So my one and only son graduated from the University of Cincinnati this past Saturday, and there was a lovely celebration. A couple of weeks ago, he had the sudden notion that we should all go to Hawaii to celebrate: him, his girlfriend, and his parents. Since the cold is settling in in Cincinnati with a vengeance, we all of us thought that was a remarkably good idea.

Now that we are all here, I think that was an especially remarkably good idea. Warm but not too warm in the daytime, and at night, not too cool. Dramatic landscapes surround us. Exotic birds abound; zebra doves are a refreshing alternative to the ubiquitous house sparrows of home. The last bird that I added to my list was a Pacific golden plover, which was hanging out by the pool. This was all without even trying. I’m not going to get back to the north coast of Kauai for a long time, so I will be out tomorrow, watching birds, while everyone else hikes.