Floating Picnic

Families seem to have their routines, I was an invited guest, and well tended to. Madir, Nigama, Ginger "Gigi" Hokule'a, their canine child and myself set out for a kayak adventures hoping to have whale encounters. Not a whale was to be seen. Sad as that is with the tail (!) end of whale season, encounters these days are more up to luck than a given. We did have a wonderful floating picnic. Nigama pulled out a thermos of warm, rich roasted grain coffee and Madir's homemade mochi puff pastries. My hosts brought me my own cup and served me, passing me pastries on my paddle. Not a single precious pastry was lost on the bumpy picnic blanket, the ocean.

We gave up on whales and snorkeled on a gorgeous reef. We found turtles, nudibranch, and varieties of fish. I was tethered to my kayak on our swim, but decided to pass it off to Nigama on the kayak prior to swimming through the underwater arch! Since Gigi loafed on the kayak, Midir thought Gigi needed some exercise. Gigi warmed up for her swim workout on Madir's back, then, down dove Madir and Gigi was left to dog paddle beside Madir with the aid of her custom PFD, personal flotation device, doggie style!