the walk...

19 November 2011...The 7th Annual "Walk the Talk".....

2011-11-22T01:08:00.075-10:00

28 Nov...Wow...2 days in a row with some output...22 of the original 47 pix AND the almost 2 minute video have been coalesced into 12 more graphical images...AND the video is still mostly intact...and ALL those are posted with some textural content...ALMOST HALF DONE!

27 Nov...Ok....it's started....8 days later...as of last night, 8 days later(27th), I have the first pix up for this years now "1-day" event...held in a meager 2-3 hours, starting and ending at the mauka side of "Kaka`ako Water-Front Park"...BUT AROUND 200...or so...showed up!...

...and Tiny Tadani was a GAS!

*****

Well...it looks like we've found the starting line!

The sign isn't new....but a nice memory to see as a 'welcome' today.

There we all are...on the Ewa side of the park section that is located on the mauka side of the parking lot. That's the UH Med School with the construction cranes hovering around just behind our awnings...

...'n all the orange 2011 WtT "T" shirts this year.

I'll bet you can still get some of these...for a small fee...
...if you talk to Utu...or...for that small fee...
...I'll pass the fee on...
... and get it for you!!!
(...and to you!)

It was good to see one of those 'evening angels' "Evans Project" buses again here today...I need an update on how this 'idea' has evolved within and beyond H5.

Some of us hadn't seen each other since last year's 'Walk...'
Notice the 'Japanese tourist' taking a shot of me...
...taking a shot of her.

On the far right of this panorama...
...Utu has our attention momentarily to introduce us to.....?

Zumba...!

Those 3 in the lime colored tops posing for other camera's...

...are gonna lead this orange brigade...

...while this 'little guy' gets the evidence...that I hope to be able to tell u here in a day or two...(Tiny TV(?))...with an editorial udpate...the schedule of the date/time of the broadcast(s) on OC-16(?)...AND...the url(z) of the online archive so that we/you can grab it to show the great-grandkids some day what we did in another time zone....?

*****
Bu-u-uh-ut...if you miss the broadcast(s) and/or the archive...

...okole imua!

To me...it's not exercising...OR...dancing...
...but the okole imua was entertaining.

*****
...lest we forget the reason for our 'walking and talking'...

...these residents...a head turn away from my embedded-intellectual-combat-reporting 'post'... some, perhaps, were with us today...

...guaranteed, they spent at least last night here in Kaka`ako.

The Kaka`ako homeless are some of the most harassed by the C&C and/or state government agencies.

*****

Perhaps....half done.
Hope to have time every day to go through the remaining 45 pix...

...'n get this thing finished!

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*****
In response to my first commenter below...a 'momma mouse' named Nancy...who does not live in Hawai`i...but who is a dear, sweet, 'old', friend(?)...who uses confusing punctuation markingz...is unfamiliar with my abbreviation, "WtT"(Walk the Talk).

She hasn't figure out, yet, how to use the archive access that is in the column IMMEDIATELY to the right of this much larger column showing the currently selected post and following comment(s)...and clicking on the bottom link in the November 2010 listing...."History of H5"...

But....because she is such an endearing kind of person... she can click on the following url/link...

http://talkinnwalkin.blogspot.com/2010/11/feeding-hungry-solicited-as-content-for.html

...and read the un-edited, un-finished article written in 2004...without having to wander aimlessly through...an archive.

*****
*****

18 November 2011...Ka`ena Point rounding revisited!...

2011-11-19T15:25:00.274-10:00

...Wow!....What-a-day!...sorta...my old Canon batteries let me down after only 42 shots 'n 44 seconds of video...but as of today, 24Nov2011, this is what I have...

*****

My plan was to catch the #52 to Hale`iwa @ it's first departure Friday morning....scheduled to leave the AMSC @ 6:30am.

What is it about sleep that when you need it the most to have a good productive day to follow... ...distractions make it all seem so unnecessary...?

So...here I am @ about quarter after 8:00am...awaiting the scheduled 8:38am #52 arrival...

(...18-02...)

...and here it is within 5 minutes of scheduled arrival...AMAZING!

So...I'm only 2 hours behind schedule!

(...18-05...)

Pretty soon we're passing the capitol...

(...18-06...)

...and then Eki Cyclery as we reach the Ewa end of Dillingham Blvd...

(...18-08...)

...we now by-pass Middle Street turn-off...'n up the ramp to the H1 via-duct to dodge all the surface streets till Mililani/Wahiawa...

(...18-09...)

...still a long way to go....but the Waianae Ridge is in visual range right now.

(...18-13...)

...above Wahiawa, we make the turn onto Kamehameha Hwy just before this iron trestled bridge...

(...18-16...)

Now....the first views of the "North Shore"....

You see that there are 2 bikes on the bus bike rack at the bottom of all these bus window shots. He got on the same time I did at the AMSC. He's got a grounds maintenance job up here somewhere a day or 2 a week...'n claims he's seen me up here before....? (...18-17...)

...and then the #52 driver pulls off Kam Hwy...slides around the mauka side of the traffic circle and me and the other biker get off at this first stop by that 711. I acknowledge the "Welcome to Historic Hale`iwa Town" sign right there across the street from that 711.

(...18-19...)

Gotta do the 'tourist thing'.....1st stop...if only for the pix...Matsumoto's

Where's Utu...?

(...18-21...)

*****

(...18-22_joes.jpg...)
Had to make the stop at Haleiwa Joe's...the former Chart House up here...a corporation I worked for 30+ years ago for over a decade at 2 different locations on Maui....Reminicing my bartending/waiting/fish/meat/cutting daize...I asked if they needed an experienced ex-Chart House waiter to help bus tables tonight but...they appeared uninterested..

...that's the Hale'iwa boat harbor and the famous bridge as seen from their ocean-side table sittings on the back lanai.

(...18-23 'n 18-24...)

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(...18-26 'n 18-25...)
Camp Mokuleia....where we would spend our night at the end of the 6th Day's walk in the former 10-day extravaganza the "Walk the Talk" used to be.

I stopped into the office to ask the gals if they were gonna miss us this year...they said there was some "room at the inn" but they were busy and I moved on...

(...18-27...)

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Bob here is from Wahiawa side...but was apparently very at home here. He had 3 poles at his side and I saw 3 strikes in the 10-15 minutes I was there...I saw him pull in a couple-a...."Hinamakua's(?)" that brightened his day...NOT for the barely mouth full of sashimi either one would represent...NO SIR!....they immediately became "bait" for the larger Papio he hoped to land.(...18-36...)

He's been living in the islands about as long as I have but....I'll NEVER experience the appearance of tranquility he represents in this shot I took just before moving on...

(...18-40...)

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I can't believe I got this almost 2-minute video...edited down to just over 20 seconds...of a fixed-wing glider landing at Dillingham Air Field. One had just landed like this one.....RIGHT OVER MY HEAD....but closer than this one did and I never saw it coming as I wasn't watching the sky for something to shoot when it buzzed me....AND THEN....I saw this one in the landing approach pattern they all take when coming in after cruising the ridge for an hour or so on a typical on-shore surface updraft the ridge creates just for being there....'n shot this...

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Still got some pavement to cover till the 'fun' begins...

(...18-41...)

(...18-42...)

...but here it ends...within 10 minutes, I was having to turn today's "Day 7, Walk the Talk" into "Walk the bike" for most of the next 3 hours till the pavement began to appear again at the north end of Yokohama Bay Beach....AND....

...and the photography for today has to end here as my Canon SD450 batteries are very old and they and the Camera quit working at this point. I have a propensity to wear things out because of the challenging demands I put on technology.

*****
Technology...
...can't live without it....
...it can't survive my challenges!

Whatz a technologist to do...?

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It was an exciting day to be out in a remote area and not having to dodge street traffic for several hours. An hour and a half on the #52 going out, 2 hours on the C coming back. 2 hours on pavement on the Hale`iwa side with all the visiting; but only about an hour on the Makaha side as I rode straight down to the first bus stop past Makua Valley.

That left about 3.5 hours on dirt and both loose and jagged lava rock...

...including about a half hour on an off-the-trail loose rock scramble having to carry the bike but sometimes having to lay the bike down, scramble around it, and pick it up on the other side of a dangerous passage...

...a GREAT physical challenge for an 'old' man...I get so few of these kinds any more.

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btw...you can get a good sense for what the rest of the passage would be like by going to "Day 7" of the 2009 WtT on this blog...

http://talkinnwalkin.blogspot.com/2009/11/day-717-november-2009.html

...when my batteries were working and we had a crew of support staff...and not too much rain over the 11 days.

Skip to the pix labeled "[Day_07.16]" to see the almost 50+ remaining pix I published 2 years ago to see what follows from this point on to our evening's encampment on the south end of Yokohama Bay Beach that night.

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...but Ka`ena Point will always be the greatest WtT memory.....so....

2011-11-16T22:27:00.005-10:00

...day after tomorrow...Friday, the day before the 2011 WtT Kaka`ako Wake...at the 'crack-of-dawn'...I plan to be getting off of a #52 circle-island Honolulu city bus somewhere in Hale`iwa...and begin to make my way to the end of the pavement just past Mokuleia...and do the "Ka`ena Point Shuffle" as I ride/walk/carry my Quasar Raptor around the point and down to Yokohama Bay on the north end of the Waianae coast...and then on to the last bus stop in north Makaha...by Makua Valley... for probably a "C" Express to take me back to civilization.

I invite any and all to join me...and then show up the next morning at Kaka`ako Park to join whoever show's up there to tell them what they missed.

The "Day 7" of the walk would be about 9 miles from the Presbyterian camp we would stay at at the end of "Day 6"...to the south end of the Yokohama Bay Beach where we'd camp that night after rounding the point. Connecting from the two closest bus stops between Mokule`ia and Makaha will take about 17 miles....a bit of a walk for many...but a very tolerable bike ride for the rest of us....if not for what I call "Dead Man's Gulch", the crevace we have to bridge on the Makaha side of the point as we approach Yokohama Bay Beach...but I've already done this by bike 3 times in the past 2 years...and will be able to lead you past this threat...but you will need to shoulder your steed for a few yards to cross the gulch where the trail disappears for about 20 yards.

Utu tells me that there has been some fencing added to that area but the fencing won't obstruct the bypass I'll be able to lead you by.

This is not an adventure for the meek...but if you can keep up with a 60-year-old man.....I'll get you back on pavement and to a bus stop to take you home...

To prepare yourself for what you will encounter....go to "DAY 7" in the November 2009 archive at the top of the column on the right...and look at all the pix I took in 2009.

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Anyone who wants to join me, we need to exchange cell phone numbers to keep track of each other as we approach the beginning of the ride/walk so.....leave you comments....grab your sun screen and about 4-6 liters of water...and let's conquer the point!

"the walk..."...is now......."a 'morning' walk in the park..."

2011-11-15T09:03:00.041-10:00

...Kaka`ako Park, that is.

The 10-11 day, circle-island sojourn is reduced to history. This Saturday morning, 19 November 2011, a very confused presence for some of us will occur as the 7+ year futile effort to raise money to support the precedent setting efforts of Utu Langi and...thanks to former governor Lingle, the only person in government in the last decade who has demonstrated a reasonable government response to the crisis of homelessness in this state...that has allowed Mr. Langi to create "The Next Step" shelter and it's follow-up shelters on the island...through his non-profit creation, H5, Hawai`i Helping the Hungry Have Hope, that now enters an enhanced survival mode.

My effort here, once again, will probably also be futile, as I will attempt to re-birth <-=this=-> dormant effort. But if any of my attempt to bring to your awareness, the homeless culture and their plight that has been so profoundly magnified...beyond the boundaries of this country....and you have the means to financially 'lend a hand'.....then I hope this link...

http://www.hawaiiwalkthetalk.org

...will tell you about the walk from their words...and/or to choose a walker to sponsor...(me?)...

http://www.hawaiiwalkthetalk.org/walkers.asp

...o-o-or...what 'they' are passing as if it were my words asking you to donate to the agency acknowledging me as the reason why you give to them...

https://ssl11.secureddomain.net/hawaiiwalkthetalk-org/SponsorMe.asp?intWalkerID=18

...where you will see the 2009 pix of me at the beginning of Day 8 just before leaving Yokohama Bay Beach with my technology on my back as the 'embedded combat reporter' then...

...please, personally comment to me(...ask for 'that' to not be published here, I will do as you request...) if you do give...so that I may know from other sources if any of my effort is producing a desired result.

Any/All comments tendered that are civil in nature...with or without the ability to provide or evidence of providing a donation to H5...comments which can/may be constructively critical to my publishing effort...will be allowed to disagree with me...and will definitely be approved to be shown here.

The eleven November 2009 posts in the archive listing at the top of the column on the right show(500+ pix) and tell(it's 'story time') what happened in 11 days as the group of us circumnavigated the island during the 5th annual "Walk the Talk"...and besides this post, are the ONLY postings on this blog that are approaching a complete presence...all the rest are just like me....a 'work' in progress...(?)...

Day 10, 19 Nov 2010

2010-11-19T00:07:00.078-10:00

...9.91 miles from Aiea to the Hawai`i State Capitol.

---***---

This/these temporary 'bookmarks', as stated before on other days' posts, should eventually be replaced to show a substantial content of context and pix...but for the time being, this one will only show the "final assault" from A`ala Park to the capitol. However, it is and will be the most developed post of the walk till the 'bookmarks' get replaced.

---***---

..pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

---***---

At the last moment yesterday, we found out that we WOULD be spending the night as guests of Aiea United Methodist Church and not have to deal with the logistics of finding a place to stay for the night....getting there and back in time for this morning's kick-off of the last day of walking.

What a relief!

As last year, today we still go through the final day of a week and a half of seeing old friends and making new friendships...and a new awareness of the culture of homelessness that has drawn us all together...and now prepare to say goodbye to these old and new friends as we return to the daily grind....and hope to see some positive results from our effort that include...

(...items to be detailed later...)

---***---

The final day's group from our Day 9 encampment @ Ai`ea United Methodist Church included Utu, Mac, Darlene, Matt, Tom, Pastor Luke, Desiree, Curtis, Lisa, Roz's Malani(sp?), the Pastor(name?) and his wife(name?) from the Peal City church(name?) that occasionally provides meals at "The Next Step" shelter, and (¿who else?).....

...were met at A`ala Park by a large group from the only major corporate WtT sponsor for this year's walk, "The Locations Foundations", "Prudential Locations LLC."

It looks like the Prudential group has somewhere from tripled to quadrupled our 'green-shirted brigade' for the final approach to the capitol where we will then be a part of the "Partners in Care" consortium celebration that is the annual gathering of about a dozen local non-profits who at this event for almost 10 years(?) now are the most recognized local presence of the annual national "Homelessness Awareness Month."

Utu gave special recognition to certain participants of this year's walk...

...and we were off to the state capitol!

...where we arrive....

...to witness, for the 2nd time during this year's walk, incredible entertainment.

This guy played 40-year-old rock and roll that I could almost sing along with...

...'n this guy said that Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was his cousin...'n then played and sang Iz's duology "Somewhere, Over the Rainbow/It's a Wonderful World" classic.

There was a third act of 3 gals who did a strong Na Leo Pilimehana presentation that I failed to have the forsight to snap a pix of them I was so transfixed by their singing/playing.......but these guy's and the female trio gave mind-numbing entertainment.

---***---

130.71 total miles once again culminate the walk this year after today's portion is factored in...'n there's still a hundred more pix to choose from...'n story to write before this day's post is complete.

Day 9, 18 Nov 2010

2010-11-18T00:25:00.010-10:00

...17.95 miles from Nanakuli to Aiea United Methodist Church...

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

---***---

Two days ago, "Day 7" was the most enjoyable day because of the "far from the maddening crowd" aspect of hiking through a nature preserve...and along the Pacific Ocean.

Today, "Day 9" was the most physically and psychologically challenging day because of the longest distance of the 10 days, almost 18 miles; and the heaviest vehicular traffic encounter day with Farrington and Kamehameha Highways being the major venues. Add to that the wear and tear of the 120 miles in 9 days...and you begin to understand why the feeling of fatigue is so overwhelming.

Today we had these five, left to right...Mac, Utu, Curtis, Desiree, and Pastor Luke from Hau`ula's "Church Without Walls." They are seen here coming through Kapolei...

...and these two, Matt and Darlene...

...who got such an early start today, I didn't see them till they were passing through Pearl City.

These 7 comprised our walkers for today.

---***---

A day ago, we started seeing weather predictions that a storm to include lightning and thunder, a rare treat in Hawai`i, and flash flooding was moving in out of the west to hit Kauai first but then to continue moving across the state. The prediction was that the first symptoms would start to appear late today and that the possible "worst" would occur tomorrow. At almost midnight right now, we have been having very heavy drizzle for about an hour and even heard some thunder too.

Tomorrow may be a challenge......

---***---

120.8 total miles walked after today's portion is factored in...have almost a hundred more pix to choose from...and story to add later.

Day 8, 17 Nov 2010

2010-11-17T19:00:00.010-10:00

...15.72 miles from Yokohama Bay to St Rita's Catholic Church in Nanakuli...

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

---***---

This is Phil and Mike visiting from California. I caught them with Yokohama Bay Beach over their right shoulders, and across the road from Makua Cave there in the first mile after departing the Bay this morning. I had a nice conversation with them...and like the tour guide I am, tried to interest them in exploring the Cave.

One of these two is a Viet Nam era serving former GI, like me. But what separates him from me is that.......he fought in the '68 VC Tet Offensive, the highest loss of life of American fighting men in the history of the Viet Nam era......and the turning point in the politics that until then was effectively masquerading the achievement, or lack thereof, of our fighting forces there.

Having been raised by a WWII Bronze Star/Purple Heart decorated, combat-inflicted double amputee; I never cease to be amazed when I encounter others, at any age in their lives, who have transcended what they have been through. Let's call it "Hell-On-Earth"......; and now they find a way to vacation in Hawai`i, with smiles to share with strangers.

---***---

102.85 total miles walked after today's portion is factored in...and still have 80 some pix/video to edit/comment and add to today's post...

Day 7, 16 Nov 2010

2010-11-16T05:46:00.033-10:00

...9.21 miles from Camp Mokule`ia to Yokohama Bay Beach Park...

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

---***---

Here's just a sample of the 119 pix/video I have to choose from to finish the Day 7 post....

1st 2

2nd 2

3rd 2

4th 2

9th pix

Because of my former backpacking/hiking/camping days; the "Ka`ena Point Shuffle" remains my favorite day of the 10-day "Walk the Talk" event. These 9 shots just give you a hint of what the passage entails.

---***---

87.13 total miles walked after today's portion is factored in...will have another 100+ pix and lots of story telling to write and add later to this post.

Day 6, 15 Nov 2010

2010-11-15T03:57:00.012-10:00

...11.16 miles from Waimea Bay to Camp Mokule`ia...

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

only got 60 some shots to choose from today...
...creative juices are coagulating.

Here, Utu is portraying the classic study of a surfer who stands at the water's edge moments before doing his Jesus thing....you know, 'walking on water'....and then when 'He' has figured out how the wave is breaking that day, whether he wants to ride it to the left or right knowing where the reef is hiding ready to take his life....and having his 'stick' all "sex-waxed" up...he,...'He'..., paddles out to start his day of creating memories that a film producer/writer will one day turn into the next "North Shore."

One thing, Utu....., where's ur stick?

---***---

77.92 total miles walked after today's portion....still got gobs of pix to consider adding to today's post.

Day 5, 14 Nov 2010

2010-11-14T23:55:00.003-10:00

...15.29 miles from Hau`ula to Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Waimea...

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

This is Pastor Luke...

...he's the head of the "Church Without Walls" ministry that housed us and the incredible concert we experienced yesterday. Here he is, 'standing' watch at the opposite end of the 'shelter' where 'church', and the 'concert', and the meals and where I slept last night is/was all housed...only in paradise.

66.76 total miles walked after today's portion....still got almost a hunded more pix to consider adding to today's post.

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Day 4, 13 Nov 2010

2010-11-13T00:21:00.017-10:00

...15.07 miles from Kahalu`u to Hau`ula Beach Park...

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

...and...a big shenanigan hapnen' at Hau`ula Beach Park beginning about Noon today....6 to 7 acts including but not limited to...

The Royal Hawaiian Band at Noon I'm told...

Makana at 1pm...

Professor Ericson and his 'group' are one of the remaining 4 or 5 acts.

Most of this will be missed by the walkers...but I hope to be able to present some photographic evidence of this Hau`ula extravaganza.

.....almost pau:

...once again, I have almost a hundred more photos to chose from for today's post....and 10 videos...., but I will suffice tonight to merely get a shot or two up....the old "foot-in-the-door" routine, and prepare for tomorrow.

The lineup today was, indeed, The Royal Hawaiian Band first, followed by Makana with his incredible slack key styling.

Next was a guy named "Boogie" who's blues guitar and singing was fabulous.

The HPU anthropology professor with his "Poverty & Culture" class students in attendance today is apparently a closeted musician as well as he was next on stage with a Patrick Armitage as his drummer. Going by the monicker, "Topher," he spent most of the next hour playing his guitar in what he later described as ..."acoustic folk/rock with jazz and blues. You had to be there.

Finally, finishing up the afternoon's performances, a couple of youngsters, compared to me; Jeff and Shay, going by "TTYM" standing for "Talk To You Music," played a set of mostly personally written popular style rock music...but also played a little early Michael Jackson too.

---**---

I'll eventually be filtering audio/video taken of all of them but tonight only have the energy to shove a building wall art piece at you that really caught my eye...

In the first hour on the road today, we passed an art gallery, "Sunshine Arts Gallery," still in Kahalu`u that had it's south wall artistically presenting a coastal view familiar to all of us who live here.

On the right end of the painting is the familiar part, "Chinaman's Hat;" the knob of an island a few hundred yards off our east coast we saw earlier today, again, on the walk.

The artistic license this artist took with his/her rendering was......he/she feintly placed a chinaman's(?) head under the 'hat.'

Like Larry "The Cable Guy" would say, "That thar is funny!"....and well conceived.

Guhnit folkszzzzzzzzzzzzz.......................

(51.47 total miles walked after today's portion....still got gobs of pix to look at for today's post. )

Day 3, 12 Nov 2010

2010-11-12T00:56:00.023-10:00

...13.09 miles from Waimanalo to Kahalu`u United Methodist Church...

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

__***__

One of the challenges this year since 4 of the 10 nights have us with no accommodations in the neighborhood we walked into that day...we have to find our way back to our regular hole-in-a-ground for our night's recovery...and then...back the next morning for the 8am start of the next day's walk.

That had me up by 5am today to find my way to Alakea and Hotel to catch a #57 headed to Waimanalo by way of Kailua...for a 5:55am p/u!

I passed this sleeper on the Hotel Street side of the Hawai`i State Art Museum...

...and was looking down Alakea for the next #57 a good 10 minutes before it's scheduled arrival at 5:55am.

And there it was!

An hour later, I was at the corner of Saddle Road and Kalanianaole Highway....looking at the stated starting point along side Weinberg Village Transitional Housing complex...with a whole hour to kill!

___***___

36.4 total miles walked after today's portion....still over 70 photo's left to consider for today's post.

.

Day 2, 11 Nov 2010

2010-11-11T05:09:00.026-10:00

...10.8 miles from Aina Haina to Weinberg Village in Waimanalo...

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

--***--

4 pix panorama of Makapu`u Beach from just after passing the Makapu`u Beach overlook before it from the south shore approach.

--***--

A group of Punahou HS students, members of the "Luke Center for Public Service" group on campus, accompanied us today. Faculty overseeing this group and accompanying them today include Director Carrie Morgan with Chandra Peters and Cathy Kawahara-Ching.

--***--

HPU Professor Erickson's "Poverty & Culture" class students have been doing some weekly feeding at the "Next Step Shelter" and 5 of the days of this year's walk.

--***--

23.31 total miles walked after today's portion....still have over a hundred photo's to look at to consider for today's finished product...

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Day 1, 10 Nov 2010

2010-11-10T06:18:00.012-10:00

...12.51 miles to the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Aina Haina.

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

At 7am, Beretania is still lit by car lights....

...and Damien is looking wet.

Today, we're going to start the 6th annual "Walk the Talk" to bring an alternative view to how homelessness should be viewed...with over a hundred photos yet to consider...

2010 Walk the Talk

2010-11-09T21:35:00.012-10:00

The chronology begins this year sans the "Sleep in a Box" event that started everything off last year the night before the first days walk...

...the stage is set for an 8am start tomorrow from the state capitol, walking down Punchbowl toward the ocean. We then turn left onto Ala Moana Blvd, then right onto Kalakaua Avenue through Waikiki. We stay on the makai side of Kapiolani Park, Diamond Head, Kaimuki, Kahala, and Kalani Valley. Finally, just past Wailupe, the first day ends in Aina Haina.

Big changes this year.

No overnight stays in Aina Haina(Day 1),
Waimanalo(Day 2), Nanakuli(Day 8),
or Aiea(Day 9).

The financial crisis that we all are in is having a challenging affect on non-profits as well. The original mission of "Walk the Talk"......to take the alternative vision of bringing a caring awareness beyond a neighborhood or two to the entire island means......the "talking" that accompanies this 10 day affair has now a more challenging summit to aim for.

...pix and story to follow as this week and the post event moratorium allows...

History of H5

2010-11-05T21:34:00.131-10:00

The source for the writing of this history is primarily based on an interview with Utu in December 2003, and a follow up interview conducted in October 2009...a few weeks before the 5th annual "Walk the Talk" that spawned this blog. Now follows the attempt to qualify this post as a definitive presentation...telling the story of the history of H5

It will be an attempt to create a time-line of H5 growth especially including the conception and development of the "Evans Project," the "Next Step Shelter Project," the "Walk the Talk," and an event, still in the creation phase of unknown name yet, that will involve a gathering of motor cycle riders who will be riding in support of the H5 mission.

The 2004 interview story starts with explaining how I met Utu in December 2003. The writing done then is enclosed in a pink background. The 2009 interview was an attempt to fill in the rest of the blanks as more history was revealed and is the source of most of the rest of the story.

Initially, this post will be a work in progress as entries and updates will be constantly subject to correction. I expect the finalization of this history to be a long work requiring at the very least several weeks to accomplish.

-----*****-----

1995...

The year(?) one of Utu's sons at either 4 or 5 years of age, at the time; saw the picture of a Sudanese child looking distraught with flies on his face(...detailed in the pink encased
"Feeding the Hungry" story shown in the 2004 entry...).

The picture implied the child was suffering and was used to urge the participation of church members by giving to the effort of the denomination to help the people of Sudan overcome their hardship.

1996...

Utu becomes convicted to return to a bus stop sleeper on Beretania Street...very late one night after a long hard day...to give up a blanket.

This was the seed that generated the creation of "H5", or "Hawai`i Helping the Hungry Have Hope" as the title for the local effort to spread the politically unpopular vision of understanding and advocacy for the homeless culture.

1997...

...no content yet....

1998...

...no content yet....

1999...

...no content yet....

2000...

...no content yet....

2001...

...no content yet....

2002...

...no content yet....

2003...

Final paper work processed to recognize the non-profit status and foodbank account of H5.

2004...
Originally solicited as a writing assignment in late 2003 supposedly as content for an article to be published in "Street Beat" a locally published hard copy monthly newspaper that describes itself as "News for and by Hawaii's people without housing."

I was originally told it was going to be one of a series of articles by various writers featuring the efforts of local people reaching out to local people. The article remains in the rough form as submitted to the Street Beat Editor in 2004 even including notes by me to the editor.

While being told, "this is good," in regard to the submitted first draft, by the then editor/publisher of the paper; it was never published in any issue of the paper.

It spent the next 6 years discreetly published on my University of Hawai`i provided domain obtained during a brief student status there. The non-active student domain access was taken away in the past year or so. This article today now returns to ether access for the first time in about a year.

The article was so appreciated when first seen in 2004 by the webmaster of the First United Methodist Church of Honolulu's H5 page...

H-5 Hawai`i Helping the Hungry Have Hope H-5

...that he linked to it for all these years later at it's UH domain, even now, though the url source no longer exists.

This interview of Siuea Utuloa Langi was conducted at First United Methodist Church of Honolulu on 16 December 2003.

Feeding the Hungry

One of the most ambitious outreaches to feed the homeless on O`ahu is the First United Methodist Church of Honolulu. Through a ministry entitled "H5," aka, "Hawai`i Helping the Hungry Have Hope"; they meet at 8 different times and locations...(**see listing of times and places elsewhere in this issue**)...on four days of each week to offer prepared meals to those who would approach. H5 was founded in 1997 by Siuea Utuloa Langi, known to all as "Utu", and he continues to direct this effort.

"The inspiration for the beginning of this ministry came as my two sons, age 4 and 5 then, saw a newspaper picture of a little boy appearing hungry. One asked me, 'Dad, what's wrong with that kid?'"

"I answered, 'Well, he's hungry.'"

"The picture was in profile with the young child looking off to the side. My son continued, 'Dad, who is he looking at?'"

"The question still stays with me to this day. Here I am, I have two sons. When they are hungry, they come look for me because it's time to eat. This boy in the picture, I don't know if he has anybody to look at when he is hungry. Obviously not, flies appear to be sitting on his face and around his eyes."

"The picture was of a boy in Sudan. Back in 1997 there was a famine going on in Sudan. We joined with other Methodist churches around the country collecting $1,300 from our congregation and sent it to UMCOR(United Methodist Committee On Relief) with a note that this was to be used to send food to Sudan. UMCOR is like the big 'Red Cross' of the Methodist Church."

"That's how we started. The idea of 'H5' as the title came from seeing the new, back then, H-3 connecting the south shore to the east shore of O`ahu. Like H-3, H5's mission is to create a bridge. One from those with an ability to give, to those in need."

"Our mission is to meet a physical need with the hope that we can then reach them at their spiritual need. You notice we don't preach to them at these outreaches, but we continue the work and reach out as lead by the spirit."

"The initial outreach to Sudan set the stage to continue with a local focus." The sobering experience of becoming aware of and then reaching out to the need in Sudan caused me to begin to look closer to home."

"One night, very late, sometime after this first outreach; I was coming home from work and was about to pass the Foodland on Beretania. The traffic light right there by that cross walk and bus stop turned red. I was all by myself, in the middle of the night, in my pick-up truck. I looked over to the bus stop benches and there was a guy laying there, with his knees up to his chin, trying to sleep on the bench."

"In the back of my pick-up I had a blanket I used to cover my tools with. I continued on my way to the freeway on-ramp by Pi`ikoi St. troubled by the fact that here I was confronting an opportunity to reach out and meet a physical need, do the 'Jesus' thing, but eager to get home to Makakilo from a long, hard work shift. I debated till I got to Kinau St. still heading toward the freeway to get home before I realized that I got to go do this 'thing'. I turned around, drove back to that bus stop, got out of the truck with that blanket and walked up to the guy. I kind of tapped him on the feet and said, 'Do you need a blanket?'"

"He didn't say anything but the way that he looked at me was all that I needed to see. I left him covered by the blanket and cried all the way back home. The next Sunday, I find my way back up to the front of the church asking the congregation for blankets. I got 22 that first time. So now I'm wandering around with just blankets only to find out, some of these receiving blankets are asking for food. They've been going to bed cold AND hungry. We learn as we go. So we began making food. That's how we've been doing it the past 6 years. We had soup and stuff and blankets and towards the end of the year we go cruising around to find people to give to and tell them the Lord loves them."

"Only this past year has there been an explosion in the numbers of homeless that we've been feeding."

--**Recent media reports have addressed the current explosive growth in homelessness. Since 1999, according to some government agency observations, homelessness in Hawai`i has appeared to have doubled . This rate of growth has been evident on all the islands, the largest raw numbers, of course, here on O`ahu. I can dig up and cite the dates of Honolulu Advertiser stories**--

Utu's experience confirms this observation of explosive growth amongst the culture of the homeless.

"Waikiki is our biggest outreach but all our locations show huge increases in numbers, especially at the end of the month just before many receive allotments that come at the beginning of each month. Early in the month maybe 50 or 60 will show up for a meal that we will serve but that will increase to over 200 at our servings the last week of the month."

When asked about the source for the food H5 uses for these meals, he says that the church has a food bank that is supplied both by parishoners and from the Hawai`i Food bank. "Our food bank is open 5 days a week, some days from 2-4pm, others from 9am to Noon or so."

He also says that First United Methodist has a very limited ability to provide temporary housing for some.

"If it were up to me, I would open up this church for people to come and sleep in but we don't have the resources. My ultimate goal is to get a place that I can open up to people and people can come in and get out of the rain, especially this time of the year, and get something to eat. If you show up at 12 o'clock and you are hungry, we'll be able to say 'hey, here is some food for you,' not like some places that open up at some time and shut down at some time. I understand the logic that people have to sleep. But, you know, hunger doesn't sleep, itself. So I'm looking at that and that's what I want to do. If ever one day the Lord provide me, I would have a place to do that, and a place for them to come and wash their clothes,...a place to take a shower."

The recent change in policy for the Central YMCA to double their one-day membership fees to $20 has been seen by some to be a direct attack on the homeless who would be willing to pay the $10 just for the privilege of having a warm shower and a place to change clothes. Utu agreed that "it's a shame" that a supposed christian organization would have this attitude. "Right now we don't have the ability to provide showers to those who would have this need."

Speaking of other outreach they are involved in, "Right now we have a daily devotional at 8am where we have at least 10-12, sometimes as few as 4, who are without housing who meet week days."

First United Methodist is not alone in their effort. They have enjoyed collaboration with Pastor Paul Kamanu who is leading the service that follows with one of the meals H5 provides food for each week. Another group that has been involved is Waipahu Assembly of God. "One of the guys who provided our food for several months is a muslim." But the need is great, there is room for others and other groups to become involved.

If you want to join Mr. Langi's effort, call First United Methodist Church of Honolulu at 522.9565 and leave a message for Utu.

When asked if he was ever homeless, Utu tells where his awareness came from.

"I was a troubled kid when I was 13. I left Tonga when I was 19. I was homeless most of the time from 13 to 19. Some of the kids that I befriended in Tonga were poor kids you know, they come form the neighboring islands so I used to bring them home and feed them whatever we had because I view myself and my home as having more than these kids and of course we did. My Mom and Dad didn't really like that. In a way, I was very rebellious, so I spent most of the time sleeping in abandoned buildings and fields with these kids and we kinda goofed off this way. "

Utu moved to the United States from Tonga in 1988 and lived in San Francisco for 2 years. He both married Samiana and moved to Hawai`i in 1990. She was born in Tonga, raised in Fiji and Hawai`i. They have two sons, Maika and Siuea, and a daughter Teresa.

He's been a member of First United Methodist Church of Honolulu since 1992.

2005...

...1st "Walk the Talk"

2006...
...2nd annual "Walk the Talk"

In a blatant attempt to harass the homeless but pathetic failure to address the problem of homelessness, the then Mayor of Honolulu, Mufi Hannemann, has Utu and 3 others arrested for attempting to use their US Constitution granted rights to publicly protest this injustice.

The resultant ACLU law suit against the City and County of Honolulu and "un-named individuals" did justify the rights of the protesters violated by Honolulu C&C government action but fell way short in the penalty amount assessed to be paid to these violated citizens.

Governor Linda Lingle, on the other hand, has to this day been the only leader in any government move at any level to address the problem and not continue to harass those who suffer because of the problem of homelessness. She approached the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, talked them into providing access to their property in the makai area of Kaka`ako....and knowing the background of Utu and his efforts through H5 in the decade of it's existence on O`ahu....hired him to be it's Executive Director....and for him to even name it. Thus the genesis of the "Next Step Shelter Project."

As a result of the ongoing success of the "Next Step Shelter Project," the die was cast for the creation of 5 other shelters on this island....all continuing to make some inroad into the explosion of homelessness on the island.

2007...

...3th annual "Walk the Talk"

2008...

...4th annual "Walk the Talk"

2009...

...5th annual "Walk the Talk"

2010...

...6th annual "Walk the Talk"

2011...

...7th annual "Walk the Talk"

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Ka`ena Point Recon Mission!

2010-10-30T22:40:00.233-10:00

5am Saturday morning, 29 October:
8 days into repairing the recovered Quasar....the brake and derailleur cables and most of the drive chain are unfrozen from very thick, heavily encrusted rust. This temporary seat post is too short but so was the last one that didn't get returned with the stolen, now recovered, bike. The new-to-me used seat given to me in empathy by Atwood at McCully Bike Shop reminds me of the one still stolen. The severed security cable that the thief showed me is no longer acceptable for proper bicycle security....has been replaced with 2 very expensive "OnGuard" brand, half inch thick "ultra hardened steel shackles", model #s 5009 BULLDOG LS and 5010 BULLDOG STD that the salesman seemed to think will improve my chances to keep the bike from theft in the future....we'll see, I guess.

But now, it's time for the first long ride to see what else needs attention in the recovery effort....

Hey...how 'bout ridin' Ka'ena Point?

What good is a mountain bike if you don't take it off-road once in a while?

Day 7 of last year's walk was the most memorable day of the 10 for me as I got a chance to return to what many years ago was one of my favorite past times when ever I had a few days to a week or so to waste away strapped to a back pack for hiking and camping excursions.

Bus schedules showed the proper choices to make, I bottled up 4 liters of water, and quickly assembled what I thought would get me through what might be an hour or so on each bus ride coming and going...and maybe 4 hours or so on...or in...the saddle...or perhaps walking.

Ka`ena Point access and perimiter trails can take an old man off his pedals here and there when the rocks, bumps, and holes....and possible vertical drops....make one think riding isn't everything.

So...off I go!

I trundle down to the Punchbowl and Beretania Street's bus stop seen here where you see this #1. This should be the closest stop to flag a #52 circle-island, Hale`iwa bound unit that the next one should be showing up about 7:46am....if it's not late.

My #52 pulled up about 10 minutes later....only about 3 minutes late!

Life is good!

Still looks pretty overcast out there already north of Wahiawa(left shot). Also just barely caught the end of a rainbow(right shot).

Raindrops were on the windows all the way to Hale`iwa and I hadn't thought of packing the disposable rain top I'd gotten from the Walk the Talk staff last year and never threw out......and was beginning to wonder if not bringing it today might prove to be a problem...?

Both coming and going, the bus ride in and out of the city to Hale`iwa and from the far end of Makaha was almost an hour and a half both ways. Lotta stops in Wahiawa/Mililani going north and after the complete Waianae coast, Kapolei was also packed in before all the stops on Dillingham Blvd back through Kallihi.

I got out the far end of Hale`iwa at the Beach Park where I could "freshen up" at the lua...but also while there, caught these 4 paddle boarders, 1 ocean going kayak,.....and a harbor marker buoy.

It's about 10am on a Saturday morning in late October...

...and Hale`iwa looks deserted.

I started into town and had to make my first stop to picture this famous bridge that you don't have to be an O`ahu resident...or even a Hawaiian resident to recognize if you remember the 1987 movie, "North Shore" filmed on this north shore with Nia Peeples in her breakout role and a whole bunch of locals including surfers Gerry Lopez playing a role but also as extras, Shaun Tomson, Hans Hedemann, Derek Ho, Mark Foo, Ken Bradshaw, Mike Latonic and many others....memories.

Joe's was a Chart House 'bout a decade ago or so.

Now we got some bridge traffic...

...'n a few people at Matsumoto's too.

Utu splurge on us here last year and we all got a cone of the famous Matsumoto's Shave Ice.

What a treat!

We spent the night here at the end of Day 6 last year...

...right across the road from the sky diver businesses.

I grabbed the camera as one was coming in...but by the time I got it focused, he/she was on the ground.

You can see the chute on either side of but behind the middle phone pole.

A panorama of Waianae Ridge from Mokule`ia

This is what you end up with when you see a panorama that inspires you...and all you have to shoot the 4 side-by-side shots with is a 5 Mega Pixel Canon Elf.

The north and west shores of O`ahu as you've never seen them.

Ka`ena Point as seen from relatively low altitude,apparently shot

from one of the aircraft this business flies off this end of Dillingham Air Field...

...a photo posted on the wall in the sun shelter

where tourists gather to await their turn to ride in a glider.

This is the last stop at a business on the north shore as I approach the trail head...one of the 3 glider/plane businesses on the west end of Dillingham Air Field. I first walked....or would you believe rode my then bike up from Makakilo into here in the Fall of 1975 at the very beginning of my 35 years living in Hawai`i. In a couple of consecutive weeks, I logged my first...and last...hour and a half of glider pilot training. The first job I got hired at in Hawai`i immediately sent me to Maui where I lived the next 20 years...effectively ending my glider pilot training.

While that appears to be a fishing pole stuck in the beach sand on the right......I'm expecting very little meeting of humanity for the next several hours as I now begin to move down the last mile of pavement...

...to where the Ka`ena Point State Park perimeter trail begins...

...right there it is--->

...and here is the beginning of the trail.

I was able to peddle this first rise...that is accompanied by phone/power lines that feed up the rise to the state park that runs along the top of the Waianae Ridge

Here, the power lines continue adjacent to the 4-wheel drive trail while the surface is still relatively tolerable for an old biker

The better part of a half mile later, I face back down the coast to take this one to show that I just passed about 2 dozen Kamehameha School Intermediate School kids on an in-and-out day hike.

So much for missing the 'meeting of humanity.'

This is also where the power lines stop following the perimeter trail and head up the slope to the ridge in the state park.

Most graveyards I've seen show efforts to remember their predecessors with sentiment rather than "keep out" signs

This still looks pretty smooth but the rocks, bumps, and divots seem more profound this year and I spent at least half my time walking the bike as I made the final approach to the bird sanctuary.

The statewide ambient dry weather we've been plagued with for at least a year or so now has a lot of the remote growth looking very gray.

This apparent 'agency(?) managed' effort that I can neither verify nor describe at least has a thickened green base to accompany it's very lean trunk stems that rise about 20 feet or so.

Finally! The entrance to the Bird Sanctuary

This is where the automotive vehicle presence ends as I poke my bike and body through the square hole.

That blue sign you see to the right of the entrance puka...

...obviously speaks to sanctuary violations here

and on Kauai in the recent past.

While I didn't see any today...,
these are shots of a shearwater and an albatross...

<--- I saw this shearwater...

...and this albatross...--->

...on last years trek through the sanctuary.

I saw a handful of stilts scurrying on the trail as I approached the sanctuary on this recon run......but they were too quick for me. By the time the camera was in front of my face, they were gone. I'll be shocked if I don't see any shears or albatross'es on the walk this year when I'll be taking more time to see the "sights."

The sign above tells of the trail restrictions inside the sanctuary.

The iron posts holding the lines on either side of the trail during the passage through the entire bird sanctuary tell you to...

...stay on the trail on behalf of the birds.

Still just inside the sanctuary, we're really close to the shore break now. It's been a really strong trade wind blowing today with intermittent whipping drizzle. I'm hoping the ridge will protect me from it as I run down the west coast after the turn at the Point.

But I gotta show you what it felt like being there with this 1 minute video....

(...unable to load video...)

Hey....who did 'dis....?

I pulled up at the base of the Point on the west side...the beginning of the southern leg...and propped my steed against the sign that tells of the non-avian specie that also frequents the coast of this sanctuary....the Hawaiian Monk Seal...and then climbed the soft sand to the last elevation before the Point disappears into the ocean...

...where the last vestige of what ocean navigators used to call a "Light House," that till this day, ships at sea still sight/track to make sure they are in the right place as they pass by this intersection of ocean currents...and island channel passages.

From this elevation...looking off into the northwest...past the tour guide sign...shows where the Point disappears into the ocean...

...while turning 180° to the southeast, the beginning of the north end of the Waianae Range begins it's climb to then drop to the top of Makakilo/Kapolei on the south end.

Taking a gander slightly to the right of that, you can see my bike still propped against the Monk Seal sign awaiting my return to begin the southern leg...

...but then a zoom in reveals....

...the beach at Yokohama Bay where the pavement will return to ease my final assault to reach the first bus stop at the top of Makaha to await the next "C" unit to get me back to civilization.

I'm still packing lots of energy and have only consumed about half the 4 liters of water I packed for this run...but the presumed time commitment needed to accomplish today's task has been increased by about 50%....that will test my remaining energy.

I need to press on.

About 30-40 minutes later, I come out from behind this sign marking the southern entrance to the sanctuary from the west side.

From now on, one need not worry about wandering off the trail in violation of the laws made to protect the birds inside the sanctuary.

***---***

As I continue to publish this almost 2 days after the effort, I now begin to realize that I should have taken a few more approach pix to show this gulch crossing that is probably the most dangerous moment of the 10-day walk.

Dead Man's Gulch!

Dead Man's Gulch is my nomenclature to stress the possible risks to avoid here. This is where Utu guards and ensures that everyone get's past safely.

After he hand delivered me...and my bike....last year, and continued to ensure that everyone else also safely passed here, I wandered up slope about 20-30 feet on both sides of this deteriorating collapse and discovered a much safer passage.

There is still risk up above but it is much less than keeping on the main trail that requires walking that plank and climbing over big rocks to pass here. I could not have safely passed here by myself with my bike...but did up above today having to lay the bike down twice, scrambling around it, and then picking it up on the other side of the scramble.

As I said above, I wish I'd taken a couple/3 more pix showing how to approach this upper level on the mauka side of the trail just north of this gulch...

...but where you see the big rock on the trail about 20 yards before this gulch, you will also see 2-3 areas on both sides of that rock where you can scramble up a body length or 2 and then see the narrow trail that will take you above the more dangerous passage where the 4"x8" plank about 10 feet long is.

***---***

This is where I layed the bike down the 1st of 2 times after I had passed beyond the center of the gulch...but still above the trail by maybe 12-15 feet.

This is what I saw to my upper right

and is where I approached from-->

<--That's the plank and is what I saw to my lower right while taking these 3 pix.

This is what I saw to my lower left and is where I went after I got over the bike and then picked it up to move back to the main trail.

I layed the bike down the 2nd time just before getting back down on to the main trail here. The passage was successful....and safely accomplished.

***---***

This the 1st of 2 trail narrowings beyond DMG where collapse is threatening.

The 2nd one is worse than this one but......I didn't take any pix there.

Neither of them is as threatening as DMG.

I'm starting to really tire now and am eager to get it over with for what would be an hour and a half bus ride back to downtown....so....only a few more pix now.

Yokohama Bay Beach Park looking straight off the guard stand...

...south to Makaha............................................................................and north toward the Point.

This is the 67 second sunset I recorded there at the end of Day 7 last year...

Now....where's that bus....?

(...closing comments to follow later...

...other things to do now.)

Stolen Bike Recovered

2010-10-22T11:37:00.029-10:00

Thursday, 21 October 2010:

Flash...!

My stolen bike...

...has been FOUND!

I no longer need a loaner for 2 weeks next month...

but now need major mechanical recovery
to restore the operational performance to my old bike...
...with 2.5 weeks left to do that!

More detail to eventually follow,

but right now am totally distracted
by this mechanical recovery mission.

Thank you, Lynn, for your timely discovery...

and thank you all for your expressions of support.

Let's have a GREAT walk next month!

The 2010 Walk the Talk

2010-10-11T10:38:00.134-10:00

For those interested in paging through the 5th Annual Walk the Talk
blog content that was published last year during the walk and in the
month after the walk, it continues to be documented in this blog.

Skip to the November and December 2009 entries in the "blog archive" you see to the right of this content.

***---***


Roz's Work(?) @ Mokule`ia

Monday, 11 October 2010:

Dear Sports Fans.....if you regard talking and walking as a sport...

In less than a month, H-5's 2010, 6th annual, "Walk the Talk" is going to get under way and while at this point, I'm relatively ignorant of all the behind the scenes preparation that I'm sure is going on...I have a hope to, once again, document the 11 days with this blog showing pictures and commentary I hope to generate on a daily basis from connections I hope to be able to make, once again, as the 'combat embedded reporter.'

Now that I've got a year under my belt blogging in general but also with a developed familiarity with the blogspot dot com utility and provider of the domain and server services for my publication efforts...plus a new air card provider that I hope will have a much stronger and more available access to remote signal reception, I'm hoping for a much quicker and more timely presentation.

But, as a homeless person my self, I also have other challenges that have to be overcome in order for me to even show up for this years event.

Paramount in this challenge...a lot of what I was able to obtain last year as content was due to the incredible mobility I had at my disposal covering each day's course effort hauling my technology on my back....while I pedaled my bicycle.

I now have a laptop that is disintegrating....but the biggest immediate problem I have is that my bicycle was stolen a couple months ago.

Without that mobility, my content will be greatly reduced this year. Those of you who have actually taken the time to view the entire 2009 event that is still published here on this site, please know that of the over 1,000 photos I took during those 11 days, more than 500 of them are also still on this site in those posts. Without a bike to ride for the week and a half of the 10 day walk this year, my content will be greatly reduced.

There is also the question of whether a 60-year-old man with a knee joint that an orthopedic surgeon is eager to replace can walk 130 miles in 10 days...with or without a laptop and associated paraphernalia in his backpack. That 2 week loaner bike would hold off that surgeon.

I would be eager to accept a loaner for a couple weeks that I could adjust to my size(I have the tools to do this), but would be willing to purchase your old, sitting-in-the-storage-room unit that you want to get rid of. Loaner or new-to-me freshly bought; I want a stump-jumper, T-handle-barred, knobby-tired unit that the frame is big enough for a 6'2" rider.

This picture that I took at the beginning of day 8 of last year's walk beside the Evans bus @ Yokohama Bay shows my stolen unit. I added all the identifying information on the right side of this image that I gave to HPD and about a dozen bike shops the day after the theft. This frame is a little small for me and I was real close to buying a longer seat post...but would be thrilled to be riding it today with either seat post......not to be.

***---***

Bike lament aside...

...for the time being and in the event I either walk or pedal next month, I am looking for lots more interface this year:

To see your comments in general.
To see your comments that respond to questions I post in my content like when I ask for the names of people that I show in posted pix.....or any other questions that I ask that you know, or think you know the answer(s) to.
Anyone who sees me photographing and asks that their name or picture not be taken or shown will be honored as such.
To see your comments that might fall under the category of "editor" that you think might improve my effort.
You have to choose a profile in order to submit a comment on the blog....you can see the drop down menu under the "post a comment" entry box. Choosing "anonymous" is perfectly acceptable.
Regardless of the profile you choose, all comments are screened before they are accepted and then displayed on site. I will try to have several screeners working so that your comments are as current as possible.
Just like last year, any of you who would like to be notified ONLY whenever I make major changes to this site and you don't want to engage the subscription utility provided by clicking the "Follow" link you see on the navigation bar at the very top of this page; send me an email saying as such. It is very easy for me to briefly describe the major change in that email and send it. I do minor editing touch ups frequently but will only email those on this list when I add pix or do major format changes. If you decide you want to be removed from this list, that will happen quickly when I receive your email requesting that.

***---***

While the main attempt for screening submitted comments is to keep all displayed content nice and clean. It will also attempt to keep controversy to a minimum.

While there is a political effort afoot on this island that attacks homeless people, but not the problem of homelessness, it will probably remain that any effort to address controversy with
anything presented on this site will not be allowed without
approval from people who oversee my effort.

***---***

Finally...find me a curb/stump jumping knobby tired bicycle that I can ride as well on trails through Ka`ena Point State Park as well as any street or alley on the island...

...if only for two weeks next month say from about November 6 through to the 20th.

I'll pay you compliments richly! (I'll pay cash if I buy the thing!)

***---***

Of course...if you miss the walk this year...

...you might miss what "the boys" got captured in when I saw the momentary presence of this rainbow as we trekked into the end of our 3rd day on the road last year at a Park(name?) in Kahalu`u.

Your choice, either be there...
...or see it here and lament your choice to watch from the side lines.

2009 Walk the Talk

2009-12-04T15:29:00.096-10:00

The above 26 are only a portion of the walkers and support staff who participated in the 11 days of the 2009 "Walk the Talk"....but they happened to be all those available for this "Graduating Class" photo taken at the beginning of the last day of the walk.

*****
The "Walk the Talk" was staged by the organization known as "H5" or "Hawai`i Helping the Hungry Have Hope."

This blog is one of the ongoing attempts to bring focus to the H5 mission and this annual event. It is hoped that a daily update by participants will be the minimal result of this blog effort.

This blog is also a learning exercise as it is my virgin effort in the blog environment in general. This effort, literally, was a virtual screaming, new-born baby in desperate need of attention; an exciting challenge that was ill-planned. Imagine what "Planned Parenthood" would have tried to talk me into?

*****

Monday, 14 June 2010:
The above introduction was written somewhere in December, 2009, a few weeks after my first *finished* publishing effort was released. There still seemed to be changes in how this blog was supposed to be 'negotiated' and thus I had inserted my own daily menu of links that I thought was going to be a part of the finished product. As of today, I've finally removed all my menues of links as the "blog archive" in the right column seems to have settled down to a sense of predictability....and the blog utility itself will no longer screw with my menues as a result.

The claim of abuse of blog technology probably still stands as I've never seen a blog take hundreds of photos, more than 500 of the over 1,000 actual shots taken for the 11 days, and created what I still claim is an un-coffee-tabled coffee table book.

Yet, this un-restricted use has allowed me to present evidence of one of the foremost events on O`ahu that attempts to shine a light of understanding and perhaps appreciation to the dilemma of homelessness on this island...the rest of the state...and perhaps the country.

*****

The chronology continues with "Sleep in a Box"...
Now, continue by going to the right column and under "blog archive," click on "November(11) link to open up the list of daily entries and work your way up from the bottom of that list starting with "SiaB, 10 Nov."

If the "Day10, 20Nov" entitled notes appear below, save them for last...

*****

Day 10, 20Nov 2009

2009-11-16T03:03:00.214-10:00

...9.91 miles from Aiea to the Hawai`i State Capitol.

Today is the finale.

There is a feeling of excitement as the question of being able to accomplish the physical challenge of the ten-day effort is all but gone. We did it!...well.., almost. Only today's task remains. No longer does any doubt appear to challenge the accomplishment of today's final effort. And at just under 10 miles, its the second shortest day of the ten legs.

Plus, there is a rally at the capitol being staged that is a part of the broader commitment of the consortium of agencies that H5 is a part of that are coming together to not just acknowledge our finish; but to acknowledge the annual National Homeless Awareness celebration that for several years now has been growing in it's presence here in Hawai`i every November.

Apparently, Utu's morning sendoff has everyone's attention............except mine...

[Day_10.01-04]

[Day_10.05]...but we both made the "Class" picture...as if we'd all graduated already.
I'm hard to see tucked behind Uncle Robert's white ball cap. I was trying to get Marlani to show her smiling face. I was unsuccessful and in my distracted effort, ended up showing only the back side of my ball cap.

Sheesh! Oh well.

A few still haven't left to begin today's walk...

[Day_10.06]

...while one warrior binds his wounds before he enters the battle.

[Day_10.07]

We work our way around the mauka side of the Aiea UMC back on to Kam Hwy but side step up Salt Lake Blvd and down Bougainville Drive to Nimitz Hwy to utilize a safer walking venue.

Pete and Tom moving up Bougainville Drive approach Lawehana intersection...

[Day_10.08]

...while "the boys" pass the Radford Drive intersection in front of the NEX(Navy Exchange) Mall of the Pacific about a block ahead.

[Day_10.09]

The gang of MIke, Kenny, (???), Kaui(?), Keith, and Ivan are visible as they approach the end of the Bougainville Drive stretch.

Gene must be blocked from view behind Kaui...but I can't figure out who that is back about 30-40 yards behind this group...?

[Day_10.10]

I'm guessing that's at least Kaui on the right and Uncle Robert on the left as we walk among the big trees in the concrete jungle of Nimitz Hwy.

[Day_10.11]

There's about a half-dozen unidentifiable yellow shirts working their way past the airport area.

[Day_10.12]

Uncle Robert and (???) are looking forward to the evening's rally, but they look like they could go another 10 days.

[Day_10.13]

I have to remind myself that 10 days ago, Tom had serious doubts as to his ability to get a day or two of this effort accomplished. But he seems to have gotten stronger as the days progressed. He and Pete have have been constantly kicking each other on to each day's finish line.

[Day_10.14]

Lynn is with us again today. Here she paces Gary past the Honolulu Airport Hotel.

[Day_10.15]

This is the first day I've seen Noelle walking. Here, she keeps her Dad company.

Suzy is apparently taking the day off from the support staff to walk with rest of us.

[Day_10.16]

We reach the end of the airport viaduct and emerge into the sunlight just before...

[Day_10.17]

...Sand Island Access Road where Tom and Pete cross between a couple of trucks accessing the light industrial area...

[Day_10.18]

...and immediately join Uncle Robert and (???) taking a break at the 'comfort station' provided by theBus.

[Day_10.19]

The rest of Nimitz Hwy was pretty boring...but the last couple hundred yards before A`ala Park excited Gene and Mike walking with Kaui, Keith, and Ivan...

[Day_10.20]

...who continue to engage King Street drivers while they wait for the light to change.

[Day_10.21]

Keith and Kaui volunteer to help Cece, Arlene, Roz, Samiana, and (???) haul supplies over to the lunch break site.

[Day_10.22]

Noelle helps too.

[Day_10.23]

The signs are up...

[Day_10.24]

...the canvas is deployed and the food prepared...

[Day_10.25]

...as we settle in for a few hours of rest.

[Day_10.26]

In addition to the remaining walkers who have come out today, all who have participated in any way in the previous nine days are encouraged to join us for the final few blocks as we join the broader celebration being staged by the "Partners in Care" consortium. The rally on the capitol grounds will culminate the local effort to acknowledge the annual November national "Homelessness Awareness" that is the inspiration for this day's event.

But first...

...Roz and(???) jam a couple of motorcyle ornaments into the top of an anniversary cake to recognize...

[Day_10.27]

...the (???)th anniversary of Utu and Samiana.

[Day_10.28]

Noelle, and (???) do a good job of tolerating Uncle Ben's nosey shutter button.

[Day_10.29]

About 4pm, we break camp...

[Day_10.30]

...to load the vans one last time.

[Day_10.31]

We're looking to draw a lot of attention in the Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic...

[Day_10.32]

...so the signs will now be prominently displayed as we walk these final steps to the capitol.

[Day_10.33]

Because the consortium of agencies, that H5 is a part of, is the focus of the rally at the capitol; Utu ceremonially ends the "Walk..." here with a recognition of many individuals, walkers and volunteers, by words of appreciation and a lot of leis.

[Day_10.34]

As we begin to move out of the A`ala Park parking lot...

[Day_10.35]

...I catch one last piece of evidence of the culture we've spent the last week and a half trying to be mindful of in the sense of bringing not just an awareness but a new understanding and regard for.

[Day_10.36]

The "Walk the Talk"..ers have become a crowd on this last day as we make the final approach to the capitol grounds.

...[Day_ 10.37]...[Day_ 10.38].....[Day_ 10.39]........[Day_ 10.40]...

..[Day_ 10.41].......[Day_ 10.42].......[Day_ 10.43].....[Day_ 10.44].

[Day_ 10.45].....[Day_ 10.46].......[Day_ 10.47]........[Day_ 10.48]...

...[Day_ 10.49].......[Day_ 10.50].......[Day_ 10.51]...

Utu walks with (???) the Director[title?] of (???)

[Day_10.52]

I didn't see any tv cameras today, but for several hours this Friday afternoon, the heaviest afternoon rush-hour traffic of any work week, these hundreds of rally attenders were visisble and audible to a few thousand commuters. The rush-hour traffic on Beretania Street got an unexpected eye/ear-full.

These six are wide shots of the hundreds of people at the rally before we arrived. They are representatives of the rest of the "Partners in Care" consortium member agencies.
.......[Day_10.53]................[Day_10.54]................[Day_10.55]......
.......[Day_10.56]................[Day_10.57]................[Day_10.58]......
These eleven shots are individuals
from among those hundreds shown above.
...[Day_ 10.59]...[Day_ 10.60].....[Day_ 10.61]........[Day_ 10.62]...
...[Day_ 10.63]......[Day_ 10.64]........[Day_ 10.65]........[Day_ 10.66]...

[Day_ 10.67]....[Day_ 10.68].......[Day_ 10.69]....

The well-known Father Damien statue watches the festivities unmoved...

[Day_ 10.70]

[Day_ 10.71]In the foyer behind the Damien statute was a constant presence of performers singing all afternoon and evening. I think they were mostly church groups.

Was this the
Assembly of God group from somewhere out the east end of the south shore?

During this group's time on stage, the lion's share of those in attendance were among the hundreds holding signs/banners and waving at the traffic on Beretania Street so while very few came up to focus on these performing here, they were very good. They were well-accompanied and presented a strong vocal blend of voices especially.

Besides all the WtT shirts, this was the other prominent design that was being worn by many today.

[Day_ 10.72]

It's also very "fitting" that so many kids are wearing these shirts as a sizeable percentage of the homeless culture are school-aged children(??? 1/3 ???).

[Day_ 10.73]

*****After eleven days, these new relationships that have been created through the sudden immersion of constant day-long/night-long encounters are now going to separate as we all go back to our "regular" routines.

These new relationships were not just as fellow hikers. We'd became room/bunk mates each night, and fellow dinner guests for every meal as well. We engaged each other as family learning to appreciate, encourage, tolerate, instigate, invigorate, captivate, attempt to captivate, irritate, nag....., to the point some of us, we think we know each other better now than we know ourselves.

There's a seed of genesis here.*****

Keith, Tom, and Pete show me that they know how to actually sit down...after ten days of walking.

[Day_ 10.74]

That's Ivan with his wife...and Gene.

[Day_ 10.75]

Keith says "hi" to Winnie.

She had to take a break on the 18-mile Day 9...but she couldn't miss being here with us today.

[Day_ 10.76]

Mike talks with UTu sitting
on the base of the Damien statue.

Steve and Suzy look on.

[Day_ 10.77]

Denzie kicks back while Steve, Suzy, Uncle Robert, and one other(???) drink in the ambience of the crowd.

[Day_ 10.78]

Kaui got a lot of autographs...
...and shows his appreciation to Samiana.

[Day_ 10.79]

Gosh! Who was this group?

[Day_ 10.80]

The sign waving and shouting must be done if rallyers are gathering around the performers' stage area.

[Day_ 10.81]

Justin is a new guy on staff at IHS. He's stumbled in the current economic times but is making a new start. He's been one of the few good staff experiences I've had in my time there.

[Day_ 10.82]

As the sun began to fade, the limitaions of my technology become incapacitating. I got these shots of the candle light vigil that show....once you weed out all the other sources of night light like street lights and such...you can sorta tell there were maybe a hundred or so holding candles...

...[Day_ 10.83].......[Day_ 10.84].......[Day_ 10.85].......[Day_ 10.86]...

...[Day_ 10.87]......[Day_ 10.88].........[Day_ 10.89]........[Day_ 10.90]...

...[Day_ 10.91]........[Day_ 10.92]........[Day_ 10.93]........but it was a short-lived vigil as there was a late meal served that was scrumptuous...that didn't photograph well in the darkness...

*****...and then these four gals came out and I swear to God, if I didn't know that Na Leo Pilimehana is a goup of three local girls who've been singing together since they were teenagers...for a quarter of a century plus now...I had to rub my eyes and look again because my ears couldn't believe these babes weren't them.

These girls did Na Leo Pilimehana as good as Nalani, Lehua, and Angela do. "Our Hawai`i" was so, so, fitting for the closing of the evening's celebration.

This is not a complete recording of their closing number but it's almost four minutes long.*****

[Day_ 10.94]
Who are they? What group/church do they represent?

*****

(...that's it...the 11 days are over.
To start from the beginning, go back to the "SiaB, 10Nov" link...)

Day 9, 19Nov 2009

2009-11-16T03:01:00.224-10:00

...17.95 miles from Nanakuli to Aiea United Methodist Church...

Last night and tonight were my first nights with an 'acceptable' signal to the ether that allowed me to get Day 7 up with substantial content...making the Day 7 post the FIRST post that I was almost satisfied with. But with 18 miles to cover today through some of the heaviest traffic on the island, today's challenge is going to more than just physical.

St Rita's gave us a great dinner last night and breakfast this am.

[Day_09.01]

Today's passage requires that we negotiate multi-lane streets and intersections, and get past on/off ramps leading to and from the most heavily traveled freeways, highways, byways, and streets on the island...

[Day_09.02]

...so Utu had to go graphical on us
to get the vision embraced.

[Day_09.03]

Nothing romantic about walking along side 4 lanes that are the only reasonable option for...everyone...who has to get in or out of the Waianae coast; or perhaps we're redefining romance.

Maybe it's appropriate for these walkers to talk about a concern that challenges the regard that some of the "haves" embrace concerning the "have nots".

Was it this "regard" that motivated Charles D'jou's recent attempt to criminalize homelessness?

Ugly traffic....ugly regard...we'll keep walking.

[Day_09.04]

With my late start, almost everyone was past Kahe power plant
by the time I approached.

[Day_09.05]

Beyond Kahe Point, there's Winnie and Gary and one other I can't identify on the far left top just about ready to disappear around the bend to the left.

[Day_09.06]

That might be Robert with one other(Suzy?) in the distance coming toward me walking beside the Makaha bound lanes.

[Day_09.07]

Kahe Point is one of the popular dive spots for the tourists because the warm effluent run-off from the power plant spawns a robust sea life.

Snorkeling here several years ago, I dove on a turtle(just to say, "hi"), that was easily two spread hands wide across its back.

[Day_09.08]

Winnie is still truckin' on...

[Day_09.09]

Just passing the Ihilani Resort turn-off...and I haven't a clue who those two are approaching...

[Day_09.10]

...but that's Tom and Pete with ??? out in front as they pass the Nanakai Gardens/Honokai Hale neighborhood...

[Day_09.11]

...and Kenny and someone hiding behind his hat just past that mark.

[Day_09.12]

This was an important turn not to miss.

H1 officially begins here as all traffic, going and coming, is on our right.

You can see Roz up ahead standing guard to make sure we stay on "old" Farrington Highway to the left as we zero in on Kapolei.

[Day_09.13]

There's a momentary peace as we pass, walking on the almost completely abandoned highway.

I am just about caught up to the leaders as that's Keith closest to me; and what appears to be Gene, Mike, and Ivan up in front.

[Day_09.14]

Those are the three musketeers
as they approach the
beginning of Kalaeloa Blvd...

[Day_09.15]

...and are greeted by Arlene, Denzie, and two others(?) with refreshment for them.

[Day_09.16]

A little while later, Robert and Suzy(?) approach while Utu sits in the tailgate shade for a moment of rest.

[Day_09.17]

Gene leads the boys off to a short, short-cut...

[Day_09.18]

...while Tom and Pete don't take the risk.

Explanation: The short-cut had an incredibly narrow sidewalk shoved up against a guard rail leaving walkers more vulnerable to possible vehicular indiscretion.

No one died today.

[Day_09.19]

This is the guard rail impinged sidewalk. It ran for the length of the H1 overpass.

[Day_09.20]

Winnie, Gary, and one other(?) coming down Kalaeloa to make the two lefts at Costco onto Kapolei Pkwy and Kamokila Blvd.

[Day_09.21]

That's Kenny and Moose(?) "J" walking on former cane haul road deep in former sugar cane producing land...now Farrington Highway in future 'second city' suburbia.

[Day_09.22]

In this ugly shot, you see Tom hard at work on today's 18-mile task...unaware that he has just visually passed the most recognized of Hawaiian geographic icons.

Through the Ewa haze, faintly visible is
Diamond Head Point.

[Day_09.23]

Still on the Kapolei end of the Ewa plane, these two were with us today but I'm not sure how many other if any other days.

Somebody tell me who they are...Kainui and Rita?

[Day_09.24]

Winnie met her match today
and hung it up at lunch.

She's a world traveler who has visited Europe many times and is set to go soon to see some sort of an epic christian theatre presentation in Denmark or Germany that is done only once every 10 years. This will happen during the Easter season this Spring.

Something tells me she'll be back to walk with us next year.

[Day_09.25]

Pete and Tom arrive at the lunch site that was staged just before Waipahu.

[Day_09.26]

Gary is hard to see on the left in this over-exposed shot also on the last steps before the lunch wagon.

[Day_09.27]

Roz and Arlene have some shade up as Gary and Suzy take part.

Curtis is hiding behind Arlene. Utu, Moose, and Winnie take nourishment.

[Day_09.28]

Curtis moves on after lunch. He plays a big part in providing IT support for the work of H5, and additionally for "Partners in Care," a consortium of agencies that include H5's efforts. He missed a few days to "take care of business" but he also was challenged by the physical demands of this 'exercise' and fought to keep walking.

[Day_09.29]

"What?......bodder u?"

Just kidding...who knows what Moose was thinking?

[Day_09.30]

Now, we're back in the city as we enter the west end of Waipahu, the 'town' that sugar cane production built.

Pete and Tom appear still plugging away.

[Day_09.31]

For some reason, I'm convinced these two are Kainui and Rita.

This is the last of the 18 miles and their spirits don't appear to be waning.

[Day_09.32]

Kenny and Ivan are passing by Wai`awa Towers...or the towers in Wai`awa.
I don't know what the
name of the property is.

And this is where Farrington
turns into Kam Highway, right?...

[Day_09.33]

...and H2 heads north...

[Day_09.34]

...while H1 heads back to town.

[Day_09.35]

At this point, I think I was wearing out. I failed to take any more photos till arriving at the Aiea United Methodist Church, our night's lodging.

Steve, Suzy, and one other(?) are coming back to the church property after hanging one of the WtT signs out on Kam Highway so walkers won't miss the turn up Laulima St.

[Day_09.36]

I go back down to Kam Highway to catch Keith as he reaches the Laulima turn...

[Day_09.37]

...and watch him be the first to arrive today.

[Day_09.38]

This Heliconia reminds me
that I live in Hawai`i...

[Day_09.39]

...even if I have to search to the right of the AUMC stairway to find it.

[Day_09.40]

It looks like the
crew has arrived...

[Day_09.41]

...and a well-earned dinner is enjoyed...

[Day_09.42]

...by a group that will sleep deeply tonight having earned their day's rest.

[Day_09.43]

But first...!

It's a string assault on Denzie.

Her husband stands aside as she gets a substantial birthday portion of aerosol dispensed "string."

She wears it well.

And then Roz helps "untie" her.

[Day_09.44-46]

Tomorrow it comes to an end.

*****

Finally...go to "blog archive" in the right column
and click on "Day 10, 20 Nov" under the "November(11)" heading.

Day 8, 18Nov 2009

2009-11-16T02:58:00.275-10:00

...15.72 miles from Yokohama Bay to St Rita's Catholic Church in Nanakuli...

From the lodging and meal at Mokuleia and the Ka`ena State Park passage, to the sunset at Yokohama Bay; the last 36 hours have been the pinnacle of the mind-altering recreational experience of these past seven days.

But there's no time to loose. We still have 43 miles to cover in the next three days and we're about to pass through the most heavily homeless-affected area of the island, the Waianae coast.

Sunrise was pretty serene. That break off the lifeguard stand that had a few stalkers most of yesterday is now just an empty wave...'bout a 2-3 foot face. It was slightly bigger yesterday.

[Day_08.01]

Denzie, Robert, and Suzy are considering options while Kenny appears to have a cell signal.

I had a cell signal too(at&t) but my mobiPCS supposed broadband wireless internet service was AWOL.

[Day_08.02]

Breakfast is pretty much done as the tarp is being folded.

[Day_08.03]

The guy in the pink shirt tail hanging over his low-riders is either Nathan or Gavin from “The Gathering Place of Hope” who provided hospitality to our effort last night and this morning.

[Day_08.04]

We take a last glance at the VIP lodging that's just inside the USAF Satelite Tracking Station...

[Day_08.05]

… as we pass their guard shack...

[Day_08.06]

...and begin the 16 mile trek to St Rita's in Nanakuli where we will spend the night.

[Day_08.07]

That's Robert, Tom, and Pete passing by the mouth of Makua Valley...Kenny and someone(?) else are in front of them.

[Day_08.08]

The early morning shadows make it hard to tell but I think that's Keith moving away on the right side...

[Day_08.09]

...and here's Arlene running roving beverage support for the walkers...

[Day_08.10]

...just as Winnie(pink hat and knee brace) leads Tom(?hard to tell, Winnie's hat is blocking my view?), Gary, Pete, and Robert. I can't identify who's lagging but I don't think it's Moose as he and Naomi have missed a couple days not feeling up to the physical challenge.

[Day_08.11]

We were right across the road from Kanekana Cave, better known as Makua Cave. Arlene and Roz(?) decided to check it out.

[Day_08.12]

[Day_08.13]

Most of my shots were no good here...not enough light. This silhouette from inside the mouth of the cave worked, but I can't remember who those two are.

Arlene doning those catwoman ears in an attempt to sell me some 'bat cave' real estate...I mean...really!

Some people take their work way, way too seriously.

[Day_08.14]

[Day_08.15]

Where're the cowboys...?...or is this one of those “tourist” ranches, like Kualoa, where they helicoptor them in to ride horses trained to let 'em survive the ride while the locations where famous movie scenes were shot are pointed out to them....?...but I digress.

Winnie leads a group away from Makua Valley as we begin to pass one of the most profound evidences of homelessness on O`ahu.

[Day_08.16]

I mentioned at the top of this day's post that the Waianae coast is the most heavily homeless-affected area of the island. All the statistics I hear/see seem to be inconsistent and sometimes contradictory and at the moment, I'm unprepared to quote sources. But some or what's being spoken are that as many as 1,600 or more are directly affected by homelessness on this coast alone, so far from Waikiki...and that somewhere in the neighborhood of a third of the island's homeless are located here.

What I saw today told me that there are two areas that stand out on this coast. The Kea`au area just Ka`ena side of Makaha, and the Nanakuli area leading up to Kahe Point. To be sure, the homeless culture is not limited to these two areas. It is pervasive. But these two areas caught my.. ....camera's....attention.

The following stack of 28 photos show the Kea`au stretch. The shots that don't have WtT walkers in the foreground will be presented in reduced size that while you can click on them to enlarge, I was careful to not invade privacy, because...

I wanted to show the sense of the statistics pictorially
by way of the number of shots taken to show
what appear to be the homeless encamped in both areas.Of the next 8 large shots you see on the left, they all have Gene, Mike, and/or Ivan in the foreground except for one that has perhaps Keith and Kenny behind Ivan, though it's hard to tell.

[Day_08.17]...Gene and Mike.

[Day_ 08.26]

[Day_ 08.27]

[Day_08.18]...Ivan here.

[Day_ 08.28]

[Day_ 08.29]

[Day_08.19]d...Gene and Mike.

[Day_ 08.30]

[Day_ 08.31]

[Day_08.20]...Ivan.

[Day_ 08.32]

[Day_ 08.33]

[Day_08.21]...Gene and Mike...

[Day_ 08.34]

[Day_ 08.35]

[Day_08.22]...and again, the same two.

[Day_ 08.36]

[Day_ 08.37]

[Day_08.23]...Keith and Kenny behind Ivan...?

[Day_ 08.38]

[Day_ 08.39]

[Day_08.24]...and Ivan again.

[Day_ 08.40]

[Day_ 08.41]

[Day_08.25]

[Day_ 08.42]

[Day_ 08.43]

[Day_ 08.44]

She claimed she was waiting on "my(her) ride." I may have misunderstood her but she said she'd been living "on the beach" in this neighborhood for the last 15 years and worked "selling puka shells" to tourists somewhere in the near vicinity.

Just a little further beyond is where theBus "C-Country Express" turns around to head back into town...

...and also is pretty much where this
'village' of homelessness ends.

For about two miles, we got a passing eyeful of what some call their 'home'.

[Day_ 08.45]

Gary in his patented head-down posture is passing Kepuhi Point...

[Day_ 08.46]

...which is just makai of the first signs of multi-floor apartment achitecture as we continue to head south.

Is that Moose?...and Suzy behind...and maybe Robert behind her...

[Day_ 08.47]

...as Ivan and Keith reach the beginning of concrete sidewalk technology.

We're back in the city now...not quite.

[Day_ 08.48]

The Waianae Boat Harbor is just to our right as we arrive for lunch at the Waianae Regional Park area that is just mauka of Kawiwi stream. Gene and Mike gotta keep moving a little further on down yet.

[Day_ 08.49]

Shade in Waianae, thank God!

Let's eat.

[Day_ 08.50]

I finished lunch and got directions to the Lualualei land given to H5's use by the Office of Hawaiian Affais(OHA) because of H5's extensive service to homeless Hawaiians. I wanted to see what's happening with the investment of OHA in the H5 effort so off I went to take a peek.

On the way, as I was passing Leihoku Elementary School, I got distracted by their Flutophone Marching Band that was doing laps through their parking lot and the street fronting the school.

Have you ever played a flutophone? I played one for a few months when I was in the fourth grade. But I never marched in a flutophone marching band. Here's almost 70 seconds...

[Day_ 08.51]
Maybe we can get them to serenade us next year...?

Let's go to Nanakuli!

Winnie joined us for a couple/3 days or so and was in inspiration to see her out amongst walkers decades younger.

[Day_ 08.52]

Utu and Mac passing through Ma`ili.

[Day_ 08.53]

Kris, Robert,and Moose(?) dodging traffic...

[Day_ 08.54]

Oh, there's Lynn coming up on Kris and the gang with Kahe Point ridge in the distance.

[Day_ 08.55]

I caught Utu here
typically bringing up the rear.

[Day_ 08.56]

...and then...we hit the run of beach duwellers that stretch out toward Kahe Point. The following 35 photos that show no WtT walkers, as I did in the Kea`au shots above; will be presented in reduced size. This stretch of our "trail" may represent as much as five miles.

CAUTION!
If you don't expand these reduced size photos, either these or the Kea`au ones; you'll be reduced to thinking anything from "these are empty shots just showing landscape..." and "I don't see any homeless people..." to "I don't have time to individually explore all these shots," and I'd agree with the last statement.

'Overwhelmed' is the feeling I got as I passed by today and took these shots. None of these duplicate what is shown in other shots in these two groups of photos. The evidence shown tells me, there're a lot of people living in these...'residences.'

If my observation is valid and you get the same sense, than my mission was accomplished!
...[Day_ 08.57].......[Day_ 08.58].......[Day_ 08.59]........[Day_ 08.60]...

...[Day_ 08.61].......[Day_ 08.62].......[Day_ 08.63]........[Day_ 08.64]...

...[Day_ 08.65].......[Day_ 08.62].......[Day_ 08.67]........[Day_ 08.68]...

...[Day_ 08.69].......[Day_ 08.70].......[Day_ 08.71]........[Day_ 08.72]...

[Day_ 08.73][Day_ 08.74]
The residence with the flag pole caught my attention. The guy who lives there(how do I know it's a guy?) is a patriot and a vet. It's easy to see, if you zoom in, that he's flying an American Flag, the top one of the two flags. What is not apparent from this photo that I could see then but didn't notice that my photo didn't reveal was that the second flag is a black and white POW/MIA flag.
Here's an ex-GI property owner(?) who lives across the street from possibly hundreds of homeless shore-front duwellers within his eye sight and I'm curious if this obvious outspoken citizen also has strong convictions concerning these squatters...who are possibly causing a devaluation of his property because of their presence....? Hmm...

...[Day_ 08.75].......[Day_ 08.76].......[Day_ 08.77]........[Day_ 08.78]...

...no tents here, just Ivan walking by.

[Day_ 08.79].....[Day_ 08.80]......[Day_ 08.81]......[Day_ 08.82]

...[Day_ 08.83].......[Day_ 08.84].......[Day_ 08.85]........[Day_ 08.86]...

...[Day_ 08.87].......[Day_ 08.88].......[Day_ 08.89........[Day_ 08.90]...
This guy walked into the shot and began to quiz me. He swallowed the 'embedded blog reporter" bit and it seemed he didn't see me as a violation of his privacy. I told him what all of us in our yellow WtT t-shirts were up to. He acknowledged his living situation as being a part of all the people under various types of canopies we all saw that day on the ocean side of our path.
[Day_ 08.91]

I wanted to 'know' more but wasn't willing to test the line of privacy that I feel needs to be maintained.

Maybe next year...

...but right now, it's time to check into our night's lodging...

[Day_ 08.92]

...St. Rita's.

[Day_ 08.93]

I almost didn't get there in time to see the first arrivers.

I think that might be Gene almost past me with Mike right behind leading...

[Day_ 08.94]

...Lynn, Tom, and Keith with Pete and Kenny still on the sidewalk.

[Day_ 08.95]

Two more days till the finish line but tomorrow will be the longest distance of the 10 days, almost 18 miles. Some of us are going to be tested to our limit to get to Aiea.

*****

Now go to "blog archive" in the right column
and click on "Day 9, 19 Nov" under the "November(11)" heading.

Day 7, 17Nov 2009

2009-11-16T02:55:00.293-10:00

...9.21 miles from Camp Mokule`ia to Yokohama Bay Beach Park...

In 6 days, we've covered almost 80 miles and while muscles are aching, spirits are soaring for those of us who revel in the "natural" experience one encounters when you get to the end of the beaten path...where the maddening crowd stops, turns around and returns to civilization...but for some peace and the quietude one encounters in undeveloped nature...you decide to continue.

Today's nine miles will be the shortest leg of the ten days, but it will be the most physically challenging and visually stimulating as we hike off-road 4x4 vehicle and hiking trails instead of paved road sides and sidewalks. Indeed, there will be a short dangerous passage on the west side, but no tour bus/commuter traffic jams today, at least not the automotive technology type.

The majority of today will be spent within the confines of the Ka`ena Point State Park as we traverse the trail that connects the end of the pavement in Mokuleia to the end of the pavement on the extreme north end of Yokohama Bay Beach Park. We will, for the most part, be within a stone's throw of the ocean as we walk along the far west end of the north shore of O`ahu, take a left at the light house ruins/navigation aid on the point, and begin the southern pass back down the west coast of the island that runs along the makai side of the Waianae ridge that in 3 more days will have us walking back on to the state capitol grounds where we began this exercise back on the 11th.

The breakfasts provided by the H5 support staff have been top shelf, but the accommodations at the Camp Mokuleia Episcopal Camp and Conference Center Dining Hall were over the top.[Day_07.01]

The Fireplace took me back to almost 50-year old Boy Scout Summer Camp memories.
[Day_07.02]

There was the morning ritual of words from Utu...

[Day_07.03-05]

...then Day 7 walkers begin to challenge their foot wear...
[Day_07.06&07]...while the scenery continues to steal our attention from blisters and chafe.

[Day_07.08&09]

Robert and Kaui lead Gary and Suzy...

[Day_07.10]

...while Kimo and Cece standby with refreshment as Kenny, (???), Tom, (???), Pete, Ivan, Gene, and Mike pass by...and the group presses on to the last couple miles of pavement before the real fun begins.[Day_07.11]

Arlene leaves a Ho`okupu provided by Pat.[Day_07.12&13]

Kris and Marlani seem to enjoy the effort....[Day_07.14]

...while Utu is batting "clean up" again.

[Day_07.15]

[Day_07.16]

Then...

...as suddenly as it should be...

...the asphalt ends...

...and the 4x4 vehicle trail begins.

[Day_07.17]

[Day_07.18]
The new surface is a refreshing change from the previous 6 days/80 miles, but I got some catchin' up to do.

[Day_07.18a]
Sharon took this and sent it to me later. She caught me off the bike for a moment with Pete and Tom on the Ka`ena Point rounding trail.

But Pete, Tom, and I don't have to watch out for cars, trucks, and buses today...

...but these two, plus whoever belongs to that right leg, have joined us for today's walk and I wasn't nosey enough to find out who they are. Anybody you know?

[Day_07.19&20]

The motorized 4-wheeled vehicles turn around here, the gate to the bird sanctuary.

[Day_07.21]

Yes, the bike made it through the square hole.

[Day_07.22]

The bike has allowed me to be everywhere, and there; several times each day as, for better or worse, I've made the documentation for this blog an exercise in spontaneity. In the previous week, I was constantly back-tracking to find/get more shots to inspire content. There hasn't been a lot of back-tracking today, but just like the foot hikers; at this point, the bike passage got a lot more challenging...and dangerous.

[Day_07.23-25]

Kenny and the two unknown-to-me begin the walk through the bird sanctuary right after I came in.

The sign written in both English and Hawaiian...I guess for those who were born and raised on Ni`ihau...tells of the mission of the preserve and speaks of the various species the preserve wants to...preserve.

[Day_07.26]

This one tells of the two birds that are the primary interest of the preserve...that I managed to get shots of both while not entering the prohibited areas.

[Day_07.27]

This shearwater was casually evading the mid-day sun at the crest of his hole...

[Day_07.28]

...while this albatross watched me closely appearing content on its nest.

[Day_07.29&30]

We arrived at the end of the earth Ka`ena Point style...

[Day_07.31&32]

...that's at least Pete, Kenny, and Tom there...

...noted the former concrete beacon pushed onto it's side...

[Day_07.33&34]

...and then marveled at the fact that we could both look at the north(left side of picture) and west(right side of picture) shores...without turning our heads!
[Day_07.35]But we kept moving...

...till this plank became a part of the hike/ride!

[Day_07.36]

Kris is kicking back while Kaui walks the ledge.

Here you see Utu, the gate keeper, personally insuring
that no one...,

NO ONE,

...was going to regret, nor forget, this little 'leap' of faith.

[Day_07.37]

By the time I took those shots above, he'd already personally handed me and my bike...and everyone else on this jaunt in front of me...to the south side of this chasm.

For those of you thinking you're thankful for not submitting to such foolishness and definitely won't think of doing the 6th annual WtT next year because of this little test; no, don't think of it.

While waiting for the stragglers, we discovered an alternate passage up the slope that eliminates this scene. The last half dozen found it very acceptable so unless you insist otherwise, next year all the less adventurous will be accommodated without unnecessary stress......and continue to see such as this as they walk on...[Day_07.38-40]

...and on...[Day_07.41-43]

...and on...[Day_07.44]

In these last 3 shots, Arlene, Gary, Suzy, and Uncle Robert take the newly discovered uppper bypass trail and carefully walk the ledge that allows them to avoid walking the plank.

Arlene taking a pix of...

...me taking a pix of...

In the study of the efficiency of algorithms, when writing a 'program' using a computer language, this is called an "endless loop."

Some computer scientists say it is to be avoided but I claim it depends on the goal of your algorithm. [Day_07.45&6]That didn't distract us from further considerations...[Day_07.47-49]
(Utu trails the last to have cleared the plank.)

...and other 'views'...[Day_07.50-52]

...however, like all good things that eventually have to end...[Day_07.53]

...the 4x4 trail becomes paved
as we reach the north end of Yokohama Bay.What a day![Day_07.54-56]

We gathered at the south end of the beach for our evening stay. Meal and praise and worship were provided by Nathan and Gavin and others from "The Gathering Place of Hope."

The sunset was...[Day_07.57-59]

[Day_07.60-62]

...and if that's not enough...
...how 'bout a minute and a half actually watching
the sun set at Yokohama Bay as we saw it...?[Day_07.63]

Finally...I thought this thing was supposed to be green?
[Day_07.64]

*****

Now go to "blog archive" in the right column
and click on "Day 8, 18 Nov" under the "November(11)" heading.

Day 6, 16Nov 2009

2009-11-16T02:50:00.177-10:00

...11.16 miles from Waimea Bay to Camp Mokule`ia...

The bedrolls are gone, the dining table is up, breakfast at Sts Peter and Paul should be served momentarily.[Day_06.01]

Suzy said Shaka stole
a kiss from her last night...
...he caught her with
her guard down...
[Day_06.02]

Hey...it's a dog's life!
[Day_06.03]

[Day_06.04]

Utu gives us our daily bread and...

...we're off...

...except for this guy.

Some of us need a little more prep time.

[Day_06.05]

Utu and Mac at the top of the drop down to Waimea Valley...

[Day_06.06]

...Suzy, Robert, and somebody else about half way down.

[Day_06.07]

[Day_06.08]

One last look at Black Rock...

[Day_06.09]

...and the Sts Peter and Paul church spire.

[Day_06.10]

Keith takes a last look too.

[Day_06.11]

A lone walker moving toward Hale`iwa.

[Day_06.12]

Suzy and Robert just before the Hale`iwa turnoff.

[Day_06.13]

[Day_06.14]

The memorial at Hale`iwa Beach Park to the 16 sons of Waialua/Kahuku who gave their lives in combat in WWII.

[Day_06.15]

Gene, Mike, and Ivan glancing off of Hale`iwa Beach Park as they head into downtown.

Utu and Mac...

[Day_06.16]

...'n Tom, Gary, 'n Pete almost to Hale`iwa town.

[Day_06.17]

You have to look REALLY close to see Utu and Mac just right of the bridge.

[Day_06.18]

[Day_06.19]

The three musketeers, Tom, Gary, 'n Pete; cross...

[Day_06.20]

Utu bought a round of shave ice for the gang at Matsumoto's before we posed for this class picture.

[Day_06.21]

The place was busy when we got there...

[Day_06.22]

...but we got in line behind Utu and Mac...

[Day_06.23]

...and then joined the crowd on possibly one of the most famous store fronts in Hale`iwa town.

[Day_06.24]

Under the stupor of the Matsumoto experience, we head north out of town to our night's lodging, Camp Mokuleia.

As we pass Ali`i Beach Park, Utu brings up the rear of seven of us while Cece stands by with fluids.

[Day_06.25]

I pedaled ahead to see what was in store. At Mokuleia Beach Park, I saw what appeared to be several kite surfers out.

This guy was getting ready to launch...

...but this guy gave me the closest view I've ever had of the act...
...for 72 seconds.
[Day_06.26]

Further down, at the far end of Dillingham Air Field, are the non-powered fixed-wing, or "glider", businesses. In 1975, I logged an hour and a half of glider pilot training in one of two aircraft, this one or it's twin. They've been repainted in the last 34 years, but like me, are still here.

[Day_06.27]

Farrington Highway ends a couple miles later.

Tommorrow, this is where the most interesting...and challenging...part of the 10 days of walking will begin.

This is as far as I go today.

[Day_06.28]

The entrance to Camp Mokuleia, where we will be spending the night; is right across from the near end of Dillingham Air Field where all the sport parachuting businesses are located. These "sky-divers" were making an entrance just as I approached the camp gate.

[Day_06.29]

Steve had already arrived with the Evans bus. He and Keith are attaching one of the "Walk the Talk" banners on the front fence.

[Day_06.30]

The ocean side of this facility owned and operated by the Episcopal church fronts a protected cove that allowed us to get salt water into our ears and sand into our swim suits. While the access to the ocean appeared safe, the flotsam on the beach speaks to the fact...we're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy! Gary, Pete, Tom, and 2 others(?) are on the left immediately behind our cabin...Arlene and someone in a hammock and someone playing a guitar are on the right side of the tree. [Day_06.31]

The girls(Samiana, Denzie, Cece, Suzy, and ???) say, "cheese" for Uncle Robert while ???(Cece's dog) wonder's what I'm up to.

[Day_06.32]

Roz came runnin' up to me with a shot she'd taken with her phone camera, showed it to me, and says, "Ben go take this shot."

Apparently, she was the artist.

[Day_06.33]

Several times during these 11 days, our meals were provided by the churches that are providing the hospitality for that night's stay.

Steve Obara, in addition to being the Evans Project bus driver, is the most frequent chef the rest of the time. While tonight's hospitality can only be described as "luxuriously extravagant" for those of us who Utu has distracted from the "crap" that passes for most of our current existence to be on this 'walk'...Steve was in the kitchen. That hamburger you see with a couple of my bites already removed...word's cannot appropriately describe the experience. I question that it was even beef that was used to make it...it was just so 'different.' Calling it "luxuriously extravagant" is merely standing in the doorway to the room of awareness that possibly might lead one to be able to describe what an incredibly delectable experience it was to eat...hey, the chicken was good too! [Day_06.34]

*****

Now go to "blog archive" in the right column
and click on "Day 7, 17 Nov" under the "November(11)" heading.