Darlene had a couple rare full days off so we took full advantage. Day one we went for a nice long early morning paddle before running a ton of errands. We went out pretty far and were lucky enough to not only see several turtles but also some whales breaching in the distance. We love to paddle out and then just sort of lounge around and float, it’s almost like having your own mini boats and it’s so quiet out there.

The next day we took a trip a couple miles south to La Perouse. La Perouse is a protected nature preserve covered mostly in jagged lava from the last eruption of Haleakala in 1790. I know it’s a cliche to describe lava fields this way but it really does look like a Martian landscape. Most of the shoreline is very rocky but there is one black sand beach. We did a little snorkeling but the water was still murky from the recent swells. It was really a cool place though and it felt like we were on an entirely different island even though we were only 20 minutes from our house.

I realized I had a bunch of photos piling up so I’m going to include them all together.

First up we have some photos from a couple weeks ago when we received a Christmas box of goodies from John, Julia and the kids. We were excited to watch her annual DVD of home movies from the past year and it really made us home sick… BUT we loved it (and the awesome towels). We had been putting off some gardening we wanted to do for a month or so and decided the weather was just right to dig in. We re-potted a few plants and planted some cucumbers, peppers and cilantro, all of which are now just starting to grow. We grew some cherry tomatoes a while back but as soon as they turn ripe and red it’s a race against the birds to see who eats them first.

Then we have some test photos from my new underwater camera. Not a great day to do the testing though, it was during the big swells from the north and the water was murky. I was really just trying to get used to the controls underwater.

Last up are some photos from a quick trip to the Iao Valley with Cheya and Ashley on Cheya’s birthday. I’ll do a more elaborate post about Iao when Darlene and I go and do some more exploring. The Valley is beautiful and prehistoric looking. If a dinosaur was to come rumbling through the thick vegetation it wouldn’t look all that shocking. It was pouring rain most of the hike which was actually very pleasant and felt right for a place this lush. Cheya convinced me to take a dip in the frigid waters streaming through the valley and I’m glad I did. It was COLD but it felt so good to be in such crisp and pure water. We also did a traditional prayer offering which consists of wrapping a rock in a tea leaf and placing it on a larger rock while giving thanks or making a small prayer. It was a really nice afternoon but I wish Darlene could have joined us. Oh, I should also mention the day started at Cheya’s dad’s (Mark, our awesome landlord from our first month) house for a nice brunch and a little jam session over the pool. What, you don’t have a living room built over your indoor pool?

You might have already heard about how we have suffered under Bud’s regime for the last 4 months so I won’t go into detail. Let’s just say, there is a reason Bud has to find new tenants every 4 months. There are definitely things we will miss about this house but ultimately it was simply too difficult to live here under Bud’s watchful and paranoid eye.

We looked at a place a couple weeks ago that we REALLY wanted but lost out to a girl who has some sort of connection to the landlord. It was heartbreaking to see the house go to someone else but we got over it quickly. Plus we understand that a lot of things on this island center around who you know and we certainly have been on the winning end of that equation many many times. At first I was feeling like our good luck on Maui had hit its first bump in the road but as it turns out we found an even better place for less money.

Little does Bud know this, but he actually HELPED us get chosen for this new house. Turns out that our new landlord was one of the many people who was incredibly disappointed and angry that Bud closed up the tennis courts when he took over the property. The tennis courts were one of the focal points of the neighborhood and people were free to enjoy them as they pleased. People loved the previous owner, Tony, and his friendly Sunday tournaments.

When Bud took over the property all the fun screeched to a halt, like he was the Burgermeister Meisterburger in Santa Claus is Coming To Town, forbidding Christmas. This did not sit well with a lot of people. Not to mention, Bud just has a reputation of being an unlikable guy in this neighborhood. News travels fast and the “coconut wireless” is a very real thing on this island. SO… long story still long, when she heard we were living with Bud I think it moved us up to the front of a long line of people wanting to rent her cottage. See, it really is all about who you know, even if they hate who you know.

We will be moving in 3 or 4 weeks but that’s it for at least the next year. The new place is really nice and has great touches like hardwood floors, something you rarely see in rental cottages. We will now have a front lanai with an ocean view and an outdoor shower. For the record, we will also have an indoor shower.

Maui continues to take good care of us.

Tonight we also had one of the most vivid sunsets I have ever seen. Unfortunately I only had my cell phone to take photos, but even that crappy camera managed to capture the moment (kind of). Tonight’s sunset was a real crowd-pleaser too with at least 10 whales splashing and breaching with the setting sun as the backdrop. It’s amazing to see such an enormous animal thrust itself so high into the air, crashing back into the water with a splash that can been seen for miles. Tonight was just out of control, the entire horizon was filled with huge spouts from exhaling whales, giant tales splashing out of the water and dramatic breaches. It was awesome.

I have wanted to see big waves in person for as long as I can remember, so living only 40 minutes from one of the most famous big wave surf spots in the world is exciting. Jaws is located on Maui’s North Shore near the town of Haiku and when it’s going off (thanks to big storms in Alaska sending waves all the way down to Hawaii) the entire island knows about it pretty quickly. Jaws only goes off (surfer term for good waves) 5 or 6 times a year so it’s a pretty big deal.

Luckily Darlene and I had the afternoon off and had our friend Michael to guide us. Getting to Jaws involves driving down a dirt “road” through wild fields of tall grasses and past burned out shells of cars, placed there to discourage visitors and block access to smaller cars. Most people walk the long dirty road but Michael told us those in-the-know drive there. We are now officially in-the-know. Driving was not easy and there are a few areas where it felt entirely possible that our car was going to flip over but walking is way worse.

Once we got there we planted ourselves in a lesser-known area accessible by hiking through the woods. We got there right at the peak of the big waves and it was quite a sight to see. The waves were topping out around 30-35 feet and it’s almost impossible to capture their size on film. Watching these monsters with your own eyes is a totally different experience. Just imagine a wall of water 35 feet right behind you right now, it’s crazy. And that’s only half the potential size of Jaws.

On the way home we walked across a cow pasture to view some more big North Shore waves. These were sloppy, un-surfable waves but we were able to get very close thanks to a peninsula jutting out right into the breaking waves. Once again, the photos don’t do these waves justice, without a reference point they just sort of look like your average waves.

We ended the day in Paia, eating delicious mahi burgers at the Paia Fish Market and drinking a couple beers at Charley’s. It was the kind of day I used to daydream about before moving here.

New Year’s Eve turned out to be a really great night. We went to a friend’s house for some drinks before heading down to the beach for midnight fireworks. Our friend Michael took most of these photos but Darlene gets some credit for several too.

Are you tired of watching us snorkel? I’m not.

On this particular day we were surrounded by turtles. Every time we turned around there was another cute and gentle turtle swimming along with us. So now you get to suffer through another snorkeling video.

You’re welcome.

Have you ever purchased a couch from the supermarket? Neither had we until we picked up this gem at Costco today. It’s amazing how simply upgrading from a cheap futon to a cheap couch made our place feel more like home. Actually, it’s a pretty awesome couch and I doubt anyone would even be able to tell it was purchased about 20 feet from the meat department.

Overall it was a perfect, easy-going day. Our favorite neighborhood cat, Sophie, stopped by to say hello… we grilled some sausage… we watched People’s Court on the new couch… we bought some beer… and watched the sunset. Right now as I write, Darlene is prepping some chicken that will soon be on the grill.

A simple but perfect day.

Christmas day picked up once Darlene was home from work. I spent the day at the beach, which was nice but also kind of weird to be by myself on Christmas. It was a beautiful day though.

Darlene came home and we opened  our gifts. Bud, our landlord, got us a couple of those wine pouches that Vikings and teenage skiers use. He also got us matching travel-sized first aid kits, so I guess we will have to go for a drunken hike and fall down a lot. Darlene got the same present from my mom 2 years in a row… literally. Last year she got her a sewing machine and this year she paid to have it shipped here, which was greatly appreciated by Darlene.

After opening our gifts we headed to the beach to watch the sunset. We got there just as a couple whales started splashing around and putting on a show for the large Christmas sunset crowd. People involuntarily cheer each time a whale raises a flipper out of the water or breaches, it sounds like a crowd watching fireworks. They were pretty far out, so it was hard to get a very good photo. I’m including one photo of a giant flipper splashing in the distance.

We capped off the night at a new friend’s party just a few minutes away. We met a lot of really nice people and had a great time.

It was a strange Christmas for us but still a nice one. It made us feel pretty homesick though, so maybe next year we will head back tot he Midwest for the holidays!