We have been enjoying a respite from the rains with a couple gloriously sunny days! Mauna Kea was showing all bright with her mantle of snow. Awesome! This morning was full of rainbows, which of course means there was rain again, but only a light drizzle so far compared to the firehose deluge last month.
Mike found us a couple used dehumidifiers and what a difference that has made! It does mean the windows are closed more often, but we get all aired out when we can, and besides, we spend a lot of time outside anyway. Now we're not always worrying about our books, clothing, furniture, and everything else in the house. We're learning!
The crab spiders are back with this cooler weather. It's funny, we always thought there were hundreds of spiders here all the time; then we realized that we used to only come over during the winter. Turns out, that's when the spiders are around too. When summertime comes around, it's so much easier to walk outdoors: no big, sturdy spiderwebs to break through! I must look a sight waving a long stick in front of me (to knock down the webs) as I wander about the yard, casting my anti-arachnid spells. Those of you who know me know that, though they certainly are fascinating little critters, I don't particularly care for spiders much.
Another wintertime regular, much more beloved than spiders, has also returned for the season: the humpback whales! Saw my first one of the year last weekend, splashing and spouting in Hilo Bay. We don't see nearly as many along the Puna coastline as we used to see from Lahaina, but they do often cruise by close to the shore. The steep rocky cliffs make for deep water close in. Some folks say they've heard whalesong at night while camping along the shoreline! The Hawaiian word for whale is 'kohala', and the Kohala District in the northwest part of this island is so named for the big rolling hills that look like the backs of whales.
The coqui chorus is going strong tonight, which means it's time for bed. I love falling asleep to the serenade of these little treefrogs with the big voice. Just so long as they don't park themselves right outside my bedroom window!
Aloha, Liz
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Good-Bye 2008!
It's been raining like crazy these past few days, even more than the usual rainy amount we get on this wet side of the island. Got another 4" just today, and it wasn't even raining nearly as hard as it has been!! Everything's growing madly - it's a jungle out there! Some of our screenhouse plants are not enjoying the extra humidity levels though (it hovers between 86-98%) and are succumbing to various humidity-related diseases, especially the tomatoes. We're still getting a few but I think I'll replant them with a more resistant variety. I need a bigger screenhouse already! The green beans have reached the ceiling and are cascading back down and the snap peas are following suit. It's an 8-foot ceiling, by the way!! We need a step stool just to pick vegies for our dinner!
The baby White Pearl chicks have graduated to the big pen with the others. Everybody seems to be getting along just fine, establishing their pecking order and squawking over the coconut halves that Mike splits open for them every couple days. It'll be another few months before we start getting eggs from these birds.
I had to pack away most of our books to protect them from the high humidity. I'm having a heck of a time keeping the mildew in check in the studio side of the house. The older hale/guest house side doesn't have as much trouble with this, probably because there's less stuff in it, but also because it has dried out over the years. This is the first winter for living in the studio and it hasn't quite dried out all the way after the drenching it got during construction! It's odd for me to not have a bookcase full of favorites and references ready at hand. We bought some shallow plastic storage bins, fixed weatherstripping along the rim of each to create an airtight seal, and added in silica desiccant along with the books. I can still get to them, but it's a bit more hassle. Better than losing them to the moisture though! We've done this for other susceptible items as well; it really helps. In our 'real' house, we are going to build a 'dry room' big enough to be a library too. Don't know when that'll be, but I'm having fun drawing up plans for it. :-)
Still not missing the snow. There's snow on Mauna Kea, almost a foot last I heard, and everyone's excited to see it. Hope everyone's surviving the winter weather in whatever form it takes in your area.
Here's wishing you all a Happy New Year in 2009!
Aloha, Liz
The baby White Pearl chicks have graduated to the big pen with the others. Everybody seems to be getting along just fine, establishing their pecking order and squawking over the coconut halves that Mike splits open for them every couple days. It'll be another few months before we start getting eggs from these birds.
I had to pack away most of our books to protect them from the high humidity. I'm having a heck of a time keeping the mildew in check in the studio side of the house. The older hale/guest house side doesn't have as much trouble with this, probably because there's less stuff in it, but also because it has dried out over the years. This is the first winter for living in the studio and it hasn't quite dried out all the way after the drenching it got during construction! It's odd for me to not have a bookcase full of favorites and references ready at hand. We bought some shallow plastic storage bins, fixed weatherstripping along the rim of each to create an airtight seal, and added in silica desiccant along with the books. I can still get to them, but it's a bit more hassle. Better than losing them to the moisture though! We've done this for other susceptible items as well; it really helps. In our 'real' house, we are going to build a 'dry room' big enough to be a library too. Don't know when that'll be, but I'm having fun drawing up plans for it. :-)
Still not missing the snow. There's snow on Mauna Kea, almost a foot last I heard, and everyone's excited to see it. Hope everyone's surviving the winter weather in whatever form it takes in your area.
Here's wishing you all a Happy New Year in 2009!
Aloha, Liz
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Going Into Winter
Aloha One & All~
I have a few minutes while the brownies are baking (for the beach day potluck) to get you caught up with the latest. After a long bout of the flu and subsequent sinus infection, I'm feeling much better these days, almost back to my normal amount of energy. The winter season is definitely here with our nighttime temperatures dipping down to - don't sip anything hot - 60*. I know, I know, but it really does feel chilly! With the humidity up to 97% at night, it gets to us. I guess we're thoroughly acclimatized.
Last week we attended a very interesting talk at the Lyman Museum in Hilo, 'Growing Vanilla in Hawaii'. Actually, the speaker went into various cultivation methods that he's seen around the world. He and his wife (who was sitting right behind us) run a good-sized vanilla farm up north in the Hamakua mauka (upcountry) area. They are also a homeschooling family, so we had fun talking to them about that as well. It's amazing how much time goes in to vanilla production! For example, did you know that a vanilla flower only blooms for 4 hours, during which time it must be fertilized by hand? It takes 9 months to grow a vanilla bean from the time it's fertilized,and another 9 months for the curing process. So although vanilla is productive year-round, it's no wonder the cost for the real stuff is so high. And well worth it too, in my opinion, since the imitation product is made from wood pulp - yech!
I'm taking a Hawaiian Herbal Medicine course, taught by David Bruce Leonard who wrote the book Medicine at Your Feet. This class is just what I've been looking for! I am finally learning who all these green growing things are and what they can be used for. He takes us on herb-walks, too, and forest hikes, as well as classroom time. And the emphasis is not just on endemic plants or just on Polynesian introductions, but on everything that grows here which makes so much more sense from a food and herbal perspective. So I'm finally recognizing some of the 'weeds' in the yard and finding uses for them which, of course, brings them out of the weed category. And I'm finding some cool new places to hike!
Our chickens are all growing fast. Haven't lost a single one which is something of a minor miracle in these parts from what we've heard. Mike's mongoose-proof fencing is working like a charm, and we often hear very frustrated mongoose swearing at us from the jungle! We can see where they've tried to dig through the cinder to get under the fence, but with that extra skirting around it, they can't get through. Every few days, Mike will chop a coconut in half and lay it out in the chicken yard; chickens love coconut! And they've learned that the greens we toss in are not going to attack them after all but actually taste pretty good. Silly birds. Fresh eggs are still months away - sigh. But fresh produce from the screenhouse is ongoing! We've had 4 pickings of green beans already, and loads of lettuce, mizuna and cucumbers for salads. A few stray strawberries now and then. The bok choi is all done and the peas have yet to bloom. I declare this screenhouse experiment a complete success!
Pahoa had its annual Christmas Parade yesterday. This brought home to us the fact that we've lived here for over a year now. Events are starting to repeat themselves. Picture of last year's parade are on my Picasa page; I didn't bring a camera this time. But here is a wonderful little local news video of the parade: http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/puna/20081206pahoaparade.htm
(You can see us standing in the background once in a while! We're leaning against the yellow building across the street from the judge's stand, along with good friend Willow. At the very end is the easiest to see us.)
Oh, the brownies are done - time to get ready for Beach Day! Gotta smear on the sunscreen, fold up the beach chairs, and sort out the snorkel gear. I don't miss the snow one bit!
Aloha,
Liz
I have a few minutes while the brownies are baking (for the beach day potluck) to get you caught up with the latest. After a long bout of the flu and subsequent sinus infection, I'm feeling much better these days, almost back to my normal amount of energy. The winter season is definitely here with our nighttime temperatures dipping down to - don't sip anything hot - 60*. I know, I know, but it really does feel chilly! With the humidity up to 97% at night, it gets to us. I guess we're thoroughly acclimatized.
Last week we attended a very interesting talk at the Lyman Museum in Hilo, 'Growing Vanilla in Hawaii'. Actually, the speaker went into various cultivation methods that he's seen around the world. He and his wife (who was sitting right behind us) run a good-sized vanilla farm up north in the Hamakua mauka (upcountry) area. They are also a homeschooling family, so we had fun talking to them about that as well. It's amazing how much time goes in to vanilla production! For example, did you know that a vanilla flower only blooms for 4 hours, during which time it must be fertilized by hand? It takes 9 months to grow a vanilla bean from the time it's fertilized,and another 9 months for the curing process. So although vanilla is productive year-round, it's no wonder the cost for the real stuff is so high. And well worth it too, in my opinion, since the imitation product is made from wood pulp - yech!
I'm taking a Hawaiian Herbal Medicine course, taught by David Bruce Leonard who wrote the book Medicine at Your Feet. This class is just what I've been looking for! I am finally learning who all these green growing things are and what they can be used for. He takes us on herb-walks, too, and forest hikes, as well as classroom time. And the emphasis is not just on endemic plants or just on Polynesian introductions, but on everything that grows here which makes so much more sense from a food and herbal perspective. So I'm finally recognizing some of the 'weeds' in the yard and finding uses for them which, of course, brings them out of the weed category. And I'm finding some cool new places to hike!
Our chickens are all growing fast. Haven't lost a single one which is something of a minor miracle in these parts from what we've heard. Mike's mongoose-proof fencing is working like a charm, and we often hear very frustrated mongoose swearing at us from the jungle! We can see where they've tried to dig through the cinder to get under the fence, but with that extra skirting around it, they can't get through. Every few days, Mike will chop a coconut in half and lay it out in the chicken yard; chickens love coconut! And they've learned that the greens we toss in are not going to attack them after all but actually taste pretty good. Silly birds. Fresh eggs are still months away - sigh. But fresh produce from the screenhouse is ongoing! We've had 4 pickings of green beans already, and loads of lettuce, mizuna and cucumbers for salads. A few stray strawberries now and then. The bok choi is all done and the peas have yet to bloom. I declare this screenhouse experiment a complete success!
Pahoa had its annual Christmas Parade yesterday. This brought home to us the fact that we've lived here for over a year now. Events are starting to repeat themselves. Picture of last year's parade are on my Picasa page; I didn't bring a camera this time. But here is a wonderful little local news video of the parade: http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/puna/20081206pahoaparade.htm
(You can see us standing in the background once in a while! We're leaning against the yellow building across the street from the judge's stand, along with good friend Willow. At the very end is the easiest to see us.)
Oh, the brownies are done - time to get ready for Beach Day! Gotta smear on the sunscreen, fold up the beach chairs, and sort out the snorkel gear. I don't miss the snow one bit!
Aloha,
Liz
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'll be roasting a turkey tomorrow, along with Portuguese sausage-cornbread stuffing. Mike requested mashed potatoes & gravy, and my favorite pumpkin pie for dessert. Also on the menu for the feast are fresh green beans and a green salad from the screenhouse, chunky cranberry sauce, my well-loved cranberry bread. Mike's brother Matt will be flying in from Maui to join us for the long weekend so we're hoping for a let up in the rain long enough to do some fun sight-seeing while he's here.
We have guests arriving the day after Thanksgiving - get this: They are from Bonners Ferry too, but didn't realize we also were until well after the booking! We have mutual friends back there and have heard eachother's names before, and maybe we do know eachother but never put the names with the faces... It will be fun to find out! After these folks leave, we have a bit of space with no bookings; if it stays that way, we plan on getting some house projects done.
Oh, a couple days ago we took a trip to the nearby Rozett's Nursery and came away with two new fruit trees to plant: a Brown Turkey fig, and a calamondon. The latter is a small citrus that is a cross between a lime and a kumquat, very juicy and sweet-tart, excellent for juice and pretty darn good in a gin and tonic, too. Good thing it produces year-round! And the flowers smell heavenly so we're planting it upwind of the bedrooms. Mmmmm....
Here's wishing each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving, wherever and however you're spending it!
Aloha,
Liz
We have guests arriving the day after Thanksgiving - get this: They are from Bonners Ferry too, but didn't realize we also were until well after the booking! We have mutual friends back there and have heard eachother's names before, and maybe we do know eachother but never put the names with the faces... It will be fun to find out! After these folks leave, we have a bit of space with no bookings; if it stays that way, we plan on getting some house projects done.
Oh, a couple days ago we took a trip to the nearby Rozett's Nursery and came away with two new fruit trees to plant: a Brown Turkey fig, and a calamondon. The latter is a small citrus that is a cross between a lime and a kumquat, very juicy and sweet-tart, excellent for juice and pretty darn good in a gin and tonic, too. Good thing it produces year-round! And the flowers smell heavenly so we're planting it upwind of the bedrooms. Mmmmm....
Here's wishing each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving, wherever and however you're spending it!
Aloha,
Liz
Saturday, November 8, 2008
We've Got Chickens!
Well, actually what we've got is baby chicks. Three of them are Auracanas, the kind that lay those blue-green eggs. And the newest ones are Pearl Leghorns, they look just like Easter chicks! We got 4 of those. Since these babies are a couple weeks apart in age, they are in separate brooder cages for now, the older ones on the porch and the littles in the livingroom. Eventually, they will all occupy the coop together. In the meantime, we are baby-sitting some young hens while their person is away on the mainland for 5 weeks. So there are definitely chickens in my life again!
The screenhouse grows like the jungle that surrounds it, giving us plenty of greens these days. Tomatoes and cucumbers are setting fruits; the green beans are blossoming and have reached the roof already! Snap peas, carrots, basil, broccoli are all doing really well. Everything else is pretty small still, but it's all getting bigger every day. The rain barrel drip system is working great. The only glitch was yesterday when it didn't get turned off after the timer rang; by the time we thought about it again - you guessed it - the barrel was empty and the beds were very well watered! We were very glad to hear the rains last night!
This evening we will be attending the first get-together of our International Cooking Group. I think there are 20 or so people due to show up, all bringing dishes from host Noel's chosen region: Shanghai, China. I'm in the middle of a major lumpia-making project, so if this post seems a little disjointed it's because I have to keep jumping up the turn them as they cook. I made a test batch a couple weeks ago - thought it would be a good idea since I'd never made them before - and they turned out ono (delicious)! A little plum sauce for dipping and, my oh my, what a yummy appetizer.
The bookings for the vacation rental keep trickling in. We just had a local family and their inlaws from O'ahu, with a cute little 1-year-old girl. Today, a guy who used to live in Pahoa arrived with a couple colleagues for a longer stay while they all attend a teacher training conference. Then some of Mom's friends from Bellingham will spend a night with us! And right after that we have some folks from Bonners Ferry coming to look for land to buy!! That gets us through November with flying colors! After that, there's a big blank until mid-February, but I have a feeling it won't stay that way for long: we seem to get lots of bookings just a few weeks ahead. And we already have a whole batch for the springtime. Interesting business we're in these days... I really enjoy meeting our guests from all over the world.
We'll be taking the homeschool group on a hike to Kaloli Point next week, weather permitting. It's not necessarily that rainy weather would stop us - we're all used to the 'kisses from heaven' - but if there's a storm or big waves from something out at sea, I wouldn't want to take kids out there. It's a lovely wild area of cliffs and rocks, tidepools and freshwater springs, all backed by jungle and the old ancient trail. My kind of place!
May you each find your kind of place and fun things to do!
Aloha, Liz
The screenhouse grows like the jungle that surrounds it, giving us plenty of greens these days. Tomatoes and cucumbers are setting fruits; the green beans are blossoming and have reached the roof already! Snap peas, carrots, basil, broccoli are all doing really well. Everything else is pretty small still, but it's all getting bigger every day. The rain barrel drip system is working great. The only glitch was yesterday when it didn't get turned off after the timer rang; by the time we thought about it again - you guessed it - the barrel was empty and the beds were very well watered! We were very glad to hear the rains last night!
This evening we will be attending the first get-together of our International Cooking Group. I think there are 20 or so people due to show up, all bringing dishes from host Noel's chosen region: Shanghai, China. I'm in the middle of a major lumpia-making project, so if this post seems a little disjointed it's because I have to keep jumping up the turn them as they cook. I made a test batch a couple weeks ago - thought it would be a good idea since I'd never made them before - and they turned out ono (delicious)! A little plum sauce for dipping and, my oh my, what a yummy appetizer.
The bookings for the vacation rental keep trickling in. We just had a local family and their inlaws from O'ahu, with a cute little 1-year-old girl. Today, a guy who used to live in Pahoa arrived with a couple colleagues for a longer stay while they all attend a teacher training conference. Then some of Mom's friends from Bellingham will spend a night with us! And right after that we have some folks from Bonners Ferry coming to look for land to buy!! That gets us through November with flying colors! After that, there's a big blank until mid-February, but I have a feeling it won't stay that way for long: we seem to get lots of bookings just a few weeks ahead. And we already have a whole batch for the springtime. Interesting business we're in these days... I really enjoy meeting our guests from all over the world.
We'll be taking the homeschool group on a hike to Kaloli Point next week, weather permitting. It's not necessarily that rainy weather would stop us - we're all used to the 'kisses from heaven' - but if there's a storm or big waves from something out at sea, I wouldn't want to take kids out there. It's a lovely wild area of cliffs and rocks, tidepools and freshwater springs, all backed by jungle and the old ancient trail. My kind of place!
May you each find your kind of place and fun things to do!
Aloha, Liz
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