R: Rain, Rain

We've had crazy amounts of rain this week on the windward side of Oahu.  Even though it was taken with an iPhone while my husband was speeding down the highway, I couldn't resist posting this drive-by photo of the waterfalls that spontaneously appear on the Ko'Olau Mountain Range for just a short time when there's a downpour. There must have been over a hundred waterfalls yesterday - twelve just in this shot alone . Such a stunning phenomenon!  For more 'R' photos, please visit ABC Wednesday.

E: Ele Ele

What does Ele Ele mean, you ask?  It is the Hawaiian word for black.  For today's ABC Wednesday meme, I cheated a little and posted a photo from Maui rather than from Oahu.  This was taken at the island's only black sand beach, at Wai'anapanapa Park.  For more 'E' photos please click HERE.

Z: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-A-Dee-A
My oh my what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine headed my way
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-A-Dee-A!

Doesn't this just look like a place that evokes happiness, as the lyrics from this 1946 song were also meant to?  For more 'Z' photos please visit ABC Wednesday.

M: Mermaid Sighting

I saw this beautiful girl taking a sunset swim near Chinaman's Hat Island last weekend and her pose, combined with her long flowing hair, reminded me of a mythical mermaid (she is actually my friend's daughter!).  For more 'M' photos please visit ABC Wednesday.

I is for Icky!!

That's one of the words my daughter and her friend used to describe the handful of sea cucumbers they were able to touch at the Maui Ocean Center.  There was no one else around when this very nice lady in one of the tanks began gathering several varieties of sea cucumbers, sea stars, and other creatures for the girls to examine.  They loved it!  For more 'I' photos, please visit ABC Wednesday.

U: Unnamed Beach

This area, now actually called "Unnamed Beach" was once part of Ko Olina Beach Park, but was cut off from it when the nearby marina was built.  Here is a description of it from one of my books:

"It often has unusual-looking waves (thanks to a sandstone bench that waves smack into and prevailing offshore breezes that push the tops of the waves backward)"  - Oahu Revealed

I recently sat on the sand here and watched the sunset, and that description exactly matched what I saw - I especially liked the way the wave tops were pushed back, creating a spray that glowed in the late afternoon light.

For more 'U' photos, please visit ABC Wednesday.

Q: Quilt that was a steal!

I've been wanting a more traditional Hawaiian quilt for awhile, but they are very expensive and I'm way to "frugal" (or cheap, as my husband would say) to buy one new!  A few weeks ago I was one of the first people to arrive at a community yard sale, and I spotted this quilt with two matching shams for TWELVE dollars.  It was even yellow - perfect for my room.  I asked about the size - I was looking for a king, but she said it was a queen.  I bought it anyway, not even bothering to unfold it, as there were already two other women ready to immediately snatch it up off the table should I decide to set it down!  When I got home and unfolded it, I was very excited to see that it is actually a king size.  It's not perfect, has some minor fading, but for $12 it's close enough.  Score :)

For more 'Q' photos, please go check out ABC Wedensday.

O: Oma'oma'o

Oma'oma'o is the Hawaiian word for green, and it's the word that comes to mind when I see this view.  I snapped this while eating at Haleiwa Joe's in Kaneohe.  For more 'O' photos, go check out ABC Wednesday.

N: New (RED!) Shoes

I saw this older gentleman and his dog resting on the trail to Ka'ena Point.  He was very conservatively dressed in his overalls and hat on this very hot day, but what caught my eye were his brand new bright red tennis shoes :)  For more 'N' photos, please go check out ABC Wednesday.

L: Lizard Love

Saw this pair when I was weeding my flower bed the other day.  Like so many other animals, the camouflaging ability of these reptiles amazes me!  For more 'L' photos go check out ABC Wednesday.

K: Keiki Fun

Keiki (the Hawaiian word for children) having a great time riding the waves in their rings :)  Did you ever do this as a kid?  I used to love going to the beach with my brother and cousins, where we'd spend what seemed like hours doing this same thing on our floats.  For more 'K' photos please go check out ABC Wednesday.

C: Can You See It From Here?

I snapped this bird's eye view of the offshore islands from the top of Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail.  In the foreground is Kaohikaipu Island, and rising up behind it is Manana (Rabbit) Island.  Farther in the distance are the Moku-lua, or twin islands as they are also called.  In the background you can see Ulu-pa'u Head with the islet of Mokolea off of its shore.  If you look to your left from this spot the VIEW of the Ko'Olau Mountain Range is equally stunning.  For more 'C' photos, please visit ABC Wednesday.

B: Boogie Boarding

For obvious reasons, boogie boarding is very popular in Hawaii.  It's an inexpensive way to enjoy the waves and easy to get the hang of.  However, there are some places - like the wintertime North Shore and Sandy Beach - where the novices should stay on the shore!  This guy was quite good, doing lots of flips and turns in the large surf.  For other 'B' photos please visit ABC Wednesday.

A: Albatross

Even though I blogged about the Albatross a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't resist sharing him again!  You can read more about this intriguing bird in my previous post.  For 'A' photos from around the world, please visit ABC Wednesday.

V: Valley of the Temples

Valley of the Temples is actually a large cemetery containing not only thousands of grave sites, but also various temples.  The grandest one, and the main attraction, is the Byodo-In, an exact replica of a 950 year old Buddhist temple in Uji, Japan.  The grounds are a very lovely, serene place to visit for a half-hour or so.  For more 'V' photos please visit ABC Wednesday.

U: USS Arizona, 70th Anniversary

How fitting that this week's letter in the ABC Wednesday meme is 'U' and that this Wednesday also falls on December 7th, the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  I took the above photo right after touring the USS Arizona Memorial, built directly over the sunken remains which still entomb 1177 service members who went down with the ship on that fateful day.  It is hard for me to imagine that on a sunny weekend morning right here on this beautiful island, 180 planes tore the harbor apart, bringing the United States into World War II.  I hope we never see the UGLINESS of war here again. 

T: Talking Bird?

Not on this day...he was more interested in preening his feathers than saying any words!  For more 'T' photos, please visit ABC Wednesday.

S: Surfing

It's that time of year on the North Shore - surf is higher and traffic backs up on the two lane road that runs parallel to the water, as rubberneckers try to catch a glimpse of the waves.  For more 'S' photos please visit ABC Wednesday.

R: Rolling Waves

I love it when the waves are coming ashore in quick succession and the wind is blowing, creating a trail of mist.  For other 'R' photos please visit ABC Wednesday.

Q: Quarterback in Training

Check out this little guy in his #7 Pittsburgh Steelers jersey - just like their quarterback wears.  Looks like he's ready for game time to me.  For more 'Q' photos, please visit ABC Wednesday.