Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Mele Kalikimaka and Hau'oli Makahiki Hou
I just wanted to share some end of the year wishes for a wonderful holiday season and for an incredible New Year. The photos below are of the old Hamakuapoko Mill in Ha'iku. As you can see she was built in 1879 but has been sitting long abandoned in the middle of the cane fields. Time and a giant Banyan tree are slowly reclaiming her.

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This is a photo of Ginger Johnson, one of the Hula Honeys, my favorite musical group on Maui.


A Kihei sunset from the Monsoon Restaurant at Menehune Shores looking across the Ko'ie'ie' fishpond.



Trumpet master Max Ribner playing in front of Cafe Au Lait in Wailuku on First Friday.




Wind and surf on a beautiful Ho'okipa day, Kahalawai (West Maui Mountains) in the background.



May the New Year bring you love, health, happiness and prosperity.
A hui hou,
Jack

Thanksgiving Week

It was a great Thanksgiving week for us and I hope for you too. We went to some friends for dinner and since we only had two side dishes to prepare we went to Stella Blues in Kihei on Wednesday night to hear one of my favorite Maui musicians, Randall Rospond. Randall has a great band called the Haiku Hillybillys but he does a solo gig at Stellas. Here are a few photos of Randall, we had dinner with friends at Joes afterwards and had the pleasure of Randall and his lovely wife Sheri joining us. Good music, good food, good friends, that's a lot to be thankful for.

Hana Wedding

Saturday morning sunrise on Hana Bay, a prelude to a wonderful wedding day.



Love the look on the flower girl.



































Wedding was at the Hana Kai Resort on Hana Bay, lovely grounds and Hana Bay for backdrop.
Bouquet was a single white water lily.




The family was spread all around Hana for the weekend including the cabins at Wainapanapa. Everyone came together for the reception at Tutus on Hana Bay, great park for the kids, music and dancing and great food for all.

Wailuku town Friday night

Wailuku town is the site of Maui's First Friday celebration, strangely enough on the first Friday of every month. It is a time to share art, music, food and fun. This weeks celebration was topped off with a showing/performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the historic Iao Theater. The requisite costume of the evening calls for some form of underwear, makeup and various props to use throughout the evening.


Market street is closed off for the event and there is always something interesting happening on the street. The good folks from Kula Hoop brought some down and had everyone swinging their hips with a hoop, well, almost everyone.














The moral of this story is if your looking for something to do on Maui besides laying on a beautiful beach and enjoying the ocean there is always something going on somewhere, just ask a local, the natives are friendly.

Paradise Meets the City

Paradise Meets the City

Upcountry Maui was the site of Paradise Meets the City, a wonderful show of hat designs by the talented and effervescent Katherine Carey, proprietor and designer extraordinaire of Paradise Millinery. I wanted to share some of her designs as she prepares to embark on a journey to New York City to display her fantastic creations for the buyers at Henry Bendels. We know this will be a very special trip for Katherine and all her Maui ohana are so excited to be able to help this dream come true for her. Have a fun and fantastic trip Katherine.












A big mahalo to all the beautiful models who helped make the show possible.

The Gentleman Farmer

Olowalu Wedding

My friend Alec and and his wonderful fiance Rhea were wed at Olowalu plantation in a wonderful ceremony performed by Alec's father Harland.







It was a beautiful night with a great sunset and warm balmy breezes, can there be a better place to get married than Maui?

Clouds on Fire

Hated to remove this from the featured photo spot above, alas it is time for something new. The new feature is exotic flower grower and friend Eric from Ha'iku, love how this portrait came out.

No Fear of Flying

I love the sense of freedom conveyed in this photograph!

Maui Art

MAUI ARTIST/SCULPTOR
SPAR STREET

I had the pleasure yesterday to do some promo shots for Maui artist Spar Street. Spar is an upcountry neighbor and friend whose artwork is a favorite of mine and Denni's. We have our two favorite pieces adorning the walls in our bedroom. To show how special they are they share space with only a watercolor of Burano, Italy we picked up while there and a wonderful collage of photos of Denni and me by my favorite photographer, Monique Feil.









This is Denni's fav.










Spar's paintings are full of kinetic energy and vibrant colors. It's hard not to get pulled into their joyous expression of life.
















He has a wonderful daughter who loves all forms of flying and if you hang around Spar and his beautiful wife Johanna for a while you soon realize where she comes by this trait. In short, got to spend time doing what I love with three of my favorite people on Maui.

Zen and Isa, man and wife

Zen and Isa became man and wife yesterday on a beautiful ocean side cliff near Huelo. Isa's mom returned from Sweden for the intimate ceremony. The day was incredible and Maui showed up in all her beauty.