Category Archives: Plants

Leaning tower of Albizia

An albizia tree shading a road in Hawaii

This Albizia tree leans precariously over a narrow road in North Kohala. The bottom photo shows the view from below it. I don’t tend to spend much time in that spot in case it chooses that moment to topple over, though the tree hasn’t budged in the 10 years I’ve lived here.

The canopy of an albizia tree in Hawaii

Orange is the new theme

A Passion vine butterfly spreads its wings

This month’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Orange and Gold.’ See more responses here. First up is a very orange Passion Vine Butterfly taking a break.

Next, orange is the official color of the island of Lanai, represented here at this year’s Kamehameha Day celebrations.

A rider at the Kamehameha Day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii
A rider at the Kamehameha Day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii
Riders at the Kamehameha Day parade in Kapaau, Hawaii
Fish swim in one of the golden pools at Keawaiki, Hawaii
A spot of gold at Keawaiki.
An orange Bitter Melon fruit in Hawaii
The fruit of a bitter melon.
The orange flowers of a Wiliwili tree in Hawaii
The flowers of an endemic Wiliwili tree.

When I was putting this post together a few days ago, I thought a sunset photo would be a nice way to wrap it up. I trolled through my files before picking a suitable one out, and was on the verge of processing it, when I happened to glance out of the window and saw this developing. Another reminder to live in the present and not the past!

Sunset in North Kohala, Hawaii

After the fire

Land burned by a brush fire near Spencer Beach Park, Hawaii

A few days ago, I headed out on the trail from Spencer Beach Park to Mau’umae Beach Beach. I was curious to see how far last month’s brush fire, that burned near Mauna Kea Resort, had reached down by the ocean. A hundred yards into the walk the answer became clear. It reached the shore. Spencer Beach Park was untouched, but the woods on the edge of the park are one tree deep in places.

Land burned by a brush fire near Spencer Beach Park, Hawaii

I walked back to Spencer on the service road, a quarter mile inland. The power line ran along the ground or was draped in blackened trees. There was a clump of poles and other supplies in one spot, ready for restoring service.

Powerline down following a brush fire near Spencer Beach Park, Hawaii
Power poles and other supplies waiting to be used after a brush fire in Hawaii
A high voltage sign on lumber being used after a fire in Hawaii

The vehicle access road to Mau’umae Beach beach is closed now, as two small wooden bridges were destroyed in the fire. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, the only access to the beach will be along the coast trail from Spencer. It’s only a 15 minute walk, but that’s often enough to discourage people from going there.

A view towards Mau’umae Beach after a brush fire in Hawaii