Ides of March News

Things are happening so fast now I hardly have time to keep track of them!

The new bathroom is just about done! Floor laid, cabinet, sink, tub and toilet installed. The tiles around the tub/shower turned out beautiful; it was Mike's first tile job so he's justifiably proud of it. The whole interior of the studio is taped, textured and painted, ceiling fans are up, lights wired, temporary kitchen sink set up, stairs to the porch are being built... It's great! Just waiting on both electrical and plumbing inspectors to give their stamps of approval so we can proceed.

We got a small dumptruck load of crushed rock (3/4 minus, according to Mike) delivered today; it'll get used for tamping under the pier blocks, the stairway posts, and a few muddy spots here and there. Also, the guy who delivered it, Ashley, will be helping us clear our driveway and turnaround area on the next lot. This needs to get done before our own deadline of the end of this month. Our first vacation rental guests arrive at the beginning of April, so we need to clear out the carport before then.

We took plenty of photos all along the way and they'll get posted soon. If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll get on it sooner (hint, hint). ;-)

And besides all this, the volcano is actively flowing lava again! We've been so busy that I'm the only one who has seen it, and that was at a great distance one evening after Sufi-dancing. The volcano is coming to life in other ways too: Halema'uma'u, the crater within Kilauea Caldera and home to Pele, has opened up a new rift that's putting out massive amounts of sulphur dioxide and steam! And it glows at night!!! Exciting times!!

And the tradewinds are back, bringing lovely breezes and showers again, so our drought is over and the grass is no longer crispy. I picked my first batch of green beans from my second crop this winter! (Ha! I've never been able to say that before!) All the carrots were harvested a week ago - so yummy and crispy. The avocado is in full bloom, there's a pineapple beginning to develop, and little squashes and chayote are forming for future delectables.

This afternoon, we took some well-earned time off and drove into Hilo to watch a matinée. We saw 'Mad Money' which was a fun one. As we say hereabouts, "I'd pay a dollar to see that." And that's how much it costs at The Kress! Afterwards we went out for pizza at Big Island Pizza, and sat at an outside table to enjoy it and watch the airplanes making their big turn before landing at the Hilo airport. It was a lovely change for pace for us after weeks of working hard. :-)

Until next time... aloha, Liz


PS: I haven't been hearing much response lately and I'd really like to know who all is reading these letters, just to know if someone's missing out. If you want to leave a comment, use the little icon underneath each blog entry. Or if you're family, you know my email. :-)