It is gorgeous. I live in Texas and was in Colorado in June. I bought 2 tuberous begonias. One has already died, and the other one is just hanging on. Something about Texas they don't like. Just too dang hot, cause they're in total shade. The picture you posted is just beautiful!!!

You're right, Lorna. I now know that Hawaii is definitely a different (and amazing) place. Annette - I don't know what kind of lavender it is. I just thought it looked great, and knew that this audience would appreciate it. And, yes, another week would have been just about right. Nancy - It was indeed pretty great. FlowerLady - Hawaii did remind me a lot of Florida, except, as you said, for the flatness. The rainy side of Maui was lush and jungle-like, which I haven't seen in Florida, though it may exist somewhere. Also, at least while we were there, we had a constant breeze, day and night, which made the warmth and humidity very easy to take. Martha - I will be very happy to make do with those things, although you did scare me a little when you wrote web fiends. Probably a typo, right? ...Martha? ...Right? Vikki - Have a great time in Canada. You will have a fantastic experience at the Butchart Gardens. And Hawaii the next year? Absolutely! Thanks for helping me identify those flowers. Patti - I'm really glad you liked my pictures. They do look a lot like paradise, don't they? The trip was definitely one for the scrapbook (figuratively speaking, I don't really do scrapbooking.) Thank you all for your welcome and friendly comments. ThinMan

Wow, beautiful pics! I went last year and I want to go back more than anything! Every pic I took was good enough for a post card (and it has nothing to do with my picture taking, but everything to do with the beauty everywhere in Hawaii!) Definitely the most beautiful state for tropicals. The water is clear and beautiful, the mountains are stunning and unreal, and every plant does amazing there! The coconuts do so well that the hotels have a hard time keeping up with pruning the coconuts off (its a law in the United States to have all coconuts cut off of coconut palms when in public places (since coconuts are deadly if they fall on someone's head). However, out in the towns, you can see some beautiful coconuts growing on the coconut trees in people's yards (as well as bananas, plumerias, papayas, mangos, and tons of others!). -Alex

Gorgeous sunsets! Those red ones are kinda spooky! LOL lildaohmowga- I don't see what you see but I love to look at clouds and find things in them.My mother use to do that and I always did it with my kids.We would sit in the lounge chairs outside in the summer and look for things in the clouds,or while we were driving on trips.Kept them occupied and it was fun to see what their imaginations came up with.I still do it now when DH and I are traveling.Sometimes he can see what I see,other times he just thinks I'm nuts!LOL