Kauai, HI

July 25, 2014

Paana [Sunshine, in Hawaiian] and Koua [Rain, in Hawaiian] are two old dogs whose puppy love has grown into a mature relationship. Ever since they were born they’ve been inseparable. Though they don’t have any children of their own, their owner, Esther Rivera, has been an addition to their family since she was 17 years old. With the passing seasons of life, came memories and joy.

“They fight over whose friend is walking by because they don’t bark at other dogs, they bark at each other,” Esther Rivera said.

As family members, they not only raised Esther but also her nine year old daughter, Jaysie-Jean, as well. For Jaysie-Jean, they are just like another set of parents who spend quality time with her and show their dedication through love. While they can never have a verbal conversation together, they constantly show an interpersonal relationship when communicating.

“Ai! Where that maka-pia-pia come from?” Jaysie-Jean said, wiping Koua’s eyes.

From ups and downs and experiences that shake the core of the foundation in a family, this past year, the Rivera’s spotted a storm that was coming for Sunshine and Rain. Though the actual storm wasn’t similar to the slow and deadly force of a tsunami, underneath the surface, held a gust of wind that took the family’s breath away.

“We weren’t really sure what it was. Then we took him to the doctor and they said that it would possibly be cancer. And then I noticed a couple of months later that she had a few blister spots.” said Esther Rivera.

Unfortunately, Paana and Koua were both diagnosed with different forms of cancer. As head of the household, this left Esther with a very difficult decision to make.

“To put down or not...I just don’t want them to suffer,” Esther said.

However, because of everything they’ve been through, not everyone was on the same page when it came to the well-being of Paana and Koua.

“We’re not putting them asleep,” Jaysie-Jean said.

Several surgeries and a few months later the cancer is currently in remission. However, the family is still weathering the storm.

“It was a learning experience and it was, you know, very emotional,” Esther said.

“They’re like the most important thing of almost everything except my parents,” Jaysie-Jean said.

On the road from remission, they know it’s not going to be stroll in the park. For now, this couple is going to enjoy whatever time they have left.

“Just...crossing our fingers that it doesn’t come back,” Esther Rivera said.

Even if it does return, this family will stick together come rain and shine.

Kapa’a HI

July 24, 2014

On the boardwalk of downtown Kapa’a, you will find many souvenir shops, a few eateries, and one storefront so small it’s easy to miss. One door and a sign is all that makes up the Orchid Alley storefront, however, this alley opens up into a very impressive sanctuary.

Home of sculptures made of driftwood found on the beaches of kapa’a, an impressive butterfly garden, and of course, orchids.

“We do our own hybridizing, we have hundreds of different types of orchids, some of our hybrids are nationally award winning such as Fely’s Sunshine named after my wife, we have a lot going on,” says Neill Sams, owner of Orchid Alley.

The Sams have been in business for the past 18 years, finding new and exciting ways to cultivate their passion for orchids.

“We reinvent our business every few years to keep the customers interested, the latest was the butterfly garden but there’s always something new,” says Neill’s wife Fely Sams. However, this couples reign of success has bloomed from tragedy.

Twenty-three years ago the Sams moved from the golden state to the garden isle in pursuit of a dream. A dream that just so happened to leave them facing down Kaua’i’s worst storm in decades.

“Here it is, Hurricane Iniki, it was devastating, we had just moved here and I didn’t have any friends or family, that was the lowest moment,” says Fely.

The 1.8 billion dollars in damage caused by Hurricane Iniki provided a new opportunity for the Sams.

“The property here was demolished, the building was knocked down, the ground was torn up, but it happened to be at an affordable enough price for us to buy it,” explains Neill.

The Sams slowly rebuilt the property into the successful business it is, one plant at a time.

“We started out with one umbrella out front and eventually it evolved into this,” Fely remembers, a smile on her face.

Although the Sams possess National Hybridizing awards and a blooming business, Fely measures their success a different way, “A lot of my customers have become great friends, it feels like they’re a family.”

The Sams attribute each other to their growing success, “I have to work a little harder, when we met I had a brown thumb but over the years his green thumb wore off on me,” says Fely.

“She really takes care of the customers and makes it possible for me to pursue my passion with the orchids,” compliments Neill.

Running a successful business does keep the couple apart, but with family and a little bit of TLC, the Sams are exactly where they need to be to blossom.