Donna and I went on a Whale Watching sail the other day. We left the bay at around 3:00 in the afternoon and motored north. The Biologist on board, Jeff, was great. He had all the facts about whales and their lives. He answered all of the questions we had and then we began to see the wonderful creatures.

Words cannot describe the feeling you get when a whale shows you his tail. It is somewhere between gratitude and excitement, awe and appreciation. The animals we saw where gigantic. We were lucky enough to witness around 20 whales at the surface. Spouts all around us but in particular two whales traveling together gave us quite a show. They would surface and show their tails for a while and then disappear.

The crew would begin calling them and encouraged us to do the same. Suddenly they appeared at the back of the boat about 20 yards off the stern, showed their backs and then their tails in turn. MAGNIFICENT and a little scary. They were way bigger than the boat.

We were all smiles and joy. The crew said it was the best experience they had had for a long time and they were all feeling like we had our money’s worth when our whales suddenly reappeared at the front of the boat. Could have been two different whales but the tails, which are like fingerprints, looked very much the same. Again they passed so close to the boat you felt you could reach out and touch them. Even the crew were high fiving each other.

What an experience!!

It was a magical time. The crew was excellent. Our fellow travelers were appropriately impressed and the whales were accomodating. They answered the call and they stayed and partied with us. You almost wanted to invite them aboard for one of the delicious Maitais.

If you are of a certain age you automatically sing “do do do do” after you hear “Here Comes the Sun” and “I say…It’s alright.”

The old Beatles classic is a great tune with wonderful lyrics. I was actually working out yesterday with my phone plugged into my ears and my music on when I heard it again for the first time. It felt like home and in this very sunny place it felt like the right song to sing. Lines like “The ice is slowly melting” could mean getting out of the cold or it could mean that you are thawing out after a long time protecting yourself … like in the movie Frozen.

It was a powerful reminder of the power of music in my life and the wonderful emotions that can be triggered by a song. Tears came to my eyes as I felt the meaning of the song. Things are looking up. They are getting better. The sun is coming out and it is alright.

Of course that song was followed by “Fool on the Hill” and I wondered what meaning I should take from that as I stood on a hill looking out over the rolling hills of the Big Island. Keep humble!!

I saw a hoody yesterday at a store here on the Big Island of Hawaii that said “I am LOVE” on the back of it. Unfortunately they didn’t have my size or I would be walking around with my name advertised on my back in big bold letters. I am Love and I do love aloha.

Being back here in January is great. It is beautiful. I am looking out onto a golf course with Cook Pines and BIG wild turkeys and Nene geese that look a lot like Canada geese everywhere. Yesterday the male turkeys put on a fantastic show for us and the hens were chasing each other around. I am not sure what that was about but it looked like they all turned on one for some reason.

Yesterday we drove up to the north shore where the small town of HAWI is. It was about an hour and a half loop and on the way back we were climbing for about 15 miles through ranch land with cattle and horses to a summit of 3456 feet Then the road descended rather rapidly over a five mile stretch back to the town of Waimea. The sun was setting and from that elevation it was quite a show. The VOG in the air from the volcano turned the sun into a red ball in the sky that hung over the rugged lava flows of years gone by. It was other worldly.

I might have to actually turn on the TV and see what’s going on with the volcano. It is hazy already this morning. This is the same volcano, Kilauea, who chased away the hurricanes this summer when I was here with the girls. Two hurricanes and two earth quakes in one week and it didn’t seem to faze anyone. After all we were still in paradise.

What makes this island so special is the diversity. From the volcano in the south and cattle ranching in the north, white and black sand beaches and moonscapes where the lava from old eruptions cover the earth. The snow on the top of Mauna Kea, which means white mountain in Hawaiian, has ski runs on it which we could see from our vantage point on the west coast yesterday and yet it was 27 degrees where we were.

The sun is shining and it promises to be another warm sunny day. Take care everyone.

I am back in Hawaii. I love it here. The weather is perfect. The food is good. Everything is good. It is truly paradise.

I figured out that I have been coming here at least once a year since 2003. In fact I was here a year ago and in August this year. It is not my second home but I am becoming quite familiar with all there is to know about the Big Island. Tonight we were at Roy’s for dinner. Wow. Always excellent food and great service.

WE also took a drive to HAWI at the north end of the island and drove back over the mountain through Parker Ranch territory. A little adventure to keep things interesting is often necessary. WE shopped at my favourite store … Tommy Bahamas and spent sometime at the pool.. All in all a great day.