MIS Hawaii Field Study: From Mrs. West

Saturday, June 18, 2011

From Mrs. West

"The Adventure Begins"
It is 4:13 "Arkansas" time on Friday, June 17th and I have officially set a few new personal records for longest time awake, longest time sitting in one seat, and longest time hanging over an open body of water as I have been on this plane for nearly eight hours. As I sit in my cozy little seat next to Mrs. Grimes, I am amazed at how our journey has played out so far. It all started at what seems like days ago (as I have not slept for more than twenty minutes at a time in over 36 hours) when I picked Mrs. Longing up at her house so that we could leave from my house at 3:30 a.m. for the airport. While sleep was discussed somewhere during the course of the night, it literally flew out the front door when a bird flew into my house through the chimney, knocked itself silly on my daughters bedroom wall and had to be rescued (via a towel being thrown over it) and set free by Mrs. Longing (my hero) somewhere around 11:00. After that excitement, I decided that I should probably finish packing and since I would just have to get up in a couple of hours anyway, a decision to just stay up was made.

Once at the airport, check in was a breeze. Although Maddie, The Mad Scientist, got a few strange looks. It's hard not to stare at that amazing head of hair that Maddie displays.

Since being on the plan we have seen some amazing sights. We have encountered clouds in the most amazing shapes and colors as the rising sun gave life to the sky. We have crossed the Guadalupe Mountains, the Edwards Plateau, the San Juan and the Chocolate Mountains. Yes, you read that correctly, the Chocolate Mountains. From the view point of the plane, the mountain tops really did look like little ribbons of chocolate amidst sea of creamy white. We have also viewed humanity in its most sincere way. Mrs. Grimes and I met a mother and daughter who were traveling to "make a wish" come true. The daughter was a sixteen year old who was winning the battle against cancer and feeling strong enough to try surfing tomorrow. As her mother and I visited, her strength was obvious and I was reminded that troubles such as a bird loose in my house are just small pebbles on the road of life. As I recounted the bird story with her she told me that she had once known a ninety year old Italian woman who said that a bird flying in your house was good luck. I could't help but smile thinking of the timing. The bird could have flown in my chimney on many previous occasions, or even tonight when no one would have there to set it free. But...it flew in as we where about it embark on the adventure of a life time for our MIS kids. I love how God never ceases to amaze me with his timing and cleverly crafted intertwining of lives.
Mrs. West

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Mallie and Lindy wanted to know....Will any of the teachers do the hula?

Jordan wanted to know ......How close can you get to the lava without hurting yourself.

The answer is.....it depends. If the lava is from an old flow, it has cooled and hardened. Because cooled lava is black it can be hot to the touch, but only if the sun has been shining down on it. The only other danger cooled lava poses is if you fall on it. It is very rough and feels a little like broken glass. If the lava is from an active flow and the wind is at your back you can get close enough to get a sample but only for a minute or so. However, if you are downwind, heat from the flow can singe your hair and blister your sink. The poisonous gases would also cause serious respiratory distress.

Ansin and Desia wanted to know....Does Hawaii have stores or electricity?

Grace wanted to know....What is the mongoose population?

The answer is....too many to count!!! According to the research that I have done, mongoose are numerous in number (much like squirrels are in Arkansas). Mongoose are not indigenous to the Hawaii. They were introduced to the islands in 1883 to help control the rat population. This backfired slightly when the mongoose population exploded. Mongoose have become a nuisance. In fact, it is reported that at one time a bed and breakfast near Volcano Village would give you a free night's stay if you brought in a mongoose that had been run over. YUCK!!! You would like that with all these mongoose running around it would be easier for Mrs. Grimes to catch one.

Ansin wanted to know....Does it snow in Hawaii?

The answer is.....Why yes, it does! It snows every year, but only at the summits of the three tallest volcanoes. The snow level almost never gets below an elevation of 9,000 feet during the winter. Since these mountains are 10,000 plus feet above sea level, they get dusted with snow a few times a year. The snow rarely stays on the ground for more than a few days. There have been a few times that snow has fallen lower than an elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level. However, these are considered "freak" storms.

Grace wanted to know....What part of the population is native Hawaiian?

Hannah wanted to know....What is the most unique thing you have learned?

The answer is....different for each of us. Mrs. Grimes thinks that the most unique thing she has learned is that oil from the USS Arizona is still leaking into Pearl Harbor. Mrs. Norton thinks the most unique thing she learned is that the parrotfish excretes sand. (Who knew!) Mrs. Longing thinks the most unique thing she has learned is that you can walk through lava tubes. She is amazed that something so cool and damp once held 2,300 degree molten pahoehoe (lava). Mrs. Harrison thinks that the most unique thing she has learned is that a female triggerfish will become a male triggerfish when the male leader of the group dies. (Really!) Mrs. West thinks that the most unique thing she has learned is that there are so many different climate zones in Hawaii. Maddie the Mad Scientist thinks the most unique thing she has learned is that black sand is made from iron silicate.

Jamaya wanted to know....Where did the Hawaiian people get the name Hawaii?

Jordan wanted to know....What is one type of snake in Hawaii?

The answer is....there are two types of snakes. One is a poisonous sea snake that lives in the surrounding waters of the islands. The other type of snake is the Brahminy Blinde snake. However, this snake is so small that most people don't really consider it to be a snake at all. Rather, they think it is a worm. These snakes were introduced to the islands in the 1980's in potting soil that is thought to have come from the Philippines. The snakes eat termites, ants, and other arthropods. !!!! However, there are no indigenous snakes. While at first thought this seems almost impossible, it really does make sense. After all, Hawaii is an island with no natural way for snakes to have made their way here. If a snake is found, it is presumed to have been brought here by people. Prior to 9-11, snakes were smuggled into the state to be kept as pets. If these were found they were confiscated and delivered to the Department of Wildlife for quarantine. Since the security crack-down after 9-11, it is almost impossible for snakes to be brought into this state. The reason for wanting the snakes to be kept away isn't just because they are feared, but rather because they would deplete the bird population.

Tarkya wants to know.... How long did it take us to get to Hawaii?

The answer is.... about 10 hours by plane. Of course traveling to the airport added to our total travel time as did lay-overs. Lay-overs are times between flights. Often when you fly out of Little Rock you have to travel to another airport, get off the plane and then get on another to continue to your destination. The time you spend waiting between those two flights is called a lay-over. With travel time, flight time, and lay-overs, it took us a total of fifteen hours to get to Hawaii. Wow!!

Photos

Saturday, June 18, 2011

From Mrs. West

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Food Critics at Dole Plantation

Tree Lava Molds

South Point

Hula

Earwig

Can Tabs

Kilauea

Rainbow Falls

Milo

Sunset Beach on North Shore of Oahu

History

Botanical Garden

Sliver Sword Plant