Pele

Volcanoes have melted rock in them.  I have a hard time wrapping my head around that.  Rocks are the very definition of solid.  Our yard here on the BI is filled with black rocks so sharp and hard that no one goes barefoot even in this hippy community.  I try to look out over our little subdivision and see it when it was covered with the lava that made these rocks.  The heat and awesome destruction must have been breath-taking.

We arrived at the volcano well after dark.  And driving up we could see the a red cloud glowing out of the darkness.  It was as if someone had put a sunset in the wrong side of the sky.  The lights of the gift shop to our backs the red glow of that liquid rock made the sky red and heavy.  It was a light that exuded power--deep and ancient power.

Pele--Hawaiian Goddess of the Volcano

You can see the resemblance I'm sure

Two vans had parked next to us while we were viewing the volcano.  They were white twelve passenger vans with some sort of writing on the side that I couldn't read in the darkness.  Someone had a drum and they were chanting.  Sitting on their bench seats with the seat belts slung to the side were 24 heavy set older Hawaiians.  The doors to both vans were open so you could hear the chanting before you could see the vans.  They were worshiping. I wish I could have jumped in and chanted along.  Pele makes you want to do that.  Death and life fire and rock, it is hard to not feel awestruck standing with something so beyond everything you have and are.