Oia la he koa no kea ano ahiahi; oia nei no ke ano kakahiaka.

He is a warrior of the evening hours; but this person here is of the morning hours.

That person has had his day and is no longer as active as before; but this person is strong, brave, and ready to show his prowess. Photo: Warren Costa

Mauna Kea from Mauna Loa's upper Northeast Rift Zone

A view of Mauna Kea from Mauna Loa's upper Northeast Rift Zone. The haze in the saddle area, between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea are caused by emissions from Kilauea Volcano. These emissions, known as Vog, are the result of volcanic gasses, primarily sulpher dioxide, mixing with moisture and dust in the atmosphere. Notice that the summits of both mountains are clear of haze, this is due to an inversion layer with an average height of about 6,000 feet, (2,000m). The result is a dry and stable atmosphere above the inversion layer. Photo: USGS

Nene: Hawaii's endangered state bird.

The Nene or Hawaiian Goose, (Branta sandvicensis), is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. At the time of Captain James Cook's arrival in 1778, it was estimated that there were about 2,500 birds in Hawaii. By the mid 1940's, the Nene population on the island of Hawaii was drastically reduced to only 50 individual birds. This reduction in the population was largely due to over hunting, the introduction of predators, such as the mongoose, cats, and dogs, loss of habitat due to agricultural activities, and disturbance by foraging animals, such as the feral pig, sheep, cattle, and goats.

Today, the Nene is a federally listed endangered species, with about 400 individuals on the island of Hawaii, 125 birds on the island of Maui, and a small population on the island of Kauai. Photo: Warren Costa

Pua Kala

Pua Kala, (Argemone glauca),  is an endemic Hawaiian poppy. While most endemic Hawaiian plants are notably devoid of thorns and poisons, Pua Kala is covered with sharp, thorny prickles on its leaves, stems, and seed pods, and the sap contains poisonous alkaloids. The poisonous sap of the Pua Kala was used in Hawaiian medicine to treat toothaches, ulcers, and other ailments. You can see Pua Kala on my Volcano Adventure, and my Hilo Birdwatching Adventure! Photo: Warren Costa

The sun above, the smooth lava below.

O ka la ko luna, o ka pahoehoe ko lalo. The sun above, the smooth lava below. Said of a journey in which the traveler suffers the heat of the sun above and the reflected heat from the lava bed below. A Hawaiian proverb. Photo: Bandler Ohana.

Moss Sporophyte

The fruiting body of mosses, or sporophytes, are spore - filled stalks that bend and release spores when mature. The spores then grow into new plants. Photo: Warren Costa