What to do on another Rainy day in Paradise

Maui Ocean Center seemed to be the only option. I think a lot of other people had the same idea. It was pretty crowded. I especially like the Turtles and Sharks. Yes I am a total SHARK fan! Black tip reef, White tip reef, Sandbar, Hammerhead and Tiger sharks. Oh and some big Rays too. Save the sharks... millions are being killed every year. There is a bill in the Senate right now to prohibit taking shark fins and discarding the body. Send your congressmen a letter.

Lots of great fish, a very cool jelly fish tank, coral and educational displays. The turtle seen here is 8 months old. It will be raised until 4 years old then released into the Ocean. Green Sea turtles do not reach reproductive age until they are nearly 30 years old. Their shell is layed down in layers and much like a tree with its rings, the layers of shell can be measured. These turtles can live over 100 years, I believe the guide said one was measured at 150 years old. We spent nearly 4 hours here.

High Surf thrills

We thought we were going snorkeling today. NOT! As we went from beach to beach the waves just kept getting bigger and bigger. It was incredible. We had a great view from the point between Kapalua Bay and Napili Bay. Kapalua beach was actually closed with a crime scene tape prohibiting entry. We had our cone sushi and chili chicken lunch as we watched the waves sweeping past us. Then on to Flemmings Beach where the shore break was head high. Duck finned boogie boarders were getting short crashing rides. Surfers out by the point were riding the bigger waves. Next stop Honolua Bay. The surf was disappointing here so we headed further North to check out the Blow Hole. Wooh! 50 meters high says Axel. Believe it or not, see the little people in the photo, standing right next to the breaking monsters and right near the blow hole. Crazy! We also saw lots of whales off shore. We continued on via Kauhakaloa for a final tour to our snorkeling adventure where we never touched the water.

Planting a field of Alfalfa

Soaring feed costs!! $28 - $35 dollars a bale. Help! What can a horse person do. Nobody is buying horses. Ok, time to grow our own hay!
My goal is to reduce my feed bill by 1/3. I do not want to feed my horses a pure alfalfa diet. Currently they get 5 pounds of alfalfa cubes a day. The rest of their diet is 21 pounds of orchard grass. The reason I feed this way is often we will have a shipping strike and only alfalfa will be available.
I was surprised to find that many cattle business's are growing fresh cut hay. Often feeding #80 per milk cow per day. The hay must be grown close to its daily destination as fresh cut hay does not last more than a day. The sooner it is fed after cutting the better. My friend had a small 20X20 foot alfalfa plot she fed her horse daily from years ago. She lived a mile up the road. Kula Maui has a wonderful growing climate. At 2,000 feet in elevation the nightly temperature is in the 50's. Days 70-80 degrees.
I researched alfalfa seed and settled on Amerigrass 721. A alfalfa designed for the Southwestern States: Calif, AZ and New Mexico. Hybridized to grow with a bigger leaf, nematode resistant, aphid and crown rot resistant.
2 days ago Dad got on his trusty old kubota and made the first pass across the field. 1/4 acre experimental plot. I followed helping remove old roots. Dad used the bucket to rip the stubborn roots up.
Yesterday he made another pass over the field. The beautiful dark red Hawaiian dirt looks great.
Now with rain beginning yesterday we will let the weeds grow for a week or so and roto-till them in prior to planting. Dad wants to roto till in some manuer too. We have lots of that! I will get some pictures soon.

Great Days

Time has been zipping by! A month since my last post! Yesterday was a great day. I was working into the wee hours of the morning running calls on the ambulance. The Sky's around Maui were alight for hours with lightning. I had over an inch of rain at home which made the arena footing perfect. Under a beautiful bright blue sky I Had a fabulous ride on Kalae. We worked on our changes and more collection. I also had fun with Linda/Bambino and Brandi with I'Claire who visited for the day. I love horses! Saw a good video "Last Dance" Quote of the day

"Too much of a good thing is wonderful"

Mercedes Golf Championship

Wow - this was a great day at work! I LOVE my job. I got to drive a golf cart where ever I wanted on this final day of the Championship. I had a blast!!!!
We were to arrive by 7am as they wanted to start golfing earlier to avoid the approaching storm front which was due to arrive at 3 pm. Ha ha - Mother Nature fools us again. At 5:45am I was awoken by a total deluge of rain. Followed closely by flashes of lightning. I jumped on the computer with the satellite showing a wide band of approaching yellow and orange rain clouds. The fringe was just touching east Maui and it stretched west beyond Oahu. Now way, no golfing today.
I arrived at the Plantation Course in Kapalua at 7:30. Everything was on hold. As we all sat under a large tent waiting as it got cooler and cooler. Surprisingly the mountains cleared and they set a start time for 10 am. At 9am I asked if I could have my lunch box - I was starving. So I ate my lunch. It cleared some more so my partner and I decided we better wipe down the golf cart seat and do some pre-planning. That's code name for "joy riding". Off we went with map in hand.
Our first leg was a steep downhill run. S---t there are no brakes... I can see the headlines "Paramedics speeding, overturn on first bend" My partner is saying they need seat belts in golf carts. No wonder we go on the occasional call to overturned golf carts. Now I know why.
Dang someone zips past us too!
This course is huge. Lots of up and down and through gulches. You get your exercise if you walk here. I have visions of galloping across the green's. The Eventing in the Hong Kong Olympics was on a golf course. Every riders dream!
They started on time. You could hear the cheering. As the day wore on we parked by the 10th hole. We were people and whale watching mostly. Watched a little golf. You really got to pay attention, one ball plopped down right amid the spectators and about 15 feet from us.
Spectators would walk by and say "we are being careful.... heel-toe, heel-toe"
Just when I was getting hungry at noon I scored a hot dog and some mango from a film crew guy. All set!
We gave out 4 band aids, 2 pepto bismal and one evaluation of a film producers laryngitis.
Whew - we like it when everything goes well and nobody trips and breaks something, has a heart attack or stroke and the grandstands which are 3 stories high and packed stay up.
Woooh home free - or is that hole in one! The day ended under beautiful clear skys and a warm sun. Maui No Ka Oi !

WOLF MOON, SNOW MOON

The perigean moon. The moon is at it closest to Earth for 2009. 14% larger and 30% brighter. It is 31,000 miles away.

Of course I was waiting for this dang moon to come up. It was 30 minutes late due to thick clouds on the horizon. Then every shot was blurry due to movement. I was poised, one arm around the tree, leaning back against the coconut tree for stabilization when the fire fighter walked out of the station.....

Every medic or health care provider will tell you people get crazy during the full moon. It's true!

A payday weekend and a full moon. My partner and I hold our breath.

Sure enough out we go! As we arrive at the hospital. My partner starts to pull the gurney out of the ambulance. The patient says "Are you sure your strong enough" I say.. don't worry, she had her Wheaties today. Then in my minds eye I see a bowl full of colored cereal. "No it was Lucky Charms." My partner chimes in "Actually it was Fruit Loops." We all 3 laugh with the patient saying "That will match the moon tonight."

Happy New Year! I found the Waterfalls

It has been raining for a week! Thunder and lightning and Lots of MUD!! The horses are wanting out, out, out of this mud! I did squeeze in 2 rides as my arena drains quickly. Kinda cool listening to the rhythmic hoof beats in the damp arena. Mesmerizing!

I worked in Hana on the 30th. It was nasty weather. I could hardly see the road on the drive out in the morning. Lots of Waterfalls! In fact as I rounded one corner this mammoth waterfall was seemingly 100 feet wide thundering under a small old 50 foot bridge. How does that one lane bridge stay there? I better go fast across it. At 8 pm we get a Obstetrical call. I'll do any kind of call, I deliver foals, puppy's and cats... I dread delivering humans. Oh sure it is super easy and leaves you feeling great if everything goes as planned. But when it goes wrong, it is a long way to the hospital! And when your in Hana its like being on another island from the hospital. OK lets fly her out. Yes, I know it is pouring rain... dang they are not flying tonight. Now we have a 2.5 hour drive in pouring rain on a winding one lane road. I am praying there are no landslides or tree's down. The physician says "You better go." 30 seconds later I have her strapped on my gurney and I'm wheeling out the door. "Where are you going?" questions the physician. "You said Go, I'm gone". Wait I have to make some more phone calls. We handed off our Pt to the mid way relay ambulance and they did indeed make it to the hospital!

It has been fun having friends and family over. This year went by way too quickly.

New Years resolution; stretching and strengthening exercises and be diligent taking those vitamins.... I brought my body blade to work today and it is still leaning against the wall. :) Have a great 2009!