Aloha Readers!

I love to carve pumpkins for Halloween, maybe a little too much...one year I carved 10! This year I wanted to try something a little different. A pineapple jack-o-lantern! Isn't he cute?! I mean spooky! Haha!

I was inspired by our friend Blake who lives on the Big Island. Last Halloween Blake carved an awesome pineapple! 

Here's what I did first...cut a big rectangular wedge from a fresh pineapple...enjoy the yummy sweet wedges! Then cut out the inner back side.

This step would be easier and faster if you have a pineapple slicer/corer gadget.  If not, it's not that difficult...just takes a few minutes.

Next, carve out the front part of the pineapple.

Finally, carefully carve the face.

This jack-o-lantern was super fun to carve and actually easier than the traditional pumpkin. No messy guts and seeds. You can eat this one's innards! 

I carved this guy two days ago and he's still smiling. Hasn't attracted fruit flies or started to rot. When lit he lets off a nice pineapple scent...sweet!

Blake keeps a fun blog http://theboyshawaiianlife.com/ , if you'd like to take a peek!

Best wishes for a happy and safe Halloween!

Boo!

Aloha Readers!

In the spirit of Halloween I thought I would share a tale with you. There are many ghost or "chicken skin" stories told on Kauai. One of the oldest and most feared is the Night Marchers or Huaka'i Po. Legend states that these ancient Hawaiian warriors march along sacred paths near the Wailua river. Along their route they loudly pound drums, chant and carry torches to light their way.  If you see or sense that the spirit warriors are near, do not disturb their procession or meet their eyes.  Legend tells that these angry warriors have the power to take your soul! If they come upon you, lay motionless, face down on the ground until they pass. The Night Marchers are said to be traveling to avenge a battle or heading to Polihale to leap into the next world. Sightings are popular along the highway between Wailua and Lihue...the most dangerous stretch of road on the island and the scene of many accidents. Spooky!

Other, less grim stories speak of the Menehune. Said to be short, people-like beings with great work ethics and mischievous senses of humor! According to legend the hard working Menehune built the Alekoko fishpond in just one night! They worked through the night, passing lava stones hand-to-hand from Makaweli village 25 miles away. The stones were carefully stacked, for the fishpond has withstood the test of time. It's 1000 years old! The often called Menehune fishpond is 900 feet long and 5 feet high and was built as a gift to a princess and her brother. You can easily see the fishpond today, it's about a half mile from Nawiliwili harbor on Nawiliwili road near Lihue.  The photo above was taken last October.

Thanks for reading my diary and as always if you have any questions or comments...feel free to reply! Have a great week friends!

If you're not quite ready to let go of summer, fall is a great time to visit Kauai! With average temperatures in October of 83F and November 81F...it indeed feels like an endless summer!

We often plan our trips to Kauai in the fall months. In fact our first trip to Kauai was in the middle of September. We loved it! There's a few reasons why I like to recommend this time of year:

• Airfare prices drop significantly after Labor Day. You can get great deals from then until mid December (excluding the week of Thanksgiving).  This is huge when you're traveling on a budget.
• Less people traveling. If a secluded beach sounds heavenly to you, visit in the fall!
• The weather is beautiful! Warm Kauai sunshine with less rain than January, February and March.

If  you seek an endless summer and would like to get away this fall, we do have a few weeks available at the condo. Folks who like to book last minute can stay next week...October 13 through 22! For a shorter stay we have November 7 through 11 open.  November 19 all the way through December 2 is available.  And finally, December 10 through 16. Minimum stay is just 4 nights.

Have you seen The Endless Summer? It is one of my favorite surf movies! It's a documentary filmed in 1966 that follows the fun, often comical adventures of two young surfers who travel around the world in search of waves. The two make it to Hawaii and surf the waves of Waikiki. Such a fun flick to watch on cooler fall days!

Happy Fall and thanks for reading Coconut Diaries! Aloha!