Good Morning!

First, the non-Hawaiian news: daughter Hallie sent me a report yesterday about her performance in The World's Toughest Half-Marathon last weekend. The event was held in the Napa Valley in California. It was 100 degrees and the terrain was rugged. Of all women, Hallie completed the first part of the event, the swim, in first place! After a difficult bike ride and run in part due to low electrolites, she finished in first place in her age group, and in 12th place for all women in all age groups! Hey, this is MY daughter!!! Grinning from ear to ear here. I am so proud of not only her, but her husband who participated and finished well in a full ironman in Tempe Arizona last month, also in extreme temperatures, and fighting an intestinal bug as well. What a couple they are, huh? And they are just SO supportive of each other. What a fine example they are. Congratulations Hallie and Greg! We're thinking of you here in Hawaii.

I haven't mentioned yet, but poor Elliott has been having an allergic reaction, a bad skin rash, either from a sun screen product or a new medication he is taking that indicates you should avoid the sun. It started as they were leaving Waikiki, and got worse the next day, so yesterday morning we drove up to Wal-Mart to consult with a pharmacist. We all feared Elliott would be told to go to a doctor, but the pharmacist didn't do that. She recommended hyrocortisone cream and using Nuetrogena 70 sunscreen. The rash is not gone, but it looks better and Elliott says it feels better. I haven't spoken to them this morning, but hopefully it is still improving.

After the Wal-Mart visit I returned to Ali'i Drive and drove along the shore past Magic Sands Beach, then the snorkle beach, stopped briefly at Kona Country Club so they could see where Julie and Greg had played golf, then continued south up the mountain to the village of Kainaliu where we stopped briefly so they could inspect a local general store and an art gallery that has the work of a magnificent local artist. Then we carried on to Greenwell Farms where I hoped they would be able to take a little tour of this large coffee farm. They usually have tours, regardless of how many people there are. I have included some pictures taken while on this tour... one showing green coffee beans -- actually, that's a lie, they are 'cherries' at this stage -- another a picture of the first live banana tree Elliott has ever seen. It pretty much rained for most of the tour, but that is typical in early afternoon in the Kona coffee growing elevation.

After the tour, we drove back to Kailua to have lunch at the Kona Brewing Company. Great beer (I'm told) and good food as well. Sneaky Elliott snatched and paid the bill before it was ever delivered to the table! Looks like if I want to pay for a meal out with them, I'm going to have to call in my credit card information ahead, lol.

We returned to Sea Village and took it easy for the rest of the afternoon. Or I did anyway. Mary tried to walk more, but it was raining too hard. Laney helped Elliott do some chopping for the dinner he was preparing for all of us, then joined me in the pool and hot tub. Neither of us were bothered at all by the rain.

Elliott served us a WONDERFUL supper, an exotic chicken dish. Yum! After supper we sat around and chatted for a while -- I think it's impossible for Laney and I to ever run out of something to say, lol, and Elliott and Mary fit right in there as well. I'm thoroughly enjoying this opportunity for all of us to spend time together.

Oh, I just got a call from Laney. She says that Elliott's rash has definitely improved overnight although it is not gone. They are taking a walk into town right now, and will probably run into Mary who is already out walking. I have a plan for later in the day, but haven't discussed it yet, so stay tuned to see what happens! Aloha!