Sunday, June 22

Thursday, June 12

So close.....

this "little" guy almost went from being a Monk Seal Pup to Monk Seal WEANER today. Well, he was a weaner for most of the day. Momma (RK22) left him early this a.m. but they were reunited late this afternoon, so officially he's still a PUP.  Maybe tomorrow!! I'll explain more in the next post. Lots of photos to go thru and I need some sleep!!
 
5 week old PK1
almost a WEANER

Friday, June 6

Are you a Mother of Nature??

My friend Kim posed this question to her blog readers the other day and this post is definitely worth the read.  Her question indeed got me pondering!!


Am I  a "Mother of Nature"??

I would have to admit that I am a "Mother of Nature". I have always been concerned about the environment.  I think living on a small  island in the middle of the Pacific you become even more aware of Mother Nature and the need to take care of her. As my good friend Teri on Molokai would say....We must "Malama Our Momma"~~~that's Hawaiian for Take Care of Mother Earth!!

 Several years ago we gave up using those plastic bags (plastic bags are banned on Kauai and Maui County) and now use the cloth bags for shopping.  I spend time while seal monitoring picking up various debris that is left at the beach not to mention all the "stuff" that just floats ashore. The plastics I find just make me sad, knowing that so many birds, turtles and other wildlife gather these colorful pieces believing that it's food to feed to their hungry offspring. Scientists have found  dead animals/birds with their bellies filled with  these harmful plastics.


We gave up using the plastic water bottles a few years ago. Oh how I hate seeing those bottles on the beach. Shortly after our weekend trip to Molokai we invested in Hydro Flask bottles. Speaking from experience, these are the BEST bottles ever. They not only are attractive, they keep your drink icy cold for hours. Believe me, I have put the bottle to the test while monitoring seals for hours. There is nothing better than a cold drink after sitting in the hot sun for hours.


My newest change is  To Go-Ware, a  reusable bamboo tableware--to reduce my "fork print".  I am looking forward to stashing this in my bag and grabbing it while at work or the beach instead of the dreaded white plastic "silverware"  Thanks to my sister for getting me a set for my recent birthday.

 
These are only a few of the things that we do here in our household....how about you??
Are you a Mother of Nature??? Share the sort of recycle, reuse, and reduce things you do.
Don't forget to read Kim's Blog!!!


Disclaimer: I was not compensated for endorsing any of the above mentioned products. The opinions are my own and just wanted to share.


Saturday is Ocean Awareness Day...going to hit the beach and do a little clean up!
Hope your day is awesome.

Val :)



Thursday, June 5

Now this is a tale.....

 
Anyone want to guess what famous 1960's sitcom pilot was filmed on this beach???
 




Oh, Gilligan!!!

Sunday, June 1

Reconnecting with an old friend....

The past month or so I felt as though my life was askew. Until yesterday I just for the life of me couldn't figure out what was "wrong". I've been bumbling around, bored and somewhat out of sorts.

Friends texted on Friday evening and asked if we would like to spend the following day with them at Hanalei Bay. I barely got their request out of my mouth when hubby's response was, "YES and we'll bring the grill!!" One thing I've learned about island life, it's all about spontaneity. The car was quickly loaded with necessary equipment.....easy up, grill,  paddle boards, food, chairs and sunscreen and my camera.  Off we went....north shore here we come.

It was a postcard perfect kind of day.  The Bay was a buzz and my soul was quickly becoming energized. The colors, the sounds, the smells they all made me forget my woes. As we strolled along the shore line, in my hand I held what would help bring my world back into alignment. Click, Click, Click, my camera was the answer. This was not my "new" camera, nor was it hubby's fancy camera. It was my old tried and try friend, my little Nikon D40X.  I had put it safely away in a box months ago thinking I would just use the bells and whistles cameras. Little did I know what I really needed was to come back to the basics and just let the photos happen. It was such fun to hear the shutter click and I was pleased with what I was capturing. Thanks to an old friend and God's creation I'm recharged.
 So here's our day at Hanalei Bay, Kauai.


















 
 Thank you God.  I now know that it was HIS voice telling me to take the D40.
Just glad I listened.
 
So here's to getting back to the basics!!