Sailboat after sunset
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Calm.’ (See more offerings here.)
Seeing the sun going down after work, I headed down to Kawaihae harbor. After the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky turned peachy and I watched this sailboat slipping over the gently rippling water. It struck me as a very calm, relaxing scene.
Firehose of lava
This week’s Friendly Friday challenge theme is ‘Dramatic.’ See more responses here.
I’ve opted for a dip into the archives for this challenge. Two years ago, lava from Kilauea Volcano’s Pu’u O’o vent reached the ocean, tumbling down a cliff into the water. One day, the cliff collapsed, leaving the lava shooting out of a hole high up in the new cliff. This was called the firehose of lava because that’s what it looked like.
I first learned about it when I saw a video of the lava firehose on one of the news channels. What impressed me was that it was really hard to to see that it was a video. The flow was so strong and so consistent that it looked like a photograph. It was only by looking closely at the edges of the firehose that I could make out spatters of moving lava.
I headed down to the volcano, to take at look at this phenomenon, the day after I saw the video and was duly impressed by the dramatic scene. It was well worth the trip and well worth my quick visit. The following day another cliff collapse moved the firehose back and out of sight from the observation areas.
These are two photos from that visit. More photos can be seen in previous posts here, here, here, and here.
Plane and Maui
A small plane is battened down at Upolu Airport against the strong winds that blow along the coast here. In the background is the stormy ʻAlenuihāhā Channel and the island of Maui.
Bright-eye damselfish and red pencil urchin
A bright-eye damselfish guards its territory, which includes this red pencil urchin, against intruders.
Green anole and raindrops
A green anole looks wary as it stands on a ti leaf adorned with raindrops.
Signs: Heavy water
This sign guards what is presumably Hawaii’s heavy water plant, though why such a plant would be halfway up the side of Mauna Kea is a mystery. Or perhaps the sign is just a warning that it would not be a good idea to pick up the large water tank behind the sign. Either way, the sign made me smile.
Cement tanks at sunrise
When people think about Hawaii, one of the things that comes to mind is wonderful sunsets and sunrises, such as this one, with the sun rising over the cement tanks. Well, maybe not that last bit, but that’s what’s happening here, the cement tanks in question being at the port in Kawaihae. And it was still a lovely sunrise.
Ramshot croton
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Yellow Autumn or Leaves.’ (See more offerings here.)
These leaves might not be Autumnal, but they still feature a good portion of yellow. They’re ramshot crotons (Codiaeum variegatum) and I don’t know if this is why they got their name, but the shape of the leaves is reminiscent of rams’ horns.
