2017 Ironman World Championship

The leaders in the 2017 Ironman World Championship approach Hawi.Bike pedals at 2017 Ironman World Championship.Lionel Sanders competes in the 2017 Ironman World Championship.Bentley Walker competes in the 2017 Ironman World Championship.

Yesterday was the Ironman World Championship race on the island. The race, comprising of a 2 mile swim, a 110 mile bike ride, and a running marathon, starts and ends in Kailua Kona. I usually check in with the race in the vicinity of the bike leg turnaround at Hawi.

Top: The race leaders head up the hill toward the turnaround, accompanied by support vehicles, race marshals, and cameramen.

Second photo: Pumping the pedals is hard work, but can be colorful.

Third photo: Lionel Sanders of Canada led the race at this point, but lost the lead before he got back to this spot on the return journey. However, he retook the lead later and only lost it a couple of miles from the marathon finish, to Patrick Lange of Germany.

Fourth photo: Bentley Walker of the United States digs deep approaching the turnaround at Hawi.

Bottom: Like Sanders, Lucy Charles of Great Britain led the women’s race heading toward Hawi, but she, too, ultimately finished second, behind Daniela Ryf of Switzerland. Charles and Lauren Brandon of the United States were well clear of the rest of the women’s field at this point.

The leaders in the women's race in 2017 Ironman World Championship approach Hawi.

Gargantuan blenny

A Gargantuan Blenny rests on a patch of coralA Gargantuan Blenny rests between rocks.

This week’s WordPress photo challenge is on the theme of scale. The idea is to “experiment with placement and scale to show how big (or small) you can feel in a photo.”

These photos don’t do that. It’s not the image that speaks to scale, it’s the name. I mean, this isn’t a big blenny, or a huge blenny, or even a giant blenny. This is a gargantuan blenny. I feel like I should type the word in all caps – GARGANTUAN – to do it justice.

The photos were taken on different days, but in the same area, and it’s probably the same fish. The bright spots are more numerous toward the front and really catch the light in the second photo.

And just how big is this blenny? Typically, they top out at about 7 inches long and this fish was probably about that, but in blenny-world, 7 inches is, well, GARGANTUAN.

Kilauea Iki Crater trail

A group of people, looking very small, walk the trail across Kilauea Iki Craterfloor.A group of people, looking very small, walk the trail across Kilauea Iki Craterfloor.

These views of the trail across Kilauea Iki Crater, taken from the rim of the crater, give some idea of the scale of Kilauea Volcano.

Above, a group of people, looking very small, walk the trail across the crater floor.

To the left, smoke and gases from the active vent in Halema’uma’u Crater can be seen. Halema’uma’u Crater is part of the Kilauea Caldera which is much, much bigger than Kilauea Iki Crater. And, yes, that same group is still visible on the trail in this second photo, along with several others hiking the trail.

For more information about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, go to nps.gov/havo/. For more information about Kilauea Volcano and it’s eruptions, go to hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/history/main.html.

Stick insect

A stick Insect rests on a truck tire

One thing I like about macro photography is that, sometimes, something in the photo gives a twist to the scale of things. This stick insect could be any size, but the tire tread suggests it’s fairly small. Except the tread looks so big and imposing, perhaps it’s a tire on one of those huge earth moving machines, which would make the stick insect a formidable size.

In fact, it’s just a truck tire and if the insect doesn’t move, it will become even more closely acquainted with the treads.

Mini helicopter

A mini-helicopter parked at Upolu Airport.A mini-helicopter takes to the air.

This mini helicopter was parked at Upolu Airport recently. A single seater, it looks like a home-built aircraft. A little while later, I heard a clattering noise and saw it airborne, headed east along the coast.

 

A stump-toed gecko goes for a ride

A Stump-toed gecko on a truck windshield.

For a recent hike, I got up at 4:15 a.m. in order to reach my destination when the gates opened at 6 a.m. I was about 10 minutes into the hour-long drive when I noticed something on the windshield. At first I thought it was a leaf that had lodged itself in the windshield wiper. But then I recognized that it was a gecko.

This isn’t an unusual event. Many times, I’ve been driving in daylight and seen a gecko emerge from under the hood, looking a bit stunned, and flapping in the breeze. In these circumstances, if I were a good person, I’d stop the vehicle, get out, and usher the gecko to safety. The problem is that, for the gecko, safety is usually back under the hood. That means, when I drive off again, I’m likely to see the gecko back on the windshield five minutes later. An hour’s drive could take two.

Sometimes the gecko will head back under the hood or shelter behind a wing mirror. In this case, the gecko hung on where it was. When I stopped at junctions and once, for a longer period, at a traffic light, the gecko stayed put. It says something to the amazing stickability of geckos that I’ve never once seen one flying off into space.

When I reached my destination, it was still there. I got out and took this photo. I’m pretty sure it’s a stump-toed gecko, which is nocturnal. It could also be described as a stunned gecko.

When I returned from my hike, a few hours later, the gecko was gone. It might have jumped off or gone back under the hood. Either way, it did not reappear during the drive home.

 

View from Pu’u Wa’awa’a bench

This bench is one of two on the summit of Puu Waawaa, and this is the view looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains.

Benches are the friend of pedestrians everywhere. One nice feature of the hike up Pu’u Wa’awa’a is that there are several benches where one can not only rest, but also enjoy spectacular views – if the weather cooperates. This bench is one of two on the summit and this is the view looking north toward the coast and the Kohala mountains.