Category Archives: Scenes

Green-spored Parasol Mushroom

I was driving home from my afternoon walk at Upolu, when I saw this mushroom by the side of the road. It was hard to miss, though I apparently managed that on my way down. I had to stop and spend a little time on hands and knees, getting photos.

While I was doing that, the rusty little wheels in my head started grinding and it occurred to me that the mushroom must be around seven inches in diameter. So I got my tape measure from the car, and it turned out to be exactly that.

It’s a Green-spored Parasol Mushroom (Chlorophyllum molybdites), and goes by several other names including Vomiter! Wikipedia calls it ‘the most commonly misidentified poisonous mushroom in North America,’ because its similar to some edible mushrooms.

Even the rusty little wheels knew chopping it into my next scramble wasn’t a great idea.

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

Rainbows

When Becky’s announced her theme for this month’s Squares as Seven (See more responses here), rainbows were one of the first things I thought of. So here’s two for the price of one. Sadly, that’s not a pot of gold between the ends of them. It’s just a rock.

The Numbers Game #37

The SSV Makani Olu sailing off the Kohala coast in Hawaii — The SSV Makani Olu sailing off the Kohala coast.

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

Also, seven photos posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

A Nene at just the right spot in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Colorful lava on the Puna Coast Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Playground equipment in Kapaau Hawaii — Colorful lava on the Puna Coast Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Square

Methods of payment at a store in Hawi, Hawaii

A sticker on the door of a store in Hawi.

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

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

A square deal for bugs

A Seven-spotted ladybug on a leaf in Hawaii — A Seven-spotted Lady Beetle pauses on a leaf.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘All about bugs.’ See more responses here.

Also posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

Ants and aphids on a crown flower leaf in Hawaii — Ants farming aphids on a Hawaiian Crown Flower leaf.

A Black Soldier Fly in Hawaii — Ants farming aphids on a Hawaiian Crown Flower leaf.

The bugs in the next gallery were all on the same Monstera leaf, which had accumulated falling flowers from a palm tree.

A Fly in Hawaii — A Scholastes bimaculatus fly rummaging in the flowers.

A Banana Stalk Fly in Hawaii — A Scholastes bimaculatus fly rummaging in the flowers.

Pueo, on the way to work

A Pueo, or Hawaiian Short-eared Owl, perches on a rock in North Kohala

I was on my way to work yesterday, whizzing along only a smidge over the speed limit, when I noticed a familiar image out of the corner of my eye. ‘That’s a Pueo,’ I thought. It was standing on a rock alongside the highway. By the time the thought registered, I was past it, so I drove on a bit until I could turn around and head back.

Sure enough, on my return, the bird was standing in the same place. I stopped a little way beyond it, got out, and snapped the photo above. The Pueo started watching me the moment I got out of the car and, as I edged towards it, it took off and disappeared toward the ocean.

I crossed the road to the spot where it had been perched, then walked a bit farther to get a view down the gully it had disappeared into. I didn’t really expect to see it again, but then I spotted it, clamped to a tree branch, head swiveling 360° as it searched for breakfast. It spotted something, took off in pursuit, and glided from view behind some trees.

I see Pueos occasionally on this stretch of road, but always in flight, usually passing in front of my car at windshield level, which makes me cringe. This is the first time I’ve seen one perched here as this one was.

A Pueo, or Hawaiian Short-eared Owl, perches on a branch in North Kohala

Still temporarily closed

This sign has been in place, near the Old Coastguard Station in North Kohala, since I moved here. That was 12 years ago. But the sign was put in place six years earlier than that, after an earthquake caused the cliff, traversed by the trail, to slide into the sea.

The trail is the Ala Kahakai trail, a modern rendition of the network of trails used by the early Hawaiians. 175 miles long, it stretches from the northern tip of the island, down the west coast, and along the south coast through Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Segments of the trail are open to the public; other parts cross private property and are not yet accessible.

This ‘temporarily closed’ segment crosses the cliff frontage of a gated community. Rerouting the trail will require the cooperation of community residents impacted by moving the trail. This hasn’t happened yet.

I reckon the most likely change in this situation, that I might see in my lifetime, is that the sign will fall down. Replacing it could take several years!

The Numbers Game #36

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

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii