Tourist Season in Maui

I knew it would happen, I'd get off the plane in Kahului and be assaulted with the smell of plumeria. A scent permanently linked in my brain with the years 1983-1985. Like orange blossoms at night growing up in California. One whiff and I'm playing hide-and-go-seek with 15 neighbor kids until 9pm on a summer night.

Plumerias are: my first job at O'Rourkes Tourist Trap, driving to Lahaina over the Pali, our beautiful house one block from the beach, the dog who came with the house, Pilikia (means Trouble-and he was, we had to find him another home), many sunset walks on the beach, sand in my pantyhose after the Christmas party with Dean (our first fancy "date").

So, Dash and I are staying with my Mom in her new apartment, that has an ocean view (if you stand in the corner of the lanai on your tiptoes), it's beautifully landscaped, doves cooing, franklins cackling(they sound like a tire jack that needs oiling), other little birds chirping, the SMELL of the OCEAN wafting over mixed with the PLUMERIA! I'm gonna SWOON! I don't even care that the size of Kihei has probably tripled over the last 25 years, and there's a constant undertone of traffic (if you use your imagination it sounds like the waves).

Dash and I walked to the beach yesterday, swam for about an hour, then up to Mom's pool. Then ate something, read a book. And then we started all over again. I think that's the plan for today too, and tomorrow, and the day after. Right next door a family is staying with a girl about Dash's age and they are already fast friends.

The atmosphere in South Kihei is the polar opposite of Volcano. And while I miss the four kinds of plants I see up there all the time (Koa, Ohia, Pukeawe, Ohelo), I'm thrilled to be in a beach ecosystem (albeit one planted mostly with non-native ornamentals). No lava here either. Actual white sand.

On Monday I went up to the glorious Kihei Aquatic Center where they have 3 pools and a Masters swim group that meets every evening. I swam about 4000 yards with them on Monday night and I'm still trying to recover the use of the left side of my body, my neck is a tad stiff. I have to turn my whole body to see what's on that side. The Masters join in the workout with the youth, so there I was sharing the lane with a 14 year old girl who kicked my butt the whole 2 hours. It was very enjoyable.

Mom is doing great, enjoying watching cartoons with Dash and playing DragonFable on the computer. We're making a huge pot of Portuguese Bean Soup for dinner tonight.

A hui hou! (this is a huge rainbow we saw driving back to Volcano the other day)