In Every Ending....a New Beginning

Halawa .....no words....

 We have one last sunrise at Halawa....oh my.  About the only things that seem to get Nan up at this early hour is the 05:45 ferry or...this....awesomely incredibly beautiful place.

Early morning uke magic

Tonight we sing and play our songs.  OUR songs.  Like the songs we are still writing and practicing?!

Steve and Duncan

We drink specially made Kava Kava....with the promise that this will help...all things.  Why not?

Here's to...um...our songs!  And the performing artists!

Debi...ahhh!

Eileen and Terry and Trish...lots of laughter...and music!

It's a great evening together and we hear much rousing applause...and many many sighs of relief!

How can we find these magical days coming to an end?  At least a few of us have opted for one more night at the ranch and one more day on magical Molokai'i!

GROUP HUG!!

After most of the folks packing up, head off to town to experience a kanakapelia at Coffees...which is the local...yep...coffee house.  It's a good time, but a little hard to "follow along" as all the music is beautiful, yet totally Hawaiian.

Kanakapelia at Coffees on Tuesday mornings

After all but 5 of us have taken to the sky to return to life after ukulele immersion, we head out to the beach for the afternoon.  First we take a look at the local post office that claims it's fame from "Post a Nut."  Here you can pick your personal coconut out of the bin, decorate and address it...and send it off to any address in the WORLD.  We meet a German couple doing just that.  Interesting...but...

Waiting for new homes around the world

We find ourselves at Dixie Beach for a lovely afternoon in warm warm water...and waves.  Lots of waves!  Yet another absolutely beautiful beach with very few people.

Dixie Beach on Molokai'i

The next morning we are off for Honolulu...but not without a fabulous breakfast, a sack lunch and yet another group hug.

Freshly made cinnamon buns...fresh fruit, yogurt, granola and kale quiche!  YUM!  Again.

 Our little Mokulele airplane is right on time and transports us quickly back to a world way too civilized, known as Honolulu.  We rent a car and get out of the city as we have 11 hours until our overnight Alaska Air flight back to Bellingham.

Hanama Bay - Oahu

Hawaii Music Supply on the northshore of Oahu

Glass of wine at the Hawaii Yacht Club

Goodbye to new friends

Steve's uke tries to stay behind by hiding out....no chance....but...a promise to return!!

Yep...less than 24 hours later we go to sleep in our own little house on San Juan Island.  Worlds away, much music and song running though our sleepy heads....and hearts.  Whew!  What a wonderful way to experience both an unknown Hawaii with ukulele!

We love this idea of "Have Uke, Will Travel!"  It brings us to new places, new people, new music....awesome experiences.

Wait until you hear about the next ukulele adventure idea!!  Hint: learning a song in Greek is a big challenge!

Sinking Into Molokai'i

Lessons happening here....

The days merge into one another with morning lessons and afternoon adventure trips.  Lono laces his musical instruction with story telling and the songs come alive with words woven into tune.

What goes Up....comes Down...with scales...and other things too.

Jennifer and Susan working it out....

Nan...working on her song creation!  (who can pass up a banana peel lounger?)

One afternoon outing takes us on a tour of the farm.  We find vegetable gardens, fruit trees, honey bees, the round up horses, a commercial grade kitchen and freezer space...and yes, wild pigs that wandered onto the property.

Kinda cute and very interested in us!

Steve is missing the pups at home and the farm border collies help out.

Brown Beauty....two of them.

Then it's off to The Gove.  This beautiful space of over 250 kukui trees shades us with "Waves of Green."  WOW!  I suddenly have a title for my song!  Yes, I am actually doing my homework here!  I begin to hum a little hum...and the words flow into my head....Waves of green, Washing over me....Blessings pouring down, washing over me....soaking INTO me!  And so it begins....

Another story....told in The Grove

Kim and Sheri telling story with hula

Lono and Duncan in The Grove.....Blessings pouring down....

Permission to enter this place steeped in history and legend, to stay for awhile...is a very special gift.  We feel a spiritual presence drifting around us...and there is time for considering the healing graces of this space and place.

Strum-i-ty, Strum Strum!!

Another afternoon five of us grab our packed lunches, water bottles and backpacks and head off for a hike up the Halawa Valley where we are promised a swim under the amazing Mo'oula waterfall.

Church marks the way to the trailhead.

Good thing we have a guide along!

I can see from the beginning, no problem getting in my 10,000 steps today!  And the steps trace the trails of some of the 10,000 first Hawaiians who lived in this valley so many many years ago. Walls and terraces are visible as we walk over and around them.

Steve and the giant leaf along an ancient rock wall.

Mo'oula Falls in the distance

Ok, just totally beautiful!

Imagine the work in placing these rocks.

Cold....but great!

Yay!  We made it!!!

Then, of course....there is the other half of the 10,000 steps...the same path, but in reverse.  And no refreshing swim at the end.  There is another surprise awaiting us at the ranch...and happy hour...and...tonight we present our individual songs.  Gulp again.

                                                  The way UP..........is the way DOWN....

Upon our return home.....we find the special surprise.  Melany has arranged with Rainbows of Molokai to do a pigeon release for us....many many pigeons...in the colors of the rainbow...take flight over the grounds of Pu'u O Hoku....just for Uke Ohana!

Uke Ohana 2015!

Uke Ohana!  (www.ukeohana.com)  A ukulele retreat designed and coordinated by Melany Berry (and Duncan) of Full Heart Productions.  Melany hails from the Pacific Northwest, but part of her heart resides here on Molokai at Pu'u O Hoku Ranch.  Here is a photo from our first sunrise at Halawa beach and valley.  It is a part of the 14,000 acre ranch and a part of each of the four days we immerse ourselves into Hawaiian culture, story, lore, language, land, sea and of course....music.  Did I mention new friends?

Our first day we meet up with our fellow "ukusters"....at the Hotel Molokai bar and lani by the sea.  Here, Lono leads the local Aloha Friday kanakapelia, or "everybody join together, play, eat, drink and sing together,"event.  Lono, an awesome performer who is a local Molokai boy, is also our instructor for the next four days!  I have a good feeling about this!~

Lono leads Aloha Friday at Hotel Molokai

Head table for the local kahunas

A beautiful Friday afternoon, a little sea breeze, Hawaiian music and fresh plumeria leis...oh, don't forget those tropical drinks!

Blue Hawaii or Mai Tai anyone?

Everyone is presented with a wonderful flower lei!

 After several hours of basking in Hawaiian music and talent (Lono's)....we divide up into cars for the 45 minute drive along the Molokai coast to Pu'u O Hoku Ranch.  (www.puuohoku.com)  The name means "Hill of Stars" and as evening settles in, that it is.

Uke transport.....

The ranch property (all 14,000 acres of it) welcomes us with a flock of Nene's on the grassy knoll. (Hawaiian national bird.   Every trip to Hawaii, we are on the lookout for these rare and mostly flightless, large birds.  We have only seen them one other time, and here as we arrive we find at least 10 right before us!

Dinner is incredible with a focus on sustainable organic food, much of which is local to the ranch.

Our chef, Amy!

We fall asleep this night with sweet ukulele music drifting into our room from the main lodge living room.  I'm sure there is a hill of stars outside my door, but truthfully, I am too tired to check on it.

Basically, this is how it rolls for the next three days at Uke Ohana:

At 05:00 Steve and Nan are up at at 'em.(yes, that's 5:00 a.m.)...or at least up...as we meet the crew that will go to Halawa beach area for the sunrise.  It's a little rainy?....but off we go.  When it's WARM rain it's all good.

Yes, we brought rain jackets.

Skip, Debi and Duncan look up the valley

Morning sun at Halawa

Skip and Duncan....never leave that uke or voice behind!

Arriving back at the lodge at 07:00 the coffee is just about done and it's time for a little leisurely coffee on the lani.  Breakfast arrives at 08:00 and each meal seems yummier than the last.  How can that be?

09:00 - 12:00  Lesson time

Owww.....scales!?  What goes up, comes back down!

A little coaching session with Lono

Jane and Eileen....listen up!

What now, Lono?!

12:00 Lunch - How about some venison bar-b-que and fresh greens?  Fresh bread, roasted veggies, iced tea....each meal prepared, served beautifully and delicious.  What a gift.  All we have to do is play music, learn, explore and sink deeply into Hawaii.  Ok, I'm in!

13:30 - 17:00 - Afternoon outdoor adventure or stick around an keep the swimming pool and your uke company.  Hard choices.

17:00 Pu pu's and Happy Hour

18:00 Dinner....DINNER!

19:30 Evening play along and finally....performance of the song you write this weekend!  Gulp!  Double gulp!!

This time of night fades magically each evening with songs into the night.  And sleep...deep deep sleep, because....sunrise at Halawa happens at 05:42....

Good morning....sunshine...the earth says hello...and so do we!

Wading across the estuary....up to our knees!