Holoholo Mauna Kea - and Thanksgiving

Long and winding road -- these are KOA trees with light bark

View of Mauna Kea across the high desert (yes, Hawaii has deserts)

For Thanksgiving, this week we took a lovely drive (holoholo) up the slopes of Mauna Loa. Its mass (from seafloor to top) makes it the largest mountain in the world! The drive is long and winding, but offers an amazing views and a variety of vegetation because of the wide variety of elevations..

The Big Island averages only 85 miles across, but elevation from 0 to 13,800 the results in diverse and dynamic landscape. Hawaii Island has 10 of the 14 world's climate zones offering an outstanding variety of vegetation.

View from about 6500 - Volcano Village in backdrop

Smoke from the 2018 fire on the slopes of Mauna 

Leaving the highway turnoff that's just a few miles form our house, we ventured up to a wonderful outlook at about 6500 feet where we could look down on Kilauea crater and Volcano Village. And, we could estimate the approximate location of our house. (which would be over at the far-far left)

To learn more about this amazing active volcano check out this link: MAUNA LOA

Phil's painting

The year 2018 was full of mother nature's surprises -- East Rift Zone eruption of course, Hurrican Hector, and a huge fire on the slopes of Mauna Loa that destroyed about 2000 acres including large number  of koa and ohia trees and native plants.

"Poop" berries

While we remembered to take the camera and the binoculars, we forgot our plant identification books, but were able to identify several after returning.

One plant in particular was a special find because we found it in our yard after clearing huge pile of plant debris. It is called Kukakenene -- an interesting word. kukake (the gift) KOO-KA-KAY-NAY-NAY

Nene are the official state bird of Hawaii.  Here is a watercolor painting Phil did, with a drop-in photoshop border Lunel added.

Nenes are a beautiful goose that leave "droppings" that look just like the shiny, black berries from this low growing shrub that thrives in this higher elevation.

Nene are closely related to the Canadian goose.. Some scientists believe that the Nene may have evolved from Canada geese that took a wrong turn during migration about half a million years ago. 

Right now, we have purple Iris named "Mauna Loa" in our yard but will also be hoping to find an amazing hybrid called "Mauna Loa Fire" to add to our collection.

WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR
SO MANY BLESSINGS.

Hale Le'a - House of Gladness

Joe -- who lives around the corner!

Nona Lunel and Joe -- chanting

It's been a month since our last blog, but we have been super busy getting ready for our house blessing and helping to finish up all the building projects that have occupied the last 7-8 months thanks to some wonderful local builders.

A dear friend was conscripted to take photos so we could enjoy our 40+ guests, and two other friends took charge of the vast array of potluck foods and directing people to the self-guided tours of the house, yard and studio.

Mixing rain water and
 salt for blessing

There he is! Happy Guy

Joe Camacho conducted the blessing assisated by Nona Wilson, both of Hawaiian heritage. Much of Joe's blessing was done in the Hawaiian language and during the occasion, we were blessed with a short burst of rain that Joe used, with salt to bless the house and studio, as well as ourselves and guests. Joe and Nona helped Lunel struggle through a chant of thanksgiving Oli Mahalo

We encourage you to -- .listen to this beautiful chant!

These are just a FEW of the cutting we received

Photos above are of the blessing; it was a gathering where old friends and neighbors from Leilani Estates chatted with our new neighbors from our street and elsewhere in Volcano Village.

Not only were four tables full of food, of course people remember that our new yard would need cuttings!

This is an east facing window

Next week is Thanksgiving, and this week last year was when we received word that insurance was going to be paid AND that we had (through other dear friends) secured a place we would eventually call home. In fact, just this week, escrow has closed on our new home.

No, we don't "dive" in -- there are inside steps for us

Finally, we are including a couple photos of the beautiful new lanai, complete with deep cedar hot tub -- just in time for winter at 3500 -- which can be chilly. Although you might think this stained glass window is of Fissure 8 that ultimately destroy our house after it burned, this beautiful window was crafted by local Volcano artists over 20 years ago. We were fortunate to be able to purchase it from the previous owner of a local B&B. (The morning light makes rainbows on the hot tub.)