Hilo Daily Image

 

 

 

 

If you missed yesterday, this week is "Back Corner Week," because the back corner is all overgrown again -- a plus for the photographer me, a minus for the yard worker me.

 

This variety of ornamental taro (kalo) is  endlessly interesting visually. Not only do the purple stems and veins make some wonderful contrasts, but the leaves themselves have whorls and gyres. I have four or five clumps of these out in the back.  Lucky for me, the wild pigs aren't interested in rooting them up and eating their corms. The pigs have been visiting at night and leaving their calling cards in the yard. Because they haven't found anything to root up, their poop is the only evidence of their presence.

 

I'm reminded of a Nagovisi proverb: tuntulu go walioi, poka go wanikunala. There's a tree (tuntulu) that drops seedpods that look like pig poop (poka).

 

Literally, "Disgusted by the seed pod, stepped in pig poop."

 

Months ago I got a shot of this variety (but in a different place) that I really liked. Today I was trying to beat the rain and so when I saw this one I decided to shoot at 200 mm, focus on the leaf's edge, and use the widest aperture I had (f/2.8).

 

I have two rain jackets for the camera. One is a newer light-weight one that works fine, and the other, which I can't find (it was packed in Colden and no doubt is still in a box somewhere here) is much more heavy-duty. I have the feeling that I'm going to be using a rain jacket this week.