Kane'ohe Bay At the Sand Bar

For nearly three years Hubby and I led the young married Bible study at our church. Each time we finished a topic or study we celebrated with a social event. This day's celebration was different. This was our final time ending a study with our group. We passed on the leadership in anticipation of our move to San Diego. Yeah, the move that we believe is going to happen. The one with no date in sight. That one.

We drove on the H3 to Kane'ohe Bay Marine Corps Base. We drove through the Ko'Olau mountain range, now the back side of an inactive volcano, half slumped into the ocean. The slopes of the Ko'Olaus are dense, lush, and fertile. Imagine a rolling green jungle. That's what they really look like. Since there are no exits on this part of the H3, or places to stop, I fumbled with my camera settings quickly, and took shots from the car. The Ko'Olaus tower high into the clouds, so most of my shots were upwards, and not the most ideal. This is my fourth point and shoot camera since April. No I didn't lose or break the others. It took awhile to choose the right camera. But this is the one. Sigh. I need to catch up on this camera manual!

Son1 has loved this tunnel for years. It's one of his favorite places on the island. You drive in the tunnel....

....and pop out to this view. Trust me, you will be even more impressed once I read my camera manual and take more pictures. Or lug my big camera, instead....

Once on base at K-Bay (that's what locals call Kane'ohe Bay) we pulled into the boat marina. Hubby jumped from the van to the boat check in, and I readied the kids. Now there is a whole trick to this boat rental thing. We learned this three years ago.

We usually rent a 10 passenger pontoon boat for half a day. It is the same amount for any pontoon boat. All pontoons are ten passengers, but some are in their Golden Boat Years. As in rickety. You get me? Only one or two are new with big plush leather seating all the way around. During summer months every pontoon boat reservation is taken, particularly on the weekends. We plan to arrive thirty minutes before our scheduled boat rental time. Most people arrive about then, too. Reservations are made either morning, midday, evening, or all day. People within the same time slot passively aggressively compete for the best boat. It is a mad dash down the boat ramp to plunk down on the best boat available while your sponsor is checking in. Every boat party is scrambling in the same way for the few best boats. I relax once this whole arrival and boat grabbing competition is over. If we are on one of the less sparkly boats, I get over it. My Competitive Spirit and I used to be better at the plunking-down-on-the-boat- shenanigan before two children. This day, I asked for help from two of our couples to secure two boats. Needless to say we didn't grab the most spectacular boats. We got beaten out by folks earlier than us.

We split the group between two boats. Each boat operator must take a boat captain course and obtain a license. They are the only ones allowed at the wheel. Our captain usually finds himself with a few deck hands, though. Hubby drove fast, fringing on speed boat speed. The boat rocked and rolled much less than if he drove it slower. Fast speed made for fast winds! On the way out to the sandbar, we passed Coconut Island. The opening credits of Giligan's Island were filmed here. If you watch Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, then you most likely have seen Coconut Island. It is now home to the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, part of the University of Hawaii. Summertime is hammerhead breeding season. Hammerhead mama sharks come to K-Bay this time of year to lay their shark eggs. The shark pups grow up in K-Bay before they head back into the wild.

Wanna see some sharks we missed at the sand bar by just weeks, at the very same spot? Take a look at this video!

The two pontoons arrived at the sand bar. We anchored in two to three feet of water. The sand bar was underwater because of high tide. When the tide is low, the sand bar is completely exposed bare sand in the middle of Kane'ohe Bay. The kids play on this little sand island in the middle of the bay, completely surrounded by water on all sides. At higher tides, like on this trip, we pull out floaties in shallow water for adults and kids. The water was calm this day, and so warm! The temperature rivaled bath water. One of the couples had family visiting from Maryland. I explained how the water was just this warm at the peak of summer. Usually the water is about 75 degrees, which is perfect. But this day the water was several degrees warmer.

Do you see how the water changes color? The lighter the water the more shallow the depth. The mint colored water is less than ten feet. At the deeper blue water the depth drops to fifty feet, immediately. The sand bar, in the foreground, is huge! Several boats, private and military owned, dock at the sand bar for hours of fun. The homes along the waters edge dwarf in the shadows of the Ko'Olaus. The Ko'Olaus reach high into these clouds!
We have seen some crazy stuff at the sand bar. People get really creative. We have seen model shoots, dog swims, kayaking, snorkeling, tubing, volley ball games, and grilling. Can you see what our boats were doing?

The group brought a plethora of dinner. And Jesse brought an irresistable dessert, meaning the Farmers indulged on raspberry chocolate chip bars!



Son1 loves our Bible study Ohana (Hawaiian word for family). He calls them his "Big Friends." Their interest in his own little life has brought us great joy as parents. When we started this group he was just 15 months old, and the only baby in the group.

Soon enough we returned to the dock and said our goodbyes to the group, and to a chapter in our life in Hawaii. We still see them in church, and we are encouraged a new group has been birthed. Our three years with them have been a blessed investment. We learned from them as they learned from us.

Back home, we unpacked and put the kids to bed. Hubby was leaving the very next morning for a couple of weeks. My heart stirred at the thought of his absence when I closed Son1's bedroom door that night. I downed the stairs, and found him waiting for me.

Sometimes I don't say anything and he reads me. He pulled out the french press, brewed chocolate mint tea, and defrosted left over scones and DP's cranberry chocolate biscotti she sent from RI. A quiet after the beach, after the kids were in bed snack, and a long conversation hushed those stirrings before bedtime.

Aloha and Ahui Hou to the Harveys!

The last Harvey day was the absolute epitome of life in paradise. The sun was high and bright, the trade winds were ever so slight, they sky was picturesque, and the water was warm. We scrambled to get all three children, four adults, and all of our beach gear packed up for an early morning drive to the North Shore. We pulled into Waimea Bay Beach Park and slid into two empty spots, just as the lot filled up.

Waimea Bay is one of the top white sand beaches in the world. Our family loves Waimea more than any other beach on Oahu. It is never crowded on the sand, though the parking lot gives a different impression. The lot is on the smaller side, though. In the summer, the waters are super calm and flat, like glass. In the winter, this is the place to be. It looks completely different, with waves as high as 30 feet, and the inshore break can be up to 12 feet. Waimea Bay is a filming location for LOST and also home to the Quicksilver competition in the winter. The surf is amazing and dangerous, and also sadly, fatal. The Harveys last saw Waimea Bay when the surf was up. This time, they had a completely different experience.

We sat on the beach for just a few minutes. The water was too inviting. Since the bay has a remarkably strong under tow at the shore we swam a little farther out for calmer water.

A few guys were paddle surfing the width of the bay. Paddle surfing dates back to early Polynesia, with Hawaiian roots. The boards used are slightly different than regular surf boards. They are longer, may have more fins, have padded decks, and concave hulls. Remember what happened when we saw a paddle surfer the other day?

There was a second attempt.

We swam and enjoyed the island's warmth until the minutes on the clock ran out. Just to give you a closer look at the bay:

Right before we left, J slipped matching sarongs on herself and on little A. They were too cute!! Hawaiian sarongs are fringed on the ends, with bright colors, and usually have animals or plant prints.

We stopped in Hale'iwa (pronounced Ha-Lee-Ee-vah) for lunch. J had asked us previously about that teriyaki cheese fries place that I blog so much about. A guilty smile spread across my face when she asked, with a spatter of pleasure. Another diet cheating day!!!! It was a Grass Skirt Grill day! I have never actually shown you what this place looks like. Our favorite seats are at the far left, outside. That's where the two tables are with the longest benches. The door to the restaurant is at the extreme right. The owner of Grass Skirt Grill owns Strong Current, the surf shop next door, too. All seven of us had teriyaki cheese fries, to prove to y'all we are good parents. We devoured our cheeseburgers with 1/2 an avocado roosted on top. The kids feasted on chicken strips, but they all wanted teriyaki cheese fries!
After lunch the Harveys stopped by the Dole Plantation for a pineapple whip. J had been dreaming of one the moment she stepped off the plane. They are so wonderfully unique, we usually buy them, too, each time we ride the Dole Plantation train. And Son1 knows. He reminds us of their existence. But no pineapple whips today for the Farmers! We hurried home, lest Son2 take a mini nap in the car, and then skip his afternoon nap entirely.

The kids napped, and J and I ran out the door for some last minute shopping. She knew exactly what to buy. Some of the last things she picked up were Hawaiian Island Tea packages. These are specialty teas blended with all-natural ingredients and exotic tropical fruit flavors. The teas are so fragrant and flavorful. This is a Have to Have item if you are a tea drinker!!

We returned home, and had our last supper together, well, at least for 2008.

The Harveys loaded all of their belongings in their car, we walked them outside, and bid them Aloha Ahui Hou! (Aloha Ah-who-ee Ho!) This means, goodbye, until we meet again. It is a beautiful way to say goodbye in Hawaii. It's never really good bye. And yes, there were tears, but only for one little boy. In the 3 1/2 years we have lived in Hawaii, Son1 has cried only twice at guest goodbyes. And both times were for the Harveys. That says something.