Springtime Happenings!

It's not like I've just been sitting around twiddling my thumbs.  Lots of happenings at our place!

First off, we had the most wonderful time with daughter Lori and grandbaby Acacia while they were here for almost 2 weeks in March.  Lots of picnics and parks, get-togethers and even a playdate!  Acacia was a perfect angel, the darling of every gathering we attended...  and we hear she's a great little traveler, so hopefully there will be plenty of future visits to come.  It passed all too quickly but we made the most of every single moment!

The pigs have both been bred, with the first litter due at the beginning of July.  3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days is the magic formula for pig gestation time.  Lola & Suey each have their own pen now and both seem a lot happier for it.


                           (Sorry no pics yet of the new coop. I must go remedy that right away!)
I have a new chicken coop, a new variation on the Hubbell Bubble theme.  This one still has the anti-mongoose skirting, and the roof over the entire yard for both hawk and rain protection.  But we utilized building materials we already had lying about the place, so it's got beefier wood and the roof is of scrap pieces of tin, with a small vent space at the peak.  Another difference is that we ran the chicken wire horizontally around the entire pen, rather than covering each individual panel vertically as in the original Bubble plan.  This made stapling it on much easier, in two tiers with the bottom of the lower tier becoming the skirting.  Right now we have young chicks in there, my new flock.  They won't start laying until the end of summer, most likely.

Phase Two of the pig barn is well underway, a little further along than this photo shows...  or at least it was, until last Friday when Mike fell off the ladder!  He's okay: mainly he got the wind knocked out of him, but he also strained his back which has put the building project on hold for a little while. 


We've been planting a lot more cassava (yuca or manioc as it's called in other parts of the world), moringa, and sweet potato.  Also sugarcane, taro/kalo, and kabocha squash.  Still need to divide and replant the bananas.  All these are tropical food crops for ourselves and our animals.  Our goal is to not have to buy animal feed for the pigs and chickens, to be able to grow a balanced feed here, and to encourage others to do the same.

Other springtime bits & pieces:  We helped some of our friends plant 10,000 strawberry plants in their hydroponic greenhouse!  We continue to help at the hula kahiko performances at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Enjoyed the Merrie Monarch parade in Hilo, an hours-long affair.  Have hosted a few farm tours too, for those interested in our Natural Farm piggery & Hubbell Bubble coop.  And of course, the vacation rental keeps me plenty busy enough besides all this.

And we are lucky to have had many gatherings with our island ohana (family) at beaches, parks, the warm pond, and at our homes.  Every now and then, when there are no guests staying at the hale, we get to take a turn at hosting.  We sure have a lovely group of friends here.  Makes us feel blessed.  And that's what it's all about!


(... and once again, I can't get that one picture centered. The perfectionist in me shudders to see it out of place, lol. Oh well.)