i L i n d . n e t

The end is near!

The end of 2007, that is, and like you, we’re scrambling to finish all those things that should have already been done, while trying to grab enough time to celebrate the holidays with friends and family.

So let’s see what I can find here this a.m.

Here we go again. This time the Honolulu Advertiser is reporting “a brawl involving a large number of juveniles” in Haleiwa.

Making news on the mainland: The New York Times this weekend features a travel story on Sig Zane Designs in Hilo. An item in the Los Angeles Times reports that a court decision this week is likely to shut down unlicensed vacation rentals in Maui County. The San Francisco Chronicle points out selected holiday light displays on each island, and profiles Julie Cline Fine Art Services at Wailea on Maui. The flap over outsourcing of Hawaii crafts at the Polynesian Cultural Center made news in the San Diego Union-Tribune. On a different level, the Washington Times reports on a daring Chinese spying operation right here on Oahu, picked up by Wired.com.

Dawn yesterday, the Winter Solstice, was a drab affair until just a couple of minutes before the sun appeared. It started with a narrow band of color on the edge of those high clouds, and quickly expanded as the sun rose above Molokai. It’s always surprising to see the unexpected transformation of an ordinary dawn into something special.

Now one of Toby’s fans has stepped forward with The Question.

I gave a Toby calendar to my Mom last year and she loved it so much she has asked me to be sure to give her another one of your calendars for 2008…..

I checked the Lulu website but only saw the 2007 one for sale.

Is there a 2008 calendar ?

Short answer. As of right now, there is no 2008 calendar. But if there’s interest, I’ll pull one together quickly, and tack a few extra months on for good measure.

If anyone else out there is interested, please let me know by leaving a comment or sending me an email.

I didn’t get to the cats yesterday.

So today I present “Friday Felines on Saturday”, Mr. Romeo prominent among them.

Just click on his photo for more.

Oh, oh. A downpour in Kaaawa at 6:18 a.m. Hopefully it will pass.