#89 of 90, Yellow Plumeria Flowers

      This is from yesterday, computer problems prevented me from posting. This one's for you Nynke, Happy New Year!

#88 of 90, Tiger

     Tiger is just a puppy, but he gets some funny worried looks. He was shivering since it's actually a little cold these days for Hawaii. After Sherry put one her kids pink t-shirts on him he looked a little happier, but I didn't paint him that way since it was just goofy. The dog didn't seem to care even though it wrecked his tough image. Thanks for making my day!

#87 of 90, Wailau Valley Taro Cultivation

    Restored ancient taro ponds in a remote valley on the backside of Molokai look no different than they would have hundreds of years ago. The stone walls in the area date back 1,100 years and the valley has several springs with some of the cleanest water on Earth. There are few inhabitants today, but the valley supported a large population of early Hawaiians.  

#86 of 90, River Rocks

     There are only a few rivers on Molokai with enough steady flow and distance to grind rock into smooth ovals. Prized by ancient Hawaiians the stones were passed hand to hand over a mountain range to build heiau (large stone platforms). The idea makes sense, sharp lava rock is hard to walk on and not at all fun to sit on, but what a workout. It probably wasn't an option to quit and it's not a myth, the structures still exist from stones passed for many miles over treacherous narrow tracks along vertical cliffs. No wonder petroglyphs show guys with skinny waists and huge shoulders. Paddling canoes, passing rocks and practicing hula was certainly a recipe for staying in top form.  

#85 0f 90, Ginger Flowers

Kalani's flower farm in the lush Halawa Valley grows a wide array of heliconia and amazing ginger flowers. Check out their web site molokaiflowers.com. There's a great video of flying over the series of waterfalls on the river that the flows through the valley.

#84, Gypsy

                          Thanks Heidi and Woody for your wonderful generosity, see you soon!

#83 of 90, Molokai Hoe Canoe Race

On the twelfth day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Twelve paddlers paddling,
Eleven cowgirls racing,
Ten hula dancers,
Nine mules a waiting,
Eight home made signs,
Seven seals a sleeping,
Six fantails roosting,
Five rubbish trips,

Four ponds of fish,

Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

And one hot bread in a shabby alley. 

The Molokai Hoe is one mean canoe race, 40 miles of open ocean from Hale o Lono on Molokai to Oahu. Hundreds of boats and paddlers show up once a year, making Molokai one of the fittest places on earth, for a weekend. It's quite fun, from a visual perspective as well.

  

 

#82 of 90, Horse Race

On the eleventh day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Eleven cowgirls racing,
Ten hula dancers,
Nine mules a waiting,
Eight home made signs,
Seven seals a sleeping,
Six fantails roosting,
Five rubbish trips,

Four ponds of fish,

Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

And one hot bread in a shabby alley. 

Yes, there are 11 cowgirls in this painting, but you will probably have to zoom in. The rider in the foreground is Noel Tancayo, the State barrel racing champion and of course she is winning in the painting. I admire her fearless ability to get on a 1200 lb animal and charge around. Her family offered to let me ride a horse, but I'm only willing to get on a plastic one, the kind with metal springs attached that rocks back and forth. Yeehaw.

 

#81 of 90, Kahiko Hula

On the tenth day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Ten hula dancers,
Nine mules a waiting,
Eight home made signs,
Seven seals a sleeping,
Six fantails roosting,
Five rubbish trips,
Four ponds of fish,

Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

And one hot bread in a shabby alley. 

Molokai is the birth place of the hula. Every year this tradition is celebrated at Ka Hula Pico. Information is posted on the site visitmolokai.com.

#80 of 90, Molokai Mule Tour

 

On the ninth day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Nine mules a waiting,
Eight home made signs,
Seven seals a sleeping,
Six fantails roosting,
Five rubbish trips,
Four ponds of fish,

Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

And one hot bread in a shabby alley. 

The trail to Kalaupapa drops down a steep, nearly vertical cliff. Mules take people down and luckily back up without a problem. Kaluapapa is well known for interning people who contacted leprosy and is now a National Park. For more information check out muleride.com and visitmolokai.com. 

#79 of 90, Hand Painted Signs

On the eighth day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Eight home made signs,
Seven seals a sleeping,
Six fantails roosting,
Five rubbish trips,
Four ponds of fish,
Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

   And one hot bread in a shabby alley. 

This might take a little back story if you haven't been to Molokai. There are no professional sign companys on the island so people have taken production into their own hands. Crudely executed on plywood then nailed to fences and trees the landscape is peppered with signs announcing everything from political agendas to items for sale to fervent pleas to have property returned. There is usually one topic more pressing at any given time. The "no change La'au" signs are fading since the developers were thwarted from paving one of the last truly wild places in Hawaii. Every other sign I found today was against letting a tour boat stop for day. Town meetings blaze with debate over what cruise ships visiting, even one with fewer passengers than an airplane, would mean to Molokai.

I did the painting in the same spirit as the local signs and actually, it was fun to take a more slapdash approach. Maybe I'll start a hand painted sign business. 

 

#78 of 90, Hawaiian Monk Seals

On the seventh day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Seven seals a sleeping,
Six fantails roosting,
Five rubbish trips,
Four ponds of fish,
Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

   And one hot bread in a shabby alley. 

Disclaimer;

     Monk seals are solitary creatures, they don't often hang around in groups like seals who prefer more of a colony lifestyle, but hey, it's just a silly Christmas song. Molokai is one of the few places where Monk seals find uninhabited beaches in Hawaii. They come ashore for a rest and have their pups. There are fewer than 1200 seals left in Hawaii. Efforts to protect places where they frequent have been successful so they will continue to visit Molokai for awhile longer. In the town of Kalaupapa a notice is posted when a seal with a pup is spotted on the beach so everyone will know not to disturb them.  
     There are a lot of people who love and protect the seals, but there is another side too. Fishermen see them as large pests and I've heard it argued that they are not endangered since more have been showing up here and yes, the seals do take fish out of nets. Two seals have been found dead this month under suspicious circumstances so some have saved their environment and others believe they are pests to be done away with.     

#77 of 90, Molokai Rainbows

On the sixth day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Six fantails roosting,
Five rubbish trips,
Four ponds of fish,
Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

   And one hot bread in a shabby alley. 

Diane and Clay Adachi keep a sizable flock of colorful homing pigeons that they 'fly' for events and special occations. The fantails look great, but apparently don't navigate too well so they don't get out much. I think they'd make great table decorations though.

       Fly the Rainbows
"For any reason or no reason"
   dcmolokai@hotmail.com  

  

#76 of 90, Molokai Landfill

On the fifth day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Five rubbish trips,
Four ponds of fish,
Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

   And one hot bread in a shabby alley.

#75 of 90, Molokai Fish Ponds

On the fourth day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Four ponds of fish,
Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two fighting roosters,

   And one hot bread in a shabby alley.

#74 of 90, Posted Coconuts

On the third day of Christmas Molokai gave me;
Three Post-a-Nuts,

Two roosters fighting,

And one hot bread in a shabby alley. 

Historical note:

The post office in Ho'olehua on Molokai originated Post-a-Nut in Hawaii. They're the only branch to provide markers and USDA approved coconuts. An article will appear in the February 2012 issue of National Geographic Magazine about this unique institution. 
Thanks Gary!

   

#73 of 90, Mad Roosters

On the second day of Christmas Molokai gave me;

Two fighting roosters,

And one hot bread in a shabby alley.

#72 of 90, Hot Bread Alley

     The bakery sells fresh bread in a back alley downtown. They have a store for daytime use, but if you've got a craving for a third world experience you can line up at the back door for a hot bread fix late at night. It comes slathered with an extra ration of calories in various flavors. Strawberry jam and cream cheese rocks.

Molokai Community Bulletin Board, #71

www.molokai.com

                                                                     

90 in 90, Kiddie Boat, #70

    This old kiddie ride is still a deal. The price hasn't gone up for what could be generations. Seen most evenings rocking kids into narcoleptic boredom at the Pizza Cafe in Kaunakakai. Their faces look like they were told to sit still and watch ice melt since the action is about as animated as kicking a chair. Hands down though, it gets my vote for most charming local fixture.

90 paintings in 90 days, Phallic Rock, #69

      Molokai's most famous rock. People leave offerings with their wishes and prayers at this ancient revered site. A quick search revealed thousands of photos, many of them hilarious because this is one large rock, but of all the amazing places on Molokai phallic rock has not been a popular subject for painters. Or I've never seen any paintings of this descriptive monolith before, but then maybe they just aren't exposed in public.
     Whether you seek mirth, desire or fertility, wishes have been granted (so I'm told) by a visit to the top of the mountain where this surprising natural wonder resides. The hike winds through a lovely forest over a soft carpet of ironwood needles. I can sometimes guess which paintings people will want, but the jury is way out on this one. I guarantee it is a true likeness of a real place if that helps.

90 paintings on Molokai, Barrel Cactus, #68

      The cactus on the deck look like an old married couple, having been together so long they grew to look alike.

90 paintings, Hawaiian Style Lunch, #67

     Local ambrosia. Every place has it's own version of down home comfort food. Poi, sardines and an onion make the list in Hawaii. I never got hooked on poi but was recently introduced to li hing mui gummy bears which I'm pretty sure should include a Surgeon General's warning about a highly addictive substance. Thanks Sherry!

90 in 90, Bully, #66

     This painting is an interpretation of a Molokai story. Bully the calf lives under my friend's house and he did try to eat some of the Christmas decorations including the snowman. Fake snowmen show up at Christmas on just about every tropical island in the Pacific, but this was the first time I heard about a cow eating one.

90 paintings on Molokai, Christmas Ornaments, #65

     Thanks for the ornament idea Noel and for the cool glass Christmas tree you made, it's great, I really like it. 
     Also thanks to Mernie for requesting Papohaku Beach and to Val Bloy for suggesting;
1. the early morning fishermen at the end of the wharf. 2. The cars and trucks lined up on the wharf road waiting for the Young Brothers barge to be off loaded on "barge day."
     Both are good ideas and I started a painting of the cars on the wharf, but after many hours I finally noticed I put the cars on the wrong side of the road, it could be a scene in New Zealand, but definitely not America. I gave up and will try to fix it later. The fishermen get up pretty darned early so if anyone taking pictures at the crack of dawn would like to send me a photo, that would be great.
Merry Christmas!!

90 paintings on Molokai, Papohaku Beach, #64

     Also known as 3 Mile Beach, Papohaku is the longest beach in Hawaii and most days about this crowded. Molokai's windy shoreline generates spectacular wave breaks. The roar of the surf is not entirely produced from water crashing onto the shore and itself, but from tiny bubbles bursting to the surface. If you don't believe it, put your ear to a glass of champagne then multiply it by several billion.

90 in 90, Turtles, #63

90 paintings on Molokai, Primary Horses, #62

    

90 in 90, To-Go Box, #61

      If all the islands of the Pacific united as one nation I would submit this design for the National flag. The humble to-go box as a symbol of prosperity and hospitality. Countless times they have been pushed kindly into my hands at the end of a party stuffed with great chow. Extra food is cooked just to fill boxes to send home with quests. The next day is always a little better for finding one on a shelf in the fridge. Maybe they should be called a way to go box. 

60 paintings from Molokai

Day 60! Plumeria Tree

     Kulia's grandmother planted this tree and it's huge, it must drop a ton of flowers every year. It rained today knocking the blossoms off, turning the grass into a carpet of magenta flowers. When the sun came everything including the spider webs sparkled like jewels.