Birthday Celebration!

Scott and I celebrated my 58th birthday with a day of activity and eating!

• Off to breakfast at Ken's Pancakes - yummmm
• Kayaking form Reeds Bay to Coconut Island in Hilo Bay.  they were setting up for canoe races!
• Back to the house to pick up our bicycles and picnic lunch.
• Picnic lunch at Pohiki watching the surfers and waves.  It was not too busy for a Saturday holiday!
• Then bicycle on the Red Road to our neighbors new house under construction.  Coming along brilliantly.
• Bicycle back to Pohiki, more hills then I remembered!  BUt not too bad.
• A stop in Pahoa to pick out my BD present. A basket from Bolga Baskets International 
• Home, burgers, beer and a movie!
• Great BD!!

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Recreational Paddling

I thought this picture from the Tribune Herald was an interesting contrast of the old and the new...


On June 8th I start a canoe paddling class taught by the University of Hawaii.  Eventually I hope to join a canoe club and compete.  Of course, I will be on one of the "Masters Teams"  55+!

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Wow! That's a HIGH Price!

I paid $3.50 for two medium sized red peppers yesterday - at the Farmers Market!  They are even more at Safeway!!!  Is it that bad on the mainland?  Can't wait to get the pepper plants in the raised beds! 

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Vegetable Gardening!

Well we are finally off and started on the vegetable garden.  We are placing raised beds in the street side landscape.  Scott is building them (I am helping a very little...), but I am starting the seedlings.  We know that pests and disease will be our biggest enemy, but have purchased some seeds from the University of Hawaii which are suppose to be more tolerant to pests and disease!  However, at a sustainability gathering in the neighborhood yesterday, I asked which vegetables are most pest and disease tolerant and all I got were chuckles from the participants.  It won't be as easy as AZ, that is for sure!!!

Scott working on the planters

My seedlings starts

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We are getting closer!

Making one's own bathroom vanity is an ambitious project, especially when it's your first time and you don't really know how!  But we are about 75% done.  We went with a bit of the island style, so it can be a little rough around the edges and still work!

We have completed the structure.  Now it is on to the final finishes.  We plan to skip trowel the cabinet walls with dry wall compound and then paint it the same color as the walls.  We completed the cabinet doors a few weeks ago.  They are framed in African mahogany (great job Scott!) with bamboo stick inserts.  Finding the bamboo on this island was a real test of creative shopping!!! I am glad to say I finally found the bamboo, I just which I would have bought more! Anyhow,we are quite happy with the results!  And hopefully the completed vanity will look as good!

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The Whales Are Still Mixing It Up!

Around 3PM today (Monday 4/12/2010) we heard what sounded like a whale breach!  We ran to the ocean and sure enough it was a whale breaching.  But not one, not two, but three!  Two adults and one calf were taking tunes.  In all they must have breached over ten time each!  The adults were outstanding often breaching at the same time.  We have never seen this type of breaching activity!  Wish I had picked up the movie camera!!!

This photo I found on the internet (I did not take it!!!), but what we saw was similar.  

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Cutt'n Down the Coconut!

On Easter Sunday, Scott cut down one of the original coconut trees on our lot. I think it came from the neighbors or some hiker or fisherman.  Although the tree looks quite nice in the photo, it was too close to the house and getting too large. It was only a matter of time before coconuts came clamoring down on our roof!

The large palm is on right

We have a new step-up to the lava rock!

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Arizona's First Urban Garden - Tempe, AZ

Perhaps the Tempe, AZ connection already knows this, but I was happily surprised when I saw a post about a new urban garden in Tempe, AZ.  I happened upon the information which was posted on a favorite garden blog I read - Life on A Balcony

The Tempe Urban Garden  Of course if I still lived there, I certainly would be a volunteer!  So all you Tempe dirt diggers get out there and garden!


Way to go Tempe!

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State of Hawaii Seeks to Redefine the "Shoreline"

This is of particular interest to those of us who live on the sea cliffs.

http://hilanduse.blogspot.com/2010/04/legislature-attempts-to-clarify.html

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A Minor Milestone Completed Today

We finally got a bed frame and some furniture for the guest bedroom! Yeah!  Island style...

I hope to soon be working on two acrylic art pieces for this room.  The subject matter a Hawaiian man net fishing that I photographed in Kona. You will have to use your imagination for now!!! Aloha!

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