The rain clouds have a hard time getting past Mauna Kea. At over 13,000
feet, it's really hard to ignore. So the leeward side of the Big Island has a
much drier climate than the windward side.
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Here is the area around Waikoloa Village (where our condo was) as seen
from the air. Irrigation makes all the difference. The lack of rain keeps
the lava from breaking down as fast as it does elsewhere. |
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Even area that were spared by the lava flows (Kipukas) have dry scraggly
vegetation such as Mesquite (Kiawe) and hardy grasses. |
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But not far away, the Kohala mountains catch the rain clouds and create
a climate that reminds me of summer in Vermont, only cooler. |
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The ancestors of these donkeys were brought in as pack animals. They are
now on their own, and cross the main highway in herds morning and evening
to get to their watering holes. |
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