This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Images Inspired by Favorite Song Lyrics.’ See more responses here.
Day two of this theme response is a photo that fits three quite different songs I like: Mountain’s Nantucket Sleighride, 10cc and their classic Art for Art’s Sake, and Steeleye Span with Let Her Go Down, even though this is a track that doesn’t feature the distinctive voice of Maddy Prior.
I saw these ruddy turnstones, picking through the grass at one end of Upolu Airport, when they suddenly they took to the air and wheeled away toward the ocean.
This building at Spencer Beach Park is typical of how structures were built here in days gone by. A post and pier foundation raised it off the ground, keeping it relatively free from ground crawling bugs and improving air circulation around and into the building. Single board walls and single pane windows were the norm – not much need for insulation here. And it’s all topped by a corrugated iron roof.
This one has fallen into disrepair however, though it’s possible it’s still used for storage of some kind. Time, or a big storm, are likely to end even that option.
An early morning view of Hualalai Volcano from Kawaihae Harbor.
This is an early morning view of smoke from a brush fire burning south of Waimea. The fire started on Friday morning and high winds, up to 40 mph, caused it to grow rapidly. On Saturday, 8,000 acres were reported burned by noon and 12,000 acres at 5 pm. Sunday morning, at 11 am, that figure had jumped to 36,000 acres and by 1:30 pm was around 40,000 acres.
The fire jumped Highway 190 on Sunday afternoon, prompting an evacuation order for Waikoloa Village, a community with more than 6,000 residents. This order was later lifted as conditions changed and the immediate threat to the community eased.
As of Monday evening, the fire, while not fully contained, had at least been brought somewhat under control and its surge stopped, though a renewal of high winds could easily change all that.
Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card photo challenge. See more responses here.
Evidence that the time-honored tradition of carving names into tree trunks is still as popular as ever.
Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees.’ See more responses here.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Geometric–explore various angles.’ I’ve focused more on the ‘various angles’ than the geometric.
Ohia trees (Metrosideros polymorpha) are endemic to Hawaii and the flower of these trees is the official flower of the Big Island. Depending on growing conditions, ohias can vary from ground hugging shrubs to 50 foot trees. They grow at sea level and at elevations up to 8,000 feet. They’re probably most noted for two things. One is their brilliant display of flowers. The other is that they’re usually the first plants to recolonize lava flows.
They grow in lava is because their roots reach down into lava tubes and tap into the moisture available there. But ohia can also put out aerial roots to gather moisture. They’re very flexible in this way.
The puffball flowers are actually clusters of flowers. Each flower is made up of a bunch of stamens (the male part of the flower) and a single pistil (the female part) which is thicker and longer than the stamens. When the flowers have been pollinated, the stamens fall away until only the pistil remains. This too will disappear as the calyx, where the seeds are found, develops. Eventually, the calyx will dry out and release the tiny mature seeds, to be dispersed by the winds, and hopefully grow into new ohia trees.
Also posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees.’ See more responses here.
A tangle of branches can be found on this scenic tree on the North Kohala coast.
Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees.’ See more responses here.
