Every year we try to visit the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) tradeshow in Houston. This year I almost stayed home with June to help with Vovo, her mother, who is ill. But the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO) conference was taking place immediately after the PMA show, also in Houston, so I decided to go.

I didn’t expect it, but my son Brian told me that he, his wife Kris and their 15-month-old son Gunner would drive down from Fort Hood to hang out with me for a few days.

As it turned out, that was the highlight of the trip. I got to hang out with my only son, my favorite daughter-in-law Kris and my buddy Gunner. We went to visit the Central Market, a Whole Foods-like store, a children’s museum and the Houston Aquarium.

Outside of the Aquarium, a lady gave a little talk about a giant owl. This owl was huge and bad and he did not say “HOO.” When he said something, he said, “MAAAK!”

I told Gunner, “Gunner, owl! Maaak!!” One day, some teacher is going to have to undo that and teach him that an “owl goes hooo!” But Gunner will know that Papa calls it like it is.

Funny thing—I was walking toward the Galleria in Houston when a car drove by and a guy yelled and gave me the shaka sign. “Eh, howzit,” I yelled back. It was Young Tarring, who lives and grows apple bananas in Kea‘au. His dad Mike and I have been friends for more than 20 years. What’s the chance of running into someone from Hilo in Houston?

He is promoting Hawaiian-grown apple bananas on the mainland and has a really attractive product. He was at the Hawai‘i Dept of Ag booth.

The first time Clay visited Hawai‘i he was anxious to learn about the culture and pronounce words right, so I gave him a test. I said, “I’ll spell it and you say it.” I spelled “Komohana” and he pronounced it, “koh moh ha nah.” I spelled “Kalakaua,” and he said, “kah lah ka oo ah.” I was impressed. I spelled Pi-pe-li-ne and he said “pee pay lee nay.” I told him, “My friends pronounce it ‘pipeline.’” We both laughed out loud and we’ve been buddies ever since.

Clay, Steve West, (not pictured) who owns an agricultural consultant firm in Yuma, and me are friends from way back. Steve and I went to San Jose, Costa Rica for a world banana conference many years ago when we were both starting out in our businesses. Steve has since consulted extensively throughout Central and South America.

Every year at the PMA show I get to say hello to Cris West, former Director of Grower Development with Friedas and now with Euro Fresh, coordinating and sourcing from Mexico. She is the sister of my good friend Steve West.

The PMA show is always special because I get to visit friends. It was nice to see Clay and Cris. Maybe next year I’ll see Steve and Lee as well.

The ASPO conference was really intense; it ran from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday though Friday, and until noon on Saturday. There were a lot of rich investors in attendance. I thought to myself, “No wonder they are rich.” They are rich because they are on the cutting edge.

I met Gail Tverberg there, who is a very thoughtful commentator on the subject of world oil supplies. She posts at The Oil Drum under the name “gailtheactuary.” Her business assesses insurance risks.

The Houston Ship Channel is five or six times the width of the Wailoa River, and maybe 20 times as long. Add in all the industrial buildings and fuel tanks of HELCO, plus all the fuel tanks and industrial buildings of the Hilo wharf area, then multiply that times one or two thousand and you get the Houston Ship Channel. It’s the oil capital of the U.S.

I sat in on every conference session and by the end it felt like I had taken a graduate course in oil and gas. It was one of the most important conferences of my life. The subject matter is very grim, but you cannot grit your teeth all day long. No matter how grim things get, we need to find any excuse to laugh. That’s why it was so great to see my kids and grandson and friends, old and new, during this conference.