Spring 2008

Konaescape.com

Spring 2008

Geologic events on the island have gotten very interesting in the past two weeks and I think you would like to know about it. The lava that had been pooling upslope for months, largely out of sight from people on the ground, has given way and returned to the sea! Thankfully it moved at a rate of just over 100 feet per hour before the flow made entry the morning of March 6, but not before a few friends and I visited and cooked a couple marshmallows. Next time I am bringing a pork chop and new potatoes.

A few night-time pictures of the flow … we could get to within 10 feet for short periods of time! Below: From left to right, front are Kat, Liz and Rob; back row is Doug and Mike. The big dog is Charlie and the little is Oscar. (I think Oscar is a cat deep down, but that is a different story.) The a’a’ behind us should be about 2200 degrees and was approximately 6 feet tall, with chunks of glowing rock tumbling forward. Thank you for not burning us Madam Pele!

Left: Smooth pahoehoe streaming. Right: Crispy a'a' surging forward towards the camera (and the people above!).

Above: our trusted local guide assured us it was safe, but we needed walking sticks!

The flow has since covered our access road and the State has cut a new one. They limit the hours of viewing from 2-10PM. Just so we are clear, this is on the other side of the island and Kona is safe. You can monitor the volcano from your desktop by bookmarking:

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/images.html

On a personal note my old Trooper and I have parted company. My folks send me their “old” Honda and it has air conditioning! The Trooper was a great island car with 4-wheel drive, but the Odyssey gets almost twice the gas mileage … at over $3.55/gal I expect to save much coin on gas alone. (The radio even works!)

The other news is professional: the State has issued me a license to practice real estate. My broker/supervisor is Jay Spadinger, an ethical guy who I like very much. Jay has been teaching and doing real estate for nearly 30 years and I like his guidance. So if any of you want to own a vacation rental in Hawaii, I can tell you it is a lot of fun! Contact me and I’ll give you a run down of our market. (A condition for maintaining my license is to disclose I am licensed ... thus the formal signature below.)

Finally, if you know of friends traveling to the islands and they want economical accommodations for their family please sent them a referral to either the Ginger or Mango Houses. The Ginger House a new stove and ALL the burners work. Mango House is getting some fresh paint on the baseboards and I am replacing a few of the older deck boards.

Wishing you a warm Aloha from Hawaii!

Douglas O. Tupper R(S)

Vacation rental owner

and real estate consultant

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