Capturing the Moment

   Let's say you only have one more day on Maui... where would you go? I know my answer, Haleakala Volcano. At just over 10,000ft it is a view unlike any other on the island. It can be fierce winds and sub freezing temperatures. There can even be snow and ice. But the view is worth it. And now being the middle of summer it can be downright pleasant finding a comfortable spot and enjoying how the view changes through the different colors of dawn.   We found a spot right along the crater rim to usher in the sun. When we first arrived the stars were out with the constellation Orion visible above the horizon. You can even make it out in the picture above. Look for three bright stars in a line, that's his belt, and three more in a line jutting off diagonally from the belt, that's his sword. Science city where our Maui observatories and astronomers peer into the night sky was lit up with a pink sky at one point. There were so many changing colors it was hard to figure out ...

   Winter time has come here in Maui which means humpback whales arriving on the south shores and big surf on the north shore. This morning Ben and I paddled out early to a calm, beautiful day of overhead surf at Ho'okipa Beach Park. The waves were consistent, the crowd was friendly, and everyone was enjoying a rare non-windy day except some cranky windsurfers. After getting scraped around on the reef after falling off a big lumpy takeoff I decided to lick my wounds and grab my camera to try and get a bit of the feel of the day. Lots of bystanders watched the surfers from high atop the overlook. Many locals just enjoyed the beautiful beach conditions. And one father even found a calm corner to teach his daughter how to surf. As you may have guess there was a lot of aloha in the air.