Volcano Visit

In September, Linda and I took a little trip to the big Island of Hawaii. We flew to Kona and spent a couple of days there. The island is very different from Oahu. It has a peak that is about 10,000 feet, live volcanoes, and pretty beaches. We were able to drive out to Volcano National Park.

















We got to the ranger station and Linda was talking with the ranger who stated he was taking a hike out into the restricted area on the volcano floor. He asked her if we would like to join him. We didn't even hesitate to say yes. Then we looked down at our feet and realized we were in flip flops. We looked at the ranger and he said he didn't care if we didn't. So off we went on the hike. It turned out to be about a 4-5 mile hike but well worth it.




















We were standing right on the volcano floor and could feel the steam coming up through the cracks in the lava. The active cone was about 150 yards away and they wouldn't let us get much closer than that.




























We also got to see some very interesting plants that grow on the volcano floor and as they decompose, they start to form the new layer of soil that will become the ground as the volcano cools underneath. It was very interesting.

We also saw Pele's hair which were thin little glass pieces (lava that cooled) that form in the cracks.














Also of interest was the plants that are not native to Hawaii but which are taking over. They would be imported many, many years ago by someone wanting the plant in their yard and then it started to reproduce. Without any enemies in nature, the plants start taking over the forest.











It was also a bit of a rainy day sprinkling here and there throughout the hike but nothing really bad until we were almost at the end of the hike when it started really raining. By the time we got back, we were drenched. Not being used to the elevation of the island, we also were getting really cold. When we got in the car, it showed that it was 59 degrees and we were soaked so we cranked up the heater so we could warm up.

We left the park and started the drive back to Kona. On the way, we dropped down to the Black Beach. It was 72 degrees there so we were warm again. All the sand on the beach was black as it was formed from lava rocks. It was really interesting.















On Saturday morning before heading back to the airport, we drove up to the Kona Temple. It turned out it was fairly close to where we were staying. It is a beautiful temple.

 Of interest this month, you can see that Brandon is really maturing.  We will be buying razors for him soon so that he can take care of that goatee!!!

Back to School and Arrow of Light

August starts out with Brandon going to 5th grade. He is pretty excited about it but more about that later.

August is also the month they bring the Iosepa Canoe out of the Polynesian Cultural Center for it's annual run. It is a large canoe driven exclusively by sails. Students attend class for two semesters to learn to handle the canoe and then get to go out on it. Many locals also engage in the activities. It is sailed around to various ports on the island for different activities and then brought back home and taken out of the water until next year. Here it is anchored at the Hukelau Beach.

Next we had a great activity at the Gunstock Ranch where Brandon and three other boys were awarded their Arrow of Light Awards!

Even though it was a bit breezy that evening, it was nice to see the boys recognized for the highest achievement in Cub Scouts.





Brandon's next adventure was his 5th grade trip to Camp Timberline. It is a high adventure camp for the kids and you would have thought that Brandon grew up in the mountains or something. He flew through the ropes courses and had a blast on Big Red (an obstacle course in the air with a zip line) and in the pool. They also participated in team building exercises and had a great time.

Linda got to go out with them for one day. I was going to join them but that was the first weekend of Woodbadge at Camp Pupukea which I attended this year.










Here is Brandon in his hoodie (it was a bit cold - probably in the low 70s that day) up on Big Red.



Here he is climbing up to the High Ropes Course and going through the course.

Now, remember the Dragon Fruit from an earlier post.  Here are some more pictures of the flower that opens up and blooms for one night and then dies.



































After a couple months, the fruit is ripe and ready to pick and eat. It looks like a huge kiwi but it is either maroon or white inside and delicious.

Summer Break and Vacation

July 4th brought a big neighborhood potluck and parade for the kids. They all decorated their bikes, tricycles, scooters, strollers, and anything else that moved and marched around and around the block. It was a lot of fun and then we spent the evening sharing good food and good company.















Also, Trenton, Kathryn, and their boys came by to visit with us. We went out and got an ice cream and had a good time catching up with them. Their boys are so cute and it was fun to see them.








Linda and Brandon left with Brett and Brenda and their family and flew back to the mainland for the Williams annual lake trip. They also drove out to Colorado to see Skyler, Kellie, the grandkids, and friends. That was fun for them but Linda doesn't get along too well with technology so she didn't get any pictures.

I later joined her in St George along with Chris and Malley and Cory who all drove down together from Idaho. Cory graduated from BYU-I with a Business Marketing Degree and Chris graduated from Boise State with a Masters in Accounting. Cory is now working for the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco doing their marketing. Chris is living in Massachusetts and looking for work there.

While in St George, we got to help Grandpa Williams with a big project. Every since the big flood of the Santa Clara River, we have needed to reinforce the banks of the river on grandpa's side. The city took care of the other side but not his. He has been collecting big chunks of concrete wherever he could for the project so we got to help out.


First we had to sort out all the wood from the scrap piles and pile it in a big pile to be burned later. The boys would all work to fill the bucket on the tractor and after a couple of days, we had a pile of wood, stumps, etc. that was about 15 feet tall and about 40 feet around!!! It will be a big fire when we burn it.

Grandpa was able to come out and drive the track hoe for a bit but it wore him out pretty quick so Cory took over and did a great job.

Brandon learned how to drive the backhoe also. Here he is hauling the cornstalks to a neighbor so he could feed them to the cows.

He got really good with the tractor and after Chris and Cory left to go back to Idaho, Brandon and I were able to keep working. Good job Brandon!

I, on the other hand, got to play with the big tractor. I felt like a kid with a tonka truck! I was hauling all the big chunks of concrete and filling in a big trench we had dug along the river banks. The objective is to fill the bottom with the big concrete chunks, cover those and then put a layer of lava rocks covered with dirt. It is about 20 feet deep and should provide adequate protection against any future floods.

It was a treat while we were there to get a visit from Grandpa's brother, Uncle Rhoden. He and his wife stopped by and we had a good visit. It was fun to see them.












After all the work, it was time for some real vacation so we jumped in the motor home with Grandpa and Grandma Black and headed for the Grand Canyon. It was a great time to just get away and have some relaxation time together.
















 The canyon was beautiful.


















Cory tried to catch some sunshine but he was turned the wrong way!!!




















Mom and Cory didn't miss a single rock they could climb.  











By the end of the day, Grandpa, Grandma and I were worn out.  We had to sit down and rest!

Malley got lessons in the art of the trees while she was there.  Here she is smelling the butterscotch tree.


We also got to sit and watch a buffalo herd for about 20 minutes as they took their time playing in the road.



When we returned, we went to Enterprise Utah to celebrate Pioneer Days. My two sisters, Mary and Ardawn, and two of my nieces and I ran in the 10K race they had. Mary took first in her age division with Ardawn crossing the finish line on her tails and taking second.




I finished second in my age division and 26th overall in the race. It was quite different running at 6500 feet when I am used to training at 17 feet above sea level. I really enjoyed the race and we had a good day.





















After we returned to Hawaii, we got to enjoy the Laie Days Celebration with a huge parade. The Polynesian Culture Center lead the parade with dancers from the various islands.
















The Marine Corp Band from Kaneohe MCAS joined the parade also.













There were a variety of other entries in the parade.









And of course, there was a lot of candy and treats thrown along the parade route.













It was a fun summer break and vacation but three days after our return, Brandon headed back to school - into the 5th grade!