Our big storm of a couple of weeks ago moved down from the northwest, from Kauai through Oahu and Maui to the Big Island. This view was taken one morning when the storm had enveloped Maui but not yet reached us. It wasn’t until late that same afternoon that the skies changed from blue to gray and black and the deluge began.
Not the greatest photo, I know, but when I saw this bird flying off the North Kohala coast I knew it was something I hadn’t seen before.
It’s a Laysan albatross, more often seen on Kaua’i and O’ahu, but also on other Hawaiian islands. This wide-ranging traveler can cover a couple of thousand miles or more as it searches the Pacific for food.
I was on my way to work one morning when I noticed the sailboat in the top image. The array of white sails caught the early morning sun and stood out against the deep blue water. I pulled over, took this photo and headed on in to work.
I saw later that the boat had anchored in Kawaihae harbor, so on my way home I stopped by to check it out. The SSV Makani Olu is a three-masted staysail schooner (SSV stands for Sailing School Vessel), and is used as a training vessel for various programs run by Marimed Foundation. The boat is based at Kaneohe Bay, on the east coast of Oahu.
In the photo to the right, the boat appears to be four-masted, but that’s just because the mast of the boat behind it lined up perfectly.
For more information about SSV Makani Olu and Marimed Foundation, go to marimed.org.
One quirk of living in Hawaii is that it’s not unusual for people to have to fly for medical treatment. There aren’t a lot of specialists on the Big Island. Typically, they’ll visit once or twice a month. But the bigger issue is that expensive pieces of medical equipment are mostly on Oahu. Need an MRI? You might have to go to Honolulu.
For scheduled appointments, people generally take commercial flights, but some conditions, and most medical emergencies, require a medivac flight.
Upolu Airport, which is basically a runway with few facilities, is used by these medivac aircraft on a regular, if not frequent basis. These photos are of one such plane awaiting a patient, then heading down the runway and into the air, bound for Honolulu.
The front of the Hawaii Electric Building in Honolulu features these decorated columns.
Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge ‘Twisted.’
More lines from downtown Honolulu buildings, this time complimented by the lines of the window washers as they work their way down the building. When I look at the top photo, I think of a filing cabinet. Something to do with the solid face on the left with just the little ‘handles.’
Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge ‘Lines.’
These three buildings in downtown Honolulu look, to me, like an architect’s drawing, all mirrored glass and carefully rendered lines. “Picture yourself living in the heart of downtown Honolulu, in a luxury apartment with its own private balcony.” Aaaargh.
Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge ‘Lines.’
When I was out walking in downtown Honolulu, I came across this scene. Someone had had turned on a hose up the street and the ensuing temporary river caused an instant influx of this hoard of white king pigeons.
I particularly like the presence of the Oahu Nature Tours bus in the background with its 924-BIRD phone number. Pretty easy work. Just pull the bus over, turn on a tap, and ‘Voilà.’
Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge ‘Prolific.’
Graham's Island 