It's 4:15 a.m. and I've got the Hawaiian Music channel playing on the television. It's 12:16 a.m. in Honolulu right now, and I'm thinking our mybloggers friends there are probably just now thinking about heading home after a night of sipping tropical drinks on the beautiful beach. It's easy to picture the lifestyle there as a perpetual vacation, kind of like the time I spend in Las Vegas in the winter.

No, I didn't set my alarm so I could get up and capture this moment, but now that it's going on, not such a bad idea. Mr. Troutbend just left, driving to Las Vegas today to participate in the July 4 bowling tournaments. He deserves a break from all the work he has done around here this past month.

And just now I received an email from a newly-discovered distant cousin in Australia. It's 8:30 p.m. there right now. See? It's a good thing I'm awake to see it come into my mailbox. They are planning a family reunion in Australia at Easter time in 2010, and another one in Scotland in June 2010.

She said she hopes she has time to recover between them. Indeed. I thought the Scotland one would be in 2011. Initially there was going to be just one reunion in 2010, and there was a sort of poll, who would want to come to Australia, and who voted for Scotland, and more people voted for Scotland than they'd expected.

One thing we didn't like the sound of was the organizer was bragging to us what a busy time that would be in Australia - lots of tourists so we must make our hotel reservations immediately. Contrary as we are, we all said that doesn't sound like our idea of fun - rubbing elbows with half the world in a country where they drive on the wrong side of the road. More like rubbing bumpers and fenders sounds like to me.

So, I guess I'd better get to planning my trip to the UK next year. I know more families of distant relatives there now, and could probably spend three weeks there without wearing out my welcome. And if my cousins from here go, that'll be good for some comic relief.

I know, it sounds contrary - I'll be rubbing fenders and bumpers with tourists in a country where they drive on the wrong side of the road, but the difference is I've been there before and know some people who would drive me to the train.

Okay, the song on the TV right now is Holo Holo Ka'a/Mokokaikala - and there are some words in the chorus that sound like 'rum rum rum-rum' followed by a sort of echo of it like growly motor cycle revving 'rhumm rhumm-rhu-rhumm.' Maybe Kelli or Dale can tell us what it's about.

Here's my river this time of year. My house is behind those spruce trees.