Tag Archives: Hawai’i

Inside Kilauea Caldera

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“A Glimpse of Pele’ “
Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

Halemaʻumaʻu crater, the home of Pele’, lies within the caldera of Kilauea. Pele’, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, was exiled from Tahiti because of her temper. Legends warn one that you better watch out if you meet a beautiful young girl or a white-haired older lady and don’t grant them what they wish!

I created this image from the Kilauea Crater Observation Center four years ago. It was a magnificent sight to see a glimpse of Pele’. This winter, we went up to the crater to find out that the Center and road up to it had been closed due to recent activity in 2018. We could not look down into the throat of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater to see Pele’.

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Be Like a Sunset!

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“Big Island Sunset”
Waiakola, Hawai’i

I would like to pass on this message from Dewitt Jones, a photographer that I follow (dewittjones.com). How many times have we sat and watched the beauty of a sunset? Remember the warmth, peace, and happiness it has brought. Some evenings it will be bright and glorious. Some evenings it will be gentle and peaceful. But, it is always there.

There are so many good and wonderful things in this world to celebrate. In times like these, it is extremely important not to forget to celebrate what is right in this world. Dewitt asks why can’t we be like a sunset to the people and world around us. Why can’t we bring beauty, brightness, peace, and hope to the world … every day? Are we too busy? Will people care? Are are efforts good enough? Why can’t we be like a sunset, showing up every evening without any expectation of the result? The essence is being there, celebrating life, and bring forth happiness to whoever may be there.

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End of the Chain …

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Rainbow
End of Chain of Craters Road
Hawai’i Volcanos National Park

All we could see at the top of the plateau overlooking the lava plain at the end of the Chain of Craters Road was a thick bank of fog. We drove down to where the recent Kilauea lava flow blocked the road. We really could not see much and turned around. The fog started to break a little revealing this beautiful rainbow. I hopped out of the car and grabbed my camera. My lens was not wide enough to include the whole rainbow in the frame. I started to change my lens but the rainbow was breaking up rapidly. I grabbed my trusty iPhone and quickly shot a couple of images. The rainbow disappeared. Thank you Apple for the new wide angle lens on the iPhone 11.

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Ridges Into the Sea

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Pololu Valley Lookout (2020)
The Big Island, Hawai’i

The last time I was here I hiked down to the base of these cliffs and looked up the Palolu Valley to the south. Waipi’o Valley is in the distance. This trip I did not make the trek down to the bottom.

On previous trips, my interest focused on the bay directly below and closer. The above ridges were in the distant background. This time the ridges caught my eye. I zoomed out to 400m to isolate them.

For reference, the photo below represents my previous focus.

Pololu Valley Lookout (2017)

As seen, this is quite a different perspective. It pays to return to special places and keep an open mind to see new things.

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Remnant of the Past

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Ancient Hawaiian Heiau
Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i

Just to the north of the “Little Blue Church” is the remnant of an ancient Hawaiian heiau (temple). I came to see the church, but my interest quickly turned to the adjacent heiau. How long ago did the ancient peoples worship on this ground? Was it in use when Cook first landed on the island just a few miles south of here? What do these protruding wood branches and line represent? So many questions …

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