Picnic at Hickam Air Force Base

Yesterday was very relaxing. We spent the day having a picnic with Patty and Paul at Hickam Air Force Base. I'd never been there before and it was quite interesting. The base housing area looks like something out of a small town America movie set, a different world from the rest of Hawaii. Art used to be in the Air Force and Paul was a Navy pilot in their younger days.

Although Patty came on a regular Hawaiian Airlines flight, Paul took the more challenging transit method of catching a standby military flight. I'd always told Art we should try it, too. I see now why he's been reluctant. Paul tried to catch a flight out yesterday (didn't make the cut) and then another one this morning at 4:30(cancelled). Patty caught her flight back to Seattle today. Paul will try again tomorrow. If that doesn't work, he may have to catch a regular commercial flight. I see what Art meant now about the inconvenience of catching a standby military fight. It's true, but the price (free) is hard to beat.

Here's a bird we saw at Hickam. Patty thought it might be a plover. I have no idea what it is but I thought it was pretty.

We're still amazed at the unexpectedness of our coming together again after 30 years or so. Patty and Paul's decision to come to Hawaii was a sudden one to celebrate their wedding anniversary that coincided neatly with our decision to take a trip to Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle in less than 2 weeks. After Paul returns to Seattle, we'll be seeing them again at their home where they will be taking care of us. Isn't it rather fortuitous how things sometimes work out?