Today we’re heading up the southern part of Kauai from Poipu, then driving to the northern part of the island to spend the day at Hanalei beach.
The town of Hanalei was hit with severe rain in April of 2018. Fifty inches fell
in a twenty-four hour period. This triggered severe flooding and horrific landslides. Many of the locals lost their personal possessions when they were swept away by raging waters. Many of them are still in the process of trying to rebuild and recover. Today, we will be witnessing some of the after effects from this historic storm.
The weather has been perfect since I’ve arrived in Kauai. It looks like a fantastic day to hit the beach!
As I sit on the lanai, the aroma of my Kona coffee grips my senses and I smile really big. I see a gaggle of roosters and hens roaming the sacred grounds right next to our condominium. Every where you turn, you see them. Roosters even hang around the parking lot at the local Walmart Store.
Yesterday, I befriended one. I named him George. I made the mistake of feeding him in the wee hours of the morning. Today, he starts crowing at 4:30 a.m. right under my window insisting that I feed him breakfast. So I fed him even though it was rude of him to wake me up.
As Beth and I prepare for the days activities—mostly laying on the beach—I decided to load the bags in to the trunk of the car. As I enter the parking garage, I’m gingerly walking behind a frail elderly man who was using a walker. Suddenly, he breaks into song. He’s singing like he’s Chubby Checker and he’s twisting his hips while clinging to his walker. He doesn’t realize I’m walking behind him, so I surprise him by joining in on the chorus and nearly scared the pants off him. He turns to me and he’s redder than a beet.
“Aloha, this is embarrassing!”
“Don’t be embarrassed. You are the highlight of my morning,” I tell him. Shyly, he lowers his head and continued his walk.
It was a brilliant way to start the day.
By: Rhonda Brunett
