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Jay's trip to Kona, December 2002

I went to Hawai'i to visit Tom and Tigris for the second half of December 2002. I wasn't as good (read &lq;silly&rq;) about taking lots of pictures as on previous trips, but I still got quite a few, and here are some of them.

We spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day on O'ahu before I flew back to Boston (and Tom and Tigris spend a few more days on O'ahu househunting in preparation for their move). My pictures from that part of the trip (many of which are of absolutely stunning scenery) are on another page.

All these pictures are Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora, and no photograph may be redistributed without the explicit permission of each person depicted. They were taken with an Epson PhotoPC 750Z digital camera.

(The text you see at the side of each thumbnail is also encoded into the image files as a JPEG comment, in case your image viewer can show you comments.)

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These pictures of a spider (a cane spider, if I remember correctly) were taken through the window of the bedroom I was staying in. They hold their legs together in pairs to make this distinctive cross pattern, and they make a zigzag pattern of denser silk on their webs. Because the spider was lit from behind, you can't see it very well. Some better-lit pictures of the same kind of spider are below.

The plants in the background are the source of the elixir of life and my drug of choice, coffee. (Tom and Tigris were renting a house on a small coffee farm.)

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16.

A spider seen through the window of Tom's bedroom (where I was staying) against the coffee plants outside. I think this kind is called a cane spider. They hold their legs together in pairs to make this distinctive cross pattern, and they make a zigzag pattern of denser silk on their webs. They're everywhere.

In this picture you see the silhouette of the spider, but can't see the yellow markings or the web.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16.

This picture (taken with the flash) shows the structure of the web with the zigzag pattern centered on the spider in the middle. You can't see the spider very well because of the glare, but you can see the yellow markings and the stripes on the legs.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16.

In this picture you can't see much of the web, but you can see the zig-zag pattern, and you can *just* make out the markings on the spider.

The following pictures were taken as I was hanging out on the lanai (porch or patio) with Tigris and Hamlet. Tigris took some of them with my camera.

	2002_12_16-17_52_44.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16. Hamlet chewing on a stick on the lanai. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_16-17_55_43.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16. Me on the lanai with Hamlet in front of me. Copyright (c) 2002 by Tigris ban Sionnach. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_16-17_55_53.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16. Hamlet and me on the lanai. Copyright (c) 2002 by Tigris ban Sionnach. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_16-17_56_38.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16. Hamlet and me on the lanai. Copyright (c) 2002 by Tigris ban Sionnach. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_16-17_57_29.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16. Me standing on the lanai. Copyright (c) 2002 by Tigris ban Sionnach. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_16-17_57_41.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16. Me standing on the lanai. Copyright (c) 2002 by Tigris ban Sionnach. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_16-17_57_53.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16. Hamlet outside. The white thing past him is a PVC water pipe running along the edge of the property. It continues past him, but is buried there. (Since the ground is mostly rock, pipes tend to be buried very shallowly, if at all. Also, in the Kona area, having county water is not a sure thing - in some neighbourhoods, people have catchment basins, and if the rainfall isn't enough they hire water trucks to come fill them.) Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_16-17_59_02.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.16. Tigris on the lanai. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.

The following two pictures are better-lit views of a cane spider outside Tom and Tigris' house. (Compare the ones I took through the window above.) Again, I'm not 100% sure I'm remembering the kind of spider correctly, but I think it's a cane spider. They hold their legs together in pairs to make this distinctive cross pattern, and they make a zigzag pattern of denser silk on their webs.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.21.

A spider outside Tom and Tigris' house. I think this kind is called a cane spider. They hold their legs together in pairs to make this distinctive cross pattern, and they make a zigzag pattern of denser silk on their webs.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.21.

The following pictures were taken on our way to go pick up the mail. (Tom and Tigris have a PO box at the Keauhou post office in the Keauhou shopping center.) I took the picture of Hamlet in the van on the way there because it was just such a representative pose. I took the pictures in the shopping center partly to remind me of a place we spent a lot of time when I visited Tigris and Tom in Kona (they're moving to O'ahu shortly; Tom has a job in Honolulu), and partly because my mother asked whether you saw much in the way of Christmas decorations in Hawai'i (which you do).

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.21.

Hamlet in the van. He likes to go for rides.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.21.

Christmas decorations in the Keauhou shopping center (where the post office with Tigris and Tom's PO box is).

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.21.

The Keauhou shopping center (where the post office with Tigris and Tom's PO box is). The pine boughs are up for Christmas.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.22.

Apple bananas that a neighbour of Tigris' and Tom's brought over. (There's a lot of that sort of thing, since there's so much fresh produce and so many people have fruit trees on their property. The coffee farm the house Tom and Tigris were renting is on has lychee, mango, and orange trees, for instance.)

Apple bananas are shorter but much thicker than regular bananas, and have a sweeter, appley flavour. They were yummy.

We took a trip to the south side of Hawai'i to try to get to the green-sand beach, but it's a fair hike from the parking area, and we didn't make it all the way because we were worried about getting there and back while it was still light. That part of the island has constant, impressive winds which bend all the trees and bushes. (The palms bend into the wind at the base and are blown back into a bow shape; most of the other plants bend with the wind.) The area has Hawai'i's famous red dirt, and along the paths the wind (and probably vehicles) etches deep furrows and drives the red dust - when the dirt is exposed, nothing stops it just being blown away, so a worn path in the grass will get very deep if it's not sheltered from the wind. The waves are impressive. It's stunningly beautiful country.

The green-sand beach is not far from South Point, the southernmost point in the Hawai'ian Islands (and the US).

On our way back, we stopped at a place called Desert Rose that had really good food. Tom and I had pork chops on a corn fritter with a cherry-pecan sauce; Tigris had cornmeal-breaded ono. The salads were also particularly good. The chef working there that night was named Jason, I think.

	2002_12_23-15_48_01-scale.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. Tigris by an interesting tree at a rest stop. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-15_50_06-scale.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. Hamlet, Tigris, and Tom by the van at a rest stop. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-16_16_54.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. Hamlet meets a friend! We stopped by this pasture because Hamlet was interested in the horse grazing by the fence. He said hi and the horse said hi back, but I didn't get the camera out quickly enough to catch that. Tigris is holding Hamlet's leash. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-16_17_03.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. A horse and cows in a field by the road. We stopped the car and got out because Hamlet wanted to say hi to the horse. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-16_30_22.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. Hamlet in the van. He likes to go on trips. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-17_43_23.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. Tom and Tigris hiking along the path. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-17_48_05.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. The ocean, seen from the path. Notice how wind-driven the grass is. The path is about waist-deep here; the dirt at the bottom of the picture is the side and bottom of the rut. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-17_50_45-mod.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. Tom and Tigris hike along the path, with Hamlet ahead of them. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-17_52_22.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. Tigris, Tom, and Hamlet in silhouette atop a crest as we hiked back to the car. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-17_58_35.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. The ocean and beach, with a fallen post. I took this picture largely because I liked the effect of light on the wet black rocks of the beach, but it doesn't really come out that well in this photo. The surf came out well, though. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_23-17_58_51.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Near South Point, 2002.12.23. Wind-driven surf on the lava-rock beach. These pictures were taken on the way to a green sand beach near South Point on Hawai'i. We didn't actually make it to the beach (which is quite a hike from the parking area) because we were worried about it getting dark, but we had a nice drive and hike. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_25-14_55_39.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.25. Hamlet playing with a stick on Tigris and Tom's lanai in Kealakekua. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_25-16_13_34.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.25. The ocean framed by trees at a roadside scenic area. It actually was still quite light out, but I let the camera underexpose the foreground to frame the sunlight on the water. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_25-16_14_38.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.25. A palm tree at a roadside scenic area. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.
	2002_12_25-16_15_42.jpg Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.25. Tigris and Hamlet in Tom's SUV at a roadside scenic area. Hamlet's in the driver's seat, looking at some young men who were also stopped there who told us he'd make a great hunting dog. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Picture may not be redistributed without consent of each person depicted.

The following photos were taken while Tom and I were driving to the fresh lava flow on the 26th. It was dark by the time we got there, so I didn't get any pictures there (although Tom got some long exposures with a film camera), but I got some pictures along the way. The rainbow we saw was quite impressive; towards the end of our drive it became a complete arc, with a faint second rainbow outside it. I only got pictures of the partial rainbow, though.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Big Island, 2002.12.27.

These photos were taken while Tom and I were driving to the fresh lava flow on the 26th. This rainbow was with us for much of the latter part of the trip, and later turned into a complete arc when we drove into the rain, with a fainter second complete arc outside it.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Big Island, 2002.12.27.

Scenery near the road.

(These photos were taken while Tom and I were driving to the fresh lava flow on the 26th.)

The next two pictures were taken at the Kona airport as we were about to fly to Honolulu.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.31.

Tigris at the Kona airport, as we were about to fly to Honolulu.

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Jay's trip to Hawai'i, Winter 2002-3. Kona, 2002.12.31.

Tom and Tigris at the Kona airport, as we were about to fly to Honolulu.

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