Meet You at the Park

My dad and husband run as I lounge in the grass of my old middle school.

I grew up in the country side of Maui. We had a dirt road. There is no shoulder on the winding, lush roads of my neighborhood. We were taught to make a dive for the bushes as soon as we heard a car coming around the bend. As kids we still braved it and explored the neighborhood by street regularly. But more often we traveled through the field, cow pasture, or gulch.

My parents are happily divorced. They still have a lot in common. The love of dogs is a big one. My mom has her chihuahua, Koa, and my dad has his beagle, Jubilation. Oliver, the shorter haired chihuahua (front) is my sister's.

A new thing my parents have in common is that they both enjoy walking at the park. I spent a big part of my last trip home to Maui walking at different parks. Parks are wonderful spaces in general--they make me feel better about paying taxes. They ought to be enjoyed. I think this current love of parks is due to my parents being over the whole jumping-into-the-bushes thing.

When we are home, mom and dad are forced to interact. It generally goes okay. My dad offers my mom coconuts that he opens with a machete he keeps in the back of his truck. And they are nice to one another's dogs. (phew!)

Koa has the best smile. I like to call him Coco--or Cocoa Puff (but my mom doesn't care for it). When you scoop up this dog up he goes limp and melts into your arms. He lets you cradle him like a baby. Talk about a comfort pet!

Sidenote: Even though I am on the mainland I have two student in my class named Koa. I feel like it is rude to say, "Oh, wow, that's my mom's chihuahua's name!" even though it was my immediate reaction. Koa is a beautiful, native tree of Hawaii, highly valued for its strong wood. It was used for canoes and surfboards in the olden days and is now built into furniture and guitars.

A beagle's joyful gallop... my mom and dads' dogs get along well.

The master of fetch! The ball is behind him. No, really he is...I don't know what was going on.

Jube, my dad's dog, jumped in my mom's CRV and was not eager to get out. A little bit awkward.

Christmas pooch--all tuckered out. While the chihuahuas relish my love, he only tolerates my adoration. I realize this blog is light on Oliver pictures. No worries...he has his own blog which is about his previous gig as a Honolulu hound.