Monday, November 28, 2022

 Monday, November 28, 2022

 I woke up to the news that Mauna Loa had erupted. We'd been expecting this. The earthquakes were increasing- a sign that the mountain was up to something. The question wasn't, 'Would it erupt?" It was 'When would it erupt?'. We had our answer this morning.

  People were concerned about the path of flow. Those living in South Kona started evacuating on their own initiative. Shelters were opened in downtown Kona.  

    How long will the eruption last? It usually lasted only one or two weeks, but that's what they said about Kilauea when it erupted in 1983. It lasted till 2018-—Twenty-five years straight, spewing fumes into the air, creating vog that plagued the whole island. 

  I was up before the alarm but stayed in bed, did my in-bed exercises, and dozed. I got up because I had several texts asking me about the eruption.

  My guests and I  had traveled for two hours to Volcano. Then we walked a mile in the dark to view the eruption at Kilauea, which looked like a kids' bonfire, to see the glow of the more spectacular eruption from my front window. No, I was in no danger from the lava flow. The mountain I lived on blocks the lava flow from Mauna Loa. I would be affected as members of my community evacuated and lost their homes. The flow from Kilauea is slow because the slope is gentle. The lava moves toward the ocean slowly. The slope of Mauna Loa is much steeper. The lava would reach the ocean at a much faster pace. As I ran into people on my morning walk, that's all we talked about.

   The reports said the lava flow wasn't great enough to leave the caldera. They also said the largest eruption was the first. After that, they would die down. Hopefully, they're right.  

  When I spoke to Judy today, I told her what those folks we ran into at the black sand beach said about life in Portland. In the last five years, the crime rate has radically increased. The folks we talked to blamed the mayor and his policies. I needed to learn more to evaluate their opinion. I  knew there was a country-wide housing shortage, and the number of homeless people had radically increased. I also knew that the climate in Portland is suitable for outdoor living. Those factors have to be part of the problem.  

  Judy asked why they couldn't create communities for the homeless with small houses. On Lanai, there is a cat sanctuary for wild cats. It's a tourist attraction. Why can't we do something comparable homeless?

  The homeless set up their own settlement on Oahu. It was well-maintained and controlled. Two women were the recognized bosses of the community. If someone violated the rules, they were booted out. The powers that be shut the community down because they drew on the water supply for the harbor. Instead of supporting a stable community, they broke it up. The cats have it better. There is even a vet on site. Animals that don't get along with the other cats are kept separate from the larger community until they adjust. Mental health support could be provided for the homeless. Judy suggested that special provisions could be made for those who didn't want to give up alcohol or drugs, along with AA and NA programs on site.