When I got home from work yesterday afternoon, the sun was shining, the mock orange was blooming, and the bees were busy. So I took some photos, the last one of which was the top one, which is posted in response to Bushboy’s Last on the Card photo challenge (see more responses here).
That photo is unedited for the challenge, but the bottom one shows how I’d edit it, mostly involving a crop to remove some dead space and put the bee in a better place.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Desert or Dessert.’ See more responses here.
I was going to give this week a miss, not having any desert-like photos and not being a food photographer, but then I realized that I’ve never posted anything about an iconic Hawaiian treat, shave ice. Shave ice is actually Japanese in origin, called kakigōri there, and was brought to Hawaii by immigrants during the sugar plantation era.
It’s a fairly simple dessert to make. Thin ice shavings are gathered in a cup and then covered with syrup, usually fruit flavored. The shaved ice remains quite fluffy and absorbs the syrup giving a consistent flavor for the whole dish. This one was a simple strawberry flavor, but a wide variety of flavor combinations can be made with this versatile treat.
Shave ice is very refreshing and I like it, but I confess I’d still plump for ice cream given the choice.
I saw this piglet resting at the edge of the yard. It was clearly enjoying the strip of sunshine between the shadow of the mango tree and the dark sanctuary of a large clump of cane grass. But when you’re one of seven piglets in the litter, you can be pretty sure someone’s going to come along and spoil everything.
I was surprised to see this House Sparrow feeding on this bottlebrush flower. I usually see them snapping up fallen food at outdoor restaurants or squabbling over bird seed thrown out by sympathizers.
Keanuiomano Stream is one of many watercourses on the island that is rainfall dependent. When it rains, it runs. When it’s dry, it doesn’t. The stream starts high on Kohala Mountain, winds down through the western part of Waimea, and reaches the ocean on the northern edge of Mauna Kea Resort. These photos were taken where the stream passes under Highway 19, Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway or Queen K Highway as it is also known.
The top photo was taken as Tropical Storm Darby passed the island. The bottom photo is how the stream usually looks.
A photo taken while snorkeling, looking up toward the light. This one doesn’t look a whole lot different in black and white.
Schools of Whitebar Surgeonfishes are fairly common where I snorkel most. They cruise around rocky areas, feeding on algae. Often they can be seen with other reef fish such as Convict Tangs or Whitespotted Surgeonfish, seen in the background of the lower photo.
Kaulana Manu Nature Trail used to be known as Kipuka 21. A kipuka is an area of land that has been surrounded by lava and the 21 referred to the fact that this one was located at the 21 mile marker of the road across the middle of the island.
It has been renamed Kaulana Manu Nature Trail, presumably to reflect its new grandeur since the trail has been renovated, which is a good thing. However, a new toilet facility and parking lot, featuring space for three large buses, has also been built, which is not necessarily a good thing.
The trail is a one mile loop through a fragile environment, where native endangered birds can sometimes be seen. I’m not clear on how disgorging busloads of people into this area is going to help preserve things. If three buses did arrive, there would be gridlock on the trail, which is narrow and winding.
Fortunately, when I’ve visited, the place has been pretty much deserted. Long may that continue.
Graham's Island 