Tunnel Vision

Invasive trees crowd out native species - Hwy 132

After Hurricane Iselle it took weeks to clear trees

In the few years we have both visited and lived here in Puna on the Big Island of Hawaii, there have been a few changes in a category that might be called ‘tunnel vision.’  

Prior to Hurricane Iselle in 2014, there was a stretch of Highway 132 (from Pahoa Village down to Kapoho) that was tunneled with overgrown giant savanna-like Albezia trees that had become infamous as “the trees that ate Puna.” The cleanup was long and messy, but as a result, it brought discussions about this horribly invasive species to the foreground; the result has been a heightened sense of public and county awareness towards appropriate management (somewhat illusive goal being eradication.)

"Mango Road" to the ocean

Looking up our driveway in 2012

One of the beautiful places here in Puna that first struck our hearts was the Mango edged one-lane road down to the boat ramp at Pohoiki – a magical tunnel I have featured several times in our blog entries.  Unlike the junky invasive trees, these mango trees are stable and strong, and produce piles of mangoes annually.   

We found another tunnel, oddly enough,when first looked at the house we now live in. The driveway into our property formed a long lush green tunnel.  Of course, later we learned most of that tunnel was invasive species.  We also lost some ohia long the drive.  We have since planted local, endemic, and hardwood trees as replacements.

Tree stump of large Albezia removed

"Tree Tunnels" on the way to our house (both now gone.)

For several years we have referenced "tunnels" to give directions to our house.  Our street was just past the "second tunnel" coming down Leilani. Fortunately the newly formed Big Island Invasive Species Committee is NOT suffering from "tunnel vision" and are taking a proactive stand to remove some of these giants before they fall over.

Big Island Invasive Species Committee  BIISC --is a cooperative of over 20 agencies including education, forestry, agriculture, transportation, tourism, watershed, university and National Guard.  Power and internet providers also have had to reconsider their own tunnel vision and take a serious look at how much prevention saves when disasters occur.

     

Spider Webs and Galaxies

In Puna driving toward Pohoiki down Mango Road

Early one morning last week, my girlfriend Jan and I hopped in the car for a 12 minute ride down for a swim at one of Puna's favorite places on Hawaii's Big Island.

Wearing suits, sarongs and sandals and riding with car windows wide open we passed through the mile long sylvan tunnel locally known as “Mango Road” where branches of the ancient mango trees glowed in the morning sun. While rays of light flickered through the rich dark green canopy cool lavender shadows laced the underbrush.

As we both enjoyed the magic light, we were suddenly and simultaneously stunned at an unusual sight. There in the high treetops of the overarching branches were hundreds of spider webs, like galaxies, tilted at every angle, backlit by the sunlight and prisms of rainbows.  With the car fully stopped in the middle of the one-lane road, we were awestruck and silent. And we both also knew that when the light changed the vision we witnessed would be gone – gone in the way such ephemeral things vanish.

Gemini Legacy image of the galaxy "herd" VV 166

Even so, the next day, I spent an hour finding that same spot – a near impossibility on that stretch of tree-lined roadway.  Ready to give up my walking back and forth with stretched neck muscles, I turned around one last time – and THERE THEY WERE!  Of course I took photos, none of which begin to capture what Jan and I saw, or even what I saw the following day. I was very much reminded of galaxies in deep far reaches that are like spider webs woven in space.  In fact, there is actually a cluster of galaxies that are called “The Spiderweb.”

We are especially excited to share a BRAND NEW image with you from GEMINI Observatory taken right here from Mauna Kea!!!  Here is a quote that tells a little about this image.

A compelling new image from Gemini Observatory peers into the heart of a group of galaxies (VV166) traveling through space together. The variety of galactic forms range from a perfect spiral, to featureless blobs and present, at a glance, a sampling of the diversity and evolution of galaxies. Galaxy groups important laboratories for studying how galaxies form and evolve beyond our own Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Milky Way and the Great Spiral in Andromeda. Unlike animal herds, which are generally the same species traveling together, most galaxies move through space in associations comprised of myriad types, shapes, and sizes. Exploring the nature of these extragalactic “herds” may help to unlock the secrets to the overall structure of the universe.

  

Ahalanui Park pond (one of many Puna gems on the Big Island) is usually a serene place where fresh underground water, heated by volcanic activity, meets the salty waves of the ocean.  Over the course of two years I have seen many varieties of weather, cloud formation, wind and rain all in ambient colors.

With a dangerous surf advisory for the island because of Hurricane Jimena, last night at dusk I wanted to see what the water was like, so I slipped on my bathing suit, wrapped at towel around me and took my twelve minute ride down Mango Road.  Half way there I realized I did not have a flashlight -- so my swim would be brief.



Seeing there were only 3-4 cars in the log, I figured the water might be chilly, but I needed a good cool-off after working in the yard for three hours.  At the head of the path was a sign "Park closed until further notice."  Fortunately my rebel-self did not even pause; skirting the sign I could, however, see why.

Waves very similar to this!

The entire pond looked like a frothy full bowl as eight foot waves crashed up, over and into the pond one after another.  It looked NOTHING like the above peaceful image; and me with no camera (or flashlight.)  Although the churning water was way up past the steps, it was so aerated by the pounding surf, it was an amazing aquamarine color.  I dove in, delighted.  It was like swimming in a agitated washing machine; huge waves breaking over the embankment splashed into the pond, traveled all the way to the back wall and bounced back toward the entrance, and sea foam swirled in spiral patterned eddies. 
 
Jostled by the water, I swam back and forth, end to end, and as i paused to catch my breath, I saw another woman doing the same thing.  We were alone in this amazing experience, and her body language clearly expressed my own delight.  During our brief talk-story I discovered her name was Luz, and she laughed and said, "ha, the Lu's are in the pond."

It was getting dark fast, so we each returned to our swim and as the color of the water deepened, and I could no longer see the bottom, I once again reveled in the power of Divine Darkness and figured I had to make a simple piece of art that expressed my mermaid joy at swimming in the depths. 

Phil took the above photo of me last week. The drawing was done in '95 during a visit to Orr Hot Springs.  I superimposed my drawing over another photo I had, trying to illustrate what I saw as I swam -- millions of minuscule bubbles in shades of effervescent aqua, deepening to darkness, reminding me, as always, of the space between the stars -- and of another favorite -- Dark Matter.

 

Blue Moon?

July 31, 2015 at Ahalanui - for moonlight swim

A Blue Moon, oddly enough, usually isn't really even blue, although it can be.  Blue Moons happen about every 2.9 years.  There was one in 2009, one for my birthday in 2012, and another just yesterday!!

Usually, however, the "blue moons" are not blue!  They are a glowing pale orange.  There are a couple of reasons that a moon will appear blue; one is related to volcanic activity.

WHAT?  Volcanic activity?!?  Maybe...because we live on Hawaii's Big Island, with active volcanoes, (one of which nearly divided our Pahoa Village in half!) we may get to see a TRULY  TRUE BLUE MOON in 2018 -- when there will be two in the same year!  Forest fires can also produce a refractive condition that can also cause the moon to appear blue.



One of our favorite places to enjoy the full moon is just a few miles away; a short drive down Mango Road, a turn onto the famous and beloved Red Road, to Ahalanui State Park -- a great place for a romantic night swim!  All three of these photos show were taken there -- some have been artfully adapted.  (Of course our other favorite spot for viewing the full moon is from our hot tub on the lanai.  :-)
 
A personal note about my infatuation with the moon follows:  My attraction began years before I discovered that the real name on my real birth certificate was spelled LUNEL!!  Just before I discovered this, however, I had made a series of five consecutive paintings, each symbolically illustrating my own waxing and waning during a difficult period of my life.  Shortly after that, I was invited to participated in my first one-woman exhibit that was entitled "I Sing the Moon." 

(There is a QUOTE that goes here....about the moon that I am looking for....and will insert it when I find it.  LUNEL)

Mango (Jam) Road

Local Punatics refer to the road from Pahoa to Pohoiki as "Mango Road;" it's lined with giant old mango trees most of the way down to the boat ramp and ocean-swimming at Issac Hale Park.  Another couple minutes down the Red Road is volcanically heated  Ahalanui Warm Pond.

Last year I swam in the afternoons (as a reward for hard work in the garden), and for physical therapy to recover from knee surgery.  This year, I have a new habit -- swimming early -- 7-8 am when the ocean tides have swept out the pond and it is deep and clear.  Driving there the last few days, I have noticed the road is covered with hundreds and hundreds of mangoes -- dropping as they do annually from the giant mango trees that line the one-lane road to the ocean.


They are small in size, but sweet and succulent, and although many crack open, get eaten by mongoose, lots just get turned into Mango Jam by the cars passing on this enchanting one-lane road.  The pits turn the road into a washboard and the fermented fruit smell reminds me of the years I made gallons of blackberry wine.


Today, I pulled over to gather a bunch of mangoes right off the ground to take home.  Other folks had the same idea as I saw 8-10 people with long poles gathering them to make pickled mango and mango jam.  Sorry, I am not that ambitious and am completely satisfied just peeling them and slurping my way down to the pit.  Yum!

PS.  Just a few days after writing this, I was headed down for an early swim when, to my surprise, I had to pull over and watch a bonafied "street sweeper/washer" moving slowly down the one lane road washing the gooey jam and pits over to the side.   It was SO odd to see a piece of city maintenance equipment doing such an unusual job in the middle of Puna.