Today we are heading out to do a service cleanup at Kiholo, a beach about seven miles north of Keahole airport. We will be hosted by Hannah Kihalani Springer. While I wait for that to begin I will post some more Na Kahumoku history. I think its easiest to do by choosing favorite photos and talking about them.

The first year consisted of after school activities, paddling, service projects and hikes. There was only one staff person -- myself. But I received a lot of help from a young man who was working in the same room with me-- Daniel Benner -- at left. Daniel was on fire about the environment and was a self admitted ex-kalohe (rascal) as a teen. He had/has a gift and a passion for this kind of work. As the year progressed I realized my health continued to fail. By the end of the year, I was pretty convinced I had one foot in the grave! I caught every virus and bug that crossed my path -- my immunity was down to zilch. I was pretty convinced I would have to resign and close down the program.

About this time I took two Kahumoku, Akira and Rio, on a weekend hike at Pololu valley. Miraculously, I suddenly felt much better and my energy returned for the day. Was it nature connection, the joy of being with the kids, the sheer beauty of the vally??? We stopped by the cabin that I owned in Halawa gulch, to gather lemons and say hello to the tenants that had rented from us for the last twenty years.

During the hour and a half commute back to Kona we looked into the distance along the shoreline back toward home. The whole island in that direction was shrouded with what looked like smoke from a forrest fire. Vog! I suddenly recognized the source of my malady.