Na Aina Kai

 We have nearly all of the major botanical gardens over the years. The exception is the "Sculpture Garden" Na Aina Kai (Lands by the sea) and we explored that site recently. I would describe this garden as what you get when a rich retired couple decides to build a retirement complex in Hawaii and doesn't know when to quit. Joyce and Ed Doty are now deceased, but they left Na Aina Kai in a trust for future generations to enjoy. 

I would describe the present site as a combination of an impressive show home, ornamental garden, huge collection (more than 200) of large metal sculptures, and multiple plots of hardwoods that are maintained and harvested for beautiful woods. The Dotys wanted children to enjoy their creation and added several features for the youngest visitors to enjoy. The Dotys purchased their original plot of land in Kilauea in 1979 and gradually transformed it into a sprawling garden that now covers 240 acres. Visitors to Na Ᾱina Kai can expect to see a wide variety of plants and sculptures throughout the garden. The garden also features several different areas for visitors to explore, such as the Wild Forest Garden, which opened in 2015. This area is home to many native Hawaiian plants and animals, including several endangered species.

The following is a sampling of images from the different components of the garden.

The home complex:

The ornamental vegetation:

The sculptures:

The hardwoods:

Exhibits for children to explore:

Beach Debri

 We visited a garden yesterday and saw this boat. It washed up on a Kauai beach during hurricane Iniki. The boat was from Japan. 

Folks enjoy walking the beach after storms to see what they can find. More aggressive wave action brings in shells and other objects people like to collect.

It is been a year of multiple storms this Spring. Last year was dry, but this year has been very different. No Hurricanes but storms with strong winds and heavy winds. Flooding is common and we have been urged to say in our residence several times because of flooding and the danger of driving into water crossing roads. 

Unlike objects washing in from the ocean, flooding also results in objects being swept into rivers and then out to the ocean. Eventually, much of this material washes up on shore and creates a real mess. The cost and effort required to clean up the miles of beach are immense and this Winter it has been difficult to keep up. Here are a couple of photos I took today on Lydgate beach. This is what you see along thousands of feet of shoreline. 

Lawai International Center

 There are few "attractions" on this small island we have not visited, but we have explored a couple of new sites in this past week. 

The Lawai International Center is maintained by a volunteer group that has invested time and effort to save and maintain an acreage over the years. The site was originally developed in the very early 1900s by Japanese immigrants who wanted to recreate a miniature version of a pilgrimage route among temples in Japan. Over the years, the site has been used as a location for worship and healing by different religious groups. It is now maintained as a location respecting all religions with a focus on peace and healing, Those who speak to visitors tout miracles of healing and connections of some type with religious sites around the world. Each of the small shrines is unique and maintained.

We walked the trail. Cindy made it the entire way and I came down early. I was concerned about trying to get safely down the steepest portions. Cindy continued and it turned out there was a second way down so you didn't have to return the same way you went up.

First flowers of Spring

 Kauai does have seasons, but you must pay close attention to spot the signs. It is green here all of the time and some flowers are always in bloom. There are a couple of flowering trees that offer a clue. These trees have a couple of interesting characteristics - the trees lose their leaves each year and flowers appear before the leaves grow again.

This is the plumeria. You may recognize the flower as the blossoms that are used to make leis. 

Shaving brush tree

Why flowers bloom first

Photo Walk

 I take a lot of photos here with my iPhone when I just walk around. iPhone photography has become a thing among serious photographers because of the AI of the phone which takes care of many of the settings you would have to control on a fancy camera. In most cases, I can likely get better photos with my iPhone than I could with one of my expensive cameras.

Here is a series of photos I captured while walking the quarter mile along the cliff that fronts our condo complex to the sea. I have tried to find a map image that would identify the direction of these photos as the first image in the series. What varies in the series is the light (sun out or behind clouds), the orientation of the phone, the point along the cliff, and regular or pano setting. As always, you can click on an image to enlarge.