Building Lava Rock Walls (Intuitively)

For many reasons I have gone through most of my life trusting my intuition, mostly ignoring directions, and being willing to fail and learn from my own mistakes rather than first finding some book on the subject.  It never occurred to me until just today that I could find a book, let alone a U tube video to tell me how to build a lava rock wall.  (click on any photo to enlarge)

To find lava - start digging!

Flat blank canvas - our property (2012)

Today, after three years, I decided to look it up. When the first words were "get out your measuring tape" I knew I was in the wrong department.  When I saw that you started with the BIG rocks first, I realized I had spent three years of building them upside-down. Silly me?!?!   I begin with all the SMALL lava rocks first, stamping them firmly down to create a wide bed.  After a layer or two of medium rocks edged firming into place, I finish my walls with the big heavier stones that hold everything in place.  To my way of thinking, everything in the universe is built from the small stuff.

Stomp a firm foundation

Funny thing is, when we first moved to the Puna District on the Big Island and began to assess the very blank canvas of our one acre, there were no visible lava rocks on the flat terrain of crushed red cinder surrounding the house.  I ignorantly asked our next door neighbor where people got their lava to build with.  Typical of the kindness here, he did not laugh, and replied quietly, "You just have to start digging."  And so I did.

I have never allowed "not knowing" to stop me from learning, but in following my intuition, I decided that I would let the lava teach me what I needed to know.  I look at our first walls, and I smile; although they are not so good, they were my patient first teachers.  In fact the first word I learned in Hawaiian language was PO, as in POHAKU.

An "upside down" lava wall in progress.

PO has many meanings that include: night, darkness, realm of the gods.  Its deeper meanings also include a primordial deep darkness from which everything springs into being-ness. This certainly appealed to me as I appreciate the mythology surrounding the Sacred Darkness respected by many cultures around the world.

POHAKU means rock, stone, but lava stones here in Hawaii carry the spirit of the land in ways far to complex to enumerate here. Simply put, however, they are the foundation for the entire island culture that did not use metal -- used for building gigantic structures, for walls of homes and pens for animals, for scraping and cutting tools, weapons, catching fish in lava walled fish ponds, and preparing food. Working with them I feel an appreciation and I feel a quiet sense of grounding being here -- in this new-land-place.

It's STILL All Right Here!!

Art by Donna Seller - "Arts Alive in Old Town"

...now, though, the "here" is in PUNA Hawaii!

We spent 22 years living in the heart of Northern California’s redwoods where we also owned a successful gallery in the historic Old Town section of Eureka.  The slogan for this Victorian area was “It’s All Right Here.”  We enjoyed being able to say that everything we needed was on “our street” which was F Street. We lived in a charming old home on F Street that was built in the 1860’s.  Our business, Many Hands Gallery Many Hands Eureka  (pictured above left) was on F Street, as was our bookkeeper, hairdresser, bank, favorite restaurants and other amenities.  It was one of the real charms of living in a small community.

Lava approaching Pahoa Village Road

When we bought our retirement house in the Puna District on Hawaii’s Big Island, we soon discovered that we had delightedly moved to a similar situation in Pahoa.  We are retired so we no longer own a business.  However it is STILL “All Right Here” – on Pahoa Village Road where we find our bank, CPA, market, video shop, auto repair, drugstore, health food store, post office, senior center, library, chiropractor, swimming pool and numerous small novelty shops, museum and used bookstore. 

Because of Kilauea's serious lava flow from the Pu'u O'o vent that threatened to go right through the middle of Pahoa, we now have many aerial images of Pahoa Village that did not exist prior to that distressing year-long event.  (In case you didn’t know, the flow stopped just before Pahoa Village Road.)

For a couple local tours visit this U-Tube video. Photo Tour of Pahoa  OR Another Puna Tour -- Look see!

Fall Equinox & Family Rituals

In a few weeks, our family will celebrate our third year as "Punatics" -- those wild and wonderful, resourceful and creative people who live in the Puna District on Hawaii's Big Island.  And, as with most families of any size, there are the Family Rituals to mark special occasions.  Now, this is true no matter the size or composition of the family -- including two people and three Pembroke Welsh Corgi dogs.


One of our rituals is triggered by the low fall sun angle. At the Spring Equinox, the early morning sun peeks over the horizon in the east, but from a southeasterly angle shining diagonally across a light path into one area of the house.  Since Fall has always been my favorite season, I am delighted that for the Fall Equinox, the sun rises  in the east, of course, but many degrees more to the northeast and so this time of year in the early morning, I can feel its light on my face.  Just now, just at this time of year.

L to R - Reba Bo Beba, Ao Pokole Poko, & Princess I'ilani

So, tonight being the Equinox, we have two special lights -- our holiday lights that loop across the front of the house -- and are turned on this time of year.  The other lovely light comes from the glow of the lighted chandelier that belonged to Phil's grandma -- as seen through the leaded glass window that also belonged to her.  Before Phil's mother, Margaret, died last year, she bequeathed both these family treasures to Phil, and we are delighted to have them as they help mark the turning of another season.

The "seasons" in Hawaii may admittedly be subtle, but our bodies seem to respond to seasonal changes -- even the Corgyn seem willing to turn in a bit earlier.

Going With the Flow

NY Times Article on PAHOA

Wow, little Pahoa Village in the NY Times!  This is a good article (click on above link) on what life is like here in the Puna District of the Big Island of Hawaii.  The video helps with maps, aerial photography and interviews.  The Pahoa Village population is under 700, but the residents whose lives will be affected when the lava crosses Highway 130 numbers between 7-9000 residents.
(UPDATE: at the bottom)

Phil -- wearing his new LAVA T-shirt

It is difficult to explain to people who don't live here how lava has been flowing from the Pu'u O'o vent (off of Kilauea Crater) for over 30 years -- the longest flow in recorded history.  For 28 years, the unbroken lava flow was due south -- straight to the ocean -- until June two years ago when it began to change course, flowing northeast.

The video is only three minutes, but offers some good perspectives on the phrases "living on the edge" and "going with the flow;" here it is a literal reality.  The land is alive here in a way that invades your consciousness; it is also a source of inspiration and awe.   (UPDATE:  It appears, as of the end of March, the alert status will be down-graded, and we will not hear radio lava-related Civil Defense messages several times daily.  Life will go on, but the awareness of  the forces we live with remain ever present)