Warning Cubed

Hazards?

What hazards?

This has Mother of the Year written all over it.

The Humble Warshrag

There’s nothing quite like the humble warshrag.  It does the job like no paper towel can, and is more cheerful than any sponge.  

I like knitting my warshrags when I’m out in public.  I knit socks and shawls and such in public, too, but there is no conversation starter like a warshrag.  My warshrags attract two types of knitters: nice ones and not-so-nice ones.  The nice ones urge me to pluck up my courage and try knitting a hat, because it’s ever so clever.  The not-so-nice ones tell me that even if they were to sink so low as to knit a warshrag, they’d never be seen in public with it.  Both types assume I’m only knitting a warshrag because I can’t manage anything else, which amuses me so much that most of the time I don’t bother to correct them. (Not that I’m often given the chance - we knitters are a chatty bunch.)  Occasionally, though, I out myself. Sometimes a nice knitter will mention having trouble with a particular project, and I’m able to give her a tip.  And sometimes a not-so-nice knitter will cross a line, forcing me to launch a shock and awe attack by whipping out my Estonian lace on vintage size 0 metal needles.  That’s always fun.

I’m sure I had a point in mind when I started this post, but I’ve forgotten what it was.  So stop reading my senseless drivel and go check out my Goobs’ email interview at The Magnifying Glass.  The Magnifying Glass is a lovely collaborative online nature journal.  It’s very nicely done, packed with lovely photos and interesting information, and I’m tickled that they wanted to interview my babies.

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Monachus schauinslandi
ʻIlio-holo-i-ka-uaua 

The Hawaiian monk seal is found primarily in the Leeward Islands, but they sometimes stray eastward to the main Hawaiian group.  They were heavily hunted by whalers and sealers in the nineteenth century, and were disturbed again during World War II, when U.S. forces occupied Laysan and Midway islands.  Recent surveys have estimated the population at about 1,400 animals.  They are fully protected, but they seem very susceptible to attacks by tiger sharks.  Of all the monk seals, this species is the best known, because it has been studied in its native habitat, and has been successfully maintained in captivity, particularly at the Waikiki Aquarium.

- Richard Ellis; Aquagenesis: The Origin and Evolution of Life in the Sea

We watched these seals playing together at Ka’ena Point State Park today.  Fun times!

Hanauma Bay

We haven't attended church services in quite some time, but I can't help feeling that sleeping through a beautiful Sunday morning is an affront to our Creator.  Everyone else in my family feels fairly certain that Jesus loves us even when we're sleeping, so it took some doing to roust them from their beds and hustle them to Hanauma Bay for some early morning (we arrived at 7:30) snorkeling.

It was worth it, don't you think?  I took this picture while we were waiting for the next showing of the lamest reef protection video ever made (all visitors have to see it, but residents only have to watch it once a year).  The Man and I, being the optimists that we are, hoped we'd finally learn how to properly pronounce the name of the bay - he says, "Ha-na-oo-ma" and I say, "Ha-now-ma."  Sadly, both pronunciations were used along with a third option: "Hoe-no-ma."  I hate it when our hopes are crushed like that. 

After the movie, we watched a mongoose snag his breakfast from a garbage can, hiked down the paved road to the beach, claimed a spot under this palm tree:

and commenced snorkeling.

I'm sure it will be better after we learn the layout of the reef, but yesterday was an ordeal.  We would start out together in open water, but all of a sudden we'd find ourselves separated in a maze of coral, and then, before we knew what hit us, we'd be in six inches of water above a large nest of sea urchins, wishing we hadn't eaten that big bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.  Plus the ocean was pretty rough, and even though the bay is very protected we kept getting pushed back to shore or sucked out to sea - only there were always big rocks in our way.  Ouch!  But break time (we make The Goobers take a breather and reapply sunscreen every 45 minutes or so) was just fabulous.

There were tons of fish, of course, and we're trying our best to learn to their scientific, common, and Hawaiian names.  It would be a lot easier if the fish would cooperate and hold still for us!  An underwater camera would be helpful, but it's just not in the budget right now.  (Hawaii is lovely, but it ain't cheap.)  If you like, you can check out the most commonly seen marine life at the Hawaii Coral Reef Network.

By 10:00 the bay was filling up fast.  We had to navigate the reef, avoid the strong currents, fight the wave action, and dodge the more aggressive of the Japanese tourists.  Chillax, Japanese tourists.  There is plenty to go around - you really don't have to run over the little white girl to see yet another sea cucumber.  They're here, there, and everywhere.

See that long snake of people coming down the hill?  That was our cue to gather up our stuff and run away.  There is a tram that will take you to the top for $1 a person, but The Squares think trams are for sissies.  Plus you can't take a bunch of pictures and stitch them into a Photoshop panorama if you ride the tram with the old ladies.

And you can't justify rewarding yourself with hot malasadas if you ride the stupid tram, either.  Oh, Hawaii.  You're pretty, but malasadas are ono-licious.

Tourist Information for Hanauma Bay

Parking:  $1

Admission:  $7.50 per person, fee waived for children under 13 and Hawaii residents (including active duty military and dependents with ID)

Tram:  $1 per person each way, or $2.50 per person for an all day pass.

Hours:  Winter: 6 to 6; closed Tuesdays; open til 10:00 p.m. on 2nd Saturday of each month
             Summer: 6 to 7; closed Tuesdays; open til 10:00 p.m. on 2nd & 4th Saturdays of each month

The parking lot was closed by the time we left - get there early on the weekends!

Lifeguard announcements are issued in English and Japanese.

Snorkeling equipment available for rent.

Kualoa Beach Park (or) We Might Look Like Homeschoolers

The best thing about homeschooling is that we can hit the beach while everybody else is at work.  Here we are at Kualoa Beach Park, over on the windward (east) side of Oahu.  (That uninhabited island is called Mokoli’i - also known as Chinaman’s Hat.)  See how we’re all alone?  And see how we’re digging rocks out of the sand to compare the seaweed growing on them and not playing frisbee or horseshoes or whatever?  Huh.  I think we might look like homeschoolers.

Oh, look over there.  Way over there.  Do you see that large family?  I think they might be homeschoolers, too.  They’re very polite. 

You can see in the next picture how rocky the bottom is here.  The Goobs had to wear water shoes to swim.  I use the term “swim” loosely; what they did was walk far, far, far away from shore, and when the water finally came to their thighs they squatted down and looked for cool rocks.  Then Anemone decided she didn’t want to break her ankle right before her ballet audition, so they came back in and looked for mole crabs on the beach.  They found one right away, and JellyMan took a picture of it with his nifty fish eye Lomography camera.  Wow.  He looks like a homeschooler to me.

And because this isn’t the first time we’ve come across the Emerita talpoida, I was treated to a mini-lecture on how mole crabs eat Portuguese man o’ wars.  Oh, yeah.  We’re homeschoolers.

After a few hours we decided to hit the road and find a beach with a little more sand and a little less rock.  (I’ve discovered that a damp okole is the cost of doing business here in Hawaii.)

Goobs:  “Mom!  You look like a storm trooper!  Hahahahhahaha!”

Actually, I think I might look like a homeschooler.  No matter.  We’re having a good time and learning about mole crabs.  That’s what counts, right?  Right?  Tell me I’m right.  Please.

After a lovely day of beachy fun (I’d love to show you more pictures, but The Man hasn’t yet come to terms with the fact that his baby girl is rocking a bikini top), we took the long way home and were treated to a fabulous sunset.  I kept making The Man pull over so I could take pictures.  He didn’t mind because he’s a homeschooler.  Homeschoolers stop.  Homeschoolers get out of the car.  Homeschoolers facilitate learning.

Homeschoolers look like dorks. 

Do you look like a homeschooler?  Enter the You Look Like a Homeschooler Contest at Smrt Lernins (you have until the 28th of February).  Be sure to tell her The Squares sent you. 

The Aftermath

• First things first:  Does anyone know what this bird is?  (Click to see a larger image.)

• There were no Thanksgiving Day calamities.
• Dinner was delicious.
• We’re enjoying the leftovers.
• Nobody came down with the flu.
• We had a lovely walk around the lake.
• The Goobs are off all weekend.  It’s been wonderful.
• We’ve watched A Christmas Story; the holiday season is officially upon us.
• As such, The Goobs and I have arranged our books by color.  Again.
• We were going to see 2012 today, but then we noticed that it was TWO HOURS AND THIRTY-EIGHT MINUTES LONG.  Pppbbffft.
• The “O” key on my laptop is sticking. 
• I’m going to bed early.  Goodnight!

Garden Spider

Argiope aurantia 

Common Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca 

Gettysburg, PA: Marsh Creek

The Goobs were in the creek within five minutes of parking at the campground.

They were soon out again, but only because they wanted their swimsuits.

If we’re not out on the battlefield, they’re in the creek.  They’ve been having a fantastic time, though JellyMan seems to fall down an awful lot.  (I think he must do it on purpose, but I just smile benignly and go back to my book and my peach iced tea with vodka.)

Other mothers have been giving me dirty looks because now THEIR children want to play in the creek.  I know how they feel.  Anything could be in that creek - parasites, fishing hooks, human waste, pesticide, leeches, water moccasins.  Yes, they’re right to be concerned.

They should get themselves some peach iced tea and put some vodka in it.  That’d calm ‘em down.

Vacation

Because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (and it doesn’t do Jill any favors, either.)