Monday, March 27, 2017

Kauai Adventure - Part 2

In this post, we visit the west side of Kauai where visitors can view the Waimea Canyon, often referred to as 'The Grand Canyon of the Pacific".  After traveling on a narrow, windy road, we stopped at a viewpoint and gazed out on this spectacular piece of scenery.  It is considered a geological wonder in Hawaii, being 14 miles wide and more than 3600 feet deep.  Waimea is Hawaiian for reddish water because of the canyon's red volcanic soil.  I took many photos of this  colorful and awesome canyon but could only choose a few to show you, again due to limited space. I was impressed at the diversity of the island from beaches and palm trees to craggy mountain terrain.



Continuing north beyond Waimea Canyon, is another sight beautiful to behold.  From the Kalalua Lookout, you are treated to a vision of sea, sky, clouds and cliffs.  It appeared as if the clouds were dancing on the ocean waters, since the deep blue that you see in the photo is not the sky but the actual sea.  The horizontal line distinguished between the clouds is the separation between water and sky.



It was breath-taking to say the least.  I can only lift my eyes beyond the horizon and appreciate the God who is All and in all in His beauty of color, form and living nature.  Romans 1:20 says it quite well...."For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so they are without excuse."


Come!  I invite you to visit me again at The Turn-Up Patch in another two weeks, on Monday, April 10th....



Monday, March 13, 2017

Kauai Adventure - Part 1

We recently had the opportunity to visit Hawaii, and was introduced to the island of Kauai.  Thanks to the internet and google, you can find out much about Kauai but I will give you just a few of the many interesting facts about this beautiful island: 
                         - It is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, some 6,000,000 years old
                         - It is of volcanic origin
                         - Nicknamed the "Garden Isle"
                         - It is the 4th largest island in the Hawaiian Archipelago being 562.3 square miles
Since this was my first visit; to see it is to believe it!  All those interesting facts come alive and I was amazed at the tropical scenery and mesmerized by the surrounding ocean waters.  Being a "landlubber", which means having no experience with the sea, the ocean can be intimidating.  Personally, I prefer to have my feet planted solidly on the ground, so you won't find me in the water or on a boat.  But you can find me with my camera happily taking photographs trying to capture the wild motion of waves crashing upon the seashore.  A still photograph can highlight the beauty of water turbulence but it takes a video or an on-sight experience to capture the moving sight and sound in revelation of the full force of nature in ocean waters.
 
Beach at Poipu, located in the south end of Kauai
It is awesome to stand on the shore and watch the power and expansiveness of the sea.  I am reminded of Psalm 93 which speaks of the majesty of the Lord.  Verse 4 states ... "More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea.  The LORD on high is mighty"....


One of the phenomenons on the island is known as Spouting Horn Beach located near Poipu.  This particular stretch of beach has a lava shelf with existing blowholes.  The ocean rushes under the shelf and up through the hole with a force sending water shooting into the air.  The following photos illustrates this effect.  If you look closely in the second photo, you will see part of a rainbow that sometimes appears when the sunlight is shining through the water in just the right refractory way.  You can also watch a video clip that does justice to Spouting Horn along with the sound of a second hole that only emits wind and creates a type of moaning sound..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKn9TEigfcY 
 

Two weeks from now on Monday, March 27, we will explore the west side of the island and visit Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.  Kauai - a small island that is a wonder in diverse scenery and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit and share my discoveries with you.  Blog space permits me to share just a few photos of the many that I took but sometimes it takes just a few to tell a story.

Until then,  here is a beautiful quote to think on by Mother Teresa... "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean.  But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."