Musing

[written and published from a condominium at the Maui Kamaole, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii . . and published much later because internet service was down]

travel notes from Sunday: bumped into Vegas bound muser MK in Calgary airport– nice to see you Mike; spectacular scenery north of San Francisco, plane change there followed by 5 ½ hours looking at the Pacific through assorted veils of cloud spots, then nothing, then cloud spots again, endless expanse of volume without landmarks, peaceful; great in-flight movie –The Painted Veil, based on W. Somerset Maugham’s novel, set in 1920s China . . spectacular scenery, great Bethune-esque story, pretty good acting too; smooth trouble free (thanks DL) trip; arrival here began with unwind lunch at Cheeseburger Restaurant in Wailea, stocking up at Star Market and Who Cut The Cheese, check in and getting my computer on-line here, thanks WB - your help (sorry to ring you at the campground in Drumheller but that’s what you get for having your phone forwarded) + the Oceanic Time Warner help desk got me connected; sleep deprivation + 4 hr. time change produced numbing exhaustion, solved with a great mattress and A/C

clear, calm, high around 83 predicted today . . chance of rain 20%, we rose at 5:30 Maui Standard time (9:30 Calgary time), thousands of birds in full throated wake-up mode; fortified with one cup of Kona before walking, we headed to my favourite beach . .walked from the Five Palms southward (scroll down to get the picture) to the Fairmont (a stop there for coffee and apple Danish and good talk) and back again; this walk is the simplest and purest way to span the distance from Kihei to Makena; a finite physical distance but walkers, tai-chi folks doing their thing, scuba-students preparing – we all look out at these beautiful waves bringing this endless expanse of volume to the shore of this place where the term paradise must have begun because it seems so defining

when water meets sand meets feet it welcomes all whether wandering/wondering aimlessly or in deep thought, early morning is mostly strange faces in various stages from pale trough to a 3 week tan – we are obviously pale 1st day folk, most people mumble a good morning greeting in return of one, some engrossed in deep chat, some walk as if they see no one at all

one guy notices all . . . he’s familiar, he’s local, I’ve seen him in action before – he likes to chat up the solitary women; he notices SC but passes by as if he doesn’t notice us at all – his trademark sunglasses + an umbrella stand walking stick he never uses tucked under his arm, more schtick than stick

conversation on these walks is new to me – I am so accustomed to the solitary-ness of them; SC commented on the smell of passers-by, something I don’t experience . . which makes me wonder if my brain detects things my nose does not . . hmmm

my photo efforts produced only one great shot today, I’m not relaxed yet . . I want to be but I’m not; I have a project to finish today . . then only smatterings of work that will consume about an hour a day – an errand outing and a drive up country will round out today

boundary between ‘on vacation’ and being home is fuzzy now – maybe there is just less boundary, maybe I’m home

12 full days of R & R in paradise has begun . .

aloha

Mark Kolke
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