More countryside photos...Lava update...

Full moon over Maalaea Beach. Check out the shadows of that crazy trimmed tree in the condo's yard.

Last night, we paid the balances on the two houses on the Big island. The lava flow has stalled as indicated in this article and video from the local news although it could begin again at any time.

The shoreline is a photographer's dream.

We've decided to take our chances. Worse case scenario? While we're all in the houses, the lava flow heads our way and we have to evacuate. However, there are numerous less disturbing scenarios that could occur as an alternate. We'll take our chances.

The Hawaiian Islands, like many other tropical islands is an ever changing weather phenomenon.

Talking back and forth with our grown kids, everyone seems OK about forging ahead. In a mere 28 days, on December 6th, the first four of our family members will arrive. The remainder are coming around December 21st, most leaving by January 3rd with two staying until January 9th.

Its hard to believe the time is almost here. It was two years in the making. It was last March that we began purchasing airline tickets as I was reminded yesterday when I found myself doing revisions for March while we lived in Morocco, mentioning the challenges of booking the many airline tickets.

The subtle colors in this hills is breathtaking.

Maybe now, for the next few weeks until Tom and I fly to Big Island on December 1st, we can relax in the knowledge that we're moving ahead with our plans without a worry in the world.

If the lava flow rears its ugly head again, we'll deal with it at the time. In the interim our goals are simple, spend quality time with our loved ones, maintaining our theme of low stress, easing our way through each day.

Its odd at times to find lush vegetation in what appears to be arid and desolate areas.

Today, the revisions continue as I'm now midway through April 2014 with only seven more months to go. Doing this task has been painstaking in some ways but enlightening in others. I have had the opportunity to read back through every post since beginning mid March, 2012.

The swirling ocean below the ravine where we stood and watched.

I'd assumed when I began this daunting task that I'd giggle over how naïve we were in the beginning. In some ways, we were. In other ways, we prepared ourselves well with the tremendous amount of research we'd done before ever leaving Minnesota, let alone leaving the US.

The views of these hills is appealing to our desire for more remote locations.

It's been rewarding to be reminded of where we've been, what we've seen and that which we'll see and do in the future.

It's raining now, an oddity for early morning in Maui and the sky remains totally overcast, another oddity. Usually, we can see the billowy clouds moving through the sky with the promise of sunshine on the horizon.

This orange buoy is a marker for a nearby scuba diver.

Rain or shine, we're content with each day for the simple treasures we've been blessed to behold.

Have a happy weekend!
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Photo from one year ago today, November 8, 2013:

The humidity in Kenya was so high that mold began growing on our deck of playing cards.
For details on that date, please click here.