Kona Condo

More from the Kona Isle C31 guestbook

Just to make sure you realize it's not just us tootin' our own horn about what a neato torpedo place our little condo is, periodically, we share comments from guests kind enough to leave a note in our Guest Book.

Becky + Stephanie

Had a great Thanksgiving.

Morning shakeup wasn't bad but enough to wake you up.

Loved the snorkeling all over the west side.

Condo was perfect for our get-a-way. Relaxed by the ocean, grilled at the BBQ's and once the pool got heated, swam and floated in it.

The condo has it all.

Left a meat thermometer - needed it for turkey day.

Quiet, peaceful, relaxing!

Thanks so much for the thermo...was wondering where that came from. Now, all we have to do is catch one of those Nenes.... (Just kidding Nene...you know I'm kidding, right?)

Show dad your appreciation

Today, a quick note to pass along this nudge from the Hawaiian Airlines people (AKA, the sole Survivor).

Father's Day is right around the corner, (June 15th to be precise).

Through the previously noted HawaiianMiles dealie, you can earn credits toward a flight to your favorite Hawaiian isle(Big Island, right?), and show your appreciation to dear old dad at the same time.

The gift ideas range from cell phones to golf gadgets.

Heck, why not flow father a week at Kona Isle C31, while you're at it ;)?

The more generous you are, the more HawaiianMiles YOU earn.

Yeah, that's the ticket...

The Big Break...it is what it is...

 

Above, Christina Lecuyer tells her partner she hopes their opponent will "choke." Courtesy: The Golf Channel

So, we are NOT watching American Idol with the rest of the lemmings tonite, nosirree.

We're watching the latest edition of the Big Break on the Golf Channel, which features two of our favorite topics, golf in Hawaii.

Yes golf, a genteel game, played by ladies, who are all sweetness and light, right?

As in all previous shows, it's all about surviving until the next one.

They've taped this at Ka'anapali, and, the challenges have just a tad to do with the real game of golf, and more to do with creating adequate television.

(All herein is courtesy of the folks at the Golf Channel, BTW, and thank you very much).

So, they stage these little skills challenges throughout the one-hour program, and
those who are unfortunate enough to not have performed well at the right moment, well, you know...

Cue the theme music, the closing soundbite, and the eliminated makes the long
walk o' g'bye.

Now, one of the hallmarks of this grand old game has to do with sportsmanship and etiquette.Unlike other sports, golf is a game of honor (ex-NFL lineman know what we mean;). Penalties are called on oneself regardless of whether anyone saw it,  knowledge of often complex rules is expected and politeness is supposed to reign supreme.

Then there's one  Christina Lecuyer. She's a native of Canada.  You'd expect a bit more manners from a Canadian, eh?  In the midst of one team competition, the cameras and mikes catch her exclaiming as an opponent steps up to a shot:

"C'mon, CHOKE!"

Uh...

Say what?

Now, such friendly smack talk is required amongst our regular four.  But in a televised competition amongst those vying for a professional prize?

Nice example.

Imagine  hearing that out of Annika Sorenstam as she watches Lorena Ochoa step up to a shot on a tight lie in the final round of a major on the LPGA Tour.

Though Ms. Lecuyer advances on this episode, hope you'll s'cuse us if you don't find us rooting her on in episodes to come. I mean, here she is on the Hawaiian Islands for cryin'  out loud.

That's not living aloha . . .

Speaking of 'liminatiion, Tina Miller of Miam, Fla. is sent home, missing a 12-footer
while Courtney Erdmans' up-n'-down putt finds the bottom of the cup.  In contrast to Ms. Lecuyer, Ms. Erdman is almost apologetic as she sinks the 8-footer.

"I'm sorry," she says to a bummed Miller.

Below Courtney Erdman, right, walks off the green after eliminating Tina Miller. Courtesy: The Golf Channel

A programming note

Tonight 10 PM ET, it's an All-New Big Break Ka’'anapali on The Golf Channel.

(Who cares if this "reality show" was taped earlier in the year and everyone involved in the production KNOWS the real winner already).

It's a TV show people!

Pretend, make believe, kerfuffle...

There's more, here...

Another view on the 'vog'

Vapor is seen rising on the trail around Halemaumau Crater, on Hawaii's Big Island. | Photo by Kirk Lee Aeder, with permission from Hawaii Tourism Authority

Leave it to the folks at the Big Island Visitors Bureau to put a more positive spin on this Vog situation.

Their take: The tradewinds are blowing all the big bad old 'vog' off the island, and it's a great time to get out there and view an honest to goodness active volcano.

The latest news from our favorite Hawaiian Island: "The dramatic plume of gas that has been gushing from a vent in the crater wall since March 11th has turned from fluffy white to dusky brown. This indicates that ash has somehow bled into the plume, which is now rising up to a mile above the crater, according to scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)"

There are a few weeks available here in June at Kona Condo, Kona Isle C31, and July and August are wide open.

Okay, look, we don't believe in sugar coating things. While our accommodations are extremely reasonable priced, you may have to bust open the piggy bank to pay for the air fare these days.

But, as a good friend of ours is fond of saying: "You only go around once, and this is the once."

 

Last-minute Mum's Day idea...

So, from Hawaiian Airlines (aka, the sole survivor), comes a Mom's Day Hawaiian miles dealie via a gift from WaySpa.com.

For a limited time, you'll earn 5 HawaiianMiles per dollar spent.

The deal ends May 31.

If you're going to do this, you simply:

Apply a code on the Payment Page.

(2) - Select "HawaiianMiles"

(3) Click "Apply HawaiianMiles Code"

To learn more, head to: HawaiianAirlines.com/myhawaiianmiles/

It's the Big Break, Kaanapali

Omigod!  Where have we been? The Big Break Kaanapali has been on air for the past few weeks and really good, good, golfers have been getting booted off the show right and left.

First of all, check out the fallenangelsfund because if it's got the Wiz's name on it, it can't be all foobar, cannit?

Any rate, there are a baker's dozen of talented female golfers vying for that Big Break on the Golf Channel and they are all trying their darnest for a shot on the LPGA, and, we bury the lead, they play one of our favorite sports (golf), on one of our favorite locations (Hawaii).

We've got 'vog' yes we do

No getting around the facts here.  There is indeed an active volcano on the Big Island, and lately, it's been picking up steam.

The Kona Condo, fortunately, is on the other side of the Big Island.

That doesn't mean we aren't immune from the effects.

Kilauea's been erupting (slowly for the most part) since 1983.

But, the AP dispatch carries the latest info about the effects since mid-March, when another vent opened at the summit, pretty much doubling the output of the volcanic gases (sulfur dioxide mostly).

Short term periods of exposure aren't too big a deal, and the advice for the more sensitive is to stay indoors.

Long term, hey, you can always visit L.A., or Beijing, and get the same aerial treatment, and, in our opinion, much less lovely views.

Sad for the swimmer, sad for the white shark

As divers and such with more than a nodding familiarity with the "great" white shark, Friday's news arrived with much sadness.

Of course, it's a terrible tragedy when someone dies before their time in a terrible way.

A 66-year-old retired veterinarian, training for a triathlon, was bitten by a white shark off Solana Beach in San Diego County, USA, and died onshore. The local daily's report can be found here.

While it is noted that such attacks are extremely rare, missing is the larger context of the white shark's own fate. Like that of any other shark in the ocean these days, it has more to fear from the voracious appetites of humans.

Above shark was photographed off Isla de Guadalupe, Mexico, where annually, they are sighted by shark tour operators and sport fishers.

White sharks are a protected species, because their populations around the world are so low.

An eye-opening little ticker on the site Shark Foundation continually counts the number of sharks that are killed around the globe, mainly for their fins -- estimated at 3 every second.

"Jaws" novelist Peter Benchley noted before his passing that he could not have written his blockbuster today, as it was unrealistic. We know now that humans are not their primary prey, and we know now that humans are a greater threat to the shark species than the other way around.

The global population is threatened, as sharks are slow to reach reproductive age, and have a slow gestation period.

No small solace to the swimmer, his family and friends and the greater community of Solana Beach, but well worth noting, nonetheless.

And, oh yes, white sharks have been known to frequent Hawaiian waters, but are also thought to be rare here as well.

The most notable incident came when the foolhardy captain of a shark tour boat off Honolulu, jumped into the water with one (sans shark cage), and swam for nearly 45 minutes with a large female.

Tiger sharks appear more frequently here. They, like white sharks, are mainly ambush predators, striking from behind or below in poor visibility. Experience here is, if you face 'em head on (if you're unfortunate enough to be sharing close proximity) they generally steer clear. Attacks against scuba divers are exceedingly rare, as sharks, like most fish, tend to shy away from our noisy, odd, air bubbles.

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,

In their defense, flying into Hilo could put anyone to sleep ;)

So, there they were at several thousand feet, flying into Hilo Airport, preparing for a landing on the Big Island's "wet side."

And then, there the go! airlines pilots were...flying past the Hilo airport.

The Honolulu Advertiser notes: "Flight 1002 was headed for Hilo Airport at about 10 a.m. but overshot the airport by 15 miles before returning to land safely.

"A radar track of the 214-mile flight provided by the Web site www.flightaware.com shows the plane remained at 21,000 feet as it flew past Hilo before returning to the airport. Air traffic controllers reportedly were unable to contact the pilots for a while."

Said pilots, whose names were not released, have  been fired.

Headline above is nuff said for us.  But, for the folks onboard, maybe not so funny.

Read Rod Ohira's complete article:

Kona Classic set to launch

We receive late word from the folks at Jack's Diving Locker, which we've previously cited in this space here as among the top-notch dive shops on the Big Island.

They say there are still a few spots left on their dive boat in advance of the 7th annual Kona Classic.

Budding shooters and those hoping to hone their skills further have a number of options (and, of course, you can always plan for next year.

Options for the event include merely attending the daily seminars by the photo pros, participating in the contents by book your own dives or those by shore. And of course, if you are "mondo", you can still get into the "whole Enchilada."

Check on their site for more info.

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