I saw this Erckel’s Francolin walking up an angled tree trunk on the side of Mauna Kea. It got to the spot in the top photo, had a look around, and then walked back down again. Francolins prefer to walk everywhere because, being game birds, they know that when they take wing, people try and shoot them.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Pets and Playgrounds.’ See more responses here. I’ve gone for the playgrounds part of this since I don’t have pets, unless you count the rat in the attic!
As you might expect, I’ve managed to find seven photos with nary a single human at play in them. Most of the photos were taken at Kamehameha Park in Kapaau. However, I also stopped to take photos at a park in Waimea because I thought it was deserted, but I discovered there were a few kids with parents there. So I was careful lining up my photos. These days, an older guy taking photos in a kids’ park stands a good chance of being arrested or shot!
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
Whether coating the forest floor, or cloaking tree trunks, the abundance of moss alongside the Pu’u O’o Trail, off Saddle Road, always reminds me of the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for 30 years, before moving to Hawaii.
This photo tells you all you need to know abut the winds up here in North Kohala. It also says a lot about the cattle pastures here. Many are currently overrun by weeds of one kind or another thanks to an ongoing cycle of droughts and rain.
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.
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.
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.
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.
