What makes this fresh faced young woman so important to the Hawaiian people and to people of the world?  For centuries, leprosy was a scourge with no medicinal help or cure! The only alternative was isolation and banishment! This young woman, Alice Augusta Ball, found a way to help, if not cure Hansen's disease!

Born on July 24, 1892, in Seattle, Washington, when women, much less African American women had no rights, she was educated, earning a double Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Washington in 1914.  Offered a scholarship at the University of California (Berkeley) and the College of Hawaii (now known as University of Hawaii) for her Master's, she decided to go to Hawaii!  Maybe because when she was 11 years old, her family lived in Hawaii to help her grandfather (James P. Ball, famous daguerreotype photographer) who suffered from arthritis, to alleviate symptoms in warmer climes. This must have made quite an impression since she only lived there for 2 years.

Chemistry was her passion!  By having her grandfather, father, mother and aunt as photographers, working with iodine sensitized silver plate and mercury vapors to develop photos, she must have found it fascinating to see what chemistry could do!

While attending the University of Washington, she co-authored a 10 page article titled, "Benzoylations in Ether solution,"  with her Pharmacy instructor and it was published in the prestigious "Journal of the American Chemical Society!"

Her Master's thesis, "The Chemical Constituents of Piper Methysticum," identified the active ingredients of the KAVA root. Graduating in 1915 with her Masters of Science in Chemistry, she became the first WOMAN to get her Masters degree in Hawaii.  Offered a teaching position at the University, she became the first woman and black American to be a Chemistry Professor.

Chaulmoogra oil, located in the seed, was known for centuries by Indian and Chinese practioners,to help leprosy patients, but, with limited success.  Used topically, it didn't penetrate deep enough.  Orally, it was quite bitter and caused stomach upset and nausea.  Injected, it was extremely painful and created cysts at the injection site since oil does not mix with water!

Dr. Harry Hollman, a U.S. Public Health Officer was working at the Kalihi Hospital, where leprosy patients were seen before sending them to Kalaupapa, Molokai.  He believed  that the Chaulmoogra Oil could be of great help if it could become water soluble.  He contacted Alice Ball to see if she could identify and isolate the active ingredients of the Chaulmoogra Oil. She isolated the chaulmoogric acid and hydrocarpic acid contained in the oil and made the first water soluble injectable treatment for leprosy at the tender age of 24!

Unfortunately, she became very ill, returned to Seattle, Washington where she died on December 31, 1916.  The cause of death is a mystery, as her death certificate was altered to say she died of tuberculosis.  But an article in the "Honolulu Pacific Commercial Advertiser" wrote that while instructing her class in September, she suffered from chlorine poisoning.  At this time, ventilation hoods were not a mandatory safety feature in laboratories.

Though never seeing the results of her work, in 1918, 78 patients of the Kalihi Hospital were released after being treated with chaulmoogra injections.  From 1919 to 1923, no new patients were sent to Molokai.  Even though it wasn't a cure, her breakthrough bolstered more public funding and more research for a disease that was thought to be uncurable!  Her treatment, called, "the Ball Method," was the de facto treatment for 2 decades! Finally, in 1940, a cure was developed using sulfones (sulfa antibiotics.)

In 1922, she received a posthumous attribution for her chemical discovery in a medical journal paper with little fanfare.  In the 1970's, a University of Hawaii professor, Kathryn Takara and Stanley Ali, scoured the archives to remember this remarkable woman and her contributions to Hawaii and to the world!  After being brought to light, the University of Hawaii planted a Chaulmoogra tree on the campus near Bachman Hall in 2000.  Also, the Governer of Hawaii declared February 29th, Alice Ball day!  In 2007, Alice Ball posthumusly received the "Regents Medal of Distinction," the school's highest honor and put a plaque near the foot of the Chaulmoogra tree.

On a personal note, my birthday is JULY 24th!  By chance I read about her and realized the importance she played for the Hawaiian people!  Only 24, and solving a problem which was centuries old.  Passing away soon after discovering an injection helping all people suffering with leprosy, with no recognition and accolades, I made it my mission to go to Hawaii and find this tree, and thank her personally how grateful I am! And to make her known to as many people as I can about this brilliant young woman.  Mahalo nui loa!  Aloha!

Santa Fe, meaning "Holy Faith," is the oldest state capital in the United States and the oldest city in New Mexico.  Indigenous people built Pueblo villages about 1050 - 1150AD.  The village was called, "Ogapoge," and they settled along the Sante Fe river for water and transportation.

Starting in the 1700's, the year round flow of the Sante Fe became seasonal only and since 2007, it is recognized as the most endangered river in the United States.  The picture above is the Santa Fe river and I couldn't believe how little water flowed through it!

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is part of the town planning laid out around a central plaza with the Church sitting on the East and the "Palace of the Governer's situated on the North.  Traditional adobe construction made Santa Fe's nickname, "The City Different!"  Maybe it should be the "City that never changed!"  My opinion anyway!  HaHa!

Bill and I walked around the town, resting along the Sante Fe river, checking out art and just goofed off!

Talking about art, a notable artist, Georgia O' Keeffe was a long-time resident, known for her close-up pictures of flora and the mystical desert of New Mexico.  Living there sporadically, eventually, she made New Mexico her home.  I understand her love for this state as I lived in New Mexico for 9 years and is my second favorite place to live, with Hawaii being first!  Weird, because one is dry and sparse and the other is humid and lush! 

 I can't post any pictures of her art since it is copyrighted, but, I hope that you look at some of her art on the web!  By the way, she was commissioned to paint by Dole Co. in Hawaii, to do some pineapple.  She painted everything but!  Eventually, she did paint the pineapple that she was supposed to do!  Please check her works of Hawaii too!

The Hawaiian comes out of me, because I am always looking for some beautiful flora to take a picture of!  The skies of New Mexico are incredibly BLUE!  Believe it or not, bluer than Hawaii!  Maybe, its because Santa Fe sits at 7199 feet in altitude and is the highest state capital in the United States!  Yes, it beats out Colorado with it's mile high capital!

In 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state, so it is fairly young as states go!  Notable people who live in Santa Fe are: Gene Hackman, Ali McGraw and Shirley McLaine.  If you haven't been here, I hope that you will sometime in the future and see a vision of what the country looked like in the past!  Aloha no! ( Lots of love!)

Celebrate Independence Day making homemade rockets using toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls!

Start by collecting the empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls!

Besides the rolls, you'll need album paper, glitter paper, ribbons, pony beads, glue and stapler.

Cut the glitter paper in a 6" semi-circle.  I made a template and cut 3 at a time!  The curve will be the bottom and straight line will be the top.  Curl and staple together.

Cut the album paper in at least 6-1/2 by 4-1/2" pieces.  The paper rolls (I cut in half) will be larger. Measure and cut 1/2" longer and wider.

Glue paper around the rolls and after it's dry, glue on the stapled cones to top of roll.  I recommend doing all of them at once as it's faster than doing individually since you'll need time for glue to dry.

While the rolls are drying, start cutting a variety of ribbons at 8" lengths as you will need 8-10 ribbons per roll!  Yes, that's a lot of ribbon!

Glue 4 to 5 ribbons to the bottom of the roll and let dry.  As I mentioned before, do all of them at once.

While the ribbons are drying, tie the pony beads to one end of  long lengths of skinny ribbon, which will be used to hang the completed rocket.  If you are having trouble, thread the ribbon through an embroidery needle and poke through the pony bead.  I would tie two knots to make the bead secure.

Glue the other 4-5 ribbons on the bottom of roll and let dry.  After it dries, take long length of ribbon with pony bead, thread using NON pony bead end through bottom of roll and through hole on top of cone and pull till the pony bead jams against the hole.  Hang and enjoy!

If you like, you can continue to decorate using extra glitter paper glued and stapled to the bottom or glue on sequins for some extra sparkle!  Let your creativity go wild!  Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone!

Revisiting our old stomping grounds in Alamogordo, NM, we were in time to take in a sunset stroll through nearby White Sands National Monument Park.

Alamogordo, literally meaning, "Fat Cottonwood Tree," was established in 1898 by the Eddy Brothers who owned the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, even though the area has been habituated by humans for 11,000 years!

The economy revolves now around Holloman AFB, which houses a Fighter Wing, the Stealth Bombers and the German Air Force. We were stationed at Holloman on three separate occasions and loved this place all the more.

Only a few miles out of town, the White Sands National Monument Park is a great attraction for visitors and locals alike!  With events happening throughout the year and an informative Visitor Center gracing the entrance, anytime is a GOOD time to be here!

It looks like I took a picture of a BUSH, but it is actually the top of a cottonwood TREE!  The drifting sands have slowly been burying almost the entire TREE!

About BURYING, did you know that a documentary was filmed in Alamogordo based upon the massive burial of ATARI games in an old trash landfill? Called, "Atari: Game Over," it was seen on Xbox Live on Nov. 20, 2014. The production company, Xbox Entertainment Studios, was shut down the previous July due to reorganization of Microsoft that fired 18,000 employees!  Bad luck all around, yes?

Why is this store so fascinating?  Well, this is where we were married the second time and THIS time had some wedding VOWS!  It's a long story, so, if you are interested in hearing about it, leave a comment below the post!

This beautiful, decorated horse can be found just outside the "Eagle Ranch Pistachio" farm, just outside of town.  Their shop and visitor center called, "Heart of the Desert," contains interesting Southwest curios and of course, LOTS of delicious pistachios.  My favorite is the Chocolate Pistachio bark!  Yum!

In my opinion, this Donut shop in Alamogordo has the BEST DONUTS IN THE WORLD!  Tasty Creme, you PALE in comparison!  Try it yourself and be prepared to NEVER be satisfied by another name brand!

Looking forward to continuing our journey, we enjoyed ourselves in this enchanted land of beauty, delicious meals, and precious memories.  May you enjoy all your days too!  A Hui Hou! (Until we meet again!)

Picking up our shipped car in Dallas, TX, we finally crossed the state line into Southeastern New Mexico passing through the border town of Hobbs and nearby town of Artesia.

Travelling down the main street of Hobbs, I saw this prominent structure and surmised that this may be an oil town, yeah?  HaHa!

Winning 17 State Boy's Basketball Championships, Hobbs High School has the most championships in New Mexico history!  Besides having talented athletes, their coach Ralph Taskor, was known for employing a "full-court press" the ENTIRE game!  This technique is grueling, but, effective!

By the way, I think that the state has one of the PRETTIEST license plates!

Seen from one of the light posts, this is one run-in I'm glad that I wasn't involved with!  HaHa!

While driving through Artesia, we came across Abo Elementary School.  What is so interesting about this school?  Well, the school was built TOTALLY underground to double as a fall-out shelter!

Constructed in 1962 at the height of COLD WAR fears, it was designed to withstand a 20 megaton blast 10 miles away!  Why Artesia, you say?  Well, just up Hwy 280, Atlas Missile silos dot the landscape and was placed there by SAC in the early 1960's.  Therefore, it was a potential enemy target.  Also, 30 miles south is the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, (WIPP) one of the world's few underground DUMPS for the permanent disposal of transuranic radioactive waste.  It's stored 2000ft. down in a salt rock formation.

Another interesting fact about Abo Elementary is that it was used to incarcerate 600 mothers and children seeking asylum during war in Central America on August 31, 2014!

I'm hoping that you now realize, that the tiny towns you may pass on your journeys, can be a place of fascinating facts or history!  Don't judge a place by it's size!  IMUA! (Go forward!)

Hiking in the "pasture for the clouds," in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, it would have been an easy stroll of 2.2 miles if the altitude of the trail didn't start at 8,467 feet with an elevation gain of 320 feet!  Rated as a MODERATE level hike, the OSHA TRAIL is a popular destination for nearby residents and visitors alike!

Always a good idea to take a break when an opportunity presents itself, this collapsed tree was ingeniously cut and carved to be a comfortable and cute resting place! 

Cloudcroft, situated within the Lincoln National Forest rests at a breath-taking (literally!) 8,600 ft.  The altitude makes for mild summer weather and a cool break from the sweltering temperatures of the high desert communities footing the Sacramento Mountains.  Trains brought tourists starting in the early 1900's to the two resorts built to accommodate them, the Pavillion and the Lodge.  As automobiles became the more popular way to travel,  the rail line began to lose money and passenger service ended in 1938.  Behind us is the remnant of the rail line which has been partially dismantled on both ends to prevent thrill seekers from walking across it and possibly fall to their deaths.

We arrived at Cloudcroft on a special day, October 23, 2014, right at the time of a PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE.  Sunspot, a nearby community, houses a SUN telescope which records sunspot activity.  But on this day, scientists from everywhere were at sunspot watching the eclipse!  Lucky for us, the concierge at the LODGE had a sun viewing box that he lent us to watch the eclipse.  I tried to photograph the event, but, my iPhone did not have the capability to capture the image in the direct sun!

Oops!  I didn't mention that we lodged at "The Lodge!"  Climbing the narrow staircase to the TOWER, we were rewarded with a 360 degree view of our surroundings!  The middle photo shows WHITE SANDS National Park in the distance!  Yes, famous people also etch "we where here" into things!  Judy Garland and Clark Gable visited this place.  By the way, CONRAD HILTON, a native New Mexican, born in San Antonio, was the hotel manager of the LODGE in 1930!

Not to mention that this place is HAUNTED!  In the early 1900's, a beautiful redhead chambermaid called, Rebecca, disappeared from her quarters after her lover found her in the arms of another.  Since then, guests and employees have seen her wandering down the halls, lights turning off and on, doors slamming, objects moving and the fireplace catching fire with no one else around.  She is not malevolent, just mischievous.

After receiving a coupon for a discount from the shop within the hotel called, "The Mercantile and Seasons," I decided to check it out.  Finding some cute apparel, I wanted to try it on!  This redesigned hotel safe was my dressing room.  Did I feel a little claustrophobic?  Yes, I did, especially when she closed the safe's door.  I had to knock on the door for her to open it when I was done, as I couldn't open it myself.  I'm glad that REBECCA didn't decide to pay me a visit while I was in there!  HaHa!  

The Lodge also has a 9-hole Golf course, at the altitude of 9000 feet, it is one of the highest in the world!

Named by FODORS as the # 3, "Most Overlooked and Underrated Destination Spot," in 2002, you now have the inside scoop where you can hike, golf, see sunspots, see a ghost, snow mobile, cross-country ski and just CHILL in a beautiful locale.

 If you were wondering if we saw Rebecca, NO, we didn't, but, we were expectant!  Well, maybe next time!  E Malama Pono! (Take care!)