Voggy Volcano

Today we got to do something we have been excited about for some time now: helping at the hula kahiko (old style hula) performance up at Volcano Park. After the last performance in February, we talked with Marcia Hee, the woman who coordinates the whole thing and asked if we could help since it's one of our favorite parts of living here. She was delighted, and we were even more delighted that she actually called! So we got up early today in preparation for this event. What fun!

Well, it was soooooooooooooo voggy that we weren't sure we'd even be able to get out of the car. In fact, I stayed in the car while Mike tried to find out if the performance was even going to happen at all. He came back needing a Benadryl duw to his allergic reaction to the sulphur in the air. Oh dear, what were we getting ourselves into?

But the wind shifted just a bit, just enough to allow us workers to get everything set up inside the Kilauea Visitor's Center instead of outside on the hula platform. Not the same as those wonderful outdoor performances, I know, but better seating anyway, though a limited amount of it.

Mike & I were put in charge of the signs, all needing to be redone a bit and put in different than usual spots, due to the change in venue. Then he stayed outside to redirect foot traffic (the Benadryl worked wonders), and I went inside to help people figure it out from there. Also helped an older Japanese couple who had questions about the park and had a hard time making themselves understood - no problemo for me though - I'm pretty good with all these wonderful accents we hear on the islands.

As the auditorium filled up, I had the not-so-fun job of guarding the door and telling people they had to wait to see if there would be room for them inside. Most of them were nice about it, and in the end, we managed to get everybody in, many standing along the sides & in the back. Then the performance started. I stayed in the doorway to help stragglers find a place or wait for a place. Mike came in for a bit, then left to chat with a friend. It was very hot & stuffy indoors with so many people all packed in together; we reopened the doors and waves of heat poured out. Maybe the a/c wasn't working?

I managed to see glimpses of the performance and 2 entire dances, helped keep the doorway cleared for the keiki (children) dancers to come & go, each one so adorable.

At then as people were leaving, I gathered the little survey forms - only about 18-20 were turned in out of about 300 people. Mike & Wes (the friend) had already taken down most of the signs so that was easy.

Next, we both were recruited to help pass out drinks & snacks for the dancers & kumus (teachers) & drivers. I was busy pouring and refilling cups with pineapple-gingerale punch; there were boiled sweetpotatoes to munch on, peanut-butter brownies, & cookies - all much appreciated by the young dancers after their hour-long performance. They were all so sweet. We got to talk story with one of the driver-dads, and we even got hugs from several of the girls.

Marcia, the coordinator, was very enthusiastic about our help and happy that we wanted to do it again next time. She gave us each a ti lei and many hugs. Said she kept coming across our card (that we gave her last month) and so remembered us and remembered that she really liked our energy. Of course, that made us feel good!

After all that, we had lunch at the Volcano House. They have a wondeful buffet room overlooking the Kilauea Crater, today filled with fumes. Huge gusts of wind rattled the windows as rain clouds got lost in the crater - all very dramatic and exciting!

Now we are glad to be back home where the air is clear and warm, very windy though. Opened up the house to air it out, and just hanging out for the rest of the afternoon, taking a little R&R time for ourselves.

Hoping you are each enjoying your weekend, too! :-)

Late Winter Update

Aloha all,

Such a chilly winter this year, all the way down to the 50's - brrrr. (heehee, couldn't resist)
Not as much rain as last winter, but it is raining again now. We have finally figured out how to cope with the high humidity: 2 dehumidifiers, one for the bedroom closet, and one in the studio at night. No mildew since we started this routine. Of course, this means the windows are closed a lot more than before, but we've had enough days when the humidity goes down below 60% or so, and then we open up everything to air out the house. This works for us and our books and such.

Earlier this week, Mike & I disassembled an entire 14,000 water tank up in Volcano Village, bolt by bolt, and piece by piece. It took 2 days of hard work, but now we have it all at home to play around with or hold onto until needed. Mike has an idea of using one tier for a concrete form to build the fish ponds for his aquaculture project; could be reused over and over again this way. The other half might become a swimming pool or maybe we'll sell it. Also got a pump, 3 filters, and a u/v light for treating the water. Pretty good deal!

Went to the Big Island Association of Nurserymen plant sale in Hilo today. Picked up a stephanotis (the Hawaiian wedding flower) and another orchid for the entry garden. We met up with a group of friends there and all decided to go out to dinner at the Nihon Japanese restaurant near Liliuokalani Park. Much talk and fun around the long table. Many of this group also attend the monthly International Dinners we take turns hosting (though we have not had a turn yet). Last weekend it was Peasant Foods of the World - we brought a thick chicken stew with dumplings made with our own chicken (a young rooster) and vegies from the garden.

Our chickens started laying wonderful brown eggs last week! Yay! Actually, these first eggies are from the chickens we're 'babysitting' for Bowen while she's on the mainland for medical tests, etc, but still... Our own chickens will be laying in another month or so. We feed them coconuts, food scraps, lay crumbles, and bugs. They seem to thrive on this diet. Once the aquaponics is going, we'll have azola (a freshwater plant) to add to their feed too. This is a pretty amazing little weed with 30% protein available for animals, including humans. It is much used in India and Africa for livestock and chickens. Sounds promising and it'll grow here, too.

In the gardens, each day we harvest a fig to share, a handful of cherry tomatoes, plenty of kale and bok choi, a couple strawberries, maybe a papaya, a few calamondons, and carrots. Quite a mix! Lettuce is coming on, broccoli and green onions too, and I have a bunch more seeds that need planting asap. Been planting a lot of sweet potatoes in raised beds outside. The liliko'i vine is really taking over the side fence, as we hoped it would - haven't seen a flower on it yet, any time now...

In between all this (and more), I've been working on a baby quilt for Grandbaby #2, coming this spring! A fun project, but it's taking so much more time than I thought it would. Lots of hand-stitching. I hope it's done in time...

I'll end with these thoughts:
The question is not who is going to give me permission, the question is who is going to stop me? Don't wait for someone to tell you that you can, just do it! ~Ayn Rand

Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness. ~James Thurber