Tag Archives: Waimea

View of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa

There’s still a bit of snow on top of both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Every time it looks like it’s going to disappear, a new dusting bolsters the coverage.

This view is from Kohala Mountain Road. The dark strip snaking through the center of the photo is housing alongside Kawaihae Road, which goes down to the coast. These houses are part of the town of Waimea, which sits in the saddle between Mauna Kea and Kohala Mountain. This part of Waimea is known as the dryside because it receives significantly less rainfall than areas on the east side of the saddle, which is known, correctly, as the wetside.

Up, up, and away

A scientific balloon rises over the Big Island, Hawaii

On Monday, an early-morning glance up at the sky showed this unusual sight. It’s a balloon designed to fly at an altitude between 70,000 and 90,000 feet. The balloon, which is about 400-feet tall, is part of Project Aether, which seeks to demonstrate the stratospheric communication capabilities of unmanned balloons.

The balloon was launched from the airport in Waimea and in the photos was at an altitude of around 5,000 feet, but climbing steady. I followed it’s progress on Flightradar24 and later it had drifted out over the ocean and reached 78,000 feet. The next day, it disappeared. Not sure if that’s because its tracking failed or because something else happened to it.

The intention was for it to fly across the ocean and the U.S. mainland before being retrieved on the east coast. A second balloon was supposed to be launched a couple of days after this one, but I haven’t seen any sign of it yet, though that might simply be down to unsuitable weather conditions.

More information can be found here.

Birthdays take the cake

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

This birthday cake came from the Sandwich Isle Bread Company in Waimea, which also makes cakes and pastries. It was just the right amount of sweet, and the right amount of rich and chocolaty.

Well red

A red windsock at Upolu in Hawaii — The windsock at Upolu Airport with Maui in the background.

This month’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge is ‘Red.’ See more responses here. A variety of subjects for this one!

A red pencil sea urchin in Hawaii — A Red Pencil Urchin in the shallows off Kohala.

A portrait of a chicken in Hawaii — A Red Pencil Urchin in the shallows off Kohala.

Time to weed

This gutter sported a generous amount of greenery, which probably should be removed. I’ve seen trees growing in gutters and neither party benefits from that arrangement.

Light tower

One of the light towers at a ball field in Waimea.

Still life with shoes

I was having a wander around a ball field in Waimea when I saw this scene in one of the dugouts. The shoes were so neatly placed, but still forgotten.

Abstracts: Blue

The ceiling in my dentist’s waiting room is illuminated with blue light, which always catches my eye when I walk in.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii