Lava Land Part 18: Pohoiki

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Christmas Day Family Photo

As I look across Hilo Bay at the lava plume faintly in the distance I am worrying about what is happening 33 miles south and a few bays over at Pohoiki Bay.  I am imagining the waves glassy and the water sparkling in the morning light.  I am holding this picture in my mind as I pray for Pohoiki to be spared.  I yearn to be there watching my children surf, either sitting on a flat rock at Shack’s or on the little sand beach near 2nd Bay. It was always hard getting them out of the water.  You must have seen me.  I was the mom frantically waving and getting the one finger response, which meant one more wave.  Ten waves and one half hour later…  
Passages in my book “Blood on the Orchids” are about Poho'iki.  I am not my characters but their thoughts come out of my experiences.

Making Haupia 

“Pohoiki was beautiful in a wild way.  There were lush trails through the jungle along the coast by each of Poho'iki’s different surf breaks. The weekend afternoon scene could be a little hectic near the boat ramp because it was an ‘anything goes’ beach park.  While Violet and Ryan surfed, Lauren and Bruce sat on the picnic bench at Shack’s wishing everyone who walked by “Merry Christmas."  How could it be anything but, spending the holiday at the beach?  They watched everyone trying out new surfboards and body boards and winced watching the stand up paddle board newbies endangering other surfers as they careened off their boards.  It was a similar show each Christmas with everyone showing off their new bikinis and board shorts.  Christmas at the beach was their family tradition.  On this day, the ‘uncles’ were sitting around a picnic table telling fishing stories.”

Later on in the book as told from another character's point of view:

“Jenny went bodyboarding after work at Pohoiki. It was uncrowded since it was a weekday.  The water was warm and she felt better than she had all day from the moment she entered the water.  She loved looking at the dense jungle coastline from the vantage point of her bodyboard and seeing the peaceful expressions of other surfers and bodyboarders.  There was no need for conversation. She also loved the weightless feeling of when she first caught a wave- traversing the diagonal slope and then carving a path to the top once more if she was lucky. Her head felt clear after her time in the water.  While she was watching the sun go down behind the mountain it came to her that she was enjoying being on her own.  It had been a long time since she’d had this much time to herself.  She liked not being tied to a schedule.  She felt more creative.  Happiness bubbled up inside her. She had forgotten what it was to feel happy.  She didn’t remember what was possible, because she had been living with unhappiness for so long.  The unhappiness had made her feel dull and had carried over to every area of her life.”

Community 

Pohoiki isn't just about the surfers, it's about family and culture.  In 2016,  "Aunty" Luana Jones began organizing monthly Hawaiian cultural workshops.  One weekend my son Shelby and I, along with our neighbor Susan, learned to make haupia (coconut pudding), a process that began with the very physical husking and cracking of mature coconuts. It was an all day process that promoted community while passing down the recipe to a future generation.  

Please let the lava stop and Pohoiki be spared so we might spend another Christmas in her waters and on the coastline with our Pohoiki “ohana”. 

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Lava Land Part 17: Instability

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids"

Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

My daughter Jade at 1st Bay Pohoiki

I was going to write about something other than the lava and our experience post lava but I am still working through it and it feels right to share.  Walking through my new neighborhood with my dog Luna, I am obsessed with cracks in the pavement, always wondering how they came to be there, if they are recent and if they are a sign of something to come.  Our rental is near the highway and the lanai shakes when large trucks pass.   That concerns me.  I have moments of instability, I am realizing.  

We are making our rental house a home.  This week we will get our mattress off the floor and onto a wooden frame and fingers crossed, we may also get a sofa. We have lately become big internet consumers. We do buy locally when possible but online shopping is easier in my sometimes fragile emotional state.  My kitchen is set up and I baked my first loaves of bread since evacuating.  I forgot to add salt until the end and the loaves are like salt bagels with salt on the outside, but it’s a start. It has taken a while to remember where everything is.  I hid a chocolate bar from my son one night and it took me a week before I found it again.

My son Shelby making the most of a small day.

Puna is a feeling and today I looked around the beach at Honoli'i and thought, “Where are my people? These people don’t look like my people.”  My people were at Pohoiki—they were people I knew and people I didn’t know.  We knew each other by sight. Where are the “Uncles” who watched out for my kids, hung out at the picnic tables and told fish stories near the boat ramp?  I miss the clean, clear water of Kapoho and Pohoiki.  I am grateful for what good has come into our lives out of this tragedy, but I think it’s okay to complain because this is a grieving process and we are all mourning a place and a lifestyle.

I mopped the floors of our rental house today, the first housework I have done in my new home besides doing the dishes.  When we first moved here, I refused to care about the floors but I am working towards acceptance and healing. This week my goal is to take a yoga class. 

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids: Murder & Mystery on the Island of Hawaii"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Lava Land Part 16: Acceptance

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

We've moved to a long term rental.  At first Luna, our dog, was afraid to explore the yard.  Too much change.  It  was our third move in a month.  I get it.  It has been a few days and now she as settled in and is smiling again.  Yes, dogs do smile. It feels so good knowing we will not be moving again in another two weeks.  I know we are so much more fortunate in that we have found a good rental, but that didn’t stop me from having a meltdown a few days ago while shopping for a kitchen trash can.  They were on a high shelf and I couldn’t reach. I am 5’ tall.  The lids were scattered around the ground, none of them matching by the time I was done.  Choosing a trash can is not supposed to be challenging.  I did finally choose one.  I never would have imagined needing to choose household basics again in my lifetime.   While I waited in line, I began crying and by the time I walked out I was all in.  I haven’t cried as much as you would think I would during this time even though I’ve been so sad.  I’ve been too busy looking for a rental house, making to do lists and working on our insurance claim.  I called one of my Kapoho friends while driving back to our temporary rental.  All of you who have been affected by this lava flow, whether you have lost your home or business, do not retreat.  Reach out, call your neighborhood friends and talk about it.  They will understand and it will help your healing process.  Some day we won’t feel so dead inside and will begin looking forward. 

Volcanic Fireworks

I was interested in Hawaii island's volcanic eruptions before this one began and had been researching lava flows on the east side of the island for my next novel.  One of my library books, “The Archeology of Puna”, a geological survey of Kalapana, was in my house when the lava came.  The library has given me a pass on this book and I won't have to pay the replacement cost.  That is better than "the dog ate my homework".  Just kidding, the book really is under many feet of a'a.

I am looking forward to having a boring day with nothing to do but lay in my hammock and I hope it's soon.  

Happy Independence Day!

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Lava Land Part 15: The Spirit of Aloha Lives On

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Over the past few days I've called orchid growers all over the state to source cut orchids for my internet florist business and they have confirmed what I’d already suspected would happen as a result of six Kapoho nurseries being destroyed.  There is a severe shortage of Hawaii cut orchids and there will be for some time.  While signing up for FEMA I spoke to one grower and who said, “I’m in the late afternoon of my life.  I don’t have the time to rebuild.”  With Thailand underbidding Hawaii in the orchid industry, I wonder how many will decide to rebuild.

Ready for work (and play)

Some Kapoho residents, like my husband Drew, a landscape gardener whose business was located entirely in Kapoho and Mitzi Bettencourt, owner of Little Big House Hawaii, not only lost their homes, they lost their businesses as well.  

Bettencourt, a 30 year resident, designed, remodeled and managed many of the homes in her Vacationland subdivision.  “Her” homes had a distinctive eclectic island style and in the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright, her interiors were inspired by environment and functionality.  

Perfect island style kitchen designed by Mitzi Bettencourt

So many have lost work as a result of this eruption.  How many people will choose or even have the option to stay in Puna with the eruption so unstable?  I fear for the future of Pahoa after walking its streets recently.

On a positive note, the generosity of people during this time has been uplifting.  Today I was in Hilo shopping for basic household necessities since mine are under the lava with my house.  It was painful making decisions, remembering the items I was replacing.  At the checkout counter a woman who had overheard my conversation with the cashier approached me in the parking lot.  She pressed money into my hand and when I protested she insisted and offered me a free weekend at her vacation rental in Volcano.

Mitzi signs were everywhere in her beloved Vacationland.

I’d never met her before and she’d introduced herself as Bernie when I thanked her.  My friend Rosemarie said, “Can you imagine that ever happening on the mainland?”  Truly I cannot.  Several hours later, after finding her rental listing on the internet, I received an email. She is the mother of one of my Maui business contacts, someone I work with on a weekly basis, and she put it all together after looking at our family’s gofundme page.  I welcome anyone who has lost something as a result of this eruption to share their story about the kindnesses of others.  The spirit of Aloha lives!

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids" 

Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Lava Land Part 14: Aloha Kapoho, Aloha Puna

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

We spent many a Father's Day out in Kapoho Bay.

It’s been a week since since my last post, a week of action.  We finally caught a break in the form of a dear friend we hadn’t seen for two years dropping back into our lives and finding us a two week vacation rental near the ocean in Keaukaha.  It is a place where we can live on our own again until the next chapter of our lives begins.

I am still on the computer and phone most of the day, but at least now, in between calls to rental agencies, our insurance agent and friends and relatives, we take long healing walks and swims.   Our dog Luna has stopped shaking, having nightmares and over the past days has even resumed her daytime naps. 

My husband's "office".

For some days after we moved our small pile of possessions here, I avoided watching lava videos and updates, but a few days ago our family was offered a free lava excursion by Kalapana Cultural Tours, Ikaika Marzo’s outfit.  At the beginning of the three and a half hour boat ride, he set the tone by reverently announcing that some aboard the boat had lost their homes to the lava.  It was a cold, rainy, bumpy ride that began at 3:30 a.m.  We saw the Kapoho lighthouse, for us the only recognizable remaining landmark of the area.  The boat was encompassed in a sulfphury steam that reminded me of the sulphur baths on Israel’s Dead Sea where I had lived a happy year on a kibbutz in my twenties.  One of the deck hands,  Kainoa Hauanio, a Hawaii County Lifeguard who had recently lost his home in Leilani, showed us where Champagne Pond had been.  It was incomprehensible thinking of the many hours (thousands) I had spent snorkeling and enjoying its beauty with family and friends.  We climbed to the top deck of the boat to get a better view.  It was not a healing experience, but it was an affirmation.

We weren’t able to see the lava river they are now calling the Kapoho river.  Maybe a helicopter ride will be my next step.

Our Pond

My appetite is returning and I have even found my hairbrush, although my husband noticed yesterday that we are grayer than we were before the lava came.  I have pledged to stop feeling so scared about all of this change because it is the only way forward, at least that is what my husband keeps telling me.  My friend Lorn who has lately been volunteering at ‘The Hub’ said, “Someday this will be a story you will tell to your grandkids.”  I am looking forward to looking back on this.  Aloha Kapoho, Aloha Puna. Happy Father's Day!

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids" 

A Love Letter to Kapoho & Puna
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Lava Land Part 13: Changed

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Luna looking out at Kapoho bay from "our access".

I have surrendered and am no longer cooking dinners.  My husband is not too stoked about this but for once I don’t care.  For the past three nights we’ve picked up delicious food from the “Hub”, our new favorite restaurant.   I am so thankful to all of the kind people that have volunteered their time. I am too sad right now to cook well.  I can barely brush my hair or even find my brush right now.  

What I want most is to go home, go to sleep and wake up in my own comfortable bed, walk out to the lanai hear the thump, thump of my dog Luna’s tail,  fall upon her with kisses and rubs, then go back inside and make the coffee.  I miss my mornings.

Tonight after we picked up the dinner, we turned right out of the parking lot and headed toward Lava Tree forest.  We knew the road block would be ahead but we continued because we wanted to drive this road one more time.

Each day seems endless and filled with emails for prospective rentals and phone calls to our insurance adjuster and our insurance advocator (who dropped into our lives as if from heaven). The hardest part is waking up each morning and remembering.  Our main focus is still looking for a rental house.  As it turns out most of the good rentals don’t allow dogs.   Our dog has given us so much comfort during this time.

We signed a lease for a rental in Captain Cook two days ago, after driving 2 1/2 hours to look at it and today the landlord called and said, “My wife is very intuitive she’s been praying on this for a few days and we think it isn’t going to work out for you here. We would like to break the lease.”

Each of our morning walks ended here.

We still can’t believe this actually happened.  They weren’t intuitive or compassionate about our situation. I wonder how people like that can live with themselves?  We feel like we were saved from a bad situation. It's the only way we can make sense of it. 

Today is a new day and my husband and I must rise to challenge our circumstances as we all must do now.  I pledge to strive to move forward and feel acceptance.  We have an opportunity to go on a lava boat Wednesday.   It is hard to see the media footage and the pictures and associate them with my home, our community. I need to see Kapoho covered by lava with my own eyes to make it real.  It is hard to see the footage and the pictures and associate them with my home, our community.  Seeing the changed coastline will be dramatic.  I don't know what it will take to bring closure but I think this could be a start. 

By Jill Steele

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

Steele Emergency Lava Relief Fund:  gofundme

Lava Land Part 12: United in Tragedy

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers

So many beautiful spots gone.

Everyone in Puna is mourning.  We have all lost something.  There is a different feeling about Pahoa.   People wear it on their faces, you can see the sadness and the sleepless nights in their eyes.  At the “Hub”, which is what everyone is calling the intersection of Highway 130  and 132, the road we used to be able to use to drive to our homes in Leilani and Kapoho, there are a lot of nice people, volunteering their time, cooking, sorting and serving.  It’s a store where money isn’t a credential and tragedy is.  

Some of us are sad for friends.  Some of us are sad for our lost surf spots and beaches and some us are refugees.  There are two types of refugees. There are the evacuees and there are those who have lost their homes.  We have all lost our way of life.

The most beautiful tree in Kapoho.

I spend my days combing the rentals on social media sites, something I never dreamed I’d be doing at this stage of my life, except for helping my kids with their housing needs.  I broke down  earlier this week after looking at two particularly awful places.  

Tackling the insurance claim we need to file is terrifying, so I attended an insurance forum   presented by a non profit outfit yesterday.  The room was inadequate and people stood outdoors in the rain straining to listen.  I found the language and the terms they used confusing.  I had to leave after an argument broke out between one of the attendees and a presenter. We deserved better than more drama.

Kapoho Bay

At the Pahoa Community Center there are various organizations such as the Red Cross, Catholic Charities and veteran’s groups.  They are fully staffed and seem efficient.  They all seem to conduct themselves with the right amount of compassion.  It is humanity at it’s best.  

I was in Hilo today to picking up a document and found it odd that people were seemingly unaffected.  I wondered how life could be going on as normal.  Puna is it’s own planet at the moment, an island unto itself so to speak, but we are united in our tragedy.

Author "Blood on the Orchids"
Owner Hawaiian Magic Tropical Flowers