Category Archives: Scenes

Signs: The end of the park is coming

A view from Lapakahi, Hawaii

My immediate response to this sign, at Lapakahi Historical Park, was to think, ‘You mean, before I fall in the water.’ In truth, the sign is there because the land to the right of it is no longer park property. I’m just not sure why they oriented the sign this way, but there’s a nice, simple bench next to the sign where one can contemplate the matter

A plethora of purple

A Bee approaches a purple bougainvillea

This week’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge is ‘Purple.’ See more responses here.

I’d like to say I have some kind of theme going here, but I don’t, outside the color.

First up is a bee approaching a very purple bougainvillea.

In the gallery, we have a Fiery Skipper butterfly feeding on a Blue Heliotrope (Heliotropium amplexicaule) flower, a purple and white spider lily, and some dark purple Helmet Urchins clinging tenaciously to a rock.

A Purple Ice Cream sign at Kapaau, Hawaii

Then there’s a sign advertising purple ice cream. Not sure what flavor that is, but I’m a bit wary.

And finally, a lush purple orchid.

A purple orchid in Hawaii

View of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa

A View of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa from Kohala Mountain Road in hawaii

There’s still a bit of snow on top of both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Every time it looks like it’s going to disappear, a new dusting bolsters the coverage.

This view is from Kohala Mountain Road. The dark strip snaking through the center of the photo is housing alongside Kawaihae Road, which goes down to the coast. These houses are part of the town of Waimea, which sits in the saddle between Mauna Kea and Kohala Mountain. This part of Waimea is known as the dryside because it receives significantly less rainfall than areas on the east side of the saddle, which is known, correctly, as the wetside.

Churches

The Kalahikiola Congregational Church in Kapaau, Hawaii
The St. Augustines Episcopal Church in Kapaau, Hawaii
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hawi, Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Churches, Temples, and Spiritual Centers.’ See more responses here.

Here’s a few of the churches that can be found in this part of the island.

Kalāhikiola Congregational Church (top photo) is located east of Kapaau, where rainfall is plentiful and the foliage lush. It was built in 1855, though previous versions had existed for some years before this. The church was badly damaged by an earthquake in 2006, but rebuilt in the winter of 2009/2010.

St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church (second photo) was founded in 1884 in Kapaau, and expanded in 1913. It sits on a small hill by the main highway.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church (third photo) was founded in Hawi in 1905, but this structure was built in 1925 and continues to be used daily to this day.

Kohala Baptist Church (bottom photo) is located on the road to Pololu at Makapala. It can’t be seen from the road, but there is a sign by the highway pointing out the way. Currently, the church is undergoing some renovations and services are held in the area below the Royal Poinciana tree on the grounds.

The Kohala Baptist Church in Kapaau, Hawaii

Akala

An unripe Akala berry and leaves
An Akala flower with leaves and a new berry
A ripe Akala berry

‘Akala (Rubus macraei) is a native Hawaiian raspberry. It’s unusual for its large edible berries and slightly thorny stems. Most Hawaiian native plants didn’t need such lures or defenses because there were no grazing animals in Hawaii until their introduction by humans.

The berries are larger than non-native blackberries, but less sweet, and their juice was used as a dye in days gone by.