Late afternoon sun shines on the ocean and a small fishing boat off the Big Island.
Category Archives: Places
Black-crowned night heron in flight
I find the flight of birds very graceful. This juvenile black-crowned night heron was mostly statuesque while fishing in the shallows, but every so often it took flight to relocate, gliding over turbulent waters.
Pink rocks
Sea water surges amongst pink rocks on the Kohala coast. The coloration is due to algae growth.
The Painted Church at Honaunau
I’m not a religious person, but I’ve always enjoyed visiting churches. I grew up in England and the stone churches had a calm ambience with cool, quiet interiors. Usually, there was some feature of note, even in the smallest church – carvings on the pew ends, a font dating from Norman times, the tomb of some ancient notable under the floor.
The Painted Church at Honaunau, on the Big Island, is different from those churches, more fitting to its setting. A wooden structure, it dates back to 1899. Father John Velghe moved much of a previous structure to its present site and had it repaired and added to. A self-taught artist, he then painted the interior including several scenes from the bible on the walls.
What I like is how colorful the interior is, with a real tropical feel. But it too has that stillness that I associate with churches and an ambience all its own.
For more information about the Painted Church at Honaunau, go to thepaintedchurch.org.
King Kamehameha’s birthplace
At Kapakai Kokoiki Heiau in North Kohala, not far from Mo’okini Heiau (which can be seen on the hill in the background), stands this sign. Kamehameha Akāhi ‘Āina Hānau loosely translates as the birthplace of Kamehameha I. He was born here around 1736. The exact date isn’t known, with some accounts placing it as late as 1758. Known as Kamehameha the Great, he was the king who fulfilled Hawaiian prophecies and united the Hawaiian islands for the first time in 1810.
He was succeeded by four others in his family who took the name Kamehameha, so the name is in the forefront of Hawaiian history. In present day life it occurs in numerous ways. There’s Kamehameha Day, a state holiday, which celebrates his birth. Kamehameha Schools is an private school system with extensive land holdings on the Big Island and elsewhere. Hotels and other businesses sport the name. A fair number of them will be located on Kamehameha Street, Road, Highway, Avenue, or Boulevard.
In short, the name Kamehameha is still an integral and important part of everyday Hawaiian life.
Mauna Kea’s winter wonderland
The past few weeks have been very wet on the Big Island with moisture-laden systems sweeping through from the south as well as the usual northeast. As a result, both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa have received generous amounts of snow. This view is taken from the relative warmth of the Kohala coast.
Ruddy turnstones
Ruddy turnstones get their name from their red legs and their feeding habit of turning over rocks in search of invertebrates. This group was mostly resting and grooming near the water’s edge. In the foreground is a Pacific golden plover.
Morinda citrifolia
Morinda citrifolia is also known as Noni or Indian Mulberry. The flowers generally have 5 lobes, but this can vary, as this plant shows. The flowers emerge from what will become the fruit, which will end up white or yellowish.
The fruit is edible and used for medicinal purposes, but usually in a juiced form. There’s a good reason for this. As is noted on Wildlife of Hawaii’s plant page, “The ripe, white fruit has a nauseatingly bad smell, very much like fresh vomit mixed with rancid garbage. Avoid smelling it if you have a weak stomach.” Duly noted!
This plant was next to one of the Golden Ponds of Keawaiki.
Graham's Island 