Category Archives: Activities

The Numbers Game #129

Rain sheets down in front of a Panax hedge.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 746. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Where chocolate ripple ice cream comes from!
A very old tractor.
A passion vine butterfly is marked by fading color and missing chunks of wing
A battered Passionvine Butterfly.
A gold dust day gecko rests on a deep pink heliconia flower.
A Gold Dust Day Gecko on a Pink Heliconia.
A chained salp floating in the waters off the Big Island, Hawaii
A Chained Salp.
These little fish were swimming in Kiholo Bay.
Little fish shimmer just below the surface at Kiholo.

Hawksbill Turtle

A Hawksbill turtle swims in the waters off Hawaii

I’ve seen this little turtle a couple of times recently and realized it wasn’t one of the usual Hawaiian Green Turtles seen around here. The pointed bill is clear from above, and the edge of the shell is jagged, not curvy. These are both clear indicators that this is a Hawksbill Turtle. I think I’ve only seen one in this area before, but perhaps this one will stick around.

The Numbers Game #128

A rooster and hen in the backyard.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 745. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A baby goat and a myna bird in Hawaii
Baby goat and Myna Bird.
A Devil Scorpionfish in the waters off Hawaii
A Devil Scorpionfish.
A brush fire at Lapakahi on the North Kohala coast, Hawaii
Brush fire at Lapakahi State Historical Park.
A Spinner dolphin leaps from the waters off Hawaii
A Spinner Dolphin leaping from the water.
A diver down flag in the waters off Hawaii
A diver down flag.
A view through the windows of Pepeiao Cabin in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Looking out through a window at Pepeiao Cabin in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

What’s going on down there?

Turbulence in the waters off Hawaii
Got to be careful in the surge zone. Don’t want to get raked over those rocks.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Water.’ See more responses here. Let’s see what’s happening below the surface. Here are some photos from my swim yesterday. Captions are on the photos.

Yellowfin Goatfishes in the waters off Hawaii
Yellowfin Goatfishes are active at night and spend the day drifting in groups like this.
An Arc-eye Hawkfish juvenile in a head of coral in the waters off Hawaii
A juvenile Arc-eye Hawkfish in a head of Cauliflower Coral.
A Flowery Flounder swims in the waters off Hawaii
I saw this flowery Flounder on the move. It settled down for a while, before heading away.
A Yellowhead Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii
Yellowhead Moray Eels are active at night so I rarely see them.
A Wedgetail Triggerfish in the waters off Hawaii
Always nice to see a colorful Humuhumu-nukunuku-ā-pua’a!
A Moorish Idol in the waters off Hawaii
This Moorish Idol looked like it was sneaking away!

The Numbers Game #127

The beach at A Bay, Waikoloa
‘Anaehoʻomalu Beach during the time of Covid!

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 744. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A spider web with raindrops in Hawaii
An Orb Weaver spider in its wet web.
Tropical plants in a garden in Port Townsend, Washington
A view of my old garden in Port Townsend, Washington.
A Passionvine Butterfly on Lantana flowers in Hawaii
A Passion Vine Butterfly on Lantana flowers.
An Orangespine Unicornfish and a yellow Gray Chub.
A view of Onomea Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii
A view of Onomea Bay on the island’s east side.
A Mourning gecko on a Bird of Paradise flower in Hawaii
A Mourning Gecko drinking from a Bird of Paradise flower.

Get on your bike and ride

Cyclists in the 2026 Ironman 70.3 race in Hawaii, heading to and from Hawi.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Bicycles and Biking.’ See more responses here. Yesterday, the Hawaii Ironman 70.3 race took place on the island so I went out to take photos of the cyclists as they went to and from Hawi.

A cyclist in the 2026 Ironman 70.3 race in Hawaii, passes the 30 mile marker
Only 26 miles to go.
Cyclists in the 2026 Ironman 70.3 race in Hawaii, riding to and from Hawi.
There were cars on the road too.
A cyclist in the 2026 Ironman 70.3 race in Hawaii, zips away from Hawi.
On the downhills, the cyclists went pretty fast.

The day was a hot and sunny with moderate trade winds, which meant the ride to Hawi was uphill and into the wind. The reward was turning around and zipping downhill with the wind at their backs.

A cyclist in the 2026 Ironman 70.3 race in Hawaii, pours water on himself
Water isn’t just for drinking on a hot day.
A cyclist in the 2026 Ironman 70.3 race in Hawaii, pours water on himself after he hit a pothole and crashed
The heat wasn’t the only problem. This cyclist crashed when he hit a pothole.
A cyclist in the 2026 Ironman 70.3 race in Hawaii, with a cut leg after he hit a pothole and crashed
Blood was shed.
An injured cyclist abandons the 2026 Ironman 70.3 race in Hawaii, after he hit a pothole and crashed
He had to abandon the race because his pedal broke, while other cyclists turned to head back for the half marathon to follow.