BOOM - Happy New Year

Wow with the Asian influence here... New Years Eve is a BIG DEAL...everyone lights off big displays of fireworks...many spend $1000 or more. Families and groups open their garage doors...sit inside with tables of food, barbecues etc and light off the fireworks in the street....starts about 8 and goes till about 1AM...I had to work in the AM so thought I would go to bed early...no way bing-bang-boom every 30 seconds...Oh well...Happy New Year !!!

We have been hiking to some new spots...beautiful flowers...figured I would send you some pics to brighten your impending winter...also some remarkable trees!  Oh there is also a shot of Kathy at sunrise on Lanikai Beach the Islands offshore are beautiful (called the Mokes by locals)...hope to get there by canoe soon.

Obama stays about a mile from us...I wanted to drive down the street to say Happy New Year but the SS had other ideas...they have a tent at the end of the street and one must have a pass...Oh well , I thought he might like to hear some of my many ideas to improve the country.  There is a canal adjacent to the property and there were two military river craft there as well as a blockade across the river.  I thought I saw John Kerry in one of the river boats with his helmet on...  "reporting for duty".

Saw a 20 year old Australian yesterday right off the plane... who is spending a Semester here at the University of Hawaii.  He needed a TB test...and has never been outside of Australia.  Within a minute he said ..you are from Boston...coool. When I asked how he new he said you sound like Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon... I love Boston.  He has been a passionate Celtics fan since age 3...knew they played at TD Garden and that he would get off the T at North Station and even that he could walk to the North End for good Italian food after the game...so there you have it, Boston is famous worldwide.

Enjoy the pics...and again Happy New Year to all !!!!