From identifying changing constellations in the night sky to noticing when ʻamaʻama (mullet) spawn, ancient Hawaiians were incredibly observant of their natural surroundings and the shifts in seasons.

They used a sophisticated lunar calendar consisting of 12 months, which were marked by the appearance of different stars and constellations. These months were divided into two seasons. The cooler, wetter season is Hoʻilo, which runs from about October to April. Kau Wela is the warm, drier season, which runs from about May through September.

With warm and pleasant weather throughout the 12 the year, it sometimes feels like we live in a perpetual summer in Hawaiʻi. Fall and spring are simply terms used to describe school semesters. However, locals know there are subtle differences between the seasons.

These are just a few of the reasons we look forward to the summer months in Hawaiʻi every year.

1. Seasonal Specialties

It’s not just mangoes that grow in abundance during the summer. Lychee, lilikoʻi, soursop and calamansi are just a few other favorites that locals often share with their neighbors. Across the Islands, farmers markets overflow with vibrant fruit stands, from the KCC Farmers Market on Oʻahu and Upcountry Farmers Market on Maui to the Grove Farm Market on Kauaʻi and Hilo Farmers Market on Hawaiʻi Island.

READ MORE: 9 Ways to Sink Your Teeth into Mango Season in Hawaiʻi

2. Shave Ice Season

Sure, you can enjoy shave ice at any point in the year. But for many locals, it’s the sweet nostalgia of indulging in the refreshing treat after a day at the beach that takes you back to your “little kid” days during the summer.

READ MORE: Why Waiola Shave Ice is an Endearing Favorite

3. Pua Bloom

From pua kenikeni to plumeria, the Islands’ fragrant pua (flowers) often bloom in the summer months. It’s a great time of year to visit a botanical garden to see what plants are in season.

READ MORE: Escape to This Outdoor Oasis in Honolulu

4.Beach Days on the North Shore

Some of the best beaches across the Islands stretch along their northern coastlines. From ʻEhukai Beach Park on Oʻahu and Hoʻokipa Beach Park on Maui to Kēʻē Beach on Kauaʻi, it’s easy to be captivated by these sandy shores. During the winter months, these beaches are known for their large waves and dangerous rip currents. Fortunately, the conditions are typically much calmer in the summer, making for long and beautiful beach days.

5. South Shore Swells

While the North Shore is graced by calmer waters in the summer, the south shores see exciting swells generated by winter storms in the Southern Hemisphere. These swells typically peak between May and September, bringing fun waves that are often ideal for beginners and longboarders.

6. King Kamehameha Day

June 11 is an official state holiday celebrating Kamehameha the Great, one of the most important and legendary rulers in Hawaiian history. The monarch united all the major Hawaiian Islands, establishing the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. On Oʻahu, state leaders and community members gather in Downtown Honolulu to adorn the King Kamehameha Statue with beautiful lei. On Hawaiʻi Island there are two statues of the king, one in Hilo and one in front of the North Kahala Civic Center. Both statues are ceremoniously draped in lei to celebrate Hawaiʻi’s great king.

READ MORE: 3 Legends About Hawaiʻi’s King Kamehameha 

7. Summer Festivals in Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi hosts an exciting mix of annual events throughout the summer. Be sure to bookmark the Hawaiʻi Kuauli Pacific & Asia Cultural Festival on Hawaiʻi Island in early June, the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival on Maui at the end of June, and Duke’s OceanFest on Oʻahu in August.

8.Bon Dances

When waves of immigrants arrived to work on sugar plantations in Hawaiʻi, they also brought many customs and traditions. Japanese plantation workers planted the seeds for Obon season. These festivals include Bon dances; a style of folk dance performed to honor ancestral spirits. Dancers circle around a yagura (tower). Across the Islands, Buddhist missions welcome everyone to participate.

KAILUA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Police are searching for a suspect in a robbery at a Kailua gas station.

Honolulu police said officers responded to the Texaco in Kailua around 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Investigators said a man wearing a black ski mask and black hoodie entered the business and approached a 22-year-old cashier while brandishing a cleaver-type knife.

Police said the suspect demanded money, took cash from the register, and fled on foot and on a skateboard.

No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or CrimeStoppers at 808-955-8300.

When Ron Freitas was 17, he wanted to join the Air Force. His mother said no, so he joined the U.S. Coast Guard instead.

Now, 30 years later, the West Hawaii native is retiring after a career of flying in helicopters, intercepting trafficked drugs, and executing search and rescue missions. It is a job that has taken him around the globe.

“Right out of boot camp, I flew from San Francisco to New York, New York to London, London to Bahrain,” he recalled. “From there, I jumped on a Navy helicopter, flew to a Navy destroyer, flew to another Navy destroyer, and then the Coast Guard helicopter picked me up, took us to our ship, and we spent six months in the Persian Gulf.

“That was a big first step for someone coming out of Konawaena High School,” he added.

In the years since, he has spent time in Port Angeles, Wash., as a flight mechanic, Kodiak, Alaska, doing fishery patrols in the Bering Sea, a couple of years in Puerto Rico, and then back to Washington where he made the rank of chief.

He then served as command master chief — one of the highest possible enlisted ranks — at Air Station San Francisco for five years before being restationed to Cape Cod, Mass., where he has spent the past five years.

Freitas, who is Native Hawaiian, grew up near Miloli‘i and feels his upbringing contributed to his success in the Coast Guard.

“Where we grew up, there was no running water. We had one electrical outlet in the house … so at a very young age, we grew up resilient, learned how to adapt, how to survive. We actually went fishing for food. That’s how we provided for ourselves,” he said. “And so, just those basics that my mom, who was a single mom at the time, raising three kids, just how to adapt and survive, really helped me in the Coast Guard.”

While Freitas said it wasn’t an easy career, there were highlights — including getting to salute on the field at a San Francisco 49ers game — and people he met and worked with along the way that will stick with him.

“I think the thing that comes to mind is just the people and the camaraderie in the military itself,” he said. “You know, you depend on one another, you depend on each other … .”

He said his desire to support his family was a driving force throughout his career. He has been with his wife, Cathy, who is also from the Big Island, since before he joined the Coast Guard.

“The only thing that kept me going was I wanted to provide for my wife, and then kids came along, and then I wanted to provide for them. And 20 years, 30 years, went by very quick.”

Freitas said he has witnessed many changes in the Coast Guard and the military more broadly over the years.

“The military that I joined is very different then today’s military,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s harder to serve in today’s military, specifically with the government shutdowns and an uncertainty that our military members face, it seems like, every other month. So, that part is getting tough.”

His final tour ended May 15, and he is now driving across the country with his family to move back to Washington state, where he plans to spend his time in retirement.

While he’s not sure exactly what is next, he has plans to enroll in an education program for military members to help transition to civilian life and develop skills to pursue new opportunities.

“We’ll see where that takes us,” he said. “I change my mind every other week. One week I want to be a sushi chef, one week I want to build stone walls. I just don’t know yet.”

Whatever it ends up being, he’s looking forward to it.

“The great part is I’m free to choose what I want to do right now,” he said.

Email Grace Inez Adams at grace.adams@hawaiitribune-herald.com.