Moonshine and sunshine.

While dinner was cooking Tuesday night, the glorious full moon was rising spectacularly through the trees of my back garden.

Yes, yes yes, I know there is the wind speed, duration and fetch that create waves but for sheer convenience and tie-in-factor from the previous picture, I’m going to say ‘the full moon did it”. Wednesday was glorious and (despite a bit of wind) the swell was good enough for most to jump in the briney. Here's a nice little surfer boy trifecta!

The ironic thing about a good watching session at Ho'okipa is that sitting there on my arse can actually be quite invigorating.

There's just no way you're going out in this kinda surf and coming back in feeling the same way. Whether your dialed into the conditions or not the paddling, focus, traffic, energy of the waves and emotional highs and lows are gonna jiggle your mojo around (for better or worse). Probably better if you're the one on the board, not  so much if you're the one about to get worked.

Hui!

With the surf pounding on the outside, these little kiddiewinks were having a blast paddling up and down on the real 'inside'. Enough of this practice turns into this.......

I think this is Matt Kazuma and his sprog, look at that little ripper go! Unbelievable.

Ow, Ow, Ow....

For the most part the surfers at Ho'okipa are just ordinary people with a true connection to the sea that makes them feel alive.  It's as essential to their well being as other rituals to the rest of us, such as gardening, train spotting or ping-pong.


A penny for his thoughts.....

The (not so) beautiful game.

I’ve been watching a lot of footy lately; it must be a latent British gene similar to the tea drinking one that didn’t rear its delightful Earl Grey head until I was in my mid 30’s.

Now don’t get me wrong, just because my viewing hours have increased - in no way has this transferred into actual knowledge as to how to play the game. In fact I watch a game now the way I always have done– with a proportionally balanced lack of knowledge for the rules and a ‘people magazine’ type interest in the players. Does that make me any less of a fan....not on your nelly. I drive home and salivate with the knowledge that I’m going to be watching Milan v Juventus or Man City v Chelsea. I oft think 'God there's so much more I could do with my evenings', but watching 22 men run after that ball for 90 minutes is consistency hard to beat. Good grief ( I blame Giampaolo).

With my current diet of at least two or three matches a week I sit on my couch eating dinner, enjoying a glass of wine and wondering ‘how hard can it be to run, pass, strike and fake injury for 90 minutes’? A naive question I know - as I rarely work out for more than an hour at a time and get puffed out after 20 minutes of running (ok maybe 15)!

So one ill advised afternoon I grabbed my dirty rarely used football and went to the park to see what those lads are actually made of . Ladies and gentlemen, my answer was all too apparent ‘sterner stuff than me’! Let me put it this way, the first thing that hurt was my big toe nail and I know how to kick a football!!!

Meanwhile, in honor of his extended stay in Milan, Beckham got a new tattoo!

Beauty supplies.

Half way up the mountain (aka Haleakala) the conditions are perfect for growing protea. There are lots of different varieties, but these bright and beautiful pinsushions grabbed my attention. 

A floral Sputnik on steroids. Not keen on the yellow or red variety ?? No problemo.....

..... e voila!

Back home I gave Cozmo bonus points for his feline creativity in fnding a spot that wasn't wet.

In contrast, half way down the mountain are visions like this which are so frustrating. No one should ever be allowed to make another plastic bag again....ever. Sharon's new rule: if you need a plaggy bag just drive by your local landfill and pick one up.

I can let the trash bum me out, but we all know everything has its purpose. Without those ugly plastic bags would we see the glory of the protea? I wonder if everything was perfect in our world, would we still find something to whinge about? The contrast is what makes us grow, appreciate and fine tune our existence into that which is pleasing to us. 

Take two: I can appreciate everyone who threw away those plastic bags because without them, I would not have had that startling wind blown vision. Which in turn wakes me up to be a more conscious recycler and allows me to cherish nature even more than I already do. Mo bettah.

Beauty is in the eye...and all that.

Cold-play.

Friday night brought the band together, we have Ulles on Uke, Ely on drums and Banjo, Giampaolo on bass & Chico on guitar.There was also Gary on guitar and lead vocals, plus Petra, Messh, Juan and me on percussion. What a bloody racket we made, super fun!

Here's Meesh looking like Jake Shimabukuru but actually playing 'air uke'! "And why the winter hat"? I hear you ask..........see below.

Not only has Meesh been wearing her winter woollies, but rumor has it for kiting she's also been double wet suiting and is still cold! Fark - we are all complaining about the winter chill (right now 65f/18c) and after living here to 20 years I finally broke down and bought.......

.....a heater! In fact I'm warming my toes by it as I type.

Meanwhile, here's my lava lamp (or is it a former boyfriend in formaldehyde) just getting warmed up! And while we're on the subject of juvenile humor, here's Steven Fry's latest twitter entry: In the meantime I'm childishly amused by waiter who's just told me about promotion: in his accent "two vodkas and you get a turd free"! With thanks to Mr.Fry, the word 'twazzock' in now firmly entenched in my vocabulary.

Your honor roll.

You don’t have to go far off the beaten path to find something (or someone) quirky on Maui. Here's one such item that's been a fixture here for as long as I can remember, but it’s certainly grown in stature since my last drive by.

The wood fence and stone wall at my house pale in comparison to this mighty feat of creativity. Very impressive.

Lucky for everyone, there are fruit and flower stands everywhere around the Island. I had randomly stopped by to take snaps of this one when a truck pulled up with the sign ‘Maui Photo Safari’ on the side. Expecting a pile of tourists to jump out and snap the very same fruit stand, I thought ‘blimey I must have a good eye’…..but the driver just casually strolled up, put his money in the tube and bought his fruit. Busted by my own ego again!

The thing I love about these stands is that it’s all on the honor system. There’s always a box of some description for the money, a hand written price list and the rest is left up to customer discretion.

Flower power perfection in a plastic bucket.

Daniel you're a star.

Yesterday, Danny threw himself the all time 'fun for everyone' birthday bash. He rented 'Da Big Wave' flow rider for an hour, so all his mates could come and be humbled one by one, over and over, and over again. Brilliant.

The line up was mellow, maxing out at about 10 with no one dropping in, no one giving stink eye and everyone politely queueing up to have their fill of water time. Ahhhh but if it were only as civil in the real world.

whoopsy daisy.....there goes Meesh.......

Giampaolo showing his grit and determination.
Big Simon and his butt crack.

Wixie looking like a pro.

The WAG's were out in force.

oooooooohhhhh, down goes Ian.

You go girl! Equal opportunity fun for all ages, shapes and sizes.

Doh.......there goes Ulles. I could show you all the good shots but all the landings are so much more entertaining! It was hard to exit this thing gracefully, which of course makes it all the more amusing.

By George I think he's got it!

And just in case you doubted that this was anything short of big fun, here's Dao to convince you.

While the flow rider kept everyone entertained before dark, that was only the warm up act. After a few pints of Guinness it was off to the chicken shack for a good old fashioned p.a.r.t.y. (again courtesy of Danny Entertainment). I escaped back to my bed well before midnight but I'm sure many are still in theirs.....recovering.

A sign of the times.

Some say.....

Some say that The Stigs scrotum actually generates a small gravity field (plagiarised) and that has a twin sister who lives on Maui. 

Just a heads up, I'm going to sprinkle this post with photo's where you can pause and take a breather, otherwise it might be a bit much all in one fell swoop!

All the laughs were in our birthday boys honor. Sid's a cracking chap and his lovely Mrs. did the honors of throwing him a surprise party with a UK theme. Nice one Ashley!

Here's our lad posing a bit too comfortably with some more of his guests. I think the loo adds a nice touch, so I left it in.

Commercial break....what's new puddy tat?

Ian cooked a cracking dinner with what he thought was plenty of nosh for everyone. However, when he came up short on the sausages, it later became painfully obvious why. The blow up sheep (while ever such a kind gift) was of course horribly abused!

Oh look at the lovely church....let's take a moment and enjoy the scenery shall we?

Meanwhile......back at the party (and talking of scenery) the sheep had become a hero and so had Ulli in his mankini!

Whoa Stig, steady on there old boy, I think you being there is gift enough!

awwwwwwwwww, don't ya hate when that happens an just when the program was getting good!