tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21941617424761280312024-03-09T05:10:26.569-05:00 Spicebush LogEllen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.comBlogger813125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-82259080913427708412024-01-02T07:05:00.001-05:002024-01-02T07:05:53.929-05:00First Walks of 2024<p>We rise early, well before sunrise. It helps to go to bed early. Fortunately the New Year's Eve celebratory fireworks in the neighborhood ended relatively early so that we and our 12-year old dog Henna could drift off to sleep. Henna is not a fan of loud noises.</p><p>As we do every morning, we rang in the New Year before dawn. After savoring a cup of coffee sitting by the wood stove, I bundled up and headed out with Henna, a headlamp clamped to my head. Our first walk is aways in the morning darkness. Henna sniffs around for overnight animal movements. I glance at the sky--darn, still cloudy. The ground is still snow-free and soft, it feels more like March than January.</p><p>By mid-morning on New Year's Day we were walking the wide flats at Seapoint Beach in Kittery, Maine. The tide was just coming in, a dozen or so others were there, many with dogs running happily after tennis balls and greeting each other. The calm ocean water shimmered under the brilliant winter sun. A few sea ducks far offshore dove below the surface of the ice-cold sea. I marvel at the circulatory system and anatomy of ducks and geese that allow them to thrive in the cold water, while we require many layers of clothing in winter even on land.</p><p>On this clear, crisp first day of 2024, I feel fortunate to be surrounded by such natural beauty. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggL008Qa-Ph-4E3UjwXKA20JAA_5wlIbyQetVWgB39hBs6g81_bIsjDcWv0G318XdWxkVwKdPhF3lUNU_zYyCILYXzns5ifGTQB-VAJkg0MGDE1S1K6WgvKWdOnjr0hnotQ-sWo3u-FzCoEZI0tLMsnpsVsR_aNh0Efjpe0clDo8UmzKmOhvuzGkNc_w/s4032/IMG_2266.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggL008Qa-Ph-4E3UjwXKA20JAA_5wlIbyQetVWgB39hBs6g81_bIsjDcWv0G318XdWxkVwKdPhF3lUNU_zYyCILYXzns5ifGTQB-VAJkg0MGDE1S1K6WgvKWdOnjr0hnotQ-sWo3u-FzCoEZI0tLMsnpsVsR_aNh0Efjpe0clDo8UmzKmOhvuzGkNc_w/w400-h300/IMG_2266.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-55222561723791071842022-01-20T16:37:00.000-05:002022-01-20T16:37:02.819-05:00Winterberry Bird Scat<p>A week ago--on a coldish January day--a small flock of robins ate all the berries from one winterberry shrub in our yard. They flew off as quickly as they arrived, after the last fruit was plucked.</p><p>Winterberry (<i>Ilex verticillata</i>) is my favorite native shrub, its beautiful red berries brighten an otherwise late fall landscape and the bounty of juicy berries serve as a mid-winter food for birds. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk5Nw0pyFDOR67QxoXKFJv5ImygKQ-zD3vujWtWzgDCmYr61ujDxHYEOauSJENZcl_Of1rXvBn3NDFDjomtyhfbAYdB0AZAWql62-AyzQtdINnzXuMMKUtYcRNy23OPvyBAm2aWLf6sWy8tnJWuxVjjgjFxWs6TNgEc60_htolu8iysA7b03xTSaM=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk5Nw0pyFDOR67QxoXKFJv5ImygKQ-zD3vujWtWzgDCmYr61ujDxHYEOauSJENZcl_Of1rXvBn3NDFDjomtyhfbAYdB0AZAWql62-AyzQtdINnzXuMMKUtYcRNy23OPvyBAm2aWLf6sWy8tnJWuxVjjgjFxWs6TNgEc60_htolu8iysA7b03xTSaM=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>The bright red berries of our winterberry in September.</i></p><p>Winterberry is typically dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Only the female plants produce the bright red berries; each berry sports a small black dot. The greenish-white flowers are so inconspicuous that I often miss noting their blooms in early summer. The berries are the show-stopper, especially in early fall when the red berries are surrounded by the dark green, finely-toothed leaves or in winter set against a snowy landscape.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMC8LXnaepzU4a7iZcztrSAMWoL4B-PiOZsZuoebiR9Uw-HjrkXGbKxg1F4Wni9CFKYLhVNI1SFriuYJD9sPBkWFKrl9vCBxcyWD-y6nVCQeOpzMdXkclIBtbFsCFcUwcOyWdxaFf8n5qYfdvISmQniIjKqvWmkt_E45ojZwrGlhtWwgp0M3R8yAU=s2963" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2571" data-original-width="2963" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMC8LXnaepzU4a7iZcztrSAMWoL4B-PiOZsZuoebiR9Uw-HjrkXGbKxg1F4Wni9CFKYLhVNI1SFriuYJD9sPBkWFKrl9vCBxcyWD-y6nVCQeOpzMdXkclIBtbFsCFcUwcOyWdxaFf8n5qYfdvISmQniIjKqvWmkt_E45ojZwrGlhtWwgp0M3R8yAU=w400-h348" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>December winterberries.</i></div><p>Lots of rain last fall and into early winter has kept water levels high in local streams and rivers. Despite the high water, wetlands have frozen solid due to the recent stretch of very cold temperatures. Yesterday we explored one such ice-covered local beaver pond. We heard what sounded like a flock of crows cawing from the woods above, only to realize it was the clang of our microspike-clad footsteps.</p><p>We walked around an unoccupied beaver lodge, something only possible in mid-winter. An intact skeleton of a cormorant lay among the beaver-chewed, sun-bleached lodge sticks. Our dogs Kodi and Henna sniffed about but didn't detect anything breathing inside the lodge.</p><p>As the wetland narrowed upstream, we stepped around shrubs, sedge hummocks, and uprooted trees. A few bluebirds and chickadees flitted around us. A thicket of winterberry was stripped bare of its fruits. At the base was a tell-tale sign that a flock of birds had devoured the berries: winterberry scat. Birds have an efficient digestive system and some can process a fleshy fruit with small seeds--such as a winterberry--in less than an hour. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB8y0q36ul2LVSnfAJP4ATPphuN-BoawbCrU3cK2cyJmdPrqstr9vor0FDcoZA-VL2XgVzkfeWkxsHnDG0lKTrl1211JlUfdd9aVCwfxpLP9yyypmBhSS73B1HUanVHhgxcYQLbXwp913qUan1if3l2MpQopFdshpnpLq0mwyVSGi1ILrnp1yFTzM=s1836" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="1836" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB8y0q36ul2LVSnfAJP4ATPphuN-BoawbCrU3cK2cyJmdPrqstr9vor0FDcoZA-VL2XgVzkfeWkxsHnDG0lKTrl1211JlUfdd9aVCwfxpLP9yyypmBhSS73B1HUanVHhgxcYQLbXwp913qUan1if3l2MpQopFdshpnpLq0mwyVSGi1ILrnp1yFTzM=w400-h315" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>A pile of bird scat (aka poop) below a thicket of winterberry. <br /></i><i>The contents are entirely winterberry skins and seeds.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Winterberry is a favorite addition to holiday wreaths. A local farm has started a small plantation of winterberry shrubs as a commercial source of these beautiful berries. I clipped a few twigs from our bush in December (before the bird banquet) and added them to our wreath. Just today a few bluebirds picked off all the winterberries. Happy to oblige them this sustenance on a cold winter day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVYFeq9TeXXTCnVhwSiNOYmGcBXrQAAIlFsVz74eX6IiqYgUFIJx2xYPPdeD51UMQldOIOcfvIiU0YF1BuihZ5wZNOPfL7F96Fr7Cmr_2xxVqPeQFncBw5M2zKEswfd_viAiB3cFMRIYLOZP_VZdmhQPIUD79bH7oXIsnYs241UsxDdOxTbRI4jqI=s2737" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2737" data-original-width="2621" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVYFeq9TeXXTCnVhwSiNOYmGcBXrQAAIlFsVz74eX6IiqYgUFIJx2xYPPdeD51UMQldOIOcfvIiU0YF1BuihZ5wZNOPfL7F96Fr7Cmr_2xxVqPeQFncBw5M2zKEswfd_viAiB3cFMRIYLOZP_VZdmhQPIUD79bH7oXIsnYs241UsxDdOxTbRI4jqI=w383-h400" width="383" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Our wreath before the bluebirds ate the winterberries.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-11117300983061480272021-03-28T06:57:00.001-04:002021-03-28T06:57:47.599-04:00Robin Song<p>Drab morning under a gray sky; a cold, southeast breeze chills my face. A robin sings its cheery spring song, another robin chuckles, while a third one sounds an alarm call from the woods.<br /></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-18660972768508772852021-03-27T07:47:00.002-04:002021-03-27T16:45:55.428-04:00Crows on Morning Foray<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Six crows fly east across the field, while a more raucous group of eight circle Bald Hill, land on the tallest pines, then fall silent. A light wind carries no foul odors.</span></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Phoebe arrived in our yard today. <br /></span></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-34790565839832800542021-03-26T07:58:00.005-04:002021-03-26T08:05:21.711-04:00Light Rain<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Light rain and mid-40s overnight; one spring peeper on the road--dead. Sweet fragrance of fresh wood chips, the remnants of Asplundh's clearing of the powerline along our road yesterday. Woodcock continue to rule the predawn songscape.</span></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-53931281134026183422021-01-11T08:16:00.000-05:002021-01-11T08:16:22.868-05:00A Sliver Moon<p>Cold and calm before daybreak. The moon is an orange sliver visible just above the treeline. Four pairs of eyes shine back at us from the Mitchell's lower field, a small herd of deer that survived 2020.<br /></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-64585707997088325772021-01-03T15:04:00.001-05:002021-01-03T15:04:22.550-05:00Three Bluebirds in a Row<p>The mixed flock of birds at our feeders includes three bluebirds sitting in a row. Their brilliant blue feathers brighten an otherwise dull, gray day. A gray squirrel drinks from the heated dog bowl bird bath.<br /></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-58283084809391488332021-01-02T07:21:00.002-05:002021-01-02T07:21:31.841-05:00Snow and Slush<p>Two inches of wet snow slide off our solar panels early this morning, waking us with thuds. Drizzle and near freezing temperature at daybreak. A good day to read the Fedco seed catalog.<br /></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-55107058207206490452021-01-01T07:13:00.006-05:002021-01-01T07:15:12.960-05:00New Year's Day 2021<p>6:30 AM </p><p>First walk of the new year. Clear, calm, 24F. A bright waning gibbous moon hangs in the western sky. Venus shines in the southeast before dawn. The ground is bare of snow; frost crystals sparkle on the brown leaves.<br /></p><p>Bluebirds are the first to visit the bird feeders before sunrise.<br /></p>Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-78964278616266508102019-05-27T10:25:00.001-04:002019-05-27T10:25:50.943-04:00Big Island Hawaii: Final Thoughts and Tips<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Big Island, Hawaii was fantastic. We are already planning another trip in 2020.<br />
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Here are a few final thoughts and tips...<br />
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<li>Join Costco -- the only one on the island is in Kona. If you plan to rent a house/condo and cook, this is by far the most cost-effective way to go. Buy your gas and food there.</li>
</ul>
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<li>Buy and bring your own snorkeling equipment -- mask, snorkel, flippers -- or rent from Jack's Diving Locker in Kona (ask for multi-day rental price). Buy a rash guard shirt for snorkeling to protect against sunburn and abrasion on coral reefs.</li>
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<li>We rented an 8-passenger Suburban; if just 2-4 of us I would rent a 4-wheel drive jeep.</li>
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<li>I would re-visit all the places we visited and spend more time at Volcanoes National Park -- both units, more snorkeling, drive or hike to top of Mauna Kea, hike into rainforests at higher elevations. We missed North Kohala and the Puna District...I would spend time there.</li>
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<li>Practice a bit of the Hawaiian language, it is helpful and fun.</li>
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<li>If you stay in Kona, walk or drive to the Sheraton Hotel in the evening. You can sit on their outside deck and watch the sunset then look for manta rays as they are attracted to lights in the evening.</li>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Night snorkeling to see manta rays. We watched from the Sheraton outdoor deck.</span></div>
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Below is a selection of the guides and brochures that we found most helpful. The book Hawaii: The Big Island Revealed is a must and the National Geographic map, likewise. The other brochures we picked up at the respective parks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-zOi5xH_O7gAPLauHq-hWohl35rKz9UTh3pNNSqtMHH3Mp4LfqJJ0qk9-RmyjmOhNRVP0gzCsjavBFS_2eiz59z9uqFD2m_xqstBxvuBURYbVT3ez-waFw6qUs97EeIoAf_d2BBwjGw/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1d0f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-zOi5xH_O7gAPLauHq-hWohl35rKz9UTh3pNNSqtMHH3Mp4LfqJJ0qk9-RmyjmOhNRVP0gzCsjavBFS_2eiz59z9uqFD2m_xqstBxvuBURYbVT3ez-waFw6qUs97EeIoAf_d2BBwjGw/s640/fullsizeoutput_1d0f.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyTLSrrJe7PK4D4KDb57I_1b3MQWVdl1bm_mE2lTXSvz89ROTLSb4PvVSwG43nnz3POjE0MlsrQmpkggvlHB2b-_Fb0Ig3t8yx_jdjWXCCTdmr78wnDRlLrsc4ChTCKeqhcKPSBuslI8/s1600/F1VLbwOUSMucu7DBVzPOqA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyTLSrrJe7PK4D4KDb57I_1b3MQWVdl1bm_mE2lTXSvz89ROTLSb4PvVSwG43nnz3POjE0MlsrQmpkggvlHB2b-_Fb0Ig3t8yx_jdjWXCCTdmr78wnDRlLrsc4ChTCKeqhcKPSBuslI8/s640/F1VLbwOUSMucu7DBVzPOqA.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-85499491636670082472019-05-27T09:57:00.002-04:002019-05-27T09:58:16.759-04:00Big Island Wildlife<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Native plants and animals in Hawaii have been displaced by an array of non-natives, often invasive and damaging species. In the neighborhood where we stayed, every plant and animal that we saw was non-native. Feral cats and mongooses were every where and in some cases people were feeding them as well as birds. That the birds are also non-native seemed fitting.<br />
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Our group of eight sought out as much native wildlife as possible. With more time to hike into the backcountry and reach more native rainforest, we would have done so. Even so, we saw some cool things.<br />
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The highlight were the sea turtles. These beautiful creatures are well-protected with signs not to disturb, and most people seem to oblige. We saw the most common - green sea turtle -- in many places. Some were basking on beaches, but mostly we saw them feeding on algae in shallow tidal areas.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">A path in the sand made by a sea turtle.</span></div>
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Nephew Sid recognized the turtle (in above two photos) was not the green sea turtle. This turtle had a dome shell. We didn't get a great look, but think it was an olive ridley turtle.<br />
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The Hawaiian goose, or nene, is the state bird. Once numbering 20,000 or more it was decimated by overhunting and the introduction of the mongoose. A captive breeding population begun in the 1950s has brought the wild population up to about 1,000. You can see nene in many state and national parks, often the birds have leg bands.<br />
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The sea life was extraordinary, mostly seen underwater while snorkeling, but we waded in at low tide to see crabs, snails, urchins, and other aquatic life that lives in the intertidal zone.<br />
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We looked for endemic birds during trail hikes. We saw and heard apapanes and amakihis, but the other honeycreepers eluded us. This interpretive sign at Volcanoes National Park provides a nice summary of the evolution of the honeycreepers/finches.<br />
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Our best birding sites included:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Kahuku Unit - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: honeycreepers, hawaiian hawk</li>
<li>Kipukapuaulu Trail, near main entrance to Volcanoes National Park</li>
<li>Chain of Craters Road -- at end look for black noddys on cliff faces</li>
<li>South Point -- skylark and white-tailed tropicbird</li>
<li>Kaloko-Honokohau Nat'l Historic Park - black-necked stilt, Hawaiian coot, and other waterbirds</li>
<li>Coastal areas - wandering tattler, ruddy turnstones</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://hawaiibirdingtrails.hawaii.gov/">Click here</a> for a link to Hawai'i Birding hotspots.</div>
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Although not-native, I do love the geckos.<br />
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-32029553930040761442019-05-27T08:42:00.002-04:002019-05-27T08:42:32.555-04:00Big Island National Historical Parks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In addition to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Big Island is home to two National Historical Parks: Pu'uhonua o Honauna and Kaloko-Honokohua. Both are near Kona -- Kaloko is just north of downtown Kona-Kailua, before the turnoff for the airport. Pu'uhonua is south of Kona, about a 30-minute drive and is next to Two-Step, a great snorkeling spot.<br />
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The main entrance to Kaloko-Honokohua is off Highway 19, but is only open from 8:30 and to 4:00 pm. If you want to visit earlier or later, there is a nice accessible entrance off the Kealakehe Parkway, which leads to the boat harbor. You can park in the large gravel harbor parking area and walk in. The trail leads along the beach, where you can see sea turtles, shorebirds, fishponds, and enjoy an early morning stroll. You might want to stop at the visitor's center when it is open to pick up a park brochure, which has great information and a trail map.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">A green sea turtle rests on the beach.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">The islanders protect the sea turtles and are careful not to disturb them.</span></div>
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Pu'uhonua, "a place of refuge," has a wonderful interpretive trail. The 12-foot high Great Wall, constructed over 400 years ago, defines the sacred space of the Pu'uhonua, where those who broke <i>kapu</i>, the sacred laws and beliefs were safe if they made it to this place. The Hale o Keawe is a royal mausoleum housing bones of 23 ali'i (chiefs). Wooden images are of ki'i representing Hawaiian gods.<br />
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-95531322427952622019-05-27T08:04:00.001-04:002019-05-27T08:07:01.164-04:00Kahuku Unit - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Kahuku Unit of Volcanoes National Park is not well-advertised and is easy to miss. I discovered it by researching best birding sites on the Big Island. Kahuku is located on the north side of Highway 11 between Kona and the main entrance to the National Park. The entrance is a few miles west of the South Point Road. We visited on a Saturday by chance and learned later that it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.<br />
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The small visitors center has books, interpretive information, bottled water, bathrooms, and very friendly staff. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/upload/2018_10_05-Kahuku-Site-Bulletin_508_reduced_vr20181012.pdf">Click here</a> for link to a trail map. If you are interested in birding get there early, although the park doesn't open until 9 am.<br />
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The park ranger suggested several of the trails, which turned out to be excellent choices. We drove to to the Pali o Ka'eo trailhead along the dirt road, which is easily drivable. Kahuku was a cattle ranch until 2003, when it was added to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The grassy, wooded landscape is a remnant of that land use history. Vistas along this trail extend to South Point and beyond.<br />
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The Pu'u Lokuana Trail is a not to miss hike. Buy the trail guide for $2 at the visitor's center and stop at each of the numbered interpretive spots. Lots of great natural and human history to see and learn about on this 2-mile hike.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Olivine crystals remain after the surrounding rock from a Mauna Loa lava flow has eroded. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">A stone wall made of lava rock is a remnant of the cattle ranching days.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">The trails are marked by lava rock cairns (or ahu, meaning stacked rocks) in some places,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">although these are not to be disturbed or new ones built due to cultural significance.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">A lava fissure.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">The Pu'u o Lokuana cinder cone was quarried for its crimson cinders.</span></div>
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After a picnic lunch at the visitor's center we drove south on South Point Road. This is the southernmost point on the island as well as in all of the United States. The road is paved all the way, although is narrow in spots. It passes only a few houses and a handful of cattle grazing in fields with incredible views. The paved road ends at the "boat joists" where people jump off into the ocean and climb back up a rickety metal ladder. As this was Saturday, it was a little crazy and of course people were jumping despite the warning sign.<br />
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A network of gravel/sandy roads leads from this spot...a 4-wheel drive jeep would be ideal or time to hike about, although it is hot, dry, and windy here. If we had time we would have hiked the 2.5 miles to green sands beach. Instead, we snapped a few pictures of South Point and a selfie then headed back to Kona.<br />
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-30396898753300053942019-05-27T07:09:00.002-04:002019-05-27T07:09:41.512-04:00Lava Tubes, Tree Molds, and Kipukas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Millions of people apparently visited the Big Island during the past decade to see the active lava flows from Mauna Kilauea. Now that the volcano has gone silent, the crowds may be less, which is a nice outcome if you like less crowd (like me).<br />
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Although we did not see hot lava flows, the cold lava and the many formations, colors, shapes, and textures created over thousands of years is equally fascinating.<br />
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Lava tubes form when molten lava flows beneath a harden surface of lava. When the hot lava drains away it leaves a hollow tunnel, cave, or arch. We stumbled on this lava tube at a scenic pull-off along Highway 190 between Waimea and Kona.<br />
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Kaumana Caves State Park in Hilo offers a short walk into a cave-like lava tube. Across the street from the parking lot, a metal staircase descends to the entrance to the caves that were created by an 1881 Mauna Loa lava flow that threatened Hilo. Ferns, philodendrons, and other moisture-loving plants shroud the entrance. Bring a flashlight as it is dark inside and the rocks are slippery. Look up at the ceiling at white, gold, and bronze crystals embedded in the lava.<br />
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Tree molds are another interesting formation in lava flows. These form when hot blobs of lava harden around a living tree (often a ohi'a). The tree is incinerated and when the hot molten lava drains away, the remaining hole shows the shape of the once live trunk.<br />
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A kipuka forms when new lava flows surround a hill or slight rise, leaving an island or refuge for plants, animals, and people. The following pictures are of a kipuka in the Kahuku unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.<br />
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-78424574720595902152019-05-23T07:50:00.004-04:002019-05-23T07:58:10.487-04:00Mauna Kea, Silverwords, and the Hairy Hill<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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At 13,796-feet, Mauna Kea is the highest point on the Big Island, and on all of Hawaii. It is 125 feet higher than its more massive neighbor, Mauna Loa. The two volcanoes offer a stunning landscape perched high on either side of Saddle Road, which runs between Kona and Hilo, and is the quickest way to travel across island.</div>
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The road from Kona to Mauna Kea is in good shape and takes about 1.5 hours. A few miles west of the entrance on Saddle Road is the Mauna Kea Recreation Area, which is a great place to stop and stretch: excellent, clean bathrooms, picnic tables, outdoor exercise equipment designed by physicists.</div>
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Across from the entrance to Mauna Kea is Pu'u Hulululu ("Hairy Hill"). This is another nice spot to stop and take a short hike (0.7 miles round trip). The air is dry in these parts, so take lots of water. This was a lovely hike to take in the vast landscape.</div>
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The Mauna Kea visitor's center, known as the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station, is 6 miles up the Mauna Kea Access Road at 9,200 feet. It is an easy drive on a paved road. The visitor's center, run by the University of Hawaii, is tiny and they were working on the entrance and parking, so it seemed even smaller. There are bathrooms and picnic tables and some information about the summit and weather conditions, although the staff were not particularly helpful or friendly. Apparently they aren't allowed to recommend any trail hiking due to liability concerns.<br />
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We opted not to drive the final 9 miles to the top, which is mostly gravel and steep and the air gets really thin. It would have been nice to see the 13 telescopes and take in the view, but we didn't want to test our 8-passenger rented Suburban nor the thin air. Here's the sign that causes many not to drive to the top:<br />
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I did learn about a cool plant at the visitor's center: the rare and endangered silversword that is endemic to Haleakala on Maui and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island. There is a fenced off area behind the visitor's center where the plant grows and was in flower -- apparently a rare occurrence as these plants bloom once in 15-50 years, then die. Each of the three locations where the silversword is found supports a different subspecies (Maui and Mauna Kea) or species (Mauna Loa).<br />
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Silverswords were decimated by grazing pigs, goats, sheep, and cattle. The Mauna Kea silversword, <i>Argyroxiphium sandwicense sandwicense</i>, is federally endangered, with less than 50 thought to exist. So we saw a large part of the population. The plant is characterized by a dense rosette of silvery, spiky (but soft) leaves that radiate out from the base. It sends up a tall bloom (up to 6 feet) that sports hundred of purple, aster-like flowers.<br />
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From the visitor's center we hiked to nearby Sunset Hill, which offered nice views of the visitor's center, Mauna Kea summit (although the telescopes are on the north side and not visible), stunning landscape over to Mauna Loa, and looking down into a cinder cone. As you can see from the photos, we had stunning weather.<br />
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-1778877588170920782019-05-20T07:02:00.002-04:002019-05-20T07:36:23.869-04:00Ohi'a Lehua<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Nearly all plants growing in yards and along roads on the Big Island are non-native, and some of those are invasive. Many of the imports are beautiful in color and shape. <br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Non-native colorful trees in a yard in Kona, Hawaii</span></div>
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However, the most common tree--and I think the most beautiful--growing on the Big Island is the ohi'a lehua. It grows from sea level to alpine and is a pioneer species, being one of the first plants to grow on fresh lava flows. It can look like a shrub, short, scrubby tree, or a tall overstory tree. The most striking feature is the red pom-pom like flowers; the color is from the long, red stamens, not the petals, which are small and inconspicuous. As with lava, I could take a million pictures of this beautiful tree.<br />
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A new disease is killing millions of ohi'a trees across Hawaii. Two newly identified fungal species are causing "Rapid Ohi'a Death or ROD. To combat the spread, the state has a quarantine on the movement of ohi'a plants and wood and other guidance for homeowners and people visiting ROD-infected areas.</div>
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Many trailheads on the Big Island have the following signs and shoe brush to prevent spreading of invasive plant seeds, fungal spores, and other potential damaging material.</div>
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-57421682085096498632019-05-19T12:36:00.003-04:002019-05-19T12:39:30.874-04:00Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The drive from Kailua-Kona to the Mauna Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is 96 miles; the drive takes about 2 hours. Given the distance, we made only one trip to the main portion of the Park. Next time we would spend a lot more time and stay closer to the Park in Hilo or Pahoa, on the east side of the Island.<br />
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These are the highlights of our visit.<br />
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We hiked the Sulphur Banks Trail and Crater Rim Trail to an overlook into the Kilauea Caldera. Along the way we passed sulfur vents, huge tree ferns, and other interesting plants.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Sulfur gases waft up from these vents along the Sulphur Banks and Crater Rim Trail.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Beautiful, tall, arching tree ferns line the trail.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">I believe this is <i>Cibotium</i> sp. (also called Hapu'u)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0I0aeTrAdgBELttQhbvtC9A_0QURGeawCusb2hyphenhyphenKy97tkc8_wVBZeY1M1hT2Xx_GRRPBmmWF3ZRigjRZgBz8F6siavj6aXxUmQFxZ8cCS0Pi-exmcln7d9FfqKfwBWS6YkcNloZbGOs/s1600/zrBUSDpISOmK1QUTHRvGkA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0I0aeTrAdgBELttQhbvtC9A_0QURGeawCusb2hyphenhyphenKy97tkc8_wVBZeY1M1hT2Xx_GRRPBmmWF3ZRigjRZgBz8F6siavj6aXxUmQFxZ8cCS0Pi-exmcln7d9FfqKfwBWS6YkcNloZbGOs/s640/zrBUSDpISOmK1QUTHRvGkA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">A view into the Halema'uma'u Crater in the Kilauea Caldera.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">The trails along the Kilauea Caldera are flat, accessible, well-signed,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">and pass through beautiful forest and near sulfur vents.</span></div>
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The Kilauea Visitor's Center is small, but the staff will guide you to the best trails, and the interpretive information is quite good. Given our limited time, we then drove down the 38-mile round-trip Chain of Craters Road. This is a must not miss part of your visit. There are several stops along the way and we had time for only a few: Lua Manu Crater and 1974 lava flow, Kealakomo Overlook, and the Holei Sea Arch at the end of the road.<br />
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The following photos were take at the Lua Manu Crater stop along the Chain of Craters Road. I could wander about these lava flows for hours and take hundreds of pictures of the plants -- ferns, shrubs, and trees -- that are the first to take hold.<br />
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The Kealakomo Overlook offers a stunning sweeping panorama of the 1969-1974 lava flows down to the southern coastline.<br />
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At the end of the drivable part of the Chain of Craters Road is a parking lot, small concession stand, and bathrooms. A short hike leads to Holei Sea Arch. The road continues beyond a gate so you can walk a few more miles on this road, although we did not have time.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Holei Sea Arch</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Sixty-foot cliffs where we saw nesting black noddys</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Stunning lava formations created over thousands of years.</span></div>
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Our final stop in Hawai'i National Park, before driving back to Kona was a quick hike on the Kipukapuaulu Trail. This site is accessible off the Moana Loa Road, which is a short distance west of the main park entrance on Route 11. On older maps it was called Bird Park, a nod to the potential for seeing several endemic birds. It was raining and we were short of time, so we walked the 1.2 mile loop trail, very quickly. We heard a few native birds, saw several non-native kalij pheasants, witnessed some of the habitat restoration (removal of invasive plants). This site is worth a visit; buy the trail guide for $2, available at the trailhead.<br />
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-62339149723722967152019-05-18T17:42:00.002-04:002019-05-18T17:48:32.531-04:00Volcanoes on Big Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Big Island is about the size of Connecticut, but its population is around 200,000. With such natural beauty you would expect a much higher population, but Hawaii is the most remote set of islands anywhere in the world. California and Alaska are more than 2000 miles away. So, getting goods to the islands is not easy nor inexpensive.<br />
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The main reason that the Big Island is relatively sparsely populated is most certainty due to its volcanoes, several of which are still active. For 35 years (from 1983-2018), the Pu'u O'o eruption in the eastern rift zone of the Kilauea Volcano spewed lava, covering hundreds of acres in new lava, burning and burying houses, creating new land along the southern coast of the Big Island, and generating vog (volcanic smog) that caused air pollution across the island. After a final major eruption in May, 2018, the volcano has gone silent. Although there was no active lava flow to witness during our visit, we appreciated the pristine air quality.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">This signage describes the 35-year long eruption of Pu'u O'o that ended in 2018.</span></div>
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Within a one to two hour drive you can go from snorkeling in aqua-blue warm waters to hiking on hot, dry volcanic slopes at 9,000 feet. I found the landscape mesmerizing.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">The Big Island volcanoes. Mauna Kilauea was active most recently.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">At a scenic overlook along Highway 19 (Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway):</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">lava flow in foreground, blue waters in the distance.</span></div>
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-75960130112913633632019-05-06T00:08:00.001-04:002019-05-18T17:35:09.374-04:00Snorkeling the Reefs of Kona, Hawaii<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We went snorkeling four times on the Big Island with rented gear (masks, snorkels, and fins from Jacks Diving Locker in Kona, and for $1 extra, Srini and I got prescription masks). I've snorkeled once before, more than 20 years ago. The rest of our group was a mix of very experienced and never been before.<br />
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Our maiden snorkel was at Kahalu'u Beach Park, a 5 minute drive from our VRBO, and just off Ali'i Drive in Kona. The afternoon was a bit breezy so getting in and out across the reef was a little rough (literally, as I got a few cuts), but the water was warm and many beautiful fish swimming among the shallow reef. Sadly, most of the corals are dead as a result of bleaching caused by a warming climate. This is a pattern throughout the world's coral reefs.<br />
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The Kahalu'u Beach Park has parking, bathrooms, and freshwater outdoor showers to rinse off saltwater and sand. This handy sign is posted at entrance to the beach, showcasing many of the most common species to see in the reef here. This beach is so accessible that we returned for a second afternoon of snorkeling.<br />
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The second place we snorkeled was in Honaunau Bay, at a place called Two Step, named for a set of rocks that allows easy of entry to the reef. This site is about 20 minutes south of Kona. It is very popular, despite the limited parking and not so nice portable toilets. But the reef is terrific for snorkeling.<br />
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This is a popular spot, although we arrived early and had a splendid snorkel. Here too, the diversity of fish was good, but there were no large fish and the quantity of fish seemed low. We saw a few birds--wandering tattler (a shorebird) and black-crowned night herons.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">A black-crowned night heron stalks fish in a tide pool at Two Step.</span></div>
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Snorkeling is addictive in such warm, beautiful water. Next time we will buy our own snorkeling gear so that we can snorkel anytime we want. We highly recommend Jack's Diving Locker for renting snorkeling and scuba equipment, going on trips with them, and buying gear.<br />
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-45082818421831626952019-05-04T20:07:00.000-04:002019-05-19T06:00:03.758-04:00Big Island, Hawaii<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We left Newmarket on a cold, rainy Wednesday (what else have we had in April?). Destination: the Big Island of Hawaii. It took us a couple stops to get here (Boston to Las Vegas to Honolulu to Kailua-Kona), but it was worth the cramped airplane seats and lack of food to reach this beautiful place.<br />
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We arrived at the Kailua-Kona airport by 8:15 am and as soon as we stepped off the plane, we could feel the pace of life slow down. The first thing we noticed--the waiting "room" and the baggage claim are in the open air, made possible by the limited annual rainfall on the west side of the Big Island. TSA must be there, but flying through this airport felt like the old days, before we had to remove half our clothes to get on a plane. Stepping "outside" the airport we were struck by all the trees in flower and the lava.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUYjZxuOnQ3KzBwT4LSZEFyLebuNo5Lllj73b7TauMcJBPHRxYkhC5yVgFgiWhsZAkrUJqYOuYN0Bqnj6Szs1oALz4cygku7c4iZlqRt3xFHRrFzcDVZI3-3rBZnmM7a4b20IOUXg9gk/s1600/GZvX7KcBRhe0vXxVgW3ErA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUYjZxuOnQ3KzBwT4LSZEFyLebuNo5Lllj73b7TauMcJBPHRxYkhC5yVgFgiWhsZAkrUJqYOuYN0Bqnj6Szs1oALz4cygku7c4iZlqRt3xFHRrFzcDVZI3-3rBZnmM7a4b20IOUXg9gk/s640/GZvX7KcBRhe0vXxVgW3ErA.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Blue sky, flowers, and lava welcome us outside the Kailua-Kona Airport.</span></div>
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Our VRBO is tucked down a quiet, dead end road and a five minute walk to Keauhou Bay. The backyard is full of trees in flower or fruit, drawing in lots of birds. Our family group of eight on this trip is into birding so we picked the right place to stay. Sadly though, everything we've seen so far is not native--birds, feral cats, mongooses, plants, geckos. Still, it is all so different from New Hampshire.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Our front yard.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Gold dust day geckos hang out on the side of our house.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">They are also non-native, but quite beautiful.</span></div>
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Instead of New Hampshire granite, Hawaii has lava and lots of it. Rock walls, stone paths, and garden mulch are all lava rock.<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">A rock wall built from lava rock.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Lava rock instead of bark mulch in gardens.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">This trail to the beach is through a lava field -- </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">a rough surface for sure, requiring sturdy footwear.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">A stonewall made of lava rock was built in the 1880s to contain cattle.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Mailboxes tucked into lava walls.</span></div>
<span style="text-align: left;">We highly recommend our VRBO: great location, dead-end quiet street, 5 minute walk to Keauhou Bay where you can swim and snorkel, 10 minute walk to the Sheraton where you can watch the sunset and stay later to see manta rays come in to feed under the night lights (all free!), and the Keauhou Shopping Center is nearby.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Our VRBO: 78-117 Holua Road, Big Island</span></div>
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-77281703323401270952019-05-03T20:33:00.002-04:002019-05-03T20:38:15.846-04:00An Old Tree<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On Tuesday morning I visited the oldest broadleaf tree in North America--a beautiful, gnarly, deeply furrowed black gum that is more than 700 years old and lives in a swamp in New Hampshire with some of its kin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPefdB6VxzSozn0Wy6jVazGrBjKEe_FdYnGcYFmK2H3YXXmXqe6_81uWj94rxQFgtF40GVWjLecDmfxOVNpiyO4qrRM0UM81qmngTGayWokp0QmYUOHGvLsvedZpdEbcHq2YGHiVgM0E0/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1c7f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPefdB6VxzSozn0Wy6jVazGrBjKEe_FdYnGcYFmK2H3YXXmXqe6_81uWj94rxQFgtF40GVWjLecDmfxOVNpiyO4qrRM0UM81qmngTGayWokp0QmYUOHGvLsvedZpdEbcHq2YGHiVgM0E0/s400/fullsizeoutput_1c7f.jpeg" width="300" /></a>My friend Dave and I wandered around the base of the tree, measured its girth, and looked up into its canopy, in awe of its lifespan. A few years back, a state botanist cored the tree to measure its age by counting tree rings, placing its birth around the year 1300. I draw hope and inspiration knowing that such trees can survive the constant onslaught of human's imprint on the land, if we let some places be.<br />
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The black gums grow on hummocks at the edge of a swamp. Several other nearby black gums are equally impressive. One huge black gum was home to a porcupine, which occupied a hole in a large burl midway up the tree trunk.<br />
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-36718101142824954872019-02-23T08:36:00.000-05:002019-02-26T07:05:18.525-05:00Mt. Cabot Cabin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The snow is deep in the North Country. As we drove north Friday on Route 16, the snowbanks got progressively higher. Through Pinkham Notch we were slowed by a plow truck that was clearing an overnight snowfall and then waited while a tow-truck pulled a vehicle from a snowbank. The High Presidentials were in the clear, so we were hoping for same on our first-ever hike to the summit of 4,170-foot Mt. Cabot.
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Headed north on Route 16 through Pinkham Notch, following a plow truck.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>High Presidentials in the clear.</b></span></div>
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York Pond Road from Route 110 in Berlin to the Berlin Fish Hatchery and trailheads was mostly plowed, except for the 4+ inches of new snow. We got underway at 9:50 am on the York Pond Trail. The snowshoe-width trail was discernible, but the fresh powdery snow made for extra work. A young man headed out at the same time and soon passed us, breaking new trail for us the rest of the way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3XlvkvRH2veCVyhLz3_S1ohTojf7ct7b3z_heahQEOQCB3NWPWyVU6-GWTk_ILttxoZ8Nxy7T_nADp-EU_waGhliFp22mf4dr7LuwsXM_RuRe_FKwAuy7IOLpwNvesgUGwTkGXBfuAs/s1600/Li3NxS3PQc%252BM6KIk4So5dA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3XlvkvRH2veCVyhLz3_S1ohTojf7ct7b3z_heahQEOQCB3NWPWyVU6-GWTk_ILttxoZ8Nxy7T_nADp-EU_waGhliFp22mf4dr7LuwsXM_RuRe_FKwAuy7IOLpwNvesgUGwTkGXBfuAs/s400/Li3NxS3PQc%252BM6KIk4So5dA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Thanks to the hatchery folks for keeping the road into these trails nicely plowed.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VDbulJ771OzAge1eauy5_k9otSFEg72u_FJF9mUSoFYBpdNE77csghAzS-wVA13RdzpZVLeX8MX1yzic6YxUXKPtpS0BN5VqZ6QRZX9zwQcsWM_cOun-LpI417BP767SJuPSPsx5elI/s1600/uMJUaQRdRkqVkKhU1oiosg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VDbulJ771OzAge1eauy5_k9otSFEg72u_FJF9mUSoFYBpdNE77csghAzS-wVA13RdzpZVLeX8MX1yzic6YxUXKPtpS0BN5VqZ6QRZX9zwQcsWM_cOun-LpI417BP767SJuPSPsx5elI/s640/uMJUaQRdRkqVkKhU1oiosg.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">The York Pond Trailhead was also plowed out with room for 2-3 cars. </span></b></div>
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In our group of two people and two dogs, Kodi, the 11-year old, led the way at the beginning. On the way down though he made and tried to curl up in three snow nests, until we urged him on. He was ready to hop back in the car at the end of our 8.8-mile hike. His legs were tired.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66p3itD4OxxqCpaX5XfyfuxnAHuPTNswwYvAU2qkqd8Z5eJjYXFdAHWv2BG7lUKCM2si3EBoo5cDZkKI-0tIMY-x_DUfD1O7WuGlB_8_fB0QHsEAIATuJy2pa3tO4n6GR5tuy8S1Lnlk/s1600/JuYqYmrCSeC6uLqWa2%252BtAw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66p3itD4OxxqCpaX5XfyfuxnAHuPTNswwYvAU2qkqd8Z5eJjYXFdAHWv2BG7lUKCM2si3EBoo5cDZkKI-0tIMY-x_DUfD1O7WuGlB_8_fB0QHsEAIATuJy2pa3tO4n6GR5tuy8S1Lnlk/s400/JuYqYmrCSeC6uLqWa2%252BtAw.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Kodi gets underway on the York Pond Trail.</span></b></div>
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Henna, the 6-year old, is a runner, so has to remain tethered, which helps pull the person she is tethered to up (Srini) and down (me) the trail. She did have one planned and one un-planned free romp. There were several stream crossings that required a steep hop across, which is tricky on snowshoes and tethered to a dog. Henna got better at it, as did we.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDQ7rnL5eQtycvYYuC_9K51qWfSsBY0b5ovKxoFiUxhLE5hmO5p09A-HhsgPY7MKkEwnJUr00yWB7hF6wrMxGwoguiNlaIjBlaiTQXxHNikwvOIpR2U-iWq_TF4TqE0_bcKhojLv2NSY/s1600/E4sE9EzCQLmgflhoDoo4mA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDQ7rnL5eQtycvYYuC_9K51qWfSsBY0b5ovKxoFiUxhLE5hmO5p09A-HhsgPY7MKkEwnJUr00yWB7hF6wrMxGwoguiNlaIjBlaiTQXxHNikwvOIpR2U-iWq_TF4TqE0_bcKhojLv2NSY/s400/E4sE9EzCQLmgflhoDoo4mA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">One of the small brooks that required a hop across on snowshoes.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDr6j6EVlIR9Alz8iarzxlonbZYUiDWeh4XNlMsZE3EMu0uxOETm4NyBWSELyQQLMCFr1w1g3bRl3WS2EdtljNPI2MndoiaOrFzSESdv1-0hJZXW4kNb1b6RwciMHbLn735VVODTQqOk/s1600/QUTaG4N1TlOYCT4TXQTYqQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDr6j6EVlIR9Alz8iarzxlonbZYUiDWeh4XNlMsZE3EMu0uxOETm4NyBWSELyQQLMCFr1w1g3bRl3WS2EdtljNPI2MndoiaOrFzSESdv1-0hJZXW4kNb1b6RwciMHbLn735VVODTQqOk/s640/QUTaG4N1TlOYCT4TXQTYqQ.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Henna, during her planned off-leash period, followed by her unplanned romp up the trail. Fortunately the deep snow kept her contained and she ran back to us after a bit.</span></b></div>
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We climbed up to the Kilkenny Ridge via the Bunnell Notch Trail, which ascends through a sapling forest (an old clearcut), then a beautiful yellow birch-paper birch forest, and then into a spruce forest. We were in and out of the clouds, with a light snow falling, so couldn't see any distance views. The beauty of the woods was a good enough view. A grouse flushed from its snow fort beneath a small spruce tree. Higher up, where the spruce dominated, we noted marten tracks criss-crossing the trail. Otherwise the woods were quiet, except for our beating hearts as we climbed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc9oS7Y9f2GpjafKA_FnQYZb3X0O5vsZqg_NQUvjwVHOQso6nQVcl4IfcarkVLHTpcFkaHdWuwktTml84KZu1momsOFyRwdd99LllULKYPgldc4gc7oc0RvtGquVFPS_InRogOTmWbHM/s1600/%252B23pwjJoSL%252B5HyjpU0iD9g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc9oS7Y9f2GpjafKA_FnQYZb3X0O5vsZqg_NQUvjwVHOQso6nQVcl4IfcarkVLHTpcFkaHdWuwktTml84KZu1momsOFyRwdd99LllULKYPgldc4gc7oc0RvtGquVFPS_InRogOTmWbHM/s400/%252B23pwjJoSL%252B5HyjpU0iD9g.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">The Bunnell Notch Trail as it begins to ascend through an old clearcut.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Apparently, beneath the deep snow there are stone steps.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQoAAnUt-1OjhC5xTDQsnvaLWw0sZiayWWzQea_mO4I9ULYVuDkk4jB7XncfmJSQihnrJVpmd9NspmPrztnYNRcO4pqobywpisIm49fWWofLXDErPCdQqYVSgj9WvPJ_kFCLp4amH3Jg/s1600/LDUX1rW2RPWzlAvkC9%2525dgA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQoAAnUt-1OjhC5xTDQsnvaLWw0sZiayWWzQea_mO4I9ULYVuDkk4jB7XncfmJSQihnrJVpmd9NspmPrztnYNRcO4pqobywpisIm49fWWofLXDErPCdQqYVSgj9WvPJ_kFCLp4amH3Jg/s400/LDUX1rW2RPWzlAvkC9%2525dgA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">The lower section of the Bunnell Notch Trail ascends moderately</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">through a beautiful hardwood forest.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_wlV0BQ5sYckq9CTd448xLaMzikFR1l9PzhE68TDvbGT_wUeH3U6qQfuh34YipUrdXUvQH2ihTcRHYzA8DMVi1l1hlEoB0QKOgJ86AydrlIsBTYg83lCfAjH3pRg9YOdc1k5ARAAhRM/s1600/yvUz1FHOQbmjR23luAYkNA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_wlV0BQ5sYckq9CTd448xLaMzikFR1l9PzhE68TDvbGT_wUeH3U6qQfuh34YipUrdXUvQH2ihTcRHYzA8DMVi1l1hlEoB0QKOgJ86AydrlIsBTYg83lCfAjH3pRg9YOdc1k5ARAAhRM/s640/yvUz1FHOQbmjR23luAYkNA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">The trail begins to climb more steeply as it ascends along the north bank of Bunnell Brook</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">and past large, old yellow birch trees.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJe9HDHrLpRUA1i65Gae8oaBAOuCrvDGy7hJaPuBAFSrXFhc0K3OeLUNX3beMU35jW-AiFTyzAzCv3wMgL6ic1Htwj8iAoxN3kecjtWkaMaHLsPhmxNoOk89PTsD62rd3sQvbCkKpFXGI/s1600/ONT49BlXQ6eWtoJ2ICRZKQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJe9HDHrLpRUA1i65Gae8oaBAOuCrvDGy7hJaPuBAFSrXFhc0K3OeLUNX3beMU35jW-AiFTyzAzCv3wMgL6ic1Htwj8iAoxN3kecjtWkaMaHLsPhmxNoOk89PTsD62rd3sQvbCkKpFXGI/s400/ONT49BlXQ6eWtoJ2ICRZKQ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">At this point along the trail the hardwoods give way to red spruce.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EH7gavT6JmrZBxl8y54KD8ktv-NkLo34DCw3-KxV0RBBfmijIY6fabFQnpdr7n7rKu-whs4qUzpJzp1zQu-sq0qQ6-TO5iGeFHUGKB6zXNtZtoQPzyvgcByP5fWzjy-M4fvr-6BNvwM/s1600/5LZZR8RrR7GrePq0veJs%2525w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EH7gavT6JmrZBxl8y54KD8ktv-NkLo34DCw3-KxV0RBBfmijIY6fabFQnpdr7n7rKu-whs4qUzpJzp1zQu-sq0qQ6-TO5iGeFHUGKB6zXNtZtoQPzyvgcByP5fWzjy-M4fvr-6BNvwM/s640/5LZZR8RrR7GrePq0veJs%2525w.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Henna chases Kodi up the trail.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3-WLNGRNBw1HkKEaVqXAbp32H9LCNwPw3YpqBrgoxpvbuHHrmFJIr_Qp9vDNNX5rg0NHx1u_kg_7Ul9WOLF_w5TXkxc6Ujax5i_Hllcz2eR9oQuoYw9BDewgTSwe3avBldIuNAnAovE/s1600/Q5TDNVBoQn6TxrvdkaetuQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3-WLNGRNBw1HkKEaVqXAbp32H9LCNwPw3YpqBrgoxpvbuHHrmFJIr_Qp9vDNNX5rg0NHx1u_kg_7Ul9WOLF_w5TXkxc6Ujax5i_Hllcz2eR9oQuoYw9BDewgTSwe3avBldIuNAnAovE/s400/Q5TDNVBoQn6TxrvdkaetuQ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">At the junction with the Kilkenny Ridge Trail we stop for a snack break.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">The trail signs are just barely above the snow.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxEq_Gn3ZMR4EGRTqNC9nS67iHRU6sg_QdBRwRVqwTCZYGQUglbI90cFbpyO6P0FBoWj4gl6eQcQ3l82hGf9RmE_eGB74-qVMxX-nemAyx5CQYDIWJ2VWvpN_C-tywUmZslsOrAAdino/s1600/YDBjCcrKTaWCZ6lkRN05Tg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxEq_Gn3ZMR4EGRTqNC9nS67iHRU6sg_QdBRwRVqwTCZYGQUglbI90cFbpyO6P0FBoWj4gl6eQcQ3l82hGf9RmE_eGB74-qVMxX-nemAyx5CQYDIWJ2VWvpN_C-tywUmZslsOrAAdino/s640/YDBjCcrKTaWCZ6lkRN05Tg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">The snow-laden spruce trees made for a winter wonderland.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36LA-4O9E6IyzXTyjaeU0jAcCvUB3mJAisYimhyphenhyphenrJoPOEmNiEWK-dBcOvi1I21ACQTyw4Kn3UsdluJk7o0vAeV_aNSwP-KogKD6wqKjS_3amL4esnG7AtMrm_QfUBq9EI2-gRBDz5n24/s1600/L42ztT89RnKg18Rj08B%2525%252Bg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36LA-4O9E6IyzXTyjaeU0jAcCvUB3mJAisYimhyphenhyphenrJoPOEmNiEWK-dBcOvi1I21ACQTyw4Kn3UsdluJk7o0vAeV_aNSwP-KogKD6wqKjS_3amL4esnG7AtMrm_QfUBq9EI2-gRBDz5n24/s640/L42ztT89RnKg18Rj08B%2525%252Bg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Kilkenny Ridge was in the clouds and cloaked in snow.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-g9muZPkdkQGkQhZfN1OuEVLwF_9kKkEvaESNkIl2vqQ_VsztfjC7VgIxaSxh1DCPX6QhxDzSXeaUzh92ABIQzOxMfSgdWlM6Pm6hwVJ0LBHPLdwiP580Sl-u7Rp2yGNtE1N_Frvbsfg/s1600/ZDmXG%252BflRdWik9%2525G4aXguw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-g9muZPkdkQGkQhZfN1OuEVLwF_9kKkEvaESNkIl2vqQ_VsztfjC7VgIxaSxh1DCPX6QhxDzSXeaUzh92ABIQzOxMfSgdWlM6Pm6hwVJ0LBHPLdwiP580Sl-u7Rp2yGNtE1N_Frvbsfg/s640/ZDmXG%252BflRdWik9%2525G4aXguw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">The last stretch of the combined Kilkenny Ridge-Cabot Trails follow a series of steep switchbacks, which allowed me to take periodic rests and absorb the beauty of the woods.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWL4fCssSajgurCZpVYaSnzQFk-wHkKDn22PLhpR2b1LV7A_xGyuAJxgOpIaB3gyplMAqCM86HMKAx74keuAgOcPct5EMEr2cbPFwGdKVMIXRRglca3VNi3zRhLK4cnoG8xwLkzx5qj0/s1600/S4U%252BLzS1RZm4AERSkoA9xw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWL4fCssSajgurCZpVYaSnzQFk-wHkKDn22PLhpR2b1LV7A_xGyuAJxgOpIaB3gyplMAqCM86HMKAx74keuAgOcPct5EMEr2cbPFwGdKVMIXRRglca3VNi3zRhLK4cnoG8xwLkzx5qj0/s640/S4U%252BLzS1RZm4AERSkoA9xw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">It was good to finally see the Cabot Cabin, where we paused for hot soup. Our fellow traveler reached sooner and was not able to find the trail to the summit. He turned back as did we, happy to have gotten to the cabin at 4,070 feet. Two young women were nearing the cabin as we descended, so the trail was well-packed for Saturday hikers.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBdQ-wrcg14-JNqUICn1NoSjRR6bTMSywYW9a0gqHnI0nDZ0AXN7tSK-da4JO8jxbpcDh2Hju7f_tMIri-9-P2CJCXO8q2wdNxu8E3pPKvGA6i0T2oeKKCi4QfABuTopz5Czyz11-y1Y/s1600/wqughYqtTaygQo%25250v05RTw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBdQ-wrcg14-JNqUICn1NoSjRR6bTMSywYW9a0gqHnI0nDZ0AXN7tSK-da4JO8jxbpcDh2Hju7f_tMIri-9-P2CJCXO8q2wdNxu8E3pPKvGA6i0T2oeKKCi4QfABuTopz5Czyz11-y1Y/s640/wqughYqtTaygQo%25250v05RTw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">By the time we descended and looked back, the ridge was finally in the clear.</span></b></span></div>
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Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-13063240306494458642019-02-16T17:29:00.002-05:002019-02-16T18:09:54.746-05:00Memories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">I've not posted here for over a year. Too many distractions: Twitter, work, politics, family, dogs. I miss blogging. It helped me be a write better, I think. I found other gifted writers and artists and interesting people through my blog. It slowed down my mind and helped me remember important events in my life.</span></div>
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Here is something I wrote on October 13, 2017, but never posted here or elsewhere. Maybe this is why I stopped blogging, but perhaps why I should have kept going...so here's a start.</div>
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<i>The Old Saltbox</i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
bones of the 1760s saltbox are strong. When my parents bought the place in 1957,
it was an old, rundown farm, yet they must have seen that strength in the house
and outbuildings -- likely my father more so. He enjoyed fixing anything and
was raised on hardscrabble land in western Manitoba and in Illinois farm
country. That was in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">his</i> bones. My
mother was not used to the country life and was caring for two young children.
Surely she was glad just to have beds and a good roof. My brother and I came
along a few years later, myself the last of four.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
house remained much as it was for 12 years. Previous owners had removed the
classic central chimney and fireplaces, installing a huge coal-burning furnace
in its place. Our bedrooms were all on the second floor, which had no heat. I
don’t recall being cold though, even when the pipes froze in the kitchen. That
was life as a kid in our old house; we spent most of our time outdoors anyway.
In winter it was cold, outside and in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
roamed about outside, often without supervision, and usually barefoot in summer.
There was no end to places to explore and play on our land and beyond: hay bale
forts in the barn, hide and seek in a neighbor’s cornfield, treks up Long
Mountain pulling our sleds, down in back along a farm road to catch pumpkinseeds
and frogs in a small pond. Sometimes we ventured farther, to the mysterious, big
swamp. We never got lost and when we arrived back home, Mom always had a meal ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This
was the 60s. It would be decades before I realized how much my parents juggled
back then, while nurturing us through our own adventures. They tended a drafty,
old saltbox, myriad barnyard animals, dogs and cats, projects for county fairs,
Dad’s teaching and research at the University, and four kids. Meanwhile, the Vietnam
War and political assassinations weighed heavily on their hearts. My mother
lost her father -- a World War I veteran -- then too, from what we now call
PTSD. By sending us outside for hours on end, our parents made space for
themselves too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">When
I was nine, our house was jacked up on large blocks to pour a cement foundation
and basement, replacing the small, cramped, dirt floor root cellar. Once
lowered back down, masons rebuilt a massive central brick chimney and four
fireplaces. In researching old houses, our parents took us to antique flea
markets and scoured the countryside for used vintage bricks, which we loaded one
by one into our truck. Back home, after school, we sat outside on short stools
with a bucket of water and a hard bristle brush, scrapping off the mortar so
the bricks could be re-used in the new chimney. I grumbled doing the brick chore
and was utterly bored at flea markets; I was young then and not much into the
restoration concept.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">My
favorite place was our backyard. There were two wild crab apple trees in the
corner of the yard. Each spring they were full of white blossoms, just as dozens
of warblers and other songbirds were migrating through. My father, a zoologist,
taught us the birds by sight and sound. We listened, too, for the field sparrow
and whip-poor-will singing from a neighbor’s overgrown pasture. In the evening
we heard katydids and ran around with jars capturing fireflies. The croquet
course was in a slightly rough patch of lawn. Dad taught us the game. Winning at
croquet in our backyard required some skill, but also a bit of luck given the
uneven ground that sent many well-aimed balls off into the weeds. On that
croquet course we learned patience, teamwork, importance of a solid
follow-through with the mallet, and to congratulate, albeit grudgingly, the
winning pair. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">My
brother cut down one of the wild crab apples in September. It was dead and we
needed to make room for a new septic system. The shallow well in the shed that
has nourished our family for sixty years, including our parents into their
mid-90s, will likely be supplanted by town water soon. The central chimney has
a small crack. The house is for sale now. Our parents have passed and the four
of us siblings have long since moved to other locations and lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Still,
it is not easy to let go of this place. The family has gathered here for
weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays, through generations. When Dad was in
his 80s he worked alongside a skilled carpenter to restore the outbuildings:
the shed, shop, garage, and barn. When they were 90, together Mom and Dad made sweet
pickles from their own garden cucumbers. I still have three jars in my pantry. Mom
continued to make apple pies and granola and pizza in the long kitchen with a
view to the backyard, until her eyesight became impaired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
backdoor of the saltbox leads to many memories. As I sit on the large rock step
just outside the door, I can picture Dad puttering on his tractor and Mom on
hands and knees tending her flower garden. The wild apple trees are now gone,
the barnyard fence has rotted, the orchard is not as well tended, and the
vegetable gardens are idle, but the saltbox remains strong. Our parents
nurtured it into its third century and now it is ready for a new family’s
adventures.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-71205108521226554522017-10-15T10:09:00.000-04:002017-10-15T10:09:13.396-04:00A sunflower<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A heavy fog lingers in the wetlands into mid-morning today. It will warm to high 70s, and, by the looks of the 10-day forecast, no frosty temperatures in the near-term. Bumblebees are still gathering nectar, although flowers are harder to find this time of year. A late-blooming sunflower in our backyard offers a colorful target for a few insects. This is a reminder to self to plant some annuals late in the summer to provide pollinators more options, as the growing season grows longer. I think this lone sunflower was planted by a squirrel.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194161742476128031.post-69260321428468820862017-10-14T12:35:00.000-04:002017-10-14T12:36:26.820-04:00Still No Frost<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">October 14th and still
no frost in our yard. This past week I have seen three species of snakes still out basking:
northern water snake, garter snake, and brown snake. Sadly, the number of road-killed snakes, chipmunks, and skunks spiked this week too.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEdd07rBbiNsWOQ_ddBLmkYteJ93OnXPtdOiKaL0SpV7HJQJKJ4-QxHt64Jp5jp1IraWWbW-cYczgTiV4VMU_kKs35FJJTaS_ROtE8n4pt3fKjcDwhyphenhyphenE16jmVYdJTPpgdlCM77Ks3mxQ/s1600/GPZV5534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEdd07rBbiNsWOQ_ddBLmkYteJ93OnXPtdOiKaL0SpV7HJQJKJ4-QxHt64Jp5jp1IraWWbW-cYczgTiV4VMU_kKs35FJJTaS_ROtE8n4pt3fKjcDwhyphenhyphenE16jmVYdJTPpgdlCM77Ks3mxQ/s400/GPZV5534.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>Northern water snake shedding its skin.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Monarch butterflies are
still flying about. These late summer/fall adult monarchs are different than those
emerging earlier in summer. Instead of a 2-4 week lifecycle, the fall monarchs
live up to nine months—these are the super monarchs that fly all the way to central
Mexico to overwinter. Peak migration in our area is typically mid-September.
Whether the monarchs that are still flying around here in October are destined to fly south
is unknown. The consensus is that this has been a pretty good year for monarchs.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many other species are preparing for winter
too: blue jays—not just squirrels—are gathering and storing acorns; flocks of
Canada geese are flying south; witch-hazel, a forest understory shrub, is just
now sporting its yellow, spidery-like flowers. It’s a beautiful time to be out
in the woods. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUIYhVLkH4Je6pTAhszI_0LtA63eTD5DHBNyBjNTL-PcuRlSc_4vijd1k4-mhLjuYFBOHiy0hHd9KagWygxq2y48VwEiYJ_khcI0gC7VXShX2HI5wcl32eWmFRnpk3qhlQ4UIMCVrYlA/s1600/Witchhazel_flower_1_cropped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1600" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUIYhVLkH4Je6pTAhszI_0LtA63eTD5DHBNyBjNTL-PcuRlSc_4vijd1k4-mhLjuYFBOHiy0hHd9KagWygxq2y48VwEiYJ_khcI0gC7VXShX2HI5wcl32eWmFRnpk3qhlQ4UIMCVrYlA/s400/Witchhazel_flower_1_cropped.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Witch-hazel flowering</span></b></div>
</div>
Ellen Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09158932570826154360noreply@blogger.com1