Hawaiian Islands Weather Details & Aloha Paragraphs

I will be on vacation until November 24th, and will return to begin my daily updates of this website…soon thereafter.

In my absence, you can find the current weather forecasts for all of the state, by clicking on the individual islands in the upper left hand corner of this page (then click on the maps)…located just below where it says Glenn’s Daily Weather Narrative.

All of the satellite images, and the radar image below will be the most current available.

I’ll keep an eye out on the weather conditions here in the islands, and will come back online and give reports…if some sort of more extreme conditions develop.

Down this page, below the images, I’ll keep a travelogue, giving you updates on what’s going on during my vacation.

Aloha, Glenn James

Here’s the latest weather map, showing the Hawaiian Islands…and the rest of the North Pacific Ocean.

Here’s a wind profile…of the offshore waters around the islands – with a closer view

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live web cam on the summit of near 13,800 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. This web cam is available during the daylight hours here in the islands…and when there’s a big moon shining down during the night at times. Plus, during the nights you will be able to see stars, and the sunrise and sunset too… depending upon weather conditions.

Aloha Paragraphs

Looping Radar Image

~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

October 28 – My departure date for this autumn 2015 vacation has finally arrived. I skipped going to California to see my family and friends this past summer, due to the crazy hurricane season we had here in the central Pacific Ocean. So, I’ll be flying out of Kahului early this afternoon, and arriving at the airport in San Francisco this evening. I’ll take the airporter across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County, where my friend Linda will pick me up. She always has a homemade bowl of soup, sourdough bread, and a few slices of good cheese waiting. Then there’s that small glass of nice red wine that will be there too…just to take the edge off the long day of being out in public and flying. I’ll be catching up with you here most days, with a little taste of what’s going on in California. I’ll catch up with you soon, the weather sure is nice as I get ready to depart Maui! Aloha, Glenn

October 31st – Happy Halloween! I’m having the best time here in Marin County, hanging out with Linda, and my old college friend Bob. The first day I was here Linda and I went to a couple of farmers markets, stocking up on all kinds of organic vegetables, and a large chunk of wild King Salmon…that we cut up into five steaks. To work up our appetites for dinner yesterday, Bob and I took care of several small jobs that Linda needed help with out in the yard, including cleaning the gutters before a cold front brings rain later tomorrow. Last evening we sat out on her deck until it was dark with the stars shining down, drinking a really nice bottle of red wine: St Supery Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Estate bottled. For dinner we had roasted potatoes, squash, and large salad plated with that expertly cooked Salmon. I had done a favor for another lady friend of mine here in Marin, and she brought us a large homemade fig custard tart…that we had for dessert.  / We got up early this morning, and drove over to the Tennessee Valley, where we hiked out to the ocean, before having a lovely breakfast together. We’re all kind of working a bit separately now, before we reconvene for whatever’s next in the day.

November 1st – We’ve broken into the 2nd to the last month of the year, and into the holiday season in the process. Last evening Linda, Bob and I had the most delicious dinner, consisting of Linda’s homemade red sauce with cheese raviolis, artichokes, a salad…and a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. We finished off this great meal with the second half of that luscious fig custard tart…and a cup of tea. There were many tricker-treaters that came to our door after dark, and Linda had candy to pass out to each of them. The three of us then went out walking around the neighborhood, checking out the scene…which was fun. We got up early this morning, and went out for another walk, which gave us clear views of the lovely Mount Tamalpais not far away. We had breakfast together before Bob took off to join his girlfriend back in the Sacramento area. Linda and I just hung around home today, doing a bit of work outside, and enjoyed watching the weather…which was mostly centered around a cold front moving down the west coast in our direction. As I write this entry, Linda is out tango dancing, and I just got back from a nice fast walk just before sunset. Tonight’s dinner will be the two left over pieces of wild salmon, sauteed swiss chard with fresh tomatoes and garlic, a few roasted potatoes on the side, and a kale salad. We’re skipping the wine tonight, although will have a slice of berry pie with organic vanilla ice cream for dessert.

November 4th – Since the last time I wrote, the first cold front of the season moved through northern California. This front brought some decent rain, and cool breezy weather in its wake. I’ve enjoyed the change, and being able to dress more warmly as well. It’s turned clear and cool, the near perfect weather in my way of thinking. I’m at the end of this first part of my vacation, here in Marin County with Linda, and about to take the airporter down to the San Francisco airport. I always enjoy sitting on this big bus looking out the windows at the fancy new cars on Highway 101, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, and getting a quick peek into the heart of the big city too. I’ll be taking a short flight down to Long Beach this afternoon, where my Mom will pick me up at the airport. We’ll go to her house briefly, before we head down to the Whole Foods store in the marina. I’ll stock up on food as I eat organic, and my Mom and Sister don’t. I’ll begin this longest part of my vacation, settling into some good quality time with my family. Unfortunately, my Brother who lives in Texas, won’t be able to join us this time due to his work. I’ll catch up with you again soon, Aloha…Glenn.

November 8th – I’m enjoying being here in Long Beach at my Mom’s house! Speaking of my Mom, and referring to the kind of person she is, she recently got her driver’s license renewed…she’s 93 years old. I’ve driven with her, and she’s an excellent driver. She and I went shopping yesterday, and I bought a new carry on for travel, and a couple of new pairs of pants. We’ll be having my sister Judy and her husband over today for a visit, which is always fun. The weather has been excellent since I arrived, with warm days and cool early mornings prevailing. We have a weak cold front pushing down through the state today, which will arrive here in southern California tomorrow. It isn’t expected to do much for the dry weather conditions, although will bring a brief period of cooler weather our way. Warm weather returns thereafter, and should continue through the rest of the new week ahead. As some of you know, I watch lots of CNN evening news with my Mom while visiting. One of her favorite shows is Doc Martin on Thursday evenings, and before that during the week, Andersen Cooper and Anthony Bourdain…all of which she greatly enjoys.

November 11th – It’s Veterans Day, and I happen to be a veteran, so I thought I’d write a few words about my Army experience. I got drafted back in 1967, and got out of the service two years later. I went to basic training at Ft. Ord, California, and was offered the chance to be an officer in the Officers Candidate School….after taking a battery of tests. They said all I had to do was extend my two year tour by one additional year…which I refused. They then said that they were sending me to non-commissioned officers school (NCO), and that I had no choice in the matter. They sent me to Georgia for this school, although before going, I broke my leg skiing at Mammoth Mountain, California. I ended up working for a Lieutenant Colonel in an administration capacity at Ft. Benning. I ended up having my own secretary, although I was a private first class (PFC)…the lowest rank in the army. They tried to keep me there in this office, although the army instead sent me to Vietnam as an infantry man! I was out in the field fighting for four months, and let me just say this: it was the most intense part of my life, and I am very fortunate to be sitting here at my Mom’s computer now writing these words. I was pulled from the field after four months, and was assigned as the intelligence officer (even though I wasn’t an officer) for the rest of my one year tour. I have deep feelings for all veterans, and wish them the very best…despite my rarely talking about any of this to others.

November 15th –  I finished the southern California part of my vacation a couple of days ago, and am now up in Sonoma County, which is located north of San Francisco, Marin County…and south of Mendocino County. I very much enjoyed being at my Mom’s house in Long Beach, even though there were a few issues to be dealt with…as there are in most families around the world. I flew to San Francisco two days ago, and took the airporter up to Santa Rosa, where my friend Jeff picked me up. He drove me back to he and his wife’s home in west Sebastopol, where they had a fresh salmon dinner, with veggies out of their organic garden waiting for me. We had a rousing conversation that evening sitting in front of their wonderful fireplace. Jeff and Roberta are both PhD therapists, and the subject matter bounced all over the map…as it often does. The next morning we all meditated together, before going out on a long walk, and then back to their place. Jeff and I then headed over to the small town of Graton, where we had a big cup of Chai, and a tasty breakfast at one of my favorite little restaurants in this area, called Willow Wood. It was back to their place then, before I gathered my things, and Jeff drove me over (5 minutes away) to my friend Greg’s place. These two buddies of mine are long time friends, who I met in college back in the 1970’s. Greg, his son Julian, and his mother Gillian, all sat around the TV and watched the Democratic debate…and of course kept in touch with the latest very bad news coming out of Paris, France! As Bob Dylan wrote many yaears ago, the times they are ah changin’…and it seems not in a good way!

November 19th – I’ve been greatly enjoying my time here in western Sonoma County…as perfect weather conditions continue. I’ve been sharing my time between my long term friend Greg, and another old friend Jeff and his wife. Jeff and I saw two films over the last couple of days, including Spectre, and another called Steve Jobs…both of which were very good to excellent. Greg and I have spent lots of quality time with his son, mostly playing catch, and having great meals together. Speaking of Greg, he and I went to a poetry reading in Marin County, featuring Malachi Black and Gary Dop…both of which were excellent in my opinion. I will shift gears tomorrow, as yet another long time friend drives over from the Sacramento area. We’ve rented a beach house on a cliff edge up in Mendocino County for three nights, called the Moonstar House. It has a hot tub out on the deck, that overlooks a very large expanse of the ocean, where we’ve seen whales in years past. This house is totally private, sitting on 10 acres of wooded land, and rather rustic too…which appeals to both of us. One of the places we like to have dinner is called St. Orres, and is a special dining place on the coast. Looking at the latest weather forecast, it appears that this delightful weather will prevail until just after I leave…when winter will arrive in no uncertain terms.

November 21st – I’m up in Mendocino County now, Bob and I got here yesterday afternoon. We arrived at our fabulous rental, made a nice cup of espresso, and began to settle into our three night stay. It didn’t take long before we switched to a nice bottle of wine, a McMinn Zinfandel, single vineyard, Giorgio’s Block…Sonoma County. We both agreed it was a great bottle for the price. It was starting to edge towards sunset by then, and we headed out to the outdoor hot tub…where we continued our wonderful conversations well into the early evening. Dinner was next up, in which we roasted a whole organic chicken with potatoes, and steamed asparagus. We sat around digesting our meal, before we headed into the night for a walk through the nearby woods, perching for a while at a spot we see both the nearby ocean and the half moon. It was a lovely day, and we separated into our own rooms on either side of this cliff edge house…I slept warm and deep to the sound of ocean waves breaking against the rocks just below.

November 22nd – We headed up to one of our favorite hikes yesterday morning, called Big River…just below Mendocino town. This level trail heads several miles inland, through Redwood, Douglas Fir, Grand Fir and Bay Laurel. Just below this trail is the Big River, which is very beautiful. This setting is perfect for a walk and talk, one of Bob and my favorite activities. We ate a huge salad that we had prepared earlier in the day, on the side of the river…luxuriating in the natural beauty. We had several hours of light left, so we drove into Mendocino, where I got a really good cup of espresso, and Bob got his girlfriend a couple of nice gifts at one of the many shops. Driving back down to our place along highway 1, we pushed through off and on patches of dense fog, which cleared just before arriving. However, above this fog bank there were lots of high cirrus clouds, which lit up a gorgeous pink at sunset…while we were soaking in the hot tub. We had a delicious dinner, with a nice bottle of Hook & Ladder, Sonoma County Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. There was a bright moon out last night, which drew us out into the night for a walk to finish off the day. Great day!

>>> Today we started off by meeting in the hot tub well before dawn, in time to enjoy the gorgeous sunrise…and a invigorating cup of strong espresso. We had sort of designated the day to hang in here at our place, talking and having a great breakfast together. We just lazed around on the deck watching the fog coming and going, and enjoying the sunny periods too. Bob and I are generally the same age, and went to college together, so our musical tastes are similar. There’s no one around to hear us turn the music up all the way on some songs, as we dance around this place in an unrestricted way…so fun! We had a nice big bowl of salad for lunch, before we headed up north again, this time to one of favorite beaches. The weather was perfect, warm for the most part, as we walked through the breaking waves up to our thighs…with the big chill of 52-53 degree water. We sat around talking about the nature of the world, from politics to weather, and quite a bit about many of the great experiences we’ve enjoyed in our near 45 year friendship. We came back to our place for a second shot of espresso, and to hop in the hot tub for another session of warmth in the foggy chill. Then of course, it was time to pop another bottle of red wine, this time a really nice 2010 Terra Savia reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendocino County…harvested not too far from where we’re staying.

November 24th – I’m currently at the airport in San Francisco, waiting to board my flight back to Kahului, Maui. I’ve had a perfectly wonderful vacation, visiting my family and friends! The last two days have been in west Sebastopol at my friend Greg’s place. Thinking back, I can see that I’ve been able to join in with the world at large, and that living in Kula, Maui is a very small part of the bigger picture. It’s not that I don’t love it…it’s just that traveling helps to expand this so dynamically! At any rate, I will arrive in Kahului just before 9pm this evening, which my body will think is closer to midnight. I’ll probably sleep in some Wednesday, although will begin my website updates soon. My neighbor on Maui tells me that the weather is rather wild at the time of this writing, and that I’ll enjoy coming home…and will have some good stuff to write about!  Thanks for your acceptance of my being away for almost a month, I’m feeling refreshed now, and ready to get back home, and back to work.

November 25th – I got home later than expected last evening, due to airplane delays in San Francisco. By the time I got into bed it was early this morning, and I slept in much later than normal. I’ll be updating this website today, this afternoon in fact.

Interesting:  How to Eat and Stay Healthy this Holiday Season – Rutgers eating behavior expert gives tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the holidays

When it comes to maintaining healthy lifestyles, people tend to fall off the wagon from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. Then, they set “get in shape” and “lose weight” as New Year’s resolutions. That’s not the best idea, says Charlotte Markey, a Rutgers University-Camden psychologist who teaches a course titled “The Psychology of Eating” and studies eating behaviors, body image and weight management. Overeating during the holidays, she notes, is not a matter of if, but when. People need to approach their goals in a smarter way.

Rutgers Today spoke with Markey, the author of Smart People Don’t Diet: How the Latest Science Can Help You Lose Weight Permanently, about a more realistic and sustainable strategy to losing weight and living healthier.

Rutgers Today:  Why do New Year’s resolutions and “I’ll start on Monday” diets fail?

Markey:  It’s easy to say, “I’ll start eating a certain way or exercising more on Monday or on January 1.”  We tend to feel better for making a commitment to ourselves to change our diet – in the future.

But when the time for action inevitably comes, we discover that we are not that committed to the change we pledged to make. When we put pressure on ourselves to radically change our behaviors on a predetermined day, we place unrealistic expectations upon ourselves and set ourselves up to fail. Just because we set a date to make a change doesn’t mean that we as people have changed. We will still crave potato chips on Monday and leftover holiday pie on New Year’s Day. 

Rutgers Today:  What is a smarter approach to eating better and exercising more?

Markey:  Set small, realistic and achievable goals: Save sweets for after dinner and consume them in moderate proportions; have cocktails only on weekends; take several 15-minute walks per week. These little changes can really add up and are more likely to become sustainable habits.

Rutgers Today:  What roles do stress and depression play in eating behaviors?

Markey:  Most of us experience stress related to the holidays, but everyone responds to stress and depression in different ways. Some people eat more, some eat less and some can’t eat at all. In anticipation of what can be a challenging month for health behaviors, people can be proactive and work in some fun and relaxing activities, such as walks with friends or getting together with others for common activities such as present wrapping.

That said, if emotions and mental health issues are contributing to bad eating habits throughout the year, you should consult a mental health professional who specializes in body image or weight management.

Rutgers Today:  Why should people focus on their eating behaviors and physical activity rather than on the goal of simply losing weight?

Markey:  People typically achieve their objectives more effectively when they focus on “approach goals,” which are things they should do, instead of “avoidance goals,” which are things they want to avoid. So, instead of telling yourself “Don’t eat carbs, don’t go out to dinner, don’t have that second glass of wine,” say “I’ll try to eat four fruits and vegetables every day, do something active daily, manage my stress and go to bed earlier to get more sleep.”

Rutgers Today:  How does planning help a person stay committed to goals?

Markey:  Planning can help you avoid the many convenient, but negative, influences, like take-out and TV dinners or a comfortable couch. Plan a few days to a week in advance what days you will have time to exercise and shop for ingredients for healthy meals that you can make – even with a busy schedule.

Rutgers Today: How can your romantic partner positively affect your healthy living goals?

Markey:  A romantic partner can be a great source of support and may even be willing to make changes with you. Why not make it a team effort? You can eat off of smaller plates to help control your portions, agree to eat out only once per week, buy bikes and start riding together on the weekends or take a walk after dinner instead of watching TV. You also can praise each other. No one is going to be motivated to eat better or jog more often when they feel so down on themselves that they don’t even want to lace up their jogging shoes.

Even talking to our partners about our bodies has the potential to improve how we feel about ourselves. In a recent study I did at Rutgers, we asked men and women to talk about their bodies and weight with their partners. Most of the 288 participants reported having healthier body ideals after they talked with their partners. We are often our own worst critics, and partners do not often see the faults that we see in ourselves. Our romantic partners are attracted to us as we are. Talking with them helps us to understand that we need to strive for a healthy body, not an emaciated ideal that we may have initially favored. After all, your ultimate goal is to be healthy and feel good about yourself – no matter your weight.