I gotta tell ya, I never saw anything like the exotic flowers, trees, and grasses that we saw in Hawaii. I had been to Oahu many times as a Navy reservist, but never really got out in the countryside. Plus, being younger then and much less observant, I never noticed how incredibly beautiful it was.

Wow! The pictures are gorgeous, and thanks to the wonders of digital photography I have over 350 images of the beaches, ocean, botanical gardens and everything along the roadside that was blooming like crazy. And the most amazing thing of all is that the pics don't even come close to the real thing.

I didn't go anywhere on the island that I couldn't smell the plumeria. How is that possible? Do you smell it all the time too, or is it like my clock that chimes the hour, but I am so used to it I never hear it anymore?

All I have to say is, I hope you, every one of you, know how lucky you are to live in such a wonderful place. I had so much fun and enjoyed the warm weather sooooo much!

Now I love living in Texas, we have a nice place here and good jobs, and I know I have a lot to be thankful for. It's not much of a fair comparison with Hawaii right now though since we're in the middle of just about the most violent ice storm we've ever had in weather history. But I am so lucky that I got to see Hawaii. Cheryl

What we have here is very precious. Though, many people who spend their entire lives here are not aware that Hawaii is home to a third of the nation's endangered plant species. Even common native plants here are somewhat a rarity.

In the garden (and just living in general) it's truly a beauty to be blessed with gentle tropical weather.