Stumbled across this little gem. Makes me wonder if this guy even thought to sight in before the season.

I've added some new pics to the Hawaii Xmas '04 photo gallery.

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this trip has been physically, mentally and spiritually. I'm rested again for the first time in months. While I can't say as how I'm really eager to leave, (it' is a tropical island afterall) I am energized to get back into the swing of work. I'm also looking forward to an exciting '05 with some specific ideas, goals and aspirations. There may be more on that later, we'll see. What there will be more of though are pictures from all over Oahu and Hawaii, and video from Volcano National Park.

and a belated Merry Christmas to you all!

Well, we made it. Almost didn't, but in the end made it here faster than we'd originally planned.

The short of it is that our original NorthWest Flight from Harrisburg was delayed beyond our ability to make our connecting flights to get us here to Hawaii before Christmas. Someone, obviously overcome with Christmas spirit recognized this and after spending 2 hours of creeping forward in the ticket counter line we were informed that we had been re-routed on United and were scheduled to arrive in Honolulu 4 hours early.

So we're here. Wish you could be too.

"White Christmas", when it's the sand of Waikiki beach can be a tradition I could  become acustomed to I think.

Oh, FYI - there actually is a United Airlines Flight Number "1"

and I thought that they started their numbering sequence at 1,000

Many more updates to come... perhaps. Time to get out and enjoy the sunshine now though.

In the movie "The Recruit" Colin Farrell's character gets the best line in the flick. During one of his CIA entrance interviews he is asked if he has ever been intentionally cruel to animals. He responds with something the the effect of:

"Yes... I once dressed my dog up with reindeer antlers and took a picture of him."

Well...


I guess...


I'm doubly guilty...


Well actually...


Make that thrice...

I wish I had video and sound for that last one. That little snowman sings a little song and it drives Pride nuts. He picks it up and carries it around with him. He's incredibly gentle with it. Unlike his brother who I'm pretty sure holds the international record for reducing a stuffed animal into the most number of its individual components within the 7 second time limit. He's also the only dog I've ever heard of actually destroying the "Lifetime Guaranteed" indestructable dog toy... twice.  He still can carry the groceries... I think. Haven't actually tried that with him in a pretty long time though. We'll have to put that early training to the test again as soon as we get back. When he was about a year old or so I started walking to the store with him and getting him to carry the bag home. At least part of the way anyhow. He hated it at first but then once he got the hang of it, and developed a fan club for his abilities he seemed to actually enjoy it.

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later and last night it did. Our first snowfall that didn't melt as it hit the ground.

Weatherman says it won't last but what the heck do they know. They didn't know this was coming...

I was out in the backyard this morning just shortly after sunrise when movement caught my attention.  I looked up to see this flock come in for their landings in a standing dead pine tree on our lot about 60 yards from the back of the house.



I'm pretty sure that they were Turkey Vultures. They were a carrion eating breed of some sort for certain. Crappy photo I know but I didn't want to ge too much closer to them than this.

The group sat there almost motionless and silent for 2-3 hours.  The only real movement was when I walked out to snap the above photo. The only noise they made was the sounds their wings made as they shifted nervously about the tree. The dogs didn't seem to bother them in the least but I was not a welcome figure.

It was actually more than a little creepy. My morbid curiosity had me getting up to check on them every 10 minutes or so.  Nothing, they just sat up there. The harbingers of death, in a dead tree, just waiting. Maybe I've seen a certain Hitchcock movie too many times but they kept me interested in them for a good long time.

Weird way to start the day.