Spring Equinox

The other evening the sky was so dramatic Phil went outside around 5:30 pm, camera in hand, and took two photos both within a minute of each other. The mackerel clouds covered the whole sky and the moon was nearly full.  The first photo (left) was facing due east and the rising moon and the second one was taken looking due west down our long driveway.

When we first moved to the Big Island's Puna District in 2012 everyone on The Continent thought we must have palm trees and white sand beaches. " No," we would explain.  "We live in an ohia forest!" Then, however we did not get this western view so low to the horizon.  Sadly, our neighbors across the street have lost nearly all their beautiful ohia trees**.  You can see some of the bare branches outlined by the brilliantly colored sky.


**If you don't know about our dying Ohia trees -- refer to our March 9th entry where there are links to stories about this sad disaster.  Hard sometimes to admit that life IS change.  Or, this newest article just put out by NPR (very sad) we live at "ground zero!)

Elegant solitary Lehua blossom over the bed of orchids

Bed of Nun's Cap Orchids (under Ohia tree)

Even the weather is changing!

As a result of our significant drought several weeks earlier in the year, this spring's bloom of Nun's Cap orchids and the Lehua blossoms on the Ohia trees are late -- but nonetheless beautiful.