Dear ones,
Yes indeed, the Art Ranger has been out on the range, this time very fortunate to be gathered with our clan far out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the island of O'ahu. Say it O.... a... h ... u ....... ........ ........ ......... ........
Visually, we noted a pre Home Depot sensibility about the structures, the way of living. Salvaging. One where you could still imagine that people made things themselves using fibers and woods gathered locally. Where chickens wander and scratch in the Foodland parking lot. And palms might grow out of old washing machine baskets.
So not on the mainland! Ample postcard-like beauty was captured by the thoughtful cameras of others.
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| "Beach Coco Porcupine": Gentle decompsosition event, fiber liberation |
Yet, thirty minutes into our arrival, we experienced this: the petroleum answer to fiber
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| In the 41 years since we have traveled to this part of the world, whammo! |
On one particular NW facing beach the bath tub ring of our human influence so striking, bits bytes, chunks so wow this is our now!
Just ask the albatrosses
If looking at this makes you feel like you've swallowed it yourself,
perhaps we can stop contributing whenever possible to the plastic tide.
We swam with a young turtle for a bit. He looked us over very thoroughly.
There was the Pearl Harbor experience, of which there was so
very much to experience, Art Ranger tended to fixate on stray things at the edges.
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| USS Missouri, just chatting it up in the shade |
When in the presence of thousands of people following a mighty script, the Art Ranger listens partly (to that) while zeroing in on other sights and viewpoints:
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| Aboard the USS Missouri museum, recovered Mascot doll carried by Kamikaze pilot. So tender in the teeth of it all. |
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We were struck by this. The slaughter that was ordered and, yet, a hand-made doll by his side, near his heart, so lovingly crafted. Someone's mother, someone's son. Etc,. The reverberated trauma of wars.
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| Hmmmm..... |
The Art Ranger was flabbergasted by a great many things, such as how large a
torpedo really is, so large that it may require its own set of beautifully crafted wooden tail rudders. Exhausted about until meeting the 10ft high yellow fan in the hangar.
We had no idea that the Walt Disney corp had stepped up to create (cute) logos to go with the war effort: Who Knew? Did you?
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| So much pride was taken in the shiney guages, knobs, valves, (and torpedo noses with launch gear) down |
| in the sub |
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As off-the-beaten-track surprises are our way of navigating the world, we were glad to have offspring number one share in the inclination. Our Aloha Friday visit to a roadside stand
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| LIVE LOVE ALOHA |
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for the very curious and patient ones.
What they provide is a trading post in which things found on the beach are made into art, and aritfact by the artist residents. Beacham, they call it.
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| just lying there out in the open with a hand made shakere |
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| Same artist |
The fixture was a dedicated man named Maui Loa describing himself as 50% Hawaiian who sells his art and gives all proceeds to the cause of indigenous peoples worldwide.
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| Yes, that's right Artgasm |
We are grateful for our intersection with Maui Loa, who in the moon calendar we purchased from him, is also the name of the trickster. Soon he'll be wearing a tie and working on legislation to protect the cultural heritage and rights of indigenous ones. We hope he passes out Artgasm buttons from his pockets and that he can still make Beachum Art when he can.
Please take notes, we look forward to seeing your findings here: homelandinspiration@gmail.com
Remember Summer recess? We are officially on it now. Bopping around.
