Author Archives: Graham

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About Graham

I take photos when I'm out and about, recording life on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Waikoloa Solar and Storage Project

The solar farm at Waikoloa Hawaii

This photo looks a bit like a patch of land scarred by a brush fire, but it’s actually the Big Island’s largest solar power project, which began operations earlier this year. Situated just above Waikoloa Village, it occupies 300 acres and is expect to provide around 7% of the island’s energy needs.

Waikoloa is a good location for this because it’s dry and sunny. It is, however, also known as Waikoblowa because the winds are strong and the dry dirt flies, so they’ll have to keep those solar panels clean!

For more information about the Waikoloa Solar and Storage Project, go to https://www.aes-hawaii.com/waikoloa-solar-storage-project.

Spotted Coral Blenny and Stocky Hawkfish

A Spotted coral blenny and stocky hawkfish in the waters off Hawaii

These are a couple of fish that spend a good deal of their time sitting, stationary, on coral or rocks. The similarity ends there.

The hawkfish is a predator, waiting for small fish or crustaceans to come within range. The blenny feeds solely on living coral. And while this blenny is probably an adult at about 6 inches long, the hawkfish can grow to twice that size.

A wobbly line

A line of traffic waits on a road in Hawaii

I took this photo while waiting in a line of traffic on the mountain road. As usual, the cars aren’t in line, but they do match the temporary striping in the middle of the road. I use the word ‘temporary’ with hesitation. Often, these temporary road markings are still in place months, or even years later.

It’s frightful, it’s delightful

A frightening graphic on a tissue box
A Halloween treat from Sandwich Isle Bread Company in Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Frightful.’ See more responses here.

There’s a well-known brand of paper tissue that sells it’s products in cardboard boxes sporting a wide variety of designs, some more pleasing than others. Costco carries these items and currently sells a line that could be called colorful or garish, depending on ones tastes.

The top photo shows the end of one of these boxes. It features owls, which I love, but there’s something truly frightful in this image. I don’t know whether it’s the blood-tinged background colors or the bizarre purple owls from another dimension, and their dull black, vacant, staring eyes. I do know this isn’t what I want to see when I walk in the bathroom. So I’ve stopped buying from Costco until they get a less scary set of designs in.

The second photo is frightful in a fun, Halloweeny kind of way. I was picking up bread from the Sandwich Isle Bread Company in Waimea, when I saw these ”Mummy” Vanilla Choco Eclairs. Well, I couldn’t possibly pass them up, could I? They have several other Halloween-themed treats and they not only look fabulous, but always taste great.

Not all it’s quacked up to be

A decoy duck in the waters off Hawaii
Marine growth on a decoy duck in the waters off Hawaii

On a recent swim, the most notable sighting was this duck, bobbing serenely in the water. It took a while to realize that its calm demeanor owed nothing to its personality, but all to its construction. The duck was a decoy, and a well made one, I thought. A dip under the water revealed no legs, but a good amount of marine growth, indicating it had been bobbing along for some time.

Passing through

Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii

Yesterday, when I went swimming, the swells rolling in were larger than expected, and the visibility in the water, worse than expected. Consequently, it wasn’t a banner swim until I popped my head out of the water and saw spinner dolphins heading my way.

Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii
Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii

I reckoned there were at least 60 or 70 dolphins in the pod, but I suspect there the number was closer to 100. I count more than 25 in the top photo and that was one group going by on one side. The traffic was continuous on both sides, and below, for several minutes.

Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii

The dolphins weren’t hanging around, but zipped by, heading for their daytime resting spot. Several minutes later, a much smaller group passed by, traveling at a more sedate speed. I’m not sure why that was. Sometimes it’s because they’re escorting calves, but I didn’t see any. Perhaps they were just tired and not inclined to get caught up in the rush of the main group.

Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii