Capturing the Moment

Even with a second dose of the Covid vaccine yesterday, and feeling down and out all morning, it didn't stop us from heading upcountry for our first "staycation" as a family of four. We had a fun airbnb way up in Kula (non refundable), so even under the weather we were still going. Luck was on our side though with the vaccine hangover mostly disappearing after a midday nap, and the weather giving us two of the best upcountry days you could ask for.  We woke the kids up and immediately piled in the Kia to drive 3,500 feet up Haleakala volcano to our airbnb. The air was nice and cool when we arrived, which usually would have meant pants and sweaters but instead we changed into our bathing suits....for a dip in our hot tub. There were a couple of views through the trees of the rest of the island below. We could see Kihei on one side and Kahului on the other, with waves crashing on the North shore way down below. A crab cake panini from Kula Bistro, another dip in the hot tub...

  You never know what might be hiding in your backyard. Here on Maui there have always been tales of people finding Jackson's chameleons in their bushes. The trick is to travel a few thousand feet up Haleakala volcano to Makawao, Pukalani and Kula towns where the temperature is a little cooler and it is a bit wetter, perfect conditions for chameleons.   There are no native reptiles on Hawaii. These beautiful chameleons were released or escaped from the pet trade. Luckily they have not become invasive like many other introduced species, however they have increased in population and seem to be doing quite well in the higher elevation areas. Heidi and I went on a search the other day at our friend's house in Kula and were shocked to find a dozen different chameleons in her side yard hedge. They were mostly at eye level, and were curled up asleep for the night. We found them easily enough with flashlights since they seem to sleep near the outer edge of the hedge at night. ...

Map of Reunion Island and the Indian Ocean The Best Ways to Explore and Photograph Reunion Island   It is good to have a plan when you end up on the other side of the world. No matter where you are coming from, Reunion probably falls into that category of 'other side of the world.' In fact for me coming from Alaska, my flight went straight over the North Pole and back down on the other side instead of heading across North America, the Atlantic, and then Africa. Reunion lies at around 20° South latitude and has a wonderful tropical climate.      I'm used to volcanic, tropical islands, about 20° away from the equator because that is exactly where Hawaii lies, just in a different ocean and north of the equator instead of south. It turns out that there are many similarities between the two: both are geologic hotspots with massive shield volcanoes, both have similar climates and ecosystems, some of the same birds can be seen, and the underwater life i...

   Well, our small Jackson's chameleon, Nola, is still pretty small. However after three weeks away Heidi was able to notice that Nola is indeed growing. She has a voracious appetite and it seems like no amount of pinhead crickets is enough, but we'll take that as a good sign. She didn't know quite what to make of her outside photo shoot. Distressed is the word I might use to describe it. And I've never seen her move so fast as when it was time to go back in the cage. Nola almost leaped from my finger back to her favorite perching spot.

View from the ridge Wild chameleon found nearby at Twin Falls The more you explore Maui the bigger it can seem. There are so many secret hikes and hidden waterfalls, dive sites, sea caves, wilderness trails, lava tubes, and more. I think even if you are not a water person you could still have endless days of fun exploring the island of Maui. Today after an aborted Peahi paddle in session and a forfeit baseball game we made spur of the moment plans to go tackle the Makaiwa Hike on the road to Hana. I had heard about this hike from different sources and like most of the secret hikes here on Maui, the entrance is hard to find. The beginning of the trail is very overgrown with a lot of crouching down, pushing thru foliage, and avoiding spider webs. Then your view opens up and you realize you are on a steep ridge line looking out over the wild Pacific ocean. Walking further you can see all the way down the northeast coastline of Maui. When you reach the end of the ridge...