Category Archives: Scenes

Cybertruck

Elon Musk is in the news again (when is he not?) thanks to his falling out with Donald ~~Duck~~ Trump. This contretemps was big news, which is somewhat surprising since it seemed impossible for it not to happen. When you get two men with overinflated egos, who behave like five-year-olds, what does anyone expect to happen?

Elon is now backing off government work to return to his private interests, one of which is the electric vehicle company, Tesla. This photo is of one of those vehicles, which is commonly known as the Cybertruck.

This is the point where I should say something nice about the Cybertruck. However, the only thing that springs to mind is that I loved reading that raccoons have been climbing on these vehicles and scratching them. Apparently, they think they’re dumpsters! The downside of this news is that now, every time I see one of these vehicles, I can’t help but shout out ‘Muskrat in a dumpster!’ Yes, I can behave like a five-year-old too.

I’ve seen this Cybertruck several times, and I can’t decide whether the paint job makes the truck look better or worse than the usual shiny metal look. My initial thought is it’s worse. I thought the shiny metal look was the one redeeming feature of these trucks, and I liked the echo of the original Ford Model T, where Henry Ford allegedly said, “Any color the customer wants, as long as it’s black.” I wonder if Ford had any trouble with raccoons?

The Numbers Game #76

A juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron watches from a Kiawe tree.

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

Orange Sulphur Butterfly on a Bougainvillea.

Pretty in pink

A Pink container in Hawaii — This shipping container, parked in Kawaihae, isn’t likely to blend into the background.

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

Maiapilo flowers in Hawaii — Maiapilo flowers are white when they bloom but turn to pink within 24 hours as they fade.

A rider in the Kamehameha Day Parade in North Kohala, Hawaii — Maiapilo flowers are white when they bloom but turn to pink within 24 hours as they fade.

A Pink Ginger in Hawaii — A pink ginger.

A Bee on pinkhead smartweed in Hawaii — A pink ginger.

Bench with a view

A woman sits on a makeshift bench at Pololu in Hawaii

This rustic bench behind the beach at Pololu is a good spot to just sit and watch the waves.

Posted for Jude’s Bench Challenge (here).

The Numbers Game #75

A Gold Dust Day Gecko drinks from a Bird of Paradise flower.

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

Plantings at the entrance to Lokahi Garden Sanctuary in Hawi.

A white feral kitten with icy blue eyes — A reflective Praying Mantis.

View of Honokohau Harbor from the top road

On the Big Island, Mamalahoa Highway is known as the top road. It’s part of the original road around the island. In the 1970s, the stretch between Kaiwaihae and Kailua Kona was supplemented with a new highway along the coast, known as Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway or Queen K Highway.

Mamalahoa Highway travels father inland, up on the slopes of Hualalai Volcano. When it get towards Kailua Kona, those slopes are steep. It’s a big residential area with spectacular views out towards Maui and the sunset. The downside of the location is that anyone living there needs to make sure the brakes on their vehicles are always in tiptop condition.

Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card. See more responses here.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

A lava breakout from the Kilauea lava flow. — A lava breakout in a flow from Pu’u O’o covers the old coast road, which is now a trail (here).

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

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is the best known park on the island. It covers 354,461 acres, which includes, not just the Kilauea area, but up to the summit of Mauna Loa and down the southwest rift zone of that volcano. The park contains 106 miles of roads and 155 miles of marked trails, many of them well off the beaten track.

I’ve hiked a lot in the park, though I doubt I’ll ever cover all the trails, but these photos are from ones I’ve done with links to the original posts for those interested.

On the Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs Trail (here).

View from Hilina Pali Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park — On the Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs Trail (here).

A low section of Puapo'o lava tube — Puapo’o lava tube is only accessible on a guided tour (here).

The interior of Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. — Puapo’o lava tube is only accessible on a guided tour (here).

Steam rises alongside the Steam Vents trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park — Steaming Bluff on the Crater Rim Trail (here).

Daybreak reveals the onlookers gathered at the Jaggar Museum viewing point. — Steaming Bluff on the Crater Rim Trail (here).

The Puna Coast Trail features colorful lava (here)…

Colored lava on the Ka'u Desert Trail, Hawaii — The Puna Coast Trail features colorful lava (here)…

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

Power line helicopter

A helicopter flies over power lines in Hawaii

I saw this helicopter flying back and forth over these power lines. The power company hires the pilot to check out the lines to spot potential issues that can be fixed before they cause problems. These days, that work is being increasingly turned over to drone operators who can do it at less cost, though not as quickly as the helicopter.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii