On Top of the World

 

I love the feeling at the top.  With my world brought into focus on a tight spot of land, everything else falls away, step by step.  I am focused.  I am in one place.  I am not scattered.   I am whole.  

 The sun, the wind and the rain fall on me unfiltered by the world.  I am closer to God, the source of it all.  The light is pure, and my skin tingles with the warmth.  The clouds float by and I could reach out and feel their cool dampness.  The wind brings with it bird song, and the voice of Heaven. And when it rains, it is wonderful, the best. I am clean, my soul is refreshed.  New energy lovingly bestowed from above.

The world looks so different from the top of a mountain.  The worries of everyday life have shrunk out of sight.  The only details that remain are the beauty of the land, and anything I've brought along.  The world below is vast and beautiful.  The how and why of minute details are irrelevant.  The world is orderly.  The plan is evident.  It teaches me to trust.  

 

It's worth it, the effort of the climb.  Each step, each moment of the struggle, is worth the reward.  


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(These photos are from our hike to Wiliwilinui Ridge on Monday, 5/27/2013.  We had a group of 7 - The Putegnats, Michael, RJ, Q and I.  It was an awesome hike of around 5-6 miles, with an elevation change of around 1,700 ft from base to summit.  We started about 10am, had lunch at the top, and finished about 2pm.  And then it rained, and it was perfect!)

Last Minute Miracle

Tay & Ryker in front of the St. George Temple

Ryker moved to Utah in January 2012.  It's hard to be away from your baby boy for such a long stretch, especially when another long stretch is looming.  He and Taylor have been planning this trip to China since before they got married, I think since they first met.  They left for China on Saturday.  (You can visit their blog Ryker and Tay, to read all about their adventure.)  For the last month or so I am have been checking flight prices to go visit them before they left.  Every time I looked, they were at least $700 round trip.  I had given up hope of seeing them before they left for their year in China.

By nothing short of a miracle, a flight for $300 round trip became available last Monday.  There was one seat left, the price was right, so I booked it, and left the next day.  Due to time zones, and over night flights across the Pacific, I spent Wednesday through Friday with the kids, and flew home on Saturday, the day they left for China.

I flew into Las Vegas and we hung out at our friend Angela's house in St. George, UT.  It was a great visit!  I really enjoyed being in the same space with my son and his awesome wife.  It is a great feeling to see your grown up child so happy and living his dreams.  What a blessing it was to spend that time with them.

We did a few tourist"y" things, but mostly just ate great food and hung out.  There just wasn't enough time for me to eat at all the places I wanted to.  Next trip I have to hit up Sonic, Steak and Shake, Pizza Factory and Cafe Rio for sure!

Lunch at the Happy Wives restaurant in Colorado City

 

 The landscape of St. George is so different from Hawaii.  I was freezing most of the time, but mesmerized by the beauty. We did a very tiny bit of hiking on the red rocks around St. George.  As long as I was in the sun, I could stop shivering.  I think I must be an island girl for life now.  I can't handle the cold, dry air.

Desert Flowers

Yes, moss on a rock - Cool isn't it?

Macro Magic

Dew on a blade of grass

The center of a flower after the petals have blown off

 

Dew on Clover - looks like diamonds

One tiny bloom on a basil plant

The center of an impatien bloom

An impatien bud

A tiny clover flower

Purple Alyssum

A gem of water in the center of a clover leaf

A single bloom of lavender

I had a little fun in the yard with my new photo lenses this morning.  I really love the photos of the water, it looks like diamonds or something, glittering on the green background. 

The flowers are so tiny.  I had no idea the individual blooms on a basil stalk were so exquisite!  They look like orchids or something. 

We Saw a Waterfall Today

Shortly after waking up this morning, I told Quincie, "I want to see a waterfall today."  So, that is what we did.  We packed a simple lunch and headed for Manoa Falls.  It was a short, 1 mile hike up a super muddy trail to the falls.  It was so beautiful and a really fun day.

Like Glass

It was an unbelievably still day.  I noticed the mirror image from the path and had to get a closer look.  The last shot I took standing near the end of the pier.

Spring in the Land of Eternal Summer

After finally crossing the dreaded word "taxes" off my to-do list this morning, it's time to get happy!  I beat my usual midnight on the 15th deadline by a full 36 hours or so this year.  Man, am I on it or what?  Other than the tax thing, Spring is awesome!

 I really love all the traditional Spring flowers; tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, lilacs, and the like.  Bulb flowers, especially tulips, have such clean lines.  They are no fuss flowers.  They are hardy and strong.  Their colors are bold.  From the cold, snow covered earth they boldly burst forth and declare their presence.  They stand tall and straight and demand notice.  The intoxicating smell of a lilac bush can draw me from blocks away.  It's distinct, unmistakable, and fleeting.  No other flower smells anything like a lilac.  It stands alone as Queen of the olfactory realm for a few weeks each year. It's been years, but thanks to my memory I can replay the sensory treats of a Midwest Spring.

Spring in the land of eternal Summer isn't quite as outwardly expressive as it is nearly everywhere else. Since nothing dies over the winter there is no sweeping, drama of rebirth.  The temperature goes up a few degrees, the rain of winter continues, and things get a little greener. The scantily clad plumeria trees of winter put on a full dress of blooms and fill the air with the rich heady scent that was softly teasing all winter long. The trees on the green mountainsides are now dotted with bright splashes of purple, red and orange.  Rather than awakening from a deep sleep, Spring in Hawaii is more like going from a waltz to a samba.  The dance never stops, it just changes tempo..

Regardless of the temperature outside, Spring is a season of change for me.  It's a time of renewal in energy and spirit.  It's time to get up and move!  Get outside and do something!  Stand up and make things happen!  Be like the tulip and boldly strike out against all opposition!  Or turn up the intensity and fill life with beauty and sweetness to overflowing like the plumeria, bougainvillea, and hibiscus of the tropics.  This Spring is no different, and I am excited about the future and all the fun that lies ahead.

Trees

After days of fun and sun I woke up to pouring rain this morning.  The usual walk was postponed until this afternoon.  Rain or shine, the beasts and I needed exercise.  The beauty of the park and the endorphins from running never fail to lift my mood.  I can't share the good brain chemicals, but I can share these photos.

(This is the entrance to the park from the road.)

Today it rained a little and I saw an awesome rainbow.  I left my phone in my pocket during the rain, so sorry, no photo of that, but trust me, it was great!  The dogs didn't notice the rainbow, but they paid particular attention to the fisherman, a dead lizard, 2 teenagers making out, a few wild cats, a kid on his bike and about 20 mongoose.