Hurricane Comfort Snacks

On my way back from Lapakahi this morning I stopped at Takata's to pick up some hurricane comfort snacks. I have more than enough emergency supplies; I just wanted some other fun stuff to snack on while hunkered down. 

Though I really like guacamole, I opted for salsas that have less calories.

FYI I did weigh myself this morning to see what impact my hurricane comfort snacks will have on my weight loss journey. Currently, I am 0.2 pounds heavier than my 08/01 weight but 1 pound lighter than my starting weight.

I am glad I closed the kitchen windows before I went to sleep last night. There were raindrops on all the panes showing that rain would have gotten in if I had not closed them. I will be closing most of the other windows tonight since tropical storm-force winds are expected to arrive before sunrise.

This morning when I went to prepare Moʻo's breakfast, I discovered the cats broke the cat door again. But this time it is unrepairable. What perfect timing! Do it just hours before the storm is supposed to arrive! Thank you very much for adding another thing to my final storm prep list, kitties! (The kitties are very unhappy with the temporary solution - a piece of plywood & a 2"x4" on the inside to block them from going out the hole during the storm & a plastic bag stapled to the outside wall to keep the rain out.)

Before I left the house I secured the windows in the garage & the outdoor shower. I had been wondering if it would be better to leave the garage window open since incoming rain would land in the laundry sink & not harm anything. But the windows are tested for impact-resistance in the closed & locked position so I decided that was probably the best way for them to face any projectiles launched by storm winds. 

I went to Lapakahi State Historical Park this morning because Fridays are my usual days there. But this morning I only went to check on the goat trap, unplug the Starlink due to the incoming storm, & empty out the rain gauge also due to the incoming storm. There were no goats in the trap; even though I don't like them here I don't want them to have to spend the weekend in the trap while it is storming. The Starlink was already unplugged; I think Greg probably did that yesterday. And there was about 0.02" of water in the gauge; if I was the last person that emptied it on Tuesday it means we got an average of 0.007" of rain per day over the last 3 days. I am interested in seeing how much precipitation we pick up over the next few days while the storm is passing through. Weather permitting, I will check the gauge & the goat trap on both Saturday & Sunday morning. (The State Parks website already shows all State parks on Hawaiʻi Island are closed on Saturday so I will have to wear my State Parks shirt when I stop in tomorrow & enter the park to check on things.) 

Visitor center at right end of rainbow.

Starlink unplugged.

Precipitation 0.02".

I also stopped at Naito Store on the way back to top off the gas tank; there was only 1 other car there. No long line of cars of people who waited until the last minute to do their storm preparation like you usually see on TV when the news people are talking about an impending storm. I also picked up a sweet potato manapua as a hurricane comfort snack. I am comfortable with relaxing my strict eating for a couple of days. Besides, if a lot of clean up is needed post-storm, I will need more calories anyway.

When I got home, I moved the outdoor potted plants in to the outdoor shower. I also took a bunch of "before" photos just in case Lala makes a right turn & blows right across the middle of Hawaiʻi Island  like Iniki did to Kauaʻi in 1992. 

During Kona low in March, Elephantʻs Foot Yucca (Yucca gigantea) lost a couple of branches.

I hope new niu (Cocos nucifera) can stand up against strong winds.

I am hoping old gardenia won't be damaged too much.

I am expecting to find a lot more tangerines on the ground after storm.

I am hoping solar panels & garage roof avoid damage.

Looking northerly along deck; hope house shields hapu'u from damage.

Looking easterly along house.

I also picked about 10 pounds of navel oranges rather than have the winds knock them to the ground. I will be making orange juice while the storm is raging. I did not do the same with the tangerines; there are way too many of them for me to pick this morning, then I would have to find homes for them in a couple hours. I have too much to do already to add that to the list.

I took some photos of the māla kalo. The oldest huli have only been growing for about 5 months; harvest is usually at 9 to 12 months! How much larger will they get?  The kalo closest to Moʻo is a cultivar of ʻEleʻele. The big one behind it is Moi; which is so big you cannot see the Palehua & Bun Long cultivars further down the ditch line. The 2 ʻIliuaua starts are too small to be seen unless you are specifically looking for them.

Moʻo for scale; she is medium-sized, 40 pounds & about 20" tall at shoulder.

This is leaf of Moi cultivar.

The ʻIliuaua cultivar has finally sprouted! Bigger leaf is only about 3" long.

I trimmed a clump of ixora flowers off the bush to put in the wall vase in the kitchen. If we get a lot of wind it is very likely most of the flowers will be stripped off of the branches anyway. Aunty Maile makes lei with these; it takes 10 to 15 of these clusters to make a lei. That is about 300 to 500 flowers! She has so much patience!

Then I worked on covering the door out to the deck with plastic sheeting. Since the door is the old plantation style door with a sliding panel to allow more air in, when it is raining & there is a strong wind blowing from the northeast, a lot of water leaks in. Galen had suggested wrapping the door in plastic but the fit is too tight so I just stapled a sheet over the entire opening. I also stapled a bag over the cat door to keep rain from blowing in from that opening.

I was dripping with sweat since the air was so still & humid; I took a shower to clean up & cool off. As I was getting out of the shower, Spencer called. He wanted to know if I could give him a ride to Takata Store to pick up supplies; I said yes. We also made a trip to L & L Barbecue so he could get lunch for the ʻohana. I really should have called them when I was on my way back from Lapakahi & take him with me when I went earlier in the day. 

I had originally decided I would skip my usual Friday ice cream lunch since I was only at Lapakahi in the morning & Mark would not be open when I passed through town on my way home. But Aunty Maile lives past Mark, so taking Spencer to Takata's allowed me to pass by Mark's place when he was open! Winner! I'm not going to let a storm a few hours away stop me from having my Friday ice cream lunch!

My favorite flavor Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!

I have been nominated to serve on the Hawai'i Island Navigation Team for the State Division of Aquatic Resources' Holomua Marine Initiative. If I accept, I will be the Kohala representative. I will attend the informational meeting to find out what is being asked of the navigation team members before I make my decision.

Tonight I listened to the 1st episode again on Lingopie. There was a pop quiz right after it finished; I took the quiz. I got all 9 phrases correct on the 1st attempt; which is great! However, I really wasn't able to understand much of the video. I got the phrases correct because I could recognize some key characters like 月 (moon); though I can't remember that it is pronounced yuè in Mandarin because I keep thinking gatsu which is the Japanese pronunciation for that kanji. Auē!  

I am hoping the work I am doing on Duolingo will help me with recognizing characters in Lingopie. Duolingo goes at a slower pace than Lingopie & also makes you practice writing the Hanzi. I have not come across that in Lingopie. Yet. Maybe its there but I just haven't gotten to that point.

Don't get nervous when you look at the next picture. This is a satellite image of cloud cover plus infrared colorization showing moisture in the clouds. Yes, it has a large footprint & looks like it will engulf the entire state. But it is this type of information which provides the background for predicting what may happen & assist in emergency planning. It is vital to understanding what to do.

Tropical Storm Lala is expected to make landfall or pass very close by the southernmost end of Hawai'i Island some time tomorrow afternoon. Currently, Lala's sustained winds speeds are at 65 mph so it does not yet have hurricane force winds; it is expected to attain those levels overnight. Lala is about 245 miles east-southeast of Ka Lae Point (southernmost point on Hawaiʻi Island), moving west-northwesterly at about 12 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend outward about 220 miles from the center. Rainfall of 8 to 12 inches across Hawai'i Island is expected with maximums of up to 25 inches. My kalo should be very happy! (The māla they are in collects the rainwater from the kitchen roof.)

Episode 53 of the eruption at Kīlauea ended yesterday. Volcanologists need to collect more data before they can issue a prediction for the start of the next episode. 

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Tom, Hotdog Bruce, & Shelly! A me ka Hauʻoli lā Hoʻomanaʻo makahiki ʻelima e Tomiko & David! 

Tropical Storm Lala

Potential Tropical Cyclone One-C became a tropical storm early this morning. Tropical Storm Lala is now about 680 miles east-southeast of Hilo & moving west-northwesterly at about 10 mph. Its maximum sustained winds are about 40 mph with tropical storm force winds extending out about 140 miles from the center. Hawaiʻi Island is under a Hurricane Watch which means within 48 hours we can expect tropical storm force winds to arrive, making outside preparation difficult. It is currently anticipated that Lala will pass along the southerly part of the island on Saturday; it is also anticipated winds at that time will be near hurricane strength.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center map also shows Tropical Storm Hernan approaching us from the east. Hernan is expected to decrease in strength & dissipate before crossing in to the central Pacific region so should not be a threat to us.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One-C

Yes, potential. At least as of 5 am this morning. The predicted path is right over all the islands. But as it is about 935 miles east-southeast of Hilo & 1140 miles east-southeast of Honolulu & moving westerly at about 10 mph, there is still some uncertainty as to how strong it will be when it makes landfall in about 3 days. One thing is for sure, if it makes a direct hit on Hawaiʻi Island along the current predicted path, Mauna Loa & Mauna Kea will take a lot of the energy out of the storm which will save the rest of the islands a lot of damage. Currently maximum sustained winds are 35 mph but it has a 90% chance of  becoming a tropical storm within the next 48 hours.

We are already beginning to see the early affects of the potential storm in the form of rain. Lots of rain. Although warnings have indicated we would see the effects beginning on Friday, we are already getting lots of rain. This morning it started before sunrise; when I woke up it was still raining. Because of the impending storm, I will be filling the gas tank of the Crosstrek & not plugging it in to charge so the battery back-up system can be fully charged before the potential storm makes landfall. (Because of the rain clouds the solar panels are slower in recharging the battery so I am starting now.)

Thirty-five minutes after sunrise.

Collard Greens

Today after lunch I started making the collard greens. Since I don't do videos on 'how-to' you are just getting photos. Since I did not have any lard, I used a half pound of bacon that I had. Next time I will fry it up before adding it to the pot; the Maillard reaction will provide more flavor. It was still tasty because I also cooked the greens with about half a pound of smoked meat that I picked up at a local fund raiser. 张凌赫 (Zhāng Línghè), if you need to go on another only-boiled-foods diet, call me; I'll share the recipe with you! (Though it might not help if he needs to lose a lot of weight. Because, lipids...)

Simmer smoked pig meat with bacon for about 30 minutes. (I usually use ham hocks or smoked turkey leg.)

Wash greens.

Remove stem.

Roll then cut in to 1/2" wide pieces.

Add to pot. 

Mix well.

Simmer for about 2 hours.

Serve with salt & vinegar. (I used rice vinegar & shiso since that is what I had.)

I checked the goat trap this morning; it was empty. But I did see a goat resting in the shade of the tree just off the dirt access road near the ravine. I had a handful of ti leaf to add to the trap so I left a leaf under the tree for the goats to sample. I threw the rest into the trap. I know Trudy & Jeremiah's goats like ti leaf so I brought some for these goats. Analū liked the addition of the ti leaf to the trap.

Forgot to turn on walking app so only got steps not actual map.

I saw ʻŌhuna on camera 3 times today; once in the cat yard & twice outside. 

Not sure if she has been out since the upper photo or if this is new adventure.

In cat yard.

I started watching Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist again; Netflix is removing it from their catalog on 09/06. I think I started it some time in November last year. There are 12 episodes; I watched Episodes 4 & 5 this evening. SPOILER ALERT - In Episode 5 they talk about a sedge that they believe might have been used to poison the previous king. But the drawing in the book is not a sedge; it looks more like a fancy African violet.

Nope, not a sedge.

When I opened up You Tube today to look for Aikido videos I got a strange mix of suggestions. Aikido is not Chinese so I am not sure why they are including clips of Chinese dramas. 

My Mandarin studies on Duolingo are coming along, though I am still on Level 10 due to spending time on Lingopie as well. With Duolingo I have noticed that when names are written in Pinyin there is no capitalization even for people's names.

See, no capitalization.

In another lesson I learned that Beijing is very cold in winter!

During the day it was mainly sunny & pleasant but in the early evening it began to rain. About 5 hours later it got heavier with an even heavier downpour about 10 minutes after the heavy rain started!

The next episode of the eruption at Kīlauea is predicted to begin some time between the 10th & the 13th. 

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Paul, Bill, Leigh, & Dominique! A me ka Hauʻoli Hoʻomanaʻo makahiki ʻumikūmamāwalu e Bick & Ron!