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Aloha from Hawaii

I'm working a night shift on the big island of Hawaii watching the Halema`uma`u vent and data feeds. My 16 days of working 8pm to 4am are almost over and while I love being here, I miss my family. I have to admit that not being able to talk to the kids because of my hours has been really hard. I've been sending pictures by email and writing postcards but it's not the same. If ever do it again, I will spend more time setting up video calls with our computers for the weekends.

Knowing the night shift was going to be hard, I brought several comfort items from home. There were four items I used every day. The first is a 10 Motor Back Massager with Heat that drapes over a chair. It was heavy and bulky but totally worth it for calming down before going to sleep in the morning. I'm using it as I write this too. The next item I couldn't have done this without is my Bucky Pillow and Eye Shade Set. The neck pillow was used on every flight and I slept with the eye pillow every day. I'm not sure I could have gotten to sleep at 10:30 am in beautiful Hawaii without it.

The next is my 5 Days A Week Paper Mousepad scheduler from KnockKnock. It helped me plan my days (nights) and I enjoyed checking things off my list, even at 2:30 am. And finally, my Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder. It's much easier to explain plumes, how lava explodes as it enters the ocean, and what pahoehoe looks like, with video.

Thinking of the exploding lava, here is a link to an article a colleague wrote about a visit to the ocean entry during an explosive phase. I was next to him when he took the pictures. It's the July 10th article. http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/current_issue.html

And if you're on the main island of Hawaii, stop by the Jaggar visitor center to enjoy the plume. It's mesmerizing.

Mahalo S for being so amazing and watching the kids. I look forward to getting back to my family but I will miss the volcano.