At the Hilo Orchid Show, the various displays are separated by black-curtained walls. There are a lot of orchids up against these walls, but one or two can be found isolated against this black backdrop. This Paphiopedilum Orchid was one of them, and I think it helped highlight this beautiful orchid.
The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 206. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.
I was at Lapakahi, after a swim, and walked to the lookout there, to see what was happening in the water. As I stood there, a Sonoran Carpenter Bee rumbled towards me and flew back and forth in my vicinity. It was quickly joined by a second bee, coming from the opposite direction.
They weren’t exactly bothering me, but they were persistent, so I took a step or two backwards. This seemed to satisfy one of the bees and I saw it head to one of the wooden rails and disappear. I realized what was going on. I was too close to their homes.
I didn’t have my camera, but got my phone out, located the home of the second bee and took a couple of photos. These female carpenter bees drill tidy holes into any kind of wood to deposit food and lay eggs there.
Eventually, the second bee was satisfied I wasn’t a threat. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to capture her making, dare I say it, a beeline for home!
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘A Taste of Summer.’ See more responses here.
I’m keeping it simple here. My go to summer treat is a dish of strawberry ice cream.
Hawaiian Hogfish are members of the Wrasse family and endemic to Hawaii, though they get their name from a Caribbean relative with a snout like a pig! This fish is a female and probably a younger one, since adult fish tend to live in deeper water.
The name might not be complimentary, but I think the fish is striking, especially in good light.
An early morning view from the Kiholo scenic lookout.
Posted for Bushboy’s Last on the Card challenge. See more responses here.
We’ve reached the end of the month and, with it, the conclusion of this edition of Becky’s Squares (see more responses here). Looks like this is the way out.
This past weekend, my wife and I went to the annual Hilo Orchid Show. There was the usual stunning display of orchids, including this red one. Red orchids are not nearly as plentiful as one might think. White, yellow and purple are the most common colors.
Posted for Becky’s Squares: Simply Red. See more responses here.
Graham's Island 