Another post on the WordPress photo challenge theme of ‘serene.’
Hawaii’s weather is largely influenced by the northeast trade winds and some places on the Big Island are renowned for being windy. North Kohala is one of those places. Strong winds can blow for days on end and, off the coast, the ocean is often a flurry of whitecaps and spray.
But when the wind relents, the ocean calms and can produce a serene scene such as this sunset below Upolu Airport.
This mini helicopter was parked at Upolu Airport recently. A single seater, it looks like a home-built aircraft. A little while later, I heard a clattering noise and saw it airborne, headed east along the coast.
This pair of horses stood motionless for a long time while the turbines of Hawi Wind Farm whirled in the background. Don’t know what they were waiting for.
A worker checks out a turbine blade at Hawi Wind Farm. He looked like he was using the kind of tools one would use to patch a ding on a car, which seemed incongruous on such a large machine. But I suppose even small irregularities on the surface of the blade, especially the leading edge, could significantly affect the turbine’s efficiency.
In keeping with my rigorous commitment to staying abreast of current events, it was only on the day before the event that I realized this week’s eclipse of the sun would be visible in Hawaii. Despite it being only be a partial eclipse here, I thought I should make the effort to check it out.
The first issue I had was that I had neither proper viewing glasses, nor the correct filters for my camera. But I thought that, since the eclipse would already be underway at sunrise, I might be able to get a decent photo or two at that moment.
I set my alarm and, when it went off at 5:15 on the big day, I got up and headed out. It was a promising, clear sky morning as I drove to Upolu Point, the northernmost tip of the Big Island. I parked my car and walked up a grassy slope to the headland which I thought would be a good spot for photos. That’s where I saw a band of clouds on the horizon. Maybe it would break up. Maybe it would blow over. Maybe a gap in the clouds would magically appear.
None of those things happened. This was the scene right around sunrise. The sun was eclipsed by the moon, but they were both eclipsed by the clouds. A while later the sun broke free, but by then it was too late for me, with my gear, to get an image. Still, it was a beautiful morning for a walk and not too late to head home for coffee.
This is what happens when you don’t use a torque wrench! Wouldn’t that be great. Just imagine those blades flying off when the nut comes loose. Alas, this was nowhere near as dramatic.
This is Hawi Wind Farm in North Kohala. I saw the cranes in place one Friday afternoon, and the lighting units suggested night work. Nothing happened that weekend. On Monday, ropes were attached to the blades. On Tuesday, this scene was what I found, the blades having been removed overnight. On Wednesday, everything was back to normal, with this turbine whirring around in concert with the rest of them.
Recently, a cow skull appeared on a pole by Upolu Airport. A few days later, someone painted the skull gold, which I think is rather striking.
Heavy rain in the Alenuihaha Channel, between Maui and the Big Island, rumbles towards shore. Those cows are going to get a dousing.
