I've been watching this all day. What's extra-cool is that the eruption is right below the observation deck, where I stood a year-and-a-half ago, and of which I took a picture. Compare mine to the latest USGS shot:

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Plus, we stayed at the hotel that's right on the rim of the Kilauea caldera. Lava is awesome.

I was there two Junes ago. No live lava anywhere. . .not even down at the ocean (I stayed in the cabins owned by the Volcano House).

My bitterness at the above fact is tempered somewhat by the fact that the observation point was pretty much pelted by big rocks, as was the parking lot. I am thinking that it must have happened when no one was there, as I did not hear of any injuries.

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This is the crater from that observation point. . .it's the only "keeper" in my set. It's hard to get a good shot, there, it's so large and wide. Mauna Loa is in the background.

We were there in July 2006, and saw lots of lava entering the ocean, but my goal of getting close enough to poke it with a stick went, sadly, unrealized. Next time!

My friend in Kona reports that the vog is really really bad over there. . worse than the beach in So. Cal. on a very Santa Ana day. He's coughing a lot while he surfs.

Actually it was LAST June I was there, not two Junes ago. This may be on the quiz.

When I was out on the lava fields, I met two photographers, Charlene Myers and Steve O'Meara. I've exchanged a few emails with them, and they both are reporting that they're preparing for evacuation--they live (separately) in the town of Volcano, which, as you may expect, is very close to the eruption point. As volcano photographers, they're excited about this opportunity to see new stuff happening in such a dramatic fashion, though.