawaii day. Yesterday was spent mostly inside as Diane spent another day healing. We went out in the late afternoon seeking a retailer from whom we might purchase a heating pad. She said she wasn’t going another night without one. We wound up at Costco but they didn’t have heating pads so she got Salonpas patches instead.

It’s 0903 at the moment, and we’ve been up for a couple of hours. Diane’s perky and we’re waiting for Jewel to arrive so we can go exploring. It’s good to have a native guide when you explore.

We’re sitting on the lanai, there is barely a breeze, just enough to make the palm trees sway just a little. Birds are chirping and singing, and it’s so peaceful. We’ve seen a few golfers hitting their balls along the fairway on the other side of the lava flow on the makai side of the resort. There is evidence of vog in the distance, hazing out the land as it rises from the ocean up the flanks of Mauna Kea. Very restful. Sitting here, watching it all, I’m gaining confidence in my golfing abilities as some pretty terrible golfers sweep past in their festive garb. The course is very pretty, as are all golf courses on the island, and it’s flat. I’m tempted, but not enough to do it. I’m better off sitting here thinking about how well I could do out there. I’m sure the fantasy is far better than the reality.

We’ve been watching a boony cat walk by every morning, as if on rounds, and this morning we were outside before our lanai was on her schedule. I’m sure they don’t call them boony cats but on Guam they do. Feral is another word. This one was a friendly type of feral and just calmly walked by, stopped to look around, then calmly laid down to do some yoga. I went and got her a little milk on a saucer which she was very eager to sample. After a few token licks, she looked around again, bid us adieu, and walked off on her rounds. On either side of the lanai are planters surrounded by a brick border. The cat walked precisely on the bricks on departure. Very calm, very much a cat that works on Hawaii Time.

Around 0945 Jewel appeared at our front door to guide us on a trip around the north end of the island.  Diane already had a couple of stops planned in that area, but we got to see a few more, thanks to Jewel.

First stop was Pukoa Bay just a few miles north of our location. The area along both sides of the road that goes around the bay is filled with homes of all kinds. From very elaborate, to more common beach homes that have been here for ages. We found an access to the beach where we could park, then took a trek on the water’s edge. Not much sand there, but lots of lava. Very picturesque. Right away Jewel spotted a very large sea turtle sunning itself on the lava.

After walking around the point, we returned to the road and started back. This nice lady, Doris, was getting her mail and struck up a conversation, something not likely to happen in most other places. She’s almost 91 years old and spends 6.5 months here and the other 5.5 months in … gee … Albany, Oregon. Small world. She shared that her husband, Bill, was one of the first investors of Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike.

Doris was very talkative and a fan of my Ducks T-shirt. She said the money earned from her Nike stock all goes to charity … millions of $$$ a year. Obviously her husband did well. She also said that her kids weren’t getting it. Plus, half of everything else was going to charity when she kicked off. A really nifty lady and fun to talk with. And, she said she was on her normal morning walk when she saw Phil Knight.

From there we took the back road to Hapuna Beach to watch the waves. Jewel knows where all the best waves are …

I had to drag myself away from the beach because the waves are so mesmerizing. Each one is different and it’s hard to catch them when the light is just right. Just fascinating!

We continued a bit north, then east on Highway 19 to Waimea, home of the famous Parker Ranch. Jewel knew of a great place to eat lunch which was perfect because she had a hankering for bacon. So, what could be more appropriate than Hulu Sue’s Barbecue, or Fish And The Hog eatery. The names confused me a bit because Fish And The Hog was on the front window, but Hulu Sue’s was on the large window at the back of the restaurant.

Diane had a roasted vegetable and provolone sandwich while Jewel and I had their BLT 9 sandwich. It was totally awesome. I have to admit that I actually thought the menu choice was BLT 9 until Jewel and Diane pointed out that the number 9 was the price. That explains the odd looks I received from the cute waitress. OK, so I’m not well versed when it comes to fancy menus. That’s why I make sure I’m never alone when I do stuff like this.

Since it was Jewel’s birthday today, we got a piece of chocolate cake and three forks. It was a huge piece so there was plenty left over for Jewel to take home for John.

Diane had a stop at the Waipio Valley overlook, but the advertised one is a long trip around the valley. Jewel, however, led us to a less advertised overlook on our side of the valley. It’s on a dead-end road that was lined with vehicles for about the last 1/4 mile, or so, and there was no place to turn around until the end. So, we mosied down, turned around, and mosied back, never stopping. It was pretty voggy (volcano dust and fog) so pictures wouldn’t have turned out well, so we didn’t feel it was necessary to try. We did, however, get to see it. It’s a long way down, very green and very lush.

Too soon it was time to head back ‘home’. Along the way Jewel saw whales jumping out of the water just off shore, so we stopped to see if we could get a photo. We waited, and waited, but it never jumped again. We did, however, get to see its tale a couple of times.

We’re pretty sure that it started jumping again right after we left, but we didn’t look because we didn’t want to be disappointed. Still, we got to see the tail and that’s pretty cool in itself. We were happy.

We sadly said our goodbyes to Jewel, and watched her drive away … in the wrong direction. Soon she was headed back the correct way and, we trust, made it home OK. In Jewel’s defense, my exit instructions were very specific.

It was an incredible day and we feel blessed that Jewel chose to spend her birthday with us.