njmomma:I have a Canon EF Lens EF70-300 F4-5.6 IS USM lens on the Canon Rebel. Easier for me to use this lens when photographing the blooms since I don't have to get too close to the blooms, ie step in the bed to get a good closeup shot. It is set on auto focus and all I need to do is adjust the distance, ie 70 through 300, for closeups. Heavier camera now with this lens on. I love our Canon Rebel. The simpler to do pics the better for me. ;-). I also use a Canon SD800 Powershot IS. Small, easy to handle but I think the zoom is nothing special and I prefer the bigger lens on the Canon Rebel. Julia

Yesterday we pulled out our old snorkeling equipment and decided that it needed to be replaced. I had already bought a new snorkeling mask that has a camera (640 video and 8 megapixel stills), but the piece that holds the snorkel to both Kevin's and my masks was broken, Kevin only had bodyboarding fins, and one of my snorkeling fins had a tear in the back. My snorkeling equipment dated back to 1977 when I first started going to Cozumel, and so it is over 30 years old (hard to believe). Anyway, we went to Sports Chalet because they have the best selection of scuba equipment (and also have classes), and it was close. While there I bought a new mask because I liked the fit and color (clear with a translucent aqua stripe around the lens), a new snorkel (clear, to match the new mask), new fins (silver - don't match, but had to get what they had in my size), and then I decided to ask about a camera that we could use on our mountain bikes. I was standing in front the the display for the cameras when I asked if they had any - I often cannot see things that are right in front of me. I ended up buying a gopro camera that is also waterproof and will take 1080 HD video as well as still photos, but I plan to use it only for video. It came with a helmet mount, as well as a surfboard and handlebar mount, but I decided to order a chest mount to go with it, which was not expensive. I did have to buy the memory separately, and that was not so cheap. I had to buy memory for the mask camera as well, but I had already ordered that. I also got a couple of spare batteries. Anyway, we should be able to document our trip fairly well - similar to our trip to Taxco. Lars

I'm very pleased with 75% of the seedlings I have which is a lot. One reason I have to cull this year and open up space. I know that Rose F. Kennedy,Lavender Blue Baby and Heavenly Pink Butterfly make great kids and not all are alike. They've been opening excellent with the cooler mornings and stay great all through the day. The purple/lavender tone ones are from Get Jiggy believe it or not. The lavender with the big yellowish throat is from a cross of Lighter than Air. The pink ruffled one is from a cross using Laura Nyro and the red one is from Soul On Fire x It Is Finished. I'm not sure what is happening this year. I've got daylilies which are typically blooming later in July blooming now. And ones I expected to see now, haven't opened yet. I have no idea if that is or isn't VL and no, different seller. I got VL from Northern Lights a couple of years ago. I know VL is not white and should be a pinkish color. I still have several more scapes and buds to open and if it shows like this for the rest, out it goes to the brush pile.

Hmm, my 2 cents. If it were me, I would choose the BI (and to be honest, i was never that interested in the BI, but when we went in 2015, it was the second time for DH and I and we wanted to see something different, while also taking the kids to Maui and Honolulu). It is a tough call. Personally, from the East Coast, it does not make sense to visit Hawaii 2x ,IMHO. You can go a lot more interesting places for the time and money, and if you want to veg, you can go to Nevis or wherever, much more quickly. Different for folks on the West Coast, but that is my opinion for our coast. Stilll ... it is one of those places a lot of people just want to see, and I agree that is makes a lot of sense on your way back from what will be a highly educational and maybe even arduous trip, to just take a vacation. So my starting point is, assume you won't go back. I think if you told most people you were going to Hawaii once and only once, and never going back, they would not say "so just go to the Big Island" and call it a day. I think a lot of men would say "just go to Honolulu, drive outside of town to less crowded beaches, make sure you see Pearl harbor and call it a day". I think most couples and families would choose Maui because it is where the action is. In re the road to Hana. IIRC the full trip is like 7 hrs or so ... for that reason I had never done it before. We did it with the kids this last time. We were in some enormous Suburban XL or something, on mostly two lane twisty roads. We stopped hear and there. Is it gorgeous. Yes, totally. BUT ... when we were done, I said to DH ... with two of us in an open convertible, on a less trafficy day, that would have been delightful. With five of us in a behemoth,the a/c blasting, it was like driving a tractor trailer on the Pacific Coast Highway. If you do it, ditch the kids. It's just flowers, waterfalls, views. You can share the photos. They will probably thank you for sparing them. I always liked the downhill bike ride from Mt Haleakala on Maui, which I did years ago at sunrise. You can no longer start from the top (too unsafe) so it was fun but no big whoop this time IMHO. The other days we did a snorkel trip on a boat (IMHO Maui does not have the best snorkel opportunities due to crowds). I really don't remember much else, but maybe your older boys would like going to the areas with all the shopping and bars in Maui (Lahaina et al I think). I know you would love the Four Seasons on the BI. The rooms are so much nicer and bigger and the property is lush. Do you guys golf at all? Gorgeous course. Wonderful plein air spa. It was full, but we never had to wait for things. So relaxing. My kids loved surfing lessons, and spent a lot of time doing that (not at the resort, it was a short ride). They liked a heli tour over the active volcanoes. They liked snorkelling in the pool's own snorkel pond (but it is a bit lame TBH). There are mutliple pools and a pretty walkway along the water, and no other development visible. One thing to note ... the conditions for ocean swimming were rough iirc. People sat at the beach but few went in. Ok by me as I love to watch the ocean but am happier to swim in a pool (just feet away). Total pampering at this place ...I know there are a few small towns nearby, but I do not know if there is enough for say, your boys to spend a "night on the town". My kids all liked the Big Island best, but they were 16, 13 and 14. I might call the concierge and ask him what there is for everyone to do. HTH