I’m Back!

January 13, 2025

Caught a plane out of Sky Harbor heading to Kona, via Oakland!

Arrived at the airport in Phoenix at 5:30 am for my 7:00 am flight. At the TSA checkpoint, there was only one person in line waiting for the agent to check their ID and boarding pass, so got through real quick. They only had two x-ray conveyors operating and I chose the wrong one. Apparently it jammed or broke and we stood there while the line at the other conveyor went on through.

Finally, they opened a third conveyor and ushered us over to that one. One of my carryon bags had nothing but frozen food along with two 16 ounce frozen bottles of milk, a 16 ounce bottle of frozen water, and a dozen eggs. I expected they would want to inspect each egg, and I expected they would give me a hassle about the frozen milk. I suspect that the TSA agent looking into the x-ray was not really looking, as both of my bags, as well as everyone else’s bags went through without any further inspection. – It’s not just for your safety, but for the safety of all those around you as well. And, we are all in this together!

Those who would sacrifice Liberty for the illusion of Safety, deserve neither!

After a brief stopover in Oakland, it was on to Hawaii.

Arrived in Kona at 12:30 pm, 20 minutes early. We had a tail wind the entire trip – so the pilot said!

We flew over clouds most of the way to Hawaii.

There were clouds surrounding the tops of the volcanoes as we arrived.

At the terminal in Kona, there are racks of luggage carts for passengers to use. In order to get a cart out of the rack, you must use your credit card and the charge is $6.00. Six dollars to move your luggage a few hundred feet! But wait! They refund you 25 cents when you return the cart! I always look around to see if there are any loose carts not in the racks.

On the bus at 2:30, but didn’t arrive in Waiohinu until after 5 pm. Usually, it takes less than 2 hours!

The grass and weeds along Holowai look the same as when I left, it doesn’t seem to have grown.

The same with the weeds in the yard. That means that there wasn’t much rain. The wheelbarrow has about a cup of water in it, which verifies that there wasn’t much rain while I was away.

January 14, 2025

A red cardinal came by this morning for breakfast.

When I was here in December, I had asked my neighbor Brian to pick up some specially treated 2 x 4’s for the bottom plates of my bathroom walls. He had stacked them inside the gate.

I cut them to length and put a coat of paint on them to further protect them.

The carrots have all whithered, but the onions seem to still be OK.

My tomatoes have also whithered. There are a few green leaves on some of the stocks, so I’ll give them some water and see what happens.

I called Gary Kiaba and ordered another load of gravel for the Ahi driveway.

January 15, 2025

One of the neighbors in the subdivision has a track hoe/excavator. I had him come over to Ahi and spread the gravel down the driveway. This will save me a week of wheelbarrow and shovel work.

While he was here, I had a second load delivered – thinking that the major expense is just getting the tractor on site and taking advantage while I had the opportunity.

Using the bucket, he was able to push it down hill without it spilling over the sides.

Then he straightened it up at the bottom and used the machine to do a bit of compacting.

The final touch was to use the blade to grade the driveway smooth.

Unfortunately, the combination of the gravel and the slope is still too much for the two wheel drive truck. But it is getting better!

The neighbor Scott had ordered a load of gravel for his place and I went over to help him trim the trees out of the driveway to get the dump truck in. As we were stacking the branches we had cut, we found this guy. When Scott tried to pick him up to put him into a tree, he jumped up onto his chest.

The truck was able to get in and dump the load for Scott.

And I was able to start framing the walls for the bathroom at Holowai!

January 16, 2025

I had painted the lumber when I was here last month to give it at least one coat of paint on all sides for protection.

January 17, 2025

This is the walls framed up on the 16th.

Today, I started installing the siding boards. I am using boards I have salvaged from old pallets, and the process is very time consuming.

January 18, 2025

The red headed cardinals have begun to visit again.

It is always entertaining to watch their antics as they approach the feeder and jostle for position with the other types of birds.

Eventually, they make it to the feeder – usually only one at a time.

A northern red cardinal sits in a tree overlooking the feeder – waiting his turn!

Between the diagonal boards, I am using red cedar fence slats for the upright siding portion.

January 19, 2025

Slow and steady, but it will eventually get done.

January 20, 2025

With the siding pretty well on the way to being done, I have started the roof framing.

I have pre-painted these boards as well.

Scott has a wooden hot tub that is wood fired. It is just large enough for one person, and he invited me over to soak in it. As we sat there talking, a praying mantis flew down from the trees above and landed on a monstera plant. He must have though it was his turn in the tub!

TTFN