heading north, but not that far north

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 The view at dinner last night - looking outside -

 ... and down on my plate. Mahi mahi caesar. Luscious.

Today, road trip to the north end of the island, as far as the road goes. Warning signs on all the beaches - the waves were 20 to 30 feet high and the undertow is lethal. Not even surfers here.

 But there were coconuts. We bought a coconut and drank the juice ...

 ... on this horrible beach -

and then took it back to the vendor, her parrot and her husband, who chopped it up for us so we could nibble on the fresh pieces.

Kilauea Lighthouse and Wildlife Preserve on the north shore. It's a beautiful spot and we were glad we went, though there was no wildlife to speak of - just a bunch of geese and nice billboards about the various seabirds floating in the air nearby, including an albatross. Otherwise, a complete absence of wildlife. But a nice lighthouse.

And a lovely view up the north coast - many shades of green.

We had lunch at a wonderful spot a woman on the plane had recommended - the Fish Market, where we sat outside with paper plates and plastic forks, eating the freshest fish imaginable with salad and brown rice. The north coast is a hippy coast, even more so than elsewhere - people of all ages living on the land or close to it. so there's lots of healthy food and yoga studios. Lots of shops selling the kind of stuff I was buying in 1969 - tie-dye t-shirts, incense, beads.

Penny and I have discovered the "Free Hawaii" movement, stemming from the anger some local people feel at the US government, their own loss of sovereignty. We saw a young woman today with a t-shirt - on the front "Hawaiian by birth" and on the back "American by force." There are a number of Hawaiians who feel that way, apparently, though what they can do about it remains mysterious.

A long drive home - rush hour in Kauai - back to our place. I went for a quick float in the chilly ocean but then went to discover the third pool here - I'd heard there were three and that one is heated. Sure enough, it is heated - and because it was drizzling, it was empty. I had a great swim in a heated pool in the rain and then, bliss of all blisses, sat in the jacuzzi. Then made us a big salad for dinner, and Pen and I talked about her older brother Peter, an internationally known graphic artist and art teacher who died last year. How sorry I am not to have met him - a fascinating character.

Only one full day left.