Pele's Playground

I spent Sunday with friends exploring the Lava Fields between two active volcanoes - Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. My friend Hui, from Yale, and her fiance, Brett, were going out to do a field day for Brett's research on primary succession of lava flows. They allowed Max and I to tag along and help with the measurements. It was such a great day of research, spelunking in an old lava tube, talking about goddesses and polynesian spirituality, as well as fulfilling a professional goal of visiting the Mauna Loa Observatory. Despite a cut up hand and sneakers and a sunburnt neck the day was one of the best in Hawaii so far.