Even better video of the breakup of Cosmos 1315 over Hawai’i. Taken by Josh Lambus, of course.
Be sure to hit the HD button!
Category: South Kohala
Waimea, Waikoloa and Kawaihae
Fireball over Hawaiʻi
So last night a Russian satellite burns up over Waikoloa… And I miss it!!
Some of my friends and co-workers did not, asking me what it was this morning after personally witnessing it. There are videos all over Facebook. I am so envious!
The satellite was Cosmos 1315, a Russian signals intelligence mission launched in 1981. It re-entered just west of the Big Island about 11pm HST last night.
I have embedded a video below, the language is more than a bit rough, a few f-bombs. The language goes to illustrate just how dramatic the event was. Aside from the unfortunate choice of vertical format, the video is surprisingly good.
Several items stand out in the video… The giveaway that it is man made is the very slow speed of the object, not the high speed typical of most meteors. You can also see the satellite coming apart, fragments breaking away. Larger meteors can also do this, breaking up upon re-entry.
The guy (I believe Chris Jardine) identifies the object as a meteor, a good guess. I first thought meteor when I saw the video. I received word a bit later from Steve Cullen who passed along a link to information on the satellite. The gal thinks comet? We need to do more public outreach and education around the island!
Fire and Flood
It is bad… A wildfire burns a few thousand acres. Follow that up with torrential rains to sweep all of the ash and mud onto the reef. There is a reason we are not diving this weekend. We had planned to, the water needs a week to clear out the murk. It will be interesting to see the impact on the reef.
Parker Ranch Rodeo
Growing up in the west I have seen quite a few rodeos. I have always preferred small town rodeos.
The big rodeos do feature very high levels of performance, the top riders making it look easy. It isn’t of course, but professional level sports just seem contrived to me. Be it bull riding, pro football, or any professional sport, something is lost when it becomes a profession.
Small town rodeos are entirely different. Here cowboys, or paniolos in Hawaii, demonstrate the same skills they use day to day on the ranch. The event may be practiced, but the skills of great horsemanship, roping and riding are real. The scores tell another story, wildly different from rider to rider. These are not polished professionals, these are real cowboys.
It has been a few years since we last attended the Parker Ranch 4th of July Rodeo and Horse Races. The last couple years we seem to have found ourselves elsewhere come early July. Last year we were in Alaska when the 4th appeared on the calendar. Not so this year, a couple tickets and an early alarm for a Saturday saw us headed to Waimea.
Good timing all around, a beautiful day with perfect weather for a rodeo. Deb and I moved about, looking for good photo opportunities. Down at the end of the spectator area for the horse races. From there we could shoot the riders coming around the curve of the track. A little elevation was needed to shoot over the rails of the fencing. Unfortunately a barrier now keeps spectators away from the arena fence, this was not there years ago. No shooting through the rail. Maybe a press pass next year?
I have no idea who won or lost, it was just not important to me. Simply watching the skills on display was the good part. Each throw of the rope, the steer going down, the horse neatly backing and keeping tension in a rope without a rider giving directions. Simply impressive to watch.
Keiki Fishing at Anaehoʻomalu Bay
Kohala Sunset
Kohala Sunset
Kohala Moon
The Green Church
Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival
This weekend was Cherry Blossom Festival in Waimea!
There are a huge number of events, exhibits and vendors at multiple venues scattered across town. You really need to pick and choose what you want to see. In years past we had checked out the events at Parker Ranch Square or visited the historic Puʻu Opelu home at Parker Ranch. This year I started at church row, parking at Keck and walking over. The large lawn in front of the churches is really the center of the whole event, here are the cherry trees for which the festival is held.
The first event I look for on the schedule is Taiko drumming! This island boasts several excellent Taiko groups and performances are always a treat. This year I caught Hui Okinawa Kobudo Taiko’s early performance at church row. A chance to enjoy the performance, take some great photos, and just feel the pounding of the drums pass through you. One set was a great Shishi Mai (lion-dog) performance, the dancers interacting with the crowd.
I particularly enjoyed a bonsai exhibit, there were some gorgeous examples of the art. I also visited the Hongwanji Mission, a Buddhist temple of the Jōdo Shinshū school. The building is almost next door to Keck, but I had never given it much thought.
The only downside of the festival is the traffic. Half the island comes to Waimea for the day, the result is no parking, near gridlock on the main street, and crowds everywhere. As with most of these Waimea events, get there early!