Big Island times

After nearly a week in Hilo, I have accomplished many things.  Firstly I patched the leak in the transom, so I hope to take on much less water on future passages, I also got the engine sealed up nice and tight, and the mainsheet is more strongly attached.  I broke it on the trip...
But most important, I went and walked around with my camera.  On June 1 I took the day to recreate and here are some pictures...

There are really nice people on the boats here, two of which are here:
 Then I walked around in this garden park, and the soft rain pattered overhead, with sunbreaks shining through here and there...

 I think the garden has a japanese theme to it.  It was very green, and there were lots of birds.  I don't know the species of Dove or finch, but they look nice.  I hear they aren't native...
There were ducks.  Where do ducks come from?  They can't fly here on their own, so the must have been brought.

 Here is a mongoose.  Maybe a relative of Rikki Tikki Tavi!

I went up to Volcano, hitching a ride with a man with a parrot on his shoulder...  Up at altitude the plants are different, and I saw this nice white flower and some different ferns...

 This looks like Kinninnik a little bit, but I don't know.  It can grow in the high sulfur areas near the volcano.

 There were steam vents, and the steam blowing in the wind was really pretty.  This path goes along the crater rim and in the far distance is the lava lake...

 When the lava comes down to the water it makes a beautiful coastline.