SWEET TALKIN'

Today we made a small grocery and supply run in Pukalani. We could not resist taking a few pics of the "Low Fat Big Hunk" candy bar and the Foremost Ice Cream section. The ice cream packaging is by far one of the best design series we have seen in some time. It's so refreshing to see packaging that is not all tricked out with splats, swirls, cheesy grinning models or uber bright colors. Of course this packacking looks as though they have not updated it since 1970, but don't you think they look refreshing and calming? Our favorites are the Pineapple, Rainbow and Orange Sherberts on the top shelf. The Macadamia Nut is pretty great and John pointed out that the San Fransisco Mint is (over) designed to look like money. I searched on-line and found very little info on the company, but discovered that FOREMOST ICE CREAM is/was made in Honolulu and was at one point in talks to be bought by Meadow Gold. I never did find out if it is still being made on Ohau. We would love to go over and take a tour of the plant. We only got about half photographed so I really would like to go back to Foodland and photograph each one individually.

The stunning 1950s-era Foremost Plant in Honolulu. What I would give to see inside. Can you imagine?
photo:Cindy Ellen Russell

ALL GROWN UP

It seems that everything around here is growing so fast... that is except for our vegetable garden... but more on that later. Here are a few before and after images from around the grounds.
2 of the PINEAPPLE PLANTS when we arrived on March 13th.
The pineapples just a few days ago on June 21st. I picked one today and it will be part of our fruit salad and yogurt tomorrow morning for breakfast. Life is good.
Once peeled, we let the pineapple top dry out for a day or two then plant it about 1" in the dirt as seen here. Hopefully in about a year and half to two years we will get another fruit. One of these tops is from another of our home grown pineapples and the rest are Maui grown from good ol' Costco. Notice the weeds also do very well.



Here is a photo of Grandma (with a Mai Tai) when she first arrived on June 1st. Notice that the ROYAL POINCIANA tree in the background is almost bare. Then just 20 days later it is glowing with orange flowers. It still has a way to go, but it is so amazing how fast things change. Now if the broccoli would just catch on.

*UPDATE*
The fruit salad made with what we had on hand... pineapple, mango, tangelo and papaya. This papaya was more orangish-red instead of the golden-yellow we have mostly had, which leads me to believe that it is either a rainbow papaya or a strawberry papaya.

FUNKY SIGNAGE

These are some funky old signs and a mural (shot from the outside) from a grocery store in Koloa town on Kaua'i. The typography is pure 60s--could they really be that old? I love the little illustrations on either side of the words. Hope to post more stuff like this every once in a while.

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

At 7:30 AM last Friday morning, John, Mom and I hit the Road to Hana. It took us about 2 hours to drive to Hana Bay and then another 30 minutes further to Kipahulu... about 45 miles one way from our house. In all there are said to be 617 curves and 56 one lane bridges. The further East you go the more waterfalls you are likely to see at one of the bridges. I find the best time to go is on a really rainy day because that way most of the falls will really be flowing. At Kipahulu we hiked for 2 1/2 hours on the Pipiwai Trail past various waterfalls on our way to the back of the valley for the main attraction - WAIMOKU FALLS - which plunges over 400 feet to a pool below then heads downstream to Makahiku Falls then 7 Sacred Pools before finally emptying into the ocean. The second half of the trail is through a dense bamboo forrest which makes it pretty dark. The bamboo towers about 50 feet above your head. It was really fun since it was raining and we barely got wet walking through the bamboo. Once we hit Waimoku Falls... that was another story. This was the heaviest flow John and I had witnessed here out of our 5 trips to this spot... yes it's so good we had to come 5 times and plan on going back for more. We were drenched from the spray. The worst part of the trip is the drive back on the long and winding road... it took me 2 hours longer than I had expected for the entire trip and we ended up back home around 6:00 PM.

A bridge and Wailuaiki waterfall on the Road to Hana.
Mom at a popular waterfall near Hana.
Mom and me at Oheo Gulch (aka 7 Sacred Pools - which are actually more like 11 and not at all sacred).
Makahiku Falls.
Mom and John at a mystery fall on the Pipiwai Trail.
The Bamboo portion of the hike.
A view from the road on the way back home. Notice the small black spot in the center top of photo... that is a hand glider. We did not even notice it until we looked at the pics when we got home.Talk about a view.

Mom having "shower" at Waimoku Falls.

Makahiku Falls.

Makahiku Falls / Infinity Pool from the top.

WAS THE FUTURE GREENER IN THE SEVENTIES?

I came across this circa 1974 coloring book a while ago in my parents attic (I stashed a lot of stuff from my childhood up there-thanks mom and dad!) I LOVED this book. Johnny Horizon was like a mentor. What a great message it conveyed about keeping our environment litter free and being mindful of our impact on it. It's so simple yet people still throw crap out of their car windows and loose trash on the curb instead of making sure it's in a secure trash bag or bin. Unfortunately, Johnny didn't fare as well as his contemporaries, Smokey the Bear and Woodsy Owl. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the better pages with you. And here's a link to Gerald Ford's
Johnny Horizon 1974 proclamation

HOAHANAU

Last night my cousin (hoahanau) Jenny and her husband Jon came over and saw the house and property. We all went out to dinner at Charley's in Paia which is owned by Willie Nelson and serves up some really good food including breakfasts with mac nut pancakes the size of a basketball. Jon and Jenny are here for their long overdue honeymoon. We've been here 3 months and have seen my sister, mom, grandma and cousins Joe and Jenny. Pretty wild.
I love the old instamatic film look these images have. Might have been the lighting.... but might also bee that the camera is broken. The display stopped working on Friday...so now I have no idea what I am getting or if the flash is on. Looks like we will be shopping for a new camera soon. CRAP!

Jon, Jenny and Grandma's shrimp cocktail.
Jenny, Grandma and Willie.

METAMORPHOSIS

Our milkweed tree has been put throught he ringer the past few weeks with the monarch caterpilars. Of course we would not have it any other way. The skies around the yard have been a flutter with MONARCH BUTTERFLIES for the past week as chrysalis after chrysalis produce adult butterflies. The life cycle of a monarch includes a change of form called complete metamorphosis and it goes through four radically different stages:
-The eggs are laid by the females during spring and summer breeding months.
-The eggs hatch, revealing worm-like larva, the caterpillars. The caterpillars consume their egg cases, then feed on milkweed, and sequester substances called cardenolides, a type of cardiac glycosides. During the caterpillar stage, Monarchs store energy in the form of fat and nutrients to carry them through the non-feeding pupa stage.
-In the pupa or chrysalis stage, the caterpillar spins a silk pad on a twig, leaf, etc. and hangs from this pad by its last pair of prolegs. It hangs upside down in the shape of a 'J', and then molts, leaving itself encased in an articulated green exoskeleton. At this point, hormonal changes occur, leading to the development of a butterfly.
-The mature butterfly emerges after about two weeks and feeds on a variety of flowers, including milkweed flowers, red clover, and goldenrod.

The tree.
The brood... large and small.
Monarch caterpillar beginning pupation by hanging in a "J" position.
A chrysalis on our cocohead.


Chrysalis details. How about that metallic gold detailing?
What's up with that? Amazing.
After emerging from chrysalis.
The male butterfly has 2 black spots on it's lower set of wings.
The female has thicker veins and no spots on the lower wings.
Another view of the female.

HOALOHA

Our good friends (Hoaloa) Josh and Maya who were here from New York just left today. Here are a few pics as we took a walk down our road yesterday. Aloha 'oe.

CHARLEY'S AN ANGEL

photo: DAVID SORCHER | CIN WEEKLY

It is with great sadness I report that atrist extraordinaire Charley Harper has passed away at the age of 84 yesterday. I had the great honor of meeting and working with Charley in his Cincinnati studio in 2005. I remember filing away his illustrations with co-worker Lauren Smith. We had no idea that Charley could hear us as he sat outside the studio... he thought we were so funny as we would unearth a new painting and gasp in amazement. Every so often we would go out with a piece and ask him about it. The story behind it was always magical. He got a kick out of us that day as we did with him. We were there with Todd Oldham to begin work on the book - Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life.

Eddie, Brett and Charley at their home in 2005.
photo: Todd Oldham

We also found out that day Charley had started the "LADYBUGS WILL SAVE THE WORLD" crusade and was always recieving ladybug themed gifts from people all around the world. Another day he came to visit us at the Todd Oldham Studio where we had a lunch for him. We sat around listening to stories and had him sign all of our books. He too got a kick out of that... all the fawning over him. He never seemed to know just how important he and his work was. He did it all for fun. I am proud and thrilled to be the owner of 17 prints by Charley and 2 by Brett. Everyday I look at them is a treat. Thanks for the enchanting beauty that you created Charley.

PIZZA PIZZA PIZZA

Saturday night we met up with my cousin Joe and his girlfriend Camille at Paia Flatbread in Paia for brick oven thin crust pizza.
Joe and Camille live on Molokai and were here on Maui to see grandma while she is on Island. Here are a few pics. Mom, Me, John, Camille, Joe, Grandma

Mom and grandma have made their way to Ka'anapali until Thursday as we have our friends Josh amd Maya staying with us for 2 days this week. They are on Island for Josh's sisters wedding. It's been a full house at the "Honokala Inn" so far this month.

EAST MEETS WEST

The postings have been few as it's been a busy week with mom and grandma on island. John and I have been playing both tourists and tour guide. A few days after they arrived we went to the West Maui Mountains, 'Iao Valley specifically. Here are a few pics at and of 'Iao Needle.

Here is grandma taking in the view from a lookout of the image below.



Just the other day we made our way to the summit of Haleakala on the East side of the island. Along the drive we travelled trough clouds, a pine forrest, and scrub before reaching the 10,023 foot summit. And we even got grandma out of the car and to the rim of the crater. Since we went around lunchtime there was only a little chill because of the wind, but not nearly as bad as if we had gone for sunrise or sunset.



You can make out the Big Island in the background just to the right.
The clouds rolling by.