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A NEW Big Island Thread


bgl

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Thanks for the compliments everyone! :)

Thanks Bo for inviting everyone to contribute! :)

Hawaii is so photogenic...  

the shots above are a little dark...  but i wanted to keep the feel of the true lighting...   it was after the sun went behind the clouds and was about to set.

********Angela**********

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(PiousPalms @ Jan. 19 2008,17:17)

QUOTE

(putu enjula @ Jan. 19 2008,17:26)

QUOTE
This is so MOOving..

Oh thats bad...  real bad...

LOL! :D

Ah, wintertime!!

IMGP6524.jpg

You can see the observatory on Mauna Kea.

IMGP6533.jpg

********Angela**********

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Great pictures of a beautiful state.Beyond that, the laid back attitude of the people is infectious.My experience with the roads is that they are fantastic.Your Representatives in Washington have done an outstanding job of bringing it home.

My question for Island lifers is does it's remoteness have an effect after periods of time.In our area,alot of folks who spend lots of time in the Carribean talk about "Rock Fever".After awhile,they have to get back to the action.Having traveled to Hawaii,I am not sure people realize just how far out there it is.Does the 9 hour time disparity from Eastern Standard have any effect on Commerce?In other words,are there any chinks in your armour or are you "just perfect".

What you look for is what is looking

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Down town Hilo has a lot of old cool buildings...

IMGP7137.jpg

Nice sky that evening..

IMGP7138.jpg

Sorry Bo! We didn't have time to stop and say hello...  we had to pick up my pick-up!

I might not "fit in" here on the big island but at least my Tacoma truck will!

Well... after I trade in my Cali plates!

********Angela**********

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Angela,

Outstanding pictures! :)  They're all great, but I have definite weakness for beautiful cloud formations, and there's certainly an abundance of them here on the Big Island.

And you were in Hilo without letting us know...!? ???  Well, hopefully you'll be back on this side soon and you're welcome at our place any time. Am I to understand that you're living here now?

Bo-Göran

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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(bubba @ Jan. 19 2008,16:58)

QUOTE
Great pictures of a beautiful state.Beyond that, the laid back attitude of the people is infectious.My experience with the roads is that they are fantastic.Your Representatives in Washington have done an outstanding job of bringing it home.

My question for Island lifers is does it's remoteness have an effect after periods of time.In our area,alot of folks who spend lots of time in the Carribean talk about "Rock Fever".After awhile,they have to get back to the action.Having traveled to Hawaii,I am not sure people realize just how far out there it is.Does the 9 hour time disparity from Eastern Standard have any effect on Commerce?In other words,are there any chinks in your armour or are you "just perfect".

Keith,

Your question about "Rock Fever" is not an easy one, and many probably could not answer it for themselves until they actually experience the many aspects of island life.

IMO, there are two distinct types of possible "fever."

One would be the actuall physical limitations of the island itself. In other words, on a smaller island it may be impossible to drive more than a half hour away from one's home. For example, if you lived in the middle of Kauai, you couldn't drive for much more than 45 mins in any direction until the road ended and you would need to turn around and drive back the same route. After a short time you would pretty much know the whole island that is accessible by car. That would bother some. Personally I would find that a little confining.

I don't feel confined at all on the Big Island. The Big Island is larger than all the other islands put together. You could drive for 6 hours and see something new the whole way. I have been here 5 years and there are many places I haven't been. So the physical feeling of living on a rock is one I do not feel here.

The second type of "fever" I would recognize is one that you mentioned as wanting "to get back to the action." If you like the big city, late nights out, and need the external stimulation of others, then you would find the Big Island lacking. You would need the "lights and glamor" of Honolulu. It has all the pros and cons of any metropolis. But if you are stimulated by open space, natural beauty, and like hiking and ocean activities, then you would never be bored on the Big Island. Not to mention the joys of gardening in the tropics.

Are we "just perfect?" As I am sure you know, no place can claim to be perfect. You can't enjoy the laid back relaxing atmosphere that I find so pleasing, if you are used to and expect to get you hands on every auto or plumbing part on any given afternoon. You get used to waiting for some things when trying to build or remodel your home. The selection is not like the mainland, but all these "inconveniences" are becoming less and less given the internet and the intrusion of the Costcos, Home Depots, and Targets. You get used to lost, damaged, and incorrect orders. The Building Dept. lost my plans and permit application for over a month. You find after a while that some of the things you thought were so necessary and important on the mainland can wait. You have a life to enjoy. And I found that more difficult to do when racing around fast paced SoCal surrounded by millions of cars and people, all in a hurry. But easy to do here.

animated-volcano-image-0010.gif.71ccc48bfc1ec622a0adca187eabaaa4.gif

Kona, on The Big Island
Hawaii - Land of Volcanoes

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(bgl @ Jan. 19 2008,21:42)

QUOTE
Angela,

Outstanding pictures! :)  They're all great, but I have definite weakness for beautiful cloud formations, and there's certainly an abundance of them here on the Big Island.

And you were in Hilo without letting us know...!? ???  Well, hopefully you'll be back on this side soon and you're welcome at our place any time. Am I to understand that you're living here now?

Bo-Göran

Thanks so much for the compliment!  And here I was worried about "hogging" your thread!  It's because of those clouds I have to take my camera everywhere now, fearing I may miss a shot! (Continuing to do photography makes me feel better- I almost feel like my B.A. in Fine Arts with a photography emphasis wasn't a TOTAL waste!!! :angry: )

As far as stopping by, I guess we're even!! (I noticed you were about five minutes away from us, judging by the pictures)  You're always welcome.  We'll stop by the next time we have a few days to get through your garden! :)

********Angela**********

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Bubba,

Ten minutes after I posted my response above (to Angela) it occurred to me that I forgot to address your "rock fever" question, so I went to back to the thread, intending to just do an "edit", only to find out that Dean beat me to it by responding. So, instead of an edit, I'll add another post here.

This may be boring, but I'm pretty much on the same wavelength as Dean. Just before we left SoCal to move here, the question "don't you think you'll get rock fever (or island fever)?" was a VERY common one. I was convinced from the very beginning that that wouldn't happen. As Dean pointed out, this is a LARGE island. When we lived in SoCal, we lived in Poway, and the most we typically drove was 30 minutes to downtown San Diego, or 30 minutes to the airport, or 30 minutes out to some place on the coast. Here, we drive for 30 minutes and we're in Hilo. Same thing! OK, so we're on an island, and we all know we're on an island, but I don't have a burning desire to get in my car and drive for 10 hours nonstop! I've never felt the remotest "rock fever" since we moved here, nor have I EVER met anyone else on this island that suffered from "rock fever" in the sense that they felt the island was too confining. Now, we do know several people (couples) who moved here, and then moved back to the mainland. Typically it's the wife who wants to be closer to children and/or grandchildren. As far as I'm concerned, that's not "rock fever". The same thing would probably have happened if they had moved some other place (say Alaska) that's 5 hours away by plane.

Again, as Dean mentioned, a smaller island such as Kauai might be different (and personally I would probably find Kauai too confining). Living in a small community is a very different experience compared to living in (or close to) a major metropolis like San Diego (in our case), and if you're not truly ready for a major change, well, then it's obviously not for you. (And when I say "you", I don't mean you personally, Bubba!). I like the small town atmospehere here, which is the friendliest I have EVER experienced anywhere. I like it when I walk into the post office, the bank, or whatever store I visit on a regular basis (and that includes Safeway) and people instantly address me by my name. And if I head into Hilo to go to the farmer's market on a Saturday morning I can expect to just randomly run into at least half a dozen people I know. I like that! Our subdivision, Leilani Estates has about 500 homes. Of course we don't know everybody, but we know quite a few people here, and we certainly know several people on each and every street. We consider them all our neighbors, even if some of them may live 2 miles away. I like that!

As far as the remoteness of Hawaii, we're 5 hours away by plane from CA, but whether it's 2 hours or 5 hours really makes no difference. You still have to get on a plane to get there! Maybe the fact that my wife and I have moved quite a bit also makes distance less of an issue. We've lived in Sweden, NJ, FL, CA and now HI. When I fly to Sweden to visit my sister it's a 32-34 hour trip, door-to-door. Incidentally, she and her husband will be visiting us in March. That'll be her fifth visit here in 11 years. So 5 hours to CA is peanuts in the big scheme of things!

And, BTW, it's a 5 hour time different between HST (Hawaiian Standard Time) and EST. 6 hours between HST and EDT (during the summer). We do business with many companies on the mainland and also in Europe and the time difference is not an issue. As long as you make it clear to them where you're located. In  the beginning we got some phone calls at 2-3 o'clock in the morning from companies on the East Coast who had no clue they were calling Hawaii!

The life style here is definitely different, and definitely more relaxed, and if you're not ready for it, then this is not the place for you. I felt at home the moment I stepped off the plane at Hilo Airport many years ago, but it's not quite that easy for everybody!

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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Angela,

This thread is all about promoting the Big Island. :)  And the more, the merrier. That means more Palm Society members moving here AND also lots of posts and photos in this thread.

The Big Island, with all its different environments, many of which are close to perfect from a palm growing point of view, can easily become the worlwide center for palm growing and I would love to see that happen.

And, incidentally, we have visitors from Sweden in mid February for 4 days and then again in March (my sister) for 10 days, so I may find myself in Kona again very soon when we do our traditional sightseeing around the island!

Bo-Göran

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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Angela,

I love you pictures.  I really like the evening street scenes.  It would be nice to see pictures of the people of the Big Island.

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

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Angela... great pics. Keep that camera running! Bo, Dean, thanks for the great commentary! I read these threads over and over... please keep them coming.

Dave

 

Riverside, CA Z 9b

1700 ft. elevation

approx 40 miles inland

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When i see al this picture's of tje big island, then i'm fur sure beautifull place! I'm think that i live in the flattest country of the world! :D

Robbin

Southwest

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Dean and Bo, Thank you for your straight up responses.Notwithstanding it's remoteness,it's beauty is over the top."Action" in my humble opinion,is greatly overrated and is usually consistent with the need of the "ego"to memoralize itself."He who dies with the most toys wins."Who cares! Dare to live your life on your own terms humbly realizing we are small cogs in a very large picture.

What you look for is what is looking

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Bubba, I think a guy like you or me could do the Big Island life with a good woman.  I've never had the idea that it would be like going to one of those little spots in the Caribbean where you can ride a bicycle across the island and back in half a day or something ie. Grand Turk or something...  I think the smallest island I could live on (aside from the private island I own in my dreams!) would be one similar to Tobago...  Now if I could just figure out a way to get the girl and a cushy income on The Big Island...  :D

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Bill,

I wouldn't think a guy like you would have any difficulties finding a girl.... :D  There seems to be plenty of them here! (But I'm happily married!). A cushy income may be a bit more of a challenge. You may just have to settle for "income". Forget about the "cushy" part. But then again, we can't have everything. And 2 out of 3 ain't bad (island life and the girl) :P

And Angela,

I was so busy addressing the "rock fever" issue last night, that I completely forgot to say "Welcome to the Big Island". Great to have another Forum member here! :)

Bo-Göran

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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Bubba,

As you can see...  we're not totally cut off from the world...   :)

IMGP7402.jpg

(Nick A.K.A. Ellidro and Corrie enjoying modern conveniences AND a view of palms)

********Angela**********

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(bubba @ Jan. 19 2008,21:58)

QUOTE
My question for Island lifers is does it's remoteness have an effect after periods of time.In our area,alot of folks who spend lots of time in the Carribean talk about "Rock Fever".
Bubba, I lived in the islands for 8 years 30 years ago - Kauai for 5 and Hawaii for 3.  Rock fever does exist, I experienced it on Kauai but not so much on Hawaii.  Like Bo says, the Big Island is big with a wide range of climates and locales.  

And I suspect ones age has a lot to do with it.  I think someone in their 20s is more susceptible than someone in their 50s.

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Thanks for all the pictures of the Big Island. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing pictures of tropical Hawaii with the snow clad Mauna Kea and Loa in the background. It's one of the few places in the world where the tropics conincide with arctic-like conditions just miles apart. I just wish the mountains got more snow during the winter, enough to actually ski on a regular basis. I'd be living there in a heart beat.

Cincinnati, Ohio USA & Mindo, Ecuador

 

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Ok... here's more...  no one's crying "uncle" yet!

Polulu..

IMGP6535.jpg

Back in Kailua-Kona, view from Huggo's

IMGP6074.jpg

Another evening shot for Don :)

IMGP6096.jpg

IMGP6003.jpg

********Angela**********

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Manini'owale beach with Maui in the backround

IMGP5965.jpg

Random lava field shot...

IMGP5954.jpg

Pu'uwa'awa'a ... now that's a mouth full!  

IMGP5946.jpg

Sunset view from Huggo's sand bar....

IMGP6039.jpg

********Angela**********

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ANGELA!

You GO, dear!

More pictures!

More more more pant pant pant pant, wait, those are my pants . . .

daVe

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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Angela, Great pictures and camera!I pulled for the Chargers too,which was probably the kiss of death.As to "Rock Fever",chalk that up for "jealousy".

What you look for is what is looking

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Angela,

Superb pictures, not just in subject content, but also in quality.  Tell more about your equipment and techniques.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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(keiththibodeaux @ Jan. 21 2008,05:05)

QUOTE
Angela,

Superb pictures, not just in subject content, but also in quality.  Tell more about your equipment and techniques.

It's Top Secret!

:)

But seriously thanks for the compliment!  I don't have time to go into the techniques and equipment at the moment but I will!  (maybe in a different thread so as not to bore everyone)

KIM!! Sorry I'm  not ignoring you! I have to dig up that info!  I'll PM you later :)

********Angela**********

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Corrie and I want to extend our greatest gratitude to all those on the Big Island for their hospitality and warmth. We were overwhelmed with the aloha spirit and friendliness everyone showed!

We'd especially like to thank Dean and Angela who opened their home to us and were  so welcoming, we can't wait to return the favor when you both visit! (hopefully the Chargers do better next time!) Jeff was kind enough to show us his magnificent garden and we really appreciated the time he spent with us even though it was pouring. Jerry also invited us to tour his garden and walked with us to answer any questions about the many species he had. We'd like to thank him for taking the time to spend with us on the heels of his daughter's wedding. Lastly we'd like to extend our gratitude to Bo and Carolyn for opening thier garden and home to us. Bo is truely amazing in his garden and surrounding projects, we don't think he sleeps! Carolyn is probably the best hostess we have ever known, and if you havn't had the pleasure of meeting her, you're missing out!

Once again, we'd like to say thank you to all the people who opened their gardens and homes to us with open arms and we can't express our gratitude enough for everyones graciousness! Nick and Corrie

Encinitas on a hill 1.5 miles from the ocean.

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To show how varied is the Big Island of Hawaii landscape, here is a pic I took in the Pahala area looking mauka from the highway.  Pahala is located in the SW part of the island between Na`alehu and Volcanoes National Park.  BTW, two words anyone visiting Hawaii should become acquainted with as they are commonly used here by everyone, they are:

    mauka  -  toward the mountains, upslope

    makai   -  toward the sea (ocean)

post-90-1201053846_thumb.jpg

Hawaii Island (Big Island), leeward coast, 19 degrees N. latitude, south Kona mauka at approx. 380m (1,250 ft.) and about 1.6 km (1-mile) upslope from ocean.

 

No record of a hurricane passing over this island (yet!).  

Summer maximum rainfall - variable averaging 900-1150mm (35-45") - Perfect drainage on black volcanic rocky soil.  

Nice sunsets!

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Angela,

Thanks for the picture.  I am really enjoying all the images.

I think living on the Big Island would be no big problem.  That is providing one has a means to support themselves.  Although I do not live on an island where I live is pretty similar.  Manaus is like an island in a sea of trees.  The only place you can drive to is Venezuela and most never do that, and the road is terrible as well.  To get out of town you have to take a plane or a boat.  One of the big differences is that the city of Manaus has become a bustling metropolitan city of over 2 milion people and rapidly growing.  But, when you get out of town there is pretty much nothing but trees and rivers.  I am 3 1/2 hours from Sao Paulo or Rio and 5 hours from Miami by air.   Which is just fine.  In todays world it is easy to stay plugged globaly so there is a lot more freedom of choice as to where you can be as well.  I guess this forum shows this pretty well.

dk

Don Kittelson

 

LIFE ON THE RIO NEGRO

03° 06' 07'' South 60° 01' 30'' West

Altitude 92 Meters / 308 feet above sea level

1,500 kms / 932 miles to the mouth of the Amazon River

 

Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - A Cidade da Floresta

Where the world´s largest Tropical Rainforest embraces the Greatest Rivers in the World. .

82331.gif

 

Click here to visit Amazonas

amazonas2.jpg

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Great pictures guys!. Thanks Bo for letting me re-live the drive on the saddle road, nice to see they are actually making

progress. I need to post some of my Big Island pics, I promised amazondk I would back before the holidays.

Tim

Tim

Hilo, Hawaii

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Nick,

Thanks for the kind words! :)  It was a pleasure having you and Corrie visit us a few days ago and Karolyn and I hope you'll be able to get back here soon!

Bo-Göran

And, tying in with Steve in Waianae's "New Purchase" thread under Discussing Palms I'm adding a picture of my own here. Even though I could have added it in Steve's post, 1) I didn't want to intrude on Steve's excitement, and 2) being able to DRIVE to Floribunda Palms in Hawaiian Acres is definitely one of the joys of living on the Big Island, so I felt this post would be more appropriate here.

Since we moved here 12 years ago, I've been to Floribunda Palms (Jeff Marcus) about 100 times. For the first several years, I was there, on average, once a month, and Jeff has been my number one supplier of palms. Of the approx. 5,000 palms on our 5 acres, I have bought about 40% from Jeff, and most of the real unusual ones definitely came from Floribunda. Visited Floribunda this afternoon, and after walking around with Jeff showing me all his interesting Dypsis palms (and MANY others) it was time to select the palms I had checked off on his list. Many of these are still small seedlings, but if you don't buy them at this size, you may be out of luck since all of the unusual Dypsis (for instance) may have been sold 6 months from now. So, instead of simply getting a box via FedEx (which, admittedly, can be very exciting), there's really nothing like returning with a TRUCKLOAD full of palms! :cool:

Edit - and believe it or not - there are 370 individual palms in this photo!

post-22-1201143359_thumb.jpg

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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Couldn't resist taking a few photos after I left Floribunda. This is Road 10 in Hawaiian Acres, and Floribunda is less than 100 ft away, on the righthand side. It should be pointed out that this road was absolutely atrocious (and I use the word "road" in the loosest sense) up until a few years ago. Jeff managed to talk Hawaiian Acres Community Association into improving it just before the Biennial in May 2004. This is a greatly improved road!

post-22-1201143764_thumb.jpg

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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And this is one "block" away. The intersection behind (and just to the right) of the truck is between Road 9 and C Road, and if we get an inch or more of rain overnight, this intersection will be a 100 ft wide lake. The road right next to the truck is actually very good right here, but behind me there are numerous major potholes so driving on many of the roads in Hawaiian Acres you have to use the "slalom" approach - back and forth across the road, trying to avoid the real deep holes!

post-22-1201143966_thumb.jpg

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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Some more pics of this incredible island.

Polulu Valley and beach.

PololuBch00.jpg

PololuBch06.jpg

PololuBch14.jpg

Public library in Kapaau

Kapaau04.jpg

Tim

Hilo, Hawaii

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Just a couple more....

Hilo Bay and Mauna Kea in the distance.

P3060050.jpg

Kehena Beach

P1010026.jpg

Tim

Hilo, Hawaii

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