Yes Pahoa is the little village that serves as our town. The lava flow will cut it in half in about 3 days. Then its another 2 days and it crosses the main highway. So people are stocking up because its going to be a long drive around this thing and it will be this way for a long time to come.

River

According to the report on BIG ISLAND VIDEO NEWS

Evacuation day is Tuesday for at least 50 to 60 structures. The closest occupied structure to the lava flow is 300 meters. I suspect it's now empty and they've already called the insurance company for the fire damage.

The Hawaii Electric Company (HELCO) pole that they insulated is surrounded by lava and still standing. It seems the insulating material that HELCO placed around the pole is working for now.

For anyone wondering why did the lava speed up - two reasons:

1) the path of the lava filled up and crusted over enough to develop a hot lava tunnel in its center. The lava tunnel insulates the hot lava and lets it flow. Lava is not liquid like water.

2) the path of the lava went from a gentle slope to a much steeper slope down toward the sea. Somewhere in the Big Island News videos and pictures exists a map of contour lines and elevations. It the volcano keeps erupting then the lava will reach the ocean,

Yep, that's about it, tomorrow I will finally move all my stuff into the storage locker I rented a couple months ago, the lava will flow well to the south of it. but I need to get it in there before the lava flows over the main highway. This gives me a couple days at least.

We were talking about this today at church, this is bringing the community closer together, united front as it were.

The Polls were protected with dirt. what they did is put a screen mesh around the polls, like 4 feet out, then they filled it with dirt then added dirt around the outside forming a mound. And yes its working, its keeping the lava about 6 to 8 feet away from the polls. The polls will burn at 500 deg, the lava is 2000.

Is it true that Pele does not like new commers?

There is a saying here that if Pele does not like you she will find ways for you to move back where you came from, I can see how that can happen because to make it here you must leave the mainland behind and accept this Island for what it gives. You end up living with a lot less, eat local, buy local, when you try to fight this is when people leave and go back to where they came from.

So yes, Pele will find ways to challenge you, and if you accept her and this island for what it gives you may stay.

I can only add this, my stress is much less, my diet is totally different, I live with a lot less and I have never been happier.

Pele talks to you, but you must listen. I was driving back from Hilo one day and all of a sudden I had this feeling that I had to turn down this road, so I did, after turning I wondered why I did that, that was not were I was going, then I saw a guy hitchhiking and I knew him so I stopped and picked him up. He normally walks all over but this day he had a big bag of food and a blister on his foot and was in great pain. I took him home and he was very grateful. This is not the only time this has happened to me sense I have been here, stuff you just can't explain and when you accept it for what it is, good things happen to you.

I guess the best way to explain living here on a live active volcano can be described in a word, ALOHA.

It means so much more then hello or goodbye. Its a way of life.

River

I never thought about removing junked cars or piles of car tires from the path of the lava.

In the videos there seems to be lots of electric company snorkel trucks in Pahoa relocating power lines (should have been obvious)

I don't know the answer for sure however I can guess that burning tires are toxic and you would not want to evacuate the rest of the town.

Yesterday I was moving my stuff from a garage to my storage locker which is a couple blocks north of the flow, I waited until now because we were not sure just exactly were they flow was heading.

So I am heading to town and had to stop 40 cars deep because the Electric company was cutting down more trees, then I get to the one and only single in town there is lots of traffic, so I say to myself, self if you turn down the highway and come in on the Post Office road there will be so much traffic that you will never be able to make a right hand turn to get to your storage locker, so just drive through town. I am half a block in when there is a sign that the Pahoa road has been closed from Post Office Road to Aapa street. So I drive through town to PO road and back to the main highway. This trip which should have taken about 15 minutes took 45 minutes.

And this is life living around a active flowing volcano.

What amazed me the most was the people, nobody seemed stressed or angry about the traffic or roads being closed or now Post Office Road being made a one way street heading to the highway, its just part of what is going on. It does look like the old market that has been closed for a couple years from what I understand might be opening back up, they were cleaning it yesterday when I went by. The senior center has been closed, the fire department moved back in.

And life continues

River

River are you having fun yet.:)Ernie

Sorry, I should have said that "Although I knew why they want to get tires out of the way of the lava, I would never have thought of it."

Years ago, somg foolish person lit a "tire dump" in a junkyard on fire over near Canonsburg (About 12 to 14 miles west of me) and it was not only stinky and smelly and toxic smoke but toxic fluids leaching out into the ground and into the groundwater. It was a son of a bitch to put out. Water and foam wouldn't work.

I can understand that lava is lots hotter and may not cause the groundwater pollution but the clouds of smoke would be a danger. Dumb of me. I've been reading those smoke reports on Big Island Video News.

So I know about it but I wouldn't have thought of it as part of the preparations for a lava flow or possible a forest or brush fire. . .

And one more thing:

It's sort of a comfort to know that even faced with lava at 2000 degrees, people wait until the last minute. YAY for people being people. heartwarming even.

Ernie of Maine (imported) wrote: Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:23 pm River are you having fun yet.:)Ernie

Lava surfing is coming back. The weather channel has a program on it.

And the Lava surf is up. Lots of variations, I favor the real stuff - surfing.

Not ocean surfing with lava nearby.

See any of it, RiverLava ?

Fun. Fun. Fun. Hawai'ian style



http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-35112/ep ... 1065338239

Moi

Where are the Lava - Electric

Power Stations?