Long day!...however, pausing to appreciate a bit of beauty makes my day seem slightly better.

getting going on something...

Starfish!

This was the first time I'd ever seen a starfish while walking along the beach! It was very close to shore and appeared to be moving (very slowly) toward the beach.

Olomana

Olomana from the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail.

If you click on the image, it will enlarge and then you can see all the light reflections...

Interesting find in the garage today.

The sunlight on the water was just gorgeous...just had to attempt to capture that!

Beachcombing with Gabby Girl...came across several heart shaped pieces of coral.

Watching her meditate was meditative...this is such a peaceful spot.

Kung Hee Fat Choy

Dragon Dance...almost as much fun to watch as the Lion Dance.  I rather like how this image turned out, it captures some of the movement and energy.

Lion Dance

I love to watch the Lion Dance and listen to the music.  Just love the drumming!

I just love this.  I wish we had more children's art displayed in the schools.

Took a walk with the dogs down to the beach tonight & watched the sun set... One of my favorite things.

Torii

I have driven by this Torii gate in downtown Honolulu many times, but this was my first time stopping...Much to my surprise it is a replica of the Torii of Itsukushima at Miyajima.  The plaque read: "As a symbol of  peace and friendship this scale replica of the Torii of Itsukushima at Miyajima is present to the people of Hawaii from Hiroshima Prefecture".

I really enjoyed my stop at Miyajima last year when I was in Japan.  Here are some of my photos from that visit:

I have heard from several people that roses are difficult to grow here in Hawaii.  They say this is due to the warm climate here year round...roses apparently flourish in areas that have a yearly frost.  However, having said that...a lady on my street grows these beautiful roses. I have seen white, lavender, and currently these pink ones in her yard!  

Hammerhead!

No worries, this was not taken in the ocean.  However, for general information: mama hammerheads come into Kaneohe Bay on the Windward side of Oahu to give birth.  I participated in a research study several years ago, tracking the baby hammerheads.  We caught, tagged, and released the hammerheads.  It was rather surprising how many there were.  As with most babies, they were very cute.  I never heard any results from the research.  So, I don't know how many stay in the bay and how many go out into the ocean??

Manoa Falls Surprise

This lovely bird caught my eye while on the Manoa Falls Trail.  It was a bit humid and slippery, but still great to be outdoors doing something fun.

Catching some rays today

Spotted Eagle Ray.  S/he is quite striking, but I also like the reflections on the water.

Playing around...someone left their sunglasses at the park.

Such a peaceful & relaxing spot.  I stopped here for about 10 minutes and it completely changed my mood!

I know that I frequently post sunset images...can't help it, I love watching the sunset.  There is something very soothing about it.

A crazy busy start to the work week.  Long day, traffic, quick bike ride with the doggies (before dark) ...all adds up to no time to capture any photos. So, thought I would share a recent collage.

Sunset into the Waves

My Baby Boy

Second bird's nest that I came across this week.  This one did not have any eggs inside, but does have flower pedals!  I've never seen such a colorful nest before.

Oh, the things that I would miss if I didn't have dogs!

Ocean as Playground

New Year's Eve Celebration

Some images from our new year's eve celebration.  We had a fire during the evening and burnt my papaya tree that had fallen over last month. :(  Also had a fairly decent fireworks show in our neighborhood.