Retirement -- Busy Haysmers

 

Small is Beautiful TOO!

 

Island of Fire and Snow!!

WOW -- talk about extreme weather -- Just two blogs ago we were extolling the beauty of lava as it flowed down from Mauna Loa (current flow now over) and here's that latest extreme -- SNOW! As we pull out of our driveway the view of our other giant, active volcano Mauna Kea, greets us for each errand we run. How lucky to have this view on the Winter Solstice.  WISHING YOU AND YOURS A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!

A New Deck In The Forest

 

A Quasar Gets a Hawaiian Name

 

The whole year before our move to the Big Island in 2012, we read many books about the Hawaiian culture and one of the first words we learned from a Hawaiian Dictionary (Mahalo Queenie) -- was PO!!  Lunel wanted to design a collage that might reflect that awesome destructive/creative force.

STARS OVER HAWAII

 

When we retired and moved from California we were familiar with the constellations like Orion, Cassiopeia and so forth like this image (left)  

Because of our array of telescopes atop Mauna Kea, the island has very low lighting which means we do have excellent star scapes.

However, the star chart for Hawaii is very different. Early Polynesian navigators used four distinct “Star lines” to navigate  cross thousands of ocean miles.                                                                  

The Hawaiian names are, of course, in the Hawaiian language and translated they are: Kite of Kawelo and the Fish hook of Maui which can be seen in the fall and winter sky (shown below.) During winter/spring and spring/summer the star lines seen are named The Bailer and the Backbone. 

At Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo on the Big Island, lectures and special events offer educational opportunities to learn about Hawaii’s legacy of exploration.

 Imiloa Astronomy Center Hilo

The star line pictured here is called “The Backbone” -- one that is easier for us to see because it includes several more familiar constellations. It is Seen during the spring and summer months

For more information about star lines:

Hawaii Navigation by the Stars

Six Weeks Post Knee Surgery

42 days later just look at this happy girl in her garden weeding.

"Blue Nitrile Warriors" 

St. Phil was there to "spot" Lunel going down the stairs, and managed to rustle up her garden bench, her walker, a bucket and her favorite tools and a big glass of iced tea for a sunny day.

Although it was due to hit today, once again, the Big Island of Hawaii was spared a direct hit from hurricane Douglas, thanks in part to our two 13,000+ volcanoes Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

Spending less than one hour, taking great care producing 1/2 bucket of weeds, she went in to rest, massage and ice the knees and is planning NOT to repeat the task tomorrow -- even though the bed was not completely weeded. (Good grief, is she finally learning something about moderation??)

Last week she received an inquiry from the Hilo Medical Center's Bone and Joint Clinic to provide copies of her "Blue Nitrile Warriors" collage. Phil got them printed on Friday and they'll be in the mail Monday. She dedicated this piece to the staff there who took such excellent care of her during her stay.

Meanwhile, we're remaining vigilant about Covid19 precautionary measures, limiting trips to Hilo and keeping friends and neighbors at appropriate distance. As so many slogans indicate, we may be alone (for now) but we ARE "together" -- just in a very different way.

Take care, be safe!

Let It Snow...Let It Snow!

From our house at 3500 feet

Yes SNOW in Hawaii along with palm trees and beaches. Here's a photo we took from our driveway looking up at Mauna Kea. At 13,800 elevation it is about one million years old and remains a deeply sacred cultural site in the hearts of the Hawaiian people.

(snow only on 2 mountain tops -- other white is clouds)

With its high elevation, dry environment, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation. 


Since the creation of an access road in 1964, thirteen telescopes funded by eleven countries have been constructed at the summit. Their construction on a landscape considered sacred by Native Hawaiians continues to be a topic of debate to this day.

Most of the volcano is underwater (as shown in this photo) and when measured from its underwater base, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world, measuring over  33,000 ft in height. The artistic depiction above illustrates so much of this mountain is below sea level.

And, here's an aerial photo showing sporadic cloud cover, snow on the peaks on Mauna Kea (upper mountain) and Mauna Loa. The map show the location of Volcano Village. No matter what direction our driving takes us, views of both are visible. Sun light, moon light, light clouds or stormy vistas -- even softly enshrouded in grey fleece, they are a magnificent presence. 

Finally, in contrast, here's a sweet rose growing across the street from our house -- now, we're on the hunt for roses for zone 11 so we can have some too.

Week-at-a-Glance

A few members of our local ukulele group

Super dad and super kid!

As we head into December, there are the tra-di-tions TRA-DI-TIONS! The first is Pahoa's Annual Christmas Parade featuring schools, bands, civic groups, veterans, local youth and local politicians.

Everyone was thankful that our week-long downpour (with over 12" of rain) wrapped it up just in time for the festivities. Here are a few pictures of the parade.

Lunel harvested bunches of mini white poinsettias to share

Another local tradition is getting together to make wreaths from materials gathered from the slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.

This year's early dusting of snow (see previous blog entry) limited our gathering materials, so our wreaths were supplemented with materials gathered from our yards.

All us beautiful wahine with our wreaths

Later this week, we will go out hunting for our perfect Christmas tree that we can cut ourselves at a local tree farm just a few miles down the road.

Finally, we include a photo of the sweet little puppy girl -- one week old today.

Rack 'em Up!!

We are as ready as we can be, having had some experience now....so how about some MUSIC??

MUSIC!!  Play "Rack 'em Up" while you read!

Madeline is expected tomorrow followed by Hurricane Lester

We aren't very far into hurricane season here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but it looks like we have some serious weather headed our way.

Looking at this NOAA image that was in the Star Advertiser, all I could think of was "rack 'em up." and of course a great song by Jonny Lang.  We have had pretty good luck so far because our "storm cruncher" volcanoes Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea do tend to disrupt the arms of the storms as they approach the Big Island.  But, as always, the east side of the island, where we live, is pretty much where they all swing in to upon arrival. And, for better or worse, we have had some practice! We'll just make a bowl of pop-corn, light the candles, put on some good music, and dive into our favorite books....

"Oh NO, Mr. Bill...not the blender!!" 

All we could think of with this photo was SNL's -- Mr. Bill

Just for fun, we have included another very interesting image -- an artists view of the island that shows the shape of the islands below the water. We recommend you visit regularly or subscribe to dailygalaxy.com website!

Phil's 75th Birthday

Phil had his 75th birthday on June 22, so we celebrated with a wonderful four-day excursion up to the north end of the island -- Kohala District and had such a good time. Here's a couple photos we took, just to give you a sample of the scenery. In addition to amazing views, we visited a number of cultural/historical places as well.

Above is a view from Waimea of Mauna Kea (wearing her colorful shawl) and below is a stunning view of Pololu Valley -- at the literal north side "end of the road."  

We'll be posting a few consecutive blogs about our "holoholo" road trip in a few days.

What We Could Learn from Wolves

Obviously this isn't Hawaii (although snow does fall on Mauna Kea in the winter.)

We don't use Facebook.
We don't do "likes" or "follows."
We don't watch U-tubes.
We don't even have a hand-held device.
And, we rarely "forward" stuff on.
There are too many distractions as it is.

For some reason, this image and story (recently shared with us) were far too poignant not to share. Says a lot about how we treat the rest of our pack and the role of leaders. Feel free to pass it on, but give credit to the photographer Cesare Brai.

• A wolf pack: the first 3 are the old or sick, they give the pace to the entire pack. If it was the other way round, they would be left behind, losing contact with the pack. In case of an ambush they would be sacrificed.
• Then come 5 strong ones, the front line. In the center are the rest of the pack members, then the 5 strongest following.
•  Last is alone, the alpha.  He controls everything from the rear. In that position he can see everything, decide the direction. He sees all of the pack.
•  The pack moves according to the elders pace and help each other, watch each other.

For once I am speechless, I knew that wolves are different, but didn't realize how much we could learn from them.

30 Years at High Noon

Us -- then.

His ad in the personals column said he wanted a “woman who would inspire his creativity and he hers…and who was ready for the love of a lifetime." In her journal she wrote “this is a man I could spend the rest of my life with.”   That was 30 years ago!  On May 18^th we celebrated that auspicious first meeting in Santa Cruz. 

May 18^th was marked by another auspicious event here on the Big Island of Hawaii. Called “Lahina Noon,” this phenomenon is evident only in the tropics when the sun passes directly overhead and when no shadows are visible.  Because the islands are not exactly at the equator, this happens twice…once before and once after the summer solstice.  At our beautiful Imiloa Astronomy center in Hilo, the atrium window directly over this beautiful tile mosaic causes the pie shaped shadows to fall directly on the center of the design. Imiloa Astronomy Center

We celebrated with a lovely dinner on the lanai of a favorite local restaurant that featured views of BOTH Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa followed by a lively evening of live blues music by Sugar Ray & the Bluetones ***.  I decided to create an art piece for our anniversary using 15 of Phil’s hand carved koa fish that now hangs above the hot tub on our lanai.

Us - now.

So, 30 years later, we show the same wear and tear as everyone else in our age group.  We are thankful that Phil's suit coat is no longer required, and that Lunel's wedding dress featured an elastic waistband.  All in all, life is good and we feel truly blessed and grateful for 30 years we have spent together.

*** Locals!! If you don't know about Lazar Bear Productions -- check out this website!  Lazar Bear Productions

Fauna and Flora ala PUNA!

Moving to the Puna District on the Big Island has been a whole new experience as over four years of retirement blog entries have shown. It is a whole new world to discover and we feel so connected! We love knowing where our water supply comes from (the sky!), where our waste goes, and where our vegies are grown. We love the fact that we have sun-power for our major appliances. We also appreciate being able to supplement our diet with fish caught right off our wild and scenic eastern shore. We are on the 'call list' when local fishermen have enough to share with neighbors, and we usually have fresh Ono, Mahi and Ahi in the freezer ready for the grill.

Lower Puna from the air - South from Kalapana

Mouflon sheep on Mauna Kea

Recently, though, we were invited to friends' home for a potluck and taste of a variety of wild meat caught on Mauna Kea as part of the population control of expanding species who pose a threat to native populations of flora and fauna. These hunts are sponsored by Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural 'resources and closely monitored for proper harvesting.  Local residents pay a nominal fee to participate and usually a group of people gather to process and package the meat.  (The variety of  wildlife available for hunting includes goat, deer, wild cattle and sheep, not to mention game birds of many kinds.) All of the well prepared samples including wild pig and Mouflon sheep were delicious, but we particularly liked creating our own tender sheep tacos with all the appropriate trimmings.

We just received a cutting from a plant that apparently traces it's lineage back to FDR!! As in Franklin Delano Roosevelt!  New friends we have made here on the Big Island have such diverse interests and always seem willing to share their knowledge with us newer residents. Such was the case last Sunday when we received cuttings of Epiphyllum Cacti that were blooming...well NOT during the day -- but at night!  The cuttings we received from our flora-friends apparently trace roots (haha) back to a staff member of the Roosevelt family who shared cuttings of this lovely bloomer over 100 years ago. From the cuttings we received (and will plant,) we have had four nights of surprise blooms -- but you have to watch carefully, because once it is dark they only take a few seconds to open.  Not only do they present a beautiful bloom, but the fragrance is lovely as well.

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.

  

Colorful Hawaii Holiday Traditions

There's a whole generation of folks our age who remember when getting an orange in our Christmas stocking was a treat, along with a new box of color crayons, or a roll of Life Savers.  This morning (Christmas Eve Day) the dogs watched lazily while I went out to our little orchard to harvest a crop of fruit to make fresh juice.  We have been experimenting with using lemons, oranges, tangerines, limes, lilikoi and ginger. The lilikoi and ginger offer a real snap that needs just a touch of local lehua blossom honey.

Card Art by Thor - "Spambiance" 

So while thinking about old family traditions, I also remembered SPAM!!  Our working family made do; mom was very thrifty (although at the time I didn't fully appreciate that.)  I remember her slicing SPAM (spiced-ham) soooo thin one can fed our family of five.

According to the SPAM website, the island's love affair with Spam began in World War II, when GIs were served the salty luncheon meat because it didn't require refrigeration and had a long shelf life. The Hormel Corporation, which manufactures Spam, provided 15 million cans to Allied troops every week. Between 1941 and 1945, Hormel had shipped over 100 million pounds overseas.

Snow?  While snow may fall on Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa, at our elevation of 750 feet, we have to settle for our annual blooming "Snow Bush" which is covered with tiny little white flowers -- a member of the Poinsettia family.

Speaking of our local volcanoes, each year members of our tribe respectfully gather natural materials from the slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa for wreath making.  We all meet at someone's home, bring pupus and gather for munching and "talk-story" as we create our wreaths.  Finally, each season (Equinox and Solstice) we decorate our family altar with appropriate symbolic reminders of our connection to friends, family and our nearly 30 years together.

Happy Holidays EVERYONE!!