Countdown to retirement!

OK, maybe it's still a ways off, but retirement seems to be occupying my mind quite a bit lately! I have about another 5 years and 7 months left before I can hang up my gear. When I retire, I'll have 25 years in the fire service but at least I'll still be young enough to try another job somewhere else, or maybe I'll keep my part time job with the MEDEVAC. Between the two jobs I have now, I spend way too much time at work and only get to see my family once or twice a week. Next month I have some vacation time off so I'll spend as much quality time with the wife and kids as I can. Beach, fishing, Kona, lots of fun! I'll also spend a few days finishing up some home improvement projects that have been "almost done" for a couple months now. Last weekend I was able to spend two days with my family. We had a great time snorkeling at one of our favorite beaches on the South Kohala coast. The black sand on this secluded beach is smoking hot since there is no shade! Who goes to the beach to sit in the shade anyway? The water was calm and clear and colorful reef fish were everywhere
Time for me to get packed up for work again. I'll be gone for 4 1/2 days this time, home for a half day, then back to work for three more days. That's OK, 5 years and 7 months 'til retirement. Almost there!

Mauna Kea

A couple weeks ago, I took a spin up to the Mauna Kea summit. Although it was raining in Hilo, the weather at that elevation couldn't have been better! The summit rises about 30,000 feet from it's base at the bottom of the ocean, and almost 14,000 feet above sea level. The peak is dry and desolate and well above the rain clouds that blanket Hilo. The landscape is something you might expect on Mars, but not in Hawaii! There is very little life at that elevation, probably because of the low air pressure and lack of oxygen. I went for a short 100-yard jog to see how the lack of oxygen would affect me. At first I felt good, but about a half-minute after I stopped running I felt like I was going to pass out! There are a half-dozen observatories on the peak that can be seen from Hilo, Waimea and Kohala. The air is clean, dark and dry at night, making for primo stargazing conditions. The scientists and workers from these observatories spend time at Hale Pohaku, a camp at around 9,000 feet, to acclimate themselves before spending their shift at the summit. Snow falls almost every year on Mauna Kea. There probably aren't too many places in this country where you can surf in the morning then snow ski in the afternoon! We did have some snow over the last several months but there hasn't been enough snow for skiing in a couple of years. Maybe the "El Nino" weather pattern has something to do with it? This island has the worst drought in the country right now and it hasn't been drier in over 30 years. Because of the drought, my fire department is expecting a busy year this year for brush fires!

Eucalyptus Memories

The light rain has just stopped on Mauna Kea and the air is cool and crisp as I begin my run. The sun is low on the horizon and will soon disappear behind the clouds surrounding Hualalai. I always seem to struggle on the first lap, especially at 6,500’ elevation where the air is a little thinner, but once I’m warmed up all the aches and pains seem to dissipate and breathing gets a little easier! As I jog around the first bend, the freshly watered Eucalyptus trees fill the air with a familiar scent that brings back memories of my youth.
I remember when cold winter storms blew through my neighborhood in Southern California and dismembered the huge trees at the playground across the street. The branches provided shelter for the fortresses we built and defended from all enemies! They made our club houses where little sisters weren’t allowed to enter! The trees that were left standing seemed so big and looked like they reached thousands of feet into the air.
The aroma reminds me of the countless cross-country miles I ran as a teen. The sandy hills near the ocean in Southern Spain were shaded by the huge Eucalyptus. The thin bark would peel off like sunburned skin and the bug infested branches would fall and create obstacles on the trails. I once stumbled over a dead branch, but the bed of soft leaves cushioned my fall. Too bad that bed was also home to gazillion ants!
Eucalyptus trees provide the perfect fuel for fire. In Southern California when the Santa Ana winds blow, the trees are dried out except for the oils that become explosive when pre-heated by the hot winds and flames. Many of the trees are infected and killed by beetles that cause them to dry out and fuel the fires even more. Too many homes have been lost to wildfire because of the Eucalyptus.
On the Big Island of Hawaii, Eucalyptus trees line the Hamakua coast from the ocean cliffs up to the lower slopes of Mauna Kea. These trees are an agricultural product that will fuel power plants and provide paper products. They catch fire too, but not like the ones in California. The trees are subjected to and protected by a constant on-shore wind and rain that carries the moisture and salinity of the ocean.
As I near the end of my final lap, I start to slow down and the aches and pains seem to come back. It’s almost completely dark and the cold air burns the lungs. When I approach the fire station, the sound of laughter and the smell of supper draws me in, and all the Eucalyptus memories seem to disappear.

Kayak Fishing Kona

It's been way too long since the last time I've gone fishing! April will be a very busy month with work, but I think I can get at least one day on the water. I'm going to try and plan a trip to Kona, maybe Keauhou or Honaunau? Keauhou is a great place to launch the kayak. It has a small boat ramp in a protected bay so even if the surf is up the launch should be safe. Honaunau is another great spot because the Ono (Wahoo) lane is only a couple hundred yards from shore. Although I've caught some of my biggest fish at Keauhou, I always get lucky at Honaunau. It's a good 3 mile paddle from Honaunau to Ho'okena. Lots of bait around the drop offs and many signs of life. I've ran into some big sharks at Honaunau but they usually mind their own business. A couple years ago I had a HUGE shark charge at my kayak a couple times. The length of the shark from dorsal fin to tail was about as long as my kayak, 13.5 feet! He passed under me close enough to turn my kayak a little, then followed me for about a quarter mile. He eventually went away but still shook me up a bit! That same day I paddled out to Ho'okena. My sonar indicated drop offs from 300-400 feet, 400-500 feet, then the abyss! There were lots of fish stacked up on the bottom so I know this will be a good place to drop some deep jigs. I'm guessing that the Kahala (Amberjack) live there and schools of Ahi (Yellowfin Tuna) and Aku (SkipJack Tuna)breeze through and harass the schools of Opelu.
Hopefully over the next year my son will be strong enough to paddle off shore with me. I can take him in Hilo Bay and do some inshore fishing, but when the wind kicks up I usually end up towing him in. It's only a matter of time before he's stronger than me and one day I may find him towing me in! He loves fishing as much as me and is totally excited when I take him out paddling. He has caught some nice sized Papio (Jacks) and even brought in an excellent eating Uku (Gray Snapper)once! The younger son is not as interested in fishing but still likes to go out once in a while. If he doesn't catch anything in the first 30 or 40 minutes, he's done for the day. He likes "catching", not "fishing"!

Aloha!

So, this is my first post on my fist blog! I'll figure how to customize my page later but this will do for now. Maybe this is a good way to update family and friends on my life here in Hilo, Hawaii.

Hilo is a small and slow town, at least compared to the area in Southern California where I grew up. For the most part, the people here are warm and friendly, and welcome strangers like me into their lives. This island is a great place to raise kids, but there is not much here for them when they grow up. Over the next few years, my kids will have to choose a path that will most likely take them off of this island. It's probably for the best so they can get out and experience different cultures, but hopefully they will come back one day to raise their families.

I guess this is good enough for a start. In future blogs, I'll probably be writing about some of the fun stuff I do around here, like kayaking and fishing, and also about some of the not-so-fun stuff like work!

Aloha!


Hilo, Hawaii