Kīlauea Episode 32

Episode 32 of the eruption at Kīlauea started around 6:30 this morning. The previous episode started on the day I left for Seattle, August 22nd or 11 days ago. The pre-cursory activity had started just after midnight. 

About an hour after the episode started.

About 2 hours after the episode started.

About 5 hours after the episode started additional vents opened up.

About 2 hours before end of episode large volumes of lava had already been ejected.

It ended around 8 pm or about 13 hours after it started. Apparently this episode ejected the largest volume of lava since this series of episodes began last December.

I awoke to a relatively clear sky with hardly any breeze. 

Thirteen minutes before sunrise.

In the mid-morning, I heard an 'Io calling. I went out to the deck & saw a pair of 'Io playing in the thermals above. I am fortunate that this is a fairly common sight over the house.

 

I don't think I really have to worry about Moʻo starving. Today I saw her eating jaboticaba off the ground. She seems to like it, especially since she had just finished her breakfast!

Later in the day I saw Moʻo harassing Henrietta, but I did not see her chicks near her. After a quick search, I discovered the chicks near the front of Jessie's house. I think perhaps Moʻo might have been sleeping by the fence in the shade of Jessie's house when Henrietta & the chicks walked by. Perhaps the peeps & clucking woke her up & she started barking at them, startling Henrietta & sending the chicks scurrying for cover under the house away from Henrietta. With Moʻo by the fence, Henrietta would not want to walk between the fence & the house to go & find the chicks. I tied her up to give Henrietta a chance to get to her chicks.

Henrietta in the back yard.

Chicks in the front yard.

Some of the 'Ōlena are flowering. Flowers aren't necessary for the plant to reproduce since they spread by rhizones. The white portions are the bracts, the flowers are the smaller yellow parts in the bracts; they have no fragrance. 

Those cats! I'm pretty sure they love the cat yard. I have not seen any of them trying to get out of it. And they spend a lot of time out there when it is not raining or drizzling. Though they also spend a lot of time sleeping in the cat room, too.

ʻŌhuna chillin' at the foot of the stairs.

Hoʻokoa snoozing on the futon couch.

It's still too early to tell exactly where Hurricane Kiko might make landfall here in the state. It's still over 1800 miles easterly of Hilo & has not yet entered the Central Pacific basin; it is anticipated to cross into our region on Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are around 85 mph & it expected to continue to strengthen for the next few days as it moves westerly at about 6 mph in to warmer waters. After Wednesday it is expected to be over cooler waters, which will decrease the strength of the winds. Currently, hurricane force winds extend outward about 15 miles, with tropical storm force winds extending out about 60 miles.  

Hurricane Kiko's predicted path over the next few days.

Next week we could be getting a lot of wind & rain.

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Dean, Sandra, & Steve!