Hawaii '05
Journal Notes #2

All of the Hawaiian Islands were born of volcanoes, but here on the Big Island there remain two active ones. The Volcano National Park is an awe inspiring place to visit. The museums displays and drives around the volcanic area draw people from all over the world. One of our favorites is the walk through the Thurston Lava Tube. I think this is our 7th time through it.
 

Driving the ring road (Rt. 11), around the island, we consult our maps to see the date of the particular flow - some are quite recent. There are several types of volcanic rock /ash/:

Pahoehoe                       A'a                     Pele's Tears

               

Much of the lava soil in this region is mostly black of the Pahoehoe kind. On the NW section, it tends more to the brown A'a style. Dick says it is named that because that's the sounds you make as you try to walk (barefooted) on it ! There are beautiful black sand beaches on the south shore and at least one green sand beach. The diversity of this landscape is difficult to comprehend given Hawaii's relative young age.


Here a beautiful snail crawls across the driveway next to a candy - and there is a palm fond shadow cast upon the sands at the City Of Refuge. Click on the picture to see the patterns in the raked sand contrasting with the delicate fond designs...


One of the friendly and helpful geckoes who cohabit our place is pictured in this close-up (a little bigger than life-size). They say that this variety is fast multiplying and seems to be replacing the common green variety made popular by the insurance industry.

Hawaii's delicate position on our planet's evolutionary stage is well known, yet the processes of competition and survival seem to be accelerating before our eyes. But, probably that is even more clear to those who witnessed events after Captain Cook made his mark here. Between the actions of the volcanoes and the single primate species yet to arrive, Hawaii changes.

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