Blue skies and a gentle breeze greeted me this morning after a week of torrential downpour in Maui. Sitting on my front porch sipping a cup of tea, I watched nature dry out.

Four green-bellied finches fluttered from flower to tree, slurping back sweet nectar brought by all the rain–their light chirping audible again now that the thunderous clouds are gone. A caravan of snails with mottled, twisting shells on their backs were making the long trek from under the porch to the bush by the front steps. I accidentally crushed one when I lept off the porch to retrieve the morning paper.

The forecast for the immediate future is clear skies and light tradewinds. In other words, business as usual. Just in time for all of the holiday-makers, who descend on Maui this time of year, to recover their overworked spirits at the beach.

Official updates from Maui County are available at www.mauicounty.gov .