So much going on, and so much time has passed, I won't possibly try to make this comprehensive, just put down a few notes! I am actually writing this from Olympia, where due to the cold freezingness of the world, there's not much to do outside to distract me from writing. Since I'm not on my computer, I don't have my pictures to add, so I guess I will add those later when I post this as a blog. (April 7th I am finally adding them! Computer with my photos died.)
Couple major categories of progress - in eating from the land, building, people, and energy.
Food
I am realizing it is much easier to grow or find starches and fruits to eat than proteins and vegetables. My goal is to eat foods we have either grown ourselves or our close neighbors or friends. Along those lines, our most successful home-style meals were of breadfruit (ulu), coconut, pig (caught by David who lives here, with a bow and arrow after the trap didn't kill the wild pig), avocado, bananas, liliquoi, berries, and some perennial greens. It's also easy to eat lots of local taro, casava (tapioca), air potato, sweet potato and pumpkin. We also now have a sugar cane press, and have been making juice from the purple cane growing here, and have honey that came from friends who took a beehive that once was here (there).
Sophie making cane juice - we have purple sugar cane, tastes like maple syrup
Making coconut milk
First we drink the coconut water, then cut up the meat and blend it for milk
Kitties (Vido and Princess) like coconut, too
For protein, we will soon get chickens and eventually would like to raise fish in an aquaculture system, aiming not to feed them store-bought food. There are huge crayfish in the stream but we haven't tried to catch any yet. As for vegetables, I spend a lot of time growing them and have not reaped too many benefits (yet). I planted around 22 cucumber starts and we ate maybe 2 cucumbers before they succumbed to various beetles and worms! Bear says it was the wrong time of year, so I guess I will try again in a few months. Even the vegetables that have been successful, like broccoli, bok choy, lettuce, and hot peppers, take way more time-per-calorie-gained than the starches and fruits. Part of the transformation of living here is changing my ideas about a healthy diet, and getting over the idea of centering my diet on huge salads and stir fries.
Shelter
We finally got our building permit, actually three, for our house and nearby buildings. We re-built U and Vi Camps, which have been tent camps for work-traders and family, into more solid (although still temporary and movable... see photo!) wood structures. They are 8x16 and 16x16, and have little kitchens. "U" is for the eucalyptus trees; "V" is for Wai'ele, the Hawaiian word for waterfall; "V" is pronounced "W" in Hawaiian. (You can't imagine how many hours of conversation precede these decisions!) The saga of our subdivision and permitting process actually made it into the paper the other day... they printed the inquiry letter from a neighbor and response from the county... I think the idea is to show the county is responding to neighborhood issues. That it has taken 4 years (Dan may correct me) to process the subdivision, they didn't dwell on!
It's movable as long as you've got one of these
Community
Several additions to our community - a friend named Dave who specializes in permaculture and medicinal plants has enthusiastically joined the group. Jason and Lauren have moved back into U camp, painting and making improvements as they go, both grateful to get out of the "city." I guess even sweet little Hilo has it's tense city vibe. Both are doing school projects related to the farm. Jason is putting into practice the theories he studied last term on sustainable energy and food - for example, installing a small solar system for U camp, and experimenting with how to compost the fish remains we are picking up from the local fish market (if you ever want to grow maggots, we have a sure method for you! - 4-7 update - hey wait, that's a great idea for chicken food...). Lauren is working on design and planning, asking what is most appropriate to locate in what place on the property, which is very timely as we are in a period of rapid growth and need to make important decisions. Latest news - Sophie will move out too! - coming back to Hawaii with me this weekend. Also we are trying to figure out where to house several friends who are carpenters who are coming out to help us build our house.
Energy
We got tired of having to turn on the generator to do anything involving a small motor, and then it got to where we even had to run the generator to charge the batteries to run basic electricity, so Dan went ahead and put up 3 solar panels. No more generator!!! No more fuel and fumes!!! The old low-sun panels go on Vi Camp, Bear and Joy put up a few, and as I mentioned Jason bought one for U camp, so now each camp has its own energy.
So, things are bustling and I am bursting to get back out there. I hear the plant starts are missing me (someone thought someone else was watering them...) and that taro has been planted, 60 olive trees were delivered that need transplanting, and Dan got a bunch of other trees that need to find homes as well. The next few months will be major house-building. I imagine in addition to helping build and garden I will also organize meals - with gluten-free and vegetarian fare - for the carpenters, keeping me and Sophie plenty busy. Visitors are still and always welcome, however!
aloha til next time,
Rachel
