Beautiful Kehena Beach in East Hawaii...

I was out in Kalapana Seaview estates today taking photos of a land lot I just listed when my Broker suggested we stop by Kehena Beach...I had never been to Kehena Beach before (it is our, ahem..."clothing optional", beach in east Hawaii. Actually, almost any beach on the Big Island of Hawaii tends to be fairly "clothing optional"...) and Aunty Betty (my fellow agent) agreed we should go...so we did!

What a gorgeous little hide away! A bit of a climb down to the beach but very much worth the hike...with in 5 seconds my shoes were off (just the shoes, I swear...) and my toes were in the water, ahhh...so nice. We took all of 30 minutes to hike down and back up, but it was a fantastic refresher in the middle of the day. I love my job! No, everyday is not like this, most are 7:00 AM to after 7:00 PM on computer and phones, etc... but days like this make up for it! And I am just thankful to have a job, period!

Merrie Monarch Island Princess on Horse back...

Aren't those Leis gorgeous! The orange one around her neck is actually 3 braided strands of the Ilima flower which is about as big around as a dime! So what you see here is thousands of those little flowers strung back to front.
The Lei makers art is just incredible! Hours and hours of effort for something beautiful but not durable, most leis will last for only 1-3 days! But they are so worth it while you have them...
Soon it will be May day and in Hawaii May day is Lei day and we have the lei competitions...I will post some photos of the incredible creations that get entered into the competition. Look into my Archives and you can see some from last year...

Hawaiian Cowboys!

This Paniolo is a attendant to one of the island Princesses, great parade & look at that gorgeous lei!

Hilo Hawaii's Merrie Monarch Parade...

Merrie Monarch is over for another year... and the response waivers between relief that all of the chaos is over, TO regret that we have to wait another year to enjoy it again! On the very last day we get the PARADE! And as with all parades, the horses are the stars...and in Hawaii we have the Paniolos (Hawaii has had Paniolos since around 1793!), so here are some photos of "Cowboys" and Cowgirls ;)) Hawaiian Style!

The leis that the horses wear are matched by their riders leis and are beautiful beyond belief!

Over the next week or so I will be focusing on more horsey photos, as well as pics of the Hula competition at the Edith Kanakeole Stadium in downtown Hilo.

Hawaii's Thurston Lava Tube...

My daughter & I went for a hike the other day in the Thurston Lava Tube, and this photo is of yours truly at the very end of the lava tube, I am sitting on what was originally the flowing lava that filled the "tube" before the flow "petered out" (anyone know where that term came from? It is very fun to say ;}) As you can see, the roof of the tube and the top of the flow meet...I laid on my tummy & could touch the back wall with my fingertips. It is very cool and moist but not wet in the tube and if you turn off your flashlights and just sit for a while you begin to see images in the dark as your eyes struggle to adjust to the total absence of light. And pretty soon you can hear your heart beat, & then the person your with's heart beat...pretty surreal & very cool.

And this is my daughter in the same place...notice our flashlights, most important thing to take on the hike!

This end of the tube is past the "public" area, most people stop at the gate thinking they are not allowed any further. Not true, the gate is not locked and you just need closed toed shoes and flashlights to hike the rest of the way in. There is one good sized gallery that I want to go back and explore further.

The public section is a fun quick hike for most visitors, though I feel that the electric lights and such rob it of some of it's charm...I do understand why it had to be done after watching the dichotomy of people visiting the tube though...one lady even had a oxygen tank!


This hike is worth the trip, and it's especially fun to take the chain of craters road and look at all of the different pukas, Kiluea & Puueo gets all the press but over the years there has been a lot of action on this mountain and it is a good reminder to us all that this system is still alive & kickin.

Check out this link for a neat site I found when surfin around for more info on the Lava Tube Click here and then go to the "where the name came from" link. And this link has some nice photos...

Visiting Hawaii's "SAFE" lava flow...

This is some of the kids getting smarmy for the camera when we hiked out to the Lava flow...it was like a whose who of Hawaii out there that Sunday, everyone was stopping to visit with family/friends/neighbors/co-workers, etc... all we needed was cold beer & pupus to make it a right old party! Yes it was a little irreverent but there was actually a lot of awe & respect for the power of Mother Nature/Pele/God, etc...and people were watching out for each other, so that was cool.

One commenter asked if it was safe to be this close? Excellent questions with a quick answer...NO! It falls under the category of acceptable risk and that's a personal choice. People always want you to tell them that it's going to be A-ok and no one will ever get hurt...well, that's just not true. This volcano is not "TAME" or safe, or dependable, etc... we really do not know what it is going to do next, Click Here for article. And we need to keep that up most in our minds, even when we are trekking out to be amazed!

And yes, I felt a lot safer than if I were, oh, say... skydiving or something...but that's just me...

Hawaiian Lava Monster...

The lava formations have always fascinated me, so this is a wonderful opportunity to catch nature in the act, so to speak. It's shape brings to mind so many diffrent things, kind of like cloud watching, what do you see?

Volcanic eruption reaches the ocean...Hawaii flocks to see...

The steam plumes you can see in the back ground are from the fresh lava hitting the ocean...very cool! And as you can see, approximately half the population of Hawaii was on the Lava flats to see the most recent "toe" of the current flow! 2-3 mile walk from parking but very much worth it & everyone was in a very good mood. You can see the Live Lava right behind the folks in the picture. We saw lot of incredible formations and many offerings...I will try to post quite a few of them over the next few days.

Hawaiian Bull?

This is not the best quality picture as the light was very low...but I think this is one of the most gorgeous bulls I have ever seen...and that's coming from a old farm & ranch girl! The most beautiful bull I have ever seen was a simply enormous cross breed Brahma/? (Maybe Charlei) bull that was silver with black points (Like a Siamese cat), he had so much dignity (or maybe it was just his size?!) and had a beautiful face. I saw him in the sale ring at a auction in Western Colorado 8-9 years ago.

But this guy was hanging out near a property I was previewing in Waikea Uka, looks like he is used to getting his evening treat at this fence...a couple of cows were hanging around as well and the were very comfortable with my vehicle being so close, not skittish at all, must be pretty used to it.

Hawaiian Butterfly...

This little guy came to visit when I was doing some yard work...He stayed on this monstera leaf for the longest time while I worked around him...I don't even know what kind it is, but I so enjoyed him (her?).

Sunrise at Queen Lilli Park...

I just happened to be a few minutes ahead of schedule this morning...and whenever that happens I like to take a quick drive around Queen Lilli park in Hilo. It is a ocean park but is very well protected from ocean waves & such...the ocean is just across a small road, maybe 20-30 feet from the main park and continues down one side of the park for approximately a half mile.

This gorgeous park is scattered with benches for sitting and contemplating, around every corner there is a "view", maybe a blooming tree, a neat statue or a memorial...and lots of different textures have been used.

The pervading sense is of peace...not to say the park is not well used! Sometimes I think 1/2 of Hilo is walking their dogs, jogging, or picnicking in the park. Even at 7:00 in the morning I had to wait to get this photo with no one in it...it's lovely to see it so enjoyed, it is so refreshing to spend just a few minutes remembering why you work so hard, it revitalizes you for the rest of the day!

Sea Cave...

This is the beginning of a sea cave developing off the shore line in Lower Puna, the pink color on the rocks is a algae growth and it is especially preferred by the local variety of Opihi, a edible mollusk that is a tradition Luau food in Hawaii.

Hawaiian Pineapple...

We were discussing our up coming Pineapple crop the other day and I thought I would share a few photos with everyone...some people have never seen a pineapple on the stalk... This pineapple is in my woefully ignored Pineapple bed, I have a great plan about the rotation but it rarely happens. Theoretically every 2-3 harvest you need to pull up the old plant & replace it, at my house we just plant the tops of the pineapple we just ate and whenever the old plants make pineapples that are to small we pull them out. This one should have been pulled out probably last harvest but I love the tiny Pineapples it makes! Just enough for 1-2 people, some people like a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I like them naked, just the way they come...the one in the photo didn't get much bigger before it ripened.

You can see the thick stalk holding it up from the parent plant which is actually just a top of the previous pineapple set into the cinder soil (we don't have much dirt here, so we use crushed lava cinders. As you can see it doesn't seem to slow them down!)

This is the same Pineapple viewed from above...I love the way the leaves are so symmetrical in their arrangement, and when it rains the water cascades from leaf ring to leaf ring and then flows over the pineapple down to the main plant and then the ground & roots.

I have always wanted a Bronze statue/fountain of a pineapple for a water element in my garden or that pool I am going to finish some day...never enough time in the day for all the cool things we want to do & see...

In The Curl...

This is the view from one of my favorite beach parks located at the end of a subdivision named Hawaiian Shores in the Puna District...for some reason the weather is almost always grand in this area and you can stand right on the cliff walls over the ocean & feel the ground shake from the waves crashing onto the rocky shore below.

Oftentimes you can see whales just off shore as the ocean deepens pretty quickly here. But you never see surfers taking advantage of the gorgeous curls as the coast line is incredibly treacherous with lots of partially hidden rocks.

But the Opihi (edible mussels) love the constant wash of water and they are abundant, probably because they are fairly protected from being over harvested due to the danger of getting to them!

This is a closer view of the curl just starting to barrel, check out that reflection (maybe it is bubbles? Or maybe it is a leviathan coming up from the deep ;))

Very fun afternoon, great place to grab lunch & 30 minutes for a perspective break...& lovely at sunset as you get the reflected sunset colors on the ocean clouds, & a nice fresh trade wind usually comes in at dusk. You could almost imagine you can hear the whales singing to each other...

What A Beautiful Day!

We have had so much rain in east Hawaii the last 2 months that we all started growing gills in self defense!

But the last few days have been gorgeous! Reminds us why we are "lucky to live Hawaii!".

This view is of the back side of the Hotel run on Banyan Drive...I am standing in the parking area of lovely Coconut Island to take this shot.

We saw schools of fish erupting out of the water (I have no idea what they were feeding on as I couldn't see anything), some colorful tropical fish, a knife fish & 3 Sea Turtles! (of course there is no picture of them as I left the camera in the car, dang it...) One was just huge, definitely a grandaddy (or mommy) of turtles, and I was able to watch it for 3-4 minutes as it leisurely swam away...

Great way to start the day!

Painted Eucalyptus Tree...

This is a Painted Eucalyptus and it has to be my favorite (non-fruit) tree, this one is growing on the road side of a property in Hawaiian Acres (Puna District) and is absolutely huge...this whole property boundary is very striking as there are many of the Eucalyptus mixed in with the Norfolk pines, it makes a great mix!
That's Hawaii for you...you never know when to expect something beautiful!

Purple Powder Puffs!

I have a purple powder puff tree growing & blooming and it is the first time I have seen one, its a really neat tree (of course now I see them everywhere), the branches grow out laterally to the sides with a slight downward tilt almost like a "weeping" bush but not so dramatic. All of the purple tipped blossoms come from the tops of the branches, so it looks like the branches are frosted. I understand there are two other varieties...yellow and rainbow. Hopefully I will get a chance to photograph them as well...

Hawaiian Honey Bees in Palm Flowers...

One of my palms is blooming and the bees have discovered the blossoms... one of the little guys had his pollen "satchel bags" so loaded, it's a wonder he could even fly, but fly he did...fly away before I could get his photo, darn...

I have yet to be stung by a bee in Hawaii, though it was a pretty regular occurrence on the mainland...maybe our Hawaiian bees are of a milder temperament? Or maybe they are just to busy to bother...

Hawaiian Honey Bees In Heather?

I was visiting a property the other day and when I walked by this pretty plant with purple flowers in the front yard, the most incredible "humming" could be heard? I looked closer and it was ALIVE with bees! It was almost like they were swarming. I could not have laid my open hand on the bush with out covering at least 3 bees! And they were so wrapped up in the flowers that they completely ignored my presence, so I could get nice and close.

I have no idea what the plant is, hence the title, does anyone know? Very pretty, compact, low growing bush with no thorns. And I really could not catch any scent of note either.

I'm a Rock, I'm a Rock, I'm a Rock...

Can you see him? It's a little Kama'ana crab pretending to be a rock! He does a pretty good job of it to!

If you still cant see him...he is just to the left of the center, right at the tip of the large light grey stone...you can just see his pincers folded up in front of him.

I took this photo with my zoom in pretty bright light, I wasn't sure I even caught this guy until I got the camera home and put the photos up on the computer. He is a little smaller than a ladies palm.

This was taken at Punas' Warm ponds, a sheltered inlet where the natural volcanic thermal action warms the ocean water just enough to take the chill off, completely delightful!

A Wild Bamboo Orchid and Its Friend...

This lovely Bamboo Orchid is growing wild in a subdivision called Hawaiian acres in our Puna District. The climate in Hawaii is extremely suitable for Orchids and we have many varieties that choose to grow wild now, but this is probably the most prolific variety. I have seen whole fields of these blooming and it is just beautiful. They are called Bamboo Orchids because the stem resembles the bamboo stalk.

I hadn't realized until I got this photo on my computer but this orchid had a little friend...check out the very top petal on the left hand side and you can see him peering from behind the flower, here is a close up (sorry the quality of the close up is so yucky!).

Isn't he cute! I think it was one of the bees that were enjoying the sunshine & blooming flowers...

Lovely Pacific Building in Downtown Hilo Hawaii...

This lovely building is on Keawe Street in Downtown Hilo, it really caught my eye the other day. I just love all the little architectural touches on the old buildings and it is especially nice when the painter has picked them out in complimentary colors as with this one.

The wires you can just barely see at the bottom of the building secure a awning system that reaches over the sidewalk to provide shoppers a dry place to walk, this shot is of the 2nd floor...the first floor is given over to shops and a Lomi Lomi massage studio (the most incredible massage you will EVER have!).

Reflections Of Mauna Kea....

I was taking a class at UHH (University Of Hawaii at Hilo), and I saw this reflection in a bank of windows during a shi shi break (in Hawaii we say we need to shi shi instead of go to the bathroom), anyway...I saw the reflection before I saw the image! I really didn't think it was going to come out in the picture but when I uploaded it, it showed very clearly.

This is what the image actually looks like, this is Mauna Kea seen over the roof tops of Hilo Town...those little white dots you see on the top of the mountain are the world famous Keck Observatories! Mauna Kea means white mountain as it regularly has a mantle of snow, but we never forget that our gentle giant is actually a slumbering volcano...

Hilo Town! Corner of King Kamehameha Ave. and Wainuenue...

This is the view just around the corner from my office...it is the intersection at King Kamehameha and Waienuenue...if you turn right you go right by the famous Hilo Farmers Market on the way to Coconut Island, Banyan drive and gorgeous Queen Liliuokalani Park or if you turn left the Highway takes you up the Hamakua Coast past Wailuku, Honolii surf site and Onomea Botanical Gardens. Of course if you turn arond and go back up Waienuenue Street you will pass Historical downtown Hilo, the public Library with King Kamehameha's Naha Stone, Rainbow Falls, and The Beautiful Boiling pots...As you can see, even Paradise suffers road work!

Hawaii...Richardson Beach...

This view is from a shoreline in Hilo Town, very near a beach called Richardson's Beach. Robert Richardson was a chief detective for the Honolulu police department many years ago, he retired to his ocean front home in Hilo and the county purchased the property & residence when Robert passed away. The residence is called Richardson Ocean Center.



I've been tagged by; Tog of Coral Gables! How Fun!

These are the rules.
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs

Eight random facts about myself? Well, I do tend to be pretty random:

1. I used to have a heard of over 13 dairy goats, they had to be milked twice a day every day and yes I do have carpal tunnel now…but it sure was fun & I love Goats!
2. I don’t like ice cream…everyone gasps when I say that like I admitted to the shooting of President Kennedy or something…but I just don’t care for it (does not matter what flavor or style).
3. I would prefer to read than just about anything else.
4. I love scents…I wanted to become a “nose” for the perfume industry when I was younger but had to have my nose cauterized to control chronic nose bleeds, and that tends to make things a little undependable. There’s your “eeew” fact!
5. I am fascinated by other cultures and had planned on being a Anthropologist/Archaeologist until I saw how much money they Don’t make! But seeing how much money I Don’t make as a Realtor I am thinking now that maybe I should have looked at that a little more! Actually, I love being a Realtor, it’s a great job and I love being able to meet & help people find their new home!
6. I have been married to the same man for half of my life this anniversary! Now is that a scary data mark or what?!
7. I lived in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado (Deer, Elk, Bear, Big Horn Sheep, Skiers, etc...) and then I moved to Hawaii (Whales, Dolphins, Sharks, Mongoose, Surfers...) almost 5 years ago.
8. I am a member of the Big Islands Freecycle program (it’s a Yahoo group) and I strongly encourage everyone I meet to join, go here for more information.


I am tagging…

• http://visualstpaul.blogspot.com/
• http://heyokity.blogspot.com/
• http://discoverpa.blogspot.com/
• http://wassenaardailyphoto.blogspot.com/
• http://hydedailyphoto.blogspot.com/
• http://menton-daily-photo.blogspot.com/
• http://lorenzollama.blogspot.com/
• http://evry-daily-photo.blogspot.com/
  
  Go check them out!

Papaya Tree in Downtown Hilo...

Where do you park?

I park right under this cute multi headed Papaya tree every day when I go to work...its just growing wild next to the parking lot in Downtown Hilo.

Tomorrow I am going to bring a lime & a spoon! Yummy Papaya for breakfast!

Hawaiian Judicial Building Mural in Downtown Hilo...

I have posted a picture of this mural before, just from a different side...during the construction of Hilo's new Judicial Center a large ugly black wall was raised to prevent looky loos hanging around, debris blowing around, keep tools out of site, etc...

Someone had the bright idea to invite local organizations to paint a section of the wall! So now we have this incredibly cool mural that stretches around the entire building site! One entire section is taken up by paintings of the judges dogs! The building will be completed soon and I really want to know whats going to happen to all of these great paintings when the wall comes down? Some are truly art, others are sentimental favorites by young children...all are wonderful!

This shot doesn't show that much of the mural but this is the view you get while stopped at the intersection, all the lovely ti plants, etc... with the mural backdrop.

Nice way to drive in to work...

Photo courtesy of Tavina Owens, Mahalo~

Cute Poochy or Bad Dog?

We saw this little guy while we were driving around Hilo the other day...and he made such a cute picture in his little red muzzle in his pretty red truck! With his little pink tongue sticking out...

Then I got to thinking, why is he muzzled? He could still bark, and it was a nice soft muzzle...but apparently there is some reason he needs a muzzle? Could he be a biter? Or is there a medical reason (Like the Elizabethan collars?).

You could tell his owner cares a lot by his behavior with the dog (the pup was actually sitting on his owners lap during the photo, you just can't see him). Maybe its a training aid?

What ever its purpose is, he sure was a energetic and engageing little guy...

Lilies In The Night...

Lilies in the night...sounds like a song from long ago...

This cool plant is growing in my yard over by my pineapple patch, I think it a variety of Lily? Anybody know?

It has a upright growth habit with numerous upstanding leaves radiating from a central base and the flower stalks come right up from the center about 18"-24" tall, before blooming out with 6-9 individual blossoms...they last for days-weeks on the plant and maybe two days cut in a vase. No scent at all. It has only started blooming now that we are getting more rain and cooler temperatures...

I almost pulled it out when I first bought the place! Boy am I happy now I didn't...

Kupu Kupu Fern...

This delightful little fern caught my eye the other day, it's just starting to unfurl its leaves and the colors were so striking, especially the silvery green of the newest leaves yet to open...
This is called the Kupu Kupu fern in Hawaii and the Boston fern in other places...