September 16, 2023

Saturday

Took the cement mixer and the generator over to the Ahi lot. 

Mixed up some concrete and poured the top step at the entry to the shower.

I have formed rows of square boxes under the gazebo. I am going to create a checkerboard pattern in the floor of the gazebo. Instead of alternating black and white, they will alternate, smooth and lava textured.

I can pour every other square in a row of eight squares. Then I will remove the forms and pour the four between the ones I had already poured. I also have to alternate rows. I have the first and the third rows ready with four squares ready to pour in each row.

My flock of birds is increasing. Now there are five pairs of red headed cardinals coming to the feeder. 

Sometimes, the darker headed ones (of which there is only one pair) try to keep the dirty looking ones away by getting into their face and chasing them. One of the “dirty” ones will come in followed by the dark red headed ones and one of the red headed ones will immediately start chasing the dirty one. They fly up into the branches above the lanai, then down the hill towards the shed, then across the yard, then back to the trees by the shed, then back to the branches above the lanai, then to the trees out front by the road. Meanwhile, the other “dirty” bird of the pair comes in calmly and begins feeding at the feeder, along with another pair of “dirty’ ones. The other dark red headed one sits on the handrail and watches, or comes down and joins them at the feeder. After a little while, the one “dirty” headed one that was being chased, flies down to the feeder, having lost the dark red headed one that was doing the chasing!

I’m sure there is a moral to that.

I had no cell service in the afternoon or evening.

TTFN

September 14, 2023

Thursday

Sunny day today

My solar system was putting out enough electricity to be ablr to turn on mini fridge and put ice cube trays into freezer compartment.

Went over to Ahi and moved more gravel. Driveway is graveled all the way to the back of the “parking area” at the bottom. 

The slope of the driveway is better – less of a slope – but still a good slant. While driving up is easier, there is much loose gravel in places for the car to sink into. The first 20 feet is pretty solid and compacted, but after that, it gets loose.

I still have a small pile of material at the top of the driveway for periodic repairs.

At the bottom of the driveway, towards the pathway to the shower, I have piled a good sized amount of smaller rock and sand that I separated as I moved the pile. I plan to use this to mix concrete for the floor of the gazebo. That could be why I have loose gravel in the driveway – all the small stuff is in this pile.

I was able to have a glass of Pepsi WITH ICE! I have been able to put some into a 12 ounce water bottle into the fridge and get it cold, but it is better with ice.

TTFN

September 13, 2023

Wednesday

Moved gravel in the morning at Ahi.

Early afternoon went into Naalehu to the post office. The new chains I had ordered on saturday for the chainsaw arrived.

Went to ocean at Honuapo for a dip in the pools.

Filled water bottles at the transfer station as there were people in line at the park to use the two spigots there, but at the transfer station there are six.

Back to the Ahi lot where I unloaded most of the bottles. A few of the cleanest soda bottles I keep for use in my “kitchen” area at Holowai. I moved more gravel. 

I have moved enough to be able to back the car down the driveway. There is one section where there it is mainly loose gravel and the car tends to slip and slide here. I need something like sand or dirt to fill in around the gravel – maybe wood chips.

TTFN

September 12, 2023

Tuesday

Worked all day at the Ahi lot.

Worked on clearing more of the large debris pile at the bottom end of the lot. Dug out the larger logs and carried them up to the pile on the side of the driveway Put the smaller ones on the pile at the bottom of the driveway where I call the “parking spot”.

I also cut some limbs and smaller trees that I want to get rid of and piled them on the parking spot as well.

Moved more gravel from the pile at the top of the driveway.

TTFN

September 11, 2023

Monday

Worked at Ahi all morning moving gravel. Concentrated on the Hilo side to create a pathway to walk down the driveway. Then went back to working on the Kona side

I fugure that I have moved about 1/2 the pile – maybe 7 tons. I had been using the wheelbarrow on previous loads. In order to do this, I would load it about half full and then pick up the handles just enough to drag the back legs through the gravel on the driveway. If I picked it up any higher or did not drag the back legs, gravity wouldpull the wheelbarrow downhill faster than I could move and I would lose control. I am trying to use a four wheel cart that I borrowed from one of my neighbors. This seems to be a bit better. A little easier to control.

Went down town in the afternoon for the annual safety inspection on the car. They check that there are no cracks in the windows, that the headlights, turn signals windshield wipers and back-up light works. They check that the driver’s side window rolls up and down. No mechanical system is checked. It seems to be just an opportunity to collect $26 from every vehicle without levying a tax or a fee. Further hides it as being paid to a private company, but I’m sure that a majority of that money goes to the state. Even if only a small portion goes to the state, it is still a burden that the government mandates with questionable value.

Afterwards, I went to the public library to use their internet to check emails, do some banking, etc.

As I went back to the Holowai lot in the late afternoon it was lightly raining and that continued until I went to bed.

TTFN

September 10, 2023

Sunday

Left Holowai around 10:00 am to go to Kona. Alanah is returning to Arizona.

Arrived in Kona around 11:30. Alanah received a text telling her that her plane was delayed thirty minutes so it was not scheduled to leave until 1:45 pm. We stopped and had fried fish for lunch before taking her to the airport.

After she left, I stopped off and picked up 2 more bags of cement, got gas in the car, did some grocery shopping, and picked up 6 more pallets.

Arrived back at Holowai lot in Naalehu around 4 pm. Unloaded car and went to Ahi lot to move gravel.

I moved enough gravel/sand to have a path on the Kona side of the pile so that I could walk up and down the drive a bit easier.

TTFN

September 9, 2023

Saturday

Went over to Ahi and watered all the plants. . . the papayas on the hill, the macademia nut tree, the two norfolk pines, the plumeria trees. Gathered up the empty water bottles and put them in the back of the car.

Back at the Holowai lot, I ran the chipper for an hour – it kept dying or running slow and almost dying like it was running out of gas, then run real fast for a few minutes, then act like it was out of gas, then run real fast, then out of gas – still have carburetor issues!

Tried to use the chainsaw. Very dull. Sharpened the chain as best as I could, and that helped, but a new chain wouldbe even better. I have one here somewhere, but I cannot seem to find where I have put it. Went on-line and ordered new chains for the chainsaw.

$26.00 for three chains. They should arrive on the 13th.

Went out to Honuapo. Very windy. Put up a tarp for shade and thought the wind was going to tear it to shreds.

Stopped at the park in Waiohinu on the way back and filled up the empty water bottles.

TTFN

September 6, 2023

Wednesday

The load of 2 1/2″ minus sand and gravel arrived at the Holowai lot around 7:30 AM. I had the truck driver dump it just outside the double gates. It extended from the rock column supporting the gate to the roadway where vehicles travel. 

There is room for vehicles to get past, but I probably should move some of this to make it easier to drive past. As I was doing this, I got a call from my neighbor at the Ahi lot. She said that my second load had arrived there and they were wondering where to dump it.

I told her that it was not my load, that my load had been delivered this morning to my other property. She insisted that it was for me. I told her that her husband had ordered a load for them, and it probably was theirs, but I would come over to talk with the driver.

When I arrived, the load had been dumped in a location near the bottom of their lot and the truck was backing up their driveway. He got about 1/3 the way up when he lost traction and the truck just started bouncing. He went down to the bottom and tried again, with the same results. I suggested that he try going frontwards instead of backing, but he claimed that there was no where to turn around . So, I directed him back and around the solitary tree left on their lot from when they had it totally cleared. by having him do a series of three point turns, I got him turned around so he could attempt to simply drive out.

He tried to drive out and got about 3/4 of the way out when he lost traction again and could not get out. He rolled back down the hill to the bottom. I suggested he back up further and try getting a running start to build up some speed before reaching the hill.

No good. Still could not get out. As he sat at the bottom of the hill, he was revving the motor. I thought he was maybe building up pressure in some hydraulic system, or maybe the truck was over heating and he was circulating the coolant, or something. But there was a lot of black smoke coming out from under the cab. After a few minutes of this, he shut off the motor and made a call on his cell phone – most likely to his boss – the guy who had delivered my load to the other property.

A few minutes later, his boss called me. He told me that his truck was stuck at the bottom of their driveway – that the driveway was too steep – as if it were my fault!

I told him about the driver’s attempts to get out, and that he almost makes it, but just not quite all the way, and maybe another truck with a tow strap would get him out. He said that would bend the bumper. After lamenting about unprofitable deliveries, he finally concluded that this was his problem or as he put it, it was “on him” to resolve.

Ten minutes later, a service truck shows up. The service truck driver gets two 5 gallon cans of fuel out of the back of the service truck and they put it into the gas tank of the dump truck.

The dump truck driver starts up the dump truck, backs up to get a running start, and drives out. Are you kidding me?? He simply was low on fuel?

I went back to the Holowai lot and proceeded to move enough gravel and sand to clear the road. I moved it to beyond the driveway, to the pathway leading past the footing excavations and to the septic leach field area.

I also moved some to the side of the gazebo where I plan on pouring another concrete lanai.

Then I cleaned out the back seat of the car – I’m going to Kona tomorrow to pick up Alanah at the airport.

TTFN