I think, I hope that the rains are slowly returning to Maui. More clouds. More short showers. We have had a couple of sprinkling showers already today. Next I would like to order a heavy downpour and then an overcast day peppered with plenty of rain.
At the end of last week one brief evening shower produced a very faint rainbow. You might have to look hard to see it, but it is there. I’ll claim it to add to the collection of rainbows on this blog. 🌈
Sunset view one evening on Pico Island, looking across the water to Faial Island and Pico Gorda (3,422ft/1,043m), The Açores.
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 →
When I am traveling, out on the road, and the busyness and run around of travel gets too much. When I find myself tired and in need of a rest. When I need to get away from the crowds and I pass a church that is open, from my experience most are open, I like to go inside and just sit quietly by myself. To meditate, regroup and come back to myself. I can then leave feeling refreshed.
This church is in Sete Ciades, on the island of São Miguel in the Açores.
My grandson has suddenly taken a keen interest in jigsaw puzzles, so I brought up this one that I had at home to do with him. He was doing well with it, but in the end it proved that little too advanced for him. I went ahead and finished it anyway. 🧩
While I was studying for my Masters I wrote a paper on lichen and moss. Sadly I remember very little about the contents of the paper except a couple of points,
is a hybrid colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among filaments of multiple fungus species, along with bacteria embedded in the cortex or “skin”, in a mutualistic relationship. Lichens are the lifeform that first brought the term symbiosis (as Symbiotismus) into biological context.
I took these photographs yesterday of two tree trunks in our back garden. I am taking their coverage in both lichen and moss as a good indication of the good air quality that we have here.
Nighttime.
Shadows.
Sunbathing on the rocks near Madalena, Pico Island, Azores. Across the water is the island of Faial.
A view of the eastern most edge of the south shore of the West Maui Mountains, taken as we approached the island on returning to Maui a couple of weeks ago.
This morning’s rainbow. There was a double rainbow, but the second one disappeared before I found my camera. 🌈
The rainbows seem to be making a slow return. This morning one started to appear but then thought better of it. Yesterday morning we were blessed with this rainbow 🌈
I don’t know what is going on here, but I spotted these four characters in a shop window in Lisbon last year.
The first morning rainbow since my return. A little morning shower followed by sprinkling of sunshine did the trick. 🌈
A Susuwatari on a wall in downtown Kingston, NY.
Thursday, July 31, 2025
I can take a lot of photographs, probably more when I am on the move than when I am at home, but I notice that I have a tendency to do little with them. Occasionally I’ll go back and look through them, maybe edit one or two, but otherwise they just sit there. What might I do with them? Thoughts that come to mind include, share them with family and friends.
Taking in the view.
Dinner at sunset.
Tide out on the Sado River estuary. I find it so relaxing and peaceful there.
The Netflix series of Patricia Highsmith’s book The Talented Mr. Ripley
Moon over the rice fields around Alcácer do Sal. Part of the remains of the old castle in the foreground.
To Infinity And Beyond (Atlantic version).
Pacific versions here and here.
I have found GPS can send me down interesting routes at times. Sometimes these routes necessitate a turn around and are of no interest or scenic beauty.
These directions, provided by Waze, we were actually grateful for. The views were beautiful, out in the middle of the Alentejo countryside, bouncing down farm tracks. We kept following the directions and thankfully they looped back round to where we started!
This morning’s work. Waiting in line.
A reflection of Alcácer do Sal’s pedestrian bridge in the River Sado.
Looking across some of the newly flooded rice fields in Alcácer do Sal, this morning.
Thankfully this little guy was not for real.
Dreaming of Wales. Back to an image that I took a couple of weeks ago while I was in Bristol, England. This is taken from Seawalls, looking down the River Avon towards the Bristol Channel. In the distance are the hills of Wales. I lived in South East Wales for almost 20 years, and a part of my heart is still there.
It’s been a week since I have posted anything here, and I am probably behind with a few stories and images. So here is a photo from yesterday in Lisbon. This character greeted us after lunch.
A rainbow, or should I say a double rainbow that showed itself while I was in Britain. My wife sent me the photograph, so photo credit to her. 🌈
A visit back home to Bristol is not complete without a walk across the Downs.
