Thursday, February 11, 2010

A First Plant Favorite

I just returned yesterday from a trip to Hawai'i. Specifically I was in Honolulu, on Waikiki. I enjoyed my first trip to Hawai'i immensely, although Waikiki was a little bit more large city and touristy than I expected. I knew there were large hotels and that Honolulu was a large city, but the streets along Waikiki reminded me more of the Vegas strip with the large, designer stores,bars, and people trying to sell you something every step of the way, than of the California beach towns I've visited before. I could go on and on about my entire trip but instead I'd rather share something I found that has a new place on my favorite list. And this is rare because it is a tree, and for those of you who know me know that I'm not exactly a plant person. But this tree is amazing. It is called a Banyan tree.

From 2010 Hawaii

And at first look, it may look like an ordinary tree. But this tree actually sends down roots from its branches to hold the weight of the long horizontally growing limbs. So not only do these trees provide an immense amount of shady areas to lounge in, but also a great supply of nesting areas for birds. We saw many of them along Waikiki but apparently in Lahaina, HI one of these trees has grown to cover two-thirds of an acre.
From 2010 Hawaii

From 2010 Hawaii

From 2010 Hawaii


Another interesting tree I found is the Royal Palm Tree. It grows fairly straight but gets wider and thiner in different areas.

From 2010 Hawaii

New Comics


I recently returned from a mini-vacation in Fairbanks, where I was happy to fit in a visit to the comic shop. I asked the owner what new title I should be reading, mentioning the fact that I enjoy Y:the Last Man and Fables. He recommended 'The Unwritten' from Vertigo comics.

'The Unwritten' follows Tom Taylor, the abandoned son of a famous children's book author. Tom's father has written a very Harry Potter type series that follows the main character Tommy Taylor who is obviously fashioned around Tom. After Tom's fathers disappearance, Tom does the convention circuit, playing it off like he is the character from the books. This has its disadvantages though, as fans compare Tom too closely with the character Tommy.

Soon, a scandal develops, hinting that Tom is actually Tommy made real in the flesh. Tom must now search for his true identity and strive to make sense of his weird life. So far its a fun read.

What comics are you reading? Send me your suggestions on what I should pick up on my next visit to the comic shop!

(image from Vertigo Comics )