The Perils of Living on the Big Island
High above old lava flows of Mauna Loa
Once again I am reminded of the chance people take by living in certain areas here on the island. Currently the danger zone is in Puna where as to date over 80 structures have been consumed by the fast flowing lava.
Many years ago the same basic area of Kilauea's East Rift Zone erupted and inundated and destroyed homes near Kalapana at the Royal Gardens subdivision. This activity also wiped out the road that led to Volcanoes National Park from Kalapana up the Chain of Craters road.
When I started this journal entry several days ago the lava had not reached downslope to the sea. Now a beloved area of mine, Kapoho has been wiped off the map, buried over by 10-20 feet of lava. Kapoho Bay: Gone. The Beautiful Tidepools: Gone. And now hundreds of houses destroyed displacing many island residents. Super sad.
This is the example of the powerful work of Pele, Hawaiian goddess of fire who has the ultimate say as to what goes where, especially on the Big Island. She has the power to destroy and renew.
Before the 2018 onslaught: A pleasant evening from a shoreline near Kapoho Beach Lots
The Beauty of Clouds
I'm thinking of starting a new project that will only deal with clouds. That's it, no land forms, no seascapes, no wild life. Just water vapor and air.
Almost every day here in Hawaii the sky presents a new look. It is never the same. Kind of like fingerprints of people; no two clouds are ever alike.
My grandfather was always into taking photos of cloud formations in Oklahoma--especially the big thunderheads the would menace the afternoon and evening skies. He mainly shot Kodachrome and we would sit down monthly for the big slide show after dinner. It was a real treat.
Something that is fascinating here is the many layers of different types of clouds at various altitudes. You can see low stratus below cumulus below alto cumulus below cirrus. And they can be moving different directions at different speeds.
I have a goal of one year for this project and I plan to produce a book at the end of it.
Keep checking back for cloud updates!