Capturing the Moment

High tides at Bay of Fundy Reminds me of this   I do love to explore new places so when the opportunity came up to travel 4,400 miles from Juneau, Alaska to Nova Scotia, Canada to hang out with my world traveling mom for a few days I couldn't resist. I had heard stories of Nova Scotia from my good friend Stalker, but never imagined that is would be this beautiful. It seems like there are picture opportunities around every corner. Plus these maritime islanders happen to be some of the friendliest, and proudest folks around. Wild Lupine   My mom met me at the airport after one flight cancellation left me stranded for a few hours in Vancouver. A shiny new red VW bug was to be our mode of transportation to places like the Bay of Fundy, Brier Island, and Prince Edward Island. Being July the wildflowers were out in force, making everything even more scenic. Digby Backpackers Inn    Our base of operations for these first few days was a hostel in the coa...

Water Lily Madagascar Day Gecko   Hidden in the back corner of beautiful Manoa valley is the Lyon Arboretum. For the nature lover it is set in a lush rainforest with a small waterfall at the end of the trail. For the birder it may be your only chance to spot white cockatoos and green parrots screeching in the tree tops. And don't even get me started for the plant lover. From water lilies in small ponds, to entire gardens of bromeliads and heliconia, this garden has it all. Orchids grow wild up in the trees and down on the ground, and some time in the next 40 years their two Halipot Palms are going to put on one heck of a blooming show.   Started in 1918 by the Hawaii Sugar Planters' Association (HSPA), the Lyon Arboretum began as a reforestation effort to protect that valuable watershed. In 1953 Harold Lyon urged the HSPA to transfer ownership over to the University of Hawaii with the stipulation that it will always be used as an arboretum and botanical garden. ...

No visit from mom is complete without a trip to some gardens. Keeping with our theme of exploring new places we ventured upcountry to the small town of Kula, nestled 4000ft up the side of Haleakala volcano.   Here we found the lavender farms where you can find over forty kinds of lavender as well as many other flowers. The views from here are amazing. You overlook the entire valley below from Ma'alaea bay across to Kahului harbor. After walking through the gardens we stopped at the gift shop to try some of their famous lavender tea and lavender scones. I could eat about a million and a half of those scones. But at $3.50 apiece I settled on splitting one with mom. Jackson's chameleon strolling  Our next spot was the botanical gardens. I was hoping to spot a wild Jackson's chameleon and was lucky enough to find one ambling across the top of this wooden fence. This one had three big horns identifying it as a male. These chameleons were introduced here in Maui by a...