Sea Turtles at Sunset

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Magical, Magical Morning

Now that the big conference is over, the hotel is history and the big city lights seem a million miles away (though, they're probably only like 10). I will take this morning view over the impressive skyscrapers any day! Yes, this was my morning. I was up before sunrise. Me (the night owl) was clothed, camera'd, and on the beach BEFORE sunrise! Then again, how hard is that when you're in Hawaii and only have to walk off of the porch to see something like this?

I know. I am so very spoiled. And this was only the beginning! Experience #2 was snorkeling. It took me a while to not hyperventilate or panic ... and it was so completely worth it! All those tropical fish I have only seen in giant tanks became my friends (along with a - be still my beating heart - sea turtle). WOW just doesn't say WOW enough. The slow-motion, dream-like underworld was absolutely amazing. I think I swam for 3 hours!

Sadly, I have no underwater camera gear, but I may not have ever left if I was shooting pictures! So while the rain pours, I am replaying those special moments ... especially the sea turtle greeting. I would have been a little squeamish about touching any of them in a setting more natural to humans, but the mesmerising effect of those reefs is amazing. I could have touched them all (but you're not supposed to), and if one had touched me, I wouldn't have flinched. Instead, I would have fallen in love!

And one more no-photo moment is still vivid ... the moonrise last night. It was stunning (I didn't know there was such a thing) and I would have taken photos except that I was bobbing in the sea happily riding the waves watching the mountain mist and ocean curls.

At the moment, I am sitting under an awning watching a sudden rain. WOW! It isn't windy but somehow it is REALLY wet everywhere!

New little friend ... Just stay outside!

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Art moment

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Breakfast garnish

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Driving around O'ahu ... What a backdrop!

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Peaceful ... until your hiney hurts!

It was a long day on the bus (see previous post for highlights) ... with the latter portion becoming quite offensive to my backside and nose. So arriving at the beach was a welcome moment of peace.



I searched for the surfers I was so greviously delayed in meeting and could never quite find them, but I kept diligently shooting. An hour and a half later, I still don't think I have seen them. Everything is hurting ... my feet have had their fill of exercising themselves in the sand and my backside is ready for something other than lava rock to lean on! I am definitely ready to relax.



So we "relax" by walking around the art district for their "First Friday" gallery walk. And while the gallery portion was nice, the atmosphere was one of substances and sexuality, so it wasn't the night we expected! The highlight had to be the theater. Instead of eating there, we return to a little diner where I enjoyed corned beef hash with fried bananas. Different but YUMMY!

I'd like to think he did this for me ...

I took a bus tour around the island of O'ahu today ... not some fancy-smanchy one, mind you, but a public transit see-everything-under-the-sun reality kind of tour. About 3/4 of the tour was THOROUGHLY enjoyable. In fact, the first part was actually EXCITING!

But the excitement came from the people I met over and above the amazing backdrop that whisked by the windows. I'll go into it a little more later, but I met a couple of women in particular who inspired me - both photographers - who were doing photography before I was born.

I scooted up by the driver once my conversations were over and asked if he minded if I took photos through the windows ... and as long as I didn't cross the yellow line, I had a green light. GO! And I did. At one stop, he hopped out and cleaned a window. I'd like to think he did it for me. :-)

The highlights are below ... some from bus stops and some from the windows. And even though they aren't the best photos in the world, I left them as they were because I like remembering that I was all jostled and contorted on the bus trying to capture moments as they flew by.

Not a bad way to spend an hour.

Can't find my surfers, though! Sunset is approaching ... They wil be coming in soon, I am sure. In the meantime, I'll keep snapping!
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Bus stop view ... City behind, beach ahead!

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O'ahu - Day 1 and Day 2

Before I go on my next adventure, I'm sharing the highlights of the first 2 days:


Day 1 - TRAVEL! TRAVEL! TRAVEL! It felt like an awfully long day, and it was! It was 14 hours from leaving my house to arriving at the hotel. The word of the day, for me was SUNSET! What a glorious way to enjoy the end of a day. Not to mention a "dinner" of fabulous cheeseburgers with friends, old and new.


Day 2 - BIRDS! BIRDS! BIRDS! From the morning walk where 2 bright blue parrots (there is probably a specific name for them, but I'm not sure what the differences are) were riding on a man's shoulders and then sitting on his bike handles when he went into a store for coffee (yes, they stay, he told me - but he seemed much more comfortable talking to birds than to people).

As I walked back by the cheeseburger restaurant, I hear the waitress telling the couple that the bird near them (looked a little like a pigeon) would gladly sit on one's shoulders. As I look back to eavesdrop more easily, I notice the leathery looking woman at the bus stop has a bird riding in her purse!

That evening at the International Market, a man with more parrots (blazing red and blue) was begging for money by posing his birds with tourists. With the blue on my left shoulder and the red perched on my fist above my head, I felt a little piratey! He couldn't figure out my camera, however, so I may have to find him again later ... we'll see. As I was leaving, he was pressuring a young couple for $5 ... now $10 ... Birds are hungry! That always makes me uncomfortable.

Once again, I could unwind on the beach at sunset ... beautiful ... and learn a hula dance. WOOHOO!

From Oahu 09-2009

Beach Moments

My first visit to the beach was at sunset last night ... BEAUTIFUL!

And an even better moment!

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I put this moment here.

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Spam Musubi

My snacks ... I am being brave! Seasoned SPAM, rice and seaweed!

Cookie and a view!

I have checked in and have a cookie to make the travel ordeals better. Down below the balcony, a pool. To the left, mountains. To the right, a short walk to the beach and ocean. I think the kids would love this ... One day!

My people!

Electric ORANGE Ballerina

Yes, my daughter. How could you tell? You remember my electric blue bodysuit? Yes, it was fabulous! I made it myself. TADA! She is much like me.

However, unlike me, she is taking ballet lessons. Tonight she is trying pointe class for the first time. She is THRILLED!
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Keeping Up Is Hard To Do

We can't seem to keep up ... wait ... I can't seem to keep up. Miss M is on top of the world and ready for more! Within one week, we have had several days of squeals and excitement and research. Yes, research (she is my daughter)! At this moment, she is researching dance costumes. We have also Googled several other things including how to break in pointe shoes.

But I'm getting ahead of our amazing week! Here are the cheers in the past few days:

• Got glasses ... seeing is amazing.
• Auditioned for South Tulsa Children's Ballet (Nutcracker performance).
• Had her first private dance lesson.
• Impressed her teacher by learning almost the entire song (solo competition coming up).
• Made the Leadership Team at school (guess which role? BROADCAST - yep, my daughter.)
• Ballet instructor said she is ready for pointe.
• Won a couple of drawings ... always exciting!
• Received notification that she is a SNOW FAIRY (Nutcracker).

I think I'm missing something. Then again, I'm thinking this couldn't have happened in a week! I'm adding up the days ... Nope. It's happened within 5 days. Keeping up is definitely hard to do!

Morning Moments

I think we have started a tradition ... Labor Day Weekends at Camp Tallchief. The first was an attempt at a family birthday weekend with J, but it didn't go over that well with him! He is not my nature boy. Now that he is in Ohio, I have to admit that being at Camp Tallchief is kind of my escape. It's been a year, but it is still so hard to think of my boy being elsewhere.

Time out for a happy birthday message ... To my J, I truly do hope it is a great day for you and that it is celebrated well out in Ohio. My heart always wants the best for you, more and more as each year approaches! I LOVE YOU and always will.

Year three, and we had K's family as visitors a couple of times. WONDERFUL! And the serenity of waking with the horses? PRICELESS. I have to admit that it is tempting to volunteer to be the wrangler (though my horse days are decades behind me) and live out here endlessly!