A Hideaway on 9th Avenue

At the corner of the old IBEW Local Union building on 9th Avenue, there was this overhanging area that was, at the time,  completely hidden away by the trees and plants, but by wriggling through the bushes, you'd come to this dusty corner area with this cement ramp thing that was completely hidden from the street and just perfect for a kid to sit on and idle a Sunday afternoon doing nothing.

There's a classic Steely Dan song that my friend Jas says "totally reminds me of us when we were kids", and he's right. The song, called "The Caves of Altamira", expresses the childhood wonder of going off on your own to discover secret hideaways for your own:

"I recall when I was small, how I spent my days alone 

The busy world was not for me, so I went and found my own

 I would climb the garden wall with a candle in my hand 

I'd hide inside a hall of rock and sand"

My GOSH, that REALLY sums it up, but I had forgotten all about that secret corner of the building til I was walking past it some years later as an adult. All those tangled bushes had been cleared out and replaced with gravel. And that cement ramp was now easy to see from the sidewalk!

Walking past the corner, I spied the ramp and went "Holy Crap, I remember sitting on that ramp thing as a kid! Damn, that thing is still there and looking exactly the same!

Kaimuki still gives a wonderful chill and relaxing vibe and looking at that spot, I can still feel that magical feeling I once had sitting in there, a secret hideout all my own!

Up Whilhemina Rise on the Mau'umae Trail

Been QUITE while since we did the Mauumae Hiking Trial,  but we did a light walk in this weekend just to check it out. Up at Whilhemina Rise, it was right in our neighborhood in Kaimuki, so we frequented it a LOT as kids!

After all these years it's nice to know that it very much seems the same- peaceful, cool and serene, just as we remembered it!

Well It Ain't Sakura, But It's Pretty Enough

Not quite sure which kind of trees these are but at certain times of the year they bloom and shed these very cherry-blossom-ish yellow petals that make for some very picturesque scenes, especially in Mililani where they're all over the place!

In places they're so bountiful as to create little drifts of the stuff, and like the title says, it ain't sakura, but for an afternoon walk in Hawaii, makes for a pleasant and calming time!

Dillingham/ Palama Morning

We had to go pick up some mechanical equipment from a warehouse in Palama across from the Dillingham KCC the other morning, and I spent some time walking around the place while they loaded the truck. Overcast sky gave wonderfully moody pics of the Kapalama River.

Ye gads, I remember when KCC had a fishing contest for biggest fish, and the judges ATE the prize winning catches at the end! UGHH, you couldn't PAY me!

Somehow the cloudy and grey sky and abandoned streets made me feel like I was walking around in the 1930's! Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these building WERE from the 30's! Only the modern makes of the cars kept me in the present day!

Doing The Aiea Trail

HAD some friends over from the mainland and among the things they wanted to do was do the 4.8 mile hike through the Aiea Loop, where we got ourselves sweaty and muddy through the wilderness, LOL!

An ever-changing hike which went from dry and dusty to hot and muggy to damp and sticky to swampy and boggy! OI, what an adventure! Was  a nice break from my USUAL walking places, and had some wonderfully rewarding views as well!

Who knows, I may even attempt it again some day...if I ever work up the energy!!!!