I was in Waikiki for a conference...unfortunately the conference was not that great, but at least it was a change of pace/scenery.

You know those days when you just want to stay under the covers...

"Once I saw a chimpanzee gaze at a particularly beautiful sunset for a full 15 minutes, watching the changing colors (and then) retire to the forest without picking a pawpaw for supper."  - Dr. Adriaan Kortlandt

A very rainy weekend!

Attempted to hike the Old Pali Road with the Hawaiian Humane Society today.  Unfortunately, we got caught in a few downpours and everyone decided to turn back.  I look forward to going again as there was interesting growth on the sides of the road with cool flowers as well as some views that would be amazing on a clear day!

Afternoon Sky

Eggplant

In our delivery from the farm this week...they are so cute, I don't want to cut them up.  Also, I've never been very good at preparing eggplant.  Anyone have a yummy recipe?

pool balls

Honu

I love these turtles...they are like gentle giants.

First comes the bloom and then the berry out of the center.  So cool coming across these while hiking today.

Aren't these the cutest cupcakes??

Went to a friend's son's first birthday party today.  I thought these cupcakes were so cute, I just had to share.  The duck body's were doughnut holes, the tails were half marshmallows, and the beaks were some kind of gummy candy, possibly starburst.  So creative and quite yummy.

Man the Rails

I very much enjoy watching ships come into Pearl Harbor.  It's a breathtaking experience to see the sailors lined up on the deck.  I have been told this is done every time a ship comes into Pearl Harbor out of respect for all who lost their lives here.
There were several vessels coming into Pearl Harbor the past two days (Aircraft Carrier, Destroyers, Submarines).  Possibly a fleet?  I am not sure of the terminology.  They are returning from the Middle East and are stopping here on the way back to the West Coast.  I am glad I got to see this one, USS Dewey.

Bonfire

We finally got around to burning the Christmas Tree!!  This is my second favorite thing about getting a real tree for the holidays.  The primary thing that I like about a real tree is the lovely smell that fills the house.  Coming home to the smell and the lights in the evening is very relaxing.  We had disassembled the tree awhile back, but just had not gotten around to burning it.  There is also a nice smell when you burn it too. :)

I rather like photographing fire, it's beautiful in it's own way.  I found this image interesting, kind of like a Rorschach...I can see several different images within.

Beach Chicks

A beach that I visit all the time...on this evening it looked a bit different.  Must have been the lighting from the sunset.

I have no idea what kind of tree this beautiful bloom was on, but I had to stop to check it out!  Is this familiar to anyone?

Hawaiian Monk Seals

Ok, so today I will share the other cool thing about Ka'ena Point...Seals!  They are always there.  Every time I have gone over the years, there is at least one sunbathing.  They are the most relaxing creatures to watch because they do very little.  It's incredibly exciting when they open their eyes or scratch their head with their flipper, or actually MOVE!  Last year, my friend and I saw two basking in the sun here and then a third one came in from the ocean.  This caused quite a stir and there was a bit of a brawl.  The incomer was driven out of that spot.  It was so national geographic and I loved it.  Anyway, here are two sleepyheads from this visit:

Layson Albatross hatching

Went to one of my favorite places today, Ka'ena Point.  It is the western point of Oahu and is also a bird sanctuary.  Layson Albatross and Shearwaters come here to nest.  I love going during their nesting time to watch.  I encountered this Albatross very close to the path as I walked in.

About an hour later, when I was leaving, I got a little surprise (same spot):

A lot of people think they are ugly when they are little, but I think they are so adorable.  And look what beautiful creatures they grow into!

Bird watching on the beach this evening

Pulled into work this morning and noticed this bougainvillea in front of my car.  I love how the sun brightened up these blooms.

Mackey Boy

Rainy Day

A very rainy day today.  I might even say it was a bit chilly this evening!  I don't talk much about the weather here because it is pretty boring...warm and sunny almost everyday.  I actually enjoy a slight drop in the temperature (2 or 3 degrees).

View from Kahalu'u

Caught this view while I was driving and just had to stop.  It's such a visual treat when I visit the Windward side of the island.  My Gabby Girl was with me and she appeared to enjoy playing in the water here. About an hour later, it was so cloudy and rainy, you couldn't even see the mountain range.

Mackey's Pool

Fruit Season

Some other fruit that I noticed around the neighborhood...I like watching the mangoes ripen as they turn from green, to orange to a pretty deep red.  I am allergic to the sap of the mango tree, so I cannot get too close.  The lower picture is of apple bananas which I first tasted here in Hawaii.  I love them so much more than 'regular' bananas now.

Lilikoi

Looks like lilikoi (aka...passionfruit) are coming into season! Received a few from the farm this week, yum!!

Our neighbor's dog looking so sad...Love those eyes though!