Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Monday, March 10, 2008

Saturday, March 8, 2008

morning at the lake

Aloha from Kilauea, Kauai,

A stunning sunrise of orange and flame red hues casts reflections of the clouds on the still lake as I row from the dock at Kilauea lakeside Estate. The oars enter the water and create long, gentle ripples in the glassy
mirror of the calm water.

It has been over a month this winter without a drop of rain yet the crystal clear water remains fresh and inviting for a morning row before I swim. Will we have another year of drought?

Hundreds of white snowy egrets are starting to leave their nests. Perched high on branches of the many java plums and coconut palm trees that drape over the lake the egrets fly off in groups of two or more to begin their daily search for food. The honking sounds of a squadron of Nenes flying high overhead resonates across the emerald green landscape.

Our singular white swan glides effortlessly towards my boat but no morning handout today. The brown Hawaiian ducks with their bright orange bills, and the red faced coots are all still nesting on the earthen banks. A few white ducks have swam by for a visit but now the sounds of silence are all that I can hear. The mating calls of the male frogs have long been silenced and even the roosters and chickens seem silenced by this brilliant sunrise. A few bass have jumped out to greet the sun but otherwise the tranquility is absolute.

I am blessed to be here engaged in this nature fully surrounding me.