The outcry of my fans has finally reached my ears. Just a quick note for those of you living vicariously through the Gallaghers, don't want you to lose hope!
I really should be working! As I write this, hurricane "Flossie" is heading this way. I should be nailing plywood to the windows! I should be buying Spam! Did you know it comes in about 10 different varieties? We're trying Hickory Smoke flavored if the power goes out. Did you know we are bracing for a Category 3 hurricane? Did you know we experience our first earthquake? Yep, 5.3. Very exciting. No damage, so I can say that it was exciting.
We had our first Florida visitors last week, the Appelson's-Gary, Susanna and Jessie, from Gainesville. We hiked across Kilauea Iki, went deep in the Thurston Lava Tube, down Kilauea via the Sandalwood trail to the base of the crater floor. We celebrated our 21st anniversary at the Kilauea Lodge (brie fried in coconut with pinapple salsa, Parker Ranch steak, hossenpfeffer, macadamia nut cream cake...). YUM!
Dash had a great first day at school yesterday, but school was cancelled for two days until the hurricane passes. Does this sound like Florida?
Last week, Dash and I went on a new hike together. We drove down Chain of Craters road in the National Park to the Mauna Ulu turnoff (I think Mauna Ulu means Growing Mountain) and hiked across a 1974 lava bed out about a mile to Pu'u Huluhulu (Shaggy Hill) which we climbed up. From its summit we could see east out to smoking Pu'u 'O'o (Literally, "hill of the 'o'o" (a species of native bird, a black honey eater, that is now extinct). It's the farthest hill in the picture of Dash and I. Pu'u 'O'o is the currently active vent.(Dean flew over it in a helicopter a few weeks ago)
Along the trail we saw the biggest ohelo bushes that were "Choke ohelo" which is pidgin english for "many ohelo berries." Ohelo is a kind of cranberry, very tasty, beloved food of the endangered nene (Hawaii's State Bird.) The trail also has many lava tree molds that look alot like Easter Island statues.
Dashiell absolutely loves living here. He and his best friend Nathan ride bikes through the neighborhood, go on hikes in the National Park, take "Dame Chuck" for walks up to the Volcano Winery and of course - Nintendo DS.
Ohelo (pronounced Oh - Hello) is the native Hawaiian cranberry. It grows directly out of lava flows and it tastes delicious! The bushes are protected in Volcanoes National Park so the endangered Nene can have plenty to eat. In our neighborhood across from the park - they are fair game and if you ever get the chance to sample ohelo jam you'll know why.
Dash has already started growing three bushes in flower pots in our back yard.
If any of you are planning a trip to Hawaii be sure to include the Big Island and Volcanoes National Park. We would love to see you and there really aren't many places where you can go from an alpine habitat (sometimes with snow), through tropical rainforests, hike waterfalls, traverse a dry desert and then hit the beach all within one day!
Plenny Alohas!
2 comments:
So we will expect Ohelo gift packs for Christmas back in the states then?
it's illegal to pick them in the park, although I just heard about a permit you can get, I'll see what I can find out! We had someone give us ohelo berry preserves, they were so ONO!
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