A wonderful time in paradise.....

Now, we're back home.  This trip was very relaxing.... I know, we travel alot, but they are not always "relaxing".  This was just Jerry and Jean and books and free time and....  We praise the Lord;  we are truly blessed!

Snorkeling with the turtles....

There is a bay right out in front of our hotel that we can walk right into and snorkel.  We were in the ocean at 8 am this morning... the water was so calm and there were even more fish this time.  Better yet, we saw and swam with a couple turtles.  I'm talking BIG turtles.  One was just hanging on the bottom and appeared to be stuck under some coral.  I mean, he was flapping his flippers and appeared to be struggling.  We watched this guy for about 4 minutes...  We didn't think we should touch him.... but.... So, Jerry made the decision to go down and try to help him.  As soon as he started the dive, the turtle broke free.  We swam with him for a while.  You can't imagine how cool it was.  He came up to the surface for air when he broke free and hung out there a bit, so we hung out there with him.  He was about 4 feet in front of me.  I just stayed still and marveled at the whole thing.  I didn't want to stress him out.  We got out, rinsed off, had some  breakky and then just spent the afternoon hanging around the pool thinking how blessed we are.

Can you say HOT LAVA....

Yesterday we drove to Hilo for a trip in a helicopter over the active volcano.  Getting to Hilo took about two hours and we stopped at many places on the way for gorgeous ocean and beach views.  We drove down to Point Laupahoehoe which took us right down to the ocean.  It was so beautiful, the water was so blue.... but at the same time it holds some really sad memories... in 1946 there was a HUGE tsunami that came in.  There was a school in the valley and many of the children and their teachers were killed.   

We continued on our journey and again stopped at so many little awesome places.  Then we made it to our Helicopter and our trip.  Lava is not very colorful so the pictures look not near as awesome.  We could see the red of the lava, lots of steam vents on the mountain, and steam as the lava hit the ocean.  The picture with green in it is where the lava is eating up the trees...A housing development was obliverated.  It's been two years since it started and it's still moving... and no trace of the homes.  Except for one.... Jack Thompson's... it's still there, he lives in it... can't drive there but you can hike or heli in... His home is a bed and breakfast not that there are a lot of takers.  The whole trip was about 50 minutes.  Our pilot was great.  It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. 

Yesterday volcano, today snorkeling and saw a....

You'll have to come back... I want to go back out in the sun and water now... will write later...

Oh, I forget to show you

When we were snorkeling, there were this one type of cute colorful fish that seem to come right up to us.  At one point I put my hands together, like in prayer, thinking that they might hang around if I wasn't using them to swim.  Well, guess what, one sure enough came up AND... he tried to take a little bite.... My fingernail was all he got, but you can see his little teeth marks....It didn't hurt or anything, just startled me for sure.... Now I know mosquitoes love me AND this little bugger of a fish likes me.

A snorkle burn on my back... lots of great scenery....

This is the view from our room... just had to tease you with that.  We spent yesterday driving around the north Kohola.... So much different in topography:  we went from rolling pasture type fields that had that flat leaf cactus all over, then to greener fields with cattle and horses, then to tropical plants.  We went to the road end.... There was a hike down to the beach.... very precarious and as I had wedge flipflops and a dress on, we opted out.  Got a picture of the beach at the bottom...    Also, I got a better picture of the lava by the road. 

What you are looking at is actually about 6 feet tall... and there are fields and fields of it.  Then, as we drove into one of the resort areas.... look what we found.... a hairy, horned GOAT....

Go Figure, I think they use them to chomp on the brush near the resort.  Later on the road we found a herd of them.

Today, we went snorkling out in front of the resort.  Really was fun. My back is not burned bad, just a little more redder than I'd like.  Later we laid around the pool and had lunch and read.  I had to put my book down to write this... it was a hard decision..... Tomorrow we hope to take a helicopter tour of the active volcano.  I'll let you know if we did....

The Big Island is like no other!

We are settled in and just starting to explore this island.  It's so different that the rest of Hawaii.  Where we are there is NO volcanic activity.... but, you can tell there was a long time ago.  In some areas as we drove on the highway, there was nothing but old black lava.  It then changes to arid fields.  Course, the resorts and small towns are 'green'....  We drove to a town about 20 miles north last night and had the best dinner.  Little place off the beaten track.... The food was really upscale...that means, expensive.... but it was good and we got 20% off cuz we go there before six.... gee does that mean we're getting old.... no, we were just sill on Tacoma time.... (9:00pm)

Hey Griffin, on one of our "explores"  we saw this gecko.  Look, he has little spots he put on to make himself look like the spores on the ferns... You should have seem him in person... it was cool.

Well, I'm settling into Island mode.... I will write more later, but I'm feeling the need to veg out for a bit....

Yup... today's the day....

We're going on a mini-vaca to Kona.  Have never been and would like to experience the "Big Island".  Busy morning and lunch at PLU then off to the airport. 

School is starting.... Let's go to Kona... Just u and me Jer...