Rainbows and Flags Over Leilani

For those of you who have been following our blog, you already know the story. Newcomers to our blog are welcome to browse back weeks or months -- especially to know more about the fire and then Kilauea lava flow that went through Puna's Leilani Subdivision in May.

First is a photo that appeared on our local blog forum and with permission, we are including it. The "hill" you see is the cone of Fissure 8. The other day we got an email that someone had placed a Hawaiian flag on top of #8 near our property in Leilani Estates (on Luana.)


We found it interesting that this event coincided with Hawaiian Independence Day, November 28th, about which you can read below. Like many issues, there are multiple points of view, but we found this well written short article instructive -- especially if you didn't know that Hawaii HAD an Independence Day -  or WHY!

Photo taken by Aerial Visions (our friend Clive Cardozo -  Mauna Loa in background).
Everything we owned is under that mountain of lava!! 200 feet high

 Hawaiian Independence Day!!

WATCH CLIVE VIDEO BELOW!!

The flag is there with our respect for the original people of this area who called it Keahialaka.

Aerial Visions LLC VIDEO of FISSURE 8

Phil and Lunel Haysmer (former residents of Luana)

Rain Man (ua kanaka)

Yes, it is winter here in Puna! In just the last 24 hours, we were blessed with over two inches!  (And, even though it is still raining, there is not a puddle in sight.)

When we first moved in this time last year, we missed our rain gauge we had kept in our yard; during the winter it was a morning ritual to go out and see how much rain we got.  But last year, our rain gauge, along with all our other personal stuff was in a container on its way here.

So, so we decided to just go out and buy one.  Curiously enough, none of the local stores had them, nor did the words "rain gauge" appear to be part of the local vocabulary.  People just looked at us funny when we asked.  Maybe it was for he best since during our first month here (December 2012) the rainfall was DOUBLE it's monthly average.

Anyway, when our household goods finally arrived, of course we got the rain gauge out in the yard so we could resume what has become one of those quirky family rituals.  When Dexter goes out in the morning to pee, Phil follows right behind him over to the rain gauge.  Trouble is, now we realize it is quite possible that we will get MORE than what our rain gauge holds.  (P.S.  I did, after three days, finally have to remove the soggy clothes from the clothes lines and toss them into the drier.)