Barbecue

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Taste.’ See more responses here.

In Hawaii, cooking outdoors is an everyday affair. Some houses have their kitchens outside. Others, with kitchens inside, have a secondary setup on the lanai (deck) for outdoor cooking. And of course when we’re talking outdoor cooking, we’re talking barbecue. Most days, when I’m out and about, I’ll catch a scent on the air and think, ‘Oh, someone’s cooking something good.’

This photo was from a simple lunchtime barbecue and, yes, it did taste good.

The ocean doesn’t want me

I came across this little scene on an early morning walk around Kiholo Bay. I looked around. There was no one in the water, no one visible on land. The gear appeared to be abandoned. But all I could think of was a Tom Waits song, The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me, and in particular the line in it, ‘All they will find is my beer and my shirt.’ The shirt is there, and this is Hawaii – no one’s leaving their beer behind.

Posted in response to this week’s Friendly Friday challenge on the theme of ‘Abandoned.’ See more responses here.

Signs: No parking

I was going to title this, ‘Unclear on the concept,’ but decided not to comment in that way. It’s possible the two drivers didn’t see the sign, or saw it and didn’t care. Either way, they have a reasonable chance of getting away with it. This isn’t a heavily policed area, and even if a cop goes by, there’s a fair chance they’d simply ignore the transgression. The most likely case for something happening is if one of the people who lives in the vicinity complains.

The sign is at the top of a busy trail down to the Captain Cook Monument. A redesign of the road junction nearby created new parking opportunities and this has resulted in a surge in people using the trail. With more use, word gets out and soon the trail will be overused, the shoreline around the monument littered with trash, and the waters and coral in the bay damaged and degraded.

Not that this is the fault of these two drivers, but since they’re clearly breaking the law, let’s blame them for everything anyway.

Psamatodes abydata moth

The psamatodes abydata moth is also known as macaria abydata. Its common name is dot-lined angle moth. The moth was first introduced into Hawaii in 1970 and became established on all the main islands by 1984.

This one was perched on the window of a vehicle, giving it that splendid blue background and cool reflections.

Whitemouth moray eel in a tight spot

Whitemouth moray eels can squeeze into the tightest spots on the reef and are often seen with just the head sticking out. They’re easy to identify with their bright white mouths, which they’re constantly opening and closing. While this activity looks somewhat menacing, they’re actually forcing water over their gills in order to breathe. That’s not to say that, if you waggle your finger in the face of an eel, it won’t bite it off so, as with most creatures in the water, it’s best to keep at a reasonable distance and be respectful of them.

Two geckos

These two gold dust day geckos share the same expression as they gaze up at the interloper looking down at them. It’s not unusual for plants to harbor several geckos. Sometimes this results in turf wars, but mostly they seem to tolerate each other, once the pecking order has been established.

Posted in response to this week’s Sunday Stills challenge on the theme of ‘Creatures and Critters.’ See more responses here.