A refreshing G&T

A glass of gin and tonic
A glass of gin and tonic

This was going to be my response to this week’s Sunday Stills challenge on the theme of ‘Refreshing,’ but then the theme changed!

Still, I like the photos which came about after a Kona wind, from the southwest, set in this past week and it got hot and muggy. After a few days of that I thought a gin and tonic sounded like a good idea.

There was a time when I made G&Ts in tall glasses, but not any more. The problem is that the drink is so refreshing and easy to drink that it disappears fast. Refills go the same way. These days I’m a one-and-done man. Ice, gin, tonic, and a slice of lime are all that’s needed. Well, that and some moderation.

Beach Vitex

A Vitex rotundifolia plant and flowers
Vitex rotundifolia flowers

Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) is a shrub native to Hawaii along with much of the rest of the Pacific. In Hawaii, it’s known as Pohinahina amongst other names. It’s very tolerant of salt, heat and wind, and thrives in coastal areas.

Arc-eye Hawkfish

An Arc-eye Hawkfish waits in coral in the waters off Hawaii
An Arc-eye Hawkfish waits in dead coral in the waters off Hawaii

Arc-eye Hawkfishes come in two color variations. The top photo shows one that is reddish tan with a white stripe on the side. The bottom photo shows a fish that is a darker brown with no white stripe.

According to my fish book, John P. Hoover’s The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals, the white stripe coloring is most common in deeper water where the coral is spaced farther apart. In shallower water, where the coral colonies are closer together, the darker coloring predominates. However, both these photos were taken in shallow water so it’s not an either/or situation.

As happy as …

A wild pig looks for food in a cow pie

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘What’s That Aroma?’ See more responses here. Well, for this theme I just couldn’t get past this photo I took a while ago.

I spotted this wild pig in a cow pasture, burrowing into exactly what you think that’s likely to be in a cow pasture. But it’s not just the pig’s dinner that’s aromatic, the pigs do too. When they go by the bedroom window at night, I sometimes hear them, but I’m almost always alerted to their presence by the aroma, which is pungent enough to prompt an immediate, ‘What is that smell?’