What!!! Swimming in the pool...

when we are surrounded by the majestic blue waters of the Pacific...I guess you have to try everything. Mason in the island's family pool: fresh ocean water, drained and refilled twice a week! It was funny to see hermit crabs on the pool floor moving around.

Not sure why Mason's hair looks so red...

Cannonball, watch out!!!!  More pics of Mason and Gus enjoying the saltwater pool.

Mason showing off his triple lindy maneuver...or something like that.

Who took my goggles?! My eyes are burning...

Gus enjoying a paddle on the OC-1.  It may not be very visible, but there was a tiny gecko on the front right knob.  I think he/she enjoyed the outing as well...

A couple of my coworkers out on the OC-2.

Jay, my coworker, having a good time on the OC-2 with me. Not sure why he was smiling since he was doing most of the paddling.

OC-6's at Camp Hamilton, waiting for paddlers!

Mason's drawing of our island.

Maegan's whiteboard drawing of the Rio movie characters.

TRIP TO ROI-NAMUR

During the second week on the island, I was given a tour of the island of Roi-Namur by one of my coworkers.  Roi-Namur (commonly referred to as "Roi" [pronounced Roy]) is located approximately 50 miles north of Kwajalein.  There is a twin-prop jet that travels to and from Kwaj everyday practically.  The trip takes about 20-25 minutes and you are able to see a large portion of the atoll.  It is a beautiful view from up above.

Roi has a very interesting history. Originally, it was two different islands (Roi and Namur).  It was occupied by the Germans after WWI and was handed over to the Japanese as part of the post-war settlement agreements. After that, the Japanese closed the islands to the outside world so there isn't much information on what went on there until WWII.  What is known is that the Japanese dredged and filled between the two islands to create a larger island; thus, Roi-Namur came to be. During WWII, the battle at Kwajalein Atoll was one of the first battles that the US won in the Pacific. In approximately 4 days, the US took control of Kwajalein and Roi-Namur with an extensive aerial bombardment. One of the major setbacks during the Roi-Namur battle was when a US soldier threw a satchel charge of high explosives into a Japanese bunker which turned out to be a torpedo warhead magazine. The explosion killed 20 Marines and injured a dozen. (I saw photographs that were taken from the Roi side of the island of the explosion which was on the Namur side and it was a giant mushroom cloud. Apparently, the battle took a long pause due to the impact of such a huge explosion on the small island.)  By the end of the battle, there were approximately 50 Japanese out of 3,500 that survived the raid.

There are several Japanese bunkers and buildings that are protected and considered historical markers throughout the island. Some of the bunkers contain huge holes in the sides from the intense battle. I was in awe trying to visualize a significant battle on such a small island. It made me feel really "small."

I found the island very pleasant, quiet and beautiful.  The Namur side is mostly jungle-like (saw several rats eating coconuts). The Roi side is were most of the 100+ Americans work and play. Only adults are allowed to live on the island; however, they do allow families to visit on short stays (i.e., weekends).  I look forward to taking Carrie, Maegan, and Mason for a weekend in the upcoming months. 

After my return, that night we went to see our first movie at the outdoor theater. The benches were a little uncomfortable for my aging back, but otherwise, we really enjoyed it.

6 AM flight to Roi

The cafeteria on Roi which was very good with a wide variety of food.

One of the historical fortresses on the beach facing the ocean...

Another building within the jungle section of Namur...

Hard to see, but there is some Japanese writing inscribed into the concrete...

This is a great view driving on Namur...

A view of Kwajalein on the return trip from Roi-Namur

First outdoor movie on the island....can you tell who is excited...

Must have been a pretty intense scene...

This Week...

Maegan with Misty Moonlight.

The Islander passing by our quarters...our belongs are aboard this week!

Beautiful rainbow over palm trees, taken from our front door!

I know this isn't new pic (posted on facebook a couple of weeks ago), but I love this one!

Mason teasing Misty during bath time: washcloth tug-of-war!

Misty in your face. She's busy learning good puppy manners and is always ready to watch Scooby Doo with Maegan and Mason! She's had her first visit to the island groomer and now looks like a clean-cut Westie (pics to come).

First Kwaj Paddle and Storm

I was able to get my first paddling run on an outrigger canoe within a week of arriving on the island.  There are two canoes available on the island: Kahoku and Kila.  Both of the canoes originated on Johnston Island back in the 1990's and I was very familiar with them.  It's amazing how well they looked after 15+ years of being out in the hot and humid environment. The canoes are located at Camp Hamilton which is one of three beaches on the lagoon side of the island. The water was very warm and the conditions were flat. Five of us took the canoe out for about an hour run and needless to say, I was sweating like a _ig!!  Although it was a tough paddle, it was great to be back on the water.  We also saw a couple of sea turtles while we were out. There is a recreational group of paddlers that like to go  maybe once or twice a week unless the weather doesn't look like paradise. Hopefully, we can get the club motivated to build it up to promote some good training in the future.

Gus on his first island paddle (seat 5) from Camp Hamilton.



Maegan playing near the shore at Camp Hamilton beach area.



Mason trying to get used to being covered in sand all the time...

Gorgeous island sunset!

Another sunset from our living room windows...

The next day, we went to Emon Beach to play around and the next thing you know, a dark thunderstorm blew in while we were on the water. We hid under a covered pavilion and waited about 45 minutes for it to clear before deciding to head home in the rain (since we were wet anyway). It was crazy to think that the weather went from tropical hot and sunny paradise to torrential downpour within a span of 10 minutes. As you can see from the below pictures, it didn't keep Mason and Maegan from having fun. Since arriving we've only had two days of rain and clouds all day--it usually passes after a few minutes.

A little island fact: Kwajalein gets 100+ inches of rain per year, compared to Seattle with ~38 inches (and Tri-Cities ~6-8 inches, I believe). Fortunately, it rarely floods as the porous coral island sucks it up.

Maegan dancing in the rain storm.

Fresh rain water! Amazing how fast the island soaks it up.

Old man patiently waiting for the rain to pass...

July 4th Weekend

Mason shaking paws with McGruff the Crime Dog, who came all the way to Kwajalein!
Mason says "he's a superhero who fights bad guys!"

Bike floats in the 4th of July parade.

Be prepared to stand in a long line for island-famous Swanby Snow: shaved ice in creative 4th of July flavors made by our sponsor Don Swanby and wife Diane (hard at work in the above pic). We are so thankful for Don's pre-arrival advice, warm welcome, and help in securing our lagoon-view quarters (home).

Marshallese demonstrating basket weaving...

Primary mode of transportation! Trailers are a must.

Gorgeous sunset view from our front door. Thank you, Don!

Rocky coral shoreline; notice the green Konnat or Scaevola behind Mason: a tree-like shrub that has a long history in the Marshall Islands and serves as shoreline protection and windbreak. Its wood, flowers and leaves can be used for crafts, ornamentation and medicine.

Smaller atolls Little Bustard and Big Bustard in the distance...

Mason riding his loaner bike! Our house in the background.