Reno Abellira--Surfer on the March

You may recall seeing Reno's name in my last blog posting of Jack McCoy's film,  A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE.  Reno is a famous big wave rider, a legend, who continues to shape surfboards and supports a healthy Hawaii, free of GMOs.

Ready to Roll

Yes, the parking lot at the 7/11 in Haleiwa by Weed Circle was jam packed.  There were hundreds of marchers standing up for a GMO-free Hawaii.  Monica Parker and her grandson, Christian, were getting ready to bicycle the one-mile stretch from here to Haleiwa Beach Park.

Patagonia was Represented

Jane Duncan, in the white shirt, works in Haleiwa at the Patagonia Store and was more than ready to march through Haleiwa Town.  Her friend, Leane, kept her company.  Did you notice the flag in the background?  Did you ever wonder why the Union Jack is part of the Hawaiian flag?  Google it!

Putting in a Full Day

Cyan, one of Mom's students, had just finished a baseball game and was all geared up for the big march.  His mom and dad accompanied him.  I bet he slept pretty well that night.

Always Getting the News

Betty Depolito is an icon on the North Shore.  A former professional surfer, she now runs a woman's surfing contest almost every winter and produces her own television show.  Check it out:  http://www.aroundhawaii.com/community/oc16/flhi-girlz.html

Okay----We're Ready to March!!

Kainoa and his Mom, Katrin, shared some love and hugs with me just before the March for GMO-free Hawaii began.  I was chomping at the bit and ready to go.  Lucky the sun was behind some clouds, so it was a very pleasant one-mile stroll.

The Crowd was Huge!!!

Hundreds and hundreds of people, big and little, old and young, began the GMO-free March through Haleiwa at mid-day on Saturday, March 2.  I loved it!  So many families and friends were making a statement.  The local television stations, KITV and KHON, were there and recorded the event .

On the Go.........

Well we were off........baby buggies, dogs, bicycles, wagons, marchers on foot, and a truck in the lead.  I was excited.  I felt proud being part of my community and being brave enough to stand up for what's right.  And "what's right" is feeling safe when I eat my food knowing it's organic--not genetically modified or sprayed with poisons.  Google:  GENETIC ROULETTE, a documentary by Dr. Jeffery Smith, to know more about GMOs.  Hey, I just noticed something, Woody, in the hat smiling at me, is wearing one of my t-shirts!  Cool.

In Good Company

How cute it that little white dog in front of me!  I just wanted to walk up and hug it again and again.  Many marchers brought their pooch pals.  They all got along and loved being part of the crowd.

The Merchants Cheered us On

Lee Roy, owner of The Growing Keiki, hooted and hollered as we rolled by.  So did the artist, Hilton Alves, (top photo) on the porch of Wyland Gallery.

Everyone was There

Yes, even babies joined the march.  This little cutie just didn't know what to make of me.

The Aloha Spirit was in the Air

We had officers from the Honolulu Police Department escorting us through Haleiwa Town.
 They were there to protect our civil rights.  I loved their aloha shirts and the police badges they wore on elastic bands around their arms.

The End of the Road

Yes, we are just walking into Haleiwa Beach Park. Traffic was blocked for about an hour on a Saturday afternoon in my little beach town.  Haleiwa has never had a protest march through it, except for the annual Christmas Parade, and that's not a protest.   The grass field in the park was filled with activists-----it was a great crowd; all banded together determined to let the public know----make Hawaii GMO-free.  The message was loud and clear!

Jack McCoy---Surfer/Documentarian

Here I am at the premier, early, of course, of Jack's latest film---A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE.  Jack (in the hat) is putting up a display of surfboards to compliment the screening.  I'm on the great lawn of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki and the weather cooperated beautifully. What a perfect setting for a surf film about the history of wave riding and the evolution of surfboards.

Up We Go!!

This 1920's board is famous and so is its shaper, Tom Blake.  He invented the hollow surfboard and this is one of his first.   It was so tall it made me dizzy looking at it!  It got wedged in the tree and stood as a sentry overlooking all those attending the premier, and there were hundreds and hundreds.

Standing Guard

Kalai'i is a North Shore lifeguard and volunteered at Jack McCoy's premier to look after the many boards on display.  That's the famous Tom Blake in the background and a Mark Richards behind me.  Mark Richards, from Australia, is also known as MR,  is a five-time world surfing champ and a well-known shaper.  Check out his website:  www.markrichardssurfboards.com

Surf Shop Owner Extraordinaire

Joe Green has the largest surf shop in Haleiwa, Surf and Sea, and is always very generous with his gifts and contributions to the community.  He was at A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE premier and brought a few vintage surfboards from his collection to add to the ambience of the event.  He has the best blow-out Christmas sale ever.  When you are in my little beach town, make sure you stop by Joe's shop.  Tell him Rex the Surf Dog sent you.  He'll get a kick out of it!

Vintage Surfboards

These are two other boards that Joe Green brought to Waikiki to display at the documentary.  Remember, I said the film was about the history of wave riding and the evolution of surfboards.

The buffet in the background was for the VIP's.  There was a lot of "surf royalty" at this event!

Outdoors, and it's February

Yes, this is definitely one of the best reasons to live in Hawaii.  It's always like summer-----barbeques, beach parties, gardens in bloom, movies on the lawn.  I could go on and on........

The Surf Professor

Ian Masterson is a surf professor and he shaped that board behind us.  He teaches the "Culture of Surfing" at a number of colleges on Oahu.  Wow!  What a fun curriculum he must have.  I love meeting so many interesting and happy people on my adventures.  Check out Ian's website at: www.surfingprofessor.com

Always a Presence

I am so happy that Surfrider Foundation stands up for the ocean and its waves and shores, and is always at surfing events.  Gene, one of the many Oahu volunteers, loved talking with me and getting excited about Jack's film.  Please check out the foundation's website and join this organization.  Preserve our natural resources...
www.surfriderfoundation.org

The Legends

As I said, there was a lot of "surf royalty" at the premier of A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE.  Most of the men on stage are world-reknown shapers.  What a wonderful event to bring all these oldtimers together to share in the glory of the early days of surfing.  There was plenty of aloha to go around and everyone felt it.  Do you recognize any of these boardriders-----Peter Cole, Dick Brewer, Reno, Buttons, Jock, Barry Kanaiapuni, Ricky Greig, Greg Noll?

Sweet Waikiki Sunset

Can you imagine a better venue to premier a surf documentary?  I can't.  As the sun set, the film rolled and the audience was treated to great images, old footage, rockin' music, exceptional interviews, and explosive big waves, of course.  A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE opens at theaters nationwide on March 24th.  Google it and see when it's coming to your neighborhood.

Step into the Past.....

I'm just about to enter one of the oldest known structures in Washington, D.C.  Come along........follow me into Georgetown.

Once a Parking Lot for Autos

The Old Stone House is on M Street not too far from the White House.  It was built in 1775 and has had many owners.  In 1935 there was a used car lot where the garden is today and the house was home to the offices of the Parkway Motor Company.
The National Park Service bought this historic residence in 1953 and opened it to the public, for free, in 1960.

Soup's On!

Yikes, can you imagine just how much effort would be put into making supper 200 years ago.

Touring the Old Stone House makes me appreciate what I have and how easy my life is today compared to Colonial Times.  Being grateful for what I have makes me feel good.  It keeps me healthier, too.  (That's the latest research from the scientists.)

Guess Who? Paul Revere? Ben Franklin?

No, it's me, Rex the Surf Dog.  The three-cornered hat I'm wearing, sometimes called a "tricorn hat", is typical of men's headgear during Colonial America.  I love it that our government has preserved the Old Stone House just like it was in 1776---all the furniture, clothing, kitchen implements, and artifacts, too.

Remember Sleeping Beauty?

What a process it must have been to spin wool using this spinning wheel.  Get the wool, card the wool, spin the wool, weave the wool, design the clothes and make a pattern, draw around the pattern on the wool, cut the pieces, stitch the wool, and, presto, you have a garment!

Candlelight Dining

I'm sure most people in Colonial America went to bed when the sun went down, unless it was a special occasion.  It would just make sense.   Lighting a candelabra above the dining room table would sure make it romantic, though.

Nighty, Night, or is it Naptime?

Take a good hard look at what this sparse bedroom has to tell you, from the toys on the floor to the short closet door built into the wall on the back left.

Watch Your Step

The staircase in the Old Stone House was very, very steep.  And can you imagine how it would be when you were heading outside to the outhouse in the middle of the night, oh wait, they had bedpans.

Life was so different just a few short generations ago.  Learn more about this structure at:  http://www.nps.gov/olst/index.htm

A Bite to Eat? A Pastry, Perhaps?

Mom has many dear friends in Washington, D.C., because she lived there for 10 years before she moved to the North Shore of Oahu.  Cheri is one of her good friends from long ago.  We met up with her in a very "New York Cool" restaurant called Leopold's.  The food was fabulous and so was the setting.   This oldest part of the city is full of great sights, shops, and places to eat------from bistros, to cafes, to fine dining establishments.  Make Georgetown a stop on your tour of the Nation's Capital.  I know you will love it!

What's This?

Yep, a crocheted bicycle on the steps of one of my favorite art museums in Washington, D.C.

The Renwick Gallery, an extension of Smithsonian American Art Museum and the city's first art museum, always has very interesting exhibits.  It houses "America's premier collection of contemporary craft".  I get inspired and want to make art right then and there.  Best of all, it's free as are so many wonderful museums in the Capital.

Sooooooo French

With its rose-colored walls, the Grand Salon in the Renwick Gallery is one of the premier spaces in the city.  Lots of events are held here.  The paintings are hung salon style---one above another and side by side.  This building was designed by James Renwick, Jr. in 1859 in the popular French Second Empire style.  I love just sitting here and breathing in all the fabulous art.  I know you will too!

How About a Sip?

Aren't these exquisite?  Art at the Renwick is designed by the top craftsmen and women in America.  The displays are temporary so there's always something new to see!

Let's Go Surfing Now, Everybody's Learning How....

Well, what do YOU think?  This coffee table reminded me of a surfboard.  I love organic furniture like this piece----makes me want to go out and build a bench right now!  Out of sustainable trees, of course.

Yikes! Wild Needles!

Can you imagine crocheting all this stuff?  Did you notice the clock and the cup on the table at the left?  This is what I mean by "interesting art" at the Renwick.  See more at:  www.AmericanArt.si.edu

Steps from the White House

Yes, the Renwick Gallery is a quick one-minute walk from the President's residence.  (Remember, I was just touring the White House Kitchen Garden.)  There are plenty of great cafes nearby, too.

Make a day of it-----put it on your "to do" list when visiting Washington, D.C.

And if You Get Tired of Walking......

Washington's a very hip town, really.  Best of all it's easy to bike around or even rollerblade, if you are adventurous like Mom.  The city has sooooo many parks and trees where you can stop and rest and take in the sights and people watch, too, which is what I love to do!

Yes, That's Me at the White House

My heart was pounding as I entered the Press Room of the White House.  I was so excited. This is the spot where President Obama stands to give his speeches.  Follow along.......

Looking the Other Way

This is what the President sees when he address the press.  Look at me----a front row seat!  Back to the left by the window was the hall to the kitchen and bathrooms.  Sometimes reporters camp out here for hours hoping to get the latest news from the White House.

Hot Dog!

I feel so proud when I'm wearing my press pass.  I love covering the news and sharing information.  It's  a dog's life for me!

My Tour Guide

Bursting with enthusiasm, Executive Pastry Chef, Bill Yosses, led me through the White House Kitchen Garden.  He told me of sea kale that was from original seeds Thomas Jefferson brought back from France.  There were a number of other heirloom vegetables and herbs throughout the garden that had come from Monticello, Jefferson's estate in Virginia.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Have you ever seen a garden so loved and healthy.  This is the creation of First Lady, Michelle Obama.    Two weeks after she arrived at the White House, she called all the chefs together and told them she wanted an organic garden, then asked for their input!  She has local school children come and learn to garden, too.

All Natural

Mrs. Obama wants to teach young people the benefits of gardening, eating local, exercising, and staying healthy.  Her garden is organic which means she doesn't use pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or any other products that aren't from nature.  The White House Kitchen Garden has its own compost bin and this is the back side of it.  The white tube pumps in oxygen to break down the compost (fruit and veggie scraps) more quickly.

Bzzzzzz, Bzzzzz

Yes, the White House Kitchen Garden has bees!  So many that they produced 200 pounds of honey last year. The sweetener is used in cooking and given as gifts by Mrs. Obama.
Did you notice the Washington Monument in the background and the tourists peeping through the fence to get a better look?

The Very Happy Gardener

Matt tends the White House Kitchen Garden all year long.  He had just planted pumpkin seeds so the President's daughters can carve jack-o-lanterns at Halloween.  How thoughtful.  Matt works for the National Park Service.  Before that, he was an organic gardener with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm in Virginia.

How Exciting....Steps to the Back Door

My heart was pounding the whole time I was at the White House.  How thrilling to be on the grounds of such an important and historical residence.  You can't see it, but Mom and I are standing next to a little putting green.  When the President has a little free time, he comes out to his yard and practices---as I always say, ''Practice makes Perfect Sense".