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Elizabeth Weintraub
Afternoon Visit to Holualoa Artist Enclave on Big Isle
The first time I tried to find the Holualoa artist enclave uphill from Kona, I turned the wrong way and ended up in front of the Aloha Theater in Kealakekua. Not only that, but my friends were leaving Holualoa soon, so I drove really fast up and then down the winding road of Hualalai, not wanting to miss them.
But I did miss them anyway. Since I had run out of food, the next best thing to do was stop at Safeway on my way home. I zoomed into the parking lot, jumped out of my vehicle and all of a sudden my mouth started to water. The calm before the storm.
Wild thoughts raced through my head, like am I gonna endure a forceful regurgitation right here in the Safeway parking lot? Oh, wait, up there on the curb is a trash can. If I can just make it to the curb, I can stick my head into the trash can and pretend I’m searching for the cellphone I accidentally dropped inside while I politely heave, not drawing any attention to myself.
Instead, I focused on the sushi restaurant next door to Safeway and reiterated to myself I’m simply hungry. That calmed the queasiness and it vanished as quickly as it started. Motion sickness is a weird thing.
When we began our journey up Hualalai Road, I drove much slower. Also, we made a pit stop at Tutu’s Nursery to visit with Barbara Bolton. It was a long shot, but I thought she might have a red sealing wax palm she’d be willing to part with but no. Instead of coming away with a lipstick palm, we bought a giant avocado named Linda instead and proceeded on our way to the Holualoa artist enclave. This time, when I got the fork in the road, I turned left instead of right. Must have missed the clever sign with the arrow pointing toward the artist galleries the first time around.
Well, first on the order of business in the town of Holualoa was lunch! My husband was very interested in the Tuesday Tacos at a place that, well, I wouldn’t say food poisoning was totally out of the question. It seemed the Holuakoa Cafe would give us more dining options.
Above is a statue of the Hindu God Ganesha in the garden of the Holuakoa Cafe, located along the Mamalahoa Highway in Holualoa artist enclave.
My husband Adam ordered the frittata, but I opted for the ahi tuna melt and a Longboard Island lager. I didn’t eat all of the bread as it seemed a bit much but the tuna was delicious. Should also mention the extensive wine menu. I spotted a Kurayoshi malt whiskey, which I considered but it was also the middle of the afternoon. We had art galleries to visit.
In this photo, you can see the Kona Hotel (the pink hotel) on the left, and the wonderful view down the perpendicular road. It looks like the world is flat, and if you drive over that hill you’ll fall off the edge. I’m sure there are people in Kona who believe that, along with the ones who won’t vaccinate their kids, follow conspiracy theories and believe fake news. A friend of mine in Kona said she doesn’t use a microwave because she doesn’t want “that” in her food. Yet, she uses a cell.
But I try not to judge people and look for the sides of their nature to which I can relate. We all have goofy quirks.
Adam is looking a bit impatient because I asked him to stand by the red door of the art gallery in the Holualoa artist enclave. Like he does not want his picture taken, especially if he is simply standing there and not goofing off.
Although, he was very upset when I once published a photo of him with green beans hanging out his nose and a tomato on his head. Hey, why did he stick that stuff on his body and stand for a photo if he didn’t want a photo taken? I dunno.
We visited Barbara Hanson’s art gallery. She makes the most incredible works of art from clay she rolls together and pulls the colors into a shape. She paints them in a very creative style that makes me think of my Oaxacan cats.
I did pick up a honu as a memento, a t-shirt at M. Field and a pair of handmade earrings. This Holualoa artist enclave hosts a First Friday event for a couple of hours the first Friday of every month, beginning around 5:30. Might be better to visit in the summer, though, when it doesn’t get dark so quickly.
The photo above is the view out the back from the Dovetail Art Gallery. Amazing, isn’t it? It’s also a bit cooler at the higher elevation of 320 feet than it is at sea level in Kona.
Old Kona Airport Beach at Low Tide
The last time I strolled along Old Kona Airport Beach Park was more than a year ago, when I shot photos of my last day in Kona. Not very many people seem to populate this area; it’s fairly quiet and secluded, featuring picnic tables under covered canopies.
But yesterday, my husband and I stopped at Old Kona Airport Beach at low tide to check out the sea life and vegetation. Above, is a close up photo of an intricate flower on the velvetleaf soldier bush. Must be a hardy plant to survive on the edge of the ocean.
Here we have sea urchin, with a few shells hanging on. If you step on one of these babies barefoot, you will live to regret that action. I’ve never done it on purpose nor by accident but I hear it stings and burns something terrible.
In this photo, I spied a sea urchin next to a red sea anemone, the beautiful tubular thing. This is where I almost slipped into the water on the wet rocks. Good thing I wore water shoes.
My husband says he thinks these are mussels, but there are so many types of mollusks it would take me forever to pin down this specific type. They could be bleached or a different variety all together.
One of the things I love about tide pools is the stuff you can find that is otherwise not visible to you. When I lived in an oceanfront on the Rincon in Ventura, California, I once caught a squid and put him into a jar with ocean water. He didn’t live, and I was very sad to return his dead body to the sea.
However, for years, I endured nightmares of waking up to giant tentacles attached to my windows, the mama of the squid returning to get revenge for killing her child. There is always karma in life.
This is just the two of us enjoying sitting on a large pahoehoe and watching the sea, wondering when the tide would begin to turn. Any new wave could have washed over us. As luck had it, we were an hour away from the end of low tide. Sometimes you can just sense these things. But never turn your back on the ocean, especially not at Old Kona Airport Beach.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is Excellent
My idea of a fun Sunday afternoon was not go to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, because animated and action movies are not usually number one on my list of movies to see. I initially suggested snorkeling at Honokohau. However, it’s a movie my husband wanted to see, and while I hate to say he is right about things at times, sometimes he is on to something.
In fact, when it comes to movies, he is almost always right about which movie I will enjoy. We’re pretty much on the same page about movies.
The animation in the movie will make you forget that these are not real people in front of you. They seem real. Like Avatar seemed real, even though the people were mythical. When I say real people, I mean I know Spider-Man cannot really climb up walls or zip about New York City flying from building top to building top. But it sucks you in.
Although, when I read the movie description in the Regal app, it provided a warning about how people prone to epileptic seizures might die or have an attack from the graphics and photos. But that’s only if you are are an epileptic, I think. I took my chances on death.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was entertaining and it pulled me in to the storyline from the beginning to the end. You don’t have to be a Spider-fanatic to appreciate the movie, but die-hard Spider-Man fans will get more of the insider jokes.
Great cast, too. Jake Johnson and Lily Tomlin and even Nicholas Cage. Of course, the guy who stole the show was Shameik Moore who played the new Spider-Man. Go see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and be swept away to an alternate universe for a few hours.
Sacramento Home Buyers Need Agents to Represent Them
Without a doubt there are buyers who don’t realize that Sacramento home buyers need agents to represent them. I am not talking about going to a listing agent and requesting dual agency because, believe it or not, some listing agents will refuse to grant that request. It is also not in the buyer’s best interests. Sacramento home buyers need agents, meaning an exclusive buyer’s agent to guide and advise.
Oh, I know there are buyers who will immediately offer the extraordinary expertise they gained 5 years ago when they bought a home in another area. They learned so much in that one sole transaction, they don’t need any help whatsoever. Except they do.
Especially in today’s market place in Sacramento. We are transitioning to a buyer’s market. Months of inventory is only one factor to determine a buyer’s or seller’s market. I examine trends, which is easy for me to establish since I sell so many more homes than your average agent.
You may be astonished to learn that in this market, most of my listings initially receive lowball offers from home buyers. I’m not sure if the buyers simply refuse to listen to the agents they hired to represent them, or if they are disconnected from what is happening. Of course, sellers typically do not accept lowball offers, at least not on my watch. My listings tend to sell at list price or better, regardless.
I do not know what possesses buyers to think they should offer such embarrassingly low prices the first week on market. Some agents I hear just don’t have the energy to argue with their buyers or make them understand why that strategy backfires.
Even though Sacramento home buyers need agents to represent them, some act as though their agent works for somebody else. They don’t trust their agent to do a good job for them so they discount important information that could help them get into escrow. What I don’t understand is if they think their agent doesn’t know anything, why don’t they hire an agent with experience instead? Why do they stick with an agent with little knowledge who also annoys them?
Well, I suppose they could share a surname. That would be a reason.
Or, maybe they think their agent doesn’t realize what bad treatment they sometimes receive when they try to deliver facts. They know how badly they are treated by some buyers. Still, buyer’s agents tend to possess a strong desire to help.
Sadly, I imagine some buyers will simply never know how wonderful it can be to work with an advocate who tirelessly champions their best interests.
Have You Seen an Oleandar Hawk Moth Caterpillar?
This is an oleander hawk moth caterpillar, and isn’t it sinister looking? Those eyes look wicked, like an alien, a possessed alien, because I know so many aliens on a personal level. Not to mention, check out that little stub of a devil tail at the other end. You may be amazed to know the eyes are not really eyes. They are false eyes, or eyespots.
I found this oleander hawk moth caterpillar crawling across my front porch in Kona because it caught my eye after I opened the door. When I tried to guide it to a better spot, it immediately curled up. But it looks like it would want to eat me alive if it were ten times my size. Doesn’t it? Like it’s ticked off it is not bigger or it would show me exactly how mean it could be.
My neighbor told me there is an oleander tree at the end of my street, across the park. So tomorrow I am going over there to check it out. I have never seen a oleander hawk moth in real life. Feast your eyes on the picture below.
Yup, this is what the moth looks like when the caterpillar goes through metamorphosis. It is pink and green, yet resembles a fighter plane in camouflage, no? Just more weird critters in Hawaii. Tomorrow I will search for the oleander hawk moth caterpillars but maybe all I will find are chrysalis.
The oleander hawk moth looks more like a butterfly than a moth. Although it beats its wings very fast when flying, which is different from the fluttering of a butterfly.
Oh, the things I learn selling Sacramento real estate while in Hawaii. I talked with a potential seller a few days ago, and she seemed very surprised to learn I was still in Hawaii. She said it is something she needs to think about, even though I explained that real estate is handled basically by phone and computers. My team member will FaceTime me through the property, and I can meet her that way.
Sheesh, there are sellers I never meet because they don’t live in Sacramento. I sell many properties for sellers I never greet face-to-face much less even FaceTime!
I respond immediately to my clients. Most never know where I am, they just know I get the job done smoothly, efficiently and they are thrilled. How hard is it to wrap your head around those facts? In all of 2018, I probably spent half the year in Hawaii, yet I rank in the top 1% of all agents in Sacramento.
Performance and results is what counts. Not where I lay my head at night.
Well, it’s my fault for sharing anything personal with a potential client. The less I disclose about my personal life, probably better.
