Hot Rocks Hawaii

Big Kahuna & Son

What a day at the St Joseph’s Country Fair on October 1, 2011!  The Big Kahuna (aka: Gary of Joint Astronomy Institute) with his son pictured above with a large 20 lb? meteorite on display.  It is Gary who got me rolling on displaying my free fossil & rocks education table.  Long story – short: that 3 lb Nantan, China (1500) meteorite that I display on my teaching table was originally for Gary, ended up with me…………..Gary asked me to volunteer my time at an event  at KMC with the 3 lb. meteorite and the rest is history.  Now, I volunteer my time to his two events each year:  Astro-Day each May and the St. Josephs country fair each October.

The first 75 kids who visited my table got to take home a real Turritella (sea shell fossils) for a keepsake. hest

Most popular touch item – Dino Dung is still the favorite fossil on the table! Most popular question – Does it still smell?

Fossil helper Daynan C.

BIG MAHALO!  My helper dude Daynan’s first event as a volunteer – He did an excellent job of educating everyone about fossils. ( He is definitely dino crazy! )

He is holding a replica of a therizinosaurus claw.  We had dino dung, dino bone fossils, Megalodon shark tooth, petrified wood, seashell fossils, replica sabertooth cat teeth, T-rextooth etc. on display for kids to touch and learn.

What a great learning experience for kids and adults alike!  We are not the mainland and do not have access to dinosaur museums – donations always welcomed.                             Aloha Janet d.

Thursday 9.23.11 Big Island – Hawaii: With partly cloudy conditions in Keaau last evening- we went out to our backyard before the anticipated 6:47 showing of the UARS Satellite as it is falling and crumbling its way to earth. This would be our only time of getting a good view of this interesting spectacle before it falls into 26+ pieces on earth somewhere today. We actually did not see it until 6:48 and had we not looked straight up at that moment in our skies, we would have missed it altogether.

We saw it direct overhead in an opening of the clouds in a window of only about 10 seconds and  it was bright! It winked twice from the reflection of our recent sunset and we actually saw a piece “spark” off of the unit as it is burning in the atmosphere. Hopefully it will burn more of that metal before it actually finishes its journey.

Even though the track shows the possibility of the breakup anywhere from South America to Europe- my prediction is still W.Australia desert (like Skylab did 1979) for debris fall – but hoping it disappears in the oceans instead.  After all – our planet is a Water planet so the odds are in favor of that!

GREAT FAMILY EVENT: Mark your calendars – the St. Joseph’s Country Fair in Hilo is set for Saturday October 1, 2011.  Come by and see my Free Education table with dinosaur fossils and weird and strange rocks.  ****The first 70 kids get something special.

Free live music, you can play games and win prizes at the gym!

A Great Day for the whole Family!  Definitely a kids day – the event generally features: Choo Choo train rides,  Hamster ball, wet n wild slide, petting zoo, astronomy badges, see real meteorites, touch real fossils – plus more.

Location: St. Joseph’s School at Hualalai and Kapiolani streets. 8 am – 3 pm.

May 7, 2011  Hilo Hawaii

Adults and kids alike enjoyed my fossil education table. New additions to the table were the pair of Sabertooth Cat  teeth (center front) which are replicas of the teeth found at the La Brea Tar pits of LA.  Also I had a replica of a Therizinosaurus claw (large brown claw center/right) – this guy stood about 12-20 feet tall and looked like something between a dinosaur and a bird…………I scared the kids with the claw but explained to them he was probably only after termites or digging for grubs in large dead trees of the time.

Next Hilo event s/b the St. Joseph School Fair in October. I have volunteered at this event with my fossil education table (at the astronomy area)  the last two years and plan to be there again. I will be next to Gary Fujihara of the Astronomy Institute (he also runs the Astroday every year in Hilo) where he will display his meteorites!  WAY COOL!

The school Fair is also a FREE event – don’t miss out.

Aloha -Janet d

Everyone has been asking me, when and where is Astroday this year: Saturday May 7, 2011 at the Kuhio Mall in Hilo from 10 am to 3pm.

Hot Rocks Hawaii will be setup with Wally Pacholka’s Astro photography, my Hot Rocks jewelry and part of my Fossil Education Table. I will have REAL Fossilized shark teeth that are approximately 30-60 Million years old for sale, a Tribal Shark Decal for sale and of course a touching table of fossils.

The education table will have the 3.5 pound Nantan Meteorite from China, Dino Dung, Petrified Wood, Fossilized Seashells and Fossilized Shark Teeth to touch and see up close with the magnify glasses.  Make sure they kids come by and say hello to Janet D. early in the day…………

(Teachers: I still offer a FREE visit to your school for FOSSIL education purposes.)

Janet D

Well, everyone is asking what happened to the Lava on the Big Island……..the week before the Tsunami on March 5th we had action at a new large crack between Puu’oo crater and Halemaumau crater named Kamoamoa Eruption  – that actually ceased and PAUSED the night of the Tsunami warnings from Japan.  The night we were watching the events in Japan we had a 4.6 earthquake at Volcano that shook my house. Talk about a moment- right when you are watching news of a giant earthquake in another part of the world……..and your house shakes. (I especially take note as I was hurt in the big Earthquake we had on the Big Island October 2006, I lived in a shakier house back then too. 12 weeks in a leg cast.)

Anyhow, nothing to report at the moment as both the Halemaumau and the Puu’oo crater sunk down – the lava apparently went to the Eruption/fissure and let it all out. Below is the archive for the Lava Waterfall.

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/archive/2011/Jan/20110306_0675_torr_small.mov

I personally think we dodged a bullet for the Big Island again as far as Tsunamis go.  IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE.

So far, I am aware of damage to Alii Drive – Kona, the street is messed up and I am sure the rock walls are all over the place…………. I just saw the photos of Napoopoo in Kealakekua Bay on the West side of the island at Kealakekua Bay, the Tsunami went inland for about 100 ft, fish on the road, broken house etc. …………… Hilo had a 4.6 ft Tsunami but I have not heard of any damage information from Hilo yet- I am hoping it was minor.  Maui had waves on both sides and in Kihei a huge chunk of the Marine Center is gone and about 40 sailboats attached to a boat barge is free floating in the area – what a picture that is.

Thanks to all our friends for their concern. Please pray for Japan.     Aloha Janet D

Japan had a huge Earthquake 8.9 and it has caused Tsunamis (just a few hours ago)……Yep, we were waken in the night by the sirens. What we actually have is a warning for a possible 6 ft tsunami – it seems only yesterday (Feb 2010) we went through this exercise – this time it is during the middle of the night. Here is hoping that we get lucky again with no active damage and a tiny, itty bitty wave please………….if we have any Tsunami action at Hilo Harbor it is due sometime around the 3am hour. If we do get one in Hilo Harbor it can increase to a higher wave as it bounces off of the cliff sides and rounded-bowl shape harbor – so it could be 3 x worse if it is 6 ft.  Here’s hoping Hilo town gets lucky again – and we don’t have a big wave. Aloha

The lava flow I experienced on the 17th is actually flowing off the cliffs into the ocean.  If you were thinking of doing the Kalapana hike – now would be a good time.  Last week if you wanted to see the flow go into the ocean you had to hike an extra mile or so one way (I could not – I was too tried), but now it is where I hiked.  So you have about a 4.5 mile hike round trip – and if you go in the morning like I did – nice and cool for hiking.  Sorry, about no pictures – I am having trouble with computer talking to server or something……

GOOD TIME TO SEE THE LAVA

Wow – yesterday I had the pleasure of having a personalized hike to the lava flow. The Kalapana region Lava is on the move again – coming further east and south toward the ocean cliffs. For the first time in my life I went on a hike with a Guide.  Why? Because it is safer and we were able to access the coastal lava entry over private lands legally.  And besides it was a really great hike over lava fields, coastal crashing ocean waves, through pig bush areas and finally the prize of seeing the new lava.  (It was more than worth what they charge!) You can stop where you like and take pictures of the ocean, cliffs, and landscapes – just beautiful.

Thanks to Ikaika – Kalapana Cultural Tours was the local company we used for our hike -  our Mahalos to Josh  for a great trip. If you take a morning hike you will most likely have Josh as your guide. I want you to know that Kalapana Cultural Tours is legal – they are a group of  families who own the lands you pass over and have the legal right to take you over the adjacent Ohana land you hike over. Beware: There have been groups who take your money and take you over land illegally. Check them out first. When the lava flows – so do the illegals.

You set the pace not the guide. I have to admit that we wanted to set a fast pace at 5am – so we could make the lava flow while it was still dark for picture taking.  Now, I have to tell you, this is not just a hike through the woods on a flat path like on the mainland. You have to be prepared to go up/down over uneven surfaces, be dressed well with good hiking boots and backpack of goodies. We hiked at least 2.25 miles just to see the flow. So be prepared to hike apx 5 miles round trip……………if you want to see the lava going into the ocean you have to take on 2 more miles – but remember you still have to walk back. 

I will try to attach a picture – my post is not cooperating this morning.  If you are interested in the Kalapana Cultural Tours you can contact ph: 808.936.0456 Ikaika Marzo.  He will set you up with a date and time.  You can also find them on the web at kalapanaculturaltours.com  Also, if you are a visitor they also do hunting, fishing and other Big Island activities.  These guys are the real thing. They grew up here and know the areas well- and the price is right.

To find them (from Hilo) you go to Hwy 130 (Kalapana-Pahoa hwy) from the Kea’au junction, make a right turn on Kaimu (yes, yet another small town under the lava flows), at the T-intersection make a right, the the next T intersection a right turn til the end of the road. You will end at a cul-de-sac with a bunch of booths. You will meet your guide straight ahead of you at a sign need the AWA BAR, the right hand booth light will be on when he arrives.  The Kalapana Cafe will be to your right but don’t expect anyone to help you. Just patiently wait and he will show up and turn on the booth lights. He gave us a bottle of water and a flashlight for the hike.

Enjoy the event, respect the environment and the families properties. Please do not trespass.

Aloha, Janet d