I processed this photo, taken at a fishpond in Mauna Lani, a while ago. For the life of me, I can’t remember why I made two versions. The first is close to the original photo, but I must have produced the second when I was adjusting colors and liked it enough to keep it. I’m not sure I’m as taken with it now as I apparently was then.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Summer.’ See more responses here. Seemed like a beach-related theme worked for this. And at the beach…
A while back I posted (here) about a trash cleanup at Upolu. As part of that process, the people responsible graded the dirt road down to the area, presumably so that trucks could more easily get in to haul away trash.
Paralleling that road, for a short stretch, is another road next to the airport fence. As part of the same operation, some large rocks bordering the road were moved across to block access. I think this was because the road has a low stretch which has become deeply rutted and where water and mud collects.
Shortly after the road was blocked someone moved one of the rocks to allow access. A few days later the rock was moved back. This process happened several times over the next few weeks. The rock that was getting moved back and forth is the one on the right, in the grass, in this photo.
In the latest development, another rock has been dragged across to block the road. The skid marks can be seen in the photo. I suspect this rock was chosen because it has a flat bottom and might be harder to move. I haven’t been down there since this latest development, but I’m keen to see if the game continues. I have no idea why someone has been moving these rocks out of the way, since this road joins the improved one just a quarter mile farther on. Perhaps someone is simply objecting to being prevented from driving where-ever the heck they want to. I expect that’s guaranteed in the constitution somewhere!
Kua Bay is a popular beach park a little way north of Kailua Kona. There’s no car park, so vehicles line the road to the beach. The beach itself is a small, but lovely curve of sand. It’s very popular because of this and its proximity to Kailua Kona. Most people head for the main beach, which tends to get crowded, but one doesn’t have to walk far to find more room.
There’s a lifeguard hut at Kua Bay. The lifeguards get to deal with the result of activities such as those in the photos. The bay can also be somewhat dangerous when there are onshore swells. Body surfers can get slammed against the sandy bottom, causing significant injury and requiring the help of those lifeguards to get out.
When I went down for a swim one day, the water was rough so I stayed on shore and wandered around taking photos. There’s a hollow in a rock that the birds bathe in and I usually check that out. This was the scene on that day.
There are a lot of feral cats in this area, and I suspect that one of the bathing birds was rudely interrupted in its activities.
This boat hoist, on the North Kohala coast, is used to launch small boats off trailers and into the water. I’ve featured it before (here), being engulfed by towering waves. All that salt water has undermined the integrity of the structure, but despite some large holes in the very rusty metal structure, people still launch boats here. All I can say is, I hope those boats are insured.
My homeward commute last evening was extended by this brush fire on Akoni Pule Highway, north of Kawaihae. I heard that the highway was closed before I left work, but thought I’d head that way in the hope that it was a small fire and the road would soon reopen.
When I got closer, I saw a line of flame on the ridge ahead and I knew this wasn’t going to be a short delay. The flames were only on the ocean side of the highway, but the wind, though not strong, was onshore. The road was closed because of the possibility of the flames reaching or even crossing the highway
I couldn’t get much in the way of definitive information. Someone said an hour delay, but this being Hawaii, an hour can easily become three hours. So I bit the bullet, turned around, and headed for Waimea and the Kohala Mountain Road to get home. That was the only alternative. However, it wasn’t that many years ago that the mountain road was the only way in and out of North Kohala, so I can’t complain too much.
I got home around 6 p.m., a good hour later than I would have had the road been open.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Beautiful Beaches.’ See more responses here. Obviously, this was a tricky challenge for me, but I have managed to come up with a few photos!
The top photo shows Green Sand Beach. It’s official name is Papakōlea Beach and the color of the beach is due to an abundance of olivine from the old volcanic cinder cone that borders the beach.
Next we have two black sand beaches. The best known black sand beach on the island is Punaluʻu Beach, which is often referred to simply as Black Sand Beach. However, there are several others. The first of these is Pololu Beach here in North Kohala. The black sand is a result of the breakdown of black lava into smaller pieces. Over time, the grains become as fine as those on white sand beaches.
Pohoiki Beach is the newest such beach on the island, formed by the eruption of 2018. The grains are still a bit coarse, but it’s mind boggling to think that before that eruption, there was basically no beach here at all. Now, as the photo shows, it’s extensive.
Finally, some white sand beaches. Anaeho’omalu Bay Beach, at the south end of Waikoloa Beach Resort, is a curve of sand dotted with palms, a quintessential tropical beach.
Hapuna Beach, farther north, is a regular on lists of best beaches in the U.S.A..
The beach at Spencer Beach Park is a current favorite of mine, a place I like to walk in the early morning before going to work. The sheltered waters, shade trees, and picnic areas make it a favorite with families.
