The biggest fraud

My friend Tim likes to say that selling burgers 'well done' is the biggest fraud perpetrated on the American public. I tend to agree. When I got to Maui on Thursday night I met up with some friends who had already been on the island for a few days. Anyway these girls told me that I should try out the “Cheeseburger in Paradise” restaurant in Lahaina, which is over on the western side of Maui. The next day I drove over and after exploring around Lahaina for a while, I tried the burger place out for an early dinner. The burger was very good, unfortunately it was cooked well done. I had forgot to order it medium rare. But not a big deal since I had a window seat and the day was perfect. I thought that I would test out the video feature of my digital camera so the attached is the scene as I sat there that afternoon. Kinda boring but it gives you a flavor of the spot. Not a bad place to have a burger even if it is well done.

Random report from Maui...

Spent the early part of the week doing several activities, one of which was a sunrise mountain bike ride down Haleakala volcano. The tour company that leads you down the mountain picks you up at your hotel at 2AM so that you can get up the mountain before the sunrise. There is a national park at the summit and the staging for the ride down is done in the parking lot there. Not exactly the most intimate setting because you are up there with 300 other bikers from the various tour companies. Before the ride you can watch the sunrise over the volcano’s crater. It is a unique site, but because you are over 9500 feet, it is extremely cold and windy. I snapped off a few pictures before I headed back to the van to warm up. The ride down is a blast. You basically coast down the mountain never having to peddle. It is like the fastest hike you have ever experienced. Great views all the way down to the ocean. Pictures are of sunrise and the mid-point stop.

Leaving for Hawaii

I'm off to Hawaii this morning all packed and ready to go. I even found a use for the two lonely Hawaiian shirts that I have had hanging in my closet all these years. I still hope that they are in style. Do Hawaiian shirts go out of style? Anyway I'm excited for the trip because I have never been to Hawaii. I've been to Costa Rica which is probably the closet thing in terms of the tropical climate, volcanos and beaches. Hope to have some initial pictures posted later today once I arrive.

My first post

My first post on my blog...hmm..what to say? Already I'm feeling the pressure. Actually this is really a place marker. Somewhere to begin a journey and record my life. Now I just need to find something to say each day. I thought that I would post an image from my recent trip to Guadalajara, Mexico. I shot this at a rodeo that was being held between two clubs in Guadalajara. There was a number of events that took place, and this was the last one. The caballeros were much rougher on the animals than we are use to expecting in the States. The event that relates to this picture involves forcing the horse to run at high speed around the arena enclosure and then lassoing it so that it will fall. I hate to admit it but when your there to take pictures you get lost in the moment and don't really think about what is happening to the animal. I tried to time this picture just as the horse was falling. Fortunately he was able to get up from this fall, but I thought the slow shutter speed with the resulting blurring effect showed how dramatic the event was on the horse. The lighting also create shadows that made this shot take on an image from a prehistoric petroglyph.