Hawai’i was cool.
There were big cool things like the Na Pali Coast by kayak.
There were small cool things like this Pallid Ghost Crab (Ocypode pallidula).
That camo puts Mossy Oak® and Realtree® to shame. The Pallid Ghost crabs have very different patterns of camo depending on the the beach they occupy. They always blend in so they’re almost impossible to see unless they move. That strongly suggests some natural selection. Anyway…
I had a great vacation with the whole family, for the last time in the foreseeable future. The children are scattering to the four winds now, and with school, missionary service and a busy work schedule for both Wife 1.2a and Husband (beta), it seemed unlikely we’d all be in the same place for more than a few holidays here and there, a week if we’re lucky.
As much as Kaua’i is beautiful, I couldn’t live there. The weather is too perfect. Not too hot, not too cold; it’s Goldilocks Weather. Goldilocks was not only a burglar, she was a whiner and a bore. I’m much more at home here in the imperfect and often unpredictable Midwest.
Maybe I like change more than some folks. Maybe I have a short attention span, I dunno. All I know is that Kaua’i is gorgeous, dressed up to the nines, bountiful and fecund, adorned with gems of waterfalls and mosses and ferns. Kaua’i is gorgeous, but she wears a lot of make up. I prefer my women and my landscapes unadorned, or if they are adorned, that it’s the kind of adornment that is subtle and may be easily overlooked by those looking for flashy.
When I overheard a tourist say “I can’t believe how many different plants there are here,” I thought “You dope…there are a lot of different plants everywhere.” The difference is Kaua’i hits you in the face with the variety and big flowers and all the showy stuff, like Angelina Jolie after make up and Photoshop. The analogy is clearly not a perfect one, but I don’t have the patience to come up with a perfect one. This’ll have to do.
Despite the differences in scale, whether majestic cliffs or micro-crabs, there is a lot of beauty there. And here. For me, mostly here.
Respectfully submitted,
Canoelover
I’ve been to the Na Pali Coast! It’s incredible! My family has always been avid kayakers. We love going early in the morning, just when the fog hovers over the water perfectly! Your pictures are great!