Waimea 4th of July

While the rest of the country has been baking and burning, we've been chilly and wet. This afternoon was reasonably nice, so we took a little walk down the Waikoloa Stream through town. It begins behind Anunciation Church and follows the stream down to Kahawai Street. There's a bit of controversy over the plan to pave the trail so emergency vehicles and the handicapped can have access. Meanwhile, we've enjoyed walking through the trees and along the stream.

The valley has greened up a lot over the past month.

Succulents in bloom.

We like the pools and little falls.

Found some poha bushes along the way.  The berries are tasty!

Some orange lichen.

Love the green hills.

Mahana & Ryan Marsh

Yesterday afternoon (Friday the 13th) Mahana and Ryan Marsh were wed in a lovely ceremony down by the stream at Anna Ranch. We were blessed with a pleasant (warm and calm, though overcast) afternoon. The ceremony was followed by a wonderful reception in Anna's Hall. It was nice to see all the family members again.

First, the bride and groom

The Marsh family

 As Ryan took the Marsh name, there is now a prospect for future Marshes in the family!

Whale Watch

Whit, Jim and Ever came to Honolulu for a short visit last Wednesday eve.  I joined the group on Friday for a whale watch off Haleiwa.  Nice day -- not too hot -- and saw several whales.  So nice to be together.  Unfortunately, these are the only pix I took over the weekend.  Most of the morning was a bit overcast and breezy.  Even a few sprinkles.

 Several spinner dolphins followed the boat, both out and into the harbor.  There were a couple of spectacular spinning jumps out of the water right in front of the boat, but didn't get a picture.

All in all, a very nice morning.

Reno

Had a short, but wonderful, visit with Rob, Anna and keiki at the beginning of March en route my annual ACTEC meeting in Miami Beach. The weather was wonderful, fresh snow a few days before my arrival, and I got to see the kids' new home. Saturday, Lu, Tucker and Anders and I went skiing on Mt Rose. (Rob had to work and couldn't ski anyway with his broken/sprained thumbs.  Anna had to prepare for a party.)  We did a few runs together in the morning, then the kids had a two-hour lesson, while I skied alone. The snow was good and the scenery was gorgeous!

We returned home in time for a birthday party for Tucker with several of his friends.  Here was the futile effort (until later) to get a fire started with flint and steel.  (Note injured thumbs.)

Sunday after church, we had another opening on Tuck's real birthday.

After lunch, we went back up the mountain past the ski area and did a little snowshoeing.  Beautiful weather again.  Lu, Andy and Clara stayed near the parking area and did a little sledding.

When we returned, Andy and Clara were in snow caves, covered with sleds.

Monday, Rob had to go to Elko, so after the kids went to school, Anna took me over to see Lake Tahoe.  Again, beautiful weather; clear lake.  We had a wonderful morning.

Tuesday morning it began to snow.  We couldn't even see the airport from the house for the storm.  However, it was raining below at the airport, and no problems getting out.  All in all, it was a wonderful visit.

Update on the Hawaiian Keiki

Had another brief visit with the other Hawaiian Hastings after class Monday night:  just one of the benefits of teaching at the UH Law School this semester.

My Day with Dani and Friends

Dani and six friends came up to Waimea for the day this past Saturday.  We began with a hike to the back of Waipio.  The morning was clear and beautiful.

We headed up the hill from home.

The stream and pond on top were nice.

The ladies and Waipio Valley.

I went down to the landing below, but only a couple of ladies dared follow me.

Here's the view back towards home.

After we returned home, we decided to show the ladies Waipio from the other end.  Here's the view from the top.

Dani & friend (Kristi, I believe)

Waipio looking south

Waipio looking north

Finally, we ended the day with dinner at Cafe Pesto.  All in all, we had a great day -- even if I was a bit stiff Sunday morning.

Late this afternoon, the sky cleared and Mauna Kea was especially beautiful in the setting sun.

Post Piece on Mormons and Rebuttal

I read this Washington Post article and enjoyed the rebuttal (thanks to Anna's post on Facebook).  The Post piece's negativity about the Church probably says as much about the writer as it does about those of whom she complains.  I believe in ultimate Truth.  But it can be elusive.  See my Twain quote in the sidebar.  Not infrequently the accepted "truth" of the day turns out to have been wrong after additional scholarship appears.  The recent scholarship on the DNA of the native Americans is a case in point:  I didn't worry when the original reports came out that there was no link to the Jews; and I won't base my testimony on the new finding of connections among tribes in the New York area.  I find it all interesting.

There's much that I can't explain, so I set it aside and figure someday I'll understand -- or not.  Worst case, if there is no hereafter, if it was all bologna, I'll be out some tithing, but otherwise will have lived a better, happier and more fulfilling life by having strived to live according to Church teachings and through my Church service and associations.  When I was teaching the Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Class in college, one lesson in the manual discussed the question of whether the prophet Isaiah wrote all of the Book of Isaiah or whether other writers wrote part of it.  Soon after I began the lesson, straight out of the manual, Bishop Pratt raised his hand and asked:  "Does it matter?"  It messed up my lesson, but I never forgot his lesson.  Most of the "mysteries" that I can't explain or the apparent contradictions really are irrelevant to the question of how I should live.

I haven't had a problem with much of the counsel of Church leaders during the last forty years or so since I started paying more attention.  It's clear that the Christian (not just Mormon) believer must exercise a "leap of faith" -- it's part of Biblical Christian doctrine.  (I liked Kierkegaard's "Fear and Trembling" when I read it years ago.)  I am inspired by C. S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity."  I even notice plausible answers to the "mysteries" in Hawking's theories of the universe.  But I simply don't worry about the doctrinal (or historical) issues that I can't understand or that don't seem to make sense.  Some day I'll understand -- or I won't.  Either way, it doesn't concern me now.