Here's my typical daily pattern: wake up when the sun's been over the horizon just for maybe a half hour. I do around 20 minutes of yoga, and maybe write in my journal, as Dan needs more sleep and we have basically a one-room house, so this is a perfect time to be forced to do things that are very quiet. I'll walk around the garden to see if any fruits have dropped and check on anything recently transplanted. Then once Dan has stirred I start making the morning fruit smoothie - first soaking the chia seeds, then getting out frozen apple-bananas, a couple liliquoi, apple, ginger, maybe a papaya, lemon or lime, a partial avocado pit and some avocado (very high source of insoluble as well as soluble fiber, very good for the arteries), and whatever we have that's green (mint, chard, basil, kale). Also a little water or ice cubes. Blur it all up in the vitamix (have to turn the generator on), then add the soaked chia seeds and voila, delicious morning drink that's kind of like bubble tea, I imagine, with the pleasing tapioca-like texture of the chia seeds.
We figure out what our priorities are for the day, and then either work together or go off to do what's top of our list. Usually gardening for me and something with a large machine for Dan. Always nice when we are working together, always very interesting... like last week, Dan needed to move some steel he has been welding at neighbor's, a 74' beam that will be a bridge for the hydro pipe to pass over a small stream called Mahe Make. To move it he needs to use the big excavator he shipped here last year. He asks if I can help, so I trot along, thinking I will help him adjust it on the machine and then head back here.
Dan and excavator
But it turned out the beam needed to be steadied as he drove it back over here, a hilly half mile with many interesting obstacles to avoid. I walked at one end, keeping the beam from swinging around and hitting things, like the neighbor's shop, truck, fence, gate, and trees. This took a lot of strength as well as a certain amount of finesse to control the momentum, felt like steering a ship with a huge bow sprit through a cramped marina.
We slowly progressed, at a walking pace, back to our side of the bridge - this part was a little tricky, bridge is a one-lane, partly rotting wooden structure over a steep rocky ravine, and Dan had to drive the excavator not down the middle as he prefers, balancing the 20 tons of machine over the beams of the bridge, but off to the side so I could control the beam dangling from the excavator claws. Don't know if you can imagine this, it would have made a great picture... There actually were a couple guys in a pickup that stopped to watch us for awhile.
This was a typical daily adventure in that although I say "sure" I get to a point of thinking "not so sure!," but then eventually am proud and well yah a little boastful. Growing up with older brothers prepared me well.
Here's an early morning (moon was still out) picture of a bean and cucumber trellis we made out of the super handy bamboo stakes from the upper part of the property. This little garden patch also represents two mornings of prying out hono hono grass and perennial peanut, which is a cover crop nitrogen-fixer. After getting good and hot digging with pitchfork in the 80+ degree late morning, it's time to go down to the upper waterfall area (the one with the basking rock) to take a dip. And be amazed always at the dazzling beauty of that area, and think how I would love to share it with anyone who can venture out here!
Here I'm planting a miracle berry up on our house site. Miracle berry is a fruit that makes whatever you eat next taste as sweet as candy; lemon tastes like lemonade.
Sophie says to take more pictures of me, so here's another one, at the City of Refuge by the Great Wall, which was built around 1550. We spent a day over at the Kona side and visited this beautiful site in the evening, ancient royal grounds that provided a sanctuary for anyone in danger, during battle or if they had broken a kapu (law) that was punishable by death - such as women eating with men.
I wanted to write about what it's like being on "the other side" of the county and it's regulations... and how it looks like we finally have the go-ahead to build our house - we got an architect's stamp and submitted the plans to the county and it seems to be a go - but I have run on long enough so I will stop now.
And go prep some more garden beds.
Hoping everyone is super well in your life, and that you had a great Thanksgiving!
love and aloha,
Rachel
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