Thursday, December 27, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Lava Flows, Hawaii Grows
So this guy at work asked me if I wanted to make $100. "Sure," I said. "What are we doing?" He told me we needed to Sherpa a filmmakers camera equipment out to the lava flow before sunrise. "That sounds awesome." I would have done it for free, but don't tell my boss that.
We drove as far as we could until the road we were on literally turned into hardened lava rocks. Joel and I took the heavy packs and the filmmaker and his friend took their fanny packs.
It was 3:00 a.m. when we started to hike. Pitch black. The only lights were our headlamps and the glow of lava pools at the top of pu'uou. Our goal was to reach the lava flow as it entered the water about 2 miles southwest of where we stood. Thanks to the stars, we could dead reckon our way in the general SE direction. We started to hear waves crashing on the cliffs and could see the glow of what we assumed was another lava flow so we knew we were getting close but we were also getting close to sunrise. As my eyes started to adjust I realized we had been hiking along the cliffs, I just couldn't see the difference between the big dark sea and the dark lava rocks. You could feel the heat radiating off the ground before you could see it. Just as we climbed the last ridge we saw what it was we came for. Steady lava flows were pouring into the sea and the waves would cool it almost instantly but the lava persisted. I watched in awe as Hawaii grew in front of my eyes. This is how it all went down millions of years ago. Molten lava shot up through the Pacific ocean to make the Hawaiian islands and the process will continue for a million more.
We drove as far as we could until the road we were on literally turned into hardened lava rocks. Joel and I took the heavy packs and the filmmaker and his friend took their fanny packs.
It was 3:00 a.m. when we started to hike. Pitch black. The only lights were our headlamps and the glow of lava pools at the top of pu'uou. Our goal was to reach the lava flow as it entered the water about 2 miles southwest of where we stood. Thanks to the stars, we could dead reckon our way in the general SE direction. We started to hear waves crashing on the cliffs and could see the glow of what we assumed was another lava flow so we knew we were getting close but we were also getting close to sunrise. As my eyes started to adjust I realized we had been hiking along the cliffs, I just couldn't see the difference between the big dark sea and the dark lava rocks. You could feel the heat radiating off the ground before you could see it. Just as we climbed the last ridge we saw what it was we came for. Steady lava flows were pouring into the sea and the waves would cool it almost instantly but the lava persisted. I watched in awe as Hawaii grew in front of my eyes. This is how it all went down millions of years ago. Molten lava shot up through the Pacific ocean to make the Hawaiian islands and the process will continue for a million more.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Homegrown
Only a weathered wall of wooden planks separate me from the great outdoors. The plantation house that I live in was built in the 1940's and let's just say there are a few holes that need filling.
A few weeks ago I started to notice the tip of a plant running alongside my bed. I thought a big weed had made it into my room and fallen behind the bed. When I went to grab it I realized that the stem was rooted. The tall grass found a hole in the baseboard and started growing inside my room! I opened the blinds to give it some sunlight and now it towers above my bedside. Now that is some strong weed.
A few weeks ago I started to notice the tip of a plant running alongside my bed. I thought a big weed had made it into my room and fallen behind the bed. When I went to grab it I realized that the stem was rooted. The tall grass found a hole in the baseboard and started growing inside my room! I opened the blinds to give it some sunlight and now it towers above my bedside. Now that is some strong weed.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Giving Thanks
I've had baked turkey, grilled turkey and fried turkey but this was the first time I've ever had imu turkey.
In the middle if our sweet potato field we dug a ditch about 4 feet down and 5 feet wide. A medley of volcanic rocks and firewood were placed in the pit as a fire was getting started. The idea is that by the time the wood has burned off, the rocks will retain the heat and essentially provide the coals to cook on. We reveled around the bonfire for a few hours until it was time to get to work. Logs had to be removed, rocks spread out, banana stumps laid in the bottom and Ti leaves on standby. Patrick and I grabbed the wire basket filled with 3 turkeys, 2 pork shoulders and an assortment of sweet potatoes (from the field) and corn. The basket is laid in the pit and covered in big banana leaves. The trick is to try and seal in the heat so we covered the whole operation in tarps and burlap sacks and weighed down the edges with dirt. For nearly 12 hours our imu slow cooked in the depths of a harvested sweet potato field.
Thursday morning we excavated the site to reveal a simmering basket of the most flavorful turkey you will ever have. A huge success if you will. No turkey baster, no grease fires, no clean up.
Britton shredded the pork meat and I got to carve the three turkeys. Still in its wire basket, the feast was laid on the kitchen table and our guests lined up to fill their plates with stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, turkey and all the Thanksgiving essentials. We even dug into a lilikoi (passion fruit) cheesecake along with the pumpkin, apple, and pecan pie classics.
I'm thankful for all the good people in my life and the wonderful place I call home.
In the middle if our sweet potato field we dug a ditch about 4 feet down and 5 feet wide. A medley of volcanic rocks and firewood were placed in the pit as a fire was getting started. The idea is that by the time the wood has burned off, the rocks will retain the heat and essentially provide the coals to cook on. We reveled around the bonfire for a few hours until it was time to get to work. Logs had to be removed, rocks spread out, banana stumps laid in the bottom and Ti leaves on standby. Patrick and I grabbed the wire basket filled with 3 turkeys, 2 pork shoulders and an assortment of sweet potatoes (from the field) and corn. The basket is laid in the pit and covered in big banana leaves. The trick is to try and seal in the heat so we covered the whole operation in tarps and burlap sacks and weighed down the edges with dirt. For nearly 12 hours our imu slow cooked in the depths of a harvested sweet potato field.
Thursday morning we excavated the site to reveal a simmering basket of the most flavorful turkey you will ever have. A huge success if you will. No turkey baster, no grease fires, no clean up.
Britton shredded the pork meat and I got to carve the three turkeys. Still in its wire basket, the feast was laid on the kitchen table and our guests lined up to fill their plates with stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, turkey and all the Thanksgiving essentials. We even dug into a lilikoi (passion fruit) cheesecake along with the pumpkin, apple, and pecan pie classics.
I'm thankful for all the good people in my life and the wonderful place I call home.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Halapē
"So Britton, what time are we waking up tomorrow?" I asked. "I'm setting my alarm for 2:45." "Fuck."
Another early wake up for what I knew would be a long day. We packed up the truck and headed into Volcano National Park to explore the southern side of the island. Little did I know, Hawaii is diverse enough to have a desert about an hour away from the lush vegetation in Hilo. Me and the boys took the weekend to traverse pahoehoe lava fields and camp at one of the most secluded spots on Big Island, Halapē.
A ten mile jaunt through the desert is minuscule in my mind. I can ride ten miles in an hour and...oh wait, I'm not on a bicycle and there is no support van anymore. So I'll have to walk this one, with enough water to last me 3 days and my dive gear to catch dinner. It wasn't the end if the world but let's just say the hike reinforced my dispassion for walking.
We set up camp under the few palm trees on the beach and said hello to the few other campers determined to hike into Halapē. I found a nice shady spot and passed out in the sand to wait out the mid day heat. Come evening, we fished. Uhu's, Kala, Menpachi, Kolē, and lobster. We had a mixed platter of good eats to cook up and we shared with our new found neighbors.
I was even more exhausted when I got home than when I left but to me, that's the sign of a good adventure.
Another early wake up for what I knew would be a long day. We packed up the truck and headed into Volcano National Park to explore the southern side of the island. Little did I know, Hawaii is diverse enough to have a desert about an hour away from the lush vegetation in Hilo. Me and the boys took the weekend to traverse pahoehoe lava fields and camp at one of the most secluded spots on Big Island, Halapē.
A ten mile jaunt through the desert is minuscule in my mind. I can ride ten miles in an hour and...oh wait, I'm not on a bicycle and there is no support van anymore. So I'll have to walk this one, with enough water to last me 3 days and my dive gear to catch dinner. It wasn't the end if the world but let's just say the hike reinforced my dispassion for walking.
We set up camp under the few palm trees on the beach and said hello to the few other campers determined to hike into Halapē. I found a nice shady spot and passed out in the sand to wait out the mid day heat. Come evening, we fished. Uhu's, Kala, Menpachi, Kolē, and lobster. We had a mixed platter of good eats to cook up and we shared with our new found neighbors.
I was even more exhausted when I got home than when I left but to me, that's the sign of a good adventure.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sammy Summers
Dear Mr. Adams,
Thank you for providing us with the new and improved Summer Ale labels. Now we can read the surgeon general warning while enjoying a refreshing blend of hops and citrus.
Mahalo,
Consumer
Thank you for providing us with the new and improved Summer Ale labels. Now we can read the surgeon general warning while enjoying a refreshing blend of hops and citrus.
Mahalo,
Consumer
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Shooting Dolphins...
With a camera of course! To apologize for all the pictures of dead animals I have been posting recently, I wanted to share some photos of a rather lively bunch of dolphins. These pictures were taken with an underwater camera during my first dive in Hilo.
Note: No dolphins were harmed during the set up, shooting or editing of these photos.
Note: No dolphins were harmed during the set up, shooting or editing of these photos.
Hike & Build
Though my bike is now in a box in Massachusetts and my nightly host locations are consistent, for some reason I just can't seem to put down the hammer.
Within my first week in Hawaii I got right to work helping my neighbor, Micah "Poi Dog" Miller and his wife Gwen put together their first official house.
My day would start with a refreshing commute (on foot) up the dirt road past the sweet potato field, cow pasture and an aromatic white ginger bush to get a good hit of nature before I joined the workforce. I'd meet up with my coworkers, David and Jerry in the kitchen and shoot the shit over a pot of Micah's delicious but surprisingly not-from-kona-coffee until Jerry made the first move towards the house.
It's exciting to see the progress made on a project I was involved in. Don't get me wrong, I'm more of a skilled laborer than a master carpenter but someone's gotta Sherpa materials around and fill nail holes! Bike and Build projects were exciting and we could definitely see progress being made in a day or two but I've really been able to sink my teeth into this project over the past few months and I was fortunate to work with guys that were willing to explain the processes and even the jargon/pidgin that put this place together.
I've got to send a mahalo nui loa out to uncle Micah and aunty Gwen not only for employing me but for being some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I have come across. It's inspiring to see an older couple have such passion for life, love and truth in the world. It's been wonderful getting to know you over the past six months and I'm honored to call both of you my friends.
It may be some time till the Miller house is christened as a home, but I know there will always be a place for me here.
A hui hou
Within my first week in Hawaii I got right to work helping my neighbor, Micah "Poi Dog" Miller and his wife Gwen put together their first official house.
My day would start with a refreshing commute (on foot) up the dirt road past the sweet potato field, cow pasture and an aromatic white ginger bush to get a good hit of nature before I joined the workforce. I'd meet up with my coworkers, David and Jerry in the kitchen and shoot the shit over a pot of Micah's delicious but surprisingly not-from-kona-coffee until Jerry made the first move towards the house.
It's exciting to see the progress made on a project I was involved in. Don't get me wrong, I'm more of a skilled laborer than a master carpenter but someone's gotta Sherpa materials around and fill nail holes! Bike and Build projects were exciting and we could definitely see progress being made in a day or two but I've really been able to sink my teeth into this project over the past few months and I was fortunate to work with guys that were willing to explain the processes and even the jargon/pidgin that put this place together.
I've got to send a mahalo nui loa out to uncle Micah and aunty Gwen not only for employing me but for being some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I have come across. It's inspiring to see an older couple have such passion for life, love and truth in the world. It's been wonderful getting to know you over the past six months and I'm honored to call both of you my friends.
It may be some time till the Miller house is christened as a home, but I know there will always be a place for me here.
A hui hou
Monday, October 22, 2012
Catch Of The Day
The catch of the day is Rainbow Fish also known as "Uhu." The Uhu is stuffed with a sweet potato and coconut milk sauté and wrapped in Ti leaves. It comes with served with a side of rice and fried bananas. Our special is being sold for $free.99.
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