Volcano Hideaways

08/26/2026

Kilauea's spectacular Episode 54 on 25 August 2026 in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 😍

08/25/2026

At the Hawaii Cycling Club’s time trial event in Waikoloa this past Sunday, Todd attributes his less-than-stellar performance to his passenger’s steady weight gain and lack of focus on the task 😉
Our grandbaby Weston is now 7 months old ☺️

08/24/2026

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has partially reopened! We will be able to view the Episode 54 eruption that will happen soon — maybe tomorrow!

Some Areas in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Reopen

08/24/2026

UPDATE: The park has reopened!
It's a beautiful sunny Monday morning in Volcano, Hawaii! The storms have passed -- no rain, no wind, power is back on!! The volcano is rapidly inflating and Kilauea is gearing up for the Episode 54 eruption! Hopefully Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will reopen so we can see it!!
This photo is from the most recent Episode 53 as the fountaining was just beginning and the fresh lava was glittering silver in the sunlight -- on 12 August 2026.

08/23/2026

Our donkeys coming down the steep trail from our gravity feed catchment tank to our house this morning. At the end of the reel I pet Butch… something he’s only recently allowed me to do in the 15 years since we adopted him from the wild Waikoloa Nightingales roundup on the Big Island of Hawaii.
We’ve heard from our neighbors in Volcano that the power has finally been restored after Hurricane Lala swept by the island 8 days ago — just in time for Tropical Depression Moke that will pass by later today (I hope our good fortune isn’t short-lived). I’ll be heading home soon to make sure our house and our rentals all have power too! And then it will be time for Kīlauea to erupt in the impending Episode 54!

08/23/2026

Now how do we proceed? Is this a dead end on our river adventure? Nope! We got down and back up!

08/23/2026

Driving to the Wailuku in Dan’s Jeep was an adventure unto itself!! Turn on the sound to hear me fret! 😅

08/23/2026

In the wake of Hurricane Lala and in advance of Tropical Storm Moke, Dan had the foolish idea to hike the most dangerous river on the Big Island of Hawaii — the Wailuku. “Wailuku” translates to “destroying water” and it has a reputation for violence in times of high waters and flash flooding. He asked if I wanted to join him and I thought for a bit… normally I like to stick close to home when the volcano is about to erupt, but with the National Park having closed preemptively before the storm there was no point hanging around… so I said “Sure!” The morning was beautiful and sunny and we met far up on Saddle Road where I transferred into Dan’s Jeep and we 4wheeled down a rough and puddled route to the river. Oh my! There were waterfalls everywhere and the sun lit the water in brilliant hues of blue and green. We rock hopped for miles, at times taking to the water to access the next spots. Luckily my hat has a pocket where I can store my iPhone because sometimes I was immersed up to my neck with my hiking boots and backpack filled with water! At one point it began to drizzle and we didn’t want to push our luck, so we turned around. It’s uncertain that we’ll actually feel major effects from Moke passing far south of us, so I hope Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will reconsider and open their gates for Kilauea’s impending Episode 54!!

08/20/2026

Our power isn’t due to be restored in Volcano until Sunday the 23rd, after Hurricane Lala roared past the Big Island of Hawaii on the 15th, leaving mayhem in her wake. Parts of the island were destroyed and we hadn’t been out to check on our donkeys in Papa’aloa yet, so we packed up what remaining food we had and left Volcano… moving in to our Io’s Nest vacation rental overlooking the Hamakua Coast where we are completely off the grid and self sufficient. We lost two trees here but all is well otherwise and we’re thanking our lucky stars 🌟. Hopefully the next storm, Tropical Depression Moke that is due in a few days, won’t be too bad…

08/17/2026

Today is our 35th anniversary and the hurricane reminds me of our wedding. Our venue had been double booked and at the last moment we found ourselves ushered down to a construction site between two high rises in Honolulu that funneled the wind through in gusts. Chairs folded when people stood up and lettuce flew when the salads were brought out, staining people’s clothes with salad dressing. In our video of wedding vows you can hear nothing but the wind howling. My friends comforted me by saying, “Bad wedding good marriage.” Did they just make that up on the spot? Anyway Todd and I are still together so maybe the saying holds true! I hope we can find a restaurant with power so we can celebrate 🎉