This week I am vacationing on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. It is our fourth visit to the Hawaiian Islands and our third to the island of Maui. This vacation was planned quickly, less than two and a half months ago, but came together despite the fast timing. Our previous visits have taken six months or more to plan.
We are staying near Kapalua. It is beautiful and we are familiar with the area from previous trips. There is so much I could write about here concerning nature and wildlife. They are working on a dune preservation project at Kapalua which entails an ugly orange fence but the plants between the beach and the walkway that are part of the project are thriving. I saw verbena and eucalyptus, and some seagrass among others.
I could (and probably will write about life under the water’s surface). It was abundant and the coral reefs we observed seemed to be in better health than in December of 2015, our last visit. We snorkeled today and saw many species of colorful fish, sea turtles, and even some sea urchins and an octopus.
But, what I responded to most was seeing my beloved monarchs flit from plant to plant sipping nectar from the colorful blooms that dotted the landscape along the ocean’s shore. I even spoke to one – my husband just shaking his head and smiling at my response. Within a few short hours, over the course of different places, I saw over a dozen monarchs.
Oh, the things that you see in paradise!
The Apples in My Orchard 