Sunday, July 14, 2013

Road Crew Karma

Hopefully everyone knows that we have adopted a section of highway that we need to clean up 4 times a year. Well, if cleaning the road blesses us with flyable conditions, then this is the year this road should shine. Our 2.2 mile stretch extends from the Kualoa Ranch main entrance almost to Swanzy Beach Park, and it has taken us since February to get our first cleanup organized! We may be slow but we get the job done!

We all enjoyed an early night of partying celebrating Joey's unofficial retirement. They actually will let him loose in August. Thanks Joey, for the great party and for your 21 years of service to the Country and our Monkey Family. It was an early night for most, but I am sure the partying went on long after the lights went out. The next morning came quick but the troops were out in force to keep our road clear.

I have driven by it a few times and from a quick pass it looked pretty clean, but when you walk the entire distance bags get filled. We did not have a great attack plan, all beginning our trek from Swanzy Park, which is still quite a few steps from the starting line. After the long walk bending and picking up items from butts to tires, the wind started to mellow. We were going to get a flight!

All pilots who worked flew. Some boated around the playground, while others tried to cross the bay. But only one made it across, can you guess who? Some turned left to see where the winds would blow them: Duck landed at Hukilau and One-Eye at BYU.  He, whose name we do not speak, continued his lap from Chinaman's Hat to far reaches north.

This story is not about our epic flights, but our efforts to give back to the Kahana community for sharing their awesome valley and mountain with us. We will have to do a few more of these by year end to keep our name on the signs and keep our section of road spotless. We have bettered our plans and the next attack on the garbage should be quicker and less painful. Hope to see more monkeys, family and friends out next time.

Road Crew: Alex, Sidehill, Woody, JK, Sharky, Ike, Five-0 Mike, Ces, Duck, Ginger, Jayson, Natalie, McStalker, Hilo Ken, Johnimo, Sandy June, Gaza and Larry Mac. Thanks to all, and your Karma was hopefully paid with great flights. Special thanks to Larry Mac for his trash pick-up truck so that we could pile it all at the sign, and to Five-0 Mike for taking gear to be washed. We will try to plan the next one with more notice and without all the Farm Fair traffic at Kualoa.

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