This Edenic island, only 12 miles across the Sea of the Moon from Tahiti, is a visual roller coaster of needle-sharp peaks and plunging valleys filigreed with green. Rumor has it that this spectacular island of Moorea was the model for author James Michener’s mythical Bali Hai. Since it is one of the most visited French Polynesian islands, there’s plenty of action on the beaches and in the many resorts.

Nearly every beach has them; colorful clear stones of glass that are actually the remnants of old bottles, Depression Era Glass, bowls, plates, nautical warning lights and more. Some colors are more rare, even exceedingly so. There is history involved in Beach Glass; finding and displaying the Beach Glass is a favorite hobby of beach-goers. Some online craft shops even sell genuine beach or sea glass to hobbyists for their creations

(Update 5/31/10) I hate to be a bearer of bad news, but its not looking good. Hurricane season starts tomorrow and the experts are calling for more storms than normal. This news, along with the never ending oil gusher, spells unavoidable doom.

According to NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration), these are the numbers for 2010:

Tropical Storms: 14-23 (usually we average 11)

Hurricanes: 8-14 (usually we average 6)

Major Hurricanes: 3-7 (usually we average 2)

This is really bad news pile on top of the worst news.