And, hey, it’s Rey. The Boss is off, enjoying a snow day, play day. Well, not really, but she’s taking the day off.
Living on Oahu these days, we don’t see snow except on TV or media. To experience it, we’d have to fly to Big Island or the Mainland. Do we miss it? JJ does; she likes to skate and toboggan and stroll through the soft white fluff. Linda says she can take it or leave it. Me? I can do without it—except maybe around the holidays. There’s something about a fire, woolly socks and flannel PJs . . . and snowflakes drifting past uncurtained windows.
So, that leaves me to post. Well, JJ and I flipped a coin and I won . . . or lost . . . or whatever. And I don’t have a clue as to what to write about—except, well, maybe snow.
Yes, Hawaii does get it. Surprised? He-he. So was I. I only found out once we’d moved here. It snows every year, in fact, but only on the peaks of three volcanoes: Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on Big Island, and Haleakala on Maui. It’s not usually that much and it doesn’t stick around very long, but it’s there. Oh, there’s also been the odd snowstorm and blizzard. Yeah, really!
What’s more, hurricane-strength winds blow fairly regularly on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, which results in snowbanks and ice formations. Last year, the latter saw nearly 3’ of it, creating deep snow drifts. The white stuff has also been documented as having fallen on the peaks of Molokai and been photographed on another Big Island volcano—a dormant one—Hualalai.
And, not to forget our new home: in 1953, snow pellets descended on Oahu during a series of thunderstorms. Can you spell brrrrrrrrr?
Winter weather ain’t as rare an event in Paradise as ya think. On that note, think I’ll grab me a cup of hot cocoa—heavy on the ‘mallows!
The Writer's Grab-Bag 