Rainbows Mean Rain!!!

I said goodbye to my new roommate who has breakfast with me every morning and headed out to Lahaina, the old whaling/fishing port on the Northwest side of the Island.

I didn't realize as I drove the only highway to Lahaina, admiring the beautiful rainbow that stretched from Maui to Lanai, that rainbows mean rain.  Neither did the guy who was following me in the Mustang convertible as huge drops began to fall, totally soaking him and his lady, who was frantically trying to crawl under the dash to stay dry.  Although still green here, a good portion of this island doesn't get much rain, resulting in lots of cactus and scrub brush.

This little town never seems to change ... all the old buildings still stand, although some were empty.  Apparently last summer was a bad one and many businesses closed their doors.  If you are in to jewelry, this is the place to visit, but bring your BIG checkbook.  I found my necklace (which I purchased in Kihei) for $40 more than I paid ... and it was on SALE!!!

But FIRST!!!  Gelato ... at the Ono Gelato and Coffee store.  The only thing better than coffee for breakfast is a big Sandy Beach  ... peanut butter gelato with macadamia nuts and graham cracker crumbs!!!  YUM YUM!!!  I know, it's 9:00 am, but since I turned 18, I can have ice cream for breakfast!!

All over town are these beautiful trees ... perfect locations for photo shoots ... except I don't have models.

Patty Chance will remember this beach ... next to Bubba Gumps, this perfect small beach is where you can find nice pieces of sea glass.  I wasn't there ten minutes and three more people showed up.  Those in the know, know that butts up in the air mean glass on the beach.

With the recent storms, I was able to pick up quite a few pieces before the crowds took over.  The early bird here, gets the nice glass.  The largest white piece at the bottom is almost two inches across ... perfect for that wire wrapped necklace I want to make.

Looking back at the area of the old fort, made from blocks of coral cut from the reef, is another shallow beach area perfect for morning glass collecting.  .

Front Street in Lahaina ambles along the beach for almost a mile, complete with original buildings from the 1800's.  One of the old cookhouses remains to this day.  The kitchens were always built separate from the main house ... if there was a fire, which happened often ... the kitchen would burn down, hopefully leaving the main house intact.  

This is not quite half of the huge over-100-year-old banyan tree that takes up an entire city block in Lahaina.  It's so big there is no way you can get a picture of the entire thing.  I would have tried, but on this day, 50 tourists had just disembarked from a bus, creating a less than desirable image.

Next to the sidewalk I spied this beautiful lei hanging from a stand advertising them for $5.00.  I couldn't believe my eyes (they usually run $20-30) ... so I headed to the small group of ladies in the back to see what was up.

They immediately invited me to join their seniors group ... really, I look that old???  Actually, I was honored as they explained that they are native Hawaiian ladies, making leis to raise money for their high school senior scholarship program.  They couldn't make the leis fast enough, since they sold as soon as they were hung on the frame.  I made a donation in exchange for a couple pictures.

These plumeria blossoms smelled amazing, but the ladies said they were immune to the smell.  They have all been around them for too many years.  

As soon as I took this image, they gathered these flowers and added them to the collection.  Their next meeting is Thursday, and I just might attend!!!

All along the highway between Kihei and Lahaina are beaches like this ... just be careful if you pull over.  If you get stuck in the sand, you will wait a VERY long time for a tow truck and it will probably cost you as much as the car you are driving!!!

Having completed my assigned quilting task, my second lesson is today, and maybe I'll have time for a few more images.

Maui's View of The Blood Moon!!!

There have been a few eclipses over my lifetime, but they all seemed to be happening at midnight or later.  Being up that late is not my cup of tea ... but here on Maui, everything came together at 9:00 pm ... and I was ready with my new camera.  Definitely NOT blowing my horn, but as photography goes, these shots are the hardest to get.  So last night when I went out with my camera, I really wasn't expecting to get anything I would actually post!!!

The first challenge was to figure out where the moon was!!!  I found it playing peek-a-boo through the clouds and swaying palm trees ... the wind was up to about 30 mph.  NOT a good setting for long exposure photography.  The wind vibrates the camera too much.  The act of pushing the button to TAKE the picture vibrates the camera too much.

Once spotted, I staked out my spot across the street so I would have nice palm trees at the edges.  The wind came up so much I thought my camera would come crashing to the ground.  Time to move to the leeward side of my condo complex.  As the clouds came and went, they made for gorgeous exposures!!

And then the eclipse began!!!

And then I was accosted by some people who wanted to know why I was in their front yard!!!  When I pointed to the moon, they were amazed ... having no idea this was going on!!

A couple of times the clouds fully covered the eclipse, blocking out all view.  I held my ground though, hoping and praying they would pass and I would get that GREAT image (at least for me)!!

I had not taken my biggest lens ... too heavy ... but the 300mm did a pretty nice job!  Luckily I DID have my remote shutter device, which I always carry and never use.  Today was the day!!!  As people walked by they asked if I could send them images.  Their iPhones weren't working so well.  

By now I'm so excited I can't stand myself!!!  When you look through the lens, you can see the curvature of the moon with the suns glare on the far side peaking around the edge!!  Freezing and uncomfortable from standing for almost three hours, I'm glued to the spot and I snap image after image!!!  The wind blew wispy clouds through the frame occasionally, but for the most part it stayed clear.

It was a LONG night!!  I was so excited about uploading the images I couldn't sleep!!  This is the first time I have ever caught anything this cool on film ... well not film, but you know what I mean!!!  This has been the best trip EVER to Maui!!!  

They say there will be an eclipse every six months or so for the next two years!!!  YAY!!!  More chances to get awesome images!!!

Vacation Day From Vacation !!

Even when on vacation, you need a day off from running around trying to see everything at once!!  Yesterday was it for me.  The best time for getting some sun is early in the morning when it isn't too hot and the kids are still indoors, so I laid out for a couple of hours.  By noon, the pool was full of screaming children which lasted until about 5:00 pm.  I'm staying in my favorite unit, unfortunately right next to the pool.  Good because there are windows all along one side to let the breeze in when it's hot, BAD because of all the screaming kids!!  I finally turned the TV volumn up to it's highest setting in order to hear!!!

This is the living room area where I spent the afternoon working on the Hawaiian quilt project.  The ocean is about 200 feet out that door!!  Although an older group of condos, remodeling is currently under way, replacing the bathrooms and kitchens with new cabinets, sinks, showers and countertops.  The only down side to these units is the lack of air conditioning, which isn't a problem at all this year.  It's been in the 60's at night and not hot enough to need the fans during the day.

When Germaine said this project would go fast, I didn't agree.  Good thing I didn't bet with her because I would have lost!!!  By late afternoon the appliqué was stitched in place, ready for quilting.  Today I will hit the store to pick up quilting thread, batting and all the supplies to make this into a pillow for my RV.  Hmmmmm maybe it's time to also hit the Post Office for a mailing box.  I think my suitcase isn't going to have enough room for all my goodies!!

Ocean DANGER!!!

With the windy weather, the snorkeling and swimming hasn't been very good and in most cases has been too rough to tackle.  The Wind Gods finally blew themselves out enough the night before so Cyndae and I could hit the water early before it picked up again.

This is a no-brainer ... gather your gear, walk across the street and dive in!!  The condo is that close to one of the most beautiful beaches on Maui.  Even with the crowds of people, no one is brave enough to try swimming in the rather cold water (cold for Hawaii at least!!) and we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Almost immediately I caught Big Momma heading south.  This beauty is close to four feet long.  I color corrected this image so you can see what I actually see.

This one is straight from the camera, which picks up the blue of the water.  A smaller adult with LOTS of algae on his back, he was not in their usual resting place, I suspect due to the surge from the wind and waves.

Visibility was much less at this site, due to the wind and waves stirring up the sandy beaches.  Once low on air, the turtles rise slowly to the surface, take a big gulp and hang four for a few seconds, gulp again two or three more times .......

Then slowly head back down and hide in the rocks.  Sometimes you can catch them nibbling algae.  If you can wait around for another 30 minutes or so, they will rise again.

Little did I know while I was keeping an eye on this baby, Cyndae had taken off following another adult (we found five at this site) towards the South.  Really, you should always stay with your dive/snorkeling buddy, or at least tell them you are leaving the area.  With 2-3 foot waves starting to come in, I couldn't locate her.  You might think the ocean is pretty safe, but around islands there are currents that can sweep you out miles before you know it.  With no one in sight, I headed in to call out the search party, since you won't last long in the cold water!!  Going against the current, my swim in was long and hard.  While resting, I finally spied her walking over the hill ... she had gone so far around the point, she thought it best to land at another small beach.  BAD Cyndae!!!!!  But all ended well.

Once de-sanded and dried off, we headed back to the Shops at Wailea, home of Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, St. Johns and Coach (stores I've never set foot in).   We went directly to the Hawaiian Quilt store on the bottom level.  We met the most wonderful lady, Germaine, who asked us to return and let her teach us quilting the Hawaiian way.  Best afternoon ever!!!  One of her sweet Hawaiian native friends was visiting also.  Learning from the women about this ancient craft was fascinating.  Everything has a meaning ... from the needle to the thread to the stitches ... from where you start to where you end.  Each step tells the story of their life and culture.  Who knew there was so much involved.  Not into appliqué or hand quilting at all previously, I think I'm hooked.  Perfect zip-lock bag project for RV'ers and MUCH easier than it looks!!  I'll let you know how it comes out.

Sunsets are spectacular ... right across the road again ... on this beautiful sandy beach.

The suns rays streamed through the clouds on this day as everyone waited on the beach with cameras in hand!!

Perfect timing ... this little girl ran into my view for a perfect image!!

Coming up ..... Lahina Town, Paia and maybe some sugar cane!!

I See Green ... Green Sea Turtles!!!

Not the green of money nor the green grass out front ... I spent the day yesterday swimming with magnificent Green Sea Turtles!!  This is why I love Maui so much.  Even though I moan and groan about the cost and leaving my puppies for two weeks, swimming for a couple of hours with these beauties in the ocean, makes it all worth it!!

Did I ever mention I'm a Scuba Diving Instructor??  So you KNOW I've got lots of gear for this sport.  Loaded up with fins almost as long as I am tall, mask and snorkel, dive shirt to keep warm longer and my trusty point and shoot in a waterproof case (you didn't think I took my Nikon down there!!!!) and we were off for a gorgeous day of snorkeling and swimming at Ahihi Bay Reserve on the south end of the island.  Turtles in the ocean are not easy to find.  Their coloring blends in with the rocks and coral so well that most people miss them.

This guy was hiding under a large outcropping of coral.  Once located, you need lots of patience and water-treading skills for 20-30 minutes until they begin to rise for a large gulp of air.  

It is illegal to touch or bother them in any way, so I keep my distance and just float along with them.  It's amazing how they seem to fly underwater while moving so slowly ... like in slow motion!!

With a big swoosh, they exhale and inhale, then relax for a few seconds and do it again.  After three or four breaths, they usually head back down to the bottom.  This baby headed out to sea where I followed for a short time before returning to the second one we located.

While resting on the bottom, small fish clean the algae from their shells.  Without this cleaning service, the algae can get so heavy that the turtles can't rise for air.

You can tell when the wind began to pick up ... the wave action kicks up sand and debris and the water started to get a little murky.

There are LOTS of other fish in the sea so I tried to get a few of their portraits too.  It's not easy to have a fish say "cheese"!!!  This is a longnose butterfly.  The black spot on his tail looks like an eye, so predators think he's going the opposite direction!!

This coral is actually very yellow since it is closer to the surface ... the deeper you go in the water, the more color disappears.  Hawaii is known for their parrot fish ... looks like he has dentures!!  They use those hard bony molar-like teeth to crush the coral, sifting out the edible goodies.  What remains is the sand you see on the bottom.

I think these are two ornate butterfly fish.  Just when you have the camera focused, they move or turn over so you only see blurry fish backs!!

No idea what this guy is, but he was definitely big enough to eat!!!

These yellow tangs you see in aquariums all over the world.  They're having breakfast!!

Finally an orange band in about two feet of water.  Original name, right???

So the next time you go on an ocean vacation, talk to the locals and see where the best snorkeling spots are.  You really don't need to spend $65 each on a boat trip ... just rent a mask and fins for a week at about $10 and check out the local wildlife.  I promise you won't be disappointed!!

The LAWFUL Hawaiian Government!!

Yesterday was an interesting mix of donuts, glass art and surf city!!  The story for this image doesn't come until the end ... but I just couldn't wait to show you what the beaches and weather look like here!!  Not the safest part of the island (I had a death grip on my camera) but one of the most beautiful!!!

When the Komoda Store Bakery was closed Wednesday, Cyndae's renter opted to deliver breakfast first thing on his way to work!!  OH YEAH!!!!  Fresh made warm donuts on a stick and pudding filled cream puffs of yumminess!!!  We sat by the pool for a couple of hours devouring our prize and relaxing in the sun!!

Hard to believe this is a flower, but these beautiful protea blooms cover the bushes here, some as big as trees.  You can order these on the internet and have them shipped to you, where they will last for a month or more.  Dried, they last for years!!

At 11:00 am we went to the Maui Bead Shop for some wire wrapping lessons.  Neither of us had done this type of crafty thing before, but with a box full of gemstones from Quartszite, I wanted to learn how to make them into jewelry.  Located just behind the Shell Station, Leo Norrie was a sweetheart of a lady, happy to pass on her knowledge (and her handmade glass beads).  Here's all the tools you need to make a simple bracelet.  We were pretty uncoordinated in the beginning, but soon caught on to wire wrapping 101.

Here's my finished basic bracelet.  Not the prettiest thing I've ever seen for sure!!  But the sky's the limit now ... with the right beads and findings, I can make anything!!

When we mentioned that we REALLY wanted to know how to wire wrap stones, she was happy to provide us with a piece of beach glass, wire and a quick how-to demonstration.  This is my "second" masterpiece!!!  Time to pick out some of her gorgeous glass beads, made in her garage.  An hour later I had about $500 worth!!!  YIKES!!!  I left with 8 beads and some findings under $40 ... and a couple pair of pliers!!

Lunch has been at the Kinaole Grill food truck, parked around the corner from the condo on Alanui Ke'alii Drive.  All I can say is AMAZING food!!  You would never believe that this kind of food comes from a food truck.  Their coconut shrimp is the bomb ... 6 huge shrimp, sticky rice, macaroni salad (both staples here) and salad greens for $14 on a huge plate, plenty to feed two.  

We heard the turtles come ashore at night in Ho'okipa on the northeast side.  It's a catch twenty-two for me ... I want to take my camera for pictures, but this is NOT a place you want to be at night, unless you have a couple big guys for body guards.  This is the biggest and best surfing spot around, and I'm sure most of the locals are great guys.  There are always a few who ruin it though, and they tend to hang out here on the beach.  As we drove in we noticed (couldn't miss actually) this huge sign that the natives are restless!!  Not that the police show up here often (they don't), but they put up gates and they DO close this park at 7:00 pm trying to keep the illegal activity to a minimum.  Wouldn't you know, THIS is where the turtles like to spend the night on the beach too!!

At 6:45 we were lucky enough to find a parking space, but couldn't find the turtles.  Since many were still surfing, basically in the dark, we asked where the landing spot was ... which of course was at the opposite end.  Not really wanting to lose my camera OR get locked in all night, I took a couple quick shots of two guys coming out of the water.  It's actually much darker than this Nikon image shows, which is one reason I love this camera!!!

Snorkeling is again on the schedule this morning ... we shall see what happens!!

Sand Blasted Dermabrasion!!!

Today was another blustery day in paradise with lots of white caps on the water ... a good day to explore upcountry!!  I didn't venture out on the beach because the winds are strong enough to provide a unique kind of dermabrasion ... sand blasting of your legs!!  Amazingly, it can also get into the lens of your camera causing havoc!!  When you go to the beach in Hawaii and no one is there, it's a good sign that you shouldn't be there either!!!

This island being a volcano, pretty much everything is UP hill, including Makawao town, where I chose to do some shopping while Cyndae checked on her rental house.  Makawao is considered the cowboy town ... right up my alley ... and they DO have a rodeo here, but you probably won't see any cowboys or horses unless it's Saturday morning and the kids have been sent to get donuts!!

You will find lots of stores with colorful characters willing to talk your ear off!!  From cowboy gear to unique arts and crafts, there's lot to see here.  Definitely stop at Komoda Bakery at the top of the hill for the best pastries!!   I wanted to show you some, but it was Wednesday and they are closed.  Some spoils of the day ... this purse made from hand-sewn tribal cloth from Thailand.  Each section of material is from a different tribe.

Jewelry jewelry everywhere!!!  As you can imagine, there are lots of jewelry stores and galleries whose prices give me heart attacks ... like the $22,000 ceramic giraffe!!  If you know where to go however, you can score great bargains ... like this 1-1/2 inch opal turtle necklace (without chain here) for 50% off.  

On to the Shops at Wailea, Maui Clothing Company has the best prices on jewelry and clothing ... and you just might meet someone from your old stomping grounds!!!  The sales gal was from Lone Pine California, where my mother spent time as a child.  We exchanged stories before I purchased this beautiful coral-like bracelet for $20.

The Whalers General Store is another bargain spot with a great deli in the back making wonderful sandwiches.  The front case is usually full of gelato ... but this time had these funny round balls called mochi ice cream in several flavors.  I'm brave ... lets try some!!  Hmmmm maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.  The outer covering is pounded sticky rice ... tough and very chewy, not at all pleasant!!!   The one with lilikoi ice cream was tasty, but the mango was awful as was the tiramisu!!!  Unless these are your thing, I'd definitely pass them by!!!  

You can tell we've been to Hilo Hatties ... that's where you get the shell necklace as you enter the building.  This appetizer set will fit in my motorhome nicely ... in fact, I think the new motorhome theme will be "Beachy"!!!  There are many awesome decorating and entertaining items here at the Sand People store.

Finally, the piece I couldn't resist!!  This purse is by Desigual from Spain.  It has pockets all around the outside to house everything you could ever want in your purse!!  They kept saying it made a great gym bag ... but I don't think I'd take anything I paid this much for to the gym!!!  It will however, make a great carry-on bag to carry most of my purchases back home.  We passed on the $116.00 pair of shorts with matching $120.00 shirt.

You never know what you'll find here on Maui ... and when I looked up the location of a bead store to find some for a knitting project, we met a lovely lady whose going to give us hand-blown glass bead wire wrapping lessons today.  Not exactly on my "vacation" list, but never pass up the opportunity to learn a new craft.  Finally recovering from hiking we hope to get in some snorkeling soon!!