A sailboat runs before the wind in the Alenuihāhā Channel, between the Big Island and Maui.
Not sinking
Mugshots
When I saw these photos of this ram on Pu’u Wa’awa’a, I couldn’t help but think of police mugshots. “OK, look over to the side. Now look at the camera. You’re done. Next!” Except, I think they do the front view first and side view second. Not that I have any firsthand knowledge of the procedure!
Peppered Moray Eel
Peppered Moray Eels live in shallow waters, including tide pools and ponds. My fish book describes them as bold and active, and notes that they will even launch themselves out of the water, onto the rocks, trying to catch crabs, their primary prey.
So it’s somewhat surprising that, while I have probably seen glimpses of this eel, these are the first photos I’ve taken of one. This one was swimming along and, obligingly, continued to do so for a while, without disappearing into a crack or hole.
The other side of the road
I was driving home yesterday and I was struck by a contrasting view. The top photo shows the Keanuiomano Stream running down towards the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway, the main road along the coast from Kailua Kona to the north.
I posted (here) about the river running high a few weeks ago, following the passage of Tropical Storm Calvin. Since then, there’s been a gradual decline in volume, but there’s still a trickle of water and the stream bed is full of pools. This area is popular with the goats, because it’s a good source of water and fodder after rainfall.
Crossing the road, the view is starkly different. The passage of Hurricane Dora triggered strong, dry trade winds. When fires broke out, they spread quickly (here). This view shows the aftermath of one of the relatively small fires, which burned about 500 acres next door to Mauna Kea Resort. The palm trees and houses on the left of the bottom image are part of the resort.
Ironically, when I took river running high photos, I checked out the other side of the highway for possible photos. I didn’t bother taking any, as I couldn’t see much because of the thick vegetation. Now it’s wide open down to the ocean.
Hello, yellow
This month’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge theme is ‘Yellow.’ See more responses here. Once again, I’ve gone for a melange of photos, which sounds edible, but probably isn’t. Captions on the photos.
Flowers and a photo
A friend gave my wife a small bouquet of flowers from the garden. These ended up on a shelf below a print of one of my old photos, and I liked how the colors worked together. This photo also provides evidence that there is at least one snake in Hawaii!
Feeding time
I came across this scene at work, where someone had dropped a spot of jam, or something similar, on the floor of the lanai. As per usual, the ants were onto it in a heartbeat. I like how they arrange themselves, as though they’re at the counter of a diner. Of course, there’s always someone who can’t wait and will clamber over everything to get theirs.
Abstracts: Reflections
Reflections in one of the golden pools at Keawaiki.
Graham's Island 