Crystal clear water

Hanauma Bay from lookout March 2007

I love this shot of Hanauma Bay . The water is so crystal clear! I like how you can see the coral under the water. I've always wanted to go snorkeling but as of yet haven't been able to. Mainly it's a monetary issue not that I physically can't do it. I didn't go down to the beach on this day. It's a steep incline (if you look closely you can see the incline on the right hand side of the photo) and though I hate to admit it at times, I'm out of shape and walking down the incline would be easy..it's the coming back up that would be the hard part. I could do it, but would have had to walk backwards and since there were quite a few people there on this day, didn't want to look silly walking in reverse. It's easier on my calf muscles if I walk up such a steep hill that way.  I took this on the same day that I took the photo of Koko head. If you turned to the right of this photo you'd be gazing up at Koko head. It was also extremely windy from this vantage point. 

This is also another doctored photo.  Again the sky on the left side of the photo was to light so I separated it from the bottom portion and using the brightness/contrast feature of Photoshop altered it so that the sky was a little darker. There isn't to much of a difference to the two photos really. I did brighten the bottom portion a little as well which you can tell by the water and the sand being a little brighter in tone. Hawaii is the only place I know of where you don't mind gadding about on an overcast day and said overcast doesn't ruin it in the least. It did sprinkle a little but not so much that my camera got to wet. I had just bought the camera in 2006 and it was the first time I'd given my Kodak a real workout. The lovely part of using a digital camera was when I got back to the condo where I was staying, I could immediately download my card on the laptop computer I'd brought with me without having to go to Wal-mart, K-mart or Walgreens to get the pictures developed. 

Lord Stratford Canning age 29

I've finished THE PASSION AND THE FLOWER (it was really good so only took a day to read) and I'm now reading THE SLAVES OF LOVE. The time frame is 1855 and the setting is Constantinople, Turkey or what is now Istanbul.  The Crimean War is raging and fear abounds that there are Russian spies every where. Our hero, Lord Vernan Castleford, is on his way to the Bazaar in search of a present for the British Ambassador Stratford Canning, who, I might add, was quite a handsome fellow.  The book takes place when Stratford is 68 and according to Castleford is still a handsome man. (Photo of Canning courtesy of Wikipedia) He actually was still quite good looking in later years. 

Photo from Look and Learn website

Upon arriving in the Bazaar he is witness to the beating of a Russian by a mob. It is here that he comes upon a young Russian woman, Yasmina, who was raised in both Crimea and in Russia. Her father is ill and she'd come to the Bazaar for herbs in the hope that they'd help her father get better. He'd been sick for awhile and not trusting British hospitals she was trying to nurse him herself. I'm at the part where Yasmina's father has just passed away and she's trying to figure out what to do. She doesn't have any where she can go. She's now pretty much alone except for Hamid and he's just told her that the safest place for her to be during that dangerous time would be in the Sultan's harem.  

Today's paper doll is a Jane Arden. I couldn't find a matching paper doll for today's date in my collection so decided to post this one. I'm not sure of the year but judging by the dress I'd say either 1950's or 60's. I remember these paper dolls in the Sunday paper. I wish now I'd kept them but like all things from my childhood, my paper doll collection was relegated to the trash bin or a garage sale when I "out grew" them. This paper doll was also on a disc I bought from a seller on Ebay. It was rather on the small size so I enlarged it. The scan I received was at 150 dpi which isn't to bad of a resolution. I also made this one into a black and white version for those who like to color their paper dolls. This pose was a common one in the Jane Arden series so the clothes of other dolls will fit this one. 

For my paper doll design I present Babs the Ballerina Cat. I'm in the process of revamping this one. I'm thinking of perhaps making her into a greeting card. Maybe have several cats with the same pose and with two or three costumes a piece. I'm also thinking of enlarging her. She doesn't have to many outfits. As she is now she only has three pages of clothes. 

It's time to call it a day. Until next time, Aloha and may your day be a great one!!

N Dennis 2007