Lava is on the Move!

Scott and I visited the recent lava fields about 3 weeks ago and we were surprised to see all the cooled lava that had crossed hwy 130!  Well Kiluea is at it again!

The photo below was take at noon yesterday.  I follow a local blog which keeps the community up to date on the volcano activity on the island.  Check it out for more photos!  Hawaiian Lava Daily

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Big Island Tournament Pau!

We returned from the Kona side of the island late Thursday afternoon. Scott’s softball team did worse then they had hoped, winning only one of three games! But they did score quite a few runs. Unfortunately, the other teams scored more!

The opening ceremony for the Island Tournament started at 8AM Wednesday. Mayor Bill Kenoi and the Director of Parks and Recreation Robert Fitzgerald were there to provide motivation and mahalos to all of the kupuna! The Kupuna League has been going for 36 years! Wow that is a long time! Since we are not going to the state tournament in Maui, Scott’s softball season is over for the year.

In Kona, we had some down time to enjoy some food, drink and surf! But it was good to get back to the east side and home…

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Ceramics

I was one of the first at the class this AM. But it wasn't long before everyone slowly trickled in. The class is more like an open studio.

This week I created four vegetable garden plaques that I will hang on the raised beds. I will try glazing these four. If they turn out OK, I will probably make more. I will paint the rectangle with a chalk paint or white board so that I can pencil in the plant date.

The other pictures are of the pinch pot I created last week.  next week I have a much more agressive project in mind... Of course they all need to be bisque and glaze fired.  So the color will go on at another time.

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Working the Steps

Scott is working steps that take us up into the lava erruption!  They are looking pretty good.  Two  more to go!

View of the ocean from the first step

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Ceramics Class Starts

I am taking a 10 week ceramics class at the Kea'au Community Center. Not much in the way of instruction, but we have use of kick wheels, one bisque and one glaze firing and access to many experts, all for $10. The best deal in Hawaii!!! A couple of neighbors are in the class with me and of course lots of other “seniors”. After a fashion I got going and made a whimsical pinch pot. I should have taken a picture! Next week I will get it on film!!!

Friend Susan using the manual kick wheel

Some of the others at work

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The Huli Drill Got Me!

I started outrigger canoe paddling with the University of Hawaii community class a few weeks ago! Love the paddling! However, yesterday we did a huli drill - Hawaiian for flip that canoe, right that canoe, get back in the canoe and bail out the water out of that canoe! Unfortunately, I got hit in the head and shoulder by the "'iako" ( part of the ama, which is the outrigger) and ended up in the emergency room. Six metal staples and several hours later, I was home taking in the clam surf and sunshine! Staples come out Monday! Talk about a few bad hair days!

Warning the photo below is graphic. You may want to ask small children to leave the area! LOL!

PS No where in the Inherent Risks does it talk about a hard knock on the head!

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Gary & Ed's House

Our neighbors, Gary & Ed are building a beautiful house off of the Red Road! It is progressing quite well and inside painting will begin next week! Gary says he is shopping for lighting and using mostly online sources.

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Concrete "Coloring"

We are finally getting closer to "coloring" our outdoor concrete!  Instead of an acid stain we plan to use a safer and much less expensive method!  The use of iron sulfate and water. This product is sold at garden centers and is used as a soil amendment.  You mix it with water and apply.  Some friends have done a floor in their art studio and it looks great!!!  I am steeling Lisa'a idea and painting on the floor first, perhaps the a'ama crab (rock crab) that we see all the time on our cliffs!

I am off to town to locate some iron sulfate....

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Slabs!

Yesterday we took that road trip to the west side to pick-up my potter's wheel.  On the way home we stopped off in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates to look at some slab wood for the computer desk.  What a supply of local hardwoods!  This is the place where we purchased our ohia poles 2 years ago.  Well, after about 45 minutes we had selected (2) monkey pod slabs for outdoor tables and (1) mango tree slab for the computer desk.  We need to go back and pick them up with the trailer.  In the mean time they will plane the mango slab.

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Potter's Wheel

We are off to the west side to pick-up a potter's wheel that I am buying used from a friend's niece.  No, I have never used a potter's wheel before, but the price was too good to pass up!  I have a couple of local friends who throw on the wheel.  One very experienced and one somewhat new at it.  So I will have lots of help!

Along with several others we placed an order for clay and glazes that should be here in about three weeks.  Because of the clay weight, it must come across the ocean on a "slow" boat.  LOL  I have lots of clay projects to do, mostly hand building until I learn how to throw! Fun, fun fun...

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