Pumpkin carving!

And I thought the cat I carved into a pumpkin last year was great...

Not only did this Wisconsin man grow and carve this pumpkin into a canoe but, according to BBC, he christened it with another small pumpkin! And then he rowed it 150 miles in eight days, for kids with disabilities!

My Hero.

Pick your own pumpkins and carve them into whatever you like here on Oahu!
I found this pumpkin patch online and it looks like a gem:

alounfarms.com

There are tractor-pulled hayrides, pony rides, food, games and fun for everyone. Aloun Farms and their sponsors are dedicated to educating and sharing agriculture and its potential here in Hawaii. Go spend a family (or friends) day in the country and visit Aloun Farms, located at: 

91-1440 Farrington Highway, Kapolei, HI 96707.

Aloun Farms Kapolei Pumpkin Patch 2008 is open to the public on Saturday & Sunday, October 18, 19, 25 and 26, 2008 from 9am to 5pm.

Parking is $3 and pumpkins will be priced according to individual size. Cash only. No checks or credit cards.

I love...

Banyan Trees

They are so fun to climb on!


and swing from


Or take a rest in

These trees can be found all over Oahu, but be careful, ants love them too!

The tree, the legend:

In Hinduism, the banyan tree is considered sacred and is called "Ashwath Vriksha." God Siva as Dakshinamurthy is nearly always depicted sitting in silence under the banyan with rishis at His feet. It is thought of as perfectly symbolizing eternal life due to its seemingly unending expansion.

Oh, what's in a name?

The name was originally given to F. benghalensis and comes from India where early travelers observed that the shade of the tree was frequented by banias, or Indian traders. In the Gujarati language, banyan means "merchant", not "tree". The Portuguese picked up the word to refer specifically to Hindu merchants and passed it along to the English as early as 1599 with the same meaning.

By 1634, English writers began to tell of the banyan tree, a tree under which Hindu merchants would conduct their business. The tree provided a shaded place for village meetings or for merchants to sell their goods. Eventually, banyan came to refer to the tree itself.