Well the kids were excited! Since we had no set plans for the day, except a Sunset Dinner at Kahua Ranch, they got to sleep in, after all, we are on vacation. It was a lazy morning with breakfast overlooking the ocean. After sending the girls off on a 2 mile walk into town to souvenir shop, the boys and I headed to the pool. We got sidetracked by the tide pool just over the lava rock wall.
After climbing down to it, we decided to do some exploring and chased hordes of crabs back into the sea. Not much effort on our part, I think they jump at their own shadow, more like scaredy cats than fierce sea creatures. If it wasn't for their frenetic scurrying towards safety, we probably wouldn't even have seen them because they are as black as the lava flow. After getting our kicks causing major crab'tastophe....we were probably the headline on the CNN (Crab News Network)..."terrorist mother and sons wreak havoc on local crab population"(I heard they don't have much of a sense of humor, they're crabby, you know). We checked out all the sea life in the tide pool. There were huge sea cucumbers, at least 8-10 inches long and at least 3 inches in diameter, which have to be the one of the creepiest things in the ocean. I wouldn't touch them, but the boys did and they shot a stream of water out as a defense mechanism, which went pretty far. I think they were the "supersoaker" species of sea cucumbers. In our continued search, we found some broken, washed up coral and all kinds of tiny shells. Then, thinking I found a really beautiful souvenir, I picked up a shell that much to my chagrin, was inhabited by a hermit crab. Rats! My next plan of action was to try and get him to move on to a new house, so that I could take the shell home. I don't think hermit crabs understand eminent domain laws. I decided to end my career as a greedy property grabber and just observed him for a while. He was a stubborn little cuss. I would turn him so the opening side was up, place him on a rock and watch him sneak out of his shell, very stealthily, flip himself over and try to escape. Not only was he stubborn, but pretty quick. Then the boys and I found some sea snails and tried to race them. Uh, that was like watching paint dry...they don't move very fast at all. After a couple hours, the girls called to ask if we would come pick them up. I mean they "were so tired from the long walk, you know we made them walk all day yesterday too" (I'm probably the headline on CNN (Children's News Network) too, "terrorist mother makes daughters walk in paradise, to get some fresh air and sunshine and gives them money to shop as well." Madness, I say, just madness! So, because we needed lunch and had to go to the store, I agreed to pick them up. The afternoon was more of the same lazy, but fun, day and then it was time to head up to Waikoloa to catch our tour bus to Kahua Ranch for the Sunset Dinner.
The bus was waiting when we arrived at 4:30. We had about an hour's drive up into the Kohala Mountains, where we had been touring Tuesday. We arrived just as the sun was setting and it was a breathtaking sight to see.
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| From the bus as we were just arriving |
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| From Kahua Ranch, Kohala Mtns |
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| A view of the neighoring island, Maui...in between the clouds |
With the sweet smell of campfire, wafting in the air, we listened as one of our hosts gave us a little background before turning us loose on the buffet. This is a working cattle and sheep ranch on 8,500 acres of spectacular landscapes. It is a pie shaped piece of land, located on the western slope of the Kohala Mountains. The property extends from mountain to sea, and gets as much as 120 inches of rain at the top and only 9 inches at the bottom. They raise their cattle for market. It must be an expensive venture, because to sell to the mainland they have to ship the cows. There are 3 methods of shipping. One is to ship them in cow containers on a ship. They are similar to the big shipping containers, but they have been modified to have food and water bins and double decks, like little apartments. The second more luxurious way is by Corral Cruise Ship. No kidding, there is a Danish made cruise ship just for livestock. It is for the more upper class cow, I imagine. The only problem is since the ship is made by a Danish company and there is a little federal regulation called the Jones Act, which prohibits any foreign shipping in US waters, they have to make port in Vancouver, BC and then truck the cows to TX. I'm sure that is a pricey option. The third method of shipping is on a 747! They have a 747 that can carry 50,000 lbs of livestock. I wonder if those cows have to pay for check-in luggage or to stand with their kin?
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| Loadin' up at the trough |
After our introduction we were herded into the barn to load up our plates with a buffet style dinner. There was salad, creamy mashed potatoes, cowboy beans, corn on the cob, steak, chicken, and macadamia nut pie for dessert, plus all the soft drinks, water, or adult beverages (if so inclined) we wanted. I felt like a pig...oops wrong ranch. Anyway, we were seated on a rustic, covered deck festooned with white lights around the ceiling's perimeter. The tables sat 18 and were covered with green and white checkered table cloths. Each table had 3 or 4 brass kerosene miner's lamps for lighting. The firelight glow made for a wonderful ambiance. There was a local musician, Jack Martin, who serenaded us with all kinds of country/western songs, either playing guitar or fiddle. It was magical.
After dinner, our host Sue, the firecracker I described in an earlier post, asked if anyone had birthdays and anniversaries and then she taught us to sing to them in Hawaiian. Then she taught a few of us brave souls how to line dance and we danced a little bit. We were then introduced to Miss Piggly Wiggly, a 300 pound wild pig that they found 12 years ago and raised from just 3 weeks old. She was a pig, just sayin', John (her owner) told us that she likes to eat and one time got into a storage room and ate a 100 pound bag of dog food. She should have her own tv show on Discovery..Pig vs. Food and give that guy from Man vs. Food a run for his money. The next order of business was to scatter about to the different activities: there was a s'mores station, a branding station, a lassoing station, horseshoes, and stargazing, all the while Sue and Jack sang cowboy songs near the campfire. It was a blast and we left there full of great food and memories!
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| Lily and I two-steppin' |
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| Miss Piggly Wiggly |
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| John taking his turn at branding a piece of wood |
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| That branding iron gets purty darn hot |
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| Jack and Sue singing cowboy campfire songs |
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| Lassoing Lily |
Well, tomorrow is it! We are heading home on the 9pm flight. I don't know how I feel about that yet. Paul and I have had a great time, the kids have had so much fun (I think), and we are all enjoying this undistracted time with each other. I know there won't be many more of these times in the near future.
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