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!!