Aloha, it’s me, Norman (along with his Ninja sister Elsa) to welcome you to the latest edition of Nature Friday, hosted by our pals Rosy and Sunny from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Our Mum finally returned from granddaughter Hailey’s wedding in Hawaii and I for one couldn’t be happier. I’ve been wiggling my bum and shadowing her everywhere so she can’t possibly get away from me again. Mum came home with a treasure trove of pics (to go with her major case of jet lag-she says she hoping she’ll get caught up by the end of the weekend and hopes people will be patient with her). She’s been napping as much as me these past couple of days but Elsa and I agreed we would break up these Nature Friday posts over multiple weeks so as to be able to share some of the beauty from our 50th state. We may even include a pic or two from the wedding. Let’s get started, shall we?
Elsa: For some odd reason, Mom took a lot of pics of the clouds from the plane on the trip. I didn’t get it but she assured me they were a pretty fascinating view from 36,000 ft. They look different from when you’re looking up at them from the ground. In the sky she was looking down on them and it was a whole ‘nother world. This first one is somewhere over the Rockies not too far from Denver. Notice there was some snow still on the peaks.
Norman: Blimey, just look at those valleys. Makes me dizzy just looking at them.
Elsa: You’re dizzy anyway-not because you’re looking down at snow covered peaks, pal.
Norman: Ahem…well I see the personal digs have started early on. Sigh. Moving along, let’s take a look at when the skies became soupy with clouds.
Elsa: Hey, there’s a crack in the clouds! What’s that blue stuff?
Norman: That, little sister is the Pacific Ocean. Blue skies and blue ocean. That’s rather something, isn’t it?
Elsa: Meh…I dunno. Blue is blue. I still don’t see what the big deal is about looking down from 36,000 feet above the ground.
Norman: {eyes rolling} I doubt I can explain it to you. Just trust me when I say it’s quite the sight and takes on a whole different perspective from when we’re looking up at clouds.
Elsa: Perspective, schmective. I wanna check out something that’s actually interesting.
Norman: When you’re looking out a plane window and see Mother Nature’s slushy, THAT little one is something interesting, trust me. Between looking like something between a slushy and an iceberg field, it made Mum wonder a lot about perspective.
Elsa: Looks like a partly cloudy day when she landed in Kailua-Kona. The pics she took as the plane moved toward the airport sure have some color to them. Hey, I think I see some tiny wind turbines in this pic below.
Norman: From the airplane, everything looks like a quilt but you’re right, I see those wind turbines in the center of that pic along with the shoreline surf. They look like tiny crosses. Mum told me she didn’t swim in the ocean and I said that’s good, you never know what lurks in that wet stuff.
Elsa: Yeah, you couldn’t pay me to swim in that stuff. The salt would likely bother my skin, I’m afraid. Besides, there’s a whole lot of fascinating stuff to check out from the shore. I heard Mom nearly tripped over a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) at sunset. Hawaiians call those things “Honu.” Pretty cool beans, eh?
Norman: {eyes wide-open} Blimey mate, it matches the surrounding sand, no wonder she nearly stepped on it! Glad she didn’t. It’s a no-no to touch the Honu. Did you know their heads don’t retract like freshwater turtles? Mum said they can grow to between 3 and 4 ft. and may weigh as much as 300-350 pounds?
Elsa: Whoa…that’s a whole lotta turtle soup! Mom told me they are found in subtropical and tropical ocean waters, nesting in some 80 countries. In the U.S. they nest in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Florida. Hmm, that makes me wonder if they are as tasty as the tortoise shelled reading glasses I munched one time.
Norman: Only you would wonder something like that.
Elsa: Hey you’re the hungry hippo around the Ranch, I was just wondering out loud. It’s not like I’d actually try to eat one that was alive. Although I think I could take it on. If nothing else, I’d definitely run circles around it. They’re pretty slow moving.
Norman: You are not a tiger shark, the Honu’s main predator. Although…come to think of it…
Elsa: Hey, knock that off, bozo. You want me to rat you out to Mom?
Norman: Mum knows how sweet I am, she’d never believe I’d ever say anything so provocative…
Elsa: Why, I have a good mind to…
Norman: Now, now, calm down little one. We’re supposed to be sharing some of the Hawaiian nature, not quibbling about who’s the fiercest predator, ok? We all know who that is.
Elsa: You’re just lucky I’m so easy going. So tell me brother, what was the first thing Mom did when they arrived on the Big Island?
Norman: Well anyone who knows Mum knows that’s easy, and because they had to wait until a few hours until the villa was ready for them to check in, they made a stop at a favorite watering hole, the Kona Brewing Company. While it wasn’t too hot (mostly around 75-80ºF the entirety of the trip), a nice cold one was most welcome. She saw some geckos scurrying about the tables but those little green things were just too quick to photograph this trip. She did however capture them in a previous trip to the Big Island that you can see here.
Elsa: Yup, I can see Mom enjoying those frosty suds. Nice way to start out the week. After she showed me the place she stayed at in Waikoloa Beach, I almost wish she’d have taken us along. Just think of all the critters I could have chased on the grounds!
Norman: Umm…I don’t think you’d find the critters of Hawaii to your liking. Mum told me she saw her first mongoose from the patio. Can you believe it?
Elsa: Mom said they were lightening fast. I kept asking her about the two in the upper left background but she blushed and said for me not to worry about what they were doing. Something about mating season. As a former puppy mill survivor, I could tell them a few things about that! Anyway, the view from Mom’s bedroom window was pretty amazing. It shows the lava fields of Kohala, Hawaii’s oldest but extinct volcano (hidden behind those clouds). Mom said she already misses that view.
Norman: The views were definitely something to write home about. Well that’s all the time we have for this week’s Nature Friday post. We hope you enjoyed seeing pics from Mum’s trip. Next week we’ll share more flora and fauna. So tell me sister, what exciting plans do you have this weekend?
Elsa: Nothing too exciting. I’m mostly just making sure Mom doesn’t leave the house without us. Even when it rains. Mom says we should be grateful for it-it’s not like Colorado is a tropical wonderland like Hawaii is.
Norman: I hear you on that, Ninja. I think a good nap for all 3 of us should top our agenda after we celebrate my birthday tomorrow. Mum told me my first Mum told her recently when I was born. You ready to party, sis? Then again, what do you say, you on the left side and me on Mum’s right side after we have a birthday party?
Elsa: Works for me brother. Whatever you guys do, just make sure you get outside and enjoy the wonders Nature provides us.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
HOLEY CATFISH! Thoe aeo fotoss are speck-taculur Miss Monika!!! Wee cuud see THE snow on topss of mountianss. An THE cloudss look furry diffyrent than rfom on THE ground!
Hawaii lookss like a beeuteefull place fore sure.
So that iss what a Mongoose iss Sweet Norman an Elsa….sort like our Fisherss an Martenss heer inn Catnada. Mew mew mew ’bout matin seeson 😉
Wee can hardly wait to see more fotoss….
Take all THE time you need Miss Monika; wee understand…..
~~~~head rubss~~~~BellaDharma~~~~ an {{{hugss}}} BellaSita Mum
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the pics. See clouds from above was a whole fresh perspective and very interesting to our Mom.
I had to look up Magoo’s Pizza and damn if it’s still there! I thought it was really good stuff, but I was also really hungry after a whole day of seeing the sights. But hey, that was almost thirty years ago and they’re still there so I guess they’re doing something right!
The only thing better than being In Hawaii is being in Hawaii enjoying a cold one with good company.
Aloooooha!
Boy you got that right! But sharing in my granddaughter’s fairy tale will always be a very special memory. Even if the airlines make travel miserable anymore. And the food…YESSSSS!
That’s beautiful, I’m glad you were there to see it.
Wonderful images Monika and what an amazing place to explore! Wishing you a speedy recovery from your flight and happy happy birthday to sweet Norman from all of us here 🐾💖🐾 xxx
Aww, thank you for the kind wishes. Norman sends his best pupster kisses to you and Misty.
💕🐕💕 xxx
How I would love to visit our 50th state! Loved seeing the clouds, I used to lay on the ground a lot, just watching them. I still find myself looking at them as I drive (I know, bad habit) and seeing all the horses, dogs, dragons, etc that make them up. So happy for you that you got to make that trip!
It was quite the experience that I can heartedly recommend. The state provides so many sights to see and its people are such gracious hosts.
Looks like you had a good time! Lovely photos!
They have turned the mongoose (mongooses? mongeese?) loose to deal with rats?
Thank you. It was a wonderful time and an exquisite wedding. You are correct in presuming mongoose were originally brought to the island to deal with the rat population in sugar cane fields and in quick order, plantation owners realized they had made an epic miscalculation (rats are nocturnal while mongoose are diurnal so the two species’ paths never crossed). While I couldn’t find a concerted effort to get rid of them, they are definitely not welcome; with some farmers and sanctuaries installing fences to keep them at bay. Much to my surprise, I also discovered it’s only “mongoose,” whether singular or plural. They are aggressive little pests and should always be avoided.
So, so beautiful … and you can proudly sing “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now…”. Above or below, every image is magical (and of course, Norm and Elsa team up to do their usual fun monologue) …
Thank you. The island is quite stunning and a fabulous place to have a wedding. Oh gosh, you’re right…I can have my Judy Collins moment!
That is such a beautiful place for a wedding. Nice photos. I had never seen a mongoose.
Thanks for the kind comment, Ellen. I’d never seen one either and after I read up about them, am grateful. They are not very nice, in fact, they are quite aggressive-luckily they scampered away every time I saw them. Brought in to control rats on the sugar cane plantations, owners really miscalculated since mongoose are diurnal and rats are nocturnal.
Great pictures, especially that of the turtle.
Many thanks, Pit. She was pretty disguised in the salt and pepper sand. It was a good thing our Mom didn’t step on it!
Hey, happy birthday, big guy! Many happy returns of the day. 🙂
Aww, thank you!
I love the view from the plane. Well, at least when one can see, Glad to see hope found the sudsy stuff. Glad you had a good time.
Thanks. It was an incredible time (and the tastiest of suds) to accompany flora and fauna.
Cheers … clink
Wow, such beautiful images! Clouds from up above are always quite interesting despite what Elsa thinks, LOL!!
Thanks for sharing that mongoose…doesn’t look like any goose we’ve ever seen, BOL!!
Many thanks. Maybe Nature planned to entertain Mom with quite the cloud show since it was a long flight.
Those mongoose are crafty little guys and quick as a wink. They don’t stick around for long, especially if you have a camera. 😉
A mongoose!! Aaaahhhhh! How amazing! Beautiful pictures!
Thank you. Mom was flabbergasted when she say them and bless their little hearts, they entertained her nearly every day she was in Hawaii.
Welcome Back! >3 Absolutely beautiful clouds, even if Elsa doesn’t think so. LOL! I can believe you are jet lagged. Rest up and enjoy the weekend! I know Elsa and Norman are sooo happy to be back with you. Cool about seeing the mongoose. Look forward to hearing and seeing more about your big trip. 🙂
Thanks. It’s painfully clear I’m getting too old to travel economy anymore. Ouch, my aching back! LOL
Get out the heating pad. 😉
Wow!!!! Such beautiful Hawaiian Nature today…Mama loves the sky pictures…and we like the mongoose picture!!
xoxo,
Rosy & Sunny
Thanks, guys. Looks like our mamas were on the same page this week! Those mongoose were always bouncing around but very people shy. Too bad our mama didn’t have the DSLR with her-a nice long lens would have been very helpful.
Very cool! So glad you made it home safe and sound! I can’t wait to hear the play-by-play of the wedding ❤️
You’re too sweet. Hope your trip was equally as fun (although it was without volcanos and palm trees). Dad enjoyed it very much! xxoo
Gee, that’s a good question-I’ll have to ask her why she didn’t bring me a mongoose. Thanks for kind comment. Mom had a really amazing time and we hope you’ll experience it through her photos. Have a super weekend, Teddy.
I loved the big island! Kona coffee is the best! I spent a month bumming around the islands in my youth. Loved every minute and especially the climate. NO WINTER COATS!
It truly is paradise! Mom’s son and our favorite uncle lived there for 8+ years. Since the granddaughter graduated from high school and college there, she and her fiancé decided to have their ceremony there with all their friends. It was beyond spectacular. Lucky you to experience all the Big Island has to offer…especially that to die for coffee. We’ll post pics from our coffee farm tour next time.
🙂
Those pictures – all of them – are fantabulous! I love, love, LOVE cloud pictures taken from below, inside and above them!
That turtle is a beauty. Thank goodness your mum didn’t step on it!
Looking forward to the next pictures!
Have a super weekend taking care of your mum!
Thanks. We’re glad Mum didn’t step on Honu either. She would have felt so terrible because she’s a big fan of them. You have a super weekend as well.
She would have felt worse than terrible!
Thank you! I plan on it!
elsa that’s an interesting turtle question… at least they taste better than the plastic rim of the glasses what da nelly ate… and we enjoyed the plane photos… the mama wanted to do that too but her place was over the wings :O) happy weekend..
Mom was super lucky that the wings were behind her. When you’re on the wings, the view is not only the pits but extra noisy too. Have a terrific weekend. Nelly and I have something in common-we both like eyewear apparently. BOL
Beautiful shots. I was in Hawaii once and loved it there. But no getting out for us for now. Horrible air quality from the Canadian wildfires, and we are stuck inside with windows shut, and only the shortest of potty breaks for the pups. Praying for some rain they say we may get at the start of next week to help clean the air up. Looks like the smog from 1970’s Los Angeles here…yuck.
Thank you. We heard about the wildfire smoke in the Eastern part of the US. We experienced it a couple of weeks ago before Mom left from Alberta. Goodness, we hope they get some rain to help with the fires and wash the air that’s floating everywhere. Have a good weekend with the kittens.
That’s a super taster for photographs to come, I trust.
You two look after your mum!
Thank you. The real trick will be to decide which ones are the best. Mom doesn’t want to be that person who buries her audience in vacation photos. 😆
Oh what pretty photos!! I know you’re glad to have your Mom home though and I trust she brought you souvenirs? Like your very own mongoose or something similar????? Seriously – glad she had a wonderful time.
Hugs, Teddy
Thank you; we’re going to snoop through her luggage to see if she brought us something. Sadly, she told us last night the only souvenir she brought back was a nasty cold but we’re just grateful she’s home now.