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 ABOUTfeatured: 30 Best Snorkeling Blogs Fun Ways to enjoy the caribbeanArchive for September, 2009Sep 16, 09 Comments Off
 Cargo Hold Good morning all, I had a nice wreck on the mountain bike last night and my hand is a bit swollen this morning not to mention I look like I was attacked by a wild cat. I was on the Inca trail moving right along when my handle bars got caught on a branch, the bike stopped and I went flying off over bars landing on big o’l rocks! I did go on to finish the ride but this morning it hurts a whole lot worse. Good times!
Our island got some nice rain yesterday morning. I took the dogs to Saint Joris at around 7:30 and thought the storm would go around us but I was wrong, we got soaked! Ok I got soaked, the dogs were already wet from being in the ocean. When we got back to the car from our two hour walk I had to first wash them in the ocean and then once home give them both a long bath again that seemed like it took forever but then they slept the rest of the day.
At 2:00 I met Nick who is one of the coral researchers trying to save these endangered Elkhorn corals. I followed him and his assistants out to the reef so he could show me in person what a baby Elkhorn coral looks like. During the last spawning they collected the eggs and got them placed on these little tiles which are now back out on the reef growing. It was funny Nick would call me over to say “this is a good one” and point to the tiny corals with the tip of his underwater mechanical pencil and as hard as I stared I could not see them, they are so little and are the same color as the tile. I want to go back out and try to get some close-ups but man that’s going to be difficult!!
This is another shot of the Superior Producer with Mark down inside the cargo hold checking it out. You can swim all over the inside of this ship and explore all kinds of rooms making it one of our top dives in Curacao!
That was about it for my day, I got a bunch of stuff done around the house in preparation for Aimee’s return on thursday night. She is now in Albuquerque with her sister helping out with the baby. Need to wake the dogs and get ready for work, see you tonight, Barry
15-9-2009
Sep 14, 09 Comments Off
 Jolthead Porgy Hey gang, it was back to work for yours truly today and to my surprise we were pretty busy. What do I do at work many have asked?? My main job is taking photos of the guests swimming with the dolphins, but soon once our new mini-sub gets here I will be working with that full time, underwater and on top. It was a really hot but beautiful day here in Curacao today, there was a nice wind which kept things a bit cooler but even at 5:30 when I took the dogs walking we were still all panting!
Here’s a fish we don’t see to often, this is a big Jolthead Porgy with scuba Mark in the background. This was taken the other day as we ascended up the reef from the Superior. These porgies can change colors in a split second like so many other fish on the reef and blend in with their backgrounds, here you see him with his optional brown stripes, normally he is solid silver! This porgy was around a meter in length and believe it or not when I first spotted him he was more hidden under that brown gorgonian and I could hardly see him, he just laid there motionless.
Not a lot for you this evening, my eyes are really tired and it’s off to bed, busy day ahead tomorrow! Sorry so short, thanks for all the great letters, Barry
14-9-2009
Sep 13, 09 Comments Off
 Superior Producer Good evening friends, I have yet another fun Superior shot for you this evening, this is Captain Mark looking out the same window the real Superior Captain was most likely standing at the day she went down!! This is the top of the ship, the crows nest, the wheelhouse whatever you want to call it. As you can see this ship is just completely covered in beautiful sponges and corals and is just alive with fish life and every other creature you can think of. It’s deep down here guys, the light starts to fade pretty quickly at 100 plus feet and when you see it for the first time without lights it’s guaranteed to send a chill down your back. I was being blocked by the ship itself from the terrible current when I took this photo but moments after taking this we both got swept away and had to kick with every bit of energy we had to get back! Talk to anyone around Curacao and they will tell you this dive is a total blast!! Yes your time is limited down here but it’s like one big underwater park with so many things to see, I love it!
Today was fairly relaxed, I took the dogs for a short walk this morning then met Mark at his World famous dive shop for a short, shallow dive to go and try to find that hidden frogfish again. I was out there for over an hour hovering in the same area as before and I never found him, man does he ever blend in, how Mark ever saw that thing I will never know. I spent the rest of the day working on photos from the Superior dives and at 5:00 took the dogs for a two hour hike to Saint Joris. I am finding out that Sundays are the worst day to go anywhere with the dogs, there are just to many locals everywhere enjoying their day off!
All is well with Aimee she is staying with her sister at her house in Albuquerque to help out for a few days with the baby. Well, it’s kind of late, I still have a ton of stuff to do, back to work tomorrow, my little vacation is over! I’ll be back tomorrow and I think Aimee returns thursday night. Bye now, Barry
13-9-2009
Sep 12, 09 Comments Off
 Superior Producer Good evening from Curacao. This morning when I woke I found I had a bunch of letters not understanding what I wrote yesterday about being able to access another deck via a trap door or an open hatchway so this photos for you! This is Mark again leaving the bottom deck or room and ever so slowly coming up into the Wheelhouse where the Caption would have been steering the ship. Obviously this is for advanced divers only, we are inside in a very small area floating around trying to not touch anything! If you so much as move your fin wrong it can stir up sand on the floor putting an end to any more photos not to mention accidentally kicking all the beautiful little sponges and corals that line the walls. It was so cool getting to watch Mark slowly come up thru that hatch, he never touched anything, that’s a true sign of a real diving professional! Getting to the Superior today was fairly easy, yes there was a current but it wasn’t that bad when we got there but leaving was a different story! Mark and I raced around in the inside of the ship taking as many photos as we had time for meanwhile outside the current began to rage! When it was time for us to leave this room we almost couldn’t even get out the door as the current was now going full blast!! We still had one more shot to attempt in the Stern (back of the boat) but that was where the current was the strongest, but off we went to try anyways! Mark and I kicked and kicked and kicked sucking air like we were running straight up a mountain, in fact I was now breathing so hard and so fast I was getting a headache! It’s funny we only had to go about 5 meters to the stern from the wheelhouse doorway but it took us forever! I will send you the photo we took here tomorrow. I had Mark wait at the top of this old stairwell while I went down to the next level to the base of the steps. Before I could go over the edge of the ship to get to the lower level I had to grab onto the back lip of the ship with one hand and pull myself into the current, it took everything I had! I would have loved to known how fast that current was going, it was just working us both! I finally got down to where I needed to be but the current would not leave me alone, it was pushing me all over the place! I could see Mark laughing at me from above, I must have looked so funny flopping around trying to stay still enough for a shot. Once I finally wedged myself between a piece of metal while laying on my back I started taking photos. The problem now was every time I took a breath which was every second all my bubbles were going right into Marks face!! Bubbles usually go straight up but today they went sideways, what a mess, I was thinking just get me out of here! Finally I said enough is enough and met Mark again up on the top deck. We both knew what was ahead and that was leaving the ship and having to cross a large straight of sand and then over and up to the coral reef. I knew if I could just make it to the reef I could hold onto a dead coral head or a rock or seek shelter behind some big mounds of coral. So off we went. The second we left the ship the current grabbed us like little toys and made our journey over to the reef a complete nightmare! I tried to follow Mark but he had much better fins, my split-fins are the worst for current! So I gave up trying to follow him and just made my way to the safety of the reef and once there the current wasn’t near as bad and I was able to slow down a bit and rest. I used so much air just going from the ship to the reef and it’s not that far. We ended up having to do a longer safety stop but that was fine by me, I could finally just lay there and rest, what a dive!
As for the rest of my day, took the dogs walking twice, went on a bike ride, went shopping had lunch with Mark and Suzy and spent hours on the computer, I have had enough!
Well congratulations are in order, Missy and Russell are the proud parents of Felina Rose Woolf who was born yesterday at 8:00am!!! For those of you wondering Missy is Aimee’s sister and this was her number reason for going on vacation, I am so glad everyone is fine and the baby is doing great! So that’s about all I know will tell you more as I receive it.
It’s dinner time, talk to you tomorrow, Barry
12-9-2009
Sep 11, 09 Comments Off
 Superior Producer Hey gang how is everyone this fine evening?? I had a great dive with Mark today and yes that’s Mark again from the World Famous Dive Bus, I know it’s hard to believe I hang with all these Celebrities isn’t it, worry not I can hook you up! I met Mark at 9:30 and off we went to the sunken ship the Superior Producer which lays below a coral reef on a bed of sand at 125 feet. We both thought the current was going to be a problem but it wasn’t bad, nothing like we are used to. We had a great time diving all over the ship and as you see here inside the ship as well. You can swim thru one of the side doors on the lower or upper decks and then swim up thru a trap door or hatch bringing you into either room, it’s really great. As surprising as it may sound I don’t have many shots of the ship itself or any of the rooms, I am always shooting the creatures that live aboard. Today was kind of a learning photo shoot, we are going back again tomorrow morning to re-take some of the pictures over again. We ended up being down there a long time and had to do a long deco stop on the way up. As we hung out just waiting for the minutes to go by, Mark started banging on his tank and was pointing to the reef just inches below him. There crawling ever so slowly was the smallest most colorful Nutibranch we had ever seen!! This thing looked like it was visiting from another planet, it was so tiny but so colorful!! And yes you guessed it, I had the wrong lens for such a photo so memories are all we have. I couldn’t even find it in the book?? Oh that just kills me!
Go ahead, ask how last night’s coral spawning went, I dare you!! I went to the Sea Aquarium at 7:30. It was pitch dark, I could hear the waves hitting the rocks and just knew from that sound that things were not looking or sounding good. I needed to check on the current before we all got suited up, didn’t want a repeat of Wednesday night again! So in the complete darkness with waves smashing into the shore I put on my booties fins and mask and jumped into the rough entry/exit area armed with just a flashlight. With a one, two, three I took a big deep breath and dove under as far as I could and swam out and under the in-coming waves. Let me tell you, to do a snorkel out there at night is a major rush!! I would pop my head up take a deep breath and head back down time after time until I got out to were I knew there should be current. Finally on my last decent I found the current or it found me and off I went!! The cool thing about not wearing a tank or weights is that you can really move fast underwater with just fins, and thanks to my great little light I made it back without too much trouble. I again had to take a deep and long breath to get under the entry/exit area waves, that was a bit hair-raising!! So once out I grabbed my phone and started calling the gang telling them to forget about any coral spawning this month, there’s always next month??
I just got back from a fast one hour mountain bike ride the whole time trying to beat the setting sun!! Well guys that’s about it for my day, no news from Aimee yet about the baby, if I hear something I will pass it on.
See you tomorrow, Barry
11-9-2009
Sep 10, 09 Comments Off
 Hidden Frogfish Good afternoon all. Well last night we had the Worlds shortest dive! I made preparations for this dive all day and at 9:30 last night three of us headed out into the aqua darkness to catch some spawning eggs. Pretty much the second we swam out of our little protective entry/exit area we got hit by the hands down strongest current I have ever been in!! Instantly all three of us were breathing as hard as we could trying to kick into it but it was an impossible task. We all instantly ended up on the bottom holding onto what ever we could find, it was so strong that you couldn’t even pull yourself into it and we tried! I finally just let go and flew over the top of the two girls heads and in passing signaled them to get out of here and go back, abandon ship!! So much for that dive. There was a loud noise out there while we were holding on, it was the sound of this raging current and we all tried to describe after what it reminded us of, scary stuff folks. Tonight I will do a pre-dive at 7:30 to check the current and call everyone to let them know ahead of time.
So this morning while out hiking and building a new trail I get a call from our friend Mark from the World Famous Dive Bus. He told me that a few days ago he was out with a “newbie diver” who spotted a frogfish that looked like a rock he said. Apparently the guy has only made 20 or so dives and hasn’t been diving for two years but somehow is able to spot the hardest creature on the reef?? Mark said he pointed to it but Mark thought, yeah, yeah, nice piece of alga, he didn’t see the frogfish?? He thought the guy was just seeing things and on they went to finish up the dive. Once out the guy said “what was that strange fish” to Mark?? So now Marks curious and handed the guy the fish I.D. book and let him go thru the whole book by himself. Imagine Marks surprise when the guy points to a frogfish in the book and say’s that’s it!! Mark say’s he was adamant about it that’s why we went back again today to see if this thing really was there. The diver had told Mark, it looked just like a rock and didn’t move. So you’ve heard the expression curiosity killed the cat?? Well today curiosity found the frogfish! To say I was in complete and utter shock that Mark was able to find and see this thing is an understatement!! This photo brings him out even more than in real life, without flash I couldn’t see him?? He was only in nine feet of water sitting in the middle of a rock pile, I sure hope we can find him again when Aimee gets back she just won’t believe how camouflaged he is!! Besides seeing the world most hidden fish Mark also spotted an Eagle Ray and we followed it for a few moments until it disappeared into the reef. Marks wife Suzy joined us as well today, that girl hasn’t been in the water since April or May so just getting to do a dive with her is quite an honor. She found a baby trunkfish with her eagle eyes today and we watched him for quite awhile!
I heard from Aimee, her sisters water broke so anytime now we should have a new family member!! I still need to go shopping, walk the dogs again, go for a bike ride and do a pre-dive and a night dive so I better get moving!! Thank you so much for the flood of compliments from yesterdays photo that one seemed to be a big hit as well. Thanks again Mark and Suzy for the great dive!
Curacao regards, Barry
10-9-2009
Sep 9, 09 Comments Off
 Orange Cup Coral Good evening from the Netherlands Antilles! A few years back if you would have asked me where these islands were I probably would have told you “somewhere in the Philippines”?? I still tell folks we live in Curacao when I travel and they always ask where that is and how do you pronounce the name.
This morning we woke to the sound of pouring rain and it was coming down hard!! The dogs were racing around barking and I was quickly trying to get dry stuff in from outside but I was too late. To be in a tropical downpour is something you can’t even describe, the sky just opens and it all falls at once and within seconds everything is flooded! So because of that I had to wait and take the dogs to the beach at 1:00, hot and humid yes but what do we care, just jump in the ocean!! This afternoon I took a big load of driftwood back to the beach, stuff I just can’t work with and never should have brought home in the first place. I have an order for a driftwood toy-box still so I have been trying to find the right wood for that piece. I spent most of the day working on photos and was amazed at how fast the day went when you just sit at a computer. I am going on a night dive tonight joined by two lady friends who are both instructors so I couldn’t ask for better dive buddies! Tonight is the first real night of coral spawning, tomorrow should be the best. My plan in short is to collect the eggs tonight, rush them to shore, then do some close-ups of the eggs and take them back out and release them when finished. That’s the plan I have a feeling it’s going to be way difficult then that.
I talked to Aimee a few hours ago on Skype, they are still waiting for the baby to arrive?? I think Friday if it is not here yet they will have to induce labor. I feel bad for Aimee because two weeks is gone now, she only has a week left to spend with her sister and the new baby. I knew it would be tough to try and plan a vacation around this, that little thing isn’t coming out till it’s good and ready.
Your photo this evening is a macro close-up of some beautiful Orange Cup Corals! My main reason for shooting this was the coral in the middle was pooping out something?? I didn’t know corals pooped but now that I think about it they are animals and eat all day long so what goes in must come out right?? It was a pretty long piece that came out, at first I thought ok are they spawning but after watching I think it’s just coral poop? These things are just beautiful, one of the most spectacular corals on the reef and only at night do they open up like this. This was the first time I ever shot these this close and found it very difficult to focus because of the passing waves and surge, it hard to believe I was 35 feet deep and still getting tossed around?
I need to get ready to go, I have so much to do before 9:30. Talk to you tomorrow, Barry
9-9-2009
Sep 8, 09 Comments Off
 Squid Colors Good evening friends. So much for a quiet relaxing day off, it was the complete opposite. If you haven’t already noticed some or many of my days off are like a contest to see how much the human body can do in one day!! Today was no exception! I got in after midnight from my night dive which wasn’t so great and the dogs had me up at 5:30am. The coolest thing I saw last night was a tiny baby barracuda?? What is he doing out on the reef, that was a first?? I tried to get a good shot but we had nasty waves rolling over causing me to be tossed around like a rag doll! Diving at night in shallow water in rough seas trying to take pictures with a macro lens is as frustrating as it gets and close to impossible! I was out there for an hour and a half and never saw any spawning. On the way back in I encountered two large squids that became entranced by my lights and swam with me the whole way back. They were so close in fact that I was able to reach out and pet them and take macro shots as they stood still in front of my lights. The pattern you see here was taken from above shooting down onto his back, he never moved at all that’s why I love night diving!
Today I walked the dogs for two hours while cleaning trails, I cleaned the house, worked on the computer, went shopping, and did a long mountain bike ride at 5:30. I was supposed to go diving tonight but I accidentally kicked a rock outside today while feeding the birds and really hurt my toe, it’s black and blue now!!
My friend Kenji put a short 24 second clip of me photographing those mating squids here is the link;
I finally heard from Aimee, all is well but her sister still has not had the baby. That’s about it, I am very tired, see you tomorrow, Barry
8-9-2009
Sep 7, 09 Comments Off
 Slender Filefish It’s me again!! I just got home from an evening walk with our friend Matthias and his dogs and after I send this to you I am going for a night dive. Tonight is the first night of coral spawning so who knows what I will find? At 10:00 tonight the Christmas Tree worms are supposed to spawn for about an hour, I have the macro lens so I am hoping I get to see that! The other thing we have never seen and not many have is the giant star cup coral spawn, that would be amazing!! I found this really pretty slender filefish the other day hiding in the gorgonians and thought it would be perfect for a daily photo. These fish just hang upside down and drift in and out of these gorgonians trying to blend in. They are able to change colors in the blink of an eye from a completely dark color to almost white or as you see here can give themselves these multiple blotchy colors, I really love them! If aggravated they have a spine on top of their head that pops up like a sword and below their bellies they have a sack that can be inflated to make them look larger, I mean talk about a cool fish!!
Today was my last day at work for a week, I took the whole week off to focus on coral spawning and some other tasks that need my attention. I will be diving every night now starting at 9:30 and won’t be home till close to midnight, let’s hope we find some cool stuff. No word from Aimee, I guess finding internet is not easy as we thought it would be.
Have to get some more coffee and get ready to go, still lots to do! Talk to you tomorrow, Barry
7-9-2009
Sep 6, 09 Comments Off
 Dying Pillar Corals Hello friends, here’s something new and potentially hazardous to our corals, this is some kind of disease eating away and killing this beautiful pillar coral! I just found this yesterday and will be keeping a close eye on this, if it gets worse it could spread to the whole colony?? This is not “coral bleaching”, I looked in the books and it looks like it’s either white band disease or the white plague and I pray it’s not that!! These corals are live animals and are very, very sensitive to any change in water temperature, pollutants, or injuries. This piece here may have gotten an injury on top and then bacteria set in, I was just surprised at how fast it was turning white.
What did I do today?? I first took the dogs for a walk then came home got my bike and took off on an hour and a half ride. My ride wasn’t so great, I felt tired and sluggish the whole time, eating before I left didn’t help? And those who have ridden with me know I hate riding in the morning, this o’l body of mine needs all day to warm up before that kind of abuse. When I got home I crashed on the bed and just laid there for an hour contemplating the rest of my day. I ended up staying home, I worked on my photos and at 4:30 left for Saint Joris for a fun evening with the dogs. We just got back, it’s now 7:00 and once again we are all tired!!
I haven’t heard from Aimee in a few days so I have nothing to report on her end, we sure do miss her around here!! Need to find something to eat, bye now, Barry
6-9-2009
Sep 5, 09 Comments Off
 School of Squids Good evening from Curacao! I first want to say THANKS for all the compliments on the mating squids, that was obviously a big success! We received so many letters today concerning that picture and they are still coming in. And to answer a few questions, I used my 28-70 Nikon lens at F10 with double strobes. Today I went back out and found around 40 squids in a big spread out school. I apologize for the not so great photo but I just wanted you to get an idea what they look like all together. Most of the time they really spread out so it’s very difficult if not close to impossible to get a photo with all of them together. I tried and tried today to get closer to these guys but every time I tried they just kept moving away. At one point I stopped following them because I was completely surrounded, there were squid all around me and all in perfect formation, these are smart animals! The dive today was pretty murky, a lot of sand in the water and of course good o’l current was right there as well.
I came home completely exhausted tonight, after I took the dogs for their walk I could hardly make dinner, I need to get some rest. I’m going to make it short tonight have a busy day ahead tomorrow with biking, night diving and dog walks.
Have a great weekend, Barry
5-9-2009
Sep 4, 09 Comments Off
 Mating Squids Hello my faithful ones how was your day?? I worked today but in the afternoon I went on a super fun dive with my friend Kenji. We immediately were greeted by our old friend the current but we both just gently swam into it and really didn’t have too much of a problem the whole dive. We first went down to 62 feet and hung out around a big red barrel sponge. There we found a big beautiful really pretty sea cucumber, I will sent that photo as well in the coming days. I saw the two shrimps in the sponge again but they didn’t want to come all the way up and out for a photo so I just said hi and left. While Kenji chased a giant porcupinefish I found a really unique encrusting sponge with orange zoanthids growing out of it, I just need to go back with the macro lens for a better shot! We hung out waiting and watching for sponges to spawn but ended up never seeing anything but fear not I will be back out there again tomorrow to give it another try! So as we headed up to shallower water Kenji banged on his tank and signaled me and pointed to two large Caribbean Reef Squids just a few yards in front of me! That’s one of my biggest problems I’m always looking for stuff in the reef and not spending enough time looking around or above me. Well I ever so carefully moved closer but the single squid gently swam off passing right above my head and with the click of the shutter I had some nice shots of her alone. So we both continued to follow. Within seconds the male and female approached each other and rose high above the reef and did this spectacular mating ritual which lasted just a few seconds!! Kenji got some cool footage on video of me taking this photo, I will try and get it and put it on YouTube for you soon. I shot the whole sequence of squid love making, this is the second time I have ever seen this. When we got out I asked “did you get that on video”? and he said yes and he asked “did you get any good shots”?, I said I think so but I’m not sure it happened so fast! Yet another fun filled dive in our own beautiful backyard!
After work I took the dogs on a two hour walk around the Saint Joris area. They had so much fun tonight probably because they were inside a hot house patiently waiting all day. I found so much great wood tonight, the storms that have passed by the other islands are bringing a lot of new stuff to our shores.
I just talked to Aimee on Skype for 40 minutes, all is going great but no baby yet!! She showed me all these great things she found at a local yard sale today, the girl did good!
That’s about it, I have two tired dogs laying here and my eyes are slowly closing! Thanks for all the compliments and wonderful heart felt stories, you guys are a great group!! Till tomorrow, Barry
4-9-2009
Sep 3, 09 Comments Off
 French Angelfish Hello earthlings, how is everything in your part of the world today?? My day was about the same as every other so if you want to skip this part go right ahead! Bright and early we took off to the north coast for a morning of biking and running, it’s really the fastest way to wear these two out!! A tired dog is a good dog! We rode to our little semi-private beach at the end of the windmills and I collected shells and corals while the dogs swam in the water and dug holes everywhere. By the time we left the beach which was around 9:00 it was already pushing 90 degrees!! I had to stop and give the dogs water every five minutes, today was HOT!!! When we got home I washed the dogs and went up stairs for my morning ritual of Cheerios with a banana on top and turned on the t.v. I don’t know how it happened but I started watching “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” and I couldn’t stop! Yes I’ve seen it before, many times in fact but it’s always entertaining again, what can I say??
At 1:30 I gathered up the dive gear and my underwater camera and headed to the sea. I have been trying hard to catch the sponges spawning in the afternoons but still haven’t seen it yet. While waiting at 60 feet I watched as this big French Angelfish laid on his side in the sand and coral rubble. At first I thought he was sick or sleeping but then saw what was going on. Look towards the back of his body all the way down and you will see a little purple Pederson Cleaner shrimp. (find the yellow arrow) The Angelfish was in a complete trance while he was getting cleaned and was not at all bothered that I was less than a foot above him taking photos? That little purple shrimp moved all over his body giving him a 100% good to go cleaning, was really fun to watch! The rest of the dive I just watched and waited for sponges to spawn but so nothing, will try again tomorrow!
I just got home from another dinner out, this time over at my friend Gordy’s house. His wife made a great lasagna dish, I ate way to much and am sitting here now paying for it! Gordy is the person responsible for teaching me about underwater photography when I first got here and in the years to follow. So in a way you can thank him for all these great shots. Gordy was the first person to teach me depth of field underwater. I remember he had just returned from a dive shooting a Yellowhead Jawfish at the propeller on our reef and said he shot it at F16 or F22, it was beautiful! So the following day I tried it and have been using different depth’s of field ever since, I used to shoot everything at F8. I know he won’t admit that he did anything but he got me going in the right direction, so thanks again for dinner and the lessons!
I just got an e-mail from Aimee, all is well but still no baby. That’s it for my hot Curacao day, I need to get to bed!! See you tomorrow, Barry
3-9-2009
Sep 2, 09 Comments Off
 Banded Coral Shrimps Hello friends, I just got home from having dinner with our friends Mark and Suzy, owner of the World famous Dive Bus diving company!! I had to do a long minute and a half drive to their house but it was worth it!! Mark made his famous chili and after Suzy pulled out some vanilla ice cream with jelly beans on top and man was that ever good! They have three great dogs one of them is Nik-Nak who many of you may remember as she used to be down at the Hut all the time until finally they just had to take her home. It was a great evening, we made plans to hide a Geocache somewhere around their shop tomorrow, will be fun to see all the tourists stop in with their GPS and try to find this thing.
I worked most of the day, did a dive at 3:00 and took the dogs for a walk at 5:00, Indi was terrible tonight! It’s like Aimee told her before she left, “be a good girl for at least a week and then you can do whatever”?? Well tonight she just left three times to go eat something and I could not find her, I called and called and called, bad girl would be an understatement! Someone with four legs still licking her lips met my broom handle tonight!! After yelling at Indi, Inca immediately turned into a perfect little spotted angel and never left my side!
I found these two Banded Coral Shrimps in a Brown Bowl sponge today on my dive but had the wrong lens once again! I shot this with my 16mm and had to crop it quite a bit, would have been awesome with the other lens but it’s still a pretty cool reef scene!
Time for bed, Barry
2-9-2009
Sep 1, 09 Comments Off
 Elkhorn Coral Good evening friends, well believe it or not I did close to nothing today!! And no I’m not sick! Maybe just a tad bit lazy or unmotivated. This morning I took the bike and the dogs to the North coast on a mild one hour ride. They pretty much just played or should I say laid in the water while I searched for usable pieces of driftwood. After that small adventure I had to take apart and replace my shower hose. That consumed a bit of time driving around looking for parts plus I made a quick stop into a new grocery store and like magic it was noon already!! At 5:30 I met the tuesday riding group for a short very relaxed one hour bike ride. We did the normal loop starting at the Aquarium riding the trails to Jan Thiel then to the salt ponds and back on the Calabash and Inca trails, it never seems to get old.
So I guess that’s kind of my day in a nutshell! I noticed throughout the day that there was a homeless guy walking up and down the street in front of Mambo beach. At 6:30 on my way back from riding I ran into Bill and Christine (our two local walkers) and they told me, that’s the guy that walks up and down the streets looking for cigarette butts to smoke?? Yikes, no thanks!! But then again everyone needs a hobby??
Your photo is another wide angle shot of the spectacular clusters of Eklhorn Corals that we have right out in front of the Sea Aquarium, they really are incredible! Well, I need to go find some food and I still have tons of computer work to do tonight, be back tomorrow, Barry
1-9-2009
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