We're happy on the beach!

This is a picture Don took on our hike to the black sand beach today. Notice the palms growing; these are from coconuts that people brought out here to get their beautiful beach to return. Kahena Beach, where we went yesterday, is also a black sand beach, but this one is known as 'the' black sand beach because it is the newest black sand beach. Black sand is created only when there is a volcanic eruption and the gases and temperature are such that it not only pours into the ocean, but it explodes, as well leaving the black sand. So, when the black sand washes out into the ocean it's gone and isn't likely to return. Whereas white sand is constantly replenished by coral and something else, which I forget. It's something I read in my guide book which I left at home due to weight! Anyway, the black sand beaches are very special and this one where we went today is the newest one. It goes for quite a distance, which we walked and then we walked way past it. It was a great hike.

It's only the afternoon here, so that's all we've done today besides lay out in the sun when we came home. We want to get all the Vitamin D we can, plus we want to prepare our bodies so that we don't have to be afraid of the sunshine when we get a chance to watch for whales.

I told you about the road being closed yesterday? We read in the paper that it was because some guy (age 60) had flipped out and was shooting round after round from his gun as well as yelling, etc. A couple of neighbors called 911 and they had him trapped in his house for about 24 hours. They finally lured him out for food and water and he started shooting at the cops and they shot him, dead. This all happened withing a mile of us and we had no idea any of it was happening. Our friend, Tom, would have said, "Man, what's the matter with you? Here you are on the beach in Hawaii and you can't be happy???" I guess he couldn't; what a shame.

We thank God that we can be here and we find it a very happy place for most folks. I pray for anyone who can't be happy anywhere, but especially here; they must be demonized.