Category Archives: Hawaiian History

Hawaiian Crown Flowers

Hawaiian Crown Flowers (Calotropis gigantea) came from India originally, and became popular here because they were favored by Queen Liliuokalani, the last ruler of the Hawaiian monarchy. The purple flower was the one first introduced here, back in the 1880s, with this white variety arriving some 30 years later.

The plant gets its name from the shape of the flowers, which are used in making leis. As members of the milkweed family, they also host Hawaii’s Monarch Butterflies. The plant has a milky sap that is toxic, but that Monarchs, and their caterpillars, are immune to. The caterpillars are voracious eaters, decimating the Crown Flower leaves, but the plant will bounce back after the caterpillars pupate. The plant is drought tolerant and does well on the dry side of the island here.

The Numbers Game #74

A monument commemorating Ikua Purdy, a Hawaiian paniolo — This statue in Waimea celebrates the role of paniolos in the region. (Original post here.)

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

A stick swimming crab in the waters off the Big Island, Hawaii — A fascinating, but rarely seen, Stick Swimming Crab. Original post here.

A fascinating, but rarely seen, Stick Swimming Crab. Original post here.

The Numbers Game #69

Clouds fill the saddle between Mauna Kea and Hualalai.

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

King Kamehameha's statue in Kapaau, is draped in leis on Kamehameha Day. — A wasp working on a nest.

A pair of Threadfin Jack juveniles swim in the waters off the Big Island of Hawaii — A pair of juvenile Threadfin Jacks.

The Numbers Game #68

The lava cone and lake at Kilauea Volcano in late 2021 — The 2021 eruption at Kilauea Volcano.

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

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.

A rosy outlook

A view of the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption in Hawaii — The 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa.

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Rosy Red.’ See more responses here. Captions are on the photos.

An Apapane in an ohia tree in Hawaii — A native Apapane in an Ohia tree.

An Alpinia purpurata 'Tahitian Double' flower at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Gardens — A native Apapane in an Ohia tree.

A red hibiscus flower in Hawaii — A hibiscus flower.

A Red heliconia flower in Hawaii — A hibiscus flower.

Old theater ventilator

A ventilator on the roof of an old theater in Hawi, Hawaii

The old movie theater next door has been closed for many years, but this ventilator still twirls when the wind blows, which is often around here.

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Geometric. See more responses here.

Waiting for the flood

A culvert beneath the old Kohala railway in Hawaii

I’ve always thought this would be a great place to see a flash flood, or at least a little to one side of here. This is a culvert through an embankment of the old Kohala railway. Most of the time, it’s dry as a bone, but when it rains a good deal of water would be funneled through this spot.

These days, round pipes, made of steel or heavy duty plastic, are often used for culverts. This square concrete one looks built to last.