Ask someone in Hawaii, “What kind of dog is that?” and they’re likely to say, “Oh, I don’t know. A poi dog.”
Poi dog. Also known as “mixed breed.” Or, better yet, mutt. (I like how “mutt” doubles the “t” at the end of the word, a hint at the definition—a dog with an ancestry of more than one breed.)
This column—Poi Dog Blog—as I’ve decided to call it, is simply a mash-up of articles I like from the Internet, all about Hawaii and written by a variety of authors. I hope you enjoy.
Here they are:
1.
Driving Cattle through Driving Rain in Hawaii. In this story, Sherry Ott—a “corporate cube dweller turned nomadic traveler”—strides a horse to help herd cattle on Hawaii (Big) Island with Dahana Ranch. No, she wasn’t a skilled horsewoman—note the cube dweller reference above. No, the weather wasn’t perfect. But herding cattle in the rain turned out to be one of her favorite experiences during her vacation on Hawaii (Big) Island. Read why.
2. Since my Organic, Sustainable, Mostly Plant-Based Hawaii Farm Tour of 2012 is top of mind these days, I was also intrigued by another of Sherry’s stories:
Farm to Table. Vanilla on the Big Island of Hawaii. This is a real farm-to-table story, for as Sherry visits the Hawaii Vanilla Company, Oahu-born and raised Jim Reddekopp explains how vanilla is grown and processed—all the while whipping up meal featuring the prized crop. Imagine: a starter of vanilla grilled shrimp; an entrée of bourbon citrus marinated chicken breast on a vanilla sweet bread roll with vanilla caramelized onions and organic greens; a salad of dusted vanilla pecans, feta and vanilla raspberry balsamic dressing; vegetables of Okinawan sweet potatoes with vanilla southwest rub and vanilla BBQ sauce. And that doesn’t even include dessert. I know. I know. It’s not vegan, but I’d go veggie for this one meal.
3. Over at
Nerd’s Eye View, Cindy Scheopner shares her feelings on what makes Hawaii “worth it.” It’s an insightful post that presents Hawaii as something more—something more than white sand beaches, palm trees, tropical oases and pretty scenery. And just as interesting are the comments that follow her essay. Don’t miss those.
4. Photographer
Dewitt Jones lives on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai, where he manages to explore his island and post a daily photograph about his excursions on his
Facebook page. I attended a photography workshop with Dewitt years ago. He proved to be one of the most generous and inspiring souls—always exploring ways to extend creativity, his own and others.
5. This YouTube video made up of still photographs of a
dolphin and humpback whale, presumably, playing turned out to be the most popular link I’ve ever shared on
OutriggerHawaii’s Facebook page. So, I thought I’d share it with you here.