Kilauea

Everyday we look out to the ocean to see how much vog we have. (Vog is very different from SO2). Yesterday we had some breezes and it cleared out to a beautiful day. Today I can see Keei point from my kitchen window but I can't tell the difference from where the horizon meets the ocean as I look south. I still think it's exciting that for the first time in 84 years the volcano is acting out. Early Wed. morning the crater exploded again. I had been glowing. They say it's not lava that you see but incandescent particles seen best just before dark. That small explosion Wed. sent pink ash out over a small area. Meanwhile the park is back to opening everyday. There is really no danger from magma or lava or the gaseous plume. The only problem would be with the SO2 and that seems be only over on the east side. Yet Wed. they did record some very high levels of the gas over high mountain areas of Ocean View but they came back down within hours.

Link to the live webcam situated to show the Halemaumau crater
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cam3/

Casey

Casey had a birthday last week, I talked to her and she passed on to me her grades. All in the 90's and some over 95. We certainly are proud of her. Not only that but she is a great little gymnist, but most of all she loves soccer and all the training the comes with it. Right now she appears to be the only grandchild that likes to run. She likes running because it keeps her in shape for soccer and she tells me she is looking forward to get back out on the track in Michigan after not being able to do too much running this winter. Even with all that vigor my take on Casey is that she is sweet and shy, determined and cute. Oh and did I say a brave little risk taker for only 10, and then............ As a grandmom I guess I could go on and on couldn't I??

Volcanoes and coffee

Fortunately Volcano NP only closed for 2 days and now they are raving about the reddish orange glow over Halemaumau crater seen best at dusk. The glow is not lava but a color caused by gasses and other chemicals beneath the surface coming out thru the rupture. What an amazing happening!! There is a picture somewhere and I will look for it and post it later if I can.

I ran across a cute video on youtube and posted it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE9p9weUWJ0&feature=related (copy & paste)
Now at the end he says go to KonaMountains website. Oh don't do that just go to www.konalisacoffee.com for a taste of our coffee processing.

I am trying to keep up with our slowly deminishing inventory and have put aside green for customers who have asked me to. Still not sure when I will run out but I will run out. But the greatest news is we had some good weather and a great blossom and the trees are loaded with beans. Ron is out irrigating today as he's worried that we aren't getting enough rain to help those beans grow. Picking season will tell the story. That is in August and we are still signing on pickers.........just in case you were wondering!!!

Just took off a batch of mac nuts from our dehydrator so I'll package them and bring them with me to the mainland in June. Today I will dehydrate some extra bananas and I have a pineapple that we picked last week that looks like it is ripening beautifully. Doubt we can eat the whole thing so I guess I will dehydrate some of it to. We can bring dehydrated/roasted items back to the mainland so depending on how long it keeps and how much more we get in I hope to bring some with me in June.

Link to area of Hawaii where the volcano is venting

http://starbulletin.com/2008/04/09/news/art2c_large.jpg

Lavaman & NP closure

Lavaman is the name of our Olympic distance triathalon here in the island. Held last Sunday so Ron & I spent the day up there volunteering. Arriving at 5:30am to help with body marking/numbering. The body marking was staged at what we call "A" beach near the Hilton in Wiakoloa. All transitions are done there. The swim starts at 7:30 in the bay (1.5k), they pick up there bikes there in the parking lot area for a (40k)ride, a loop down to the Four Seasons and back leaving their bikes to do the (6.2) mile run. We left body marking to take ice to the bike turnaround point and stayed and gave out bottles of water before returning with tubs and trash. The last few runners were still taking off but the party had begun with music and dancing on the beach and one of the biggest food spreads I have ever seen and the food kept on coming all catered by the Hilton. I think the winning time was 1:54 something and Bree Wee, a local, was fourth in and first woman in 2:04 I believe. Fun day and then Monday was had company for dinner, then I did yoga on Tues morning and I was so exausted by Tues afternoon that I slept the rest of most of the afternoon. It was that getting up at 4am on Sunday that upset my inner clock, I'm sure!!! Today was back to normal as I managed to get in my early morning hour ocean water jog.

As I drove home from town I listened to our daily Civil Defense update on Kiluea. As a precautionary measure they closed the Volcanoes NP, the Kiluea Lodge and Military Camp and the Volcano Charter School. Lava is not the problem, of course, but the fumes are. It is thick as pea soup over there as the gas plumes flow out from both Halemaumau and Puo'o crater vents. Winds coming from the southeast somehow keep the smoky stuff over there and some heads up towards Hilo and the Hamakua coast. Usually 'the Trades'/tradewinds blow it south and Kona winds send stuff called vog up our way. Vog is a mixture of volcanic gas, dust and moisture in the air. By the time is does get to us it just makes our area hazy in some areas. It has been very voggy this week after a few clear days last week. Today we are supposed to get some rain. Rain seems to clear it out and the coffee trees can use a drink too! No one seems to be able to predict why all this volcanic action, fumes and molten spatter is acting up. Could be that the magma is rising and there will be a breakout of lava in the Halemaumau crater which has not happened since 1924. The high levels of sulphur dioxide levels are almost unheard of so I believe that it's just trying to clean itself out, spurt some lava and then go rest for another 60 years.

Shelby

A couple of days ago our oldest granddaughter had her 15th birthday. As I was talking to her she was in a car blindfolded and her friends were taking her on a surprise venture. She asked me if I knew where she was going but I didn't. I believe that is the first thing she has ever asked me for in her life. Shelby seems to always be happy with what she has and never asks for much. She also is a lovely ballerina and performs in many local shows. She also is a talented writer. She has been writing books since the age of 10. Ron & I love to read her books as they are quite interesting & creative novels. Shelby also is a great animal lover so we can't wait for her to get here and see Toonces our $300 cat. Happy birthday, Shel, and we are so looking forward to seeing you, your sis & mom and dad in a couple of months. She did tell me on the phone that she was now old enough to drive and that she did know how so I may be in for a big suprise this June.