Spent the morning cutting the tall grass at the Ahi lot. On both sides of the driveway, it was 2′ high and spread out 2′ from the driveway. There was tall grass spread out in the rocks on the Hilo side up to the pile of old logs. On the Kona side, there was an area towards the property line that was probably 50 feet long and 30 feet wide with 2′ tall grass.
I cut all this down with the clippers and added it to the parking area at the bottom of the driveway. I also trimmed some of the low hanging christmas berry tree branches over the driveway and parking area.
Previously, I spotted a table saw sitting in the tall grass at my neighbor’s property, rusting away. I asked him about it. He told me that he had never used it. His brother had purchased it at a yard sale and given it to him. Then he said, that if I wanted it, I could have it. I gave him 20 dollars for it if he threw in an old plastic 55 gallon drum that was laying beside it.
I can use the barrel to catch rain water from the roof of my shed, if I ever get around to putting up a gutter!
When I plugged in the saw, I found it had a dead short in the motor. The contacts had rusted/corroded completely closed. I fugured that I could try to find someone to rebuild the motor for me, or I could just buy a different motor! I found a used motor on-line for $95.00. I knew that I would spend that much getting it rebuilt, so I purchased the motor on-line.
That is the motor I picked up from the post office yesterday. I installed it today. I also used a lot of lubricant on the height and angle adjustments to free them from the buildup of rust. They both now work.
There’s no rip fence, so I clamp a board to the top with a couple of small bar clamps.
Using the table saw, I cut a kerf in the edge of a dozen 2 x 4’s to use as the side rails of the doors. I also have built a 2′ x 4′ wooden planter box for the plants I had growing in the one gallon pots – I think they are papaya and bell pepper, as that is what kind of seeds I remember putting in the pots. I have put this wooden planter next to my “tire garden”.
On the road out to the ocean at Honu’apo, there are a couple of plumeria trees. I broke off a few branches and have planted them in two places at the ahi lot. They are starting to sprout leaves!
When I was in Hilo the other day, I bought two macadamia nut trees, two Norfolk pines, a hibiscus plant and an ulu tree (breadfruit).
The Norfolk Pines
I have built wooden planters for each of these about 16″ square and transplanted them from the original 1 gallon pots!
The Ulu
I’m not sure yet where I’m going to put the macadamia nut trees!
Took a roll of roofing over to the Ahi lot and rolled it out on top of the gazebo. I’m laying it lengthwise. This made almost two runs. I figure it will take five runs. Returned to Holowai and picked up the second roll. Took it to Ahi and rolled it out. I now have two full runs and two runs that are about 3/4 of full. I have rolled these out so that the sun will help them lay flat and rearranged the old boards to hold them down so the wind does not blow them off.
I poured some concrete on a shelf at one side of the outdoor shower.
There was a double rainbow today.
Both the upper and the lower extended from the ground on the left to the ground to the right!
I went into town and picked up a motor at the post office that I had ordered. Then I got gasoline for the generator, the chipper, and the chainsaw. And a little bit in the car! $4.85 per gallon!
Al this between intermittent rain showers on and off all day.
Clear skies and sunny day this morning, but everything is wet from the rain yesterday.
Had two fried eggs for breakfast – something I haven’t had in a while as eggs were $10 per dozen. Got a dozen for $5 in Hilo yesterday.
Took a roll of tarpaper over to the Ahi lot and put a layer of tarpaper on the roof/deck of the gazebo. I sealed the seams with the last of the plastic roof cement from buildng the shed and gazebo at Holowai.
The view from on top of the gazebo is absolutely fabulous!
I placed a bunch of old boards on top of the tarpaper to hold it down until I can get the cap sheet installed.
As I was doing this, I was attacked by fire ants! They must have been in the roll of tarpaper, or on the old boards!
They attacked my arm, then both arm pits, my neck, my back! UGHH! It was sudden, and it was fierce!
I grabbed a bottle of water and poured it on my arms and my back to cool the burning until I got the lumber in place. I quickly went to Holowai and took a shower!
Then I went down to Honu’apo to soak in the tide pools. – Saltwater cures everything! – I saw that on a poster with a surfboard.
I stayed there for over two hours.
On the way back, I stopped off at the park in Waiohinu and filled up a few water bottles that I had with me.
It is raining now, and has been since about 4:30 PM.
The sky is covered in clouds and I cannot see the shoreline!
I have been lazy. Not that I have been lazy in my work, I have been lazy in not writing in this journal! Now I have to try to catch up!
The gazebo at Ahi is complete – it is complete as a gazebo, that it. If it is to become something else, well, time will tell! There is no floor, just gravel. All the deck boards have been put in place and screwed down. A 1 x 3 trim has been installed around the perimiter of the roof to cover the ends of the deck boards, and a 1 ” square shingle strip has been added on top of this.
I have continued on the outdoor shower in the corner of the lot near the road and opposite the driveway. I have built 4 rock columns in a square pattern about 10 feet apart. Each column is about 2 foot square. In between the two away from the driveway, I have built a fifth one. This will create an opening/doorway on this side. Each of the full length sides will have woven bamboo curtain/walls between the columns as a visual barrier. The same for one half of the side away from the driveway. Each column is about 6 foot tall.
I have also begun building “doors” for around the gazebo at Holowai.
So far, I have made 4 doors 24″ wide and 7’4″ tall. I have put these on the side of the gazebo that faces Holowai Street.
Two of them are fastened in place while the other two are on an overhead track and slide past the two stationary ones.
For the other two sides, I will build 6 doors for each side, each door to be 17″ wide, and trifold them to fold open against the columns. Normally, they will be open but when the wind is blowing, or it is raining sideways, I can close them.
Today, it is raining. Totally clouded over! No sky, just gray clouds. I cannot see the ocean, just gray clouds. A light misty rain is falling continuously, and once in a while, it gets heavier, for a short time, but then returns to a misting rain.
I decide to go to Hilo. I have a list of things i would like to get in Hilo so I have decided that since I cannot do anything today, I might as well make the trip! I have been putting it off for a while, so it is actually a good thing! I left around 1:30Pm and arrived in Hilo around 3. I did my grocery shopping, got some things at the lumber/hardware store, and stopped at a plant nursery. It was after 5:30 before I headed back to Na’alehu.
It rained from Volcano until I got to MountainView, but as I came around the corner and headed down into Hilo, I saw clear skies ahead. This did not last. It rained most of the time I was in Hilo, and it rained most of the way home. I arrived backm in my driveway at Holowai at 7:55 PM. Even thoughn I had a written list of things I wanted to get, I still forgot two items! So it goes!
Spent the morning in the gazebo at Holowai writing letters.
Disassembled a couple of pallets.
In the mid afternoon, the rain lightened up so I went over to the Ahi lot. I hauled 6 more of the white painted deck boards over and hoisted them up on to the roof. While I was there, I installed the last row of solid blocking between the rafters/ceiling joist.
Tried to put a tarp over the framework of the gazebo at Ahi, but the tarp I chose has many holes in it! I only succeeded in getting soaked!
Took one battery to the auto parts store in OceanView to have them test it. Test result is – Bad Battery! DUH! Need to take the other two over and have them tested as well!
Went to OceanView for paint. Got a gallon of red and a gallon of white. At the hardware store in OceanView, I get a discount on Tuesdays because I am over 60 years old!
Painted the boards at Holowai white, and the boards at Ahi red. . . OK, not ALL the boards, . . . just the ones that needed to be painted for the gazebo at Ahi.
Mixed more concrete and built the columns higher for the shower enclosure
Having problems with the solar syatem. Batteries don’t seem to be holding a charge – or even charging up at all!
Worked on mixing concrete and laying up the rock for the two corner columns for the outside shower enclosure at Ahi. Work is hard and progress is slow. Very difficult pushing a wheelbarrow of concrete up the hill, even with the new pathway. It is still uphill!
TropicalCastaway 