Self-styled "World's Longest Beach" (claimed by many regions worldwide), Long Beach is stable enough to drive on. People park and camp overnight near the gentle waves. The town is a lovely seaside strip.
Its name means "chirping" or "whimpering", for its quiet honk.
Once common throughout the islands, their numbers dropped to ~800 by 2004 from invasive species and humans. It is making a comeback thanks to conservation.
A Hawaiian monk #seal, resting peacefully on the warm sands of #Kauai, Hawaii.
This endangered species exists only in #Hawaii. In the 1800s they were hunted to near extinction. Now they are challenged by climate change, disease, fishing, and injuries from humans.
A breathtaking, pristine coastline without any paved roads. As one of the oldest Hawaiian islands, its steep volcanic #mountains and valleys have eroded over time into such dramatic vistas.
A busy #bee flies on from my beautiful blue plumbago #flowers.
Hardy plumbago don't ask much. They don't need much water or fertilizer. They put on a show in fall with profuse blooms of true-blue flowers that continues for a month or more. Strongly recommend these for the #garden.
I love a good #library, and the Baker Library at #Harvard has one of the most impressive looks of any I've seen.
As the centerpiece for the #Harvard Business School, it houses rare books and works on business history. It sits just off the Charles River in #Boston.
Kinkakuji #Temple, the "Temple of the Golden Pavilion".
A UNESCO World Heritage site in #Kyoto, Japan. This stunning temple dates back to the 14th century. It is coated in #gold leaf, symbolically purifying thoughts and feelings, and also in keeping with that era's elaborate style.
A surfer approaches the waves on the #Oregon coast.
Oregon has some of the coldest waters in the US, and other hazards like sandbars and fog. But it also has waves and beautiful vistas -- and on this #beach there were also whales feeding not far from the surfers.
A synthwave sunset illuminates the cumulous #clouds, seen from the air.
The water in the average cumulous cloud weighs ~1,000,000 pounds. That huge weight can float suspended in air because the weight of the clear dry air around it is ~1000 times greater. #Science is all around us.
A man cleans and fillets a freshly caught salmon for customers, #Astoria, #Oregon.
The mouth of the Columbia river is a popular fishing spot. Chinook or King salmon are a prize catch here. Coho salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, cod, halibut, and many others are also found here.
A Skipper #butterfly drinks from a golden tansy ragwort #flower. A spider lurks in the corner, waiting for a meal.
The tansy ragwort may have beautiful flowers, but all parts are poisonous to livestock. Humans can also be sickened by meat or milk from animals that have consumed it.
An impromptu mural seen in downtown #Madison, Wisconsin, 2020.
Throwback to lockdown times. This was painted over the particleboard that covered the windows of the downtown businesses to prevent vandalism. Beauty can emerge from troubled times.
