Sunset scene . . . sunset book . . .

I went this afternoon with daughter Sara and other friends to see a dance performance by many groups and age levels . . in preparation for the annual Merry Monarch dance competition. It was given on the stage at the Kamehameha school, a large and lovely school campus set aside by the queen for the education of Hawaiian children. As we left the building at the end of the show we were stunned by the sunset. It was unusual because we were rather high on the side of a mountain so we looked down on the scene. But something else was a cause for the strange picture we saw.  It was the haze we’ve been having from time to time. It’s called vog, and it is much like smog and caused by eruptions of the volcano on the island of Hawaii. It only happens on certain days. It comes and goes as the wind changes. It seemed to almost blur the beautiful colors as the sun slowly . . then suddenly . .slipped beyond the rim of the ocean.

I have ten days before I leave. So you can know winter is over when Doris Markland comes home. It has been a quiet winter. I’ve been out and about some but much of the time I’ve been writing and I think I now may have a second book put together. Now looking for a design for the cover. Can you imagine what a hard decision that is? This book is a collection of brief pieces I have written in the past year, rather thoughtful stuff, I guess, because when you grow old you try to figure out if you learned anything while you were here.

Funniest thing I saw this week on Facebook was a cartoon. A mouse comes to his door at the base of the wall. Two mice are standing there, with a book or pamphlet in hand, and they say, “We have come to talk to you about cheeses.”  I laughed right out loud, and I still laugh when I think about it. I do so love puns.

Fireworks on a lovely evening . . . . .

Late this afternoon in honor of a special day here there was a very long parade right down there in front of my place, and after dark a wonderful fireworks. I’m not sure which celebration it was as they have so many of them here.

See the railing in this picture? That is the railing of my lanai. I sat there this evening and watched the fireworks. How fortunate I am, as an old lady, that entertainment is brought right to where I am.

I have had a quiet peaceful winter. My daughter is here and we do things together now and then. But most of the time I have been working on my second book. When I return home I expect to contact the publisher with the intent to publish if they believe it is good enough. There is a time factor of course, because of my age, but I am still active and healthy and we’ll hope it stays that way through all the editing and work that goes into publishing.

I have a reservation to fly out of Honolulu on April 5 and return home on the 6th. I do hope the winter snows are gone and we’re ready for spring. Well, I’m ready, aren’t you? Our area is so beautiful in the spring. In fact, I thought it was unusually beautiful all of last year, everything so green and vibrant and full of color. We’ll hope for rain at just the right times and in the right amounts and plenty of sunshine.