Sunday, October 21, 2018. Just a brief note...

Itʻs been a pleasant season up here.  Today, unlike most days of the last two weeks or so, we havenʻt had afternoon thunderstorms.  Sunny mornings, then often the clouds build, skies darken, and those fat pakaua begin to fall.  Pretty sure I mentioned this before, but paka...paka...paka... think that sound on an iron roof.  And "ua" is among other definitions, "rain" in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.  When we were small, hearing that meant that it was snowing on The Mountain (Maunakea).

The walking to Keanakākoʻi in the park has been excellent.  Many others are enjoying that stroll too, most coming from afar:  Japan, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Mexico, France...quite the international assortment.  It seems that those from outside the US are more inclined to get out and walk, and perhaps arenʻt in as much of a hurry as those from the continent.

That cloud hovering over Kaluapele is present more often than not, and in the mornings we can watch it grow and evolve.  Itʻs about temperature and humidity, and hot afternoons as we have now, are clear.

Below is Version 2 of the pic (from mg) we posted last time.  This one includes Maunakea, far right horizon.

Below, posted on October 15 on the HVO website, shows the "puff" cloud on another day, but this from 20+ miles away.   Taken from near the top of Puʻuhonuaʻula, view is across the māwae, the lava channel.  The geothermal plant is, I believe, off the frame to the left.  The puʻu was the site of the PG cam that burned in a brush fire.  Always amazing to see how resilient vegetation can be.  Hāpuʻu (tree ferns) are putting forth fresh fronds, kī are green and happy.  Many of the leafless trees in the distance are albizia, a scourge in Puna ma kai.  They grow quickly, have softish wood, and break in strong winds, though too, they have been use to carve waʻa (outrigger canoes).  Hurricane = lots of fallen trees = no electricity for days or weeks...  It remains to be seen whether or not theyʻll resprout.

I forgot to note last time that on October 5, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory lowered the Volcano Alert Level from Watch to Advisory.
Activity has decreased significantly, but Kīlauea will be closely monitored for any increase in activity.  Note, as weʻve said previously, that some pauses during eruptions have lasted three months or more.  

And finally, on a somewhat lighter note...

Many know and have enjoyed "Kings Hawaiian" bread, from Kingʻs Bakery, established in Hilo in 1950.  Now we have "Pillsbury Sweet Hawaiian Crescent Rolls".  Pretty sure when Kingʻs Bakery started marketing their bread, it was called Sweet Bread.  Or something.  Then when they went national, it morphed into "Hawaiian" bread.

So.  A problem with all this is that Hawaiians did not have bread or rolls in pre-contact times.  These Hawaiian breads and sweet Hawaiian rolls are actually...Portuguese!!!  Portuguese sweet bread, and malasadas (malassadas), both sweetish, were introduced to our fair isles by Portuguese immigrants.  Note, though, those immigrants came from Madeira and the Azores, and not from mainland Portugal.  Many were recruited by botanist William Hillebrand, who was sent to those islands by Kalākaua so our fledgling sugar industry would have workers.

And since we seem to be on a bit of a roll, and I do sincerely apologize for following sweet bread with kitty litter, but...

And yes, this is actually on the Internet.  I donʻt know if this is a product currently offered for sale, but it was...a year or so ago.  Note the Trademarked "Hawaiian Aloha".  And of course the "Odor-Eliminating Luau".

Go figure.  

But yes, we close, as always, with aloha,

BobbyC