Category Archives: Places

Moon Valley

This plant, with the splendid foliage, is Pilea Mollis or Pilea involucrata and is a member of the Urticaceae or nettle family. It hails from the West Indies and is also known as the friendship plant because it easily propagates from cuttings.

Saddle Road corral

As old Saddle Road winds upward from Waimea it passes through ranch land. This corral is clearly a going concern as evidenced by the loading ramps and surrounding fencing, but my eye is always drawn to the weathered ‘Delta Line’ structure. I’m not sure what it once was or what its purpose is now, but it appears to be in regular use.

Besides cattle, this is a good area to see pueo, the endemic Hawaiian short-eared owl.

Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau ki’i

These weathered wooden ki’i stand outside Hale o Keawe at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. They represent Hawaiian gods.

For more information about Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm.

Alakaha Ramp bench

At the top of the Alakaha Ramp, on the 1871 Trail from Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park to Ho’okena, is this little weathered bench. It offers shade and a lovely view to the north, the point of land being the park.

For more information about the 1871 Trail, and other hikes on the Big Island, go to bigislandhikes.com.

For more information about Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm.

Abstracts: Koi in Lily Lake

Lily Lake, in the grounds of Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, is a tranquil spot which I particularly enjoy for the reflections it provides. On my last visit, the koi in the lake made an appearance and added to the spectacle. As I moved back and forth, on the walkway alongside the lake, the koi followed, clearly hoping I was about to throw a little food their way.

For more information about Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, go to htbg.com.

Kawaihae lights

Kawaihae is the main commercial port on the west side of the Big Island. The inter-island barge visits regularly as well as commercial container ships. Here the lights of the port take effect as the sun goes down.

Little fish hoping to grow

Along the Kona coast, there are several ponds a little way inshore. These are anchialine ponds containing a mix of freshwater and saltwater. The freshwater comes from a mix of rain, runoff, and the occasional spring. The saltwater intrudes from cracks in the lava.

These ponds often harbor a mix of wildlife from birds and bugs to the tiny fish in this photo. I’m not sure what these fish are, in one such pond at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, but the ponds offer a relatively safe place to start out life. However, they will need to make their way to the sea before they grow too big to escape the pond. Once there, survival will become a chancier thing.

For more information about Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, go to bigislandhikes.com/kaloko-honokohau-park/.

Zygonisia cynosure orchid

In Hawaii, plants grow year-round so there is no ‘spring’ where the first new growth sprouts from the ground. But there are still seasons, times when certain plants come into bloom and then seed. This is one of several reasons why I like revisiting Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, north of Hilo. There’s always something new to see by visiting at different times of year.

On my most recent visit, I found this orchid, Zygonisia Cynosure ‘Blue Birds,’ blooming. It is, apparently, about as close as it gets to a blue orchid. It does have a certain ethereal quality about it.