Hi John, what type of flour are you using? How warm is it in your house? It's best to begin the process with a whole grain flour such as whole wheat or whole rye, since there is more wild yeast present on whole grain flours. If you're using whole wheat or whole rye you may notice that the surface of the starter changes color a bit as the mixture sits, but this is generally due to oxidation of the flour, which isn't worrisome. Most often that early rise you noticed is due to a type of bacteria that gives off carbon dioxide, so not true yeast behavior yet. Unfortunately, the presence of this type of bacteria also seems to be related to a subsequent delay in the wild yeast kicking in. As far as the pink tinge goes, it really seems unlikely that your starter would be contaminated right after you mixed it, so I think your eyes are playing tricks on you. Try to stick your starter in a cooler spot (20-22C, 68-72F)) if your home tends to be very warm this time of year and be sure to stir your starter well each day, which will help protect your starter from developing mold. Lately I've been experimenting with a more wait-and-see sourdough starter creation process (based on the advice of microbiologist and sourdough baker, Debra Wink) which involves waiting 72-96 hours after the first feeding before moving on to the next feeding. While Debra Wink experimented with using flowers at the beginning of the process, it's important to note that the flour/water mixture also activated well with this delayed approach. The thinking behind this approach is that it's important for the starter to develop a certain level of acidity for the yeast to kick in, and sometimes feeding too much too soon actually delays this from happening. Ignore any early rising, but stir daily, cover the container well with plastic wrap or a lid so the surface of the starter doesn't dry out, and look for the starter to become very thin in texture and "quiet" (no rising for 24 hours) as good signs that the starter is acidic enough to feed for the second time. Follow this with one feeding a day for 2 days, and if the starter is rising predictably after these feedings, you can begin twice a day feedings, which will keep the yeast vigorous. 

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