We have been enjoying a respite from the rains with a couple gloriously sunny days! Mauna Kea was showing all bright with her mantle of snow. Awesome! This morning was full of rainbows, which of course means there was rain again, but only a light drizzle so far compared to the firehose deluge last month.
Mike found us a couple used dehumidifiers and what a difference that has made! It does mean the windows are closed more often, but we get all aired out when we can, and besides, we spend a lot of time outside anyway. Now we're not always worrying about our books, clothing, furniture, and everything else in the house. We're learning!
The crab spiders are back with this cooler weather. It's funny, we always thought there were hundreds of spiders here all the time; then we realized that we used to only come over during the winter. Turns out, that's when the spiders are around too. When summertime comes around, it's so much easier to walk outdoors: no big, sturdy spiderwebs to break through! I must look a sight waving a long stick in front of me (to knock down the webs) as I wander about the yard, casting my anti-arachnid spells. Those of you who know me know that, though they certainly are fascinating little critters, I don't particularly care for spiders much.
Another wintertime regular, much more beloved than spiders, has also returned for the season: the humpback whales! Saw my first one of the year last weekend, splashing and spouting in Hilo Bay. We don't see nearly as many along the Puna coastline as we used to see from Lahaina, but they do often cruise by close to the shore. The steep rocky cliffs make for deep water close in. Some folks say they've heard whalesong at night while camping along the shoreline! The Hawaiian word for whale is 'kohala', and the Kohala District in the northwest part of this island is so named for the big rolling hills that look like the backs of whales.
The coqui chorus is going strong tonight, which means it's time for bed. I love falling asleep to the serenade of these little treefrogs with the big voice. Just so long as they don't park themselves right outside my bedroom window!
Aloha, Liz
