Bike Ride to the Coast - and one of our favorite spots to hang out on a hot afternoon.
Volcano Park Backcountry - an area we never knew about, a new favorite spot!
Enjoy!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Screenhouse Pictures
By popular request, the photos are now ready. Come and see our latest project!
Already the plants in these pictures - taken last week - are at least twice as big! They love it out there and so do we. :-)
Already the plants in these pictures - taken last week - are at least twice as big! They love it out there and so do we. :-)
Monday, October 13, 2008
October Full Moon
Okay, I can't keep away forever! Got just enough replies to my plea for conversation, so here I am again, ready to send out my news.
Life is good. We are doing well. I am doing well. This little place feels more and more like home. :-)
It's so fun being able to garden year-round! Sure takes the pressure off, as opposed to getting it all done in a 3-month growing season. We've been filling up the screenhouse with tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, mizuna, lettuces, bok choi, cilantro, eggplant, a watermelon, strawberries, green onions, basil. They are growing like mad once they get transplanted into the wonderful jungle compost and cinder mix. The screenhouse is a lovely place to spend a morning or evening, puttering about, watering and weeding, all tucked away in an opening in the ohia trees with huge tangly ferns all around. It's like a greenhouse but with screened walls; no need for extra heat, just for rain and bug protection. There's a nice little rain barrel for the drip-watering system.
Sometimes I truly forget what time of year it is. The season changes here are so subtle, not like in Idaho where it kinda hits you over the head with its drama! The rainy season approaches and we will notice that. The rains aren't as bad as the cold, for me, but hopefully it won't be quite as inundating as last year. One of the signs of fall and winter here is the return of the humpback whales - and they've been sighted already! Yesterday, we drove out to one of our favorite areas, Kaimu, to enjoy the old lava fields, the ocean, and look for whales - didn't see any but it was a perfectly lovely day anyway.
Let's see, what else occupies my time? I'm taking country line-dance classes. What a hoot! And what great exercise! At least it's not all country music. Still active with the local homeschool group: helping with Teen Lit Club, which I love (currently reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde); and mentoring parents who need a little boost or ideas to make it work. We'll be leading the group on an adventure hike out to Kaloli Point in a couple days, to explore tidepools and watch for whales.
The vacation rental business is still trickling in; we get about 1 booking a month these days. In between reservations, we take down the connecting door between the hale and the studio and spread out a bit: I set up my worktable in the Sunrise Room and get out the sewing machine, paints, or crafts, and enjoy a nice workspace. I do my morning stretches in the Orchid Room, our old bedroom - such a pleasant place in the early mornings where I can watch the sun rise. The studio is nice too, so when we contract back into this smaller space, it's fine. It's an interesting way to live...
The volcano starts and stops; Pele is turning over in her sleep. The lava flow continues it's course to the ocean and as long as it does so, all is well. It's when the flow stops that everyone becomes jittery. We had a little earthquake a couple nights ago but - having grown up in California, and also having lived close to the train tracks in Idaho - we never even felt it!
Life goes on. I'm reminded of this old saying:
What to do when times are good: chop wood, haul water.
What to do when times are bad: chop wood, haul water.
Aloha,
Liz
Life is good. We are doing well. I am doing well. This little place feels more and more like home. :-)
It's so fun being able to garden year-round! Sure takes the pressure off, as opposed to getting it all done in a 3-month growing season. We've been filling up the screenhouse with tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, mizuna, lettuces, bok choi, cilantro, eggplant, a watermelon, strawberries, green onions, basil. They are growing like mad once they get transplanted into the wonderful jungle compost and cinder mix. The screenhouse is a lovely place to spend a morning or evening, puttering about, watering and weeding, all tucked away in an opening in the ohia trees with huge tangly ferns all around. It's like a greenhouse but with screened walls; no need for extra heat, just for rain and bug protection. There's a nice little rain barrel for the drip-watering system.
Sometimes I truly forget what time of year it is. The season changes here are so subtle, not like in Idaho where it kinda hits you over the head with its drama! The rainy season approaches and we will notice that. The rains aren't as bad as the cold, for me, but hopefully it won't be quite as inundating as last year. One of the signs of fall and winter here is the return of the humpback whales - and they've been sighted already! Yesterday, we drove out to one of our favorite areas, Kaimu, to enjoy the old lava fields, the ocean, and look for whales - didn't see any but it was a perfectly lovely day anyway.
Let's see, what else occupies my time? I'm taking country line-dance classes. What a hoot! And what great exercise! At least it's not all country music. Still active with the local homeschool group: helping with Teen Lit Club, which I love (currently reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde); and mentoring parents who need a little boost or ideas to make it work. We'll be leading the group on an adventure hike out to Kaloli Point in a couple days, to explore tidepools and watch for whales.
The vacation rental business is still trickling in; we get about 1 booking a month these days. In between reservations, we take down the connecting door between the hale and the studio and spread out a bit: I set up my worktable in the Sunrise Room and get out the sewing machine, paints, or crafts, and enjoy a nice workspace. I do my morning stretches in the Orchid Room, our old bedroom - such a pleasant place in the early mornings where I can watch the sun rise. The studio is nice too, so when we contract back into this smaller space, it's fine. It's an interesting way to live...
The volcano starts and stops; Pele is turning over in her sleep. The lava flow continues it's course to the ocean and as long as it does so, all is well. It's when the flow stops that everyone becomes jittery. We had a little earthquake a couple nights ago but - having grown up in California, and also having lived close to the train tracks in Idaho - we never even felt it!
Life goes on. I'm reminded of this old saying:
What to do when times are good: chop wood, haul water.
What to do when times are bad: chop wood, haul water.
Aloha,
Liz
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