Friday, January 2, 2009
Aloha, 2008. Aloha, 2009
2008 was an interesting year and marked the first full calendar year that I have been out here on Kauai. The biggest accomplishments that I can account for have been acquiring my PADI Divemaster and then Instructor professional ratings. I came out here with the goal of getting Divemaster certified and I exceeded that goal. Part of me says that since I got what I came for, I should move on to something else. I am contemplating it with visions of relocating to Colorado since it offers a lot of what I enjoy.
Speaking of Colorado, Justin and I just bought tickets to go snowboarding in CO for about 3 weeks. We are both STOKED. The plan is that I leave to go home, get my gear, say hello to the fam, head to Dallas and meet up with Justin, then road trip it up to CO in Justin's family's RV, spend a couple weeks at Telluride, road trip it back to TX, and then fly back to Kauai. It sounds like an adventure and adventure it will be.
Who knows what 2009 will have in store for me... I rung the new year in by a mediocre night at the Point and then working a double on new year's day. After getting only four hours of sleep, I had to open the shop and then work the afternoon boat. I had the pleasure of taking out two non-certified divers who dove just the previous day so they were on top of everything. They were one of the best groups I ever led and they werent even certified!! The conditions weren't great but they had a blast. Afterwards, we got a phone call from Ryan who accidentally got locked out of the van that he took to drop everyone off at NCL. Jake, Justin, and I roadtrip'ed it to Nawiliwili harbor to rescue Ryan. Along the way we jammed out to Jake's iPod and then after rescuing Ryan, we had a couple of beers together. It was one of the best times I have had relating to work and coworkers at Seasport Divers. After getting back to the shop, I went out to dinner with Justin's family right before they left to go back home. It was a long day with little sleep but it was a good one. Its always nice to get the year off on a good start.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Beached Killer Whale at Brennecke's Beach
A killer whale beached itself on Brennecke's Beach today in Poipu, Kauai. Here is a photo taken just after it passed away. A crane is pulling the whale out of the water.
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| From Killer Whale at Brennecke's Beach |
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Captain Na Pali Website On Line!
I have been working with Joe Clark, a co-owner of Captain Na Pali Adventures, Inc. to create a website for him. He had a very basic website with the standard black text on white background and no forms of multimedia at all. I had a fun time creating his new site and learned a few techniques in the process. It was a great opportunity that enabled me to utilize the skills that I have acquired over the past few years by being a real life scenario.
So anyway, check it out! I am stoked!
http://www.captainnapali.com
Friday, September 19, 2008
Kauai 3.0
- Phase 1: Crazy Ray. Living in Omao with a slightly off fellow. Driving the Volvo.
- Phase 2: Maka Road. Sharing a house in Kalaheo with KT, Brianna, Trevor, Alan, and Erik. Driving the Civic
- Phase 3: Hanapepe. Moving into a new house in Hanapepe with KT and Ashley!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Rest In Peep
Dear Editor,
I hope that sharing this story will change people’s perceptions and misconceptions, and enhance awareness of the Humane Society's practices, or in my opinion, malpractices in certain cases.
My story is about a pet chicken named Peep. I had wanted a pet rooster for over two years and one day about six months ago, I finally got one.
I found Peep while walking to my car in Foodland's parking lot up in Princeville. He was just a little chick at the time and could fit in the palm of my hand. I took him home and raised him to be an almost full-grown, friendly adult rooster.
Peep and I bonded very quickly. I did not have much in terms of provisions for him that first night. I lined a ten-gallon aquarium with cedar chips and set down a water dish and normal bird feed in my bedroom on the floor. Looking back, it’s obvious why the little guy would not eat or stop peeping – he was cold. That night he cuddled up in my hand and I held him in my sleep to keep him warm. The next day, I got Peep better provisions including a heat lamp, real chick feed, and feeders.
Over time, Peep got bigger and bigger and soon he was able to jump up and perch on the top of the aquarium I relocated to a table next to my desk. Occasionally he would hop off and say hello while I was working on my computer. It did not take long for me to move Peep outside into the carport into a bigger cage made especially for chickens. I would take Peep out into the yard to get sun, exercise, and to dig up bugs. He learned to follow me around just in case I found a juicy beetle or tasty worm and he quickly assimilated the snapping of my fingers to a six-legged treat to the point where I could snap my fingers and he would suddenly be at my toes looking around for whatever I uncovered.
As Peep matured and became comfortable with his surroundings, I eventually moved him from the cage in the carport to being leashed in the yard, and then just let him roam free in the yard. He considered the fenced-in yard and carport his home and would not venture far from it. He would hide under the house to escape the hot sun or the daily rain in Kalaheo, but he would always come out to greet me with joyous chirps whenever I entered the yard or came home from work. One of the neatest aspects of having Peep as my animal companion was his ability to convey his thoughts through the variety of noises he made – a trait which most other pets lack. Anyone who had the opportunity to meet Peep was surprised at how smart and friendly he was.
Peep's last day was on September 8th, 2008 and started off like any other: he was roaming around the front yard and carport. But along came an individual who thought Peep was an abandoned or feral rooster even though he had a partial leash, worn like an anklet around his leg. As a concerned citizen, the individual took Peep to the Humane Society in Lihue. Upon Peep's arrival, he was treated like every other chicken brought to the Humane Society and was immediately euthanized.
I want to make it clear that neither the individual who took Peep to the Humane Society nor the Humane Society are to fully blame. Both parties did what they thought was best to do given the fact that there are many feral chickens on this island.
My issue following Peep's extermination, besides the sadness that I now feel, is how fast acting the Humane Society was to euthanize Peep. I did not have a chance to save his life because as soon as I found out that Peep was taken to the Humane Society, which was about an hour later, I called them immediately but it was too late. Peep was dead.
Unlike dogs or cats, apparently there is no grace period for chickens. I know that there happens to be an overabundance of chickens on Kauai. I also understand that chickens are not normally raised as family pets but kept for their eggs, or more commonly for cock fighting. For anyone who does not know, chickens make great pets and I feel it is wrong to discriminate against them. Peep had a partial leash around his ankle, was healthy and neither malnourished nor injured, and most importantly friendly and domesticated. I know that the Humane Society would not immediately euthanize a cat or dog in the same condition but with Peep, there was no second questioning his fate.
If there is one thing to take from this article it is this: Not all chickens on Kauai are bad. Chickens make great pets. Check out www.mypetchicken.com to learn more about having your own pet chicken.
I still smile when I see a rooster and laugh when he crows. Fly free, my beautiful rooster, wherever you may be.
I hope that sharing this story will change people’s perceptions and misconceptions, and enhance awareness of the Humane Society's practices, or in my opinion, malpractices in certain cases.
My story is about a pet chicken named Peep. I had wanted a pet rooster for over two years and one day about six months ago, I finally got one.
I found Peep while walking to my car in Foodland's parking lot up in Princeville. He was just a little chick at the time and could fit in the palm of my hand. I took him home and raised him to be an almost full-grown, friendly adult rooster.
Peep and I bonded very quickly. I did not have much in terms of provisions for him that first night. I lined a ten-gallon aquarium with cedar chips and set down a water dish and normal bird feed in my bedroom on the floor. Looking back, it’s obvious why the little guy would not eat or stop peeping – he was cold. That night he cuddled up in my hand and I held him in my sleep to keep him warm. The next day, I got Peep better provisions including a heat lamp, real chick feed, and feeders.
Over time, Peep got bigger and bigger and soon he was able to jump up and perch on the top of the aquarium I relocated to a table next to my desk. Occasionally he would hop off and say hello while I was working on my computer. It did not take long for me to move Peep outside into the carport into a bigger cage made especially for chickens. I would take Peep out into the yard to get sun, exercise, and to dig up bugs. He learned to follow me around just in case I found a juicy beetle or tasty worm and he quickly assimilated the snapping of my fingers to a six-legged treat to the point where I could snap my fingers and he would suddenly be at my toes looking around for whatever I uncovered.
As Peep matured and became comfortable with his surroundings, I eventually moved him from the cage in the carport to being leashed in the yard, and then just let him roam free in the yard. He considered the fenced-in yard and carport his home and would not venture far from it. He would hide under the house to escape the hot sun or the daily rain in Kalaheo, but he would always come out to greet me with joyous chirps whenever I entered the yard or came home from work. One of the neatest aspects of having Peep as my animal companion was his ability to convey his thoughts through the variety of noises he made – a trait which most other pets lack. Anyone who had the opportunity to meet Peep was surprised at how smart and friendly he was.
Peep's last day was on September 8th, 2008 and started off like any other: he was roaming around the front yard and carport. But along came an individual who thought Peep was an abandoned or feral rooster even though he had a partial leash, worn like an anklet around his leg. As a concerned citizen, the individual took Peep to the Humane Society in Lihue. Upon Peep's arrival, he was treated like every other chicken brought to the Humane Society and was immediately euthanized.
I want to make it clear that neither the individual who took Peep to the Humane Society nor the Humane Society are to fully blame. Both parties did what they thought was best to do given the fact that there are many feral chickens on this island.
My issue following Peep's extermination, besides the sadness that I now feel, is how fast acting the Humane Society was to euthanize Peep. I did not have a chance to save his life because as soon as I found out that Peep was taken to the Humane Society, which was about an hour later, I called them immediately but it was too late. Peep was dead.
Unlike dogs or cats, apparently there is no grace period for chickens. I know that there happens to be an overabundance of chickens on Kauai. I also understand that chickens are not normally raised as family pets but kept for their eggs, or more commonly for cock fighting. For anyone who does not know, chickens make great pets and I feel it is wrong to discriminate against them. Peep had a partial leash around his ankle, was healthy and neither malnourished nor injured, and most importantly friendly and domesticated. I know that the Humane Society would not immediately euthanize a cat or dog in the same condition but with Peep, there was no second questioning his fate.
If there is one thing to take from this article it is this: Not all chickens on Kauai are bad. Chickens make great pets. Check out www.mypetchicken.com to learn more about having your own pet chicken.
I still smile when I see a rooster and laugh when he crows. Fly free, my beautiful rooster, wherever you may be.
Transition Stage
So I moved out of my house on Maka Rd. and am couch surfing at Justin's and Ashley's. I have saved up a lot of money in the past two months by not having to pay rent. The downside is that my things are at Justin's or Ashley's or in storage. Ashley, Katie, and I found a really nice place in Hanapepe. It is brand new and is not expensive at all. We move in on September 20th!
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