The Poi Dogs of Hawaii

An earlier post showed Taro fields in Kauai, Hawaii near where I am staying. Taro is a root crop, a bit like potato, and is the base ingredient used to make Poi, a traditional staple food of Polynesia.

Poi Dogs are the original native dogs of Hawaii, and are now extinct. Their genetic stock probably originated in Indonesia, same as two other ancient Polynesian animals whose DNA still courses through the forests and farms of Kauai — feral chickens and wild pigs.

More on those animals later, but for those who want to read up on the Hawaiian Poi Dog, see >> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Poi_Dog

Beach Cave, Kauai, Hawaii

I’m in Hawaii until Sunday morning. Look at the matrix of volcanic boulders and ash holding this cliff together. The boulders are enormous, and the cliff above goes up and up and up. One good earthquake, and the whole damn thing would come down. 

Terrifying geology.

So what did I do? I went to ground under this, and lived to tell the tale!

Taro Fields, Kauai, Hawaii

Taro fields in Kauai, Hawaii, where I am vacationing. There’s so much you cannot see in an iPhone picture or video. At .40, I zoom in on the mountain in back to show a spectacular waterfall — just some of the drainage of the over 35 FEET of rain that falls annually on the interior of the island.

On the coast, it’s breathtakingly green and warm; sunny with 2-3 short showers a day. Birds are everywhere, including a ridiculous number of feral chickens.

Off the beach is coral, fish and sea turtles. Doing a big hike with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson tomorrow. Hope I’m up to it!

White Women Voted to Disempower Women

November 2020 exit polls show that 55 percent of white women voted for Trump. This was at least a two-point *increase * for this demographic since the 2016 election.

Point:  Don’t assume people will vote in their best self-interest.

Make Heat Until They See the Light

Sometimes the first light shed on an issue comes from a burning police car. 

Or, as Howard Zinn notes:

“It would be naive to depend on the Supreme Court to defend the rights of poor people, women, people of color…Those rights only come alive when citizens organize, protest, demonstrate, strike, boycott, rebel, & violate the law in order to uphold justice.”

Wee Man On the Beach

Nā Pali Coast Hike, Kauai, Hawaii

Went on a 6 hour hike up steep cliff-edged trails with my daughter, son-in-law, and 16-month grandson. 

Credit to my son-in-law for carrying the wee man without incident up and down some real ankle-breaker areas.

Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii

Drovea to Waimea Canyon State Park today.  Described as “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” it did not disappoint.

If you are American, this land is your land. You own it. Never forget it. Always protect it. Public lands are a public good.

Where the Land Meets the Sea

The volcanic mountains of Hawaii run straight up to the beach, and rise with sides so steep, and covered by vegetation so thick, you can be sure no one has ever climbed to most of the tops. The water is clear, but the rip tides can be fierce and the coral sharp. Warning signs are everywhere and serious. Many areas are simply too dangerous to swim most of the time.

Its Bite Is Worse Than Its Bark

The joy is in the friends we meet along the way. 

Scolopendra subspinipes venom causes extreme pain -- best to not play around.

Wee Man Found a Mango

Fiddle Leaf Fig Fruit and Seeds

Brown Anole, Hawaii

Bullet-headed Snorkeling

Huge Philodendron and Variegated Ficus

Way Worse Than Hail Damage

Never park under a coconut palm.

Rainbows on the Trunks

ARainbow Eucalyptus is a pretty spectacular tree on several fronts.

Meadowlark On Kauai

Training the Nene

I’ve already trained the Nene Hawaiian geese to cross at the signs.

Baby Albatrosses!

No Albatross were harmed, hastled, or even given a good talking to while taking these photographs.

As adults, these birds have wingspans of about six and a half feet. They can live for over 75 years, mate for life, lay one egg a year, and begin reproducing at age 7.  

There are more females than males, and paired females have been observed raising chicks after quick insemination by a male, or when researchers have swapped in fertile eggs for infertile ones.  

Albatrosses can sleep while flying and may go years without touching land.  Laysan Albatrosses fly 50,000 miles a year, the equivalent of twice around the earth at the equator.

Truly remarkable birds, and I was lucky to stumble on them.

White-rumped Shama

White-rumped Shama are native to the forested parts of India and Southeast Asia, but its popularity as a singing caged-bird led to it being introduced in Hawaii.