I've had some emails about my New Year's greeting pictures, so here you go:

1. Yes, that's me. I was just learning to snorkel, so about twelve years ago. That is not a deformed third boob. I strap on a fanny pack when I swim because I collect shells. When it's empty it balloons up.

2. The yellow hibicus is about the size of my hand if I spread my fingers as far as they will go.

3. The lei stands at the airport. They start at about $5.00, but the fancy ones can be quite pricey.

4. Dear friends' daughter. She's three now and sometimes calls me Tutu, Hawaiian for "grandmother."

5. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, aka Bruddah Iz. Yes, that version of Over The Rainbow.



Iz is gone, but his music continues to gain new friends around the world. He lived near here and the bust is in front of Waianae Satellite City Hall on this coast. There is another version with videos of Iz on the same YouTube page. Lousy sound, but worth a watch.

Edit: Yeah, I blew it. I embedded the video, so there was no link for you to follow. So, go here to find a catalogue of user created Iz tributes and also other videos that have nothing to do with him except that they use his music. The video that shows some local reactions to his music ends with the scattering of his ashes as the throngs sound out their final aloha to the gentle giant.

6. Statue in front of the Hawaii Convention Center. I've forgotten it's name - something Hawaiian about water being the gift of life.



He's not naked. He's wearing a malo.



7. Last February. Beagle underfoot, boiling noodles being removed from stove. Large second degree burn. Debridement with lots of morphine. Interesting scar.

8. Irwin building my new addition. Complete photolog on Flikr.

9. Duh! Easter eggs. The plate was my mom's. She collected chickens.

10. Peacocks and chickens. I rented in this condo complex up in Makaha Valley before I bought the house. My son and I called the area "Peacock Corners." I do a lot of inspections there.

11. Stocking stuffers from my son and his girlfriend in 2005. The skinny yellow guy is a keyboard duster.

12. Flat Stanley is a paper doll who visted us a few years back. I compiled a photolog of his visit and sent him home to the girl in Sis's special ed class who made him. Lance the beagle was a little suspicious of him.

13. I helped a friend clean out a warehouse owned by a guy who also owned a pawnshop. The jewelry was part of my payment. The friend was drunk the day he took it in for me so it could be appraised. He forgot his mission and sold it for a ridiculously low price. Guess it's a good thing I've forsaken glitz, huh?

14. Taken at the Waianae Boat Harbor while. Ahi or aku, I forget which.

15. Serenity - Wahiawa Botanical Gardens.

16. Another Flat Stanley (lower left) visits a little grass shack outside of a North Shore surf shop.


There ya go. I knew there were quite a few pictures, but didn't count them until now. Wow! I'm surprised that blogger could handle this many.

As an aside: When I was taking pictures during the fire yesterday, one of them included the roof of the new addition. If you look at the picture of my neighbor on his roof, you'll see my roof in the foreground. Click to enlarge. A portion of the roof blew off during recent high winds. I didn't even notice it until I uploaded the pictures. Ooooooooooops! Irwin will be here in the morning for repairs.

Labels: life in Hawaii, photos