Tag Archives: Banyans

Hurricane Lala

Hurricane Lala barrelled past Hawaii this past weekend and left a trail of mayhem in its wake. Here on the island, more than 60,000 households, including this one, are without power and there was a good deal of flooding and trees blown down. Our power went out just after midnight on Saturday morning. I took this as a bad sign as only the outer edges of the storm had reached the island at that time. Recent storms have resulted in power outages of a few hours duration. This promised something more lengthy.

Around 9:00 a.m. we lost our cell phone service, meaning we had no idea what was going on and how the storm was progressing. We had to drive several miles down the road to get erratic service. Since we were doing that, we decided to carry on to the South Kohala resort area to get lunch.

The Waimea River running strong during Hurricane Lala — Waimea River in full flow…

We stopped at Mauna Lani to find a tree blocking one lane and the restaurant we were aiming for closed. So we continued on to the restaurant at the theater in Waikoloa. This stretch of the coast was overcast but warm and with barely a breath of wind. When we were done, we headed back north. I wanted to stop at the river by Mauna Kea Resort as I’d seen it was running pretty high. This spot is about 9 miles miles from where we ate. When I pulled over to stop the wind was howling and threatening to blow me into oncoming traffic, which luckily was sparse. I took photos from both sides of the road making sure not to get blown over into the river! When I got back to the car, my wife said she thought it was going to get blown over!

A tree, downed by Hurricane Lala, blocks the road in North Kohala, Hawaii. — A tree down on the way home.

Wind-whipped plants in Hawi, Hawaii, during Hurricane Lala — A tree down on the way home.

On the way back home we found a line of cars and a fallen tree, which luckily just blocked one lane. For the remainder of the day, and much of the night, the wind howled, buffeting the house with strong gusts.

Sunday morning, all was calm again. The storm had mostly passed, trailing some bands of rain with occasional gusty winds. We still had no power or cell service, so I hit the road again to find a signal. At one point, a pole had broken and a line fallen across the road. Cars were backed up, but eventually began to cross the fallen line, which wasn’t a power line, but probably a fiber optic cable.

When I came back from finding a signal, I found a car off the side of the road. The driver had gone a bit too far onto the grass and slid down a slight bank and wasn’t able to get back up as the ground was so slick. Luckily a local truck driver came by and towed him out.

Damage at Puakea Ranch in North Kohala caused by Hurricane Lala — Lots blown down by the wind.

A pole and fiber optic lines down in North Kohala during Hurricane Lala. — Lots blown down by the wind.

Today I learned many other places had it much worse, especially in the south end of the island. Our power is estimated to be restored late Wednesday, but I’m not counting my chickens. In the meantime my posts and respnses will continue to be erratic for a few days.

The Numbers Game #108

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 230. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A ground beetle negotiates rocky ground in Hawaii — A Ground Beetle on the move.

Two Common Waxbills in Hawaii — A Ground Beetle on the move.

A day lily grows in the roots of a banyan tree in Hawaii — A Day Lily growing in a Banyan tree.

Birds bathing in a puddle in Hawaii — A Day Lily growing in a Banyan tree.

The Numbers Game #63

Water surges into a cavern at South Point.

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 184. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Sunset off the coast of North Kohala, Hawaii — Raccoon Butterflyfish in formation.

The Numbers Game #56

A praying mantis drinks from a puddle of water — A Praying Mantis takes a drink of water.

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 177. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A pair of Rosy-faced Love Birds perch on a windsock in Hawaii — A pair of Rosy-faced Lovebirds check the wind.

Pu'uanahulu Baptist Church seen against a backdrop of a blooming jacaranda tree — A pair of Rosy-faced Lovebirds check the wind.

A common waxbill feeds its young — A Common Waxbill feeds its young.

A young Saffron Finch calls for food from its parent in Hawaii — A Common Waxbill feeds its young.

Echo

Signs at the banyan trees in Hawi, Hawaii

If only there was another sign! That would help me understand. Needless to say, people walk their dogs here, or just hang out under the giant Banyan trees, without repercussions. I think the main purpose of the signs is in case someone does themselves a mischief. Then the property owner can claim the miscreants were trespassing.

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Geometric. See more responses here.

The final seven

Seven rings on a manhole cover in Hawaii — A Water Department manhole cover.

The final posted for this month’s Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here. I had some left over and couldn’t decide what to leave out, so I put them all in. Captions on photos.

Seven power lines in Hawaii — Power to the people.

Seven Wind Turbines at Hawi Wind Farm in Hawaii — Power to the people.

Seven Motorbikes parked in Hawi, Hawaii — I saw these, parked under the banyans, on my way to the post office.

Mile marker 7 on Akoni Pule Hwy, Hawaii — I saw these, parked under the banyans, on my way to the post office.

A splash of color

I noticed this Day Lily while I was driving and was moved to return and take some photos. I liked how the flowers stood out in the tangle of roots of a very large Banyan tree.

Hawi

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘In Your Town.’ See more responses here.

I’ve run a couple of Hawi scenes already this past week (here and here) and another earlier in this year (here). But here are a few more scenes from Hawi town.

Kohala Coffee Mill is a social meeting place with coffee, excellent local ice cream, and good food.

Across the street, the Bamboo Restaurant is a popular local restaurant which hosted farmers market stalls during the Covid times (I know, they’re still going on.).

The banyan trees are where the farmers market used to be held every Saturday, and is a popular rendezvous spot. Everyone knows where they are.

Across from the banyans is Nakahara Store, a small local grocery that’s been around a long time.

Hawi is an arty place and some arty types express themselves on their vehicles!

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii