The Day Before November

The carving party.

A boy and his pumpkin.

This year's champion.

Fireman Miles, ready to save the day.

A sweet little skunk.

Trick or treat.

Ready to reel in the candy.

The family pumpkin effort on display.

Stomping through the puddles on Halloween night.

Catching Up With Miles & Leo (October Edition)

Pickin' a pumpkin.

Ready for carving.

Slurping some "solids".

Farming, Seattle-style.

Mouse in da house.

Cuteness air patrol.

"Speed.  I am speed."

Mr. Leo.

The First Cut

(Miles, a mere 15 months ago)

Our firstborn son was bald for so long that we cherished each tender shoot of hair that finally sprouted on his head.  The idea of ever cutting his hair seemed absurd, fanciful, far-fetched.   It took many months after his curly locks began obscuring Miles' eyes before the scales fell off of ours.  

 Finally, there was no denying it: the boy needed a haircut.

 Of course, we loved his vertiginous curls.   And we had nothing against the androgynous look.  But "how old is your little girl?" was becoming an increasingly frequent question.

In any event, the long-dreaded, long-delayed day had arrived.  But if you have to get your first haircut, you might as well do it in style -- or, in Miles' case, in a firetruck chair.

Even so, it didn't go without some wailing and gnashing of teeth...  but you won't see those pictures because the photographer had to put down his camera and wrestle with his subject.

But when it was all over, Miles was still in the driver's seat.

 ... and still sporting a reasonable set of curls.

So, who's up for a haircut next?

Leo Crawls

Yes, you read it here first.



Leo is now fully motorized and motile.

Kauai Roundup (Part 3)

The time had finally come to say goodbye to our holiday home.

We took one last spin around the pool for old times' sake.

And for young times' sake, too.

It wasn't easy to convince Miles that there would be a water slide back home.

Or a waterfall.

Nor would we have 24/7 grandma support.

Or an outrigger canoe at our disposal.

The scenery wouldn't quite be the same, either.

Yup, going home was going to be tough to swallow.

But we approached it philosophically.

After all, you can't always get everything you want.

But, like the song says, you just might find you get what you need.

Na Pali Coast

Veteran visitors to Kauai will recall that the highway does not quite circumnavigate the island. There is a 17-mile gap in the road at the northwest corner, between Ke'e Beach and Polihale Beach, otherwise known as the über-scenic Na Pali Coast.

Having read that National Geographic magazine rated a one-way open-water kayak tour down the coast as the second-best outdoor adventure in the United States (after rafting the Grand Canyon), Daddy felt obliged to check it out on behalf of the rest of the family.

Despite suffering a broken toe two days before departure, in an unsuccessful attempt to walk through a stool, Daddy was undeterred, setting out for the North Shore at 6 a.m. All trips had been canceled for the past five days due to rough seas. This was likely to be the last one of the season. He took the guides' advice and gulped down some Dramamine. This turned out to be a wise choice.



The initial 11-mile stretch before lunch was more than a few of the paddlers bargained for. The swells were formidable and there was enough wind and rain to keep things very interesting. One couple turned back just before the point of no return, and several more probably wished they had. They gave up their breakfasts until there was nothing left to give... and then they gave some more. You get the picture.

But the scenery was spectacular, beyond my humble abilities to describe, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. When we reached the beach designated for our lunch, we all collapsed in the sand and rested for a couple of hours.

The final stretch to Polihale was gentler and sunnier... until the landing. Bringing kayaks in to the beach between sets of six-foot waves added a bit of drama to the finish. Most of the boats were swamped in the surf, but everyone survived to tell the tale, though not, perhaps, with all of their possessions.

Kauai Roundup (Part 2)

Not content to enjoy the view by helicopter alone, we set out to make the land journey up the edge of Waimea Canyon.
The landscape is so vast and imposing that it's hard to believe it represents only a slice of an island that is barely 40 miles across at its widest point.

It looked even bigger with Miles and Leo adding perspective.

Miles felt it was a good spot for acrobatics.

Fortunately, no one went over the edge.

At the end of the road we took in the Kalalau Valley from a dizzying height.

By the time we got back to Waimea, we were good and hungry. Somehow, we managed to stumble upon the best shrimp tacos north of the Rio Grande. (Though there was some uncertainty about whether we were north of the Rio Grande.)

After that, there was no delaying the nap.

We watched the horn spout at Spouting Horn.

Then checked out the scene at Poipu Beach.

Leo was becoming quite accustomed to the beach.

While Miles looked ready to join the surfer crowd.

Or perhaps start his own band.

Grandma Margee continued to provide invaluable support....

... for which we could only compensate her with coconuts.

Snorkeling was as simple as rolling out of the minivan and tumbling onto the beach.

Fish weren't the only creatures lurking in the water.

Leo showed plenty of aquatic aptitude.

Somehow we all managed to stay afloat.

On rare occasions, Miles would consent to wear his water wings in the pool...

... a fashion statement that made quite a splash.

... and made the job of monitoring him in the pool slightly less stressful.

In fact, it was downright fun.

Lisa found an extraordinary roadside BBQ on the road to Kilauea, where we procured the tastiest wild boar of all time. Apparently the island is overrun with tens of thousands of wild boar and very free-ranging chickens (pictured here meeting their fate on the grill.)

The Kilauea Lighthouse marked the northernmost point on Kauai.

And it put an exclamation point on our day!