Mountains and Islands

Those of you who know me know I am not one who is known for her speed. "That Toni's got wheels" is not something anyone would ever say about me. I am reminded of my Deluxe softball days and, in thinking back, can still feel Tom Finocchiaro's hot breath on the back of my head, his hand gently but firmly pushing me in the back, trying to get me to run faster around the bases. Tom always batted cleanup. I was often up just before him and could be counted on for a single most of the time. I would get myself to first. Then Tom would hit me in with a colossal smash. Before I could reach second base, he was on my tail. That's how fast he was and how slow I was. "C'mon Toni," he would say from about one foot behind me. Sometimes he would even clip the backs of my heals with his toes. "Let's go! Keep going! You can do it. Run faster." If he'd only known how hard I was working to go that slowly. On a tennis court, however, I do have wheels. I...

Here is a picture of the happiest dog in the world. This is my Hoppsy. She's awesome. She is smart, funny and would make a respectable center fielder on any team. Even now, at the ripe old age of nearly 11, she can snag the tennis ball right out of the air. What a champ. Oh, and did I mention that she idolizes me and worships the ground I walk on. I've got to get one of those bumper stickers that reads, "I aspire to become the person my dog thinks I am." The other day, while swimming alongside triathlon girl, I was feeling a bit frumpy. Today, I was a cross between Janet Evans and Heidi Klum, gorgeous and fast in the water. That's because on one side was an enormous woman who could not actually swim. Rather, she walked back and forth across the pool. I give her credit, though. At least she was there. On the other side of me was a snail's pace breast stroker who did not seem to want to get her hair wet. My freestyle stroke sent me past her like an Olympic sprin...

It appears that Ron is experiencing the trip from hell. He was supposed to arrive in Hilo at 4:45 this afternoon after a long trip that took him to Colorado, Arizona and California. Instead, he was stuck at LAX for hours on end. He finally called to say that United would put him on a late afternoon flight and then arrange for a hotel in Honolulu since he would be arriving there far past the last departure to Hilo. He had a few other choice words about United. Apparently , there were hundreds of people stranded in Los Angeles, missing flights and connections. The lady standing in the line behind him was worried that her vacation would be over before she could get out of the airport. What a bummer. When he asked what was causing all the trouble, the gal behind the counter said, "It's summer." Hmmmm... Someone should buy the decision makers at United a calendar so they'll be able to see summer coming next time and can then prepare. Ron was in pretty good spirits, all thi...

While the gentrification of North Glenwood Road is in progress, that progress is decidedly slow. We, of course, for better or worse, are a part of that process, being the middle class haolis from the mainland that we are, transplanted to the rainforest. And there are a handful of others I've seen. These are people who actually walk their dogs on leashes like I do; people who mow their lawns and landscape; people driving SUVs. I even saw a guy jogging the other day. But it's nowhere near complete - this middle-class haolification if you will - of the neighborhood. Not by a long shot. There are still plenty of places with rusted old cars overgrown with foliage. There are sagging car ports and dilapidated catchment tanks. For every spoiled pet pooch in the neighborhood there's a farm animal or guard dog tied out in someone's yard. There are homes with rows of chicken shelters covering the front lawn and no small number of makeshift structures that have seen better days and...

More like buns of blubber! I started swinging a tennis racquet on Monday and running around a court again like a maniac. An old, fat maniac, but a maniac none-the-less. It was WAY fun. I really do love hitting tennis balls. I'm taking drill classes on Mondays and Thursdays. I happened upon a flyer posted to a downtown bulletin board advertising classes for kids, so I called the instructor on the off chance he might have something for adults. Voila! It's been a long while since I played regularly, so I peter out pretty fast. My butt is killing me! I haven't moved laterally like that in awhile. My butt and my shoulder and my forearm and hand from gripping the racquet - they're all letting me know they are alive and well but extremely sore for the moment. The pain should subside in a few weeks. And even if it doesn't, I don't really care. It's a blast. I'll just power down the Aspirin and keep on playing. It rained pretty hard last night and continued throu...

Either I am the world's slowest swimmer, or the girl in lane next to me at the pool today has some kind of kick. She was actually kicking, with a kickboard, using only her legs, and propelling herself faster than I was swimming with all of my appendages combined. I am slow, that's for sure; probably the slowest swimmer in the world. Still, that was some kick. As it so happens, she is a triathlete, training for her next race. She hopes to compete in the Ironman next year. She looked fit and buff and was also very nice. OK, so people watching doesn't always make one feel better about one's physique. Looking around though, there were still a few people splashing about today who were chubbier than me. The weather was warm and nice today. It's raining again tonight. That's just fine by me. It can rain every night for all I care. Just give me a little bit of sun sometime during the day. The weather man was reporting today's conditions as exceptionally hot with hig...

Let's say you're feeling a little down about your situation in life. Maybe work is a drag. Or you've put on a little weight. You're getting a little older and you don't like the additional lines you've noticed popping up on your face. Whatever your woe, I've got the cure. It's people-watching. That's right. Just spend a little time watching others and you will, in no time, feel better about yourself. The other day while filling a water jug at the Mountain View Store, I happened to get in a little people-watching by accident. My spot on the spigot afforded me the perfect view of the parade of low-lifes marching in and out of the tiny market. I watched one guy in utter amazement. He staggered out of the passenger seat of a car that had just pulled in and parked right in front of me. His hair was about shoulder length and brown, I think. It was hard to tell, since it had obviously not been washed in this century. Neither had his clothes. It was quite so...

Yesterday, I jumped on my newly repaired tractor, revved it up and proceeded out to the back 40 (OK, the back 4) to mow down more of the head high, gnarly grass overwhelming the property. I was cruising along nicely, making good progress, inch by inch, foot by foot, when --- whoa! I put it in reverse and nothing happened. The back wheels were spinning in the mud. No problem, I surmised. I'd had this happen before. Just lock the back hubs and power out. I tried it. The machine wouldn't budge. So I slammed the Deere into full four wheel drive. Still no go. Hmmmmm.... The front wheels were spinning too, but they did not seem to actually be touching anything. Turns out I had run them over a ledge, hidden well by vegetation, below which was a hole at least three feet deep. I tried a trick the tractor dude had taught us, whereby one lowers the loader to the ground and beyond, using it to lift the front wheels off the ground. When dropped all the way, the loader touched nothing. In fa...

OK so I lied. I didn't go the the Puna farmers' market. Actually, I did go, but I got there too late. Apparently, if you don't pull in before noon, you'll find, as I did, that all the vendors have pulled out. So, I went to the Hilo farmers' market instead to pick up plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. I even bought a breadfruit, or ulu, something you don't see at the market very often these days. It's the large, bumpy green orb with white streaks you see in the picture above. The ulu is still a staple among many Polynesian people in the south pacific, but not many people eat it here in Hawaii anymore. When we were here on vacation some years back, I bought one and asked a Hawaiian man how to cook it. He told me; just carve off the out rind, which is bumpy and green, cut the pale yellow, squash-like flesh into chunks, boil it until it's soft, mash it up, season with butter and salt and eat it. I did. Yum! They are a kind of sticky, starchy consistency, li...

Yesterday's adventure at the driving range was, I must say, pretty satisfying. I haven't hit a golf ball in years. The last time occured at the Dos Rios course in Gunnison, when Ron's uncle Ellery came to visit. That was the fall of 2001 I think. Ellery was 84 at the time and kicked our buts. So imagine my delight when the first ball I hit went 200 yards and dead straight. Of course, I hit a few clunkers, a couple of slices and a few more hooks also, but for the most part, I was stiking 'em pretty well for being so rusty. The Hilo municipal golf course is the best bargain around. For $40 you can play unlimited golf for a month. Or, if you just want to play one round, I think it's a whopping $15 for Kama'aina and $27 for visitors. Today I'm headed for the Puna market. I'll take the camera, so tune in the next few days to see a photo. It's actually not raining right this very moment. Instead, it's hot and humid. But it's better than rain. I lim...

Aren't these beautiful? They just popped up in the grass next to a tree in my yard the other day. I think they are some sort of ginger, but they are unusual in that the flower sprouted straight out of the ground just like this. Usually ginger flowers grow on established stalks. Quite literally, there were nowhere to be seen one day and in full bloom, just like you see them here, the next. The trade winds have died down the past few days, prompting the vog to settle in. Vog is volcanic smog, created from current Kilauea eruption. Usually, it is sent aloft and to the west to create a constant haze over Kona. Not today. I had a chat with a neighbor this morning who said that there was once a baby vegatable farmer on our road who supplied many of the local restaurants and small market with greens. The vog was his undoing. As rarely as we experience it here, when we do, it burns the leaves of vegatables, turning them brown. She said she sold spinach to Cafe Pesto for awhile, only to hav...

I've learned a few things since moving to Hawaii. One is that my dog, Doc, loves tropical fruit. He enjoys bananas but goes positively bananas over papaya. He can smell it the moment I cut one open from the opposite end of the house and comes prancing in to see if he can score a taste. What a big goofball. Why is it that we can go bananas, but we never go apples or grapes or oranges. We go cookoo for cocoa puffs, but I think that's different.... I've also learned that, when it rains in the tropics, it's just too warm for a raincoat. Walking three dogs requires both hands, so an umbrella is out of the question. I've been pondering the idea of a hands-free umbrella. I know I would have a use for one, so maybe others would too. Until then, I'll just get wet. I learned recently too that my old, reliable Purple Trooper is on it's last legs and won't we worth transporting to Hawaii. That's not something I learned because I'm in Hawaii. It's just so...

I am beginning to feel my normally cheery self slipping away. The rain is beginning to get to me. I expected it to rain here. I did. I thought I was fully prepared. I also vowed to give this place a fair chance. But it has now been nearly five months, and it is still raining. Except for the first week I was here and fewer than a handful of days that were partly sunny, it's rained. Shoot, even Lewis and Clark knew, when they were holed up at Fort Clatsop enduring the longest, wettest winter of their lives, that Spring would come eventually. Here on the east side of Hawaii Island, I am not so sure. Now, I've always thought of myself as someone who loves the rain. I love the way it seems to freshen the world. I grew up in a place that gets plenty most years. But there's a far cry from 40 or 50 or 60 inches a year and 140 plus inches. Here, we never get that "just after a good rain" smell. That's because it's always raining, so there's no basis for compari...

Clementine.... You are planted in my garden, sweet and jui-cy Clementine. Yesterday was a beautiful day. (Hey, one day out of every three weeks ain't bad, right?) So, we planted a few fruit trees. One was a Clementine tangarine tree. Another, a yellow grapefruit. The third, a Grey Abiu. A what, you ask? We did too. About two weeks ago, we went to the twice-a-year fruit tree sale at Plant It. It's a place renowned for its quality, grafted trees. They usually only sell wholesale to commercial growers. But twice a year, they open to the public. Anyway, there was a tree there, the Abiu, that was all but sold out when we got there. They'd had a run on them, so we figured they must be either very pretty or very tasty. We were assured they were both and that the tree would grow at our altitude in our rain. We bought the second to the last one. We also bought a cinnamon tree, a clove tree, a star fruit and a dwarf banana, which we have yet to plant. That'll happen in about thre...

Crawford got a haircut the other day. I did my usual hack job on her. Ah, but if anyone can pull off this "look" she can. Cute, huh? She seems pretty pleased with herself. The rain just keeps on falling. Even the long time Kama'aina are complaining. Long timers, some born and raised on the island, are pining for the sun. Some have said they are ready to move to the mainland. The ground is so soggy it will take days to dry out once the rain finally stops. Needless to say, here has been no landscaping, mowing or planting at our place. No matter. The tractor is in the shop. Mechanics say it's a slight leak in the mower deck hydraulic line. That's why it lowers itself as you drive along. Flash flood warnings had folks living in low-lying areas of East Hawaii moving to higher ground last week. They put out warning messages here that advise drivers not to proceed through large puddles. "Turn around. Don't drowned," says the ominous voice. If there was only...

It's been awhile since I've posted. Quite a lot has happened. And nothing at all has happened too. For two weeks we spent entertaining my dad, who was visiting from the Mainland. He's never been to Hawaii and never flown over the ocean. So this was a big adventure for him, to say the least. We spent two days in Waikiki, one of which was spent touring the Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri. I know he enjoyed it, although it just about killed him. Dad can't walk too far or too fast these days. He insisted he would start a regimen to build his stamina and strength as soon as he gets home. Of course, he also vowed to do that weeks ago so he would be in shape for his visit here. I'm sure he walked more during the past two weeks than he has in years. Maybe in decades. Nonetheless, I think he enjoyed himself, despite the rain. We toured the island, checked out the visitor's center and museum at Volcano's National Park and ate out a lot. He loved Nori'...

I have a strange family compared to many others I know. The Steinberger clan (that's mom's side of the family) is close, yet we speak with one another rarely and see each other even less often. My cousin Amy called me today and, as always, it was great to hear her voice. Like me, Amy knows that, no matter how much time passes between calls, we're still family and will always love one another. Amy and I, and the rest of our immediately family for that matter, are not so good at keeping in touch. We're pretty bad about remembering each others' birthdays. We sometimes call on holidays, sometimes not. We often don't communicate directly for months, or even years at a time. The beauty of this system is that we never wear out a welcome; we never get sick of or irritated with each other. Because we aren't meddling constantly in each others' lives, we not only continue to love each other, but actually like each other. It works for us. Of course, regardless of ho...

Farm livin' is the life for me..... The tractor has arrived. It is very cool and quite a workhorse, I must say. The salesman made point of telling us "It's not a Cadillac" more than once. Thank goodness for that. Ron had a Cadillac once. What a piece of junk. Once, he was entertaining coworkers from Germany and, while driving them in his Cadillac to dinner, he reached to adjust the rear-view-mirror, only to have it fall off in his hand. Needless to say, they weren't impressed with American engineering and quality. Of course, these days, Mercedes and Volkwagon don't have much to brag about either..... John Deere, however, is different from General Motors. They make stuff that both works and lasts. This tractor isn't fast, but it's steady and strong. In about three hours, we cleared around two large trees and added a few feet to our accessible land. That may not sound like much, but if you'd seen just how overgrown it was, you'd be amazed. We did...

Today's a beautiful day in paradise. It's warm and a bit breezy. The sun is peeking through the clouds. Mr. Sox has been basking in the day's balminess. We're still awaiting arrival of the tractor. Today would be an ideal day to give it a first spin through the cane grass. I spoke with a neighbor up the road this morning while on my daily walk with the pooches. She has two teenaged daughters and is currently sending them to a nice charter school in Volcano. She's not looking forward to their graduation to high school, as she's not too happy with the secondary school choices available here on the island. Too much violence and not enough actual education, she claims. Sounds familiar. I've heard similar concerns from parents all over the country. The news is full of stories about failing American schools. She's considering home schooling her kids. Any random thoughts out there on the state of public education in the US? From what I hear from people across t...

The sky was so clear and blue this morning that the snow atop Mauna Kea shone brighter than dandruff on a black t-shirt. And prettier, too. There's about a foot of the white stuff up there. Today, we played, strolled, baked, weed whacked and just generally enjoyed a perfect day of sunshine graced with lovely, cooling tradewinds. The cats were all in kitty heaven. This is Lucy. Isn't she a cutie? She came with the house. We have fallen head over heals in love with her. Abner likes her too. Now, it's raining. No. It's pouring. It's so loud I can hardly hear the keys on the keyboard as I type this. My dad is preparing for the biggest trip of his life. He is coming to the island to visit us for a couple of weeks in April. He's never been on an airplane longer than two hours, never been east of the Mississippi or west of the West Coast of Mainland USA. So this should be quite an experience for him. I'll meet him in Honolulu. It's a small, yet notoriously chal...