Category Archives: Places

Mauna Loa erupts

Yesterday, my morning commute was enlivened by the sight of Mauna Loa erupting. The eruption started late Sunday night and the report I read, before leaving home, said the eruption was currently confined to the summit crater. That clearly wasn’t the case when I took these photos on the way to work. The quality isn’t great because they’re hand-held, but I think they illustrate the scene reasonably well.

In the top two photos, the red smoke is the glow of the lava, but the white/yellow bits are the lava itself. This was a flow moving down the slope of the volcano.

By the time I got to work, the sky was lightening but the lava still stood out. In the bottom photo, Mauna Kea is left center, with a stunning sunrise developing behind it. Mauna Loa is on the right and the activity can clearly be seen on the left (northeast) slope of the volcano, some way down from the summit.

When I got home, I read that three vents had opened on the northeast rift zone of the volcano, though only one was still active. Flows from Mauna Loa can reach the ocean in a matter of hours, depending on where they’re coming from and going to. This flow is currently heading towards the saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, which is mostly a military training area and undeveloped land. The main current danger is from gasses and Pele’s hair, thin strands of brittle volcanic glass, being carried from the volcano to communities downwind. However, new vents could open farther down the rift, bringing lava closer to human habitation.

Changes in eruptions on Mauna Loa can happen pretty quickly so, as usual, the advice here is be prepared and keep tuned to updates on the situation.

Hawi murals

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

I took the opportunity to revisit the murals surrounding a courtyard in downtown Hawi. I’ve posted a couple of inmages before, here and here, but there are others that certainly can be described as vivid.

The bottom one is one I featured a couple of years ago (here) as a work in progress. I’m still not sure whether this is the finished article. I suspect some of those white areas on the right will get more detail one of these days.

Also posted for Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

And rest

A Bench overlooking Honokane Nui Valley on the Big Island Hawaii

This month’s Becky’s Squares theme is “Walking” (See more responses here). But when you’re out walking, it’s nice to find a place to stop and sit a while. I’ve posted before (here) about this bench overlooking Honokane Nui Valley, but only shown the fabulous view along the coast. This view up the valleys is equally good in my book.

Halema’uma’u trail and crater

A view of Halemaumau Crater at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Recently, for this month’s Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here), I’ve been posting some local walks. Today, I thought I’d revisit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and one of my current favorite trails there.

The top photo is taken from the Byron Ledge trail which crosses the edge of the Kilauea Caldera to join the Halema’uma’u trail. From this junction, the original Halema’uma’u trail traverses the caldera to the edge of Halema’uma’u Crater. That trail has been closed since 2008 because the volcano has been, and currently still is, erupting there. Kilauea Caldera is large and the eruption is two miles from the trail in the top photo, but I always get a bit of a tingle from walking across the caldera floor so close to volcanic activity.

That’s not the only reason I like this trail though. It arrives at the caldera floor by winding down from the rim though some lovely tropical foliage and a moss-covered cutting through rocks that I always stop and photograph even though it doesn’t change from one visit to the next.

A section of Halema'uma'u Trail at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

For more information about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, go to nps.gov/havo/.

Nothing special

The coastline below Upolu Airport in Hawaii

My usual walk around Upolu Airport is about a three mile loop. A few days ago, I was about halfway around and I hadn’t seen much of anything. No cattle or horses, no butterflies or bugs, few birds, and nothing in the water – no turtles, whales, or monk seals. And I thought, ‘Nothing special today.’

Then I looked out over the blue water under blue skies, waves splashing against the shore, and a light breeze moderating an otherwise hot day, and I thought, ‘Even nothing special isn’t half bad.’

Posted for Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

How now brown cow?

This week’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge is ‘Leather (shades of brown).’ See more responses here.

This seemed an appropriate topic for some cattle photos, taken on my walks at Upolu and Pu’u Wa’a Wa’a. And, yes, not all of them are cows!

Also posted for Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

Chocolate orchids

A chocolate-scented oncidium orchid Sharry Baby

On my last walk around Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden I saw this Oncidium Orchid, which goes by the name of Sharry Baby. I’ve seen this before, but this was the first time I’ve noted the feature it’s most renowned for, which is its strong chocolate scent. It was really quite remarkable, but I restrained myself from ripping the flowers off and chewing them there and then.

Posted for Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.

Scary head

A sculpture of a head seen from the coast path in front of Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii

When I was walking along the coast toward Hapuna Beach recently (post here) I came around one corner of the trail and saw this top photo. Luckily, it was broad daylight, because if it was dark, I would have screamed and run.

This head had a little friend, and the two of them reminded me of a British sci-fi horror movie from the 60s called Village of the Damned.

It was a peculiar scene, not just because of the subjects, but because these sculptures, along with a couple of others, are only visible from the trail. And they can’t be approached because there are some old Hawaiian ruins in this area. It’s like they’ve been banished into this twilight zone and they’re not happy about it!

Posted for Becky’s Squares theme of “Walking” (See more responses here).

A sculpture of two heads seen from the coast path in front of Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii

Category Archives: Places

Mauna Loa erupts

Hawi murals

And rest

Halema’uma’u trail and crater

Nothing special

How now brown cow?

Chocolate orchids

Scary head