The Best Sweetener: Erythritol

Edit: August 8, 2024. Erythritol is linked to blood clotting and a risk of heart disease. https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/08/health/erythritol-blood-clotting-wellness/index.html

Edit: February 27, 2023! Erythritol can be harmful! It is linked to heart attacks and strokes! https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/health/zero-calorie-sweetener-heart-attack-stroke-wellness/index.html

Original article:

I thought all low calorie sweeteners were harmful until I found this.

• No adverse effects associated with other low and non-caloric natural and artificial sweeteners
• May have antioxidant potential
• Has 60-80% the sweetness of sugar
• Can be used in baking
• Safe for diabetics

Buy the powder since the granular form needs to be dissolved in liquid otherwise it remains granular.  It is $9 a pound for powder in the US, and in Canada ranging from $8/lb (5 lb bag includes $10 shipping) (but may crystallize in liquids after a time), $12 (free shipping), or $19 per pound (free shipping) in Canada.

If using it in baking, it is a little tricky.  It really really wants to re-crystallize.  Be careful when putting it in things that are dry, like cookies and brownies, as it will re-crystallize as it cools.  You can prevent this effect by using it in a combination of 1:8 of Thick-it-up Low Carb Thickener to erythritol (2 T per cup) for powdered form and 4 T/cup for granular form.

For higher liquid products, like icing and pies, you should be okay, but you can also grind it into a powder if it has re-crystallized in storage or if you have the granular form.

It leaves a cooling/minty effect in your mouth in some cases.  Some bakers like the crunch from the re-crystallization in their products.

On a cautionary note...

Erthryitol was rejected by the EFSA in March 2013 as an additive to soft drinks because for children aged 3-9 years old (22 kg on average), drinking 650 mL of the soft drink had a laxative effect.  I don't know what kind of parent would let their sub-10 year old drink the equivalent of two cans of pop a day, but I'm sure they exist.

Here is a list of harmful sweeteners:

acesulfame-K (Sweet One) - DNA damage

aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) - hypertension

cyclamate (Sugar Twin) - banned 39 years ago but still sold in Canada

saccharin (Sweet'N'Low) - bladder cancer

sucralose (Splenda) - migraine trigger

sorbitol, xylitol - (Extra, Eclipse, Orbit...) - laxative

We don't know whether stevia is safe.  Yet.  I bought stevia leaf powder, and it was horrible to use.  It had a distinctive leafy green taste, and a terrible aftertaste.  Not the kind of stuff I want to put in my baking or tea.

Bringing A New Kitten Home

Here's a journal of our first days with the kittens, to be updated as we go along, so you know what to expect.  Each kitten is different, and here is our story.

The kittens are 8 weeks old (and three days) and were found in an abandoned house with their mother, aunt, and grandmother.  All three adult cats had kittens at the same time... The kittens' mother was only one year old when she gave birth.  Thus the importance of spaying your cat by five months old.  The kittens are two sisters in a family of five: four sisters and a brother.  All were black with random white hairs, except the one with Siamese markings, pictured above.  We had wanted only one kitten, but ended up with two when we decided that she would be lonely.

Day 1

5:30 pm.  We were glad of our decision already by the time we'd put both cats into the carrier for the 30 minute ride home in rush hour traffic.  The kittens huddled together, quietly, nervously quivering.

6:00 pm.  Arrival home, both kittens huddled in carrier, with door left open.  We put the kittens in the bathroom so they would not be overwhelmed by the large wide open spaces of the house.

7:30 pm.  White comes out of carrier.

8:00 pm.  White starts playing with kids.

9:00 pm.  Feeding First Mate Chicken Cat Food mixed with warm water.  Black comes out and eats like she was starved.  White does not eat and goes to sleep.

Day 2

7:00 am.  My youngest daughter wakes up the kittens by checking in on them.  They were silent all night.

8:00 am.  Breakfast.  Both eat, White quite heartily.  White keeps pausing to paw the ground and she looks nervous and jumpy, exploring all over.  I was concerned that she was looking for a place to pee...

12:00 pm.  Lunch.  Both eat.  Then nap.

3:00 pm.  Black pees for the first time in the litter, after I send a frantic email to the shelter concerned that they haven't peed for nearly 24 hours.  White pees seconds after.  Black poos minutes after.

4:15 pm.  Dinner.  Black eats well, White eat some then starts pawing the ground.

4:45 pm.  White pees.

5:00 pm.  First purr.  White approaching us and wanting some loving.  We cough up some love, and she purrs.

Day 8

The kittens are purr machines.  You touch them, and that is the "on" switch for the purr machine.  My supplies finally arrived, and they are loving the Kong Zoom Groom, which is an unconventional hair brush that is based on static electricity.  It's a big gigantic for their tiny bodies, though.

Yesterday was the first time that the kittens left the bathroom they've been living in, to explore any distance from the bathroom.  One of the kittens made it almost all the way down the stairs.  She climbed out onto a wardrobe, the top of which is accessible from the stair railing, and she slipped and hung onto the edge with her front paws, seven feet off the ground.  Thank goodness my husband got to her in time and scooped her to safety.  He felt like a hero.

The door was open all day yesterday, but the kittens were too frightened to come out.

We've had a number of strangers come to visit and handle them, to get them better socialized.

The sound of kitten feet galloping through the upstairs hallway is pretty hilarious.

The kittens like hanging out in the litter box, and will sleep in it as well.  I guess I keep it pretty clean.

Day 12-13, June 30

The cats are out of the bag!  They now hang out in the upstairs hallway, and sometimes venture down the stairs.  The black one is the leader.  Tonight both of them were cruising the living room and they protested when we closed the door on them in the bathroom at 9:15 pm for the night.

Their purring ability has further developed so that now, they begin purring within seconds of touch.  Every morning when you open the door, they are already purring, probably in anticipation of their
food.

Day 22, July 9

First potty accident.  Black sniffed around one of the kids' paintings and decided it was an awesome place to let her bladder go.  No punishment here, we just cleaned it up with vinegar.  She's the equivalent of a two year old human at this point.

Day 24, July 11

I started the raw food diet today.  Purchased beef and chicken drumettes from Safeway, sliced them up into chunks and strips, and fed them.  Black was quite wary, but White attacked the meat.  Following White's cue, Black eventually loved eating the raw meat.

So, no need to slowly introduce them to raw meat.  They're naturals.

They are now confidently roaming around the main floor, sleeping in the open and also behind the TV, which is turned off most of the time.

Clipped their nails for the third time today, just a touch up.  Some of the nails, maybe 2/3 of them on White were sharp.  For Black, only 1/3 were sharp and needed trimming.  I used a human nail clipper while waiting for my father to give me the proper cat claw clipper that I left behind from my previous cats.  I need to get them used to being handled and having their nails cut.

Day 28, July 15 12 weeks old

The kittens are two days away from being 12 weeks old.  So I took them into the vet today for their first shots.  After a checkup and weigh in (Black is now 1.3 kg and White is 960 g), it was time for the dreaded shots-- The vet had one vial of the yellow liquid, and he gave it to them subcutaneously, lifting up the skin at the scruff of the neck and injecting there.  The kittens made no comment, so it must have been relatively painless.

In other news, the cat tree finally came today.

August 13,  almost 4 months old

Yesterday for the first time, the Black jumped up onto my lap for affection, kneaded me, and slept there.  I never would have thought she would be a lap cat.  The White is finally allowing me to stroke her without running away (sometimes).  Both of them are so good natured that they don't scratch or bite when handled by small children.

Both are using the cat tree for some of their naps.

I started feeding my homemade raw food around July 17, and both cats loved it.  Now, a month later, both will still eat it, but the Black shows a preference for canned First Mate and the White prefers the raw food.  So I serve out a scoop of each at meal times.

Cats and Dogs Are Not Equal When It Comes to Food

Did you notice that cat food is more expensive than dog food?

The foster for my adopted kittens told me that the food she is feeding the cats is dog food, but it is the same as cat food.  I was skeptical, because I know that cats and dogs have different dietary requirements.  For one, cats don't and shouldn't eat grains and vegetables.  Cats need taurine.

Sure enough, the labels were exactly the same, ingredients and percentages.  For the First Mate brand, this was true.  The chicken, turkey, and salmon dog food cans are 12 ounces, for $3.  The "cat food" can of 5.5 ounces is $2.  So for "dog food" you are paying 25 cents per ounce, and for "cat food" you pay 36 cents per ounce.  If you have two cats, it really makes sense as you would be using food at twice the rate and could handle the 12 ounce size.  My nine week old kittens are eating around 6-7 ounces of food a day, between them.

Of course this is not true for all dog foods, that they can be fed to cats.

The only criticism I have of the First Mate brand is the potato content, which the sales rep guesstimated at 2%.  He said they needed to replace the carageenan and guar gum with a binder and potatoes fit the bill.

So go ahead and save yourself some cash.  Buy some dog food for your cat.

Adopting a Cat

Aren't they adorable?  These the kittens that we will be picking up in a week's time, as soon as they are old enough to leave the mother's care.

So you've decided to get a cat.  Here's the consumer's guide to acquiring and outfitting your home for a cat.

Fresh Cats Here!  Get Your Fresh Cats Here!

There are many folks selling kittens on Kijiji for amounts varying from free (rarely) to $1000.  Generally they seem to be around $100-150 for mixed breed cats.  Older cats are free, or if purebred, can still be sold for a pretty penny.  I did not want to pay someone in Surrey/Langley, where the majority of kittens and cats are for sale, to run a kitten mill.  It was tempting, however, because we were hoping for a specific type of cat that would be less allergenic, for the sake of guests and possibly immediate family.

In fact, one person seemed to have endless litters of Siamese-looking kittens for a special price (If you pick up, TODAY ONLY!) of $100, and a regular price of $150.  I never got to speak to a human being because "she" preferred to communicate by email and text only, although I asked many times to telephone her.  Run, don't walk away from this situation!

Craigslist had a much more limited selection of cats for sale.

Of course, I hope that you do decide to get your cat from a shelter.  Kitten mills are despicable "for profit" operations that sometimes breed unhealthy kittens for a buck.  There are far too many cats without a home, and no need to encourage non-licensed breeders to continue.

We'd heard of the SPCA.  What we didn't know is that there are many other non-profit no kill shelters for cats.  Here are just some of them:

• Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA)
• Katie's Place (Maple Ridge)
• Richmond Cat Sanctuary
• Meow-Aid
• HomeFinders Animal Rescue Society
• SARA (Surrey)

If you want a central place to cover these shelters, you can go to Pet Finder and do a search, by location, gender, breed... Pretty nifty!

In the end, we went with the shelter we were comfortable with.  The adoption fee of $175 covers a checkup at the vet, flea treatment and deworming, spay/neuter, first vaccine, and a tattoo.  We must promise to keep the cat indoors and to have her/him spayed/neutered at five months of age.

Feeding

I've previously owned three cats, and all eventually developed problems with urination.  Turns out that it was likely due to their diet, of wet food and dry food.  Cats originate from the desert, and get their water from prey, and as such do not have a good sense of thirst, and you cannot trust them to drink enough water.  Not having enough water, and poor quality food, leads to problems with urination as crystals may form in their urinary tracts.  They end up peeing outside the litter box because they think it might hurt less to pee somewhere else.

This time I will be feeding my orphan cats wet food in cans, or raw food.  There is already a large industry of locally available raw food, available frozen at pet food stores.  You will not find healthy food for your cats at your local grocery.  Most wet foods contain grains, which they do not need as carnivores, and carageenan, which is a cancer causing additive.  You can read more detail about my conclusions here.

In fact, you will find very few canned options without grains and carageenan in specialty pet food stores as well.  Although some are "grain free", the second ingredient below meat is... potatoes.  While potato is not a grain, it is a carbohydrate, which can lead to an overweight cat.   Here is a list of local pricing, so you have an idea of how much different options cost.  The reason why I have focussed on Wellness and First Mate is that these are brands suggested by the adoption agency.  I will not be using these brands myself later as Wellness contains carageenan and First Mate has potatoes!  I'll be phasing it out and replacing with the food of my choice, which will likely be raw foods from Club Canine.

I would really like to make First Mate my food of choice, particularly because it is based on North Vancouver.  Why is it more expensive than similar quality companies in the U.S. like Great Life or Hound and Gatos?  Perhaps meat is cheaper there?  And what's with the potatoes?

If brave enough, I might make my own food.  It is a heckuvalot cheaper that way.  I'll list in order of price.

• Club Canine, cat food raw chicken with bone, 200g x 10 for $15.05.  $0.215/oz
• Bosley, canned Wellness Chicken, 12 x 12.5 oz for $38.17.  0.25/oz
• wholepetsholistic.com, canned Hound and Gatos homestyle chicken, case of 24 x 5.5 oz (includes discount and shipping charge),  0.26/oz
• Simply Natural Kerrisdale, canned Wellness Chicken, 354 g for $3.35, 0.27/oz
• Petflow, canned Great Life Essentials Chicken, 24 x 5.5 ounce for $36, $0.27/oz
• Bosley, canned First Mate Chicken, 5.5 oz for $1.99, 0.36/oz
• Tisol, canned First Mate Chicken, 5.5 oz for $1.99, 0.36/oz
• Pet Food N More, canned First Mate Chicken, $1.99 for 156 g = $0.36/oz,  $46.99 for case.
• Bosley, canned Weruva Lickin' Chicken 5.5 oz for $1.99 = $0.36/oz or 24 for $50.81=0.38/oz
• Simply Natural Kerrisdale, canned Wellness Chicken, 155 g for $2.23, 0.40/oz
• Bosley, raw Chicken, 4 oz for $1.99.    0.50/oz
• www.petonly.ca, canned Tiki Cat Koolina Luau or Puka Puka Luau (Chicken), 12 x 2.8 oz for $18, 0.54/oz
• Simply Natural Kerrisdale, raw Chicken 4 oz for $2.82.  0.70/oz
• Super Pet, Richmond, canned Merrick, Addiction, Before Grain, Science Diet (unwilling to provide prices over the phone)

If you want to make your own food, you can buy a Tasin TS-108 Meat Grinder for around $150.  This will pay itself off within a year, if you're planning to go the raw food route.

Equipment

Here is a list of what I bought, all of which I thoroughly researched for best prices and best reviews:

• Tenth Life Stretch Collar, $7 at Bosley's (as recommended by VOKRA)
• Petmate 21231 Two Door Top Load 24 inch Pet Kennel, $38 plus tax = $42, at amazon.ca: best to have a top loader for a reluctant cat
• Nature's Miracle Scoop and Caddy, $6.77 at amazon.ca* and following two items total $29.54
• Easy Walk Cat Harness and Bungee Leash, $10.91 at amazon.ca (for taking the cat on walks)
• Flexi Cat Retractable Cord Leash, 10 feet, $8.70 at amazon.ca

You also need to buy:

• Litter pan: sifting is better, for easier mess cleanup.  I have a litter box that I put together myself: the sifting top was to be thrown out by the shelter.  They said that the sifting boxes are useless, so they let me take it home, at least the top half of it.  I fit it into the bottom plastic pan, which was used 15 years ago for another cat's litter.  It works well with the pine pellets, so you stir the pellets around and the sawdust falls through the grid to the pan below, and the pellets are kept clean.  Awesome.
• Litter: Clumping litters are no longer recommended as they have been found to clog your cat's internal plumbing.  An environmentally and health safe alternative is wood pellets, called stove pellets.  The same thing you use to heat your wood burning stove is what your kitty will poop and pee on.  It is available at Rona, $5 for 18 kg (Firemaster), at Canadian  Tire for $5.50 (Firemaster), and perhaps Lowe's (item 87059) when it's in stock, and possibly Home Hardware for $6.29 if it's ever in stock.  You see, I called all of these stores, and while they appear to be selling them online, the actual stores don't have the product.  Could be a seasonal thing.  Home Depot used to carry them but alas, no more.  Wood pellets are also used for horse bedding, so you can check horse suppliers, like Vanderveen Hay Sales in Surrey if that happens to be close to you.  The price is $4.99 for 40 lb bags of Eagle Brand, and $4.75/bag for a skid of 50!
• Grooming brush/rake
• Nail clipper: try to buy one that won't crush the nail--this one is good:  the Ultimate Touch Cat Claw Clipper for $5.50.
• Scratching post preferably with a perch on top

And you know, silly person that I am, I also looked into toilet training cats, for later.  There are three possible alternatives:  Citty Kitty, Litter Kwitter, and... a tin foil roasting pan with duct tape.  You can guess which system is the least expensive.  The cat should be at least three months old.  So we'll re-visit this in the future.

I had a difficult time choosing grooming equipment.  In the end I chose the Zoom Groom, because it's easier for the kids to use without hurting the cat.  Here are the top three recommended alternatives for my medium haired cat, with the suggestion that you may need more than one:

• Kong Zoom Groom, an innovative "brush" not made of plastic or metal, but of a rubber-like tactile substance that creates static to attract hair, and acts as a massager, available at www.well.ca for $10 and Bosleys for $11.  Main criticisms are the static charge it creates, shocking the cat in the dry air of winter (wet it down), not as effective as the furminator for removing hair, and that some cats do not like it (minority).
• Furminator (new version) Deshedder, large or small for long haired cats, available on eBay for $30 (includes shipping), Petsmart for $42, or Bosleys for way too much--there are the original and improved versions of this, so watch out which version you buy because the new one with the fur ejector is 30% more expensive.  This is a blade embedded in a comb which supposedly pulls out the fur in the undercoat like nobody's business.  The main criticisms are that the fur flies all over the place, some cats don't like it, and you can accidentally cut the fur instead of pulling it out.  
• Safari Slicker Brush with Ejector for cats, $8 at petland.ca, $20 includes shipping at amazon.ca, $29 at ebay.ca.

Okay, and now we're into the "you really don't need this, but if you love gadgets then..." section.

Here is what else I bought:

• Pioneer Pet Big Max Ceramic Drinking Fountain, $48.82 at amazon.com.  I was making a trip down to the border anyway to pick up hiking purchases, so I used the American Amazon site.  The thing that stood out to be from the customer reviews was this: "easy to clean."  I thought about buying the Drinkwell 360 Fountain from costco.ca for $72 and buy the Forever Filter (re-usable carbon filter) but decided against it since the inner workings are plastic and it is more difficult to clean.  I just hope to golly that it doesn't break down, as so many reviewers claimed.  But it seems that the pumps really didn't stop working, that they just needed to be cleaned properly.

If you so much cash you don't know what to do with yourself:

• The "Catsomat" is a new automatic feeder that works with wet food.  It not only keeps your food cold, but also heats it before serving!!!!  You can put in 7 or 10 compartments.  It is a slick German invention, for the cool price of... wait for it... $547 CAD, plus tax... I didn't even bother checking the shipping cost.  I would think the Catsomat would look good in a kitchen with your Subzero Fridge and your solid gold taps (but solid gold would probably be too soft... so may be a gold metal mix).

ID Tags

Even if yours is an indoor cat, you should have an ID tag around the collar.  If your cat wanders away or escapes as you're transporting her/him, the ID tag helps you get her/him back.  After I'd spent a long time finding engraved ID tags at stores like Petsmart or cute high quality Red Dingo tags at homesalive.ca, I found out about free tags you can get from:

• Hartz Pet ID Tag Offer:  Free for US and Canada, and pay $3.25 for shipping.
• Humane Society of Canada:  Free with registration of your pet.  Tag only says "Humane Society of Canada" and gives a telephone number and toll-free number.  Your pet's information is kept in perpetuity and you call them to make changes to your address or other details.  I like this because you have less work if you move, and your personal information is not on your pet's tag.

Another interesting alternative is the GPS trackable tag from pethub.com.  It allows smartphones to scan the tag and get your information.  The cost ranges from $13 to $40.  I don't know why I would need to pay that kind of money for a high tech tag when a simple ID tag with a phone number provides the same result.

In fact, today we found a stray dog wandering around the park near my home.  The dog had a city license tag around its neck with the city's telephone number and its ID number.  We simply called the city and less than an hour later, a truck picked up the dog and returned her to her owner. 

Pet Insurance

The shelter recommended that I buy pet insurance at the first vet visit, specifically Petsecure.  While reading a cat forum, another poster alerted me to this article.  In a nutshell, don't bother buying pet insurance because it is useless.  The insurers will find reasons to deny coverage, or the coverage will be inadequate and less than the premiums you put in.

Best course of action is to set aside some money yourself as if you were paying the premiums, so $30-50 a month, to pay for future expenses.  The insurer bases premiums on statistics, so if the insurer suggests these amounts, then likely it will cover any eventuality on the balance of probabilities.

Lava Tours in Volcano National Park

Haven't you always wanted to poke a stick into red hot lava? This is a rewarding but very challenging activity.  At times I was wondering whether I was an unfit parent, taking my kids on this adventure, but for our family, it was an acceptable risk.

Access to live lava flows at Hawaii's Volcano National Park is by three methods:

1. Helicopter;
2. Hike; and
3. Boat tour

With #1 and #3 you don't get a chance to get up close and personal. So here's a guide to hiking in the park.

There are two options for seeing the lava. Within the park, take Chain of Craters Road to the end and hike from there. Outside the park, you drive to Kalapana and take a guided tour there. The path to the lava flows may run over private land, so you are required to get permission to hike.

Presently the surface lava flows are very close to the ocean entry point for the lava.  From Volcano National Park, it is currently an 8-10 hour hike, and from Kalapana, it is a 4-5 hour hike.

Here is a rough guide to the many companies and individuals offering a lava hike:

Lava Bed Tours

David Ewing used to run a Bed and Breakfast located right on the lava flows. He offers tours every evening at 4 pm for $100 per person (pp), less for larger groups.

Kalapana Cultural Tours

This is run by native Hawaiians and includes a cultural aspect to each tour. $150 for private tours. $100 for scheduled group tours at 8 am, 3:30 pm, 4:30 pm, and 5:30 pm. Minimum age is 10 years old.

There have been complaints by many that this company has guides who are territorial and abusive to hikers who attempt the hike without a guide. Here are some examples:

From Yelp: "I have a friend who was on the tour when the tour guide lost it! She isn't on Yelp but since she shared with me and I am, I thought it would be best to pass this info on to unsuspecting visitors, especially those who want to use this tour company!

A person with Kalapana Cultural Tours threatened every person and group walking to the end of the road while she was there! He screamed, using foul language and insults. He even said he would beat them all up! They told him that they wouldn't go off the old highway, but he told them again that he would beat them if they went anyway!. They said no, thanks to the tour guide, but called the police. He left before they got there. She said that they did give the police his name." This account pretty much echoes the advice given by the authors of Hawaii the Big Island Revealed on their update to their latest edition:

"Lava Flow Viewing Access Update: The lava is sporadically flowing a couple of miles from the end of the county road on Hwy 130, but things can get complicated. Although the old state highway still exists under the lava flow (and is therefore state land), County Civil Defense dissuades hikers from proceeding when they start duty around 4 p.m., and they absolutely have that authority. Visitors arriving before then might encounter a couple of private tour companies that will walk you a couple of miles out to the flow for around $150 per person. When I politely declined their services, one company rep from Poke-a-Stick Tours incorrectly told me there were state officers “patrolling the lava flows and arresting viewers who weren’t with paid guides.” Another person representing Kalapana Cultural Tours threatened every person and group walking to the end of the road while we were there, screaming obscenities and insults to all who approached. In our case, he said he would beat us all up and singled out my 4-foot 11-inch daughter-in-law saying, “You shut your mouth. I slap girls, too!” We explained that with GPS we wouldn’t be straying from the old Hwy under the lava and would not trespass onto private property, which the gentleman correctly indicated the lava might be flowing onto. But we were told that the state had “stolen all the land” under the highway anyway and that the same beating would take place if we proceeded. We declined the tour and called the police, then watched as others got the same threats before the police arrived, by which time the man (whose name we gave to the police) had left. My point is you may encounter unauthorized “enforcers” at the end of the government road on Hwy 130, and regardless of your feelings, rights or pride, you should turn away if you feel unwelcome. The lava might indeed be flowing onto private property and you do not have a right to trespass onto it. If you want to pay a guide, that’s your decision. Personally, we’ll take a pass."

And another comment from Yelp: "Seeing the lava was awesome but the guide's meltdown was unnecessary. Initially the guides had some interesting insights into the history and flora of the area. Viewing the lava was spectacular. Things went dramatically down hill from there. We spent an extra forty five minutes at the lava while our guide screamed, cursed, threatened violence, and verbally abused tourists who wondered onto the lava unguided. Unprofessional, untrained, and out of control guides with no wilderness first responder training for a hundred dollars a head and the threat of violence if you go out unguided is not the aloha spirit that usually marks the big island. So the the tour part was lame but seeing the lava was amazing."

Poke a Stick Guided Lava Tours

The name says it all! The goal is to have you poke the provided walking stick into the lava. Careful you don't burn off too much or that walking stick will be useless for the journey back! 7:30 am and 4:00 pm departures. Guide Cheryl purchased a lava covered property in 1985 and built a B&B on it, calling it the Kalapana Lava Refuge. You park your car on their private property to start your hike. Cost is $100 cash, with a 10% discount for a group of 4 or 15% for a group of 6.

Kalapana Lava Boat

$125. Must be 6 years of age or older. Six guests per guide. 5:30 am and 3:30 pm. 4-6 hours round trip.

Volcano Discovery

Supposedly the best, and most expensive.

The Lava Proximity Hike 

HIKE as close as safely possible, when it's possible! At present, this hike requires 7mi / 12km / 4-5 hrs walk at sea-level over uneven terrain crossing recent & historic lava flows and islands of native vegetation, allowing ~2 hrs at the site of activity on an 8-hr tour leaving from Hilo or Volcano (or 6-hr meeting in Kalapana).

Price from $175 per person.
Included:

• All transportation on the Big Island in private 4WD vehicle
• Expert local guide with presentations on eruption history
• Legal access over private land with contribution to local community
• Fresh local fruits, local snacks and juices en route

6+ Hours.

Lava Ocean Tours

Hawaii lava hikes depart daily at 4AM, 10AM, 3:30PM 4:30PM. Tour varies 4-6 hours round trip, departs near Kalapana lava viewing area.

Tour Rating: Moderate to Advanced; guests need to be 6 years and older.
We Provide: Walking sticks, Bottled water, Hawaii Lava Tour from local lava Guide highlighting Kilauea Volcano, Plant Life and Geological features.
Prices: Adult $150.00. Child (12 and under): $125.00 taxes included
Group Size: Tour limited to 6 guests per guide. Multiple guides available.

Lava Walk by Tail Me Tours

In the past, was $50 per person for a 90 minute total tour, when the lava flows were closer. Now it's a 4-4.5 hour tour, goes out every morning at 5:00 am to 6:00 am and evening 4 pm. About a one hour 45 minute walk, and you will see ocean flowing lava then poke a stick. $125 per person or $100 per person. Must be at least 5 years old. One of the companies allowed to get on the land. Andy is their guide. They also do lava boat tours.

gregnottingham@TailMeTours.com
(808) 333 4016 24/7

Burning Question #1:  Why bring a whisk?

Oh, and if you're wondering what the heck people mean when they tell you to bring a whisk, they are referring to the fact that it is difficult to get a take home lava sample on the end of a blunt wooden staff. Difficult, but not impossible.  Of the five tries we had, we got two samples to adhere to the end of our stick.  The lava is crusted over and difficult to get a small piece to separate and stick to your staff.  It is easier to tape a whisk to the end of your staff or stick and dip it into the lava to get a take home souvenir of lava covered whisk.  When we got our samples home, we found they had crumbled into pieces due to their fragility.

Burning Question #2:  Can my child do this hike?

There were children ranging from toddler to tween on this hike, when I did it in March 2013.  The family with a toddler, pregnant wife, and baby in carrier were turned away as they could not keep up with the pace.  Unless your child can walk over rough terrain for three hours, which is as tiring as hiking up a mountain, I would say leave them at home.

My kids are quite freakish as they are very fit and were able to complete the hike at least as fast as the slowest adult, but even adults find travelling over uneven lava, with the crumbling unsound footing, to be extremely difficult and exhausting.  By the end, my feet were quite sore from the punishment of the uneven ground, up and down, and sharp edges, and I am a seasoned triathlete.  A tween on this hike fell repeatedly on the lava, more often as the trip wore on and he became tired, cutting up his hands and legs.  At one point he fell and said he could not get up.  His parents never expressed concern, and in fact, I don't know where the heck his parents were as I never saw them talking to him on this hike.

If you decide to do this hike with children, I recommend decent hiking boots to protect their feet from the uneven terrain, and you can pretty much expect whining as you will be pushing your kids to their physical limits.  It is not so much a judgment call based on age but on physical fitness and toughness to endure the hours of hiking, especially if you hike back in the dark and it is very visually boring.  One of my kids was the youngest in the group, and she was also one of the fastest and most fit.  She also did not whine and enjoyed herself immensely.

Burning Question #2:  Any tips on surviving the hike?

Definitely bring rain gear, as the weather can suddenly change.  A hat and sunglasses, if the weather warrants.  Long pants to protect from falls, and hiking soles to make it easier for you.  I liked having ankle support.  Bandages and antibiotic cream.  If it is not provided for you, bring a high energy snack for the return trip and ample water.

Burning Question #3:  How dangerous is it?

There were a few times I was questioning whether I should be on the hike.  The first was when we were standing on the cliff beside the ocean entry point.  The guide warned us that if we heard any cracking sounds or felt any ground shaking, we were to run like hell inland.  There was a horde of us standing on the newly formed lava ground when she said this.

The second was when the guide warned us to keep our feet moving while standing on fresh lava, as the temperature was so hot it could burn through our shoes.  While poking a stick in the lava, you get a true sense of the searing temperatures of the lava, as the oppressive heat feels nearly unbearable on your exposed face and hands.

The third was when one of the hikers in another group attempted to get lava on the end of his stick and ended up flinging a red hot piece of lava up into the air and nearly hit another hiker with it.

Before you go, you will see a warning video at the Visitor Centre of the Volcano National Park covering various dangers of lava hiking, including unstable land suddenly sliding into the ocean.  If there is a shift of the wind, you could potentially be breathing in toxic fumes that could lead to long term health problems.

This is not Disneyland, although it may feel like it sometimes with the forest of video cameras with glowing lights and the feeling of wild west chaos at the surface lava flows with multiple tour groups arriving at once.  Treat the experience with respect and caution.

Unsupervised Children on the Net

My most popular posting on this blog deals with a popular children's role playing game which is highly addictive, Animal Jam.  Shockingly, many of the commenters are children.

Today I received a comment from someone claiming to be a nine year old, calling me "A DEMON" (capital letters the emphasis of the "child" writer) for limiting my child's use of Animal Jam.  Here it is:

i am a 9 year old kid. animal jam is epic, you DEMON, i hate you, animal jam is epic, it's epic, don't make them get off! more than an hour miss! 

Is it normal for nine year olds to call strangers demons?

My blog is aimed at adults, not children, but clearly children are reading it.  I am left to wonder whether the parents have any idea that their child is reading, or what they are posting.

A study has shown that 3/4s of five year old children use the Internet every day.  On March 2, 2011, the Mail Online reported the following:

"As many as 72 per cent of pre-school children are lured online on a daily basis by sites such as the BBC’s Cbeebies and games like Peppa Pig, the research reveals. 

Many parents are allowing their under-fives to explore the web without supervision, leaving them vulnerable to predatory paedophiles."
...
It is feared that spending so much time online will mean they lack reading and writing skills, and scientists believe the glare from the screen may damage the brain development of young children. 

Professor Tanya Byron, a clinical psychologist, said leaving a five-year-old unsupervised on the internet is equivalent to ‘abandoning a kid in a shopping centre for a couple of hours’. 

She warned: ‘Parents don’t realise they have a responsibility to prepare children for the online world as much as for the real world. 

‘A lot of parents haven’t been brought up on the internet and don’t know its dangers.’"

There was a popular public service announcement on American television back in the 1960s to 1980s, when I was growing up.  "Do you know where your children are?"  It was asked on Buffalo, New York television at 10 or 11 pm, sometimes before the news came on.  It made reference to the local curfew time, and helped make parents more aware of the need to supervise their children.  Growing up in Southern Ontario, this was a catch phrase that I remember.

Now I ask you.  Do you know what your children are watching?  Whether it is television or the Internet, there is still a need for supervision.  Please watch your children.

Am I a demon?  Yes, little children.  I am your worst nightmare.