Mountains and Islands

The past several days have been more wet than dry, with the past two all wet. In fact, we were cranking up the volume on the TV to hear it over the sound of the downpour. Today, however, is showing the promise of some blue sky peaking through the clouds. We'll have to wait until the foliage dries out a bit before we can mow. The rain was the result of the remnants of tropical depression Daniel. The storm began as Hurricane Daniel, then became Tropical Storm Daniel as it got nearer to us, then became a tropical depression (whatever that is) then because nothing more than some rain. It wasn't very exciting. We didn't lose power or anything. Ron and I have a new thing when the power goes out. We hang out on the lanai with a giant flashlight and play scrabble. We have too much stuff. Despite our efforts to purge in Colorado before the move, we still have more than we need, want or have room for. This is a tiny house, after all. We've been making trips to Wal-mart and Home D...

Life is mellow here in the rainforest. We erected a shelter for our tractor last week so we could move the machine off the driveway to make room for stuff. The stuff came, all the way from Colorado. We are now finding places to put the stuff, one box at a time. Despite our attempts to simplify our lives and purge a huge amount of stuff before moving here, we still find we have too much stuff. That's the American way though, right? We converted an old dog Kennel just off the driveway into a storage shed. We were planning (and still are) to actually build a structure there, but in the meantime, we opted for tarps, a shower curtain and some 2x4s. Hey, there are people living in shelters less attractive and secure than this. Hey. It works. We had both a bad and good car buying experience this weekend. We recently decided that, since my old purple truck is now deceased, we should buy an economical commuter car to zip to town and back when we don't need the utilitarian virtues of the...

We have a lovely pair of cardinals that visit our back lanai every morning and afternoon. This timing generally coincides with the feeding of the cats outside. They swoop in and steal the cat food. When there's no cat food out there, they chirp incessantly until there is. We hung a big seed ball for them, but they prefer the kitty kibble. Oh they'll nibble at the seeds. But given the choice, they'll take tuna and salmon flavor over sesame and sunflower any day. They've become carnivorous. Yikes! Keep all the small children inside! My friend Gail once told me about some wrens visiting a little bird house she'd put out. I asked if they were looking to buy or simply wren-t! Ha ha ha.... Tonight, I was looking for a saucepan big enough to steam some extra long green beans without cutting them. Somehow, I began singing ala Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam "She dreams of colors, she dreams in green... can't find a bigger pan.....It's too small. These beans they won...

Howdy ya'all. Oh, and alo-o-o-o-oha! I heard word this weekend that a giant double cottonwood tree in the front yard of my Colorado cabin was blown down by the wind. That is a big tree so it must have been some strong wind. It toppled over roots up, with one segment going across a portion of the driveway and one toward the road. The good news is that it didn't hit the electrical wire that runs very nearby, nor did it hit the barn or the house or anyone's car or anyone's head. Whew! My renter-buddy Mark is already on top of the situation, having begun the arduous task of cutting it up. He'll have plenty of firewood this winter. The fourth of July festivities were pretty low-key at our house. We dosed the dogs with herbal doggie mellow-out pills, then did our best to keep them calm as the neighbor's grandkids fired off bottle rockets and other noisemakers. We also roasted a leg of lamb in our new smoker/bbq/grill. It's a very cool little contraption, and it wa...

Aloha all you blog fans. Sorry it's been several days since my last post. We've been busy, taking advantage of the nice weather, to mow, scoop, plant and till. Ron has continued his frenzied quest to rototill the entire island, or at our entire five acres, grinding up patches of dirt in one place to scoop up and drop into another place. His tilling has been curtailed, however, because of the huge amount of water it takes to clean the thing after each use. With the nice weather, our water catchment tank went from full to half in a very short time. So, it was either cut back on the tilling and subsequent need for massive amounts of water or resign ourselves to schlepping the dirty clothes off the the Laundromat and taking showers at the pool. Today, however, it is pouring. Mother Nature is doing her part to replenish our supply so we could be tilling again in a few days. That is, of course, weather permitting. I have now planted all our fruit trees. Last week, we purchase 10 coff...

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...