Mysterious Hawaii

The book club's current selection is Murder Casts a Shadow by Victoria Kneubuhl which is published by University of Hawaii Press. It is set in 1930's Honolulu and is an enjoyable tale of another time and place.

It is somewhat similar to Earl Derr Biggers' book The House Without a Key which is newly reissued by Academy Chicago Publishers.


Kneubuhl's book makes one recall the writings of the poet/actor/author Don Blanding. Step-sister Melissa sent along two books by Blanding as a birthday present last year. They came from her late father's library in Sarasota, Florida.

Paradise Loot is autographed by Blanding (and has illustrations by John Kelly) and the other, Vagabond's House is a first edition.

Blanding dedicates Vagabond's House to:

". . . the restless ones
to all the gallant frantic fools
who follow the path of the sun
across blue waters

to distant mountains . . ."

Pick up a copy of any or all of these books. All are available in paperback.

Experience the days of pre-statehood Hawaii.

Baby Street

This is a poem by Don Blanding from 1928. In spite of a few racial epithets typical of the era, BABY STREET is indeed clairvoyant.

BABY STREET


A real street down Palama way in the tenement district of Honolulu.


I walk quite slowly down Baby Street,
Babies are everywhere . . . under my feet,
Sprawled on the sidewalks, perched on the walls,
Babies in dydies, in blue overalls,
Babies in rompers of flowered cretonne,
Babies with not much of anything on,
Little brown babies in brown mamas' laps,
Philippine babies, Koreans and Japs,
Fresh shiny babies right out of the tub,
Babies in scandalous need of a scrub,
Baby Hawaiians, the sons of a chief,
Rastus from Africa, black past belief,
Babies with yellow hair, babies with brown,
Babies with just a few patches of down,
Toddling babies on little bowed legs,
Very new babies, much balder than eggs,
Portuguese babies and Russians as well,
Babies whose ancestors no one can tell,
Toothless as turkeys, these tiny young tads,
But grinning as though they were dentifrice ads.

Walk very carefully . . . make your step hesitant.
One of these babies someday may be president.




It happened!

Spirit House

Click on the spirit house for a larger view.

This bamboo and thatch spirit house is located at a focal point at the top of the stairs that lead up to the lanikai green house. In ancient Thai tradition there are seven Guardians of the Land. The Guardian of the Gardens is said to live in a spirit house and will watch over and protect the natural surroundings, yards, gardens and orchards of the family.

Jim discovered and old piece of coral in the garden. It has been cleaned and placed as an offering to any spirits that may live in this house.