I like old signs like this one on the South Kohala coast. These coastal dirt roads can get a lot of traffic from people fishing or just off-roading so that’s probably why the gate was put in. However, I didn’t see much in the way of vehicles or people when I was there.
I saw this anole down at Honokohau Harbor in Kailua Kona. It was asserting its rights to a patch of territory there, though it didn’t look particularly promising as far as harboring much in the way of food. It’s also an area that tends to be thick with house sparrows, hanging around to snag leftover French fries at the Harbor House restaurant, which is where these photos were taken from.
I like going for an early morning walk at Spencer Beach Park when I get the chance. Recently, I was down there the morning after a full moon. The moon was out and it was a tranquil morning, which set me up for the hustle and bustle of the day ahead.
Recently, for some reason, a couple of yellow-billed cardinals have taken a liking to my car. I thought they were attracted to their reflections in the mirrors, though I later realized it was their reflections in the windows that they noticed more.
The downside of their activities was the all bird poop I had to clean off the side of the cart. So I decided I needed a deterrent. It seems to work. At least I haven’t seen them since!
June 11 was King Kamehameha Day in Hawaii, celebrating the birthday of the king who first united the Hawaiian Islands under one rule. The day is marked by parades and ceremonies in several places, including here in North Kohala, which is where King Kamehameha was born. The past couple of years, the ceremonies didn’t take place because of Covid restrictions, so this year’s event was the first since then.
I was working on the day, but after work I stopped by to see his statue, which was draped in leis during the ceremonies. It seemed like there was even more floral decoration this year than in previous events, making for a colorful spectacle. But even more striking than the color was the wonderful aroma from the profusion of plumeria flowers in the leis.
The leis are left in place for two or three days before they’re removed. Even when I was there on the first day, some of the flowers were starting to wilt.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Again the Solstice.’ See more responses here. I didn’t have any good ideas for illustrating the solstice so, instead, plumped for photos taken on the solstice.
The top photo, I’ve run before in 2019, but who doesn’t love a grumpy cat? The second photo, from 2021, is of a royal palm amongst other tropical foliage. These palms can grow to 70 feet tall and look very stately when planted in a row. This one was quite a bit smaller.
The bottom two photos show a Fiery Skipper butterfly on a Mesembryathemum flower in 2020, and a Pacific Day Octopus hunting in the company of a goatfish back in 2018.
The current Friendly Friday challenge theme is ‘Green.’ See more responses here. These photos are from a recent encounter with an Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle.
I was snorkeling over a shallow area when this turtle rose up from the deeper water beyond. I reached the edge of the shallows at about the same time as the turtle which slipped below me, between me and the rocks, before disappearing in the direction I’d come from.
Adult turtles mostly eat algae and sea grasses, which turns their fat green, hence the name.
It’s not unusual to see offerings of one sort or another at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. These flowers were on the edge of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, scene of the current eruption. In Hawaiian tradition, Halemaʻumaʻu Crater is considered to be home of Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes.
For more information about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, go to nps.gov/havo/.
Graham's Island 