The ceiling in my dentist’s waiting room is illuminated with blue light, which always catches my eye when I walk in.
Abstracts: Blue
Author Archives: Graham
Chubs cleaning
It’s not unusual to see a variety of fish performing the same maneuver as this chub. I think what it’s doing is rubbing off parasites that attach themselves to fish. They seem to like this particular rock, possibly because of its rounded top and just the right amount of abrasiveness.
White Christmas in Hawaii
Season’s greetings to everyone. As one would expect, we’re having a white Christmas here on the Big Island. The storm of last week dumped a generous amount of snow on top of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and much of it is still around. It’s a lovely sight, especially when viewed from somewhere where the temperature is in the 70s or low 80s!
Hawk Moth Caterpillar
I found this hawk moth caterpillar crossing a walkway, and ushered it to safety. I’m not sure exactly which moth it is the caterpillar of, possibly Swinhoe’s Striated Hawk Moth (Hippotion rosetta) or Pale Striated Hawk Moth (Hippotion boerhaviae), both of which have been recorded in Hawaii and are very difficult to tell apart.
Moon over Mauna Kea
A couple of days ago, I saw this sliver of a moon rising over Mauna Kea. I didn’t have my tripod, so wedged myself as still as possible against a van. The close up shows that technique isn’t perfect, but still kind of interesting.
Hawaiian Noddy
An endemic Hawaiian Noddy glides over the ocean off North Kohala.
Bananas
Nothing says tropical quite like bananas with their huge leaves, upward pointing fruit, and large purple flowers.
When it rains…
A follow up to yesterday’s post, my commute yesterday was surprisingly good. Once I got to work though, things went downhill. Driving rain, rivers where they shouldn’t be, wading pools popping up everywhere. Oh, and thunder and lightning, a rare occurrence in these parts, in abundance.
The day was short and I left for home in another downpour, amid rumors of road closures and an overturned semi-truck on my route. Once I passed Kawaihae (where I did see the semi trailer conveniently off to one side of the road), the rain eased and getting home was a breeze. I even managed a trip to the gas station in blazing sunshine.
But later, the skies darkened, lightning flashed, and thunder cracked directly overhead. And rain lashed the house, driven sideways by gusts of wind. I think this was the hardest rain I’ve seen since I moved here. The photos don’t capture it, cowering as I was safely inside and taking photos through increasingly blurred windows.
According to the forecast, the system should pass overnight, and I will be very happy to wave it goodbye.
Graham's Island 