Sunday is Fun-Day

The ocean water was gloriously warm for this morning's swim with the Maui Pink Cap group.

I hope summer never ends.

Click HERE for more photos from today's swim.

Rain Equals Waterfalls

 My buddy, JR, and I got to visit lots of spectacular waterfalls on our trip to Hana and beyond the past couple of days. Wow, what a great trip!

There was just enough intermittent rain to keep the falls going, but not so much as to impede our various hikes.

Why would anyone want to live anywhere other than on Maui?

Lovely Hana

Got to love the amazing Hawaiian town of Hana.

Pristine

 My friend, JR, and I had a fun adventure swim out to a spot locally referred to as "The Aquarium" this morning.

Visibility most of the way out and back was horrible but the aquarium was, as always, pristine and filled with sea life.

Up in the Clouds

 I left the house with my buddy, JR, at 3:30 this morning to do the hike across Haleakala crater.

We were herded to a freezing cold overlook by the National Park Service along with hundreds of other people to watch the sun rise out of a bank of clouds. The moment the sun came up everyone else got in their cars and drove away, and we began the 12 mile trek.

Silversword plants were in glorious bloom all along the trail.

Unfortunately, the Park Service has closed one of my favorite places in Haleakala National Park - the big lava tube. Bummer.

Welcome Everyone

Lots of fun people gathered for a great Sunday morning swim again this week. Welcome back Sam & Josh, and welcome to Maui, JR.

Click HERE for more photos from this mornings outing.

Rare & Seldom Seen

 Look what I found in the ocean this morning. The rare Doug-fish and even rarer JR-fish which is seldom (if ever) seen outside it's normal range of large freshwater lakes in the Midwest. What a surprise - and treat.

Oh, and seven large Omilu as well.

Great Lunch

You cannot go wrong with lunch at Cafe O'Lei in Kihei on Maui. Whether it's the grilled ahi sandwich (above), the mango chicken salad (below), or pretty much anything else, it is all great.

Scrub Down

 All of the sea turtles that I saw on my ocean swim this morning were securely tucked away, except one.

This guy (left) was availing himself of a thorough scrubbing by the fish manning the local cleaning station.

Fertilizer Spawn

Sometimes I feel like shooting something different than beautiful beaches and colorful aquatic life. And so today you get to look at a clump of mushrooms growing in the yard. Just pray that I don't get so bored that you end up looking at what it was that the mushrooms were growing out of.

Kinder Courting

 Four male Spotted Eagle Rays were courting the larger female this morning.

None of them were biting her on her back while I was around, but white marks on her skin showed where recent bites occurred.

Biting? Whatever happened to flowers and champagne?

And Bruce was feeling shy this morning and took off as soon as I drew near.

Perpetual Perfection

Yet another perfect Maui morning.

Cohesive Fun

 We had a small, cohesive group for this morning's ocean swim, and those are always the most fun.

It is also a joy when a visitor joins us for the first time, and today it was someone from a far off land on their final swim before returning home.

Click HERE for more photos from today's swim.

You Do Have Another Dress, Right?

As a photographer there are so darned many things to keep track of. For example, remembering to do the beach photo shoot AFTER the wedding ceremony...

Splashed and Spun

 The ocean water was far less than crystal clear this morning and I jumped a bit when a Spotted Eagle Ray suddenly appeared three feet ahead of me. And then another, and yet another. They slowly circled around and around me.

Then one zoomed at another, bit it on the back and held on for a wild ride. They barely missed running into me at one point as they wildly splashed and spun.

There's always something interesting to see in the ocean.

Warm Water Lovin

 A lot of fun people showed up for a quick there-and-back ocean swim this morning. I love, love, love the warm water this time of year.

We also had another Sunday of saying goodbyes. Aloha Janet & Steve. Our swims won't be the same without you.

Click HERE for more photos from today's swim.

Sweet and Mild

On the computer it is another boring sunset from my yard, but in person it was once again a transcendent experience.

And the first Guava from the new Guava tree on our property came ripe. At first we thought one of the Lilikoi was ripe because that is exactly how this smelled, but the flavor and texture is exactly that of Papaya. Yum.

Cheesecake

On a hot summer day any bit of shade is welcome . . .

. . . unless you're taking cheesecake shots.

And I thought I'd post my version of Saturday's sunset just because it was so purty.

Bye-Bye Sam

 A Spotted Eagle Ray calmly and gently swam among the Maui Pink Cap Swimmers this morning, making a point to visit almost every one of us in turn.

What a great send-off for Sam, who's heading back to the mainland to resume a "real" life beginning tomorrow.

Click HERE for lots more photos from today's ocean swim.