Honolulu Local and Poem

        Honolulu Local And Poem

     Here is what is happening in Honolulu. There are now direct flights on China Eastern Airlines, from Shanghai to Honolulu. We should expect some 160,000 this year. I understand that these are reward trip packages for good work. A cab driver complained to me that they are poor spenders. So now we are seeing more than Japanese, with puzzled looks,clutching guide books.

     How about this? A Mexican Consulate has been proposed for Hawaii. This makes good sense as both countries are deeply involved in tourism. The first Mexicans came here as cowboys.
      I was just about to send these writings when I saw an article of great importance. So, I backed-up and put it here.
     If you have ever visited here, and watched the green sea turtles, you were fortunate. The Department of Transportation, in their great wisdom, is currently placing concrete barriers to prevent parking across the road from the small beach where the turtles are seen. This has become a real mess, and Laniakea Beach is the first true stretch of beach accessible to the public east of Haleiwa. So now we have 20-foot long barriers for your enjoyment. Good luck in seeing any turtles. We have always taken our guests there for them to see the turtles swim, feed on the algae on the rocks, or just bask in the sun. The problem has been caused by too many people, too many cars. and the seemingly too high cost to build a parking lot. I am so mad I could just spit!

      Fish stocks are declining in the Pacific. It's no surprise to me as I have read that the Japanese comsume at least twenty-five percent of fish caught. One of the most recent and interesting ways to measure how this has been happening was to examine old restaurant menus. Look and see what type of fish was being served, and what fish is now on the menu. There has been a decline of reef fish, and the one most offered is mahimahi, which is found in deep water. I sometimes wonder what we would do without this fish. If you have never seen one, look it up. It tends to have a wide-bulldog face,and is greenish blue color. Wonderful tasting fish.

      I read with anger the theft of some twenty purebred goats from a farm in Kahuku. The even sadder thing is that many of the goats were pregnant. The morning paper reported the capture of the thief, but not the goats. I can relate to this, as I used to raise goats too. They are gentle, trusting, and fun to have around. I even forgave one who ate the cover of the tractor seat. My two girls were raised on goat's milk, and I sold the milk. I was often sought out by mothers whose babies could't digest either formula, or cow's milk. I sure hope they recover those goats. And now it's time for a poem.

                Poem
    When Tim made his weekly stop
    with his wagon, loaded with        
      vegetables and fruit  
    Mother would make her selection
    from the mounds of radishes,cabbage
    and other produce.
    She only bought oranges at Christmas.
    One for each child.
    Tim once saw us looking longingly
    at a large bag of oranges.
    He offered to trade us for our dog.
    Sport wasn't our favorite anyway.

             Aloha
             Grant