Kauai 2014: First day

I'm still pretty zonked from the long day of travel, but I wanted to share at least a few of the pics I took today; these are all of a female Hawaiian monk that was lounging near the shore when myself and my folks walked over for my first beach visit of my vacation:

While not quite as big as one of the seals I saw on my final day last year, today's seal was no slouch in the size department—I wouldn't be at all surprised if she too was pregnant:

How can anyone resist the cuteness of this face?

She sported quite a few scars, both on her belly (as you can see in the next photo) and her sides (some of which can be spotted in the previous pics), most likely signs of having survived a shark attack or two in her lifetime:

Finally, if this isn't the quintessential "What're you lookin' at?" expression, I don't know what is: 

Ice and squirrel

A few photographs I took last January. just before I set out on last year's vacation. Yesterday's rain and high temperatures pretty much wiped out all the snow around here, so it's looking very different around these parts right now than it obviously did a year ago. But New England weather being what it is, we'll undoubtedly be inundated by the white stuff again before too long...

A red squirrel posing on top of one of the frames my folks use to protect their plants from snow buildup:

A second red squirrel with an unusual patch of black hair along its side:

Some interesting ice formations along the little stream up in the woods:

And Kaylee, basking in a patch of sunshine: