12. umikumamalua
(now say that 5 times, AFTER two mugs of eggnog!)

A wild week of torrential winter rains and lightening bolts! The big bad storm dumped 7 inches of rain here in Kona! That's makes for a lotta green grass in this yard. So no boat trips this week, I spent it on the boat in dry dock (now there's a lie-! Ha! "dry" dock indeed) glancing nervously at the gathering black clouds all around us and muttering charms to keep the lightening bolts from kissing our mast (and my ***!)
I heard Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa have slopes full of snow - I'll have to run out and shoot some photos soon as the clouds blow away a bit. I love the image of snow in Hawaii!
Christmas is just around the (stormin) mountain, and so not having any Christmas paintings this year (yet) I'll post one I did in Panama a few years back, that I used as my Christmas card at the time.
We lived in this small village on the Island of Taboga, and as in most Catholic pueblos in Latin countries, much of the center of the village revolves around the church. Well this was a 400 year old church with an old bell tower, and a huge old bell that was missing a clapper. So to ring the bell, the local kids would go up the winding stairs and beat on the bell with sticks. And stones. The result was usually akin to someone shooting at a gong or a trashcan lid with a potato gun. A godawful-stopyouinyourtracks (so you could cover your ears) kind of noise . Some of the more talented ones would make an interesting rhythm, not that much more pleasant but at least with a catchy little beat.
I climbed up there myself (I'm a sucker for an unusual perspective) and found this charming view of the staggered little houses encircling the plaza, and was enchanted by the "looking down" view of the rooftops of the church and the village. Seems "Christmas-y" to me, with the cross, the rusty tin roofs and the red clay tiles, and makes me smile smile to remember this scene and the "tolling" of the bell. Peace to all.

Mele Kalikimaka,
Lynn

all photos are the copyright of L.Capell and may not be reproduced without permission. Mahalo.