Island Camping!

Between emails, Facebook, Punaweb, Yahoo groups, our hale listings & website, other forums, on & on... I can easily spend waaay too much time online! Where to cut back? Lately, it's been my own blog that's getting the short straw. And sometimes we just leave it all and go camping!

Our first Big Island camping trip, a month or so ago, was at Spencer Beach Park just south of Kawaihae Harbor. We picked up a friend on our way out of Puna, and made a little stop at Lapahoehoe Point on our way up the Hamakua Coast.
Two nights on the dry side was a nice change of pace. Pu'u Kohola National Historic Site, which is really two huge heiau, is right close by, with a very informative visitor center. Then there's another underwater heiau in a little bay, dedicated to the shark god Ku, with accompanying black-tipped sharks swimming back and forth. That was exciting and enough to make me think twice about an evening swim!
We had a great steak barbeque the first night, then ate out at Tres Hombres Restaurant in nearby Kawaihae the second night. Jellyfish warnings had the beach closed the first day, unfortunately, but we enjoyed watching lots of humpback whales frolicking about offshore!

The second camping trip was just a week ago. We drove around the southern tip of the island to Ho'okena Beach Park to stay for a couple nights. I love that southern route, past Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, through the Ka'u Desert, past the little towns of Pahala & Na'alehu, and around up the leeward side a little ways. To reach Ho'okena, you turn off the highway and take a steep little road for 2 miles, down, down, down all the way to the shoreline. All along this road is a water pipe lying on the ground, winding around every corner with you. When you reach the bottom, where the campground, picnic area, beach, and a few houses are, you realize that all the fresh water for the area comes through that pipe - and it gets HOT!!!
This is a really nice little spot where you get to camp right on the sand. The waves were a bit rough the first day, but mellowed nicely so that I got a lovely morning swim in the open ocean, a real treat. Others went kayaking, hiking, snorkeling... but I truly enjoyed exploring the tidepools, reading, watching the spinner dolphins, and playing in the water.
The second day started out nice, but somehow during the 20 minutes I lay down for a nap, the skies clouded over and sure enough, it started to rain. This is one of the driest spots on the island - and it looked it! - so we really couldn't complain about them finally getting some much-needed rain... but it sure did change the camping experience. Wet sand clings to everything. But we made it fun anyway, reading, chatting, playing dice. And we all got to find out where our new tents leaked! (Only one little spot on ours; we'll goop it up with seam sealer before the next trip.)

We have another camping trip planned for next month, too. Whittington Beach will be our destination, with a day trip to Green Sand Beach. Our group of camping buddies keeps growing as others are finding out how much fun this is! I wish I had kept our old camp pots. We're having a hard time finding anything similar here. But I love our new tent - with its little front porch and big enough to stand up in! And we have a queen-size air mattress, so we can sleep in relative comfort. Hey, it definitely beats an old Insolite pad!!

Dog Bite

We were just hanging out last Sunday evening after a lovely afternoon barbeque at our best friends' house, enjoying the cool mountain air and the good company. They had asked us to stay on a while to talk and visit a bit longer. Eventually the time came to make our way back downhill to home, so in preparation for that, I got up to take my glass to the sink.

One of their three dogs was dozing on the tiled kitchen floor. I spoke to her as I approached and kept talking as I made my way around her - sure didn't want to startle a sleeping dog! But she stayed asleep, or so I thought.

In the few seconds it took to set my glass down, I heard some scrabbling on the floor behind me - oh, she decided to get up after all. And then, before I could comprehend what was happening, there was something biting at my heels and suddenly fangs sunk into my left foot!! Of course I screamed, everyone jumped up and hauled the damn dog off me and put her outside.

I was so shocked I didn't realize at first that I was bleeding or what had really happened.... all I knew was blinding pain. I couldn't move or breathe, so Mike helped me to the floor. Waves and waves of pain washed over me and pulled me down into a terrifying well I could not escape. I almost passed out a couple times, but I do remember saying to go ahead and wash out the wounds. Since it hurt so bad anyway, may as well take advantage and clean them now.

Lots of tears were shed and not all of them were mine. Our dear friends felt so bad about their stupid dog gone psycho. They promised she would never be out of the kennel if anyone else was visiting, ever again. They took good care of me, while I leaned on Mike for support, until I could finally make my way, half-carried, to the car. I fell asleep on the way home.

The next morning, we soaked my foot to keep the puncture wounds open and draining while I finally had a chance to look in my books for more info on dog bite treatments. Mike took me to the Pahoa Medical Center, our new clinic only 5 minutes from our house. I got a tetanus booster and we had the bites looked at.

The verdict was that they were well-cleaned and cared for, but the surrounding tissues were quite traumatized. Fortunately, no ligaments or tendons were damaged. And thank goodness there is no rabies in Hawaii! However, dog bites carry an assortment of bacteria, and 90% of them become badly infected with all sorts of nasties, so antibiotics are routinely prescribed. My foot was already swollen, hot and red, sure signs of infection and trauma, so I agreed with the antibiotics.

This was the first time I have been bitten by a dog, not counting little nips that don't draw blood. I will never forget that sensation of the dog biting at me, trying to get a hold of my heels, and then the fangs sinking in. That's the stuff of which nightmares are made.

I haven't slept well since this happened, and am still in pain. I cannot walk or put much weight on my left foot. My arm aches from that tetanus shot, too. And now my tummy is starting to feel the effects of the antibiotics.

But, besides being tired and cranky, I'm actually doing better today. The redness and swelling have subsided quite a lot. The wounds are still open and oozing - gross, yes, but a good thing with punctures. And I'm sure glad I have a whole week before the next guests arrive... it may take that long to prep the hale.

I'm happy to say I will live after all. ;-)

The Hubbell Bubble Chicken Coop!

I've written before about our chickens and their coop. We've adjusted the design a bit now & then, making changes as needed, as any good homesteader would do. Just because we're living in a tropical suburb, it doesn't mean we've lost our homesteader roots! Our vacation rental guests seem to really enjoy seeing a 'normal' yard being far more productive than the usual lawn & shrubs. We often hear comments like, "That's a good idea! I'm going to do that back home, too!"

Since we've become so involved with the Natural Farming group, we've had even more people curious to see our backyard chicken set-up. One of these people is Mike DuPonte, our local ag extension animal specialist. He was so taken with our coop design that, at his instigation, UH-CTAHR (University of Hawaii - College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources) has decided adopt it as their model to promote backyard chicken-raising! We're a little dazed at all the attention, but hey, if it helps, that's cool. And it is nice to be recognized for a good idea when one rolls around. ;-)

A few days ago, several of us got together to buy the materials and construct a 12'x12' display model of the coop. We put together the panels that will be assembled later at the Food Resilience Project in Kohala at the beginning of February. We'll be making another whole set-up for the Cho Global Natural Farm Seminar coming at the end of Feb.

UH-CTAHR is printing up a brochure with plans for distribution at both venues. I think they will also be available at the CTAHR offices after these events.

For those interested in learning about Natural Farming and Indigenous Micro-Organisms, here's a link to our local group's website, Natural Farming Hawaii.

So now you know what's been occupying so much of our time these days. I'd say our new year is off to a great start!

Here Comes 2010!

So, do we say "Twenty-Ten" or "Two Thousand and Ten"? I remember pondering this very question at the turn of the century... no one knew the answer back then but figured it would sort itself out by the time it actually rolled around. Well, here we are... now what?

In our family, 2010 is also known as "The Year of the Time Capsule". Way back when - 12 or 13 years ago, was it? - the kids and I made a project of studying each decade of the 20th Century. We saved the box that some of the materials came in; it was colorful and sturdy and would suit our purposes quite well. We wanted to create a family time capsule, to be opened waaaaay down the road, in 2010, an almost inconceivable time-span away.

We made up a questionnaire for each of us to answer, added some pictures, a copy of the local newspaper complete with the grocery ads, and also put in various objects (none of which I remember now). After reading everyone's entries aloud - to the amusement of us all - the whole thing was duct-taped shut and set in the basement for safe-keeping. A solemn vow was made that we would all gather again, knowing even then that Life would have led us far and wide by that time, so we could open the capsule together.

Every year I would write on the December page of the new calendar, "Remember: Time Capsule - 2010". And now, here we are, right on the verge of that particular year.

Our youngest, Kerry, has been Keeper of the Capsule since the break-up of our old farm. (We love these kinds of honorary titles in our family!) One day, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle and trauma of moving out, she gave a little gasp and rushed downstairs. She had all-of-a-sudden remembered the Time Capsule, still tucked away on its ledge in the basement! Ever since then, she has kept it safe in a closet or cupboard, taking it with her each time she moved.

We are pretty spread out at present: Mike & I in Hawaii; Lori & Dave up in Anchorage; Chris & Katie in Bonners; and Kerry in the Seattle area. But somehow, we will do our best to make the Opening of the Time Capsule happen with all of us present. Including spouses. That was specified even way back when the capsule was being created. I think it had something to do with some of the answers on that questionnaire...

Wishing you all a joyous New Year with many exciting discoveries of your own!

Remembering Winter Solstice

For your holiday reading pleasure ~

Yule is an ancient fire festival, taking place on December 21st, the longest night of the year. It is a calling for the sun to return to us, to bring back the light and banish darkness, or at least to keep it from consuming us with cold and misery and doubt. And for our family, Yule was the best of the Winter festivals.

A huge bonfire pile would have been slowly built all year long, starting with last year's dried out Christmas tree. Every time a fruit tree was pruned in the spring, the boughs would go onto the bonfire pile. All summer long, barrowloads of scrap wood from whatever building projects were taking place that year would be added. The trimmings and thinnings, the branches blown down in storms, log ends from the woods, or broken pallets and crates - all would be heaved up onto the growing pile in hopes of a bright blaze come Winter.

When the weather turned damp and gray in Autumn, the pile would be covered with an old tarp. Days grew shorter and colder, darker and dreary. The procession of Autumnal holidays helped brighten our spirits and our homes. Pretty soon now, the glorious day would arrive! Snow might bury the bonfire mound in a blanket of icy whiteness. Some years, when the snows were particularly heavy and deep, we'd have to shovel a path from the house, into the field to the waiting pile - and then dig out the pile itself before the ceremony could begin!

As the Winter Solstice approached, invitations were sent out to family and friends. This was always our biggest party of the year!

Guests would arrive at dusk. Everyone brought food for the groaning board, so called because the table would be completely covered with delectables, both savory and sweet. Each guest would also bring something to add to the bonfire. This could be anything from a stick of firewood to a specially woven corn dolly, a gnarly twisted root found on a hike, or a letter to a dearly departed one - each would be added to the pyre.

* * * * *

Bundled up against the icy cold of mid-winter's night, we become mesmerized by the fingers of flame licking their way up the pile. It crackles and pops as fire begins to take hold. Pine needles sizzle and glow. Sparks fly to the starry night sky. We roast ourselves, slowly turning in place to warm first one side, then the other, alternating the heat of the flame with the chill of the northern night. Light and dark. Yin and yang.

We begin to circle around the now-blazing bonfire, tramping a path through the snow, and chanting, "Bring back the Sun, bring back the Sun."

Circle three times... and then break out the fireworks!

These are the ones we had stashed away since last summer, saved especially for Solstice. There is no better time for bright fountains, whizzing rockets, and crackling sparklers than on the longest night of the year, in the middle of a snowy field, each individual crystal of snow reflecting back each spark of light!

Back to the house now. Ablaze with Christmas tree lights and the lights of dozens of candles, the festivities continue indoors. A huge pile of snowboots, thick winter coats, scarves, hats, and mittens fills the entryway. Once you clamber over this barrier, adding your own layers to it, there are tables of all sorts of good foods, mugs of hot and spicy cider, music and laughter and conversation.

Many will eventually wander back outside to the still-blazing bonfire, drawn like moths by the attraction of its flames. The sharp smell of smoke drifts across the fields on this icy northern night, the most special night of our year.


The sun will return... tomorrow.

* * * * *
I wish you all a Blessed Yule, and a Merry Christmas!