Category Archives: Places

Three views of a Milo flower

A view of a milo flower in Hawaii
A view of a milo flower in Hawaii
A view of a milo flower in Hawaii

I saw this Milo (Thespesia populnea) flower during a walk on the South Kohala coast and liked the different views it afforded. Milo is a canoe plant, brought to Hawaii by Polynesian settlers. It’s similar to another canoe plant, Hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus), but Milo is more of a tree and has different shaped leaves, pointed as opposed to heart-shaped.

Better Days: Abandoned car

An abandoned car in Hawaii
An abandoned car in Hawaii

I saw this car abandoned at Upolu Airport. The pink sticker on the window is a police notice that the car will be impounded if it isn’t moved. But I liked the fact that the seat behind it holds several car parts boxes. Presumably the parts were tried, but failed to restore life to the car.

I also liked the little ‘Arf!’ sticker on the front. I hope the owner takes better care of the dog than they did the car.

An abandoned car in Hawaii

Circus in town?

Houses in Hawaii being tented for termites
Houses in Hawaii being tented for termites

The neighboring property to where I live has recently been sold. There are five rental houses on it and the new owner, wisely, decided to have them tented for termites.

When I saw the colorful tents going up I walked over to take photos. One of the tenants was there and we started talking about the process and, almost simultaneously said, “It looks like a circus.”

And it really does look like that, though the second photo suggests it’s one of those circuses with very scary clowns.

Houses in Hawaii being tented for termites

Buddha statue

A Buddha statue on the Kohala Coast in Hawaii

On the South Kohala coast, in front of the Hilton resort, there are several statues, including this Buddha statue. There are a couple of benches facing the statue for those who want to spend some time in quiet contemplation, but one could easily sit the other way, facing out to sea, and feel equally blessed.

Do not disturb

Two cows in a field in Hawaii

When I first saw these two cows it was from the rear, looking into the sun (bottom photo). I thought it would make a nice photo if I could sneak past without disturbing them and get a photo from the front.

So I ambled along, trying not to provoke their interest and made it to a point where I had the sun at my back and a decent view of them. The only problem was, to get a clear shot I had to scramble up a bank and arrive at a spot where my view wasn’t blocked by another cow.

I gave it a good go, but just as I set up to take a photo, the one cow stirred. Still, I quite like the photo for the expressions. I had it tagged as two cows, but looking at the one on the right I’m not sure that’s the case and I certainly wasn’t about to scramble over the fence to see if I was right.

Two cows in a field in Hawaii

Signs: Banana Leaf Coffee & Tea

A sign for the Banana Leaf Coffee & Tea shop in Hawi, Hawaii

Back in the early Covid days, work began on converting a space in downtown Hawi for Banana Leaf Coffee & Tea. I was interested in the project from the start. For one thing, it seemed not the best timing given that the number of visitors to Hawaii was hovering around zero with little prospect for change. Also, the location for this enterprise is across the street from Kohala Coffee Mill, a very popular stop for visitors and locals alike.

The project chugged along and seemed to be close to completion when this sign went up. But in the months since then, not much has happened. The building appears ready to go but the business hasn’t opened. I suspect it never will and one day I’ll be driving by and notice the sign has gone.

That’s a pity. I quite like the sign, in part because when I first saw it, my immediate reaction was, “Mmmm, jelly beans.”