Clearwater Times Thursday, December 6, 2012
www.clearwatertimes.com A19
Traveling buddies find good times exploring Hawaii The big island of Hawaii: First impressions My bestest buddy Joan from the Cariboo, still works. This year she couldn’t decide when to take holidays, where to go, and with whom. Forced to make a decision, she selected September, but mumbled and fumbled about where and who. Suddenly I received a short email: “Wanna go to Hawaii?” She’d never been to any Hawaiian Islands and had found a deal. No husbands came this time. We flew from Vancouver to Kona for seven days, coming back on the “red eye.” Our comfortable, airy hotel had a spectacular location, waves crashing on the rocky point and a popular snorkelling area right beside it. (Situated on a Hawaiian archeological site, its days are numbered.) All rooms look out to the blue Pacific Ocean. A clever device shuts off the air-conditioner when patio doors are opened. We had to choose between having the surf lull us to sleep with hot, humid air flowing in, or the quiet cool hum of the air-conditioner. “Summer all year long would not be hard to take,” Joan decided. “I was surprised that there weren’t more insects. Even when we were in the tropical jungle on the Hilo (wet) side of the island or walking along beaches of different colours, we weren’t ‘bugged’.” Coming home from Kamloops to Little Fort, where John would meet us, I’d asked for her impressions. “No one gave us a lei when we landed,” she started, quickly adding, “the Hawaiian people are sincere and their smiles so welcoming.” We’d had numerous experiences of
Trekking Tales By Kay Knox their kindness during the week. “I cannot imagine how they live with everything being so expensive.” As a result, many young people go to mainland USA for college and/or jobs, often losing touch with their roots. “Names look unpronounceable, but the language is musical and more or less logical,” she said referring to a language lesson we had attended at the hotel. As navigator, Joan had many oppor-
“Summer all year long would not be hard to take.
”
Joan
tunities to practise reading street names with strings of vowels - setting us off into fits of girlish giggles. Built of lava in varying degrees of decomposition - from red hot to fertile soil, the big island of Hawaii is crossed by flows of black and brown rock. “It was not as I expected it,” she commented. “There aren’t miles of white coral sands; mainly we saw just small beaches and palm trees at the manicured resorts.”
Snorkelling was another new experience: “It just catches you. It felt wonderful as soon as I put my face in the water, but don’t laugh or smile unless you want a mask full of salt water! I realize that you have to be aware of your location at all times. It’s easy to drift and lose track.” Schools of multicoloured fish and turtles were a daily sight. “I saw an octopus!” she’d exclaimed on one occasion. Swimming on our last day, we saw a young boy stand up on some coral, made by millions of living organisms. We’d both winced: “Ouch!” echoing a video we’d viewed when renting our gear. Colourful birds and several mongoose, small and wiry, had cameras clicking. Performances with lilting music and exotic dancing provided lively entertainment at the hotel and on our outings. “The men at the luau could wiggle their hips too,” she remembered. To her delight, the handsome, muscular ‘Fire God’ who’d twirled flaming sticks was happy to be photographed with her. “But that little boy laughing endlessly while watching the Maori dancers pull terrible faces was as captivating as the professionals, as were the delightful honeymooners from Japan when a crew member got them up to dance on the dinner cruise.” I got the impression she had enjoyed herself!
Obituaries IN LOVING MEMORY
Fern Darlene Pelton 1938 - 2012
Fern Pelton was born in Edmonton, Alberta on February 17, 1938. She passed away on November 19, 2012 at the Bonnyville Health Centre due to illness. Fern is survived by her children, Geraldine (William) Tiller of Glendon, Alberta, Dale (Theresa) Pelton of Clearwater, British Columbia and Cindy (Jerry) Makaruk of Glendon, Alberta, her eight grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, and by her sister, Doreen Hobson, of Ladysmith, British Columbia. Fern was predeceased by her husband and friend always, Michael Pelton, her parents Ferdinand and Wanda Schultz, sister Audrey Madden, and a
few nieces and nephews. Fern loved the fact that she and a couple of friends purchased Dinny’s Convenient Store in Drumheller, Alberta, and retired doing that job.
Fern’s favourite hobbies included scrabble, puzzles, BBQs and wagon rides. A Memorial Service was held for Fern Pelton in the Conference Room at the Wells Gray Inn, Clearwater, BC on Saturday, December 1, 2012. Mr. Lloyd Strickland officiated. Interment followed immediately at Riverview Cemetery, Clearwater, BC. Condolences may be expressed on-line and a webcast of the service may be seen by visiting www. norththompsonfuneral.com. Clearwater arrangements entrusted to North Thompson Funeral Services, telephone 250-674-3030.
IN LOVING MEMORY
Werner Friedrich Koetter 1932 - 2012 On the evening of November 23, 2012, at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital, Clearwater, BC, Werner passed on after losing his fight with cancer. He was 79 years young. Born in Kamp-Lintfort, Germany on December 2, 1932, Werner is survived by his two sons, Nicholas Friedrich Koetter and Dirk Erich Koetter, and his extended family through marriage and heart, Maria, Christoph, Thomas and Heidi, along with Marnie and Melanie. If you hear a train whistle or a peacock,
please think of Werner. Memorial Services were held at St. James Catholic Church, Clearwater, BC on Thursday, November 29, 2012, with Father Donal O’Reilly officiating. The service can be seen on line at www. NorthThompsonFuneral. com. Arrangements entrusted to North Thompson Funeral Services, Clearwater, BC, 250-6743030.
IN LOVING MEMORY
Jay Edmond Butcher July 25, 1940 - November 20, 2012 Jay Edmond Butcher of Barriere, British Columbia passed away suddenly at his home on November 30, 2012. He was seventy two years of age. Jay was born in Carthage, Missouri, USA, to parents Jay Gibson Butcher and Helen Kathleen Butcher (nee Gibson). Jay was predeceased by his mother and father. Jay is survived by his loving wife Cathy, and children Leslie (Don), Joel, Liz, Alex, Jay, Joe (Treena), Melanie (Andrew), many grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Jay attended college after high school. He was also a valued member of the Kamloops Gun Club, North Thompson Fish and Game Club Society, and BCWF. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and trapper. His entrepreneurial spirit led him into several different ventures, with him finally retiring a few years ago. A Memorial Service will be held Friday, December 7th, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. at the Barriere Lions Club, 350 Borthwick, Barriere, BC. Refreshments to follow. The family requests donations in memory of Jay E. Butcher may be made to the North Thompson Fish and Game Club Society, Box 251, Barriere, BC, V0E 1E0. Condolences may be sent to the family via www.NorthThompsonFuneral.com.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to North Thompson Funeral Services, Barriere, BC, 250672-1999.