Category Archives: Flowers

The Numbers Game #66

A view of Waipio Valley from the air.

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 187. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A Citrus Swallowtail butterfly.
An Allograpta Obliqua Hoverfly on a Mamane flower.
A Leafcutter Bee on Aptenia Cordifolia flowers.
A view of the base of the petioles of a Traveler’s Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis).
A Gold Dust Day Gecko on a red bamboo stem.
A cow extricating itself from a jam!

A walk at Pu’u Wa’awa’a Cinder Cone State Park

A View of Maui from Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
A distant view of Maui.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Walk in the Park.’ See more responses here. These photos are from my last hike at what is officially known as Pu’u Wa’awa’a Cinder Cone State Park. The hike took place under heavy skies, but the clouds hovered just above the top of the hill and the rain held off until late in the walk.

A Northern Mockingbird on a snag at Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
A Northern Mockingbird announces its presence.
Silk Oak flowers at Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
Silk Oak flowers.
A View of Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
A view of Pu’u Wa’awa’a from a new section of trail.
A Sheep in the grass at Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
Sheep and cattle are often seen on the trail.
Wiliwili seeds at Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
Seeds on an endemic Wiliwili tree.
A View of Trail up Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
The trail up through the center of the pu’u, pu’u being Hawaiian for cinder cone.
tree roots at Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
Tree roots snake across the trail in places.
A Horse and rider on Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
A horse and rider enjoying the walk, too.
A View from Pu'u Wa'awa'a in Hawaii
A view from near the top, looking towards the saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.

Also posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.

Koster’s Curse

Koster's Curse, a highly invasive plant in Hawaii

Koster’s Curse (Miconia crenata), also known as soapbush, is one of the worst invasive plants in Hawaii. Introduced in the 1940s, it has spread across all the islands and its growth habits and prolific seed spread threatens anything in its path.

Ironically, it is named after a sugar planter in Fiji who was believed to have introduced the plants there and shared seeds elsewhere. However, it’s thought that it was actually a neighbor of his, a coffee planter named William Parr, who was the guilty party!

This bud’s for you

A Praying Mantis on a Plumeria with flowers and buds in Hawaii
A Praying Mantis on a Plumeria with flowers and buds.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Celebrate Spring or Autumn.’ See more responses here.

Since we’re a little shy on seasonal changes here, I’m going with some nominal signs of Spring, namely flowers budding out and blooming.

A Bee on haole koa flowers and buds in Hawaii
A bee on Haole Koa with buds and spent flowers.
A Peregrina flower and buds in Hawaii
A Peregrina flower and buds.
A Bee on mock orange flowers and buds in Hawaii
A bee on Mock Orange flowers and buds.

The Numbers Game #64

Yellow boat on blue water.

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 185. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A wounded Cornetfish.
Proud parents.
Passion Vine Butterfly on a Tasselflower.
Dirt blown by high winds at Kawaihae.
Ironman racers, but the sign is what I liked.
Can’t see the wood for the trees.

Favorite flowers in Hawaii

Flexibility is important in nature, as this mourning gecko demonstrates while drinking from a bird of paradise flower.
A Mourning Gecko takes a drink from a Bird of Paradise flower.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Favorite Flowers.’ Here are some of mine. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here

Maiapilo flowers in Hawaii
Maiapilo flowers start out white and change to pink as the day wears on,
Yellow and pink Hibiscus tiliaceus flowers in Hawaii
Hibiscus Tiliaceus, Hau in Hawaii, also changes color through the day.
An Hawaii ‘Amakihi with Mamane flowers.
A Wasp in an Ohia flower in Hawaii
A wasp in an Ohia Lehua flower.
Raindrops on Plumerias in Hawaii
Raindrops on Plumerias.
A bee forages through the blooms of a mock orange.
A bee on Mock Orange flowers.

And finally some photos from the Hilo Orchid Show last year. I’ve definitely become an orchid fan since moving here.

An Epidendrum Pacific Pastel orchid at the Hilo Orchid Show in Hawaii
Epidendrum Pacific Pastel.
A Paphiopedilum St. Swithin orchid at the Hilo Orchid Show in Hawaii
Paphiopedilum St. Swithin.
A Monnierara Millennium Magic 'Witchcraft' orchid at the Hilo Orchid Show in Hawaii
Monnierara Millennium Magic ‘Witchcraft.’

The Numbers Game #61

A gecko checks out the scene from the coin return slot of a Pepsi machine.

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 182. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

V22 Ospreys landing at Upolu AIrport.
The 1820 Mission building in Honolulu.
Papakōlea Beach, near South Point, is better known as Green Sand Beach.
A Praying Mantis peers down.
A Wild Turkey struts his stuff.
A Dendrobium secundum orchid.

Fresh Off The Grid

A roadside food stand sign near Pololu in Hawaii

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

A couple of miles before the end of the Akoni Pule Highway, at Pololu overlook, there’s a roadside food stand called Fresh Off The Grid. There’s no power at that end of the road, hence the ‘off the grid.’

I confess, I’ve never eaten there, in part because I seldom go to Pololu these days. It’s a bit overrun and the parking is terrible, though now they have stewards directing traffic and controlling the comings and goings, which is a big improvement.

Skyflowers in Hawaii
Skyflowers.
A Red Hibiscus flower in Hawaii
Hibiscus.
Shell ginger flowers in Hawaii
Shell GInger.

But the food stand gets good reviews and seems to have a good selection of locally-grown food on the menu. It also has a nice variety of flowers around and a killer view of the ocean, plus mules and horses. What’s not to like.

A sign near Pololu in Hawaii
You have been warned.
A Bee on a bromeliad near Pololu in Hawaii
A bee on a bromekiad.
Mules on the coast near Pololu in Hawaii
A good view of the mules!