Aloha Friends, 

It's a tragic story.  We are fine here on the Big Island.  We had 3 fires here but they were able to contain them.  Although one burned 1800 acres near the coast.

But Maui is another story.   The whole town of Lahaina was burnt to the ground.  It's surreal.  It was a fire storm, like an Australian bush fire.  We had terribly high winds 60-80 mph for 3 days from a passing hurricane.  It brought no rain, but brush fires popped up everywhere and the one near Lahaina just exploded before any warning and now there are 101 deaths and the number is climbing. People were jumping in the water to avoid the fire and while this fire was happening there was another one upcountry Maui where my in-laws live.  They had to evacuate their home and the fire was selective in taking a few homes. Thank goodness their home was saved.  

In my Instagram this week, I posted a picture of beautiful Turquoise Bay on the Ningaloo coast of Western Australia and I talked about how important it is to think about your life, be grateful for what you have and how you will handle difficult situations.     Read below for ways to support Maui.