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Elizabeth Weintraub
More Photos of Hawaii Birds on the Big Island
One of the best things I did this trip to Kailua-Kona is bring my Canon Sureshot to shoot more photos of Hawaii birds on the Big Island. Well, I actually can’t stop shooting photos of everything. I cannot believe the abundance of interesting things, from the creepy critters to the geckos and lizards, beautiful Kona beaches, Hawaii sunsets, and all of the floral and fauna. Don’t get me started on the lava formations from the chopped-up baked cookie chunks and the brown sugar-scorched landscapes.
In fact, I was fortunate to land in an environment yesterday where I could share some of the photos of Hawaii birds at a post-Easter brunch celebration. My neighbors, the good guys from Minnesota, hosted the affair. This is not to be confused, by the way, with the bad guys, a Hawaii neighbor who does not like troublemakers. We had the best grilled hickory-smoked ahi I’ve ever tasted, so moist, flavorful. Plus, we have the most delicious fresh fruit on Hawaii island.
Lesser Redpoll Finch, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Captured this bird down the hill from our Hawaii house in a dead tree that the homeowner’s association has not removed. I was about to climb over the fence and trim back a large flowering tree because it started to block my panoramic view of the ocean, but the HOA guys got it in time. They just don’t do anything about the dead trees.
This is a Lesser Redpoll Finch, and I instinctively knew its name before I verified it. So I’m proud of myself for that. My phone discussion on the lanai came to a sudden pause when I heard singing, so I quietly took my fingers off my laptop keyboard and picked up my Canon Sureshot. This is when I’ll find myself talking to a seller about staging, for example, and then I have to say, sorry, can you hold on a sec, I’m shooting a bird. I think they know I don’t own a gun. My clients are very accommodating, which is why I love them to pieces. Some things can wait, but shooting a bird photo cannot. They fly away.
Saffron finch sings from a Cook Pine
It is mating time for the Saffron finches in Hawaii. Those guys are always singing. From this particular location, I’ve watched the female finches fly back and forth with bits of matter dangling from their beak. Which makes me believe they are building a nest in the Cook pine tree. I read that male Saffron finches are polygamous and mate with two females in mating season. Like many birds in Hawaii, this tanager is not native, having arrived from South America sometime in the 1960s.
Wild Texas turkeys are ubiquitous on Big Island
Ready for more photos of Hawaii birds? How about an American turkey? This was in my neighbor’s yard. Again, the 1960s are to blame. Apparently sometime between 1961 and 1963, 400 wild Texas turkeys turned up in the islands. These Rio Grande turkeys thrive on Big Island, Molokai and Lanai.
Speaking of Molokai, I read yesterday that the mule ride business is getting evicted for non payments. I wrote about that tourist attraction in Things Not To Do in Molokai. Every so often I get a hate email from somebody who has been injured and wants to know why I don’t shut them down. When people find you online, they think the writer has all sorts of magical powers.
The worst thing about the wild turkeys in Big Island is the poop they leave in the street. Big old monster balls of poop. Cars drive over it. Dogs love it.
Trogon at Soroa Orchid Botanical, Orquideario, Cuba.
Now for the perfect conclusion to this blog about photos of Hawaii birds, I present to you the Trojon. OK, just a joke because the Trojon is not a Hawaii bird. It is the national bird of Cuba. Would not surprise me though to find Trojons in Hawaii. Aloha!
Today is open house scheduling day, and I should have at least 6 open houses lined up in Sacramento for this weekend. One team member is in Los Angeles, so that leaves us a bit short-handed. But that’s the good thing about selling real estate at Lyon Real Estate. We have almost 1,000 agents eager to move inventory and available.
Fix Door Lock Problems Before Going on the Market
Yes, I know it sounds elementary that sellers need to fix door lock problems before going on the market, but you would be amazed at how many people get used to non-functioning doors. They will say, Oh, we always go out through the garage. Or, we just pull the key out slightly, jiggle it, spin around three times, howl at the moon and it works. But a professional Sacramento Realtor will find it very frustrating when showing your home if the lock doesn’t work.
This past winter, I had a seller give me a key that required a bit of finesse to work. I always check out the keys when I take a listing. When the seller hands me the key, even if I just watched her open the lock, I do it myself. The reason I use the key is to figure out whether we need to fix door lock problems before going on the market. Besides, it is added ammunition when an agent calls to say the key doesn’t work. I know it works because I used it.
In the case of the seller who had to finesse the lock, I asked her to fix the lock. But she insisted it worked fine. OK, after the first agent who showed complained about it, I just took matters into my own hands. The seller was at her vacation house at Lake Tahoe and in no rush to drive down the hill. So I just went over, met the locksmith, paid for it, and changed the locks.
If an agent can’t open the door, she can’t show the house. It’s that simple. If she can’t show the house, we won’t get any offers.
But now it seems I am facing another situation. In retrospect, we should have fixed the door lock problems before going on the market but I did not realize there was a problem. The lock had worked fine. Lately, over the past 24 hours, half a dozen agents accessed the lockbox. All of the male agents could open the door, but the 3 female agents could not. What the hey? We are not the weaker sex here.
The seller’s solution is she won’t lock all of the doors, but that is not a good idea. Do not compromise security. We just need to fix the locks. I feel that if just one agent cannot get inside to show, that could be the one buyer we needed. Fixing the door locks is a huge priority for me. And for any seller, really.
Photos of Hawaii Lizards and Geckos from Kailua-Kona
My knowledge of Hawaii lizards and geckos is not as vast as it probably oughta be, so I have been studying these creatures. Ubiquitous in Sacramento these are not. In fact, I rarely spot any crawly things in Sacramento, unlike Hawaii. I also feel an urge to identify my surroundings. My late Aunt Dolores was like that. She could name every tree, flower and bird she came upon, and I can see why it’s important. Necessary. Maybe I got it from her.
Knowing what things are connects you to your environment. I honestly cannot chance upon an unusual tree without wanting and needing to know its name. So I have done my best to identify these Hawaii lizards and geckos for you.
Believe it or not, every single one of these creatures lives in our yard. The photo above? That’s green anole lizard. Check out its long skinny toes.
This little guy is a Gold Dust Day gecko with his original tail. He is sitting on our loveseat cushion, basking in the sun. Without a care in the world. Looks like he just finished lunch and perhaps should have skipped the desert.
The next in the line up of photos of Hawaii lizards and geckos is indeed a lizard. It is called a brown anole. Anole always look like they are concentrating very hard on an answer for a quiz. The other unusual aspect of anoles is the white zipper down the back.
I believe this gecko is Norton, whom I shot a few days ago when shooting photos of geckos in my yard. He has a new tail. They can simply detach their tails when they are threatened. Grab my tail, sucka, and I’ll just leave it in your hands.
OK, not 100% sure on this lizard, but fairly certain it is a brown anole that has morphed almost into black. From what I’ve learned about brown anoles, they can change colors. They can’t turn green, but they do turn different shades of brown and can blend in with their environment. Like a chameleon.
My brother John who died a few years ago from sarcoma raised chameleons as a kid. Once it got out, and we couldn’t find it for days. It had turned green and attached itself to our green drapes in our green living room.
Do you like the close up of this green anole head? It is so danged lizard like. Almost alien. If you have not seen Shape of Water, you should probably go see that movie. This lizard head reminds me of the alien in that movie.
Another Day gecko. This guy is pretty chubby. I call him Jelly Belly gecko. Fat chubby little legs. You will notice he is also not very long, and he, too, seems to have a replacement tail. They are territorial and typically hang out in pairs. Although they do not seem to like each other much. This one seems very attached to the underside of our lanai where the security camera and external receptacles are located.
When I see them fight, the geckos usually have a conversation about it first.
Big gecko: Don’t you come over. I’m warning ya. This is my space, don’t cross it, buddy.
Little gecko: I can’t help it. I’m so curious. I won’t do anything. I just wanna walk over there.
Big gecko: Don’t you come over here. I told you not to do it. Don’t do it.
Little gecko: I’m just gonna grab a short cut. Don’t look at me.
Snarl, pounce, Big gecko bites Little gecko.
Big gecko: I tried to warn ya.
Little gecko runs far away and dives under the siding.
Of all the photos of Hawaii lizards and geckos, this is really creepy like. It reminds me of a salamander, if a salamander was an alien from Mars. The first time I spotted it, all I could see was its eyeballs. It barely poked his head out from under the siding. So weird to feel these tiny eyeballs studying me.
Very small, too. Not bigger than my little finger. It took me a long time to identify this gecko. It is a Hawaii Locale Mourning gecko. Every time I clicked my camera, he perked up at the clicking sound and would begin to emerge. He got about this far and then dove back under the siding.
If you have enjoyed my photos of Hawaii lizards and geckos, you might not forget this last photo. I am about 80% confident that this is a house gecko that looks like a Japanese horror movie lizard. He looks like this, I suspect, because I found him inside my grill. I wouldn’t swear to it, but I think he got grilled. Or, he could just be some weird gecko I haven’t yet been able to identify.
He did not move when I first spotted him. But soon as I shot a photo, he ran away. So maybe he will be OK.
Easter Week Sunset Photos from Hawai’i Island
Easter week is special to many people, so I thought you would like to see my Easter week sunset photos from Hawai’i Island. I will be in the islands for a few more weeks. This means I’ll share more photos with you from Hawaii as I work on Sacramento real estate. Like, Saturday, here I am in Hawai’i and yet we had 4 great open houses in Sacramento. Probably the busiest open house was the high-water bungalow in Midtown, which just went on the market on Friday. More than 50 groups of people came through that open house. That action will result in one or more offers shortly.
I thumbed through so many Easter week sunset photos from Hawai’i that I spent a good part of the afternoon yesterday trying to decide which photos I should include for Sunday’s blog. If I held a spiritual belief, which I do not — but you know, I haven’t been on my death bed yet, I hear people change their minds then, hedge bets — I would say these photos are quite heavenly.
OK, technically this is a pre-sunset photo, but this harbor is about 2 miles from my house, and my long lens picked it up. I find it amazing what the Canon Sureshot can do. These are Cook Pines, which are pointier at the top than Norfolk pines. The place to really enjoy Cook Pines is Lanai, Hawai’i. Between Manele Bay and Lanai City, the Cook Pines line the road.
Each of my Easter week sunset photos from Hawai’i Island were shot on different evenings. I saved them until I had enough to put together a sunset photo blog. Our house faces west, so naturally we enjoy splendid sunsets.
You hear about the sunset people vs sunrise people theory, which questions whether you are one or the other. It’s supposed to explain who you are. I enjoy both. I’m generally awake for both types of sun activity. Depending on how I feel in the morning, whether I’m cranky or wide awake, makes a difference as to whether I like the bright light. But the sun rises here over Mauna Loa, so it doesn’t hit me smack dab in the eyes.
After the sun settles, our skies generally turn vivid shades of pink and purple. Nothing quite like a sunset from Hawai’i.
The biggest drawback to working on Sacramento real estate from our house in Hawai’i is the time difference. Hawai’i does not endorse daylight saving. This means during spring and summer, we are three hours behind Sacramento. It’s not so bad in the evening as I can communicate with clients much later than I normally would, but it’s a bit of a bear in the morning.
Ziggy Weintraub, ragdoll kitty
I can’t even talk to our cats when I get out of bed in the morning. Makes it difficult to carry on a conversation with another person. If I answer my phone at 6 AM, I mean, I sound like I just got up. Not to mention, my neighbors don’t quite appreciate it.
And you know, I already have a neighbor whose attitude forced me to buy a Ring door bell for security. My neighbor down the street (shares the origin of my home state of Minnesota) came over yesterday to invite me to a late-Easter feast. With the sound turned off on my cell, I never heard her ring the doorbell, so there is that . . .
By the time I get back to Sacramento, Ziggy will be almost a month older. They grow up so quickly from kittens into young adults. Isn’t he adorable? My husband and I have JaCi Wallace to thank for this precious kitten.
And now for my final photograph of Easter week sunset photos from Hawai’i Island, I present the sun in all of its red fiery glory. About to sink into the Pacific ocean and call it a day. I shot this from my lanai the night before last.
Aloha and Happy Easter. Don’t take any wooden nickels.
Lunch at the University of Nations in Kona, Hawaii
Darn, I wish I had shot a photograph of the large outdoor cafeteria when I went to lunch at the University of Nations in Kona, Hawaii. But not enough light under the tall roof. It seemed at least 5 stories high. The space for lunch holds hundreds of people, maybe thousands of people. And the positioning of the dining space is such that a strong breeze whips through the area, cooling off even the hottest days. Not to mention, the view of the ocean is hard to beat.
I’ve never been to University of Nations, never even heard of it before I met the couple who sold us their house in Hawaii, P &G. They are missionaries from Canada who volunteer at University of Nations. This outfit works in conjunction with Youth With a Mission with outposts all over the world. The school, which began in 1978, is private with a strong focus on the beliefs of Christianity.
They suggested lunch at the University of Nations so I could experience their campus and see where they work. I very much enjoy new experiences, even if I find some aspects a bit weird. Like the day in 2006 when my husband and I toured the Mormon Temple in Sacramento. Learned a lot from that visit. You can only go on a special day when they allow visitors. California is 2nd only to Utah in the number of Mormons in the state.
It gave us more context when we attended the hilarious musical The Book of Mormon at the Orpheum in San Francisco. We already knew about the gold plates in the desert and Joseph Smith, for example. Which is how the religion began a couple hundreds years ago.
Students from all over the world come to University of Nations in Kona to earn an AA degree or take specialized courses. They can bring their families, too. The AA degree, however, is not recognized by the Department of Education in the United States. It also seems expensive, but all education seems expensive these days. I come from the days of free community colleges in Orange County. Oh, right. The ’70s. Ah, yes, grasshopper, at one time the community colleges in California were free.
The University of Nations get $4,000 and up for classes, which includes food, tuition and housing.
Now, the odd thing, the way it seems to me, is the fact University of Nations collects dues from students and accepts donations. But it does not seem to pay its instructors nor anybody who works at the University. It operates on the strength of volunteers, and they offer advice to volunteers about how the volunteers can do fundraising to afford to work without pay.
I could be wrong, they could pay some sort of overhead, but it doesn’t appear that way on their website.
And according to U. S. News, Pablo M. Rivera, the Chief Financial Officer of University of Nations pled guilty last year to wire fraud. He embezzled $3.1 million from the school.
All in all, if you’d like to have lunch at University of Nations as a visitor, it is $5.00. Can’t beat that price. They offered vegetarian options, too. The lunch menu is printed in at least 7 different languages. I had a fried chicken steak topped with marinara sauce and a side salad because it looked like the best option available. But I was more interested in talking with my friends than eating.
It is an enormous campus with breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. I asked my friends whether the University helps people find jobs after graduation. Nope. Students are on their own. And not surprisingly, my friend P says about 25% of the graduates do go on to become missionaries. I did not want to use their names in this blog because they seem like very private people, and I respect that.
