I still find it strange to see cacti in Hawaii. Stranger still is seeing them in flower like this prickly pear cactus on the Kohala coast.
Prickly pear cactus
Author Archives: Graham
Birthdays take the cake
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Sweet.’ See more responses here.
This birthday cake came from the Sandwich Isle Bread Company in Waimea, which also makes cakes and pastries. It was just the right amount of sweet, and the right amount of rich and chocolaty.
Signs: Heineken Sailboat
Back in the day, I used to make home brewed beer. I needed bottles to put the beer in and that required emptying bottles that formerly held beer. Heineken was one of the many brands that were pressed into service. But there was one problem. Those green bottles were made with thinner glass and had a tendency to blow up under the pressure of my home brew.
I kept my beer brewing bottles in my wardrobe and the Heineken bottles’ volatility meant that my clothes acquired a certain aroma. It’s probably why I wasn’t more successful in the job I had at that time!
None of this has anything to do with the sign of course, but any time I see the Heineken name I immediately associate it with those days.
Two chairs
I came across these two chairs on a South Kohala coast walk. Not a bad spot to watch the sunset.
Spirobolellus millipede
I think this little millipede is one of the Spirobolellus species. I don’t see them often but they’re not uncommon. This one has a white and purple striped look and, of course, a whole lot of little legs.
A green turtle pops up for air
On a recent snorkel, I saw this headless creature a little ways off. I took me a few moments to realize that this was a green turtle getting a breath of air. When it dipped back below the surface, it kept coming towards me. I thought it might come really close, but it decided that it didn’t like what it saw and glided down to deeper water.
Japanese White-eye
A Japanese White-eye explores the flowers of an Agave Attenuata.
Dicing with danger
I saw this Xuthus Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio xuthus) flitting by a window at home. This is how I most often spot them and by the time I go outside, they’re nowhere to be seen. Still, I’m a sucker for butterflies, so I grabbed my camera and headed out.
Looking around, I couldn’t see any sign of it. I was about to give up the search when I saw movement by a tangerine tree. I should have anticipated this because the butterfly is also known as the Citrus Swallowtail (and Asian Swallowtail). I headed over and there was the butterfly, not only hanging around, but also settling briefly as it flew around the tree. I thought it must be feeding or possibly laying eggs, but it just seemed to be stopping at leaves, and later I saw that its markings meant this was most likely a male, so not laying eggs.
However, the butterfly was not alone. Winter is crab spider season and they love building communal webs in and between the tangerine trees. It’s a hazard for me when I’m collecting fruit, but for the butterfly it’s a potential death trap. While I watched, I did see this one get stuck once, but swallowtails are big butterflies and it was able to shake itself loose.
Graham's Island 