Field Trip - Hawaiian Style

I spent most of my day here, at Baby Makapu'u Tidepools, with my daughter's kindergarten class.  Watching a bunch of 5-6 year olds wading through the shallow water, turning over the rocks in the tidepools and then shrieking with delight at their discoveries - hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, even a starfish - was a lot of fun for me.  And the water...well, it was that stunning shade of turquoise that almost takes your breath away as you round the curve of the road and the sea stretches out before you!

For more sky images from around the world, please visit Skywatch Friday.

Solitude

That's what comes to mind when I look at this photo.  As I walked past the fisherman at sunrise, it was obvious that he'd been there for hours.  He had a little tent set up and coffee brewing on his camp stove.  Imagine sitting out there in the darkness, with only crashing waves and the occasional biting fish to keep you company!

U'i

Some of the beautiful ladies of the Hano Hano No Akua Ka Hula Hula halau.  This was taken right after their Easter sunrise performance yesterday, which was quite moving. 

Happy Easter!

Collecting Seashells by the Seashore

Two little friends collect sticks and shells on the beach after a sunrise hula service.  I love the morning light here, and the breathtaking backdrop that the Ko'olau mountain range provides when the clouds ascend and hover just above its peaks.  For more sky photos from around the world, please go visit Skywatch Friday.

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.

A told B and B told C...

“Dare, double dare, you can’t catch me.  I’ll beat you to the top of the coconut tree.”  Whenever I see this photo, it reminds me of a popular children's book - anyone remember it?

Sunday Afternoon Sail

Love the red sail on this canoe!

Lanikai Dogs, #2

This fellow and his owner emerged from a quick swim this morning at Lanikai.  He was a handsome dog - he had the face and markings of a bird dog, and the size, body shape, and speed of a greyhound!

Are you ever mesmerized by a sunset?  I am, it's one of my favorite things - sitting in the sand, feeling its last warming rays on my skin before the sun slips below the horizon, listening to the waves as they curl and break so rhythmically - for me, that's Hawaii.  For more sky images from around the world, please visit Skywatch Friday.

Ethereal

After a good rain, dozens of tiny waterfalls appear and cascade down the Ko'Olau Mountain Range for only a few hours - to me, it is always a magical sight!  In the bottom left corner of the photo you can see the Tetsuo Harano tunnels which cut through the mountain, carrying traffic on the H-3 from the windward side and leeward side of the island. 

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.

Catch Your Breath

A pair of hikers stop to rest on one of the ridge-line trails above Kailua.  I liked the way their coordinating black clothing contrasted with the green landscape around them :)

Snowing...in Hawaii??

No, not really (but we did have a very nasty storm that involved some HUGE hail last Friday!  Apparently, it's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event here in the islands). 

I've been MIA from my blog for over a month now, so some of you may have been wondering if I was swept out to sea!  I took a trip to Ukraine for a couple of weeks - which is where this photo was taken.  Since returning I feel like I've been playing catch-up, juggling company from the mainland, and just living life.  I'm ready to get back to posting now though, and I have a LOT of reading to do on my friends' blogs :)

Aloha!

Something Different

I am not normally into altering images - maybe a few basic fixes in iPhoto - but no drastic post processing.  Well, that may be about to change ;)  I recently found a few free downloads that I like, and one of them is Pixlr.  I used it to give this photo a more worn, vintage feel with the "dirt" application!  While this stuff is fun and I just love seeing the ways that others use applications to do really cool things, I think that I will ultimately remain more of a purist (even if that makes me more boring in the photography world)!

What downloads  or programs do you like to use for image alteration?

Winter Hike

The nice thing about doing sunrise hikes in Hawaii during the winter is that sunrise isn't until just after 7am (as opposed to just after 5:00am in the summer)!  Hawaii does not participate in Daylight Savings.  This was taken on a trail above Kailua and Lanikai - you can see one of the WWII pillboxes, with tiny Flat Island and Ulupa'u Head in the distance.  For more sky photos from around the world, please visit Skywatch Friday.

Friendly Reminder

I recently saw this t-shirt that the coaches in the AYSO soccer program are wearing for winter season...and it kind of cracks me up :)  However, I do think it's a nice way to get the parents in the right frame of mind as they show up for their kids' games. 

Bejeweled

I took this photo on one of my visits to the Byodo-In Temple.  I don't know what she signifies, but I thought the statue was interesting to look at (and my daughter loved all of her "jewels"!).

Un-Named Beach

Yes, that is really the name of this obscure strip of sand near Kapolei!  Surely someone should come up with something more creative.  But if you are looking for a spot to watch the sunset in solitude, this is one of several options on the island.  I think visitors are kept to a minimum here because  it's very hard to find and it fronts an industrial area.  I'm a little late posting, but for more sky images from around the globe please visit Skywatch Friday.

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.