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.

Signs: Supercuts

Here’s a little peek into the commercial world in Hawaii. These signs illustrate enterprises found here, probably a similar pattern to those in many parts of the world.

Supercuts is a national franchise with locations across the country and elsewhere. It’s a hair salon and, to be honest, I’m scared to go here for fear of getting my hair styled and smothered in ‘product.’

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is a Hawaiian franchise that started in the islands but, like Supercuts, has spread nationwide and even internationally. I eat at L&L once in a while. It’s pretty good, some dishes better than others, the kind of place you know you can get a decent meal if you’re in a hurry.

Noodle Club is a local enterprise which, I confess, I haven’t been to. But I have been to Village Burger, operated by the same ownership, and they’re very good.

Posted in response to Becky’s January Squares challenge theme of ‘Up.’ See more responses here.

Saddle up

The headquarters of Parker Ranch, founded in 1847 and one of the biggest ranches in the USA, can be found in the bucolic town of Waimea. It’s the heart of cattle country on the Big Island and where there’s cattle, there’s cowboys, but not here. Here in Hawaii, the cattle are tended by paniolos. That’s because, when the cattle industry grew, ranch hands were needed.

The first three came from California, then part of Mexico. These three vaqueros (Spanish for cowboys) spoke español, but the theory is that, because the Hawaiian language couldn’t handle the word español, it was converted to paniolo. The name stuck.

Over time, the local Hawaiians learned the skills associated with handling cattle. So well did they do this that, in 1908, three of them were entered in the Frontier Days World Championship in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Not only were they a huge hit with the crowds, but they also won titles. Ikua Purdy won the world steer-roping contest and was later voted into the National Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. To commemorate those achievements this monument was commissioned. It arrived on the island in 2003 and today stands next to the main highway, on the edge of the parking lot of Parker Ranch Center, a large (for Waimea) shopping complex in the center of town.

For more information about monument, go to https://paniolopreservation.org/a-monument-to-paniolo-pride/.

For a brief history of the Big Island’s cattle industry, go to https://www.bikemaui.com/hawaiian-paniolo-brief-history/.

Posted in response to Becky’s January Squares challenge theme of ‘Up.’ See more responses here.

Green turtle coming up in Kiholo

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

We’re a little short on glaciers here on the Big Island, but the color description made me think of Kiholo Bay, where fresh water intrusion gives the water a different look to most places around here. The bay is also a great place to see turtles, which can be seen in the water and hauled out on the shore to rest.

This turtle was swimming in the bay where the gently rippling surface gave it an abstract appearance as it came up for air.

Also posted in response to Becky’s January Squares challenge theme of ‘Up.’ See more responses here.