Etch-A-Sketch

For decades it has been the family joke, and sad reality, that we have a Camera Curse hanging over us. Not just one or two of the family, but all of us, at one time or another. Now it has even infected the next generation! Classic photo op, no camera. Camera, no film. Camera and film, dead battery. Camera, film and battery, chop off heads. Once in a while, we can sneak in some good photos, only with persistence. I've been determined over the years to overcome the curse. In the days of film, I taped 2 canisters to my case, one for extra film, the second for extra battery. Then, I would take many exposures of one shot, and manage to get a keeper.

Today, my sweet new underwater Olympus 1030SW was on it's second photo and whale safari. I kayaked into whale heaven, between 2 pairs of whales, continually up for series of breaths. After I played in the water and recorded the song with sunlight rays dancing, my camera screen went blank. I fiddled and played with buttons, and still dark screen. My camera continued to make noise, so I continued to shoot multiple photos of each pairs surface intervals. I downloaded card via my land camera. Here is mugshot of the culprit!

On dry land, upon opening the battery compartment, drops of salt water dripped out. Tonight, my screen looks like an Etch-a-Sketch with fog, water trails and puddles.

No water photos for a week due to equipment malfunction. I will ziplock my dry land camera for next kayak adventure. I am stronger than the curse!

Kung Hee Fat Choy!

Kung Hee Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year! Year of the Ox!

The aggressive dance of the lion along with the loud beat of the drums and the deafening sound of the cymbals will expel bad or evil spirits, certainly drive sensitive spectators away. To feed the lion a red envelope containing money, will bring good luck and prosperity, certainly to the wallet of the lion dancer.

Great! This Lion Dance was entertaining, as well as empowering, my evil spirits vanished, my luck restored and my prosperity guaranteed by my red envelope now being digested by the lion!

Those born under this sign of the Ox are dependable, calm, modest and strong.

My namesake year, Year of the Rat, has just ended. My Rat year was enriching, I created a 6 month life in Santa Barbara, engaging with mom, sister and childhood friends on a routine basis. I have created lots of momentum the past year, and my rewards this year will prove substantial. That is great, because I have some big dreams for this year! My Rat characteristics are true. I am determined, meticulous, self reliant, and strong.

Polar Bear Swim, Maui Style

Polar Bear swimmers internationally are chipping ice of frozen lakes, rivers and shores to make an entry to plunge into frigid, icy waters. Often they will tie ropes around the swimmers so if they pass out, they don't drift under the ice. Wisconsin advises the swimmers to wear shoes to the shore to prevent cuts on feet from ice and to prevent feet from sticking to snow and ice onshore. Only completely crazy folks would participate in this annual activity on New Years and in January!!

Here on Maui, we also brave our severe winter conditions to partake in our "only sane Polar Bear Swim in the world" a 1.2 mile Ocean Fin Swim Race. There is always a chance of snow on race day.... at higher elevations. This race archive photo reveals Haleakala Crater crowned with snow, validating our polar status.

Maui swim participants are advised to wear flip flops to the beach, as the sand is a bit cold from the prior night. Racers, age 7 to 70, line the beach, the countdown signals the start, we sprint into the water, running in our fins. Not an easy thing to do with a mass of people! I failed to practice this skill, and when I stumbled, I was lucky to be in shin deep water, might as well start swimming! We round orange and yellow icebergs as we swim a triangle over the reef, across the bay, along the cliffs and return. Turtles spectate from below, seeming to stay on the bottom, knowing the high speed of humans on the surface. 74 swimmers entered the water, 74 swimmers crossed the finish line. No one was passed out and found floating under the inflatable icebergs.

Humpback Hokey Pokey

They put their tail in, they put their tail out, they put their tail in and splash it all about.... [sing refrain].... They put their pec fin in, they put their pec fin out, they put their pec fin in and splash it all about.... [refrain].... They put their humpback in, they put their humpback out, they put their humpback in and splash it all about.... [refrain].... They put their head in, they put their head out, they put their head in and splash it all about ....[refrain].... They roll their body left, they roll their body right, they roll their body left and splash it all about. They do the Whale Hokey Pokey and they turn themselves around. That's what it's all about!! [clap, clap]

Did you sing along to that? And laugh out loud? Great, I was successful!!! Good luck getting the song out of your head today! (Sorry about that!)

We observed a Humpback Whale playground with a mom, a baby, an escort and two other whales rolling, tail slapping, pectoral fin slapping, spy hopping (popping head and eye out of water), spouting, diving tails up, humpback diving, and rolling some more. They were frolicking and shaking it all about. The spy hop, was to ensure us humans were being entertained. And we were! This game continued for a number of rounds of the song and dance. The song heard underwater was other than the Hokey Pokey, it was the Whale version, with an other worldly twist of yelps, howls and clicks.

Dawn Outrigger Paddle

It was dark as we launched our outrigger canoe, hoping we would not bump into any whales with our first sets of strokes. The tiny crescent moon failed to light our way. Each stroke of our paddle through the dark water sparkled phosphorescence, adding to the eeriness of the dark. Our blue and white ama (outrigger float) was sparking with each slap of the dark waves. Unusual for predawn, this morning presented wind and waves, causing us to point upwind and upswell as we warmed up our still sleeping muscles.

As dawn began to lighten the sky, Haleakala Crater, House of the Sun, was opening her back door to the glowing sun behind it. We had to stop and savor the enchanting moment. The invigorating paddle and dawning of a new day awakened my body and rejuvenated spirit. After beginning with a push into the swell and breeze, when we turned around to head home, we were grateful for a quick, easy glide as the wind and the waves pushed us along the shore.

Our team of employees has 3 months to prepare for the annual Restaurant and Hotel Employee Outrigger Canoe Race. My muscles will need that time to adapt to the new exercise pattern of paddling canoe. My lungs will need to build for the quick 1/4 mile sprint, a race which will be over in moments.

Swinging Bridges Journey

"Only female mosquitoes bite!" wisdom from Audrey, my 6 year old ("Almost 7!" she would say) niece. True, I did look it up. Females need the meal of blood for the production of eggs. Males feed off of nectar.

Our hike today at Swinging Bridges was populated with male mosquitoes, buzzing our ears and landing, yet the 3 of us ended our hike without a bite! Where were the females? They must have been off laying eggs, as there were plenty of blood rich hikers on the trail before us, also enjoying the school holiday.

Two cable swinging bridges, miles of waterways, tunnels bore through mountains, dams and regulating stations were built in the early sugar plantation days to bring water from river valleys to the crops in the lowlands. Maui's back country is zigzagged with these waterways, evidence of the Chinese labor.

Ours was the journey; journey over bridges, rock hopping river crossings, though bamboo forests and fragrant tropical vegetation; not the destination of the waterfall and pool at the end of the trail. We never made that last waterfall. We were going at 5 year old James pace and as far as his little soccer legs could take him. The end of our trail was a crystal clear pool, great for a refreshing, cold dip, even better for skipping and throwing rocks. We did have our own series of miniature waterfalls and the presence of a fairy tale like Banyan Tree. We could only imagine the gnomes and trolls who live in the root village and come out to dance at night.

Deep Water Exploration

Swim Sunday dawned clear, sunny and calm after two days of torrential downpours, high wind warnings and school closures. The COLD had remained of the cold front which had since passed. This sea level, leeward, Kihei girl was bundled up warm, blasting the neglected car heater on the early morning drive to the beach.

Big Beach glowed turquoise waters with translucent shore break. The explorers of our swim group headed straight into deeper waters in search of the Humpback whales seen from shore. About a mile out, the whale song grew louder as we saw the whale fish which accompany whales in deep waters. Our heads were all down, expecting to see a gentle giant under us. As the song grew fainter, we knew the whale had drifted away. We turned to swim toward shore. Again appeared whale fish, now swimming in the opposite direction. The whale song volume increased until our bellies vibrated. Bubbles rose from the deep, we knew the 54 foot whale was just below us, stealth and hidden. Our anticipation was palpable, excitement of being in the presence of such a giant creature. Again the song grew faint, as our hopes faded. The adrenalin kept us jubilant and playful on the long swim to shore.

We played in the deep blue waters. Diving to hear the haunting whale song, long moans, short yelps, rhythmic whistles, serene calls serened us. As we turned to see the surface above, the light body of our protective angel, with it's wings spread wide, hoovered over us.