Today we sat by the pool for a few leisurely hours. Getting a lounge under an umbrella isn’t as easy as one might think.

We were out walking with the other lounge zombies before six a.m. looking to find four lounge chairs under shade and in a good location.

We ended up between the pool and the ocean.

Have you ever wondered what the word Maui means? It means Trickster god and comes from Polynesian mythology. It is a boys name in Hawaiian and Maori culture.

I quickly met several people out here and we have had some nice conversations.

That’s what I do. That’s who I am. I love to learn new things from total strangers. It turns out that we are more alike than different.

One nice person was a member of the LDS Church. We talked about morality and the lack of it in the world at this time in history. We suspect it has always been this way. Man has a way of ruining the best of plans.

My parents were raised in the LDS religion and found it not to their liking. I suspect it was due to their parents differing views on the matter and not the church that caused them to leave.

Was this an accident that I met this fine fellow or is there a bigger power at play here? I don’t claim to know, but it is interesting to ponder. We talked just a little, as the days passed. He listened politely to my sad tale of loss. He told me of some of his life experiences as well. I consider it time well spent.

His wife and he meet up here each year to catch up with a few other couples.

We did our mandatory “timeshare briefing.” Our sales person, Mike was a polite and nice fellow. Sadly, he had lost a young son to Covid last year.

We listened to him though we made it clear that our travel style doesn’t mesh well with time shares. We left the meeting on good terms with him and I wish him well. Not everyone likes the same flavor of ice cream either.

It was a beautiful day. We had dinner at Penne pasta. You order at the counter but the food is delivered to you by a pleasant person. The food is very good. Don’t let the plain exterior fool you. And if you love baseball, then this place is for you. The owner is a big Dodgers fan.

We took a long stroll on historic Front Street after our meal. The sun was just setting over the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean. The waves were lying down quietly on the shore.

We had another look at the Banyan tree in front of the historic court house. It is a site to behold with giant limbs and roots shooting off in all directions of the compass.

The Bayan tree is an important tree in Hinduism due to its longevity. The tree is considered a symboI of immortality and Brahma, the Creator. It is considered “God’s shelter.” Its leaves are often used in worship and rituals.

I thought that Mark Twain had planted this tree, but I was wrong.

It was the Monkey pod tree in Wai’ohinu, on Hawaii that he planted in 1866. That tree, sadly, was toppled by wind in 1957, but a shoot from that tree was replanted and remains growing today.

In a letter home, Mark Twain said this, “trees and flowers flourish luxuriantly, and three of those trees – two mangoes and an orange – will live in my memory as the greenest, freshest and most beautiful I ever saw.”

He did not mention the Monkeypod tree that he supposedly planted. Look for the sign at Mauka, off Hwy 11 near Waiohinu City Park. if you want to visit it.

We had gelato for desert.

This little town hasn’t changed much since our last visit thirty years ago. That is one of it’s many charms.

There are still a few “interesting odd balls” on duty here to keep you on your toes, but that seems to be more prevalent everywhere now.

There was an older fiddle player busking for money to make a trip to Australia for a contest and a fellow doing Tai Chi down on the sand.

Don’t let that stop you from enjoying the scenery around you.