Southern hospitality

For the first time in months I was able to meet my best friend Mike and family - my adopted family on the Big Island - for a couple of beers after work. My schedule hasn't allowed it for a long time now. It was as if the the last few months hadn't happened.

They are from the south, Alabama to be specific, and it's always a strange evening when we get together along with our other friends. Tonight's conversation included working at the summit, the differences between US and UK education, the US election, what part of a person does one look at first, schnitzel, Mike's father being high on painkillers (he was there!), how to embarrass an Englishman, how intelligent the British are (!), poker, catchphrase (some game I think I understand), an invitation for thanksgiving, how many camels Mike's daughter is worth (she was there as well!), faked moon landings, whether hairy men are attractive or not, the Scottish Buffalo Wars (a long story) and what I need to wear when I finally get to sail on Mike's yacht. All in a couple of hours. The final discussion, what I should wear on the yacht, seemed to narrow down to something like this

as long as I also brought along one of those old Royal Navy telescopes you see in Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was good to get back to the real world again - I missed it.

Fireworks night

Like Peter and an awful lot of British folk, I'm still mystified by Halloween and trick or treat and the only celebration at this time of year I looked forward to, as a youngster, was the 5th November fireworks night, or Guy Fawke's night. After Christmas and birthdays, this was one of the biggest highlights of the year for children in the UK.

It seems the tradition is dying which is a shame, and it really was for kids only (although adults lit the fireworks, obviously!), but in my first year as an undergraduate, and if memory serves, able to buy fireworks legally for the first time in my life, I and a couple of friends decided to hold our own Guy Fawke's firework display and bring back a British tradition in a cold and muddy field in the middle of Preston, so probably surrounded by plenty of onlookers.

We bought several small rockets and other miscellanea but saved up enough money between us to buy the biggest rocket in the shop. It was huge and came with special instructions on how to launch it as a milk bottle wouldn't have been enough.

We were all science students so we knew better and came up with a solution as we didn't have the right material. I can't remember what it was now but I do remember we were fairly confident it would work, but not confident enough to at least fire off all the other rockets first.

Everything was going well, the police hadn't arrived yet, and all we had left was the monster rocket, so we set it up and I lit the fuse and we all retreated, nay, ran, to a "safe" distance. This rocket + stick was about 5-feet tall so we were a little nervous about what would happen next.

All I can say is that I haven't lit another firework since then. This thing took quite a while to actually get going, but after 20 seconds or so it looked like a space shuttle launch, at least initially. In a breathtaking shower of sparks the rocket remained rooted to the ground and started tipping over - straight towards where we were taking cover (which was in the middle of a field). Before we could even think of running it overcame gravity and launched itself straight over our heads, probably missing us by a couple of feet, leaving burning hot cinders on our clothes and in our hair.

I don't think it ever got more than ten feet above the ground, but it flew and was an astounding sight. About 100 yards away it ran out of puff and landed in the only bush within sight and then things were quiet for the next couple of seconds. We all looked at each other and were about to say "run!" when the bush exploded in a way I simply can't describe, it was beyond spectacular. I just hope there was no couple necking there that evening.

If I recall, the UK law concerning fireworks was changed the next year...

Picture credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bratislava_New_Year_Fireworks.jpg

Historic speech

A few years ago Prime Minister Tony Blair, officially my leader at the time, flew to the US and made a joint speech with President George Bush. Watching them talk about the fight against terrorism made me feel embarrassed for my adopted country - Blair was eloquent, sophisticated and gave the impression of superior statesmanship. Many of my friends in the UK would probably disagree with my assessment, but it was in comparison to Bush who seemed incapable of putting two words together appropriately or use any with more than two syllables.

Tonight I've seen something special which has again made me proud to be living in the US. Firstly, John McCain's concession speech was the epitome of graciousness and patriotism. If I would have had the opportunity to vote it would probably not have been for McCain, but I've always admired him and I saw again tonight why. I believe his campaign managers and his party were responsible for not allowing the real John McCain to appear in this election. He may not have won in any case, his opponent was strong, but I think the final result would have been closer.

Secondly, Barack Obama's acceptance speech will, I believe, go down in history. Even Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher's best efforts could not come close to what I heard and saw this evening. There is no doubt in my mind Obama is presidential material and that it is a wonderful thing for America and the world. Perhaps Winston Churchill would give him a hard time, but he was a very special case. I think now, once the law allows me to, I will be comfortable applying for American citizenship. It has been a few years since I last felt that way.

Democracy

I only caught the last 20-minutes of the latest Boston Legal episode tonight, but boy did I turn the TV on at the right time - Denny and Alan getting into a paintball fight over who they'll vote for. It was one of the funniest scenes I've seen in a long time.

The reception was rubbish so suspect I'll be back on the roof again soon, but it's clear that this election is going to be one of the most important ones ever. So, whatever your politics, keep an eye on the results and if you're a US citizen, please vote. If you don't, the Brits would like to take over. We're already over here and over se...., er perhaps not, but we're sneaking our way back into the US - throwing away tea is something we just can't forgive or forget. Now if only that Union Jack was replaced by a picture of the Queen...

A mad Englishman in the midday sun

At this time of year Sunday is a sacred day to me. Not for the usual religious reasons; the NFL is on TV all day. Unless I'm at work I try and set this day aside for a bit of relaxation and watching some exciting, albeit violent, sport. It still doesn't compare to rugby though...

Unfortunately, this morning the TV picture was rubbish. It was watchable so I enjoyed the first game while planning and preparing for the fix before the later games. Many of us here still live in the third world and rely on antenna TV rather than cable or satellite and I was certain it was the roof-top antenna again. Early this morning some of the local mynah birds were having a party on my metal roof and probably used the antenna for gymnastics practise at the same time - it's happened before.

It's not easy to get to the top part of my house and it is rather high, I would guess about 35-feet. I can get to it via the ground-floor roof, a ladder, some chocks to stop the ladder disappearing into the garden and a little bit of muscle to pull myself onto the top of the house, where, I have to admit, the view is stunning. I must take my camera next time.

So, shortly before noon, I made my way out onto the roof only to attract the attention of these critters.

I don't know exactly what species of wasp they are but they're everywhere right now and have built nests all over the outside of the house. They don't seem to be aggressive but they are curious and will fly up to you to figure out what you are and not go away. I've not yet been stung by one, but I don't like them. I'm sure they're beneficial and eat all the other annoying insects such as mosquitos, but they're big and I'm sure the sting will hurt when and if I annoy them enough. The last thing I want is to be attacked 35-feet above the ground with no emergency escape route.

What was the solution? My patented flying-stinging-critter-swatter which I took to the roof along with my tools.

I'm glad I took it. After only a minute or two a couple of them were buzzing around me and wouldn't leave despite my polite requests, so I let fly with the swatter. After a few swings I wasn't bothered again until a little later and by then I'd perfected my swing, so the next wasps were dispatched rather efficiently, even if I say so myself - one of them with an impressive amount of topspin. I then found and fixed the problem with the antenna and spent the rest of the day enjoying some great football!

What my neighbours thought of me, however, is something I'd prefer not to think about.

If you see something appear on YouTube in the next few days entitled "Crazy man practises his forehand on a roasting hot tin roof" then you'll know who it is.

Large mortgage, big surf, high maintenance

There are several place on the Big Island that I visit when I need to relax - they tend to be the quiet and scenic spots but most are a long way from my house. There is one spot, however, that's only a mile away from my home on Kaloli Point. It may not be the most scenic on my list, but it certainly compares favourably to the places I've lived in before.

It's the start of the whale season in the Hawai`ian islands. The humpbacks are arriving in the waters to breed after spending the winter feeding in the Arctic. This is a great whale watching spot so thought I'd pop down to see if there were any signs they were back. Sadly, I saw no whales although I wonder if the couple above might be pointing to one I missed...

This place has changed over the years though and the baby boomers are arriving, many of them from California. In the last few years this area has become unrecognisable due to all the houses that have been or are being built on the cliffs. Don't get me wrong, these homes are beautiful and I promise to get some close up shots soon, because I'm jealous. What's striking though, having driven past them today, is that nearly every one of them has a "for sale" sign outside. Most are selling for $500,000 to $1 million. I don't even want to think how much the monthly mortgage payment is.

What's worse is that nearly all of these houses were built during the recent housing boom and I suspect cost nearly double their current value to build.

OK, so perhaps these people are rich and it's not a problem, but then why are these houses for sale? Hawai`i always lags the mainland, so I suspect prices will drop further and that's not good. Couple this with what appears to be a beautiful and serene spot...


...as in the photo above (180 degrees from the first picture), I think many people's retirement dreams have been destroyed. Further, I'm not sure the people that have built houses here realise that we do get storms, and even if, touch wood, we haven't had a hurricane in living memory, whatever you build on the cliffs is subject to a drenching from seawater and salt.


The cliffs are typically 15 to 20 feet high. Parts of them disappear every winter when we get high surf but they are high enough to protect the homes from flooding on most occasions. Still, even if your house doesn't get flooded, would you want to deal with the corrosive spray that'll cover your house every winter?

The last picture was taken seven years ago. It's one of my favourites! Most of the houses in the first picture weren't there then. It gives one an idea of how high the cliffs are as this surf had 10-20 foot faces. Forgetting high surf for the moment though, what on earth do you think will happen when the next big tsunami arrives? I don't think typical flood insurance covers that.

The last few miles

Yesterday I set multiple alarms for five o'clock this morning and yet still managed to wake up five minutes before they went off. I've heard that many people have this ability or whatever it might be called, but almost no matter what time I set the alarm, I always wake up just before it goes off. I'd love to understand this one day.

Anyway, I was up early as we had some more work to do at the summit, it was the last chance to take some measurements we need before work starts in earnest on Monday. The idea was to start early and get off early, as it's already been a very long week. This had the advantage of arriving at Vacation Resort Hale Pohaku in time for a fantastically unhealthy breakfast but a gorgeous one nevertheless - they are known for their wonderful breakfasts! Eggs over easy, bacon, sausage links and hash browns today. Mmm!


After filling up with cholesterol we leave HP at around 8am in our 4-WD vehicle and have to stop almost immediately. It's time to change from 2-WD to 4-WD low gear ratio. The next few miles are on a steep dirt road that has thrown many people to their deaths, so we have to be careful. I'm co-pilot for the trip which allows me to take a few blurry pictures on the way to 14,000 feet rather than fight the steering wheel.

After a mile a two we're treated to a wonderful view of the saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and as usual the clouds are drifting in from the east. It was raining when I left home and it was still raining when we left Hilo, and for most of the drive up the Saddle Road it was drizzling and misty. At this altitude though, about 10,000 feet, we're above the clouds and it's hard to imagine the conditions we've left behind. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to open the car's passenger window, it would allow too much dust into the car, and coupled with an early morning sun and the bumpy road, it makes it impossible to take a nice picture, this is the best I could do.

About three to four miles above HP we drive past this sign. It's in the wrong place, only an idiot would decide to go off-roading here. There are places further up that look inviting for an off-road trip and there are no signs there. Even the road itself is becoming increasingly bumpy and I'm surprised this picture came out. On either side of us the terrain is becoming increasingly steeper and the drop to the left is something one doesn't contemplate.

Now the drive is just nasty. Both the driver and I are being thrown around and I'm hanging onto the passenger's handle to stop my head banging into the vehicle's interior - and we're only driving at 10-mph. I take a picture holding the camera in my other hand because the summit is now in view, it's there in the centre of the picture. A few more miles to go yet but a smoother ride is almost upon us. The good news is that even if we went off the road at this point we no longer face rolling the car hundreds of feet down the side of the mountain - and someone might even find us if we did!

Time to stop and go back into 2-WD. The summit stays in sight for quite a while now but the observatories can't be seen - the last time we saw them was on the Saddle Road over an hour ago. They're hidden behind the cinder cones. This is also the point where I can't stop thinking about all those images from Mars and how similar they are to Mauna Kea's terrain.

Generally, pictures from Mars don't have tyre tracks on them although there are images from Spirit and Opportunity that show their own tracks. Most people that visit Mauna Kea's summit area can't help commenting on how similar the place looks to Mars, and I agree. It's only when you pass all the observatory and tourist traffic that you remember you're still on planet Earth. It's either that or the effect of the altitude.

We're at 13,000 feet now and after negotiating one of the steepest slopes and sharpest bend on the way up the observatories suddenly come into view. Although I've never taken one of the tourist tours to the summit I imagine this is the point that everyone in those vans suddenly gasps. After seeing nothing but red lava rock for several miles and some amazing views of the island, the out-of-this-world summit area appears. You know you're back in civilisation, but just what kind? These aren't normal buildings and many visitors really do say it feels as though they've suddenly been transported to another planet.

As for us, the work day is about to begin.

Above the clouds

Taken from inside a fast-moving truck during the commute this morning.

Later in the day, during a period of telescope maintenance:

This is what we use to shoot down the alien spacecraft at night, but don't tell anyone.

Crunch time

This blog will be a little quieter over the next few weeks as we work on updating one of the most successful ground-based astronomical instruments in the last couple of decades. The picture above isn't related at all to the work incidentally, it was taken a while back when I was working on another instrument project in another time and space, but I like putting pictures in my blog.

These are always enjoyable times for me, I love this type of work, but the enjoyment is always laced with frustration and exhaustion.

As I mentioned in "Winter's first snowfall?", my night-time schedule has been replaced with a daytime one. I leave home and arrive back in darkness and spend the day battling altitude-induced brain fade while trying to get the instrument to work again. There are one or two other projects that are more easily done at the summit, so I'm working on those as well.

Yesterday was one of the most frustrating days I've ever experienced at the summit. We needed to configure the instrument using its old and dated control software and computers and nothing we did would make it work. I've worked with this instrument for 12 years (17 if you include using it as a student) and know all its foibles, but we didn't even get far enough to experience those again. Nothing we did fixed the problem.

Finally, this afternoon, after cleaning up all the torn-out hair, we got it to work. Yes! Now we get to take data for a couple of days before reconfiguring the damn thing to work with the new control software and computers. I can't wait to find out what's in store for us. Really.

Oh, and it did indeed snow at the weekend. It melted as soon as the sun came up though.

Sleepy sleepy

Nearly twenty years ago I attended a course on meditation. It was wonderful, I learned how to relax and just "let things flow". It was in a church crypt, so a bit spooky, but no matter what, even if I'd learned yoga at the same time there's no way I could have done this:

Cats know how to relax and avoid attention if that's what they want. Half the time I think they only do this so they can get attention. This particular kittie doesn't like attention if it includes a camera, because if she sees one she does this:


Probably my last cat post for a while - I've some science and instruments to take care of...