Aloha and best wishes from glorious Hawaii!!!! I am here in Hilo with my grandson today. It is cloudy and quite pleasant. God's country was a balmy 50 degrees this morning. This morning the house next door had 3 cars in the mud that passes as a driveway. They need to scrape the mud off and lay a bed of gravel.

The vent in Halema'uma'u is getting hotter and is producing more tephra. Still no glow at night but if the trend continues we just might get a show. The hole in the floor of the crater is getting larger. Tremor is up slightly, but RB2S2BL quakes are still within background levels. SO2 has not been measured since the 13th so levels are just an educated guess.

I read an interesting story yesterday about the home town of President Obama's father. The people there expect him (Obama) to rescue them by building schools, clinics, and roads and to send them food. The tradition there is that that is what one does for their relatives when one gets into a position of power. I am afraid that the expectations of this nation and the rest of the world are so high that no matter what happens there will be great disappointment. It should be noted that the Great Depression ended because of WW2, and the war goods that the US sent to Europe.

Take care of each other and may God bless each and every one of you and may God bless America.