Sunset on Kauai

"With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thurnderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Alligiance?" Jay Leno

Well said, Jay! If you don't want to say the word God, then don't say it, but don't expect it to be removed simply because you don't believe in God or don't want it there. It's not abusing your rights by leaving it in, but it is abusing ours by being forced to remove it. If you don't like it, just do what the kids do these days, and put your hands over your ears and say, blah, blah, blah.

Kite Surfers

Kite surfers are sure fun to watch, especially when they're as good as these guys were. Unfortunately, we didn't find them until our last day in Hawaii. We were able to watch them for an hour or so, though. The challenge was to get good pictures of the guys and also enough of the scene to show the viewer what was happening. In this picture I was focusing on the surfer and didn't worry about showing the kite. In other pics, however, I showed both to get a good sense of the skill these guys possess. It was a fun time. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Camp of Man

"How hard to realize that every camp of man has this glorious starry firmament for a roof! In such places, standing alone on a mountain-top, it is easy to realize that whatever special nests we make - leaves and moss like the marmots and birds, or tents or piled stone - we all dwell in a house of one room - the world with its firmament for its roof - and we are sailing the celestial spaces without leaving any track." John Muir (1838-1914) Scotland/USA

This picture was taken in Hawaii. It's part of the Waimea Canyon. It's a beautiful area with a variety of colors. There was a haze present most of the time we were in Hawaii and I should have used my polarizer to cut through the haze, but I didn't. So, if you're in a similar situation, get out your polarizer and put it on your lens. It'll give you a better picture.

Riding the Waves

Wind surfers don't try to tame the power of the ocean. They learn how to use that power to achieve their goals. We can do the same thing when we encounter obstacles, whether it be weather, difficult people or business issues. We need to analyze the situation to see if there's some way to turn the problems into avenues to success.

When my husband and I were in Kauai a few months ago, we spent part of our last day there watching wind surfers. We watched these guys fly into the air, come down on their feet and continue to ride the waves. They were absolutely remarkable! My primary challenge was to catch the leaps into the air, while still keeping the sense of what was guiding their actions. There had to be a trade-off sometimes between taking a close-up shot & the sense of place shot that included the parachute that was pulling them. I ended up taking a lot of both, so I could document the power of the waves & the skill of the men who were riding them.

Be Happy!

"Be mindful that happiness isn't based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people we like and respect. Remember that while money talks, chocolate ice cream sings! " Author Unknown

Live well, love much and laugh often - Be happy!

Happiness

"Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars . . . . and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - happy for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are." Osho (1931-1990) India,USA

It's too bad that we can't just be happy for no reason. Why can't we? Do we just make things more complicated than they need to be? Do we constantly strive to have more, to do more or to be more? Do we complicate our lives unnecessarily and, as a result, cause unhappiness and dissatisfaction? Perhaps we need to examine our lives and determine if we're causing ourselves unnecessary unhappiness and stress. If we are, maybe we need to work on being a little more like the flowers, the birds and the trees, and be satisfied with what we have. Does that mean we shouldn't strive to do better and shouldn't have goals? No, it just means that we need to determine what's important to us and do the things that will help us achieve those goals instead of stressing about those things that aren't important.

What is life?

"What is life? It is the flash of the firefly in the night. It is the breath of the buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset." Chief Crowfoot (1830-1890) his last words, Canada

Bison often stand next to hot pools in Yellowstone to warm themselves. Using a long lens allows photographers to get good images without endangering themselves or the animals. Unfortunately, people are injured every year because they ignore the guidelines regarding maintaining appropriate distances from the wildlife. Bison may look like they're slow and sluggish, but they can move very quickly when they want to. Always remember that they're wild animals & animals are unpredictable. They can be quiet and calm one minute and denting the side of your truck the next minute. Enjoy the wildlife when you visit Yellowstone, or any wildlife area, but be safe.