Pu'u Huluhulu Koa Grove

The boughs of the ancient koa grove intertwine in the afternoon sun on Pu'u Huluhulu, the native tree refuge just off Saddle Road at the intersection of the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea access roads. The bad news in the photo is the invasive English Ivy covering thr ground and slowly making its way up the trunks of the trees.

Wordless Monday - Pukiawe with White Berries

Pukiawe is native to Hawai'i, but is considered indigenous rather than endemic because it is also found in the Marquesas.

Miscellaneous: Snow, Speed Trap, Spooky Old House and Species (Endangered)

The problem with only posting every five weeks is that things accumulate.
First, a view from the Old Airport Park yesterday showing a good amount of snow on Mauna Loa, visible over the shoulder of Hualalai.

Second, an observation: Twice last week I drove out to Kealakehe Parkway in the morning. Both days there were three cars pulled over at the same time for speeding by HPD. Former Councilman Greenwell may be the entitled nutjob everyone thinks, but he was surely right about the speed trap between Makala and the Police Station/Transfer Station. It's a divided highway with no side streets, driveways, or pedestrians. The police get people there, either anticipating the increase in the speed limit from 35 to 45 too soon (going North), or reacting to the decrease from 45 to 35 too late (going South). Hard to see a public safety angle - it looks more like simple revenue enhancement.

Next, another photo of an old ranch house at about 5500' up the Palani Ranch state forest access road at the end of Kaloko Mauka Drive. I know I've posted pictures of this old place before, but I like its look.

Next, the stunning flower of the "critically endangered" kokia drynariodes, planted along the trail on Hao Street in Kaloko Mauka.

Finally, from Kaloko-Honokohau NHP, the indigenous (not endemic, apparently found elsewhere) 'Ulei or U'ulei, a member of the rose family, along with a fly from the same genus as the Hawaiian picture-wing flies, some of which (there are supposed to be 1000[!] species in Hawaii ) are endangered.

Approaching Storm (Predicted, Anyway) Yields Clear Skies

We'll have to wait and see if this storm, like many others, will weaken and dissipate before it gets this far south, but today was a clear day in Kona. The photo above was shot early this morning - the top of Hualalai from Keauhou. The semi-panorama below shows in the foreground the parking lot at the Kaloko-Honokohau visitor center, with Hualalai and Mauna Loa (right) in the background. Hualalai, let me remind you, is only the third highest peak on this island, but it's higher than anything in North America east of the Rockies. Click for larger view.

Oceanic Phone Service Outage

Yesterday Oceanic Cablevision's phone service was "down" for several hours. No dial tone, no calls coming in. We switched from Hawaiian Tel, or whatever they're called these days, about a month ago. 35 years of Hawaiian Tel, no service interruptions. One month (one goddamn month) with Oceanic and we get this.

The Comic Genius of Leslie Nielsen - RIP

Wiliwili comeback and the drought takes a break.

The wiliwili are back.

In 2005, when the gall wasps were first found in Hawaii, it appeared that "saving the wiliwili [was] in doubt." Five years later, all the introduced coral trees, relatives of the wiliwili, are gone, at least from Kona, but the natives in Pu'uwa'awa'a seem to be back.

Heroic Department of Agriculture entomologist Mohsen Ramadan identified a predator wasp in East Africa. Moving with amazing speed, the state Department of Agriculture released the predator wasps on every island in late November 2008. Government working as it should.
Two years later, this little tree just off the Halapepe Trail at Pu'uwa'awa'a looks just fine:

Future generations owe a debt to Ramadan and the other government workers who found a way to save this beautiful native tree.

As usual, I'm way behind the curve. Our Green Maui announced six months ago, with admirable alliteration, that "The Wiliwili War is Won."
The photo above and the one below are of a small stand of wiliwili just mauka of the highway about three miles south of the entrance to Pu'uwa'awa'a Ranch.

On a related note, at least as far as the lands between Kailua and Waimea, the drought seems to be taking a break, at least. Pu'uwa'awa'a Ranch has been bone-dry, but now there's an undertone of green coming through. The countryside just south of Waikoloa is even greener.

Finally, an ohia lehua on a hillside at 5800' and the moon,

and a really big halapepe plant, just off the eponymous trail.

As always, click on a photo for larger images.