Gecko Earings All The Rage in Hilo!

A short while back I posted a picture of a very angry anole (type of lizzard, often mistaken for a gecko) above our "Beware of Attack Gecko" sign on my front porch...well, one of the kittens (also posted about earlier) came out on the loosing end of this anole! The anole literally has a hold of the kittens ear! Apparently the kitten went after the anole and he fought back, latching onto her ear and refusing to let go!

I didn't know which one to feel sorrier for! The anole was of course just terrified and the kitten was so confused when it could not get "that thing" off its head! You can tell how torgued she is. I had to snap a picture to share (I have never seen anything like this before!), then I pried the little guys jaws apart to remove the kittens ear...he sure had a death grip, it didn't break the skin but definitely left a imprint and a impression, the kitten has yet to go after another one (that I know of). And of course we relocated the "Killer Anole" (who appeared to be in perfect health) to a farther portion of the yard, hopefully they will not meet again...though I could see a vendetta coming on...kinda like Captain Ahab and the White Whale!

Lord Of The Ring Trees...

These awesome old trees live at Kings Landing in Hilo, don't they just look like they should be in one of the Lord Of The Ring movies? Or maybe that Tomb Raider movie set in Africa...Cradle Of Life, where the uglies came out of the trees...

This is the way it looked from a short distance...like the whole grove was waiting there...and at any minute would hike up their roots and walk away...you can almost imagine elves dancing a fairy ring there in the center...

It a gorgeous beach park and it was a nice break from buildings, I sometimes forget how very close I am to the seaside at basically all times, usually I am a 5 minute walk to the ocean (from my office) or at most a 15-20 minute drive from home, when I shop at the Farmers market I am literally minutes from having my toes in the pacific (there is no better pedicure than salt water and sand!), this park is about 15-20 minutes from the heart of downtown Hilo and I really need to spend more time there!

Hilo Farmers Market, Home of Mikie's Creations!

This is Mikie...she makes wicked good jams & jellies! Seriously, they are good...I have won blue ribbons at County fairs for my jellies and they are nothing compared to hers! Imagine having Tangerine marmalade on your toast, or Lilikoi jelly...maybe you would prefer starfruit or jaboticaba? She also makes other goodies (like the best Pickle relish I have ever tasted!) and she markets her wares from Hilos own Farmers Market, we try to go to the market at least once a week to pick up fresh fruit and vegies (& chilled haupia (coconut jello, its better than it sounds!) Today it was ripe lychee, so juicy & sweet, yumm... and Mikie is always there with a full supply of ono goodies...and most importantly she always has a big smile and a bigger heart!
I apologize but this photo is not the best one I have ever taken...it definitely is the problem with the photographer not the subject matter!
If you would like to order assorted goodies from Mikie contact me and I will provide her e-mail to you...they are really worth it! Much better than anything you will ever pick up at the store! Mahalo~

King Kamehameha day...

This huge (14 feet) statue of King Kamehameha can be found at Hilos' Wailoa State Park, Monday (King Kamehameha Day) he was decorated with many gorgeous leis at a special ceremony...these leis can be 30-40 feet long and are made from Maile (vanilla scented green vining leaf), white and pink aromatic crown flowers, Pikake (Jasmine), plumerias, orchids and more. you can smell the complex odors of all of these flowers mixing from 50 feet away...

King Kamehameha was an incredible though very war like man, especially for his day and age...he was responsible for unifying the islands of Hawaii under one rule (except for Kauai), and for the Great Mahele of 1848...Mahele means "sharing" and it was due to Kamehameha's attempt to emulate the European custom of owning land (yes it was primarily a economic situation), that all Hawaiians as well as Europeans received the ability to own land individually, before this only the Ali'i (chiefs) where allowed to possess land and even then it was fairly tentative.

In 1848 the land was portioned out between the Ali'i families and certain favored others...it really didn't come into the hands of very many commoners until the Royal families began selling of portions to pay for debts or to gather funds to pay for homes/lifestyle/trips to England, etc...

This statue and the 3 others like it have a fascinating story, to read more about it, please click here. Mahalo~

Bubble Gum Pink Ginger...the Pink Ladies wished they had this color!

This ginger just glows! I was taking a few shots just at that time in the evening before the sun drops and every shot I took has this glow, my friend calls it "magic time".
This color really reminded me of the jackets the Pink ladies in Grease wore...but even more intense, almost a neon. I used to wear a lipstick this color back in the bad old days...ahh, good times!

Fabulous Wailuku Falls!

I occasionally go outside of the strict city limits of Hilo for my photos (I usually stay within a 20 minute drive or so), but this one is definitely with in the limits of Hilo...this lovely series of falls are on the Wailuku river (wai refers to water and luku has connotations of danger, so Wailuku means "dangerous water", sadly this is very true and we lost a Malahini (new resident) just a few months back), yet every one swims and plays in this river anyway, and you can see why!

It is like this thru out the majority of the river and all of the bends and slides make it seem like an especially gorgeous water park, this is just below the old KPUA radio station and is very challenging to get to...as you can see the valley walls are very steep here and that largest fall is a 20'-30' drop, most people don't make it to the bottom pool. (Enlarge the photo and look at that lava on the pool sides, its like it was sculpted by the water while it was still hot!)

I was able to get this photo while I toured a lovely property up at the top of the valley...after viewing the home we took a leisurely amble thru a well maintained back yard complete with lily ponds and flowering ginger plants, down a shady path to the edge of the drop off where a considerate homeowner had set a chair at the perfect viewing position,very nice! So relaxing...I really would have a hammock strung right at that spot...

Colorful Crotons...not croutons!

These colorful Crotons are growing in my side yard...I believe this variety is named "Ducks Foot" due to the shape of the leaf. I never really new about crotons until I moved to Hawaii, and now they are one of my favorite plants...they come in a incredible variety of colors, sizes and shapes! One of my favorites has leaves approx. 10-14 inches long but only 1/4"-1/2" wide, but the best part is the leaves are such a dark purple as to appear almost black and they twist slightly, very cool plant.
Another variety is called "gold Dust" and the more sunshine it sees the more golden yellow dots there are on the flat, oval, dark green leaves, its a very fancy looking plant and grows to about 8-10 feet tall and 3-5 around with lots of leaves, so its a pretty good foliage shrub! I guess some plants wear their autumn colors all year long!

A striking stairwell in Hilo...

This interior stairwell is at a office building in downtown Hilo, often times you will see something similar to this in many Hawaiian buildings. Due to the temperatures and humidity most buildings try to take advantage of the tradewinds any way they can especially since air conditioning is very scarce (expensive electricity contributes to that) and evaporative coolers are worse than ineffective (when the humidity is this high you really don't want to ADD to it!)
Post and Pier house styles are preferred for this reason as well, the air can circulate underneath the home and cool it (as well as keeping the living area up of the ground and thereby out of reach of most pests and flood waters), most people in Hawaii live a "greener" life than they realize...or ever intended; using filtered rainwater, less mechanical cooling by specialized home designs, recycling, Freecycling, composting, eating home grown produce, and lots of people hang their washed clothes out to dry (electricity and gas are just to expensive), solar is also used from simple passive to the most elaborate of set ups. But we still have a long way to go...

Monstera...monster plant? Or fruit basket of the plant kingdom?

This gorgeous leaf belongs to a plant called Monstera (monstera deliciosa), and this one lives in a lovely subdivision named Leilani Estates next to the association park...these leaves are huge! They are as large as a person and are the reason for this plants other common name, "Swiss cheese plant". Most people have seen a smaller version of this in the local mall or as a house plant...in Hawaii they get BIG!
But my favorite fact about this plant is why it receives its other common name "fruit salad plant", it actually has a fruiting body (looks like a green, shucked ear of corn) that when it ripens has such a incredible combination of flavors that no one can decide which "thing" it taste most like...some of the flavors that are mentioned are; strawberry, pineapple, orange (or any citrus), bananas and melon. So truly it is a fruit for everyone!
There are two (Ok, three) issues, the plant only grows (and fruits) in a tropical environment (man made or natural), the fruit takes a very long time to ripen on the vine (year or more), and if you get impatient and try to enjoy it before it is completely ripe the oxalic acid can irritate your mouth and throat to the point you can barely swallow let alone talk...way to learn the virtue of patience!
I just love the striking images the leaves make and it is a preffered decoration at out door parties here in Hawaii (especially combined with anthuriums & orchids!), mahalo~ See you bombai...

Paniolo Country, Kamuela School House...

This photo is of the front lanai of the old Paniolo Country school house in Kamuela (also called Waimea), this was the first public school in Kamuela, it was recently restored and now houses the Issacs Art Center.
Each of those doors opened into a classroom and each of the classrooms opened to each other by sliding the "walls" back into the structural wall just like shoji screens, very cool. So when all of the screens (actually has a blackboard on one side, not screen/paper or glass as would be normal with a shoji style screen door) are pushed back into the walls you have one immensely long room...perfect for a art gallery! They have some incredibly gorgeous work here and some styles I never have experienced before, a very nice Gallery with knowledgeable and helpful staff...some of the items are of museum quality and age...a great place to mosey around for an hour or so!

Incredible lava formation...

Isn't this a incredible lava formation? It is in a area located about 20-30 south of Hilo town, the red coloring really draws the eye...especially as the surrounding lava is black/brown/blueish colored.

When I first saw this it reminded me so strongly of the Giants Causeway in Ireland, go here for a great web site about that formation.

This photo is a little grainy (?), because the light quality was very challenging...this formation is down inside a "blow hole" by the ocean and the shot had to be timed between wave surges. (you know its been a good day when you have to clean salt spots of your glasses!)

Have a great Weekend...I'll show you how we celebrate Memorial day in Hawaii tomorrow...

Man Gets Eaten By Big Screen!

My new office is almost complete!!!

It is located in downtown Hilo and just last night the big screen for the conference room was installed (it looks like poor Scott was eaten by the screen! We warned him about playing to much video games!), Standing is John Petrella (the Principle Broker & Owner of Local Hawaii Real Estate), Larkin Hathaway is to the left offering her support (A agent & she is actually enjoying a good laugh at Scott and Johns expense), Galyn Williams (a agent and the person responsible for the gorgeous remodel on this office space) is just behind John and Scott (right out of the frame, oh well), and yours truly, Trevella Williams (Also a agent), is behind the camera where I prefer to be...

We are so very excited to be moving into our new office...I will post a photo when we are all moved in.

I just can't wait!

My cute kitten...

Ok, i couldn't resist...I had to post a picture of one of my kittens. Now before any one thinks differently, I do believe in spaying an neutering all pet animals that are not being keep for breeding purposes.
That being said, the story goes like this...the momma cat was "deserted" by her previous owners and she moved in with us...just showed up and moved in. And of course she was pregnant, well she had 5 kittens and now has a appointment with the local vet. In the mean time we have been finding homes for the babies...the very cute babies!
But this one just has IT, she is the new IT kitty...we call her Namaste because she looks just like the white tiger at the Panaewa zoo that is named Namaste (Namaste is Hindi for a common Indian greeting meaning "I bow to you", when you see some one from India put both hands together in front of them and gently incline their upper body, this is what they usually are saying/doing. The tiger was a gift to us from India so the naming is very appropriate.) Except that Namaste the tiger has gorgeous Sapphire blue eyes while our Namaste looks like she will have dreamy gold ones.
The woven mat she is laying on is called a Lauhala mat and it is made by weaving treated/cured palm fronds together, they are very useful and most everyone has at least one. You can take them to the beach or forest to sit on, leave them on the lanai for muddy slippers or put them under you bed for a decorative accent (they also protect the floor much like a rug will). And they make great cat toys!

Pride of America Moving on...

This is the Norwegian cruise ship "Pride of America" as it is leaving Hilo Bay on the evening tide. It is a huge ship with 13 decks, 11 restaurants, arcades, gymnasiums, etc... there are three ships in this series; Pride of Aloha, Pride of Hawaii and Pride of America. The Pride of America is the most recently commissioned and is sadly enough being taken back by NCL to service their European clientele (ironic, yeah?). Every evening I used to hear its horn blowing as it made its way out of Hilo Bay (not the easiest feat considering the bay is protected by a very long tsunami seawall). But we still have its sister ships the Aloha and the Hawaii...both are beautiful ships with floral leis bedecking their bows.

Golden sand found in black sand Hilo...

I was rather surprised to find this lovely spit of golden sand on Coconut Island. Gold or even white beach sand is not unusual on most of the Hawaiian Islands but on the east side of the Big Island we mainly have volcanic black beach sand, black sand is actually minute grains of lava...a black sand beach can appear overnight and disappear just a quickly, sometimes they come from the lava reaching the ocean where the temperature disparity can have explosive consequences, the resulting "sand" collects where ever the prevalent tides deposit it and voila! Instant black sand beach!

White and/or gold sand tends to come from mineral sediment, ground shells and coral remnants, which breaks down to a smaller smoother particle than the volcanic sand, this accounts for black sand beaches being "rougher" than white or gold sand beaches.

White, gold, black or green (yes green, near South Point, Big Island, there is a green sand beach and its main ingredient is Olivine, cool huh.) every beach is fascinating...I call it the triple S factor; Sand. Surf and Sun, who can resist?

Queen Liliuokolani Park by the sea shore...

This lovely little red pagoda/bridge is in the Queen Liliuokalani beach park, not far from downtown Hilo. This cute little pagoda is accessed by a path that winds thru the park and has many entries and exits, there is a small bench seat on either side of the pagoda and it is not unusual for a couple of Kupuna (respected elders) to sit and talk story while they enjoy the cool breezes coming off of the water, this great park is much loved and used by the local populace. It is chock full of idyllic nooks, comfy benches and picture perfect photo opportunities around every bend in the path. A great place to spend the afternoon...and it even has a authentic Japanese tea house where you can receive lessons in learning the intricacies of the tea ceremony...very cool, very fun and very beautiful.

The Old Man By the Sea...or Mongoose Highways.

These wonderfully gnarled trees grow right next to the tide pools at a park called "Coconut Island", a favorite place for all of the local kids to come and swim, jump from the old tower, fish or just hang out.
Coconut Island is located right next to Queen Liliuokalani park in Hilo, and just up the street from the awesome Isles Cafe. The reference to the mongoose is because the little guys love to run around on the nice flat and almost level branches, just like it is their personal highway.

King Kalakaua, Merrie Monarch of Hawaii...

King David Kalakaua ascended to the throne of Hawaii in 1874 and reigned until 1891 when he passed away...Kalakaua was the 7th and final King of Hawaii, he is known as the Merrie Monarch due to his love of and commitment to the Hawaiian cuture, specifically Hula and chant...hence Hilos' own Merrie Monarch festival named in his honor. He also was responsible for writing the current Hawaii state anthem, Hawai'i Pono'i .

This bronze statue of King Kalakaua resides in the Kalakaua Park in downtown Hilo, the Taro plant (poi is most commonly made from taro "corns" (roots), beside him shows His bond to the Aina (land) and the Ipu gourd on his knee is symbolic of his love and devotion to all of the ancient cultural forms but specifically to Hula and chant, both of which implement the Ipu. This wonderful statue is sheltered under one of the largest Banyan trees I have ever seen and the park itself is regularly used for a multitude of festivals and activities.

Hot Pink Goes Good With Everything!

I couldn't resist posting this photo...it was such a gorgeous morning that I had to catch a quick shot of one of my favorites Hibiscus, this Hot Pink double Hibiscus is very prolific and a fairly easy grower (gets pretty tall though), this one is growing in my front yard and it almost always has blooms.
The back ground splotches of color you can see are the native Hawaiian Ohia Lehua, lovely tall, straight trunked trees with brilliant red pompom type flowers that make beautiful long lasting leis...I'll post a photo of those some day soon...

"Beware Of Attack Gecko" reads the sign...

We all thought the sign was just a joke...until we saw HIM (cue scary music), this little guy is really not appreciating his treatment at the hands, er...paws of the family cat and is doing his best to warn old tuna breath off!

This actually isn't a Gecko, it is a Anole and they can act very vicious and will even bite if they get a chance..this guy did have good reason though.

For all us Herpe lovers out there...we made sure he escaped...Happy Monday!

Forever, at the seaside, i'll be...

Mr. Watanabe obviously loved the sea considering he requested to be buried right on the shorebreak!
I came across this tomb/mausoleum/crypt(?) the other day with some friends and I really don't know much about it...I will try to research it some more but at this point we know that Eric Watanabe was buried on the cliff side over looking the Ocean to the south east of the Big Island...and his tomb is bathed by the surf every few seconds...it was a very poignant moment as my friends and I stood and imagined why he requested this site for his final resting place, and the emotional strength of his friends/family to carry out that request. It must have been completed many years ago as I am sure it would not be allowed today. It really makes you think about who and what you leave behind...but in a very positive way. It was a beautiful day to be at the ocean and this truly added to our appreciation of it...

Hawaii Telephone Company...

Blue skies smilin' at me, Nothin' but blue skies do I see...Blue days, all of them gone, Nothin' but blue skies from now on! (Thanks Willie!)

The blue Hawaii skies are reflected in the window of the old Hawaii Telephone Company Building located in downtown Hilo on Kalakaua st., Noted Architect C. W. Dickey is credited with designing this building, also referred to as the Mutual Telephone Company, in 1883.

It is a wonderful building with wide doorways, windows and lanais to capture the tradewinds, a beautiful double hipped roof, and colorful tiles picking out elements on the exterior, here are a few more pics...this building is right across the street from Kalakaua Park and next door to the East Hawaii Cultural Center (the old Police Station). Hilo has a veritable treasure trove of Architecture and History all interlaced with Romance and Tragedy in a Tropical Setting...sounds like the makings of a great book to me!

A twofold national problem is how to preserve the wilderness in the country and get rid of the jungle in the cities...

The jungle struggles daily to take back its own, if you look closely you can see the Bridge Support that is slowly being devoured by the jungle...this photo was taken above Hakalau Bay and it is a bridge support from the old sugarmill. A little perspective on this shot; some of those vines are easily as big around as a mans wrist.
All around east Hawaii you run across interesting examples of how the climate here is designed to break down and reuse "materials", from stainless steel to drywall it all starts to deteriate as soon as it gets to Hawaii! And it’s amazing (and disgusting) what happens to natural fiber fabrics. And leather jackets, well...lets just say they develop a life all their own (a very fuzzy life, yech!), that goes double for leather shoes!
But then again, that is all part of the big picture, these same organisms contribute to the incredibly fertile environment that helps heal some of the abuses we put it through, and provides so well for us given a chance.
I have lived in extremely arid environments that refuse to ever give up that 4 wheeler track (the deserts of Colorado & Utah) and it never fails to amaze me how quickly the land in east Hawaii erases all sign that anyone was ever there...

Bright and Shiny Vireya...

This beauty is a Vireya, it is a kind of Rhododendron and they come in hundreds of colors and combinations as well as scented or unscented, big or small, tropical or not, etc...talk about a all purpose plant! They are very well suited for Hawaii and while this one happens to be growing in my friends yard the Vireya society has put together a wonderful planting at the Panaewa zoo in Hilo, its amazing what a handful of dedicated volunteers can do with a little time, a little space and lots of plants! Go here for some more info on this prolific and rewarding plant.

Kalakaua Park in downtown Hilo...

Kalakaua park in downtown Hilo is a wonderful resource for the community...but so few people know the history behind it, this statue for example...it is located behind the lily/koi pond and commemorates the soldiers of ALL wars. There are benches to either side and its a perfect place to sit and enjoy lunch. It is especially beautiful when the water lilies grow to cover the pool, and when they all bloom at once it is a veritable blanket of purple flowers.

May Day Is Lei Day in Hilo...

May Day is Lei Day at the Palace Theater in downtown Hilo! The Palace Theater hosted a wonderful festival on Sunday; live music, fantastic performances, ono grinds, and a beautiful lei contest with a silent auction of the leis to benefit the Palace restoration efforts. Some days it is very challenging to pick only one photo! So click here for more! One of the neatest leis was completely edible! Made with endive/arugula/cherry tomatoes/scallots, etc...drop the whole thing in boiling water & you would have soup!

These striking blue windows with leaded panes are on the East Hawaii Cultural Center on Kalakaua St. in downtown Hilo, its a grand old building right across from the King Kalakaua Park. The Cultural Center contributes to so much in Hilo...regularly they have free performances in the park and its a great outlet for those interested in drama and performing.

Lava sculptures at the seaside...

This is not technically from Hilo town but I had to share it anyway...I took this at the shore in a subdivision named Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) about 20 minutes from Hilo, it is a Lava formation right on the surf break and it reminds me of the way the Venus De Milo's cloth drapes and folds across the statue...you can just imagine the hot lava gathering and cooling in these incredible ripples and folds. This is a especially neat formation but similar ones can be found all across south east Hawaii...(a little perspective for this photo; The rocks to the upper right are about the size of an adults head.)

Turtle Pond on Keawe street...

This little jewel is hidden away inside my office building in downtown Hilo...if you look closely you can see a turtle sunning itself on the center rock stack, it appears to be a red eared slider (the kind you buy for $2.00 when they are the size of a silver dollar) this guy would overlap your average dinner plate and probably tips the scale at over 5 pounds! There are three very happy turtles in this pond and too many tilapia and guppies to count. This pond is the perfect zen counterpoint to a busy office building, perhaps we can enact legislation for all office buildings to have a pond ;}

When life gives you lemons...

When life gives you lemons you make lemonade, right? Well what do you make when you get a really ugly safety wall in front of a County construction project? Why a beautiful mural of course! The pictured portion is only part of the entire "mural" that covers approx. 8-10 city blocks, the safety wall is in front of the new Hawaii County Judicial Center and numerous businesses, schools, groups and individuals signed up to do their part in beautifying the blank wall, the subject matter varies from the judges pets to the union coming to Hawaii. Very diverse and interesting, a real testament to the community spirit...I only hope that they auction off the portions or something instead of taking them to the dump when its all said and done.