Island Life, Part Two

There's just something about quiet harbor days that gets in your soul and makes music with your memories. I took these harbor photos the day before the tsunami, strangely enough, when the world felt peaceful and the boats weren't capsized. I love these houses on stilts above the calm waters. Beach houses are amazing and all, but harbor houses have a beauty all their own.

...boating downhill...

Cars can only get you so far on an island. One of the best ways to see the bigger beauty of the coastline is by sea. Kayaks and canoes are a lot of fun if you don't mind a little exercise and a lot of fresh air.

Abandoned boats in the harbor strike me as some of the most peaceful things in the world.

There was this solitary man gazing out to sea, and this solitary chicken gazing at the man gazing out to sea.

I'm not quite certain what kind of tree these are, but it reminds me of photos I've seen of Africa. It's so beautiful how the leaves grow on the top, leaving the stark branches silhouetted against the tropical sky.

...I'm going to call this one Stu...

The sounds of Hawaii: ocean waves, myna birds, rustling of the palm trees, and ... WEED WHACKERS.

This poor man was having a little difficulty attaching his whale weather vane to the roof; he was also probably wondering why I was taking his picture.

...classic postcard shot...

Call me crazy, but I, like Lilo, enjoy taking photos of tourists, especially of snorkelers. They're such a fascinating species ;)

A couple Fridays ago, I went to art night at one of our small towns. The art community gets together - musicians line the sidewalks and the art galleries open their doors to show off their paintings. It was rainy and dark, so I didn't get many good photos...

These orchids are absolutely real, showing off the artwork of their Creator.

One of the best things about island life? Sunsets on the sea every single night. I love living in a place where the people line the sea at the end of the day and cheer and clap as the sun sinks beneath the horizon.

"I want to live where the talk of the town was about last night when the sun went down." ~ Jack Johnson

I would also like to thank Maya over at Completely Coastal for sharing my post about the Bethany Hamilton movie Soul Surfer. Completely Coastal is a beautiful blog - if you enjoy seaside living and decor, you'll love exploring this site. I really enjoy looking at all the photos and getting ideas for coastal decoration. Thanks so much, Maya!

Island Life, Part One

 Living in Hawaii has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not many people get to call paradise home. Although I can't always be on vacation here (yes, people do have to work in paradise), I like to get out and explore my island - the people and places that fall through the cracks so many times. The seaside is always my favorite place to escape to, rain or shine. There's just something about being on the edge of the land looking out to the indefinite that puts your mind at rest. The islands also have a lot of local farmers' markets that provide locally grown, organic food and a unique atmosphere for the community to get together.

We're in the last stretches of the Rainy Season here. I took these two photos a few months ago on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I love rainy days at the beach - the tourists are few, the air tastes like heaven, and the sea sits by itself with a happy face at being ignored.

And here's a photo of random wild chickens eating some Lucky Charms.

Walking to the farmers' market...

At this particular open-air market, the vendors have tables scattered throughout a shopping center. Here's someone selling wheat grass...

...and a gecko...

...someone selling macadamia nuts...

These are flowers that grow in the cooler regions of the mountains. I can't remember what they're called, but they are so beautiful and exotic, like they came right out of the Garden of Eden.

...someone selling orchids...

This guy was playing an electric ukulele. The ukulele is probably the most popular instrument around here. If you are interested in listening to some, I recommend trying the musical genius of Jake Shimabukuro. Watch this video and get blown away.

Stat tuned for Island Life Part Two which I hope to post later this week.