Crazy skies!

This was the scene a few weeks ago in Coal Harbour... Crazy skies!

Don't feel bad Paul...

.... it snowed here too!

Yep, we actually got snow! We had a big storm front move through yesterday that dumped inches of rain on the island and dropped the temperatures down quite a bit. 

I woke up this morning to snow on the top of Haleakala. I tried to get up to the top to get some photos but by the time I was finished with work and headed that way the snow had pretty much melted away.

Mossy Oasis...

A few years ago when digging up some pipes in Coal Harbour I came across an old piece of Whale bone which isn't that uncommon around here as the old RCAF Coal Harbour seaplane base was sold and turned into a Whaling Station after WWII was over.

Anyway back to my story... I found this old piece of Whale Bone and set it on a nearby electrical enclosure and promptly forgot about it. Well several days ago I saw this mossy thing and on closer examination realised it was the whale bone I had found and placed there several years earlier. Now turned into a beautiful little Mossy Oasis complements of Mother Nature!

Birds on the wires

Another foggy morning scene from Coal Harbour. The birds on the wires made for an interesting silhouette shot.

As big as a school bus

Hey, Paul started it!

And yes, they really are the size of a school bus and weigh even more!

Tall as a six story building...

It's difficult to fathom just how large one of these Coast Guard ships is until you start counting how many deck levels there are, then comparing that to a building of similar height! (And that's just the part you see above the water...)

Ahhh...

There they are, the first two flowers of the year...

Definately a soothing sight for winter weary eyes!

Morning reflections...

Sunrise and fog this morning made for some interesting silhouettes and reflections.

It's another lucky day whale watching!

This one just had to pose for me to get the perfect shot!

Purebred Meltie...

I wasn't real sure what breed "Sunny" was until I saw him in the rain.

Pretty obvious he's Purebred Meltie!

Sticks and Stones...

Make for a great splash!

I took another trip along the Road to Hana about two weeks ago and this is one of the better shots I ended up with. This was taken at Ke'anae Peninsula, about 18 miles from the town of Hana.

Being a little artsy

I thought I would give Paul a break from all of the sunny beach photos and do something a little different.

I saw this bamboo stand along the road to Hana and I liked all of the colors in it so I took a shot.

Rainy day pictures...

It didn't stop raining all day but we still got out and took a few pictures down at the Port Hardy waterfront. 

Then as a bonus got a shot of this fighter jet buzzing the airport! Not sure what model it is but it sure was loud as it flew over! Hopefully it's an F- something not a я истребитель- or 歼击轰炸机- something!

Stephan's Bay, another day...

So yesterday's picture of Stephen's Bay sunrise was pretty much as shot, no modifications to the color or anything.

That is definitely not the case with this picture. Using Photoshop I worked and reworked a rather bland looking sunrise and embellished the heck out of it until I finally came up with this!

We're not in Kansas anymore!

They are growing sunflowers here on the island. I've been told it's some kind of test plot for creating a bio-diesel fuel. It's definitely a very strange sight to see the mountains and ocean and a field of sunflowers!

Stephen's Bay Sunrise

This short but spectacular sunrise over Stephen's Bay lasted less than ten minutes start to finish.

Fortunately I was able to get a few pictures before it faded back to a regular old grey overcast morning.

And before you ask, no I didn't up the saturation at all, that's how deep red it really was, but only for a minute or two.

Tag team!

I got out of MY CHAIR for two lousy minutes and come back to find this! Normally these two can't stand each other and won't cooperate on anything, this time they tag teamed me!

Finally...

I finally "got my ducks in a row" and posted a pictue!

The Curve

I know, it's a little weird but then so am I!

When I saw this palm curling up to the sky something made me want to take a photo.

Another day at the office

I love working outside!

Gran's Place...

Even though Gran passed on a while back this old WWII era beach house on Coal Harbour's waterfront is still known to the locals as Gran's Place.

Double Take

Whale season is in full swing here on Maui. It's my favorite time of the year!

The whales should be in high numbers and extremely active until the middle of March now. I'm trying to get out on a boat as often as I can to get photos this year. I took this shot this past Wednesday. I have about 1000 more photos to look through and I'm hoping for one or two more good ones out of the bunch.

Tails from the Sea

I just love this time of year!!

Although it looks like I was far away with this shot I was actually only about 4 feet away. I took this using a fisheye lens, that's why the surface of the water is curved, but it allowed me to get the whole whale in the shot.

I'm headed back out in a couple of days to see what else I can get.

Meanwhile behind me...

This was the scene behind me as I was taking pictues of the full moon in Coal Harbour last night, I snapped a couple of quick shots of the old WWII RCAF Seaplane Hanger before I headed home...

I can see I'm going to have to get out night shooting more often, totally different light to work with!

New Year's Moon

Almost too hazy to take pictures of the Full Moon tonight but I managed to get this underexposed shot with some trees in the foreground.

Happy New Year every one!

Step into my office...

Just another hard day at work!  Just a few steps from the beach and fantastic sunsets. It doesn't get much better than this!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes from Northern Vancouver Island!

I just took this picture a couple of hours ago and it's still snowing so it looks like we're in for a "White Christmas" this year.

Mele Kalikimaka!

Merry Christmas everyone!

In the curl

The big winter waves are starting to roll in and I had a chance to "shoot some curls" last week. I found a pretty good spot to get in the water and not get killed so I will be going back to that spot the next few weeks to try for bigger and better waves.

On the reef

Just another local surfing in the ocean!

Sunset in Paradise

It's a great place to be!!

They're back......

The whales have started to arrive in small numbers now. The peak season for the whales is the end of January all the way through February. I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time on and in the water during that time looking for those shots I never had time to get during a vacation.

Cool green

The dew on the grass caught my eye this morning so I took a few pictures... I was able to get most everything in focus by using a smallish aperture setting (f16).

Just another day in paradise

As much as I hate to admit it, it's been tough getting the time to take any photos the last few weeks.

I am changing up my schedule next week to include some mandatory time off every week so I can enjoy my surroundings. Money is a needed thing and a good thing but you have to enjoy life too and I have forgotten that lately.

After I sleep one a day I will be ready to get out and enjoy myself a little and get some new photos!

ఫెర్రీ & పక్షి

I was taking pictures of the Ferry after sundown this evening when a little bird lands close by so I took it's picture too!

Thus the post's title...

ఫెర్రీ (Ferry)  పక్షి (Bird in Telugu language)

The blowing of the conch shell...

I think that means it cocktail hour!!

One of the new shows I am doing is actually a show all by itself. I have started showing my photos at the Westin Ka'anapali every Tuesday and Thursday nights during their luau.

Not only do I get to be on the beach watching the sun go down while selling my photos, I also get to see the luau twice a week. It's great being entertained while I'm working!!

Just a few clouds...

...and an ocean.

When it rains it pours as the old saying goes. When I first arrived on Maui I couldn't get into any of the art shows on the island to save my life. Nobody wanted to see another photographer and they didn't even want to look at my photos to see if they were good, bad or different. They just didn't care. And these are the art groups that are supposed to be about nurturing and helping Maui artists. The galleries here won't talk to you unless you've been on the island for at least a year and have had some sales. It's a catch 22 situation in that if you can't get into the shows or galleries then you can't have any sales and for the most part, you can't afford to live here for a year.

Now, after being here a while there is another old saying that has come to life; it's not what you know but who you know.

I have been doing one weekly show for a few months now (I must have had my sad puppy dog face on when they agreed to let me in) and that has afforded me the time to have my work seen and commented on. It has also introduced me to a multitude of people that have either been in a position to help or know someone that can help. All that has lead up to this past weekend where I was offered two more weekly shows and a new once a month weekend show under the banyan tree in Lahaina, which is one of the premier spots on Maui to sell art. That show starts next month and I'm really looking forward to that show for several reasons. Another old saying; the best revenge is success!

The only thing I can say is that if you have a dream, go for it! There's nothing wrong with trying and failing and you never know, things may work out just like you want them to. I'm still waiting to see how my dream plays out but I feel good about trying. As a friend of mine told me, "build it and they will come". Hopefully that movie line will prove to be true.

Sunrise on Baby Beach

You would think that living in Hawai'i I would have a nice relaxing life but for some reason it hasn't been working out that way. With running the gallery and doing weekly art shows plus handling my on line business, I find myself not getting to enjoy the island as much as I would like.

I need to win the lottery so I can retire but they don't have the lottery in Hawai'i. The price you pay for paradise!

Beaver and a Goose

A bit of aviation history still at work after all these years!

de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver on the left

The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing aircraft developed and manufactured by aircraft company de Havilland Canada. Wikipedia

Wingspan: 15 m

Cruise speed: 230 km/h

Length: 9.22 m

Top speed: 255 km/h

Range: 732 km

Weight: 1,361 kg

Engine type: Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior

First flight:  August 16,  1947 Produced 1947 - 1967

Number built: 1,657

http://www.bush-planes.com/DeHavilland-DHC-2-Beaver.html

Grumman G-21 Goose on the right

The Grumman G-21 Goose is an amphibious aircraft designed by Grumman to serve as an eight-seat "commuter" aircraft for businessmen in the Long Island area. Wikipedia

Length: 12 m

Number built: 345

Unit cost: 62,180–62,180 USD (1942)

Manufacturer: Grumman

Number of seats: 10

Primary users: United States Navy; United States Army Air Forces; Royal Air Force; Royal Canadian Air Force

First flight: 1937

https://disciplesofflight.com/grumman-goose-aircraft-profile/