New Zealand Sabbatical

Dianne and I arrived for a second winter of exploration and warmth sandwiched around my easy work schedule at a new clinic. We are in MILILIANI now and that puts us farther from the ocean but nearer many trails including a great 5 miler we did together yesterday. Last winter we were on the other side of Oahu in KAILUA just a short walk to great beaches enjoying the easterly trade winds.

Rainbows are big and frequent including the one pictured below. Double rainbows happen about weekly. I was told a double rainbow has the colors inverted on the upper one where violet is the color on top instead of the bottom but expect to confirm that myself in the near future. It makes sense the U of Hawaii football team is called the Rainbow Warriors.

We were invited to watch the Honolulu Lights Christmas Parade at a prime location where the lawyer/husband of my nurse, Melissa, works in downtown Honolulu along the parade route We were entertained by floats and 19 high school bands over 90 minutes. Santa even came through on a motorized skate board. The picture below shows one island depiction of Santa and Mrs. Claus along this same street.

Our housing the first 2 months of our 6 month stay is in a residential area with parks and schools all around us. The park we see out our bedroom window has this tree that reminds me of Baloo, the bear, from The Jungle Book. It is a gathering place for rose ring parakeets, saphron finches, myna birds and red-crested cardinals every morining starting at 5 am. Our open windows let their songs greet us in the mornings. Weather is great but a flash flood warning is in place for rains today and the next 3 days. We realize that is nothing compared to our hometown friends suffering with so much cold and snow before official winter even arrives. Enough for now….. Paul