Cycling is a popular activity on the Big Island. The road from Kailua Kona to Hawi is wide with good shoulders, and it’s a favorite with cyclists because it’s the route of the cycling portion of the Ironman race. However, as is the case everywhere, it can be a dangerous activity, sharing the highway with large, fast-moving vehicles.
Ghost bikes serve as memorials for cyclists killed or badly hurt when things go wrong. These are two I see daily on my commute.
The Ala Kahakai Trail, which used to run from the northern tip of the island to the south-eastern tip, can be followed for a good stretch of the South Kohala Coast. The part south of Kohanaiki Beach Park is well marked and signed. That’s not the case in many other places.
The one positive, from a photographic point of view, of the brush fire that occurred on the Hamakua Coast a couple of weeks ago (here) was that it created some colorful skies. Here’s a view of the small boat harbor at Kawaihae taken late that afternoon.
I saw this ring-necked pheasant scurrying through the tall grass off Old Saddle Road. It doesn’t exactly blend in with its surroundings, not a good trait for a game bird.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Sunrise or Sunset.’ See more responses here.
Wracked by my usual indecision, I opted for both. The top photo is a sunrise over Kohala Mountain. The second photo shows a fisherman at sunset, near the Old Coastguard Station at Upolu.
I saw this Brighamia insignis plant in the Hawaiian garden at Kohanaiki Beach Park. It caught my eye for its unusual appearance, which is the source of one of its common names of cabbage-on-a-stick. In Hawaii it’s called Ālula, Hāhā, Pū aupaka, or ʻŌlulu.
Brighamia insignis is endemic to Hawaii, specifically the sea cliffs of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau. However, if you look for it there you’re almost certainly going to be disappointed. The last survey in 2014 found just one plant in Kauaʻi. The reasons for its demise are familiar. The hawk moth that used to pollinate the plant is long since extinct and it has been ravaged by introduced species. In addition, in 1992, Hurricane ʻIniki destroyed half the remaining wild plants.
On the bright side, the plant is easy to propagate by hand and it has been widely distributed by nurseries and botanical gardens.
These chairs in front of Kohanaiki Beach Club looked very tempting to me when I walked by on a recent hike. However, I think if I’d plopped into one I wouldn’t have been able to relax for too long before being moved on.
I came across this scene one day while snorkeling. I didn’t check to see if there was anything in the glove, just in case.
Graham's Island 