LIME GREEN UMBRELLA

The Lime Green Umbrella

The artists green shade was as bright and colorful as her work!

Not quite sure what style of painting to call this? I guess to me it is whimsical, leaning to the comical! She always had a lot of viewers and customers at her booth!

ARTS FEST

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An Empty Beach in Paradise

It doesn't happen often but every once in a while you get a beach to yourself.

GAME ON!

Slam Dunk!

The long standing annual Oklahoma City Arts Festival had it's run this past week. A Rite of Spring for the Folks in these parts and beyond! Artists from about every corner of these United States and even some Street Performers from Australia were seen!

Kinetic Art, Powered by the Wind

The beautiful Myriad Gardens with it's seventeen acres of land in the heart of the Buisness District, played host to this event. The new Devon Tower with it's fifty stories, witnessed the event for it's first time!

Live entertainment was continuous at four different locations on the grounds!

Wind Powered

This Premier event was taken in Tuesday and Friday of last week. I tried to focus in on the colorful and unusual works that caught my eye. These scenes pictured above are kind of bland to some that will follow!

If you can, Full Screen viewing seems to be the Best!

ART FEST

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Wilson, where are you?

This is another photo taken on the Road to Hana. I could have pitched a tent and stayed a while at this spot!

Flowers for Leontien

This was taken along the Highway to Hana on the island of Maui, Hawaii.
(Taken by Ron)

Wind Dancer


Wildflowers from Oklahoma, and just for you!
{ }

(Taken by Parker)

I was almost in Hawaii yesterday...

Yes it's true, My wife and I were almost in Hawaii yesterday. When we heard earlier this month that the band "Yes" was playing at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu on April 26th it was all we could do not to book the flights and accommodations. Unfortunately fiscal responsibility won out over throwing caution to the wind, this time! LOL

Q you were wondering where all my pictures were from my last trip to Hawaii. Well fact is I took lots of pictures but only a small percentage of them are interesting enough to post. Here is one using the Sigma Ultrawide. Best way I know of to get the top and bottom of a Palm Tree in the picture when you are standing up next to it!

Name that plant

No, really, name that plant. I don't have a clue what it is. LOL

I found this on our drive to Hana on the windward side of Maui.

GYPSY DANCING

Lively music with a fast tempo drew me to where these Gypsy Girls were dancing for the enjoyment of the crowd.

Swirling skirts and scarves and colorful Bohemian costumes were their attire! Barefooted, they danced on beautiful rugs for their stage. Poised and graceful, the Gypsy Dancers worked their magic on the crowd, drawing lots of applause. And I must say , it was well deserved!

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fin

Hope everyone enjoyed the FAIRE.

Have a few pics left that I might show down the road.

Thanks for reading and the comments!

Parker

Sunset on Lana'i

We were sitting in Bubba Gump's in Lahaina having dinner one night and I took this photo from our table while waiting for the food. That's one thing I will say for a lot of the restaurants on Maui, you do have tables with a view.

Sly Smile

I like to think of this as a sly smile. Everytime I tried to capture a close up of her face, her eyes were closed!
     Not for sure what or whom she was portraying but liked her colorful costume and the fact that she could walk around on stilts disguised as tree stumps! And she had a beautiful smile as well!

This Lady of the Forest and friend to the Flowers was a big hit to the younger guys who seemed to flock around her smelling the flowers . The crafty little Bird House on her side collected many dollars for the privilege of being photgraphed standing next to her! No dollars were spent on my part; might have a part on only getting a Sly Smile!

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Serenity

Shhhhh... I'm meditating. Well, I could just be taking a nap, I'm not sure.

I took this in a garden area I found along Ka'anapali Beach on Maui.

Blue Grouse

Most of the time when my wife and I go out hiking it is to one beach or other. This last weekend for a change we headed into the hills to check out some logging roads we hadn't explored yet.

Found this interesting bird and took a number of handheld pictures with the Sigma 120-400. I have to admit it took me quite a while to figure out what kind of bird I had photographed. Eventually all the information I was able to find identified this as a male Blue Grouse.

Looking back

While the kids were fishing the other day I decided to take a stroll around the outer edge of the largest pond on the property just to see what I could see. This shot was taken from the far side looking back towards the house. You can barely see the house through the trees in the upper center left of the photo.

Faces of the Hunters

Great Horned Owl

I am told that Falconry in Medieval Days was reserved for the ruling class. A few centuries later we all know that was a myth. But to stay in character of the Renaissance times, this was fact for the trainers and handlers who kept the birds for the enjoyment of the elite. The trust and bonds of these winged Hunters lay with their peasant caretakers then, as well as their most appreciative and abler handlers of today.

This Big Guy was a rescued Owl that couldn't be released back to the wild, but seemed to enjoy his role as  one of the larger Birds of Prey!

American Kestrel

Now we have the face of  one of the smallest Hunters. Sometimes called a Sparrow Hawk, this Robin sized Falcon likes to eat on insects and tiny mammals. A few years ago I actually seen one of these capturing grasshoppers, a more than adaquate Hunter!

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The Butterfly Effect

These were taken with "Q's Baby", the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 on the D700. The flowers and bugs were in the front yard of the new house.

Seafood Buffet

Q's last post with all the amazing bird photographs is going to be a tough act to follow!

Found this Sea Otter enjoying a fresh crab dinner a couple of days ago while out on the water. Regrettably this picture is through one of the pilot house windows. By the time I stepped out on deck to take a proper picture the little guy had become camera shy and buggered off.

Took this with the Sigma 120-400 at 400mm. The above picture is a 40% crop of the original.

The difference in kids

As your kids get older they tend to do silly things all on their own! LOL Photo of Aaron taken by my daughter who I affectionately call "Gomer". We were at the ranch yesterday and Aaron and Gomer decided to see what kind of fish were in the ponds. They caught 16 all together ranging from the small "I should kiss this fish" to the larger "dinner on the table" type fish.

My kind of place

Need I say more?? Except maybe; Scooby-Do where are you?? LOL This was taken along the Hana Highway on Maui. Whoever lives in the small little house is probably a very happy and mellow person, except during a hurricane!

Two dog rock

Found this very large broken rock on a lonely stretch of beach near the Old Suquash Mine Site. For whatever reason Sunny and Maggie wanted to climb the rock. Both needed help getting up the first 6 feet but scrabbled up the remainder on their own.

Large erratic rocks like this were purportedly deposited in random places by the glaciers that covered this part of the world during the last ice age.

Sir John Falstaff?

I really don't have a clue who this guy was portraying but he looked like Falstaff to me. Jovial and robust he drew a crowd as he explained the latest in medieval weapons!

Falstaff was a Shakespearean character who showed up in three of William Shakespeare's plays. He was a fun loving guy I've read. Also Falstaff beer used a character that resembled this fellow in some of their early advertisements. So, being all the players and actors in the fair resembled renaissance characters with no names, I took the liberty to call this finely dressed gent, Falstaff!

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Interesting gates

While looking through pictures from the latest visit to Oahu I noticed that I had taken several pictures of gates (of all things)... Really quite beautiful and functional works of art actually!

Monkey Tree on the Hana Highway

At least I think that's what Q said it was. I really need to learn more about the tropical fauna in Hawaii but I'm either too busy taking photos or relaxing to get around to it.

Sunset at the ranch

We were out at the new place last night doing some yard work and I had the opportunity to catch a nice sunset. I actually set up my tripod for the shot! LOL

This was taken with a Nikon 17-35mm f2.8 full frame lens on the D700 using an ND4 filter.

Waiting for "Dad"

Took the "Boys" out hiking the other day. Part of the hike was up a short but steep uphill trail. They ran up and down the steep trail several times while I slowly made my way to the top (wheeze)... I'd be happy to have half the energy these guys have!

Lana'i Island, Hawaii

Away from the crowds and hustle of everyday life, Lanai is a destination of untouched tranquility. This romantic island is a true getaway. Wrap yourself in the elegance and amenities of two exquisite Four Seasons resorts. Unwind at the historic Hotel Lanai in charming Lanai City. Relax and rejuvenate in the peaceful seclusion that has earned Lanai the name, “Hawaii’s Most Enticing Island.” For golfers, two high-caliber golf courses make Lanai a mandatory stop. And for explorers, enthralling sights like the lunar landscapes of Keahiakawelo (Garden of the Gods) and the iconic Puu Pehe (Sweetheart Rock) are distinctly unique to Lanai. It’s true that Lanai isn’t for everybody. And that’s exactly why so many fall in love with it.


The above paragraph is from Lana'i's official travel site. http://www.gohawaii.com/lanai

FULL DRESS PROCESSION

Around 2 o'clock during the heat of the day, these fully dressed participants assembeld and began a march to see the King! The Lady dressed in Purple with the crown, along with her entourage led the way.

  All the costumes and faces have more interest in Full Screen!

The costumes of the Ladies and Gents, although very heavy looking, were colorful and fun to take pics of! All the players never complained and took the heat in stride.
     If viewing in full screen check out the young girl carrying the double edge weapon. Her right eye sizing up the picture taker is intense!

Thought maybe the guy dressed in yellow and blue might be the Court Jester!

Highly dressed Maidens!

A more serious lot of actors in all their finery would be hard to find!

Just a day at the beach

Ka'anapali Beach on Maui

UFO's & Aliens?

Nah, just lights hanging in a hotel and a strange tropical plant found on the windward side of Maui.

I made some adjustments in the RAW converter on the first photo to completely black out the background so just the lights would show. Don't ask me why but I thought the lights were interesting when I saw them and even more interesting with no background. Maybe one too many mai tais? LOL

Paradise North

Though not one of the Hawaiian Islands, Vancouver Island is another beautiful Island in the Pacific Ocean. (especially when it quits raining) LOL

Took this picture today while hiking the beach in Holberg Inlet a couple of miles from where I live. The weather for the past few days has been sunny and warm and we're loving it!

Good News and Bad News

The bad news is, after several weeks of deliberation, weighing the pros and cons, Cheryl and I have decided not to move to Hawaii. At least not for now. I can take care of the Hawaii clients I have now from here and it will give us an excuse to go to Hawaii twice a year to try to cultivate a few more clients. And I can even write off parts of the trips! We decided we wanted to keep Hawaii as our relaxing spot and we didn't want to be there working seven days a week like we do here. Once we retire we will be looking for a place on Maui for sure.

The good news is, since we decided to stay on "da mainland" we've been looking for a different home becuase we are both VERY tired of living in the city. Cheryl found us a great spot that we signed the papers on last week. It's got a large house that sits on top of a hill overlooking the 200 acres of property. We have three ponds, one of which this bridge goes across. There is a small cabin with it's own fireplace by the largest pond, there are four barns and our closest neighbor is a half mile away. Peace and quite is coming our way!

I am a little sad about not going to Hawaii but yesterday several of you hit on a lot of the points we discussed. It's still in our future but a few more years down the line. I think the 200 acre ranch will keep us happy and relaxed until we retire.

Foggy reflection

Every morning as part of my work I go to Quatse Lake and every morning I'm treated to a different vista from the day before. Todays treat was this foggy reflection!

KITTY and COSTUMES

Found this Kitty Katt roaming in the vendor area.

Dresses for the fair and not so fair ladies!

I would think many hours of sewing was put into this fancy dress. It looked heavy as did many of the other dresses the Ladys wore. And we were having 90 degree temps this day!

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