Naialani

I swam among the spinner dolphins without a mask and snorkel for 4 years. Just me, alot of dorsal fins and the song of the dolphins in my ears. I would see them pass under me but never knew just how beautiful it was until i put on a mask. I was glad when i finally picked up a camera, that i got this shot. It is impossible NOT to be overcome with joy when you are in the presence of the dolphins. I have seen it many many times. People smiling , laughing even crying with the gift of joy the dolphins carry with them. I am forever grateful for the gift of joy they have given to me. Their gift has taught me a whole new way of living. How powerful a life can be that is commited to giving the gift of joy!!

You've heard me agonize over the disappearance of my cat Yeller . There hasn't been a day since he left that i haven't looked for him or missed him. During Yellers short time with us, he had a mini episode with our resident wild cat mama kitty. Out of that episode came an adorable kitten I called Yeller Two or YT for short. Each day i watch as YT becomes the carbon copy of his father Yeller . YTs personality is just like his dads, a mixture of a big and gentle ,not so smart rascal that is so endearing. But there is one tell-tale sign that leaves no doubt, the meow. Now Yeller could hold a meow note for a good 20 seconds. He would open his mouth and let loose a sound that resembled a note on an organ . As long as yellers mouth was open that note would fly though the air with amazing clarity and volume. So it did not surprise me one day as i got out of the car after a long day at work to see YT coming around the side of the house, mouth open, giving me the ...

I have lived on this island my whole life. I NEVER get tired of the drive to the north shore, the sand in my car, or the ice cold water of the bays showers .During the winter months alot of us who are at the bay almost everyday during the summer actually miss each other because we either are swimming in pools or other calmer spots on the island. We all miss the warm calm waters of summer, but know that sooner or later winter on the north shore of oahu will be over and we will again meet up, and hash over our winter antics before diving gleefully into the warm calm water. But as long as i live, i will never understand how in the winter waters of the north shore , one day the water can be calm and peaceful and then the very next day, just standing on shore can be dangerous!!! Two pictures , winter water, same beach , different day.

I call him or her Jig-e-wig. When i see a young young dolphin, it is usually in a trio of dolphins. Mom,baby and an aunt or Uncle. This day was no different. Three of them swimming, the baby right up against moms body. What was different this time, was when baby saw me, he or she turned away from mom and started swimming towards me. The minunte he or she left moms side though, they lost their swimming rythmn . I dont think i have ever seen anything quite as cute. Here this precious little baby dolphin , bright eyed with curiosity , doing a full body dance in the water and going nowhere!!! I took one picture before laughter got the best of me. What happened next, is the shot i wish i would of gotten on camera. Uncle or Auntie seeing this little guy doing a dance to nowhere ,swims over to him or her and with a touch of their nose to the side of the young dolphins body, straightens the little guy back up against mom and off they swim !! i remember thinking I bet you that baby dolphin is ...

Moms boganvillia tree in the front yard has exploded with blossoms. After i took this picture , I sat looking at the tree and marveled at the color of the blossoms. I then found myself reflecting back to when all of us , you three and mom, lived in the not so nice part of town. There were no blossoms of unique colors, no trees full of green leaves and branches that rustled in the wind. We were all so poor in material things ,was it the lack of material things that kept the color out or was it someting deeper? Was the lack of Hope that permeated every corner of the not so nice neighborhood ,what kept out the flowers and the trees.? Mom thinks so. I then noticed that huge thorns protected the blossoms on moms tree in the front yard and I thought, those beautiful blossoms have their own bodygaurds !!! And so it is with Hope. We must protect it,honor it and not let anyone destroy it. Hope is what brings the color into our lifes and protecting that hope is what keeps the color there.

So yesterday as i was getting ready to go to the grocery store and buy some eggs, I came to the sudden, mind jaring understanding that Mom has spent a total of years in a grocery store. So many years that i know the shelves by heart. Even in the midst of a total brain fog brought on by an awful case of the Hawaiian FLU, I can find the soup in an instant. I know the store well. i could use you kids to multi task, picking up at least three things at once. I know the grocery store so well that if the grocery powers that be remodel the store it takes MOM YEARS to find ANYTHING because i keep going back to WHERE it USED to be. I know i am not alone. Millions of people spend tooo much time in a grocery store. By the time you kids are my age you will have spent just as much if not more time in the grocery store. After college.... there is the grocery store...lol ......... Today I honor the time we have dedicated to the GROCERY STORE. Since it has been many years since i have had crying childr...

Weve been lucky kids, good weather all year. I know people who live in the cold dont get it, BUT i miss the summer water. i took video of the bay today and i could hear the lifeguards down on the beach yelling over their PA system for people to GET BACK FROM the WATER!!! LOLOL. I look forward to being right down there in the middle of the bay frolicing with the dolphins come April. It was so rough today not even the HUMPBACK whales were in sight. Sharks Cove was as it always is in the winter beautiful beyond words. I am an Island girl.....

When i first saw this pic developed I thought it was a shark. LOL.. a marinebiologist told me its a BIG MALE spinner. They swim the outskirts of the pod protecting it. It will be 7 years this summer that your MOM was swimming along not paying much mind to anything when ALL OF A SUDDEN in front of me a BIG dolphin surfaced and looked me straight in the eye. I swear he was smiling!!! Honestly he SCARED the bejebes out of me. Kids mom has come to realize in the last 6 and a half years that this big dolphins sonar picked up i needed help. Not the physical kind of rescue,but a rescue of my inner self ,my spirit. I think that is why the words about me and the dolphins are so hard to come by. Most times for me it seems surreal, like this COULDNOT possibly be happening, I couldnot of gone thru such a change in spirit because of DOLPHINS !!! But..... well kids they have changed my life.. simple as that. LOL... the beginning started with a BIG dolphin.

I understand that sooner or later I'm gonna have to explain me and the dolphins. Believe it or not for 6 years I've been swimming with them i STILL cant find the words. Let me start with this day. The day i took this picture. By the time i took this pic i had been swimming with the dolphins for 5 years. They came into the bay as they always did, full of life, jumping and splashing and talking a mile a minute. Mom as always broke into instant laughter for these beautiful creatures carry with them joy and laughter. They swam around me , looking at me with brown eyes that appear to be half open. I thought they were going to turn and swim off so mom turned to swim back to shore. Well they decided my swimming needed help and they followed me, some on my right, some on my left. I turned over and started backstroking and took in the absolute WONDER .The dorsal fins to my right and the dorsal fins to my left, so close i needed to watch my strokes. I felt my eyes filling with water ...

mom was out on her porch taking pics again... lol this was from my back porch. The moon was so beautiful!!! We have had so much rain lately that seeing the moon framed by a clear sky was a welcomed sight!! It was WHAT happened while i was taking this pic that scared me to death. a blue and red little ball of light came up from behind the top of the tree and just sat there. Now i caught the ball of light on film BUT mom was so scared i DELETED it !!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL ... i feel silly now but at the time i was FREAKIN OUT !!! My imagination has always worked in overdrive !!

SO IM WORKING TODAY AND MY PHONE BEEPS.... I HAVE A PICTURE MESSAGE. OKAY I LOOK ITS FROM WARREN... I OPEN IT........ AND YOU KNOW WHAT KIDS? YOUR UNCLE WARREN IS NOT A NICE MAN !!!! LOL...THIS IS WHERE HE WAS ....

Rayna mom hopes that this picture will someday hang in your house, and then in your daughter house and then in her daughter house etc. !!!!

2009 is here!!!!!!!! im not a fireworks person but Jaren and Warren had a blast!!!! I have no great wishes for the New Year. LIVE LAUGH LOVE !!!