Cats, Cajuns and coffee

The coffee trees, dolloped with white flower clusters that look like snow from a distance, are showing promise for a fruitful winter. We've learned this week that a voracious beetle called the coffee berry borer has invaded our islands, one that drills into the cherry to feed, then further into the seed, or bean as it's known, to lay its slimy little eggs. These are not the same beetles previously featured in this blog. Rather, they are tiny, the size of a sesame seed, and much more destructive. These bitty beasts are a scourge, accounting for crop losses of 20 percent worldwide, and should never have become a problem in isolated Hawaii but for the state's stupid policy of allowing imported, green coffee beans. They're almost impossible to eradicate, since the larvae develop inside the bean. Who knows how many of these we've all brewed up in our Mr. Coffees over the years. Hawaii allows other plant importation too, and with lax inspection, we've acquired fire ants and coqui frogs in recent years. I've often wondered why they inspect our suitcases for agricultural products when we leave the islands, but not when we travel toward them. Luckily, no beetles have infected our coffee. We don't process other farmers' harvest (or even out own, yet) and we are nowhere near any other coffee growers, so we should be safe. That's not to say any of a dozen other menaces might not strike our orchard, but for now, our trees are healthy. Our biggest nemesis is fungus. This is the rainforest, after all. We might have enough coffee this year to harvest and process. I'm hoping for at least a potful of my own, medium-roast brew.

Last night, my friend and neighbor Kathy and I went to see the Red Stick Ramblers at the University of Hawaii Hilo Performing Arts Center. They were great, providing us with a dose of culture not of these islands. This band is authentic Louisiana, true to its Cajun-French roots, of the bayou, of the south. Check 'em out.

I had a job interview at The Palace Theater last week. Four members of the board asking about my experience with multi-tasking. I broke into a sweat during our discussion, not for nerves, but for the humidity and heat in Hilo, and thereby inside the old, un-air-conditioned building. They were a friendly, easy group, very nice, though they seemed more interested in my writing than my office skills, so it's hard to say how the interview went.

Last spring, our Lucy, the cranky calico, had laser surgery to remove cancerous lesions from her nose. The surgery gave her a cute little Janet Jackson pinch, which she has worn well. Her nose was much improved for several months, but now, the cancer is back, in the form of a tumor inside her nostril. It's inoperable locally, though the vet says we might fly her to Honolulu or Maui or the mainland for a CT scan, radiation and/or surgery. Lucy, however, is elderly, blind and FIV positive, so the vet also warns that doing this could stress her out, exacerbate her other conditions and possibly spark new maladies. She also tells us it would cost a few thousand dollars. So, we will do our best by Lucy, here, at home, continue to spoil her as we always have, and give her the best life possible for as long as possible.

Speaking of Lucy, the queen is on her perch, awaiting her dinner.

A hui hou. Malama pono. Aloha.