mail_collector. "Cloud Martini" 8/31/15 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic.
You are driving up Mauna Kea on winding roads that seem never ending. You've forgotten how many signs with the words "Caution, Sharp Turns" you've seen and simply focus on driving. Your passenger suddenly freaks out and you look around in alarm- you are driving above the clouds. ABOVE THE CLOUDS!!!! Then you see a block in the road. There are many people just sitting in the road holding signs that proudly proclaim intentions of protecting Mauna Kea. The protesters are a diverse group. There are many traditional outfits interspersed with t-shirts that say, "Protect Mauna Kea". There is a lot of singing and chanting. Suddenly there is a huge commotion. A man sets up a ladder and waves an upside down flag. An uspide down flag is a symbol that life or property is in imminent danger and some of the protesters are looking on uneasily. The police approach the man and the crowd convinces him to come down before the police take drastic action. However, after the man climbs down, he hugs a police officer and they both cry. Watching the display, more of the crowd starts sniffling and other police surreptitiously wipe their tears away. The authorities are divided- they must do their jobs, but the mountain is also important to them. Then the construction vehicles start creeping towards the protesters who move back slowly and sit back down. This happens all day until it starts raining heavily and mist obscures the road. The vehicles are forced to stop and pull over tot he side of the road an the protesters cheer. They claim the heavens are weeping and helping their cause. They are grateful for succeeding in stopping the TMT for one more day.
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