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Sunday drive in Ka‘u

Spent Sunday on a tribute project for a fallen friend which took me to Ka‘u. A beautiful part of the island that I haven’t been to for over a year.

Ka Lae, also known as South Point, is the Southern most point of the United States. The ocean on the left is on the Windward side of the island and you can see the wind buffeted whitecaps, the right side is the Leeward side and it looks much calmer. Photo by Baron Sekiya
Ka Lae, also known as South Point, is the Southern most point of the United States. The ocean on the left is on the Windward side of the island and you can see the wind buffeted whitecaps, the right side is the Leeward side and it looks much calmer. Photo by Baron Sekiya
The Kahuku Unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a great place to hike, go bird watching and enjoy the peacefulness. The upper part of the park is closed to visitors to protect the Ohia forest from Rapid Ohia Death (ROD) which has killed a large number of trees on the island. If they detect ROD in the upper part they will open it again to visitors but this would be troubling as it would mean the problem has spread there. Park service staff suggests using a spray of alcohol or a bleach solution on shoes before entering hiking trails to prevent the possible contamination of the area. Photo by Baron Sekiya
The Kahuku Unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a great place to hike, go bird watching and enjoy the peacefulness. The upper part of the park is closed to visitors to protect the Ohia forest from Rapid Ohia Death (ROD) which has killed a large number of trees on the island. If they detect ROD in the upper part they will open it again to visitors but this would be troubling as it would mean the problem has spread there. Park service staff suggests using a spray of alcohol or a bleach solution on shoes before entering hiking trails to prevent the possible contamination of the area. Photo by Baron Sekiya

For more information about Rapid Ohia Death visit: www2.ctahr.hawaii.ed…

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Birthday Present Piggy

I was driving up Laupahoehoe Point Road when off in the distance I saw a small black thing moving around. I thought it was a Mynah Bird and it would take-off as I got closer then when I got closer I could see it was a tiny piglet. See the video.

Piggy into the car with me.
Piggy into the car with me. Photo by Baron

This piglet was tiny and probably only a day or two old, it even had some of its umbilical cord still attached. If you’re familiar with this roadway you know that on the makai (ocean) side it’s a steep drop-off, on the mauka (mountain) side it a vertical rock wall. Momma pig wasn’t in sight or hearing distance and the road is only about one lane wide. So I scooped-up the piglet, swaddled him in a beachtowel in my lap to ride further up the road. There was lots of traffic after I picked him up with school buses coming down the road and tourists driving up/down too. Surely he would have been hit, fallen down the cliff or caused someone to swerve to avoid him crashing into the wall or down the cliff themselves.

Piggy wrapped in a beach towel in my lap for a ride up the hill.
Piggy wrapped in a beach towel in my lap for a ride up the hill. Almost looks like a bat due to the lack of fur since it’s so young. Photo by Baron

Now what to do with this Piggy! No mother around, too dangerous to leave out, much too young to survive on his own. After posting messages online to see about any takers I finally got in touch with Jane who connected me with Regina in Kona who offered to take in the little guy. Regina does work with the humane society, loves animals and happened to be nursing a couple other piglets back to health the past couple of weeks. So it was off for a 50 mile ride to Kona. Piggy burrowed into my beach towel on my passenger seat and nested in there snoozing away during the drive. He was weak but was also a very tame, well behaved piglet.

Success! After a few stops in Honokaa and Waimea I finally got to Kona where Regina took over Piggy for some needed care. She said he looked dehydrated and would need to be fed goat’s milk every two hours and kept warm. Regina is an angel for doing this and caring for animals.

Help arrives with Regina getting Piggy from me in Kona.
Help arrives with Regina getting Piggy from me in Kona. Photo by Baron
Pig in a blanket. Fed and snugged in for the night in Kona thanks to Regina.
Pig in a blanket. Fed and snugged in for the night in Kona thanks to Regina. Photo courtesy of Regina
Uncle Bunk watching over Piggy resting with a heat pad after a stressful day.
Uncle Bunk watching over Piggy resting with a heat pad after a stressful day. Photo courtesy of Regina

Video of Piggy 24 hours later, eating well and active. Video courtesy of Regina

So even though my travels were delayed I think it turned out to be an interesting birthday day for me. Huge mahalo to Karin, Jane and Regina who called around and took in the piglet to be nursed back to health. Lucky I live on the Big Island with such caring people!

UPDATED (8:36 a.m. on 2/10/2016)

From Jane, ‘Your other birthday surprise: we have named him: Baron Von Piggleswein!’

My namesake piggy.

Update photo by Regina for National Pig Day. February 29, 2016.
Update photo by Regina for National Pig Day. February 29, 2016.