Slack winds, filtered sunlight, cool air, cooing doves, and, the best: ʻapapane delight.
Itʻs occurred to me that I may not have included, recently, at least, where to look for information about the state of vog (volcanic smog). When Pelehonuamea resurfaced, one of my first thoughts after initial excitements: Auē, no more crystalclear skies, views of sharp horizon lines, and if on the northern part of the Island of Hawaiʻi, being able to see our neighbors. On those rare spectacular days weʻd enjoy Maui, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, and fleeting glimpses of Oʻahu. An amazement. And a special treat.
Iʻve shared some vocabulary gleaned from dictionary wanderings, from friends and mentors, about our airs. ʻEhu kai is commonly seen throughout our Pae ʻĀina, our archipelago, especially during this season of pounding surf. The air along our shores, and even a few miles ma uka, is filled with a fog of salt spray. When Pele makes her presence known, if weʻre downwind, a mere sniff informs us. There are different degrees of foulness, depending on closeness, source, and Her volume of activity.
From the Hawaiian Dictionaries:
Polalauahi [pola.lau.ahi] is a rare term for vog. That haziness. Noeuahi [noe.uahi] Lit., smoke mist, is also the haze after a volcanic eruption. Uahi ʻawa is the "bitter smoke", pungent with sulphur. These come to mind, though Iʻll guess that there are other descriptors too.
To literally see whatʻs up (in the air), TryLook:
The circular grey area indicates still air, and green dots tell us air quality is Good.
Because Her plume rises straight up:
Graphic above can be found at
And our helpful friends at UH animate the wind...
Maunakea Weather Center, Institute for Astronomy
But, the easiest: Go Outside and Look.
The TILT turned downward this morning:
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