[Rockhounds] Visit from a List member, & a lava report

[Kitty & Bill Heacox]

Last Saturday I greeted Alan Goldstein and his wife, Debbie, and 
their daughters Rachel and Emily, as they got off the plane here in 
Hilo, with the traditional flower leis.  The next day we went to the 
Volcanoes National Park, but were not able to see as much as we would 
have liked, because one of the most interesting sections of the park 
near Mauna Ulu is still closed because of recent earthquakes.  The 
weather was mostly rainy and windy, and there was no red lava to be 
seen;  that's the trouble with Mother Nature:  she often fails to 
cooperate with humans!

I had hoped to have the Goldsteins visit our home and see our 
collection, but they were on a tight schedule---only two days on the 
Hilo side, and then on to Kona.  Nevertheless it was fun to meet a 
rockhound we've met in cyberspace.

Almost as soon as they left, lava began to flow out of Pu'u O'o for 
the first time in over 15 years.  If you search "Pu'u O'o lava" (I 
used Google News) you'll find several sites about the new flow, and a 
few pictures and a small video.  The area is not visible to tourists, 
however, and the only safe way to observe is via helicopter; for the 
dangers, see:

www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/13761887/detail.html

Aloha, Kitty