The 6.6 Epicenter was about 50 miles from our home. This earthquake was destructive to our community.

At the time of the earthquake at a little past 7am, I was already at Church. Earthquakes are common here. This one was extraordinary with all about me transformed into a form of wet clay.

I found it's power exhilarating. We dismissed our leadership meetings immediately to respond first at our homes and then into our neighborhoods.

After a day of emergency service to others with church cancelled, I go to bed...... by evening we had electric back.

We never lost land line communication in our community.

This one redecorated our home and frayed the nerves. It was also a day of everyone coming together to tell stories or the physical work assisting others.

In that way, it was another beautiful day in paradise.

It's ancestors grew with blooms 300 million years ago. This particular bloom is from the subfamily, Grevilleoideae -mostly seen in Australia and South America. The Protea gained it's name in the 1600s, named after the Greek God Proteus who could change his form at will. These beautiful flowers were first grown in the United States in San Diego north county, as well as some ranches in the Santa Barbara area about forty years ago. They were later grown in Hawaii. The climate and soil in these places most nearly duplicates their natural habitat.
Protea Placerepresents a fine website if you enjoy what you see. Note the delicate world of this bloom below:


All the Photographs here were taken by Gecko of outside flora within a quarter mile of his home.

This photograph snapped in an out of the way section of our local outdoor plant shop. Needless to say the webs were face high.



These spiny orb-weaving spider webs have what looks like plant seeds hanging in their centers. These are the spiny orb spiders. The webs are near vertical.

We know that webs are used to ensnare fliers. It is there that many spiders will sting and wrap their prey.

Not so on the Big Island; the spiny orb weavers allow flying insects to park and rest their wings as the friendly spiders swing about bringing them friendly conversation and tiny cups of Kona coffee.

Even I am astonished at what my camera did here. The picture is untouched.

We have a grove of banana plants in our back yard literally 8 feet from the master bedroom window. The iridescence of the bud at the end of the stalk is real and accentuated by the brightness of the late afternoon sun. Notice the bee hovering at the edge of the bud.


It takes a little time for an individual banana plant to reach maturity. The banana is an important food staple in many parts of the world. Globally, bananas rank fourth after rice, wheat and maize in human consumption; they are grown in 130 countries worldwide, more than any other fruit crop.

Seven points of trivia concerning the banana:

1. The banana shoot is so tall and thick it is mistaked for a tree. It is a plant that grows as tall as 24 feet.

2. After producing one bunch (hand) of bananas the shoot dies.

3. The banana is a berry because the plant is an herb.

4. 85% of all bananas are eaten cooked and green.

5. The flower of the banana plant (also known as banana blossom or banana heart) is used in Southeast Asian, Bengali and Kerala (India) cuisine, either served raw with dips or cooked in soups and curries.

6. The juice extract from the plant's trunk is used to treat kidney stones and jaundice.

7. Millions of people depend upon the banana for their survival.

One of a handful of the largest cattle ranches in America is right here (Parker Ranch) on this little island. The rain falls and the grass grows.