PONOGRAMS

 

Ponograms:

1-24  The First Twenty-Four
25-48  The Second Twenty-Four
49-72  The Third Twenty-Four
73-96  The Fourth Twenty-Four
97-120  The Fifth Twenty-Four
121-144  The Sixth Twenty-Four
145-168  The Seventh Twenty-Four
169-on  The Eighth Twenty-Four


73  Wunderkammer II
74  Wunderkammer III
75  Wunderkammer IV
76  Wunderkammer V
77  Wunderkammer VI
78  What Is Teaching?
79  A Gathering
80  Wunderkammer VII
81  Wunderkammer VIII
82  My Gluten-Free Test
83  Grandpa and FDR
84  Atomic Energy by a 12yo
85  Genealogy Quilts
86  Per Nilsson Västgöte
87  Hawaiiana 7
88  Wunderkammer IX
89  Maui First Class
90  Genealogy Kicks
91  Glass Art
92  Hawaiiana 8
93  Outlines of Paradise
94  Wunderkammer X
95  Aunt Rubie
96  A Family Visit, part 1

HOME


 

HAWAIIANA 8

I’ve been living in Maui since 1996, so I’ve had a chance to experience lots of the elements that make up Hawaii.  I am surprised, however, that I just keep seeing things that are new to me, interesting, remarkable, and perhaps worthy of sharing.  Some of them are unique, some are just common, but all of them caught my attention.  I hope you will find something here to tickle your fancy.

 

 Monarch butterfly

 Kamehameha butterfly

   

Monarch butterfly

Kamehameha butterfly

 

 

Mainland visitors might feel right at home in Hawaii when they see a familiar looking butterfly, however they should examine it carefully.  The Monarch butterfly common to North America has indeed been introduced to Hawaii, while the similar-looking Kamehameha butterfly is endemic.  You may see either one.

 

Hawaii happy face spider 

 Cane spider

   

Hawaii happy face spider

Cane spider

 

 

The tiny (5 mm (0.20 in) long) happy face spider is endemic to O’ahu, Moloka’i, Maui and the island of Hawai’i in rainforests at elevations of 300–2,000 m (980–6,560 ft).  Although the body markings vary considerably, for some reason, just like our visitors, on Maui the smiles are significantly more pronounced. 

The large (3 to 4 in. diameter with legs!) cane spider is common in Hawaii due to the cane fields and is quite startling to see.  It is more apt to avoid human contact rather than seek it.  Although a rare bite might be painful, it doesn’t seem to have lasting effects.

 

 Praying mantis

 Brahminy blind snake

   

Praying mantis

Brahminy blind snake

 

 

Just before Christmas, this praying mantis dropped by for a visit and stayed quiet while I took several pictures.  It was a beautiful day which you can see by the clear sky behind it.  I have no idea which of the 2400 species this guy is, but we got ‘em.

We like to think of Hawaii as without snakes, but there is one land snake that was introduced in about 1930 and is pretty comfortable here.  It looks very much like a worm and is in the 6 to 8 inch range and lives underground so you’re not apt to see it unless you are digging or otherwise disturbing the ground.

 

 Papakōlea Beach

 Green sand

   

Papakōlea Beach

Green sand

 

 

Once in a while I see a picture that is other-worldly.  It’s hard to believe the picture is not doctored.  This pair and the next are examples of such places that are here in Hawaii.

The green sand of Papakōlea Beach is wonderful to see and very rare.  Sources claim there are only four (or maybe just two) such places in the world.  It is near South Point on the Big Island and requires a fairly strenuous trek to actually stand on it.  The green “Hawaiian diamonds” are olivine or peridot when of gem quality.

 

 Sandy's Pond (anchialine)

 Collecting samples of the orange crust

   

Sandy’s Pond (anchialine)

Collecting samples of the orange crust

 

 

Sandy’s Pond is one of the most intriguing places I’ve ever seen pictured and I’d love to see it.  The water, orange crust, and bright green grass against the black lava comprise a visual treat.  It is very close to me at the ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve, but unfortunately, it is currently under limited access.

The body of water is an anchialine pond, near the ocean, with access to both fresh and ocean water, resulting in the orange crust of organisms surrounding it.

 

Rainbow from my living room 

 Double rainbow on the beach

   

Rainbow from my living room

Double rainbow on the beach

 

 

Rainbows are very common in Maui and throughout the state of Hawaii.  To prove it, the left picture was taken from my living room.  The right pic shows a double rainbow taken from a Hawaiian beach.


 Dead boar looking at his image

    Decorated windshield

   

Dead boar looking at his image

Decorated windshield

 

 

Have you ever seen a dead boar splayed across the bed of a pickup that has a sticker of a boar on it?

Have you ever seen a driver side windshield nearly obscured with colorful junk?

 

 

AFTERWORD

I hope you found something interesting in this set.  For those of you who live in Hawaii (or even those who have visited), I encourage you to contribute pictures and/or stories as candidates for future Hawaiiana Ponograms – I’m pretty sure there will be more.

You will notice that I don’t give a lot of details about any given item.  This is partly to cater to the typical attention span, but also to afford you the opportunity to follow up with your own research, but only on items that interest you.  You’re welcome.

I look forward to your responses!