In From The Cold, Lava Pau for Now

[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]

12/15/22

Aloha Everybody  --

We got home on Tuesday from our quick California trip.  Later today I'm going to take a Covid test, but so far I think we're going to be ok, even though we were around a lot of unmasked people.  It was a fun trip, except that for us it was c-o-l-d (highs in the low 60's). Most of the time it was sunny, which helped, but when we went to Santa Barbara it rained 3 inches and turned even colder.  There were "sun breaks" and during those we enjoyed the very pretty area around Santa Barbara, including our friends' house, which sits above the city and has a great view when it's clear.  We really enjoyed staying in downtown LA, which we found safe, clean, and architecturally dazzling, particularly the Biltmore Hotel, where we stayed, the Broad Museum, the new Disney Concert Hall, and many old Art Deco and Art Nouveau buildings built during LA's heyday. We spent one night in nearby Pasadena and toured the historic Gamble House (as in Proctor & Gamble), a 1908 gem of Craftsman style.  As much as we enjoyed the trip, it is very good to be home and get warm again.

Now

While we were gone our two erupting volcanoes also decided to take a vacation and have now shut off completely.  Kilauea's lava lake crusted over just a few days after the fissure eruption of Mauna Loa suddenly stopped.  Volcanologists aren't detecting any seismic activity under either one that would indicate a resumption of activity, so for now we're a lava-free zone.  The two volcanoes tap into the same deep magma source, but they have separate plumbing.  The best guess of the volcanologists is that Mauna Loa's

Then

expansion during its eruption somehow pinched off the route of magma rising to the summit of Kilauea.  The good news is that the side vent lava from Mauna Loa stopped about 1.7 miles from Saddle Road, so the commuters and truck traffic can continue.  A nice Christmas present from Pele.

 We're now a little behind in our holiday prep.  Hopefully we'll get some cards and letters out this weekend, and we'd like to put up a few more decorations. Busy, busy, busy.

Last week while we were in Santa Barbara we got some bad news from Ohio. A very good friend died suddenly and unexpectedly.  He was recovering from some minor surgery and had an infection that may have contributed, but no one knows for sure at this time.  His wife died from cancer about a year ago, and although he was devastated from that, he seemed to be upbeat and looking forward to a January trip to Israel.  He had just finished rebuilding his greenhouse and was doing other projects that kept him active and involved.  A real shame, and he will be sorely missed.

Later this morning I will be seeing my eye doctor.  I'm not sure how this will go.  My eyesight in both eyes went downhill while we were on the mainland, which I think is due to the cold weather.  As soon as the temperature drops to about 65d my eyes start watering and my nose runs -- constantly.  It could be that my eyes got really dried out from all that crying.  I'll let you know next week.

Ok, off the market and to our beach breakfast picnic.  Take care.  Stay warm and be good so Santa will be generous.