(Journal entry by Kaye)
Bill and I left home November 22 and spent the night at a motel near the airport. We left our car at the airport motel and took a courtesy bus to catch our flight on Leisure Air. We got in Maui around noon and flew to Kona. We got there at 1:50. We rented a car and came to our condo at 404 Kona Bali Kai. We came over to fix up our condo because we are thinking of making a trade for some property and a large shop in Prospect, Oregon, overlooking Lost Creek Lake. The Oregon people are coming to look at our condo the week after Thanksgiving.
We thought we would have to paint the whole condo, but it had been done a few years ago. we did repaint the kitchen and bedroom window trim, the curtain rods and the refrigerator. We bought new lamp shades and $80 worth of silk flowers for arrangements. We have ordered new drapes which will arrive the day we are leaving. I cut up the drape in the master bedroom and made new draper for the other bedroom. It looks nice in the condo now. We had not been here for 7 years. Two times we planned trips here and we had to cancel them- on in November 1989 when my dad became seriously ill and we had to fly to Maryland to see him and one two years ago when our condo was rented and we couldn't get in. It is so beautiful here-I just love it. It was easier to give it up when I hadn't been here for seven years, now it is harder to think of it being gone. I love being so close to the water and the sound of the surf.
When we got here the people who had rented it were supposed to be out by 11 am. They didn't get out until after 6 pm. We also found out our roof leaks between the living room and the bedroom. They will have to fix that. it stained the ceiling and sliding doors and wall above them.
We couldn't believe how much Kona had grown during seven years. There are lots of new shopping centers and a Costco here. A new KMart opened up. It was a big deal. It carries everything. we spent Tuesday shopping for things for the condo. Wednesday we drove up north to tour Waimea. We saw the Parker Ranch House which we had not seen before. We drove from there as far north as we could go and then down the Kohala Coast. Thursday we went to the KMart opening and bought lamp shades and to Ben Franklin for their flowers which I came home and arranged. Friday we ate lunch at the Keahoan Beach Hotel and then went down the Kealakahna Bay and the City of Refuge. We drove down to Hookena Beach and then back to Kona.
Saturday we took our around the island trip. First we drove south past South Point and then to the volcanoes. It was really raining up at the visitor's center. At the Volcano House we couldn't see into the crater because of the mist and fog. we heard the lava from Kilauaea was flowing down at the part of the Chain of Crater Road near the ocean. We drove down the road about 19 miles to where the road was closed. It wasn't raining there. About halfway down the hill you could see the smoke and steam where the lava was flowing into the sea. We stopped at the end of the road and what a spectacular sight. There were great clouds of steam coming from the paces where the lava was reaching the sea. It was hot, steamy and smelly. We then walk 1/8 of a mile down the road where the lava had crossed the road two days before. we could look up the mountain and see the lava flowing. Mostly it looked black, but in some places it looked red. You could see fires where the hot lava (over 200 degrees F) came by brush and caught it on fire.
As we got closer to where the lava crossed the road you could really feel the heat coming from it. They said we could stand on it to have our pictures taken. It was hot on our feet. Then a ranger looked over the lava fields and found some new lava toes. Three rangers guide us to where we could see the. We walked over lava that was till hot to get there. You could see red hot lava in the cracks below the surface about 8 inches down. You had to be careful to not fall because the surface was really hot and you would burn your hands or arms if you fell. The soles of your shoes felt very hot. When we got there you could see surface flows like toes slowly spreading out about 12 feet away from you. Mostly it was slow and black except at the edges. Sometimes it would break through the skin of the surface and flow out much faster and red. Whenever it touched brush you would have small methane explosions and the brush would catch on fire. It was like that on three sides of us. It got a little dangerous with the fires starting on the left side of our path back to the road so the ranger led us back to the road as quickly as we could go. It was something I had always wanted to see since we first came to Kona in 1977. We were lucky because this eruption just started on October 28th and some days you could see it and some days you couldn't. It is a once in a lifetime experience. I was so excited to get a chance to be that close to it. Then we drove back up the Chain of Craters Road to the main part of the park. The lava flows from the last few years have destroyed many things we used to enjoy. It covered the Nation Park site of an ancient Hawaiian Village. It covered the Queen's Bath where we always used to stop for a swim. It covered the Black Sand Beach in Kalapana. It burned over 180 homes in the Royal Gardens district. It has also added 350 acres to the island in the lost 10 years.
We then drove into Hilo where it was raining. It wasn't so pretty on this wet grey day. It had rained twelve inches in 24 hours one day after we came to Kona. we went to Rainbow Falls and the Boiling Pots. It was very impressive with the rain the falls were roaring, the water was yellow with soil in it and there was a tremendous amount of water coming down the river and over the falls. We went on to our favorite scenic drive outside and north of Hilo and made it to Akaka Falls before it got dark. It was the same there. It was roaring with large amounts of yellow water rushing down. It really was different in the rain, much more impressive, but not as pretty as on clear days. Just a new experience for something we had done so many times. We got back to Kona about an hour after it got dark.
Right after we got here we called Cindy to give her our phone number. she said that most of her family were sick-they were afraid it might be mono. She was especially worried about Austin because his white blood cell count was very low and that could be a sign of a very serious disease. We called back a few days later to see what the doctor's said, but Cindie and Rob weren't home and we didn't want to ask Austin about it. we have been praying that he would be alright.
Today is Sunday. I am going to church and Bill is watching the football games on tv. He has really gotten involved since he got interested in Steve Young, the Mormon quarterback for the 49ers. By the way, it has not rained in Kona since we got here. We sure get the best weather.
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