Tag Archives: Sunday Stills

First visit to Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Meaningful Memories.’ See more responses here.

This seemed like an opportune time to revisit my first visit to Hawaii, back in 2010. My wife and I stayed in a vacation rental near Captain Cook, overlooking Kealakekua Bay. The sky was hazy with vog from Kilauea Volcano, but the place was awash with colorful flowers. Just down the road was the Painted Church and at the foot of the hill, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park celebrates Hawaiian culture and history with its wooden ki’i and towering palms.

We traveled the whole island from the black sand beach at Pololu (even if we had to pass the carcass of a dead whale twice) to the black sand beach at Punalu’u, dotted with resting green turtles, and rocky surrounds. There were waterfalls big and small, and roads lined with tropical foliage leading to the active lava flow at that time.

There, signs warned that flowing lava is dangerous (who knew?), but we were still able to get within 10 feet of oozing tongues of red, and saw small fires still burning in nearby brush.

There was even a house for sale: ‘Buy now before it burns!’ We didn’t, though that house still stands while others, much farther from that scene, have since been consumed by subsequent flows.

It was this visit that prompted us to return permanently two years later. Hawaii isn’t paradise – it has its pros and cons like any place – but we haven’t regretted the move and are looking forward to the next 10 years.

Fresh tangerine juice

Tangerines on a tree in Hawaii
Tangerines from a tree in Hawaii
Tangerine fruit juice

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Fresh.’ See more responses here.

Here’s a weekly ritual of mine these days. There are two tangerine trees on the property and they constantly churn out fruit. I rarely see the flowers, though I did eventually notice that they do exist (here).

Each week, I pick a small bucket of ripe fruit. Often I can just reach up an pick enough for my needs. Sometimes I use a ladder and rake to snag the higher fruits. Then I take my bounty inside and juice it. I use a hand juicer; I tried a powered one, but it didn’t really work for me. It doesn’t take long to fill my jar. This time I used 29 tangerines, but the number varies from week to week depending on how ripe they are and how juicy.

I could juice them daily for truly fresh juice, but this still tastes pretty good to me.

Also posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

The Big Galoot

A house gecko in Hawaii

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

Since I don’t have a regular pet, the next best thing would be The Big Galoot, our resident House Gecko. He (or possibly she) has been the dominant gecko in the house for several weeks now. House Geckos are nocturnal, but The Big Galoot does not seem to have seen that memo. He makes appearances at any time of day.

Nocturnal geckos tend to be very shy. If they’re caught out in the open, they scoot to shelter. This appears to be another memo missed by The Big Galoot. When I see him, he tends to remain in place and looks at me with a puzzled expression. There have been occasions where he has held his position so long that I’ve wondered if he was still alive!

The behavior of The Big Galoot has brought to mind the memoir, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. In it, Frank’s father, who hails from Northern Ireland, is described as having the ‘odd manner.’ This seems, to me, to be a perfect description for The Big Galoot!

Also posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

A house gecko in Hawaii

Amythest flowers

A vase of Vinca flowers
A Dtps. Yu Pin Dream Girl Orchid at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden
Persian Shield leaves at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden
Water Lilies at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Amethyst.’ See more responses here.

With no immediate ideas for this challenge, I plumped for some odds and ends from my flower folders. First up is a ‘vase’ of vincas followed by a Doritaenopsis orchis (Yu Pin Dream Girl). Then we have the leaves of a Persian Shield plant and finally a water lily surrounded by reflections.

Also posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

There’s more than one kind of bird feeder

A Common Waxbill feeds on cane grass seeds
A Common Waxbill feeds on cane grass seeds
A Common Waxbill feeds on cane grass seeds

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Feed the Birds.’ (See more responses here.) We don’t put bird feeders out here so I was going to go with a selection of birds feeding out and about. But a few days ago, I was reminded that, while we don’t put out bird feeders, it doesn’t mean we don’t have them around.

Right now, the cane grass bordering the property has gone to seed and has been attracting birds. Seeing them is one thing; getting photos another. The cane grass is up to 10 feet high and the little birds that feed on them are notoriously skittish and will take off in an instant. I’ve found my bathroom window to be a good spot for photography – as long as it’s clean! The window looks out at the level of a lot of seed heads, but they’re usually in motion because of the wind and the little birds working them over. And other stalks of cane grass swish back and forth, obscuring my view of the birds and playing havoc with my focusing.

However, I was lucky enough to get photos of two recent visitors. The top trio of photos show a Common Waxbill stripping a seed head that was nicely illuminated and in an open spot right across from the window. The bottom three show a Nutmeg Mannikin. This one hopped around more, but stayed long enough that I was able to get several photos.

Both waxbills and mannikins generally travel in small flocks. This waxbill was the only one I saw clearly, but I saw others flitting about and could hear them in the vicinity. The odd thing about the mannikin was that it was the only one I saw or heard. Also, as the sun went down, I went outside to see if I could get better shots from a different angle. This bird did not seem bothered by my presence. Normally, mannikins would disappear at my appearance (I don’t take it personally!). I suspect this one was a juvenile that was, hopefully temporarily, separated from the flock and hadn’t learned about the many dangers facing it.

A Nutmeg Mannikin feeds on cane grass seeds
A Nutmeg Mannikin feeds on cane grass seeds
A Nutmeg Mannikin feeds on cane grass seeds

Also posted in response to this month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme of ‘Odd.’ See more responses here.

High surf

Surf crashes ashore on the North Kohala coast in Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Power of the Elements.’ See more responses here.

For the past couple of weeks or more, we’ve had a series of sizable WNW swells reaching the Big Island. What this has meant is lousy snorkeling conditions on the west side of the island and a surge in calling in sick to work amongst surfers.

The photos below show surf from one of these swells crashing ashore along the North Kohala coast. The first of these photos was taken from the parking lot of one of the parks there. In the bottom corner of this area is a metal boat hoist and concrete barriers blocking access to the corner of the lot, where it’s no longer safe to park. When big swells wash over the lot, these big concrete barriers get pushed around, such is the power or the surf.

The top photo is from a previous event of this kind several years ago, which dwarfed the recent swells. This particular swell not only washed over the entire parking lot, but also engulfed the boat hoist, swallowing it from sight. As the water receded, two portable toilets in a recess near the top of the lot, started sliding down the lot towards the water. Luckily, some people watching from nearby were able to corral them before they fell over or were washed into the bay. The boat hoist wasn’t as fortunate. After the waves subsided, it was discovered that these powerful waves had twisted the metal frame of the hoist, rendering it unsafe for use. It was several months before repairs made it usable again.

Surf crashes ashore on the North Kohala coast in Hawaii
Surf crashes ashore on the North Kohala coast in Hawaii
Surf crashes ashore on the North Kohala coast in Hawaii
Surf crashes ashore on the North Kohala coast in Hawaii

Some Hawaii wildlife

A palila sits in a tree in Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Wildlife.’ See more responses here. I thought I’d go with a couple of photos from the air, on land, and in the ocean.

First up, a couple of native Hawaiian birds, a palila above and a pueo below.

A pueo sits on a post in Hawaii
Wild goats rest on a trail in Hawaii

Next, a group of goats blocking a trail in South Kona, above, and a wild pig snaffles a mango and runs off with its prize, below.

A wild pig runs off with a mango in Hawaii
Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii

Finally, a pod of spinner dolphins that I encountered in the wild while snorkeling. This scene was made more poignant for me by having recently seen dolphins in a small pool doing their thing for tourists at one of the resorts here. I couldn’t bring myself to take a photo of that.

Spinner dolphins in the waters off Hawaii

The future’s so bright

A lion statue with a air of sunglasses

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Future.’ See more responses here. While I rummaged around for ideas, the song ‘The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades’ by Timbuk 3 played in my head (link). So I thought I might as well go with that.

I had planned on featuring an array of sunglasses I have, but then I forgot to take them with me when I went to take photos. Besides, I discovered I no longer have the pair of red ‘Deathwish’ sunglasses I found several years ago, so my heart wasn’t in that project.

Instead, here’s a very upbeat lion enjoying a day on the South Kohala coast.