Kona Low

I woke up to find raindrops on my bedroom window, which faces south. There are only a handful of days a year when the wind comes from that direction. And even fewer days when it is accompanied by rain; that is during a Kona low storm. Last night was one of them. It rained from around midnight through to about 5; then it slowed to a drizzle. By the time I put Moʻo out it had stopped. Because the wind is coming from the south/southwest rain blows into the garage & any windows open on the south & west sides of the house.

As I was moving Moʻo to the front yard, I noticed the Cherry Nani ʻohiʻa had been blown over. When I went to pick it up, I noticed flower buds on the Makali Ahu; the Cherry Nani only had leaf buds. At least, I think the buds on the Makali Ahu are flower buds. I will have to watch closely to see what develops.

Since Waimea did not lose power, I went in & met with David at HPM Building Supply. Before I went to pay for this batch of materials, I met with Janet to get the paint to add to the order. I had the names of the exterior paint colors - British Racing Green & Granary White; but I did not know the name of the interior white color. I learned from Janet that they have a system where they can closely match colors made from other manufacturers. Which is great because the 2 exterior colors were made by Ralph Lauren & Janet said they are no longer available; she mixed them up for me. For the interior, I chose Frostine, a color from Benjamin Moore that HPM mixes. All these materials will be delivered on Tuesday. 

I stopped in at Waimea Center to pick up some things at KTA. I also stopped for a bathroom break. The bathroom is on the back side of the building; Waikoloa Stream runs in a channel behind it. Today was the 1st time I had ever seen that stream flowing! There were another 6 or 7 streams on the Kohala Mountain Road that were also flowing but I was unable to stop & take a photo of any of them. 

Waikoloa Stream.

As I was arriving home, I got a Civil Defense alert; the flooding had subsided.

I was reading over yesterday's post about the Immi AI & the Free Shipping debacle. And I realized that the AI did say I could only get free shipping by using the FREESHIPPING code but could not combine it with another code. So tonight I tried entering only the FREESHIPPING code without the $5 off code "Madison" gave me yesterday. It worked! It allowed me to do a subscription order (once every 60 days) with free shipping; I also got a $10 off code from Capital One. Now I wait to see if I get an error email tomorrow saying they need to charge me shipping or whether it goes through as is. (For the record, I did not enter any code when it originally showed shipping was free to my address. It only charged me for shipping when I entered the $5 off code.) It is still a little pricier than the cheap ramen, but it has about 30% of the RDA for protein, low net carbs, & they donate to good causes.

On the news tonight, there were photos of what several of the local airports looked like yesterday. They showed the Kona TSA line & one of the gates, I think it was Gate 8 where the flights for Alaska & Delta arrive & depart from.  

The Kona TSA line.

I think this is Gate 8 at Kona.

It snowed on Mauna Kea yesterday just as they forecasted! Here is a screen shot from the IRTF telescope web camera.

The eruption at Kīlauea is still on pause. But it is anticipated there may be eruptive activity within the next 1 to 3 days.

VMAP Vog Forecast Map.

IASA #2-52

Old wall removed.

 

Good Lookin' Windows!

This morning, as Chris & I were outside talking about the work for today, Jessie looked out her living room window & said she liked the windows! She also marveled at how quickly Chris & Spencer were able to install the window in the back bedroom & the 2 windows in my bedroom yesterday. 

My new morning view out the new windows.

I talked to Chris about whether any of the walls removed were sound enough to use for the Front Porch. Some were, but other pieces were really bad. He sorted it out & saved the better pieces for us; he took the rest to the dump.

Not a keeper.

I think I am really going to enjoy mornings in the renovated space. Even in its unfinished state I am already liking the warm feel that the sun streaming in gives the space. These are the only east-facing windows that are open to the sun; the others open into the garage.

About noon the wind shifted & became stronger; it did not feel good that it was coming from the south/southwest. The forecast is for those winds to increase as the day goes on & through the evening. They also predicted locally heavy rains from 5" to 10". If this happens, the bathroom the cats are in will get very wet since I removed the windows because they were lying on the glass of the hopper style windows. I do have plastic sheets I cut to fit the windows in December 2022 when we had a similar Kona low storm come in. Here are 2 of the culprits who like to sit on windows; ʻAlani (the very fat orange one) was the one that liked to perch on the panes the most. He is now 20 pounds, the panes coupled with the termite damaged frame would not have been able to hold his weight.

I tried the Immi Tom Yum "Shrimp" for lunch. I liked the flavor of the soup base, it was like tom yum soup. The noodles, however, did not absorb any of the flavor. I think that is because the initial 3 minutes of boiling the noodles does not include the soup base. I think next time I will add the soup base during the noodle boiling part & also boil them for 5 minutes for softer noodles. (Sorry, forgot to take a photo of the final product.) 

I got on line to verify that shipping to Hawaiʻi was free; I entered a purchase over $60, then added my address. Hūlō! It said Free Shipping! But before I could finalize my order, Chris had some questions. When I got back later I also discovered a text from TARGET THERAPEU saying it was Madison at Immi & noting I had started my purchase but not finished it. I said I was checking about shipping to Hawaiʻi & got a response back from Madison that it was not free & a code for a coupon for $5 off. "Madison" may be an AI because some of the syntax was unusual & the answers seemed to dance around the question of shipping to Hawaiʻi, e.g., I got a link from "Madison" asking me if that matched my cart so "we can make sure everything's set up for your order." In other words, so I pay more than what my cart was actually showing. When I tried to use the discount code that I was given earlier, it was applied but it also changed so I now had to pay shipping; I cancelled the order & told "Madison" that I had done that. 

Hūlō! Free shipping!

Sounds like it could be a real person.

Still sounds like a real person.

Now starting to be questionable, what shipping method is being discussed?

It totally disregards that I have cancelled order.

I returned from Oʻahu with a small travel suitcase that Lori was getting rid of; I am using her old luggage to bring back small items. Once I get things here, I donate the suitcase to the Kohala Jodo Mission for their rummage sale. When I went to move the suitcase, I found out why she is getting rid of it, the plastic outside of 2 of the wheels have started to disintegrate.

I wonder how much debris I left walking through the airport?

I signed up for the MRC Basic Life Saving &/or CPR/AED training that will happen in Kona sometime the end of March. The BLS training in Hilo is set but for Kona we need to determine if there are enough people interested before they will set it up; trainers are coming in from Oʻahu. 

In the late afternoon, I saw Kenneth mowing the pasture. He does that a couple times a year. I think he does that to stimulate new growth so the cattle have more tender grass to eat. I was hoping he would mow down the weeds near the fence but it was kinda late so he did not do that today.

Towards the end of the day, David from HPM sent Chris the estimate for the additional materials. Because of the high wind warning I called to find out whether they would be open tomorrow if the power was out; David said no they would close it to customers but employees would still be there. I will check again tomorrow before I drive to Waimea; I will also have to pay attention to whether the Kohala Mountain Road is closed due to downed trees. 

Rain forecast.

Later in the evening the news showed damage done on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, & Maui; Hawaiʻi Island was still not feeling much of the effects of the storm but would beginning later at night & into tomorrow morning. I was fortunate my appointment in Honolulu was yesterday; today flights were grounded beginning about mid-morning & did not get clearance to take  off until after 10 pm. That would have been an even longer day for me.

The snow is for Mauna Kea.

This was on my walking route! I have taken shelter there during a downpour.

My flight was at 4:50 pm.

I have never seen waterfalls on Leahi!

Before I went to bed I closed the windows on the south & west side of the house as best I could; some of the old windows are stuck open. The new windows were great! I could close them almost all the way & just leave a small gap unlike the old windows which might be stuck in the open position, or all the way closed, but not really anything in between. I can't wait for Chris to finish replacing all the old windows!

The eruption at Kīlauea is still paused, but scientists say it may restart within the next 1 to 4 days.

VMAP Vog Forecast Map.

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Jennie!

Oh-Dark-Thirty

I was up at 4:30 this morning to catch an 8 am flight to Honolulu for 1 of my 2 periodontal appointments for the year. Moʻo was a little confused by the early morning & being tied out in the front yard in the dark. She also probably did not appreciate that it was 67 degrees F; interestingly, it was 69 degrees F at the bottom of the hill.  

Leaving Hāwī.

Curtis picked me at the airport. My 1st errand of the day was a trip to Whole Foods to pick up some Immi ramen; it had been popping up in my feeds & I was curious about how it tasted & whether it would be worth it to have some around for when I did not feel like cooking. (Like in this recent incident with injuring my hand.) The blurbs say it contains 23g protein, 5 to 6g net carbs, & is completely plant based. I assumed the plant-based protein would be soy but was wrong; it is pea protein. A search on their website showed it was available at Whole Foods on Oʻahu but nowhere on Hawaiʻi Island. Whole Foods carries the Black Garlic "Chicken", Spicy "Beef", & Tom Yum "Shrimp" flavors. Each are $6.99 at Whole Foods, signing up with Immi for "subscribe & save" makes each $4.88; if the total purchase is over $60 they say they ship to the US for free & I could find no small print saying "except for AK & HI". Still more expensive than the cheaper brands but if they have that much more protein it will be worth it if they taste good, too!

Near the Immi section was another "plant-based" food thing called Miracle Rice; I guess they are not untruthful, rice is a plant. When I Googled it became clear what it was actually made of & what its actual use was. Because real rice has a high glycemic index, it is off the menu for diabetics. Miracle Rice is made using konjac flour (the same plant used in making konnyaku) so it has a significantly lower glycemic index & can be eaten by diabetics. But I think they need to call it something else besides "plant based rice".

Then we went back to the house. I dropped off the overdue holiday packages & did a quick Amazon purchase. I also looked over the now unwanted travel suitcases, chose one, & threw mail Mom & Dad are still getting into it along with my tape gun & one of the old bedspreads being gotten rid of to cover the couch in the soon-to-be cat room. While there Curtis checked an area where the nephews spotted a leak earlier in the week when there was an intense rainstorm. It's in an area that RevoluSun rebuilt the roof in order to install the solar panels so he will be contacting them to have it looked at. 

I forgot my phone at the nephews' house so there are no photos of the periodontist visit. But it was similar to previous times although I got a clean bill of health & no additional work needed today.

We made a quick stop at Don Quijote; I was checking for the Sesame Cookies Suzanne said Mom used to send to her. I was thinking that DQ was the logical place she would find them, but Customer Service even scanned the UPC & could not find it in their system. So if they had it before, they no longer carry them. They suggested checking Daiso but I did not have time to do that, may be on the next visit. 

This is a sesame cookie Suzanne sent me.

Curtis likes to go to lunch at NEX; since it has a food court with many different types of cuisine it works. Today we tried the Yummy Korean BBQ. Since he goes there often, Curtis knew what to order & how to order. I had the small combo with Korean BBQ beef & 3 sides; I chose the japchae, kim chee udon, & stir-fried gai lan. It was very good but I forgot to take a photo. Curtis had the chicken katsu small combo; I don't remember what his sides were.

My plane left Honolulu around 5 pm. We landed about 45 minutes later as the sun was setting. I was driving in the wrong direction to see it in front of me. But had a great view in the rear view mirror!

When I got home I walked into my bedroom & saw the new windows! And also the new framing around the windows. Chris also left a chunk of the termite-eaten wood that they replaced on the sill for me.

New windows!

The old windows that I left at 5 this morning.

The reason they had to redo the framing.

They also finished the south window in the back bedroom.

On my flight to Honolulu, I was on the ʻUaʻu. On the return flight to Kona, I was on the ʻAnianiau, which I have been on before. Hawaiian Airlines names the planes used on the interisland routes after native Hawaiian birds. These signs are posted on the wall to the right as you enter the plane.

The eruption at Kīlauea remains paused. Since I was traveling I did not have time to get screen shots from the web cameras.

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e John, Maggie, & Kathy!