This past weekend spent some time at Lanai lookout, I’d popped by a few times before to see what the humback whales were up to, but viewing conditions were bad and/or there weren’t very many around. This time conditions were good. Activity wise it was still slow, but picking up. Here’s a couple turtles who seemed to be chowing down too. Continue reading ‘See Creatures’
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Yet another year of thoughts of waking up early and riding up Koko Head for hatsuhinode ignored as I rushed up the street 10 minutes before sunrise. Pretty clouded over so couldn’t see actual moment of sunrise. Wasn’t until a good fifteen minutes later could get a decent picture.
Damn kanucks, earthquake of shore of BC has triggered a tsunami warning for us and the sirens just went off. Two hours out and they’re advising leaving inundation zone.
In working on the rally FX, discovered the rear engine mount in this condition. Found an old one, but it was likewise cracked, marginally better. I flipped it around and put it in for now. Called around the last two days, with Napa & Carquest saying they found it, but when I actually went down they were nothing like my mounts. Decided to go the DIY way and reconstruct it using the gooey 3M Window Weld stuff. It’s a common “cheap” trick for filling in OEM mounts to stiffen them up. This stuff is a single part moisture cured polyurethane. I actually used this stuff on the front mount, but that mount was still good. This one I drilled & sawed out all the rubber and am in the process of filling in entirely with the black goop. It’s not super cheap in Hawaii, a tube of this stuff at Napa is around $20. And once you open it, its done. You need to use it immediately, anything left over will quickly harden and never come out of tube. I just finished filling in the mount and theres about 2/3 of the tube left. Oh well! Now to wait for it to cure, with this kind of thickness it’ll be a couple days.
Today was one of those days of realizing just how far along in life we are. Attended the service for Mr. Doran, a good teacher from high school. An outstanding teacher from high school. He is the reason I even remember any part of the Robert Frost poem I quote in the title. Much of the details of what I learned in his classes are lost in the haze of time in my brain, but I believe that time spent helped formed what I am today. He is forever Mr. Doran to me and so it came as a bit of a shock to hear of his passing. In my mind I see him as I knew him in high school, so this was a wake up call that time waits for no one. Mr. Doran, I hope you rest well knowing that you have been a positive influence on so many in this soceity, that your life’s endeavor as an educator was not for naught. The world has lost a valuable asset, for without education, we fall into chaos.
Mr. Doran, you have kept your promises, and done your miles, it is now time for your sleep.
So this is where I’m at with the battery relocation. Pulled out the mounts for the spare tire & jack. A little hammering on the tire mount bracket to reshape to fit, some zaps with the welder, and they’re secure. BTW, you see stuff about filling up a hole with welder using a copper backing plate? It’s not as easy as it looks. Maybe if the materials are shiny clean metal. I tried & failed pretty miserably. Putting ill fitting patches in back from scraps cut from putting the battery in made it all better.
On my way back from hanging out above Hanauma Bay watching for whales, I saw HFD 1 buzz by and head over to Koko Head. What is with helicopters and that point on the other side of Hanauma Bay? I have some pics about a month ago of another unidentified small helicopter hovering & touching down there. This time though, HFD 1 headed on over to Koko Head District Park. If I were at home I’d be thinking, oh geeze, HFD pulling someone out of Koko Crater “Stairs”, again? Looks like it was a couple & small child, the mother was the victim. Didn’t seem to be too bad as when the male & child arrived in the second trip on HFD 1 they didn’t look too distraught. 
Hope all is well.
Despite the steady drizzle, I stuck it out after the Honolulu Festival parade to watch the Nagaoka fireworks off Waikiki Beach. Figure I smooched some free sake off them, I better watch the show! Forgive the crooked video, I did this with a monopod propped against an uneven rock wall. I have to say the display was impressive, one of the best fireworks displays I’ve seen here. I can only imagine what it’s like back in Nagaoka! In hindsight, I should have recorded the whole show, but oh well.
United canceled our flight and there are no available flights via anywhere today so we be driving it! 10 hours baybee!
OK, I barely got up in time to rush up to Koko Head District Park to snap some hatsuhinode pics. When I pulled in I was greeted by an almost full parking lot, WTF! When I last did this, I think it was two or three years ago, the place was deserted. This trail has become too popular. I’m thinking something is going to come to a head, last I hiked about a month ago, the trail is taking a pounding. Anyway, I got set up just in time. I’ll post up the pic later, have to go through & process still yet.
OK, updated with my pic of this year. I unfortunately didn’t have time to properly set up the GoPro time lapse, oh well, next time!