Aloha Sophie

It breaks my heart to tell you that my dear little Sophie went to Doggie Heaven in August. It's taken me this long to be able to talk about it. We aren't sure what happened, but it happened quickly. I'll never forget how much I love her or how much she loved me. She was the best dog ever!

Aloha, my sweet Sophie.

Summer in Kona

Aloha, all! Life is starting to return to Kona - and all of Hawaii. Air arrivals are almost back to 2019 numbers, but of course, still no cruise ships.

As long as you are vaccinated, you can pretty much jump on a plane and come to Hawaii! They actually have a wristband system that lets vaccinated people skip most lines and delays at the airport. I'm told you can fill out all the paperwork online so that you are good to go when you arrive at the airport. The biggest problem for visitors right now is the lack of rental cars!

More and more businesses and eateries are opening, mostly with just mask and distancing restrictions. Our dear friends, the Seidels, were here in May to celebrate Barbara's birthday. We met in restaurants with no COVID drama. Things went so well that they are returning to Maui in a couple of months!!!

My friends Carol and Gary will be here in August. I can't wait to see them!

The only sad news here is that our dear friends and neighbors, Steve and Luke, sold their house and moved to Missouri. Steve wanted to be nearer to his daughter, and Luke (a dog in case you didn't know) just went along for the adventure. He's now on a farm with alpaca and chickens and a couple of other dogs.

Poor Sophie has had a stressful month... Shortly after Sophie and Luke went to Paws for Luke's last visit, we had an outbreak of doggie flu here on the island. Paws had to close for a few weeks. Lots of dogs, including Sophie, caught it and had to be isolated. Big thanks to Dr. Barbara, who once again saved the day, making sure that Sophie had the meds she needed. Sophie was pretty sick (mostly just an incessant cough) for over a week, but she's fully recovered now.

We've dodged COVID and survived Canine Influenza... we're doing OK.

Aloha, y'all!

Dana

Yep. Still here. Still kicking.

My sincerest apologies for being out of touch for months... MANY months. Sophie and I are doing well. No COVID for us!

I've had my first COVID shot. I get the final one on April 8th. From what I see in the news, California is giving vaccinations to anyone over 16, so I trust all of you are now vaccinated. Yay! A handful of my friends actually GOT COVID. As far as I know, they are all fully recovered, with no lingering effects. Let's hope they remain that way.

Life here on the island has been quiet with all the visitors staying home, but that's starting to change. I see a little more traffic on the roads - on the rare occasions when I leave the house. And I see more planes landing down at the airport. (Where else would they land, huh?) I do miss seeing the Wednesday cruise ship all lit up against the dark predawn sky when I go into the office in the early AM. It could be a long time before we see cruise ships again.

My favorite neighbor, Steve, is about to sell his house and move to Missouri to be near his daughter. The entire neighborhood will be sad to see him go. Sophie will miss his dog, Luke. They go to daycare together every Friday. I'm the carpool mom - every Friday morning, we stop to pick up Luke, who is always waiting impatiently in his driveway. It's the highlight of their week. It'll be sad to take her to Paws by herself one day soon, although she has 50 other friends there. Maybe the new neighbors will bring a new boyfriend for Sophie. 

The Lee-Seidels are coming in May! I can't wait to see them! They were staying with me last March when COVID first broke in the Pacific Rim. In the 10 days they were here, we went from "Did you hear about that cruise ship in Japan with a virus outbreak?" ... to ... "I hope they will let us back into California!" So long ago... in the Before Times.

Aloha!