Irma

Monk seals -- humom thinks they're soooooo cuuute. Urgh. I'd like to take a nibble, but humom is strongly opposed.

So is NOAA and the Marine Mammal response team: 1-888-256-9840

Today we walked past the Natatorium and Aquarium, and were somewhat taken aback to see some police cruisers and cops at Sushi Beach. They quickly left without doing a thing, and voila! a chubby, very large banana-slug-shaped creature smelling of fish reclining on the beach, surrounded by a large crowd cooing a chorus of "aaaw." I'm familiar.

My Uncle Steve was there telling telling the hupeople what a monk seal is and why they couldn't go up and cuddle with her. He also petted us people and mentioned to us that we could go up and chew on her because she would bite us too, which was considerate.

My humom lent Steve her phone to call the Seal Response Team, who needed to drop off their kids at school but would then come by and cordon off the area. We've never seen monk seals on Maui without cordons and posters, so I was thrown off at first. Uncle Steve, humom and I stayed for a while to protect the seal -- Irma -- but then humom had to leave to get ready for work. We were happy to see on our evening walk that Irma was still there, sleeping on her back with her whiskers in the air. I had a good chat with the GSD seal guard dog (he doesn't know how she tastes either, lame).

--- Missy out

Akroteria

We walk past the zoo every morning on our way to the beach. There are many subtle Mallie ways to lead the huperson in the direction one wishes to go, but alas! I have yet to enter the enticing precincts where so obviously reside many fragrant and vocal people of many species, some no doubt delicious. We have tried the

My this fence is fascinating; the

Shouldn't we visit the homeless person sleeping behind these well-placed bushes? and the

Nobody here but us Japanese tourists

ploys, but so far, humom has proven strangely adamant, a material that is, I believe, stubborn and nasty-tasting. This morning, to our delight, but perhaps for different reasons, we noticed silhouetted against the sunrise the usual outline of the roof, canted upward to east and west, and perched on the ridge line a handsome duck, motionless as if carved of the best koa wood, doing his King of the World impression. Humom was laughing her fool head off, but I kept mine and just looked further, and indeed, more ducks were out, a few perched on the rooftop greeting the dawn, but others out in the park, a-a-a-a-lmost within reach. Drat.

--- Missy out