Earlier this month, my husband and I spent two weeks on the magical island of Maui in Hawaii. The first several days on the island our bodies are still on mainland time, making it easy to get up early. We took advantage of this and spent several mornings on the beach watching the sun light up the clouds and the world wake up. One of my absolute favourite beaches to spend time while on Maui is Ho’okipa Beach (pronounced ‘ho-o-key-pa’). Ho’okipa means “hospitality or welcoming comfort”.

I’m not sure what it is that I have always loved about this beach, but we always visit at least once when we are on the island. Normally, we stay at another area of the island, but this trip we spent 5 days on the North part of the island in Kuau, near Paia. This meant Ho’okipa Beach was a very short car ride away and we visited numerous times, at least twice for sunrise.

I could sit on this beach for hours, in awe of the athleticism of the surfers and kite surfers; engrossed in how the waves roll in and crash on the rocks, leaving water to pour off the rock formations like tiny waterfalls; beach combing for treasures like sea glass, shells and weathered coral pieces; soaking my feet in the warm, tiny pools where the water collects, heated by the sun and sand. And at one end of this beach is a spot where the Honu (pronounced ‘Hoe-new’) (green sea turtles) regularly come to rest. At one point, during our visits, I counted upwards of 40 turtles. I had a gentleman tell me he had seen up to 100 at one time. It’s so special to be in the company of these amazing animals, whether in the water or nearby on the sand. It’s mesmerizing to watch them as they come to shore from the water, following their instinct.

I could spend hours photographing the ocean water and waves. It never hits the beach the same way twice, waves are like snowflakes it seems. The water moves around the rocks or along the sand in a different way every time it seems and different camera settings create different effects.

The sun was rising from behind the beach, but it still lit the clouds up beautifully.

The changing sky as the morning progresses

I’ve seen many articles and studies lately that talk about how being near bodies of water - lakes, ocean, fountains, rivers - is good for your brain and your stress levels. I am a strong believer in this. There is something so peaceful and calming about being near water and, for sure, the ocean. Even it’s beautiful kaleidoscope of blues and greens brings me peace.

The Serenity Project is a collaborative photography project featuring images that bring a sense of peace and calm. Please continue our circle to to see what has brought my friends serenity this month.

Follow the link to see what brought Nancy, my friend in Kansas City, serenity this month.

Enjoy this month’s circle with my talented friends.

Santa brought me snowshoes this year! A friend and I headed out last week to some local trails not too far from the city that I didn’t even know existed! It was a much needed nature break. I didn’t take very many pictures, I didn’t want to bother my friend, a non-photographer, with my constant stopping. She is very understanding, however, as her husband is also a photographer.

When we arrived and started getting our gear ready, the snow started to fall in big, fat, soft flakes. The best kind of snow!

After a while the snow slowed and mostly stopped. The trails were quite compacted, so snowshoeing was loud when we were in motion. We’d stop every now and then to rest, soak up the view and enjoy the silence out in the woods. We never saw another person out on the trails, though there were numerous vehicles in the parking lot. Some were cross country skiing, some were “fat biking” (bikes with very large tires that can be ridden on snow), some just walked their dog out there. There are different trails for different activities with tracks laid for cross country skiing on those trails.

I was astounded that I didn’t know about this trail system and I look forward to going back in other seasons to explore a bit. I could see that under the snow in some places were open meadows and wetlands. A day out in the trees and fresh air is just what I needed! Spending it with a friend was the icing on the cake. I look forward to exploring this new found area some more.

Next in the circle is Ohio photographer, Eileen Critchley .

Click the link to see what serenity looks like for her this month!

Thanks for being here.

February Serenity Blog Circle - Watching the Sun Come Up at the Beach

January Serenity Blog Circle - New Year, New Activity

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All photographic images are copyrighted to Lori McLellan