I can fly!
My favorite thing about ocean swimming is the feeling I have that I'm flying. Especially on a clear-water day when I can see the ground below me as if I were flying through the air.
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Are you having a bad day? Are you feeling grouchy? Me too. But at least we don't have this guy's life. He feels Crabby all the time.
 I've always been envious of artistic people - mostly because there is not an ounce of creativity in my body. I strive to live by the rules, you know, drive between the lines; which does not leave any room for trying something extraordinary, for being different.
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 What has changed? Why has the Sunday swim with the Maui Pink Cap Swimmers become extra fun once again? I don't know and I don't care, but I've been having a great time the past few weeks.
The fun (slow) group got to meet a feeding Manta Ray, and saw Bruce and a buddy out and about (instead of sleeping in their caves). Out in the middle of nowhere we ran into a couple of Masters Swimmers from California (yes, it must have been one heck of a swim for them) who joined in the fun as if they had always been a part of the group. As it should be. I can't wait for next week...
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 This bird had better watch out! It was intently hunting for something to eat, but I'd say it was snack size for the giant Koi in this pond.
Interesting fact: Koi are just normal Carp which have been selected for their color.
 What's going on here? I noticed a couple of friends snorkeling, and they weren't where I would normally expect to see them. I swam out to them and they said they saw dolphins from shore. The guys kept swimming out, but so did the dolphins.
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Boring they are not. Frequently bathrooms are the only rooms of the house where designers let their creative juices flow (yuck, I didn't mean that literally) and show a bit of their wild side. Today's sunken tub with mosaic Koi was no exception. I have never seen a bathtub quite like this one. Calgon, take me away... Please...
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I got a phone call this morning from an aspiring photographer and I now feel bad for being overly optimistic. Those of you who know me are asking yourselves, "Don? Overly optimistic? Are we really talking about Don? Nah, must be somebody else."
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When I tried outrigger canoe paddling, they just threw me in a boat and sent me out to sea. The hotels are much more cautious with their guests, giving them sand paddling practice first.
The resorts must have a lot of healthy, athletic types in residence. This is the largest beach yoga class I have ever noticed. Don't believe them when they tell you that yoga is safe and low impact. Us type A personalities can manage to make anything dangerous. My friends organized a private yoga class and many of us pushed ourselves too hard and ended up having to drop out with injuries. We could probably hurt ourselves playing checkers.
The tastiest seaweed seems to grow on rocks in shallow water. Or at least that is where I often see giant sea turtles feeding, getting tossed and banged about in the waves. Ohhhh. That's why they have those tough shells...
Hey, I love working at home, don't get me wrong. But on days like today when there is way too much work to do, I have been in front of the computer from six this morning and am still going strong now at 8:30 p.m. Although I must confess that I did make it out onto our lanai for lunch. Ah, the great outdoors!
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This morning was only the second time I've ever seen a Frogfish (that I've been aware of), and that was only because it was crossing a large stretch of sand. A frogfish's only defense is their incredible disguise; when one is among coral and rocks, they blend in perfectly. In the photo below look for the tail fin, the open mouth and the eye with a radial design. According to the Wikipedia article, they hunt by sucking in their prey and can swallow a fish which is twice their size (kind of reminds me of myself last Thanksgiving).
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Pervasive. I grew up in the Midwest and weather was pervasive. If it was raining in town, then it was raining in the country. If it was snowy in Milburg, then it was snowy in Stevensville. If it was sunny in Dowagiac, then it was sunny in Coloma.
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 Somehow the Maui Pink Cap Swimmers managed to break out of their rut for the second week in a row (the Apocalypse must be near)! And La Perouse bay couldn't have been nicer. Even outside the bay the open ocean waters were manageable, if a little bouncy. Fortunately, we will be back to our usual course next week (whew!). Click HERE for more photos from this morning.
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 The Maui County Government shut down the public celebration of Halloween last year saying that it was "culturally inappropriate."
But I was shocked to discover how deeply the impact of the ruling has been felt. I walked through a couple of middle-class residential neighborhoods this morning and could not find a single sign that today was Halloween. I searched diligently and was unable to discover ANY Halloween decorations: no jack-o-lanterns, no window cutouts of black cats or witch's hats, not a pumpkin or squash. NOTHING.
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It is always interesting, the things I see out swimming. I have never seen a beach umbrella in a kayak before, nor have I ever seen someone paddling one facing backwards. Life is full of little surprises.
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 Lucky me! Two different pods totaling over sixty dolphins came and joined me for my swim this morning. They kept swimming circles around me until my teeth were chattering and my fingertips became numb with cold (translation: a long time). After they saw how much fun I was having, several people swam out from shore. Click HERE for lots more photos from today.
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Nothing more than a photo which I took this morning. I'm focused on work and don't seem to have anything profound to say today.
 I don't know why Barracudas make me nervous. Maybe because they like to show their teeth. And maybe because this guy today was almost as big as I am and didn't seem to be afraid of me.
I feel like a true old-time Southerner. Languid, yes, that's the word to describe me today.
Our air conditioning went out with the temperature at a humid ninety and still, very still. Wait! Don't panic! I quietly slipped into the role of a true Southern gentleman wearing loose cotton clothes and moving slowly. Sipping a cool beverage and savoring every little breeze which brushed by. Not bad, really. In fact it was one of the most relaxing Sundays at home that I've had in a long time.
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