Hawaii the Big Island - East Coast

After hiking at the Volcano National Park we headed out to check out the East Side of the Island. We drove to Kalapana on the Southeast Side.

Kalapana was once a small Hawaiian fishing village. It was also the site of one of the Hawaii's Black Sand Beaches considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Hawaii. But in 1990, it was mostly destroyed by an eruption of Kilauea. Lava buried the town and the Royal Garden Subdivision under 60 feet of molten rock.

Hard to believe there was once a town here

We heard said not to feel sorry for those who lost their houses, but for those who did not. A few houses still stand, surrounded by lava without water or power or roads. Since the houses themselves were intact, the insurance companies would not pay out any claims on them.

This is a picture of the Black Sand Beach before the lava flow.

A local nativetook it upon herself to try and bring back the beautiful coconut grove that lead to the beach. She worked planting hundreds, then thousands, of sprouted coconut and other palms and encouraged others to join her. She was later diagnosed with cancer andrather than give up, doubled her efforts, continuing her campaign to replant and recover the village, the community pitching in even more after she passed away. Today there are thousands of young trees growing on the no-longer barren lava and a new black sand beach is forming.

Seems you can just toss a coconut anywhere and it will grow.

Though Madame Pele destroyed a beautiful beach and fishing village - the end destruction has its own beauty.





Back on the road as time is getting away from us once again. The road is covered by trees.

We stop in a small park and watch the surf pounding. Imagine this square rock was lifted up onto the shore by the waves.



Not your typical fishing hole.

Careful! You could get wet!

From here we head to Rainbow Falls. We take a short hike and find this great Banyan Tree.

Just how big is it? Pretty darn big!

Rainbow Falls. It is just a few blocks from downtown Hilo. It plunges 60' down into a 100' pool. There is a cavern behind it where legend says the Goddess Hina lived



2 miles further up the road are the "Boiling Pots" During the rainy season, which can be anytime, the river churns through a succession of "pots," resembling a steaming Jacuzzi. Some of the river water flows beneath a level of old lava, then suddenly bubbles up as if it were boiling.



Next stop is Akaka Falls. We get there just before sunset and manage to hike the trail there before it gets dark

It is quite impressive at 442 feet.

Time to head home - in the dark - in a dense fog!



Till Later,

Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

Melissa & Gary

Choosing Your Gospel: Rivendell vs Bicycle Quarterly

For those who are interested in classic touring bicycles that combine speed, maneuverability and comfort, we live in interesting times. Such bicycles have gained in popularity over the past several years, with many custom framebuilders and manufacturers introducing touring models into their line-ups. And while trends like this are not easy to trace, I think it is fair to say that Grant Petersen of Rivendell and Jan Heine of Bicycle Quarterly deserve a great deal of the credit. Rivendell is a small bicycle manufacturer witha distinct philosophy, which they promote with a tireless output of literature. The Bicycle Quarterly (review here) is a niche cycling magazine, with a focus on classic bicycles in the French randonneur tradition.



To the untrained eye, the type of bicycle promoted by these two camps may seem similar, if not identical: lugged steel frames, wide tires, fenders, racks, classic luggage, leather saddles. But in fact, there are major differences as far as geometry and historical lineage go, and these differences have been inspiring impassioned debates among bicycle connoisseurs for years.



[image via stronglight]

When it comes to frame geometry, Rivendell's emphasis is on relaxed angles and clearance for wide tires.Theresulting bicycles are fast, stable, comfortable, and have excellent off-road capacity. The bicyclechampioned by Bicycle Quarterly is rather more specific. Jan Heine believes that bicycles made in the French randonneur tradition - which had reached its height in the 1940s and 50s before its recent resurrection - offer an unrivaled combination of speed and comfort. These bicycles are aggressive and maneuverable, yet cushy and easy to control. They are super light, yet designed to carry a great deal of weight. The main difference from Rivendell structurally, is that such bicycles have what is known as "low trail geometry" while Rivendell bicycles have "mid trail geometry." The difference cannot be easily summed up here, but suffice to say that this factor controls the bicycle's responsiveness, and that mid trail is considered classic whereas low trail is more exotic - not often seen outside the early French tradition. In addition, Jan Heine insists on wide 650B tires, lack of toe overlap, and integrated features such as racks and dynamo lighting. Grant Petersen does not place as much emphasis on 650B tires per se, considers toe overlap to be a non-issue, and does not take lighting into consideration when designing frames.



If these differences seem too subtle for those not familiar with frame design, let me rephrase it like this: The bikes may look similar, but they are built differently and ride differently, and there is some debate about which is "better."



[image via protorio]

As a reader of both Rivendell literature and Bicycle Quarterly, I am equally convinced by Petersen and Heine; both arguments make sense while I'm reading them. But they can't both be right, because some of their views are in direct opposition!



Since I own a Rivendell and have now ridden close to 2,000 miles on it, it would be fantastic to try a classic randonneur with low trail and 650B wheels for comparison. The problem is that these bicycles are extremely rare. To try one, I would need to either find a vintage Rene Herse or Alex Singer in my size to test ride - which is next to impossible, as they are not exactly the kind of bike a neighbour would have lying around in their garage, or commission a new one custom built just for me by the handful of framebuilders who specialise in them, or find someone who has commissioned such a bike, is the same size as me, and would be willing to lend it to me for a test ride. As neither option is realistic, my interest in classic randonneurs seems destined to remain hypothetical. Has anybody out there actually tried both a Rivendell and a traditionalrandonneur?

The Bruggelen Hike

Last month Dutchman and I went with the Dutch family on a weekend hike in Bruggelen near Apeldoorn (Gelderland provincie) in the eastern part of the Netherlands. We first had some tea, coffee and tart in a restaurant where we parked the cars. It was a beautiful day; dry, not so cold, very little wind and the sun is up. A totally different day compared to the day before that was raining cats and dogs, I was already a bit worried that the hike will be cancelled but the weather forecast promised for a great day on Sunday and it did!


These fotos were taken just before entering Bruggelen forest in Beekbergen, we came across a manege and it looks like the horse likes me! lol


Progressing with the hike here, the forest lays quietly on a bed of bright red orange dried leaves, so beautiful! There were many needle-like trees in Bruggelen forest.


Mushrooms, acorns and dried autumn leaves...


A button red mushroom with white spots, I tried recollecting where I have seen red mushrooms with white spots, something like a cartoon show, then I just realized it was 'Super Mario' (Mario Brothers) and the mushroom kingdom, haha. I used to play the video game Super Mario like crazy in the early eighties.


Here is another red mushroom with lesser white spots that we spotted. The pole in the middle foto is part of a vast network of colour-coded directions in the forest. Next pole shows that we should watch out for dogs and horses as we are walking on their trails.


And good enough, we saw a couple of people on horses and this one is the most impressive, a little horse carriage, they were going so fast! We also came upon a group, a Dog club walking their dogs in the forest.


Beautiful forest in Bruggelen... I look a bit tired here, we have walked four hours already...


Almost there! I love the yellow colours of the plants and trees in this foto and the greyish blue dramatic backdrop of the skies.

More fotos can be found here: Bruggelen in Beekbergen, Apeldoorn - The Netherlands

Somehow we lost our tracks in the forest but found our way after asking a couple of people along the way. The three-hour hike became an almost five-hour hike! Although we stopped and rested in between, we were tired from the long hours of walking. I have good physical condition so I’m not really complaining.

I love nature walks, especially during autumn when forests are most beautiful. Looking forward to the next walk!

Chipping sparrow

Poor little stunned Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina).

Birds do still occasionally fly into our windows, dirty as they are.

I found a sheltered spot in the woods and left him there to recover on his own. Later I googled, and it suggested that we should have kept the bird in a towel-lined, dark shoebox for an hour or two.

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Don't forget to visit the Friday Ark.

If It's Thanksgiving It's At Mom and Dad's

Thanksgiving >
The word instantly puts a chill down the spine of my side of the family. Yes, there will be turkey, great food, and a swell party - especially for the blissfully unaware fifteen kids running amok in my parents' basement, but with the joy comes the quiet dread of getting ready. It starts in August when my mother pulls her notes from last year, and starts worrying. It ends about five minutes before five, when the first guest arrives and my Dad is harnessed to his leaf blower diligently chasing that last leaf off the premises. When car lights sweep up the driveway, the leaves will NOT be seen. (Never mind that the house is sitting on almost three wooded acres, and it'’s pitch dark by party time.)

You will find my mother sighing in the Kitchen- she has been up since dawn cooking, completely dressed and ready since mid afternoon, but there is always something- like Dad killing himself outside, buzzing around the patio, or the little incident last year when there was no hot water at zero hour because Dad forgot to over ride the timer. (He keeps Mom on a very strict schedule water wise.) My mother, the model of self control, grits her teeth and accepts that she has done all that she can do. She and my sister set the tables the Sunday before, strategizing over the one in the family room which could block the football game, and how many kids will actually sit in a chair. She started cooking in September and finishes just before six- dinner time.

Thanksgiving is one of three major family gatherings. My poor mother is down to one rather distant first cousin on her side, but my father's side is up to about thirty, not even counting our branch which is almost thirty by itself. Back in the dawn of time, like the early sixties, my grandparents had the whole family over to their house on Upton Street. When they got older, their three children took over. My Aunt Catherine got Greek Easter, my Uncle Nick took Christmas and my dad ended up with Thanksgiving. Back then the clan topped out at around twenty five; now we are approaching sixty. New babies and people keep coming. Last year we had twins, and this year my niece is getting married.

At this point, my mother would give her eyeteeth, her turkey collection and all her VCRS NOT to do this. (OK- maybe not the VCRS) But my Dad has laid down the law- if he's still breathing, we're still doing it. My cousin, John brings the cheesecake that his mother used to bring. My cousin, Anne, who is from Louisiana, brings a pecan pie. My brother, Peter arrives from Michigan and bartends. Uncle Nick brings the rum cake. My sister and I mash the potatoes. My brother, Roger started making Greek chicken soup one year, and now he can't stop. That's only a few of the many hands that get it done. It's over when my sister corrals her sons to take all the chairs and tables back downstairs until next year. It's usually around 8:00, but it feels like midnight.

So we go on, and despite all the holiday angst, I know we have a lot to be thankful for: our ever expanding family and my parents who keep us glued together-a basement full of children-all excited that they are cousins, turkey on the table, and hopefully -plenty of hot water. I know we are lucky, and at least this year, it's raining...no leaf blower.

Not Your Typical 3-Speed!

I had never seen a Dutch Union before, so photographing S.T.'s bicycle was a real treat - not a run of the mill vintage 3-speed for sure!

This is S.T.'s 1973 Union "Savoy". It is a 22" straight step-through frame with 26" wheels, caliper brakes, 3-speed Sturmey Archer hub, dynamo lighting that runs off of a bottle generator, a vinyl chaincase, transparent dressguards, and lots of proprietary insignia.

In geometry and feel, this Union is very similar to the Raleigh Lady's Sports, but considerably fancier - with prettier lugs and all sorts of interesting details throughout. It is these details that make this bicycle really special, and so that is what I focused on in the photos.

The rich bordeaux frame is covered with neat decals and pinstriping designs in gold and cream.

It's all been preserved in great condition.

I know that decals are not a big deal, but they do contribute to the overall look. The bordeaux, cream, and gold combination looks very regal.

Chrome fork crown, caliper brakes, and bottle generator. I like the retro look of the bottle generators, but I am puzzled as to why bicycle manufacturers continued to use them when the Sturmey Archer dyno-hub has existed since the 1930s. Even today the Dutch seem to favour these over hubs - I wonder why?

The matching vinyl chaincase is stitched together around the edges.

Here you can see the stitching, as well as the Sturmey Archer 3-speed AW hub.

The gear shifter is remarkably well preserved, and the cream grips match the bicycle's colour scheme nicely.

Proprietary emblem on the kicktand.

Rear rack and fender, with tail light and Spanniga rear light/reflector.

Here is a close-up of the gorgeous vintage Spanniga reflector. This alone makes me want the bicycle!

S.T. uses this bicycle as her "commuter," and she has fitted it with this wooden crate that her father made for her while she was at college. She has also owned lady's Raleigh DL-1s, but overall prefers the Union. It is certainly a dramatic and unique bicycle, even in our 3-speed-saturated neighborhood!

If you have questions about this Union Savoy, please contact the knowledgeable and friendly somervillain.