Well Made

I just finished putting up cellular shades throughout our home. I didn't buy the best...out of my budget...but hey, they're folded pieces of fabric...how difficult can it be to make them? Evidently more difficult than I thought. I've had to exchange several due to sloppy workmanship and/or poor quality control at the factory.

Tonight we took the kids to the playground at Waihe'e School: not only to enjoy the great play structures, but to soak up the beautiful surroundings, and cool, misty air. As I was walking across the school's lush green field, I passed a small palm and saw what cellular shades look like when they've been constructed by Someone Who Cares.

A Day in the Life

From postcards to vacation brochures, much of the Hawaii the rest of the world sees is focused on the beaches, the whales and the luaus. And though those things are a part of our island life, there are the everyday sights that touch the residents and remind us we truly live in paradise. Sights that still take our breath away...even if they'd never make the cover of a travel magazine, or grace the pages of a guide.

Last night I took the family for a walk at Keopuolani Park. We were treated to the view above as we got back to the car: a lush baseball field with a backdrop of the setting sun...giving us one last dose of warmth, filtered through the 'Iao Valley, just before dipping out of sight.

A Walk in Paradise

Went on a photo hike today. Though I've lived here over a decade, I had never been to Twin Falls...so today I set out to change that. What a beautiful hike. I know there are several pool and falls to explore, but I was pressed for time. That, and the fact I was wearing $2 slippers from Longs, while stepping on mossy rocks in deep creeks while carrying camera gear, limited my exploration a bit. But remember my previous post about getting the family out into nature more? This will be one of our next adventures.

With Gratitude

My mom came to visit at the end of November. It was a dual-celebration...Thanksgiving and a pre-Christmas shindig. To make it feel like Christmas from the get-go, we put up our tree in mid-November, and though it felt a little early at the time, that tree has been a cornerstone of the season. There's something about it, despite the fact it's fake. It's almost 10' tall, it's just the right circumference...not enormous, but not too skinny, and it's so real-looking that people lean in and smell it just to be sure. We plug it in first thing in the morning as we drink our coffee, and the minute the sun starts to set, we plug it in again. The cats have found the base to be to coziest home ever, the kids stare at the ornaments with a refreshed wonder every day, and my wife and I get lost just looking at the lights....it's as though they block out the worries, and take us away to a place where everything is OK.

We're having some friends over for a delayed holiday celebration this coming Tuesday and they asked if we'd keep our tree up for the event. It wasn't hard to say yes. What will be hard is taking it down afterwards. Like I mentioned in the post on New Years, this past year took it's toll, and though we've been blessed beyond description in so many ways, we're still entering 2010 somewhat weary from battle. This tree has been our mental respite, and more than ever, the magic of a Christmas tree, has carried us through the season.

It is said thatMartin Luther cut a fir tree from his garden one wintry evening and placed it in the nursery of his home for his wife and children. He wanted them to envision the snowy dark beauty of the night of Jesus' birth, and he decorated the tree with lighted candles to represent the stars in the sky.

To this day, those lights still mesmerize...and I'm grateful. Though it's already January 2nd, let me wish you and yours, one more time, a most wonderful New Year.

It's Time to Get Ourselves Back to the Garden

I'm far from new-agey, and I'm anything but hippie...but I have made a New Year's Resolution to get my family outside and into nature more. God has blessed us with a beautiful home, and we spend countless, priceless, hours there...enjoying time, and enjoying each other. But He's also blessed us with life in a paradise, and it's a goal of mine to get the whole family out of the house and into the island even more this year.

Then can I walk beside you?

I have come here to lose the smog,

And I feel to be a cog in something turning.

Well mabye it is the time of year,

Or maybe it's the time of man...

but we've got to get ourselves back to the garden.

-Woodstock, Joni Mitchell

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou #2

It was exactly one year ago that I started this photo blog with a post wishing everyone a Happy New Year. In that post, regarding the blog itself, I said "let's see where this goes..."

Well I'm happy to say I stuck with it. Some months I posted more than others, but all said and done, this my 103rd post. I'm excited to see where it goes in 2010.

The New Year's celebrations were in full force tonight in our neighborhood. I think the struggles of 2009 have taken there toll, and people are ready for a fresh start. There were more Christmas lights up this season than I've ever seen on island, and tonight there were more fireworks than I've seen in the last several years combined; dramatic aerial displays were launching from every other driveway. The display above was two doors away.

It was hard not to get a little choked up tonight. You could feel the human spirit celebrating the hope for better year. Perhaps a positive side-effect of this past year has been a renewal of community. Oscar Wilde once said, "What seems to us as bitter trials, are often blessings in disguise."

"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is to live inside that hope."

-Barbara Kingsolver

I wish you all a very Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Luminescent

Plumeria

To me, plumeria is the scent of the islands.

A Natural Alliance

"An optimist sees only light, a pessimist sees only shadows,

but a photographer sees both and appreciates the relationship."

-author unknown

The Color Purple

When you think of upcountry Maui, it's easy to think of green, but there's another color that flavors the sides of Haleakala, and it's various shades are seen in the lavender in Kula, the jacaranda of Pukalani, and the agapanthus of Keokea.

"I think it pisses God off when you walk by the

color purple in a field and don't notice it."

-Shug, The Color Purple, 1985

Self Portrait

Queen Anne, Seattle, Washington

(click the pic...I'm in the bumper)

R.I.P. (Random Image Post)

Young students from Pomaika'i School show their island pride.

Old and abandoned...but not forgotten. General Store, Wailuku.

Streetside Music, Pa'ia.

Coastal structure, Discovery Park in Magnolia, Seattle.

Change is Good

I'm still here, I just got buried in life there for a bit. It's all good, but I feel like I've been playing catch-up for awhile.

A benefit of time away from something, is it gives you a chance to reflect on what you're doing. I started this photography blog close to a year ago and I've had a lot of fun with it (a big thank you to all who've visited along the way....it's appreciated!) When I started the blog, I liked the name. The concept was "pictures about island life for anyone who's ever pictured life on an island," and that was fine...except that I started to feel guilty anytime I posted something "un-tropical."

So in the spirit of change and evolution, from here on out I'm just going to post a variety of pictures...whether the were taken here on Maui, or anywhere else my travels have taken (or will take) me. If there's a "theme," it's simply pics that I like and that I hope you like, too. I just want to celebrate photography.

Hope that makes sense. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Sleepless in Seattle

When you're used to island life closing up shop around 7pm, it's quite the experience to spend time in a city with a real nightlife. Seattle is a beautiful city during the day, but it's downright magical at night. It wasn't insomnia that kept me up...it was just the desire to soak up the magic.

Eighty-Seven Years Young

The Maui County Fair as seen from the Ferris Wheel

The ingredients to a great County Fair are pretty much the same anywhere you go: scream-inducing rides, a colorfully lit carnival atmosphere, a 4H tent that smells like the farm, sticky cotton candy, live music, educational exhibits, blue ribbon awards, cheap food, and great people watching. Maui's had it all for 87 years.

Niu

Ke'anae Congregational Church

Construction of the Ke'anae Congregational Church began in 1857 and wasn't completed until 1863. Though it took six years to build this 60 by 30 foot structure, the meticulous construction paid off: it was the only structure in Ke'anae to survive the devastating tsunami of April 1, 1946.

I've been fortunate enough to spend significant time on the Ke'anae Peninsula over the years and have attended, and even participated in, several unforgettable events at this church. The Ke'anae Congregational Church is a beautiful window into the soul of the past, yet a striking reminder of where we should be today.

Sweet Beauty

Sugar Cane, Kahului

Yours and Mine

"The sun comes shining as I was strolling

The wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling

The fog was lifting, a voice came chanting

This land was made for you and me."

-Woodie Guthrie, 1958

Picture taken in Door County, Wisconsin

Nalu

Years ago I had a '67 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible. When I bought the car is was a a bunch of mismatched body panels: some were faded red, some were faded blue, and some were simply primer. Bit by bit I restored that car with the help of a good friend. When it was ready for fresh paint, I took it to the local shop and said I wanted it painted "sea foam." The guys looked at me like I was crazy. I said, "you know...the color of a wave (nalu) when it stands up and the sun comes through...that turquoise blue?"

Nothing.

I went home and grabbed an old t-shirt I had purchased from a surf shop in Santa Cruz. It was the color of the wave above, so I took it back to the shop and said, "paint it to match this t-shirt." A few days later I went to pick up the car. They had matched the t-shirt so well that when I spread it out on the hood and stepped back, it looked like the pink surf shop logo (it was the '80's) was painted directly on the hood...the actual t-shirt blended that well. Somewhere I still have my receipt for the paint job, and handwritten in the text area it says, "match car to surf shirt in front seat."

Haven't thought about that car for years...but when I took the picture of the wave above, it all came back. I believe in looking ahead and following dreams, but I also believe in hitting "replay" every once in a while. After all, capturing moments in time is the essence of photography.

Absolute

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Three things will last forever: faith, hope and love,

and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, 13

Night Kalo

Kalo patch, 9pm on a full moon night, Ke'anae Peninsula

Shades of Shade

Faith in the Simple Life

Waihe'e Protestant Church, founded 1828

Wailuku Cross

The Kapilau Ridge, at the west end of Wailuku, separates 'Iao Valley from Waikapu Valley. A short, steep path follows the ridge to a large wooden cross that can be seen all the way from Waiehu. The cross was built in 1956 by students of St. Anthony's High School, and is still maintained by students. Though it's a rugged cross...a mismatch of lumber and scrap held together with nails, screws and a couple of bungee cords...it still feels majestic.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

and exchange it someday for a crown.

-George Bennard (1912)