‘Ilio (dog) news: Axel went Winners Dog and Best of Winners today in St. Joseph, MO to get the first point towards his AKC championship! This was his very first AKC conformation show. I am very proud of him and hope he does well in the rest of the shows this weekend.

Honu (sea turtle) news: We made a return trip to Laniakea Beach to see the basking sea turtles. Last time, there were not too many turtle fans on the day we visited. Today, there was an entire tour bus full of Japanese tourists, as well as a full parking area of tourists and locals due to good surf and swimming conditions in the area as well. Throughout my whole life, I have found at least one stereotype of Japanese tourists to be true. They are obsessed with photography and this group was no exception. They all had to be in the photo with the turtles, too.

Click the photo to see the November 2008 photos, plus seven new photos from today.