Kai(n) or Kai Cuisine opened their brick and mortar shop at 346 Kilauea Avenue last year. It has become a happening block with Hilo Bottle Shop and Basically Books next door. At the end of the building, the Pizza Hut is being demolished to make room for a drive-thru Taco Bell.

The Feb. 3 installment of “Volcano Watch” introduced some of the data streams that are used to monitor eruption pauses and renewals at Kilauea’s summit, including ground tilt from borehole tiltmeters. Tilt data also provided valuable insight into the behavior of the lava lake that occupied Halema‘uma‘u crater from 2008–18, before the series of collapses in 2018 changed Kilauea’s summit topography.

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly made us aware of how our individual lives and even society can be altered in a very short time by disease organisms. Our forests and landscapes can change rapidly as well. A very warm, wet period or a dry one can drastically alter the species makeup of a forest. For example, our ohia forests are suffering not only from Rapid Ohia Death, but from other diseases as well.

The history of Mardi Gras goes back to medieval Europe, through Rome and Venice to the French House of Bourbons. The traditional revelry of “Boeuf Gras,” or fatted calf followed France to her colonies in America.

A question: What is arguably one of the most widely recognized volcano names in the world due to its references in the Old Testament?

Finally, after almost two years of avoiding people due to the pandemic, plant societies like the Hawaii chapter of the America Rhododendron Society are digging out of hibernation and having safe gatherings again. This means they can share their love, knowledge and starts with one another and those folks interested in this amazing family of plants. As we head in to spring, March is likely to be the month that many of the COVID-19 restrictions are eased and we can once again connect with folks in social settings.

With the computer age, you would think that there is no need for cookbooks, but there are some old-fashioned folks like me who have over 1,000 cookbooks. I need to go through them and keep those that are my favorites.

The original purpose of geologic mapping in Hawaii was to understand the distribution of groundwater and soils to support agriculture. But as geologic maps have been developed over time, they’ve provided basic information on how the Hawaiian Islands evolved, the workings of individual volcanoes, and the relative degree of long-term hazards posed.

Looking for a way to save on food bills? Let’s consider vegetables, herbs and spices. For many mainland folks, June is full on gardening. However, this is Hawaii and edible gardening activities can be carried out the year round.