Earthquake Hawaii

EARTHQUAKE

This morning Hawaii Island experienced a 6.2 earthquake (and after shocks.)

It was not part of the Kilauea Volcano but was located near South Point about 20 miles deep.

Yes, the house shook and it was a rock-n-roller with several significant after shocks of 5.2 and 4.1.  (Further updates from HVO/USGS indicate the earthquake was triggered by tectonic plates, a relief to those on the Big Island who associate earthquake activity with lava.)  Carry on!

Be prepared; you never know when a disaster of some kind might happen. We have a "grab it first" list and recommend everyone does as well. 

While it did shake us up a bit, we just have to remind ourselves that we can choose our response and we did. After we gathered ourselves and calmed the dogs we decided a walk was in order -- so, with a pair of umbrellas, we headed up Nahelenani for a brief walk. Then, we headed back to the art studio where we're both working on new projects.

Phil just finished this deeply carved bas relief of a Hawaiian Hawk, 'Io (EE oh) and I have just begun working toward a new 42" high garden sculpture of a figure found in France -- in an area where I toured a few years ago.

Mahalo for checking in to see what we are up to! 

It's OCTOBER?!?!

It shouldn't come as a surprise anymore - but it does. Dark so early and the sun...coming up in the wrong place but creating  that lovely 'certain slant' across our world. The other day we had four inches of rain in just a few hours and today it was a gorgeous 76 degrees. We are using these beautiful warm days to finish up several new garden beds - getting small plants in the ground to get a good start before winter comes.

Knees are continue to heal under vigorous hydro-therapy in the hot tub and careful exercises. Phil's been making more beautiful wood art and Lunel's done some new collage pieces as well.  (Again, as mentioned in the previous blog -- we're not happy with the changes in the blogspot format and are trying to begin a new blog -- til then...pictures as follows:

We Found It!

We Found It!

Phil is standing at the path that leads to our new abode.

We just returned from a very comforting experience in finding a rental for ourselves for the next number of months....at of all places, a lovely farm-style place on five acres.  Another diamond we are blessed to have found!

Exactly three months ago today, while Lunel was in ICU for a surprise seizure/coma (for which there is still no definitive diagnosis or prognosis) our lovely retirement home burned to the ground.

As blog readers already know, we have been housed safe and sound since then but have always recognized that this was only a temporary respite. Two days ago we began our search for a new place in earnest, searching on line through Craig's List as well as utilizing other sources. We sent out our introductory letter (including photos of ourselves and of our "kid" corgi dogs) to a variety of realtors, property managers, rental ads, etc..

Our unit is in the back with patio and picnic table in front.

Today we met the owner of a lovely old-fashioned farm/ranch that has a lovely, fully furnished studio unit with covered lanai. The property, in Volcano Village, is surrounded on all sides by giant Sugi pines, housing  mating and nesting pairs of Io (Hawaiian Hawks).

There are a dozen kinds of chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats and a token horse.  Phil's wood shop is -- get this -- a building under an old fashioned functioning redwood water tank!! The woman (our age) who owns this ranch grows and raises nearly all of her own food and runs a farm stand as well. She bakes bread, makes a variety of cheeses and is getting started on making her own soap. Additionally, she runs a charming B&B, separate from our small place. Needless to say, her day begins at 4am.

The elevation is about 3000+ feet, so the air is fresh and cool -- and will be chilly this winter, so we will have, as the song goes, "Three Dog Nights." Volcano Village is well-known for its artists community and it feels like home because we have visited there so many times. There will be some "earthquakes" that are not true earthquakes but tremors from parts of the inner walls of Kilauea caldera that are collapsing -- but after what we have been through -- what's an occasional 3.1 jolt!

Just yesterday we received a generous check from one of Phil's relatives in Michigan that will cover the security deposit and we will be moving in around Lunel's Birthday!! This means of course, that she will have to get some work boots and gloves, but Joan has a full contingency of appropriate tools -- and while Lunel can't wait to get out in the garden again Phil will have a great new wood working space too.

PS Several people from "The Continent" have been puzzled by our move to "Volcano."  And, it can be a little confusing.  No, we are not moving TO or ON a volcano! (The entire island is made up of 5 volcanoes itself.) Volcano is a small town (3000 or so folks) up at the 3200 foot level adjacent to Kilauea National Park. Now, if that sounds crazy, you need to know that all lava activity at the crater of Kilauea has stopped, and is now flowing down and through Fissure #8 -- which, ironically enough, opened in our front yard. So, we are actually moving AWAY from lava activity. Volcano Village is a small subset along Highway 11 -- an artists community with galleries, B&B's, and restaurants. 

Phil and the Hawaiian Hawk

Full height of sculpture

Phil's painting

We moved into our house in Puna on the Big Island in December 2012. Only a few weeks later we were surprised to be visited by two hawks who landed in our very own Ohia trees. One was a light colored one, and one was a brown one.  (There is a little Hawk Info at the bottom of the blog.)

Phil, inspired by this auspicious visitation, headed right for his watercolors. The painting is done from a real photograph that Phil took himself -- the hawk lifting off from a branch. Now that we have been here a few years, we notice the pattern of them returning here during the early part of the year; they nest around March.  "CLICK" on any photo for a close-up view.

Top of piece

Landing for a viewing

Last year, we had to cut down some of our dying Ohia trees (from a fungus scientists are still attempting to understand -- and which threatens the entire Ohia population on the Big Island.) We asked the tree fallers not to cut them at the ground, but to leave 8-10 feet standing -- so Phil could think about what kind of sculpture he might create from the remaining trees.  We built up a platform for him to stand on because the surrounding ground was full of loose chunks of lava.

Over a period of months, he began to envision carving and purchased a cute little 12" chain saw to work with.  Last week as he was completing the first one, he kept feeling that what he had been doing somehow connected him to the earlier hawk visitations.  As he was finishing the final work on the sculpture at the end of the day, a light-phase hawk flew down and landed in some bare branches just behind the sculpture.  That settled it in his mind -- we are talking with a language teacher to determine just how to name the piece -- in honor of the fact that hawks represent ancestors to native Hawaiian people.

Finished piece is on the left -- new one on the right

Now that this piece is completed, the final photo is of Phil securely screwing down the rotating platform around the base of his next carving project.
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INFO ABOUT HAWAIIAN HAWK

The ‘io (pronounced EE-oh is endemic to Hawai‘i and was a symbol of royalty in Hawaiian legend. The ‘io is also the only hawk today native to Hawai‘i. They only breed on the Big Island. Although there is one species it comes in two “phases” – two distinct colors – light cream and brown.  They have a shrill and high-pitched call much like their Hawaiian name: "eeeh-oh."  They depend on native forest for nesting, but are able to use a broad range of habitats for foraging, including papaya and macadamia nut orchards, as well as forests dominated by native and introduced vegetation, from sea level to 6,500 feet elevation.