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EDWARD JACOBS

Author: Ed Jacobs

  • Wednesday, January 15

    Oahu, day 4

    Another early morning, as our dive in Honolulu at 9:30 meant leaving our spot before 8.  The trip is typically about 50-60’.  Alas, with bad traffic—truly as bad as anywhere I’ve ever been—we were a little late.  “No problems, brother, we’re on Hawai’I time,” was what we heard when we called at 9 to say we were stuck in a jam.

    On the drive south to Honolulu, we saw glimpses of openings in the clouds, giving us hope that we might finally see the sun a bit before leaving Oahu.  In looking forward to the dive to come, Pattie and I both admitted some apprehension, and low expectations.  After yesterday’s shore dive, very young guide, and surge/current far beyond anything we’d dealt with before; we were not hoping for anything great.

    We arrived about 10’ late, and all were calm; three other gents were going with us; a recent retiree from Sikorsky who’d spent his career in Connecticut; and two guys in their late 20s from Sacramento.  All had some sort of military connection to the island, and were staying on base locations.  It seems generally understood here that the US military has the best spots on the island, so if you’ve got a way to stay there, it’s great locale.  We’re quite happy where we are, though, well away from Honolulu.

    Ken, of Living Ocean Scuba, and his son who captained the boat, were just amazing.  An interesting guy with hints to a fascinating back story, Ken has trimmed his business to a single boat and small groups so that he can guide, interact and, as we saw him do with each of the five of us on this trip, really act as a bit of a teacher when necessary. 

    heading out to the wreck

    Our first dive of the day was to the Sea Tiger, a wreck just about 10 minutes off shore, at about 100’ depth.  As Pattie and I had only reached about 75’ in past dives (this was only my 10th dive, Pattie’s 14th), and the idea was to leave the boat and descend directly to that depth, we were unsure of our ability to do this.  Alas, not a problem in the least, and after the few minutes it took us to clear our ears, etc., we really enjoyed the site.

    Like most wrecks, this one has become a very active reef and home to so very many fish and animals.  The views were truly striking and colorful.  The pictures here are a great representation, as is the video at the Sea Tiger link above.

    I got one umderwater shot on the GoPro—the first view as I looked downward upon reaching the wreck—and it was a nice one of a shark.  You’ll also see Pattie beckoning me over to see a great shot of a turtle, just resting on the deck, nestled into the side rail, and of some fish with vivid colors–especially the yellows.

    first descent to Sea TIger

    Then, as Murphy’s Law dictates, the battery died.  And, of course, the backup battery I’d tried to put in before departing wasn’t recognized by the camera. (will deal with this tomorrow.)

    As Joe says, being on/at a wreck is a bit surreal.  The boat surely doesn’t belong here, under this much water, but the ocean and ocean life just inhabit it and make it their own.

    We surfaced after a 24’ dive—a quick one, but the deeper the dive, the shorter the dive (a good reason to learn to dive with Nitrox blends, clearly)—then headed to the Nautilus Reef a bit closer to shore.  This reef was at less then 50’ depth and, not surprisingly, we felt the current/surge much more than the first dive.  Visibility wasn’t really great, but we did see a few nice colors, eels, and beautiful coral formations.  Part of the takeaway on this particular dive was that Pattie and I could implement some of the things we’d learned the prior day regarding diving in heavy surge/current.  This dive was much easier having learned from the Electric Beach experience.

    Headed home and grabbed a bite at a Wendy’s, as we’re getting tired of spending too much on pretty-good food.  Sometimes the food trucks are amazing, sometimes quite meh…so we just got a potato at Wendy’s a continued our drive north.  A few little stops for shopping (not buying), and home by 4 to rinse our gear, throw in a laundry, and relax.

  • Tuesday, January 14

    Kahe Point Beach Park (Electric Beach)

    We got up early to depart before 8am for our 9am dive at Electric Beach with ECO Divers.  A very small group (Pattie, me, and a young woman from Seattle, Celeste, who is a very experienced diver).  The guide, Kevin, was nice enough; a 2019 grad from Virginia Tech who moved to Oahu with his girlfriend to take a ‘gap year’ before pursuing grad studies.  Kevin is 22, and perhaps not the most experience guide we’ve had.

    Equipment issues arose quickly as Kevin’s weight belt fell apart…Celeste’s weight belt didn’t fall apart until halfway through the dive.  Pattie and I did fine with equipment, though our regulators felt a bit ‘floppy’. 

    This was a shore dive, our first, so wading into the water (rather than jumping off a boat) was a different experience.  For one, this means all gear is on your back for the 100 yard walk to the water’s edge, and you’re feeling the weight until deep enough for the water to alleviate the tank’s burden.  Hardly a crisis, but very different than a boat dive’s gear-up-on, take two steps, jump in.

    Got in just fine, and eventually, after getting a bit more weight added to our belts, descended. 

    first views at Electric Beach

    This is not a deep dive, at all—20-30’ at most—but it was a real struggle for all of us, and a great learning experience.  The current/surge was very strong, and we slowly learned to let the surge in our direction do our work for us, and relax (rather than fighting) the surge going against us.  The problem was that the surge going against us often pushed us further back than the positive surge, so we were losing ground.  Eventually we got to a shelf which allowed us to descend a bit further, where the current weakened considerably.  But even getting over that shelf was just exhausting; probably covering no more than 15’ and 10’ depth just beat us up. 

    Eventually we reached a pipe where warm water from the electric plant feeds into the ocean, attracting a wide variety of colorful fish, but by then air was at a turnaround point. But did get in some fish-watching…

    When we got back to shore, the surf was considerably more rough than when we went out, and we had a tough time exiting.  Our first experience, and the rough surf taught us a lot, the hard way.  We grouped to ready for the second dive, and Kevin asked what we’d thought of the first dive.  We mentioned the current and he said, “yeah, that was unusually strong.  It’s usually quite calm here, but the storms of late have really made this area difficult.  We didn’t even dive this yesterday (which we knew, because we’d been rescheduled to today).”  Celeste and Pattie took the lead in noting that it just wasn’t really fun spending the whole time fighting the current…so we took a pass on dive #2. The drive home was pleasant enough, we stopped at Snorkel Bob’s to replace missing snorkels, which we’ll certainly need for Thursday night’s snorkeling at Shark’s Cove, close to where we’re staying.  When we got home we rinsed gear…and were completely exhausted.

  • Monday, January 13

    Hialewa, day 2

    A bit less rain today, though still no full sun yet—perhaps not all week, it seems.

    We headed south, to Honolulu, to take in the very popular hike up Diamondhead.  Heading into the state’s largest, and capital city took about an hour, with increasing traffic as we got closer.  [Highways are in good shape, but the other roads aren’t; lots of pothole dodging along the way.]

    on the road, following the putzmeister

    We parked at Kapi’olani community college near the base of Diamonhead, and strolled up to the main parking area.  Once one enters the main area, you’re inside the volcano’s crater.  The hike that follows is up to the rim.  It’s not a difficult hike, totaling less than 1.5 miles, I think, taking about 60-90 minutes.  It is very pleasant, though quite busy; not a problem unless you’re in a rush, which we weren’t.  Total elevation is ~760’, and the trail starts well over 200’, so although lots of steps at certain points (one flight is 99 steps!), it’s very doable by most all levels, it seems.

    The view from the peak is a great payoff.  A 360° view, even on this cloudy day, is gorgeous.

    from the Diamonhead crater rim

    The nice walk back down the crater, to the car, brought more views of lots of birds—the Brazilian Cardinal is a red-headed stunner for us—plants, and people. 

    Our next payoff was a beer, thanks to Pattie packing a few on ice in the car.  So, a little post-hike thirst-quencher and relaxation was welcome.

    Eventually, we got on the road and this time drove up the eastern shore of the island to see a new area.  This is the windward side, especially of late, the winds have been brutal.  Lots of areas where sand has washed onto the road, other areas where the relatively freshly paved surface is breaking and crumbling off the shoulder.  Huge black boulders (lava rocks) are the barrier between the road and the sand in some points, at other points the rocks aren’t there and it’s just water lapping below the road’s shoulder.  The view of the water is fabulous, but it’s rough surf, and the struggle to keep up with the water’s forces is a losing one—a bit reminiscent of Surf City, back home in NC, and much of the outer banks.

    We came to the Polynesian Cultural Center along our trip home, so stopped in to explore the shops, entertainment, uke shop, and general vibe.  In one central area there are a few large trees overtaken by birds, birds, birds…have never heard such strength of sound—truly ff.

    ff

    Lots to do at this Cultural Center, including many shows, etc., but we just took in the general vibe, some song and dance in the main area, rather than formal shows.

    A quick ride home from there (10”) got us back in time to enjoy a salad and get our packing together for tomorrow morning’s earlier-than-usual departure for a dive.

    And the big news from home–Jackson standing a bit, readying to start cruising around!

    look out world, i’m getting ready!

  • Sunday, January 12

    Hialewa, day 1 (to be cont’d)

    After yesterday’s early morning and long hours, no surprise that a long night’s sleep felt wonderful.  Waking to birds was nice; used to it in Greenville, but wasn’t aware of it in San Diego.  Nice breezes flowing through the open windows, the fans in the room helping avoid feeling too warm, and the bird song got me up well-rested and happy to get going.

    Listening to the news on the HI public radio station made clear that this weather is really severe and unusual.  On the big island they’re dealing with heavy duty flash flood warnings, alerts of areas/roads to avoid for the next 24 hours, and more.  The weather here much easier—rain, but only .3” forecast, only 5 mph gusts—and I imagine we’ll enjoy a pretty nice day, albeit cloudy.

    our little back deck and yard
    the morning’s gentle rain

    The day began with catching up on lots of school-related work.  I was happy to see the work students are doing as they share the final versions of project begun last semester.  Responding to their work reminds me how much I enjoy working with them, how much I enjoy them as people, and how lucky I am to respond to composers’ ideas and development for a living.  I don’t expect there will be much more of that over the coming months, but I enjoyed the last few hours of engaging their work.

    This AirBnB is a little step up from our previous place.  The full kitchen is nice to have; it was not really possible to prepare much in SD (no oven, no microwave, almost no counterspace), but we can here, and it’ll be nice to not eat out as much as we did in SD.  [But we sure did enjoy those North Park restaurants!]

    With a momentary break in the rain–only momentary, it turns out–we got in the car to explore a bit. Just heading south down the Kamehameha Hwy, we passed by a few beach fronts which were all showing red flags and “no swimming” signs due to rough surf and high winds. And at each of those places there were 20-30 surfers in the water…

    We went through “Old Town” Hialewa with lots of restaurants and shops–we’ll head back here when the weather’s more conducive to walking around a bit. But this area also has a nice waterfront park where, among other things, there’s a container with snorkels/masks just available for use (and return). Nice.

    Just as i was taking that video, glad to get a video call from Jackson! Happy to share the view with him, and to hear from his mom and dad and know that all’s good in NY.

    a boy and his dog

    Then drove through some gorgeous waterfront neighborhoods on the way to the Dole Plantation. Just the tourist mecca you might imagine, but a tour of the general operation will be interesting at some point…

    Dinner options center on the many roadside spots. So we stopped in a spot that had about 6 food trucks, and chose Aji Limo for some poke. Fresh fish, fresh veggies, a beer from the grocery store nearby…very, very happy.

    tastes even better than it looks

    Back to the apt., a quick stroll to Ted’s Bakery, a local spot we’d heard was exceptional…was pretty good for a little end-of-night sweet.

    A quick check of the tv showed us what things are all about here…

    surfing, that’s it.

  • Saturday, January 11

    San Diego to Oahu (Hialewa, more precisely)

    We got out of the apt with lots of time to spare.  Enjoyed the full moon, now setting, in a beautiful clear sky.  A great way to start the day, for sure.

    moon setting…we’re heading to the bus

    An easy walk to the bus, and the busses getting us to the airport in 45 minutes—more than 2 hours before our flight.

    San Diego’s airport super-easy to navigate.  No line at all to check our bags; no line at all to get through security.  Sitting and enjoying a nice breakfast less than an hour after arriving at the airport. 

    The flight was smooth and easy, albeit long. Hawaiian Airlines certainly showed everyone a great experience. All smiles, patience, efficiency, and humor. We were told that the weather over Oahu wasn’t nice (we’ve had a few scuba-trip reschedulings due to this bad weather), with 30-50 mph gusts, steady hard rain…but it wasn’t nearly as bad as we’d expected.

    I got to our rental car while Pattie retrieved the bags and awaited my return. It was now 3pm local (5pm Pacific, i.e., it’s a 12-hr day now), and we were hungry. We stumbled (thank you Yelp) into a wonderful little Thai place in a Honolulu strip mall, creatively named Pad Thai (imagine that). We were thrilled that this was so good–we’ve have eaten anything, but this was fab. By the time we left there (4?) it was packed, and the take-out orders were streaming in/out. And, two storefronts away was a Safeway to deal with the week’s grocery needs, and we’re off to the north shore.

    A bit too rainy, gray, and traffic-laden to stop for pix, but the fog surrounding the mountains are so very impressive. About 25 minutes of highway (H-1 west, then H-2 north), then onto 90 for about 18 miles. Passing stormy beaches whose shade of blue is new to me (passing too quickly in heavy traffic, but the pic below from the web is about right), passing the Dole plantation, past old Hialewa Town, then onto the Kamehameha Hwy. We were greeted by our host, Sylvia, and have now settled in for the night.

    not our pic, but this is the color–a new one to my eyes.
    our home for the next week.

    Happy as clams, ready to see what tomorrow brings.

  • Friday, January 10

    San Diego, final day

    Getting ready for departure, taking last walks around the ‘hood to appreciate where we’ve been these past few weeks.  SD absolutely a place we’ve loved exploring; our ‘hood particularly conducive to getting around, and we’ve become comfortable with walking, driving, and the bus over these days.  We’ve taken in so many nice spots, so much scenery, gardens, houses, people, and some tourist attractions, but there are still things we’ll plan to hit on a return visit.

    Before dinner, i had a bit of personal grooming to take care of…

    …then we had dinner at Panchita’s; the same spot we had dinner our first night here.  Good food, and a delicious way to enjoy our final eats here.

    Our walk home capped with the full moon’s rise over the horizon, a glorious sight.  Wished we were at the beach to see a sunset—but that will have to wait until tomorrow’s arrival in HI.

    We downsized a little, sending home a few things it seems we aren’t using; picked up a few snacks for the flight; and returned to the apt to organize everything.  Easy to do, and before bed all was ready for an early morning walk to the bus stop.

  • Thursday, January 9

    San Diego, Day 14

    Not particularly good sleeping, and awake at 3.  Did get some productive writing done, but by 7 was nodding off at the table, so back to sleep for a few hours.

    We are starting to feel the excitement of Saturday morning’s departure for HI, so little bits of planning for that.  A SCUBA trip in Kona, and an advanced certification class in Hilo, which will include five dives, and training in skills we can certainly use.  Excited for the underwater adventures ahead.

    The weather was unusual for our time here; overcast, gray, rainy, windy, a bit cold, actually.  Pattie wanted to pick up a few things, so we did bundle up and walk around a bit. 

    We hit the farmer’s market in the neighborhood and wished we were staying, to take advantage of all the varieties of tomatoes, cauliflower, beets…just all looked really delicious.

    A bit more writing before turning in—having set “we saw,” now turning attention to setting “we heard,” “we ate, we trembled,” “we spoke,” etc.  So far, so good.

    And before the night closed, took a moment to check the Lottery numbers, as we’d opted to invest in PowerBall last night. Here it is, the $248 million winning ticket.

    …maybe not.

  • Wednesday, January 8

    San Diego, Day 13

    Another easy, productive day.  The choral piece’s writing is coming along, slow but steady; but its writing is mirroring the poem’s form in a way I’ve not experienced before…writing certain repeated elements as individually developing units; perhaps creating parallel lines of development.  The curious part is really a matter of process, rather than content; a reflection of how my mind needs to mete out distinct materials, I think.  At any rate, it’s coming along pretty well, the last few days keeping most all of what I’ve written.

    Work this morning followed by some correspondence with dive shops in Hilo, planning trips for a few weeks from now.  Another stroll, Pattie wanted to do a little shopping before we leave SD in just a few days.  Alas, neglected to take pix today.

    A potentially problematic issue at school settled, which laid my mind to rest in a big way.

    Have been wanting to get to Tribute Pizza for a pizza, and we weren’t disappointed.  Truly, the best pie I’ve ever tasted.  Mmmmm. Not my pix (Yelp) but you get the idea…

    Followed by more walking the streets…so walkable, so pleasant, so nice to just stroll around.

    Another of thinking that we’re in the midst of some sort of dream.

    Very happy.

  • Tuesday, January 7

    San Diego, Day 12

    After a productive writing morning, a stroll around, today leading us from our North Park ‘hood into the South Park (yes) area of Burlingame. Some beautiful homes, gardens, and flora to be seen along the way

    some flora a bit different than the usual

    and then on to North Park Brewing Company for a nice beer and sausage dinner. 

    North Park Beer Co. Living large.

    A good day; productive morning; a relaxing and fun afternoon and evening. Truly a great day in the neighborhood.

  • Monday, January 6

    San Diego, Day 11

    Relaxing at (what’s come to feel like) home.

    Planning some activities for next stops—a fruit farm tour, some scuba trips, looking at pursuing a course with some advanced scuba, hikes.  And looking further into a future trip centered on scuba.

    Much of the day’s start attending to matters related to the semester’s start at ECU.  Some last-minute changes in personnel for a program I direct require coordination of a number of people in different roles.  Everyone very cooperative and easy to work with, but all just need to be informed of changes, hear suggestions for new paths, etc.  It all went well, I think, and points to willingness of everyone to work together to both create things, as well as to solve problems.  Left me feeling good about the people I work with in this context.

    I’d sent some initial ideas for “Let Them Not Say,” amounting to a few minutes of discontinuous excerpts, to James for his reactions/suggestions re suitability for his group, ECU Chamber Singers.  Rec’d his thoughtful response in the evening, and am so happy with his approach; frank, helpful, orienting me much more effectively to the group’s level—all while encouraging me not to change a thing.  Of course, I will change many things in order to make the writing more effective, but I appreciate his approach.

    I’m feeling very good about the musical ideas I’m pursuing in this piece, i.e., its notes, rhythms, gestures, harmonies, shapes, formal organization.  But I’m still a long way from feeling fluent re expectations of  vocalists.  My instrumental background still looms so large at the fundamental level of writing, that sometimes the lines just don’t ‘sing’ well.  I sing them fine, but I do understand that I can be much more idiomatic, and that’s what James’ comments will help with.

    With a list of vocal music to be written over these coming months, I expect to feel more fluent by August, after getting critique from all the vocalists for whom I’m writing.  And I look forward to working on strengthening those writing muscles.

    The afternoon, a beautiful one, was largely spent on the patio, enjoying the sun and thinking/planning about trips to come.   We finally ventured out at about 4pm to stroll around the area,

    nary an electrical box in town that isn’t made more interesting…
    stopping in to shops sometimes brings a tug at the heartstrings

    people-watch, shop in local quirky spots, and grab a bite.  (My first burger in weeks, and my body did not appreciate it any more than my taste buds, to be honest.)