My Corner of the World: December 2006

People, I really do apologize. The pictures in this post are not up to par with my personal expectations or standards, but I didn't want to deny y'all pictures from the parade, 'cuz, well, everyone loves a parade! However, this parade happened at dusk, which is my camera's arch-enemy. Pictures with flash only caught the street signs on the posts. Pictures without flash just plain sucked. I messed around with as many shots on the computer as I could, but I'm afraid all I have to offer is the following. Happy Holidays, anyway!

Unfortunately, my camera ran out of juice before Santa himself made an appearance. I stuck around, soaking up the sense of community and ho ho ho'ing right along with the crowd. If nothing else, it's definitely the first Holiday Parade I've ever attended in flip flops. Witness:

(Oh! I almsot forgot! The best part of the Parade! The Hospice Center of Kona had a float in the parade, and the song they had playing? "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Classic.)

At this point, I am working Tuesday of next week, and then next Friday is the first of 12 consecutive 8 hour work days, including Christmas (Eve and Day) as well as New Years (Eve and Day.) I will probably be Wiped Out after all that is said and done, which is why I've been very intent lately on doing things that I know recharge and revitalize me.

For example, Thursday of this week found me awake by 6:30, out the door by 7. I filled the car up with gas, picked up a sandwhich at Safeway to tuck in my cooler with my waters, did a quick drive thru at Starbucks and was hittin' the road by 8. I drove two hours south, right around the tip of the Island and back up a little Hilo-side. I was in good spirits...the day was bright, cheerful,I had provisions and was prepared come what may, all around, things were good. I was Volcano-bound.

This is the first time I have been that far south on the Island, and I swear I am befuddled and awed at the difference in landscape, in climate. I've always known that Kona-side is considered the "dry side" of the Island, but every time I venture beyond the limits of my daily bubble, I am whapped in the face with why. Volcano National Park itself was much like Kona (hello, duh-Kona is an old lava-flow path) but the drive to get there was not:

The scenery, well, it speaks for itself. The whole day does, really.

The following pictures were all taken once I arrived at the Park, hiking on the trails to the lava face:

That's a Big Rock! Also, hooray for self-timers!

That's the lava face, with the crater at the horizon, right in the center. After I hiked the trails in the forest part, I hiked the lava face to the crater, where legend has it Pele lives. When I first emerged from the hiking trails, this is what I saw:

And I thought, how am I supposed to know where the trail is? I gazed around and spotted the answer to my question:

Of course! I had to follow the rock piles. And I did. For two and a half miles in, and two and a half miles out. It was beyond beautiful. My favorite part was, I didn't see a single solitary soul the entire time--it was just me. I took an offering to Pele, to show my appreciation and thank her for accepting me to this place.