Cautiously optimistic

Thanks to those of you who have been praying for my job search!  Today I got an email that I scored well on the test and I would now be in the pool to select someone for the position open on Kauai. YAY!  And since I have lots of bathing suits, being in the pool is something I'm totally ready for.. HA.

Add to that a very nice almost 3 hour swim today, with turtles, seals and one octopus, what could be better?! (Well, actually GETTING the job would be better, but I digress...)

Started off the day in Poipu.  Noticed a bunch of people out beyond the spit on the rocks.  And a mama seal and a pup.  Too many enthusiastic people near a mama who would want to protect the smaller seal, no doubt.  So I marched out there and asked them to get 50 yards back, telling them that is the State law.  Thankfully, they moved away.  (One couple tried to play the "I don't understand English" card, but I dissuaded them...)

So the mama and baby slept on undisturbed. Shortly after my talk with them, the man who volunteers to put up signage to stay away from the seals arrived and put up the signs.  So it was all good.

Then a bigger seal, probably male, showed up!  He couldn't decide where to get in ...

I think he cruised back and forth, trying to decide where to come in.  Eventually, he came in on the beach and plopped down, quickly encircled by signs asking people to leave him alone.

And later, he swam by me:

I thought I had captured two images, but this was the only one I had when I got home.  He looked at me in the face...and that was kinda intimidating!  They are BIG! So I took this shot and swam to get out of the water.  I didn't want to bother him in his pool....

Mr. Seal relaxing....swimming can be tiring!!!!

So Eagle Eye challenge:

You might guess octopus and you'd be right!  Click on the photo and you'll see it...but in case it's too hard....

 That's the little guy on the left, mostly in his den.  And a cute Brighteye Chromis at the bottom right.  Two of my faves!!!

And I do love finding small octopuses.  Glad they are still hatching from their octo-eggs....And that is one dream photo I would love to catch!!!  I have seen another lucky photog's video of that and would absolutely love to have the chance to grab that photo too. 

This was a crab inside shells....the circular things near the right are its eyes...on stalks!  Kinda cool.  And I guess they grab other shells to put on their backs for more protection.  However, I'm not exactly sure what the beige bit on the center left of the photo on its back is...I'll try to blow it way up and let you know if that helps i.d. the thing.

In the same vein, this urchin had a top shell on its back...

A lovely shell, really, even from underneath.  They have kind of a pyramid circular shape.  AND, I think that this is one of the shells that creates an opercula to protect the opening.  (Those hard white things that I try to find and collect...)








I was going to call this post The Water Moves You because every time I tried to get a good photo of something with my super macro lens (thanks, Olympus!! TG2 rocks!), the waves would move me and I'd miss the shot.  So I finally got this cowry, hidden in a rock:

Again, it's in the center of the shot.  Getting close enough to take the photo usually also means that my shadow is in the shot.  Ah, the trials and tribs of underwater photography. Trials are worth the joys, however, so I'm thankful to God for providing such great creatures!

And the following cowry was in great shape, but felt light, as in, perhaps empty.  So since I couldn't be sure and don't want a cowry death on my conscience, I put it back down.....

Later, hanging out with my Poipu friend, I noted how tired I was....but after all, I'd been in the water for 2 hours and 45 minutes, so no big surprise, really.  Granted, it's not all major swimming exercise, but fighting waves does give me exercise.  

And normally, I would wait until there's a day of No Octopuses to put in this photo, but I couldn't resist.  You'll have heard of Finding Dory, the movie, which I haven't yet seen....yeah, I know!  A movie with an octopus and I haven't seen it?!?! Can it be true?

Anyway, my hubby kindly bought me the smaller of these two red octopuses...the larger one we had already purchased, can't remember where.

At least no waves moved me around when I took this photo. And I always Pray First!!!

Yes, It's DOMO COSMO!!!  We always take Domo with us on our travels.  In this case, I believe we were in Abergavenny at a bar before dinner. There was a young lady who was learning the tools of the bartending trade.  She made a Cosmo and then came to our table, asking if we'd like to try it!  Otherwise, it would have had to be thrown away. Never one to miss an opportunity, I tried a little bit and my hubby threw himself on the remaining hand grenade.  I don't think he was sorry...







And one more from that trip, this time in Paris: We had visited that fine city many times before, but had never been up into the Eiffel Tower.  This time, we got tickets and made it to the middle level. And I discovered something about myself: I had this weird fear of that height!  Even with the fencing, it seemed as if the scene below was trying to drag me over the edge....see how my hand is gripping the supporting metal panel?! 

Oh yeah!! I am not sure if it was seeing all the gears associated with the elevator going up, but something really got me. Hubby was not so intimidated, so he climbed up higher to take this photo.  Good on ya, babe!