Sunday Final

Today started off as a gorgeous day!
Cloudless skies all around, perfect for getting out and hitting the road.
This week though is sort of a sad week for us folks in Kailua, for it seems that corporate America has won out.
Despite the grass roots protesting, Target is coming.
This is what it's replacing:



Last day is on the fifth.
The store front hasn't changed in like all the years I've been here. Well, neither has the inside.
Changed much that is.
It says Don Quijote now, previous it was Daiei, both Japanese owners, previously and forever it seems it was called Holiday Mart.
If fact it was Holiday Mart for so long, folks still call it Holiday Mart even though it hasn't been Holiday Mart for years!
I don't think they'll be calling Target Holiday Mart and that makes me sad.
Most of the small shops are closed already:



There used to be an A&W there.
My cousin would drive us special after going to the beach so we could have root beer floats and a burger.
All this will be gone:



So anyways, while most of you folks are doing the winter thing, the winter thing here is paddling.
Besides the humgasoid surf I mean.
Not to be confused with Ivy League type rowing, we got outrigger canoe paddling:



That image was from last week, I forgot to get it up.
I was on my after work ride and these kids were just starting canoe practice.
Besides club paddling, the kids also have school paddling. The high schools have paddling teams and there is a state championship that's coming up soon.
Winter sports don't you know.
In Hawaii.
The start 'em off young, the kids here appeared to be like the under twelve age group:



Seemed sort of dangerous sending kids that young out in a canoe, but they are in the canal so it's not like they can get lost at sea or anything.
I've seen the older kids, teens, take the canoes out on the other side, the ocean side and do laps in Kailua Bay.
Hard core.
Like me.
Sort of.
Me being hard core I mean.
Okay, not really.
About me being hard core.
Oh and as you can see, the stream mouth is closed up again.
All normal like.
Well today, on the other side of where the kids were, out in the bay, folks were doing all sorts of stuff.
It really was a nice day:



A couple of folks were way out there doing their water walking thing.
As you can see, not a cloud in the sky.
NFL, which although the Pro Bowl was today, stands for Not For Long.
About an hour later, dark storm clouds started to roll in.
From where I have no idea, all I know is that I looked up and it didn't look good.
I turned on the nitrous and just managed to beat the rain home.
Although the town part of Kailua may be changing, progress and all that, it's nice to know that on the beach side, some traditions will keep on going.
Boy, I ain't looking forward to shopping at Target.
Let me tell you.