It looks as though Hawai’i is in the direct firing line of these two Tropical Storms. The eye of closer storm, Tropical Storm Hone, is due to be close to the Southern Point of the Big Island of Hawai’i Saturday night into Sunday morning. Then according to The National Weather Service,
…Hone will then strengthen to a Hurricane late Sunday as it passes south of Oʻahu and Molokaʻi.
🚿 Taking an outdoor shower with dark grey clouds rolling in, sprinkles of rain falling, wind blowing. Island life.
I have an iPhone 13 Mini. Sometimes when I am traveling, perhaps on a flight to Europe, I like to be able to write. This can happen in my journal, and sometimes I want to write something electronically, perhaps for use when I land. I don’t own an iPad and I might not want to reach up to get my bag down to write on my MacBook Air. In such situations I reach for my Mini. I have typed some quite long pieces on that little phone. I don’t find it ideal, but it works.
Until now. Today an iClever Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard, BK03 arrived. I have just paired it with my iPhone and typed the quote below in Drafts on the phone.
Testing the iClever keyboard. I think that it will take a little getting use to the smaller keys, but on the whole it feels a lot more comfortable than I thought that it would do.
The pairing process was no problem at all, and apparently up to three devices can be paired with the keyboard, something that I cannot test. The first thing that I noticed is that when using the keyboard the phone keyboard got out of the way and I suddenly had more writing real estate, a big deal on such a small device. The keys although a little smaller than my Air’s keys, were responsive and I got use to them pretty quickly.
A stand for the iPhone is supplied and is very sturdy, holding the phone at whatever angle is comfortable for you. Also in the box is a charging cable - USB A to USB C, with the keyboard having a USB C socket.
A nice pouch is supplied for carrying the folded up keyboard, along with some silicon pads which can be attached to the base of the keyboard if you find it unbalanced. I have not felt a need to use them.
So after this initial brief use of the iClever keyboard, I think that I will be very happy with it. Slightly longer versions exist, one including a track pad, and another a numeric keypad, two features that I don’t need. The BK03 model is nice and light, 6.6oz (187g), running at dimensions of 10.3in x 3.5in (26.2cm x 8.9cm). I’m very happy camper with this purchase.
I felt fortunate on this morning’s run. I’d left my hat behind. I normally take it to shield my head from the heat of the sun. As I drove to where I run, the clouds started drifting over. Although it was hot, humid hot, I was blessed with the shade of the sun while I was completing the next stage of the Watch to 5K.
This has been the wettest summer that I have experienced here on Maui. Last week had made me think that the rain was over and that we were dropping into a drier month or so. This weekend would suggest otherwise.
However, even this has to be said with some context. We live in one of the wetter parts of the island. Though summers can be dry here, if there is going to be a lot of rain, likely as not it will be in this north east corner. Not that I am complaining though. Parts of Maui are a dust bowl at the moment, with very little rainfall. For a small island, the micro climates are many. Occasionally the island is socked in with a rain cloud hanging over the whole landmass, but more often than not it is just one or two of those micro climates, ours being one of them.
I appreciate the rain for the variance in weather, for the lushness it brings to our lived environment, the food that we can grow, the abundance of water (a hosepipe ban can be in effect elsewhere while we are watering the garden), and dare I say it in this age - the added protection from wildfires.
So I sit outside, undercover, writing this this evening, another scrawl passing through. The sound of water trickling down the down pipes, the wind bringing a chill to the air, and gratitude in my heart for the rain.
A midweek stop during this last week. I’d grabbed a snack and so stopped to eat it at Ho’okipa Beach Park, to take in this view, and unwind before heading home - asking myself “why don’t you do this more often?”
I’m growing some micro greens for salads, specifically coriander micro greens. I’m growing them from seed. I still get so much joy from seeing the young shoots lifting up through the soil for the first time. No matter how many times I see a seed sprout, it makes me so happy to see the young shoots.
Being a sucker for new texts and note taking apps I am testing out Quick Note Taking - Type, the app’s website here but available from the Mac App Store. I like what I am seeing so far. Quickly call up the note screen when you need it, type in what you want and then move on. A quick brain dump, date and time stamped, and then back to what you were doing. Access your notes from any text editor. I’ve only just installed it, and I’ll see how my usage goes over the next few days, but I can see a place for it.
🛌 I had a bad night’s sleep last night. First I couldn’t get to sleep, then I had a few hours of fitful sleep, and finally I slept for a couple of hours and ended up oversleeping. Now I feel as though I am playing catch up and the day has hardly started.
Something went wrong this morning. It is almost 11:00am and the bed still isn’t made.
Trying to fix the WiFi connection on my mother’s iPad from 7,100 miles away (11,400 km for those who have sensibly, IMO, made the metric shift) is a part of the reason that the bed is still unmade.
Kudos though to mum. I led her through the stages for forgetting the WiFi network that she was connected to and then reconnecting to it (that was after starting and restarting both the iPad and WiFi). All done over the phone and at the end of what had been a busy day for her. And Bingo, she was back online. 🎉
She is a 90 year old tech wiz!
This morning I headed out on the second run of the Watch to 5K program. I chose the same route that I did for last week’s run, a path that runs along the edge of the Kahului airport here on Maui. The weather was beginning to heat up, but I find it a pleasant path - not too busy, good views of the island, and the smell of the ocean nearby. Like my first run, I stuck to the emphasis of focusing on running and not racing. Watching my pace. After all I am training.
Interestingly on this second attempt at the Watch to 5K I am noticing more people who are out running and more importantly not trying to break records. Just setting steady paces that work for them.
By picking the route that I have I am meeting more runners which I am thinking is good for me. I can use their example to influence my own pace. Let’s just hope that I don’t meet many pro-runners!
Currently reading: The Story Handbook by Helen Whybrow 📚
☕ Yesterday was a five coffee day. I am already on my third coffee today, and it is not midday yet. Two is normally where I stop, apart from every now and again. A new pattern? What’s up? 🤷🏼♂️