A voggy day in Kihei town...

"Vog" is volcanic gas mixed with fog. It has become a more-or-less constant fixture since the eruptions on Big Island flared up twenty or so years ago. When the trade winds are forced away by various weather systems, the vog drifts our way. Sometimes is it so thick on Big Island that local people with breathing problems are told to stay inside.



Here are samples of vog, photos taken from the same position as other sunset photos earlier in the blog, but we are missing the island of Lanai. It is obscured by a thick layer of vog, courtesy of a storm system northeast of us that has depressed the local trades.

A month gone by....

since Maggi left us. It has been a quiet month, with the inevitable reminders --the largest was a celebration of Maggi's life, when we expected 90 or so friends and family, and over 130 attended. it was a wonderful event, with many telling Maggi stories. We took a day off to visit the Legion of Honor's special exhibit of Faberge,Tiffany and Lalique; it felt like a mini-vacation. I had wanted to see the eggs, and there was so much more, a breath-taking show. Naturally, no photography allowed, but here are a few photos of the museum's collection, and the Golden Gate from our drive back to Berkeley.

We returned to Maui last week. It continues to be quiet, with the island somewhat deserted as a result of the economy, but that's fine with us. We've resumed our usual routine, seeing neighbors and friends, reading and enjoying the warmer weather -- temperatures hovering around 85-7, very little rain, breezy but humid days. I'm pulling together another mailbox series, so stay tuned.