Leilani at 1 Year!

Birthday Party!

It all started with dad and mom.  Hana Boy and Izzy had five puppies on July 9th 2009; Leilani, Kalo, Benji, Ipo and Bolt.  All the puppies except Bolt came to the party at the house in Lanikai where they were born.

The extended hanai family also came, her aunties Kokai and Ipo and Ms. Michael, and Mike McKenna.

Kokai is the one with a gray beard on the left and Mike is the one with a gray beard on the right and of course Hana Boy is in the center.

Just a couple of days before the party, Mike and Ms. Michael and Hana Boy were featured in a cover story in the MidWeek Windward edition.  Mike McKenna's Windward Ford won a President's Award from the Ford Motor Company.

Ipo, Leilani's sister, as opposed to Ipo the auntie, looks most like a Labrador Retriever.  Izzy is part German Shepherd and part Labrador Retriever.  Ipo has short hair and is the smallest of the puppies.  Here she is in a sweet pose with her people companions Ella and Jon.

Someone suggested that we try to get all of the dogs to pose together.  Well it did not work out that well, dogs will be dogs!  Above is a shot of Leilani, Kalo and auntie Ipo.  Kalo has short brindle hair and is the biggest of the puppies.  Before he left Lanikai for his new home in Kaneohe Kalo, then known as Mandingo, can over for a play date with Leilani.

Before the food could be served Hana Boy and Leilani decided to cool off in the water.  Leilani was the only puppy to jump in the pool with Hana Boy. 

We brought some doggy cupcakes from Lanikai Tea Room.  The cupcakes got a bit jostled up on the walk over to the party but the dogs did not seem to mind.  The cupcakes were made with shredded carrots, peanut butter and honey and were topped with a spread of cream cheese and a number one made from a very thin slice of carrot.

Regrettably the camera ran out of space on the memory card before Benji arrived.  Benji looks the most like Leilani. He has long black hair and a bushy tail.  Benji was featured in a portrait with Leilani and Percy at lanikai green house when we announced the start of the Leilani of Lanikai blog.

Maybe there will have to be another doggy party next July!  Bark, bark!!

Leilani at 52 Weeks

Birthday Week

Leilani's BFF, Molly, came over for a visit to start off the birthday week celebrations.  They had a long play session on the deck at lanikai green house.  Molly was in charge but Leilani gave her a work out in the process.

This photo is a brief recess in the action.  Look at the size of Molly's tongue: that big red flapper hanging out of her mouth.   

Leilani did not get off so easy.  She got pinned down on the deck as Molly stood above her.  They softly bit each other on the legs, neck and jaw.  

The result was that Leilani's head was all wet with dog slobber.  The smell was just, je ne sais quoi, eau de chien!  

We went for a swim at Lanikai Beach and then came home for a dog wash with her favorite shampoo Buddy Wash.

Now Leilani smells like lavender and mint.  Much better!

 

Leilani at 51 Weeks

Now that Leilani is almost a year old, we decided to replace a seat cushion that she chewed up when she was just a little puppy.  Well one thing leads to another.  The fabric on the rest of the cushions was looking a bit worn so we went ahead and ordered new covers.

We selected a green Sunbrella fabric that goes with the color scheme at lanikai green house.  This fabric is very durable and will not stain or fade. 

A local firm Kiri Covers Hawaiian Canvas took care of everything.  They ordered a replacement cushion and fabricated custom covers for all of the cushions.  The new covers have zippers so that we can remove them if they need to be washed. 

The new cushion covers should last for years provided that Leilani does not slip back into her puppy chewing habits!

Leilani at 50 Weeks

It is hard to believe that Leilani is going to be one year old on July 9th!  It is time for a celebration with lots of dogs and dog lovers.  Her parents Izzy and Hana Boy are hosting the party at a home in Lanikai and we have invited all of their puppies (and human companions as well).

It is easy to spot Izzy in the collage of pictures above.  She is full of puppies in the photos at the top center and on the right side.  She has a happy face in the center photo just a short time after giving birth to 5 puppies. The photo of Hana Boy is at the lower left.  He is holding a toy just like Leilani's Rag Doll.

We could not decide which of the three black puppies is Leilani but we are pretty sure she is the one on the left of the cute shot with two black dogs in the top row.

Leilani has two sisters.  One is black and the other is brindle.  The black one is named Ipo.  Izzy has a hanai sister also named Ipo.  Ipo, Hawaiian for sweetheart or lover, is the small blond dog in the top row.  The brindle sister is named Bolt.

Leilani has two brothers.  One is black and the other is brindle.  The black one is named Benji and the brindle dog is named Kalo.  Kalo is Hawaiian for taro. 

The folks at Lanikai Tea Room have promised to whip up some special dog treats for the party.  It is likely that Leilani's favorite peanut butter treat will be included.  Arf!!

Leilani at 49 Weeks

King Kamehameha I Day

This a big deal here in Hawaii.  It is a state holiday!  200 years ago, in 1810 Kamehameha the Great unified the Hawaiian Islands. There is a parade and they drape the bronze sculpture of King Kamehameha with 30 foot long floral lei.

Even our native son, (yes, he was born in Hawaii), President Barack Obama proclaims today as Kamehameha Day!

Leilani is not one to let a chance to celebrate get past her.  This morning she dressed up in her only lei.  It looks a bit worse for wear but it is very special to her.  This unique garland started with a sash from a Halekulani Hotel bath robe.  We attached various toys and most have fallen or been chewed off.  Froggy is the long time survivor.  He still has a squeak button inside if you know where to push.

Leilani's name means heavenly garland or royal child.  Today she is both!

Leilani at 48 Weeks

Playing it Safe

We were so sad to hear that just a day after we posted the story about the photo shoot for Jorge Garcia that his dog Nunu was killed by a car.

Since then Molly escaped 8 times from her yard and came over to visit Leilani.  She got to play in our safe fenced yard for a while before I took her home.  We have, with a bit of anger and frustration, told her people that they should not allow her to escape and roam the streets.  All we can do is hope for the best.

So this week we have a photo of Leilani behind a new gate that I built for the deck at lanikai green house.  It has the same "X" brace design that we used on the carport.  The opening is large enough for her to look out at the birds on the hill but not large enough for her to crawl through.

When we leave her, we make sure that either someone is here to keep her company or she is in our yard that has a 6 foot high solid fence.  It is always better to play it safe especially when it concerns your pets.

Leilani at 47 Weeks

I was trekking around the "loop" in Lanikai with Leilani this week and I realized that while the scenery was familiar I was Lost!

Actually I came across an outdoor photo shoot.  Jorge Garcia, a k a Hurley, from the hit television series Lost was due to arrive in moments.

He had an appointment with our friend Dana to have his picture taken.

Jorge has been living in our neighborhood during the past few production seasons.  Everyone has respected his privacy and on occasion you could see him walking his tiny dog Nunu.

One of his friends in the neighborhood asked if he would be willing to pose for a photograph for the American Library Association's "READ" program.

He was due any moment and Dana needed a light check.  He told me to stand on the canvas and pop, pop, pop the strobe went off.  He told Ginger that he needed Phil and I asked "Who is Phil?".  Not Phil but fill.  Ginger knew what was needed and she grabbed a large piece of poster board and held it to my left side to balance the light.  Pop, pop, pop and Dana had a few more test shots and it was over.

Leilani and I were no longer Lost and no longer needed on the set.  We left the scene before the star arrived.

The following day Dana send the results of his test shots with me and Leilani.  Being the stage parents that we are we offered to sit in whenever Dana would need a test subject again.  You never know when another star or director will be in town and Leilani could have her big break!

Leilani at 46 Weeks

Introducing...KING!

On the same day (a few weeks ago) that Leilani received Flippy from her hanai grandmother, she got her own Kong, aka King.

Down at the beach she has made off with a Kong toy belonging to Lucy, a Aussie, who lives in the neighborhood. That Kong had a rope attached to it and was meant for chasing.

King has another duty at lanikai green house.  King's sole purpose is to keep Leilani focused and busy for a while. 

The length of time is determined by the nature of what we stuff inside King.  Today we first spread a teaspoon of her favorite peanut butter, Skippy, and then topped it off with a few thin slices of turkey breast.  Sounds like a balanced meal, doesn't it?

It did not take her long to clean out the inside of King.  We will have to think of more challenges to keep Leilani busy at work in the future.   Maybe bananas from our garden?