Odds & Ends from the Hawaiian Vacation

 What has been a year or so in the planning got knocked out while we were in Oahu.  I've been mentally planning a tattoo that would honor my Goldfish, incorporate Alaska tribal art, and address my recurring interest and participation in commercial fishing.  It was Goldfish that came up with the final element of making the koi fish a little bit tribal, and making the salmon a little bit koi.  I think it unites the piece and really illustrates what I'm trying to convey.

 Lisa at Koi Tattoo in Kailua did and amazing job executing the plan, and worked with my schedule by knocking the whole thing out in one 3 1/2 hour needle session after the shop was closed.

 It's a great piece - and it was my Dad's idea!  I was sitting overlooking the beach at the rental on the day of my tattoo appointment, talking to him on the phone and soaking up what proved to be a wee bit too much sun, and he remarked that I had lived a pretty successful life overall, and that he was proud of me.  He added that the only thing I could have maybe done better was not waiting so long to be with Goldfish - whom I have known since she was 22 years old.  I'm thinking by this he really meant getting a Goldfish on my forearm would be a great idea!

Okay, okay - it was not my Dad's idea, he hates tattoos, but he does love me, and he loves Goldfish, and he did say I should have married her long ago . . . . sorry about the new tattoo Dad, but it sure is pretty, right?

 We had a couple days of rain and this proved to be perfect - we slowed way down, relaxed, read a lot, and emptied our heads out, replacing the stresses of life with the sound of the surf.  Chester set a very good example of how to chill out . . .

 We did a fair amount of driving on various days as the mood struck us, covering all the major paved road on the island, always with no particular itinerary or plan, open to whatever the day offered.

 Sweet hippie van! !

 We always kept our eyes and guidebooks open for interesting places to grab a bite to eat.  Pizza Bob's was a winner, and right across the parking lot was a soap and candle shop where we scored some stocking stuffers.

 This was Turtle Beach, named for a good reason!

 The place was thick with sea turtles, but they proved hard to photograph.  Here you can see one being tumbled by an incoming wave.

All too soon, our 10 days was up, and we were sitting at the Honolulu Airport, waiting for the Alaska Air counter to open so we could check our bags and head back to Alaska to spend Christmas with Goldfish's family before returning to Unalaska.  I'll post that portion of vacation tomorrow night - cheers, I'm off to bed, I think I'm coming down with a cold . . .