Road trip

A few days ago, we went on a short road trip, ostensibly to buy some solar panels. Maybe we just needed to get out of the house,.... Take your pick. Anyways, it was a beautiful day, and the drive was welcome.

 

 

 

We traveled south, past the town off Pahoa. Things were looking awfully quiet there, with the threat of lava inundation looming large. The drugstore had just closed up shop, same the hardware store...... People's jobs gone (temporarily, but still.....). The road was nearly deserted, which seemed odd for a beautiful weekend. Which brings me to come observations...

 

People drive here. Everywhere. Lots of people lots of cars busy busy busy.... The roads seem packed, for such a small area. Constant streams of cars going every which way. Parking lots are full, spaces are small. The cars are newish, but typically have a lot of dings and dents.

 

Despite feeling so crowded and hurried, the drivers here are courteous and observant. They drive the speed limit, even though it feels painfully slow at times. I lived most of my life in Montana, where there essentially was NO speed limit, so 55 m.p.h. feels a bit like walking, but that's something that I need to adjust to. People here are patient. Or maybe the fines for speeding are torturous....I do see numerous people being pulled over. The police cars that I've noticed are newer SUV's, with a tiny, magnetic, bubble light up top. Very discrete, nearly unmarked. Rural stealth.

 

The courtesy exhibited while driving extends beyond the use of cars. People here seem to view waiting in line as a necessary evil, and honour the concept of taking turns. This is a completely new experience for me, at least since leaving the small town Midwest. I view standing in line, taking turns, waiting, as a social contract, and it pisses me off when people don't follow that most basic of rules. Here, people tap my arm, asking if I want to be next at the counter/register/stop sign, whatever. Amazing!

 

Car prices are much cheaper than we saw in Oregon (thankfully!), and with more choices of smaller, more efficient models of car. Oregon was all huge trucks and SUV's, with sketchy histories, bad titles, rebuilt or salvage being the norm, it felt like. Here, trucks, even crappy wrecked ones, go for a premium, while little Hondas and Toyotas are very reasonable in price.

 

 

I ALWAYS want a car that gets decent mileage, and here we found two that suit us well. Renee is driving a 2005 Scion tC that gets around 30 MPG, not great, but it is...... Zippy!

Also comfortable, stops well, lots of airbags, nice seats..... Just a nice little car. It suits Renee perfectly! Small and easy to park, plenty of room in the trunk for water jugs, and by far the nicest car we've ever owned. I guess that says something.

 

 

 

 

I finally found a 2006 Scion xA, a car that I've wanted for years but couldn't get one for the right price.

 

Four doors, seats that fold flat, and a tolerable large hatchback. 35+ mpg, good visibility (no blind spots!), and enough dings to make parking lots completely non threatening. A large step up from my usual POS car tendencies, haha. A total nerd-mobile!

 

 

 

Where was I? Oh yeah....

 

Road trip. East south eastern coast of the Big-island, close to the Kalapana area. Waipuku point?

 

 

My lovely wife, giving me a rather perplexed look.

 

 

Part of an ongoing project, "Private deposits in public places".

 

 

Hey, take a picture of that!

 

Wait! Not me.....

 

 

It's in here somewhere....

 

 

Right there!

 

 

Orb weaver spider of some sort.

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite photo of the day.

Ewwww! Something smells bad!..... "Ellie, quit poking dead stuff and get back in the car!"

 

I wonder what they were actual saying?

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also stopped at Isaac Hale park, poked a very threatened puffer-fish, then wandered home.

 

 

We got the solar panels.

 

 

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