A Little Bird Told Me!

January 29, 2025

There is quite a selection of birds coming to the feeder. There are at least two Northern Red Cardinal males along with their female mates. I have yet to see any of the other genders though!

I’m not too sure what kind of bird this is. They used to stay in the hedge along the side of the property, but this trip, they have begun venturing to the feeder and the water fountain, They are smaller than the Red Headed Cardinals, and I haven’t been able to identify any as pairs. Maybe they are all of one of those other genders!

This guy is what I call a Hawaiian HoneyCreeper. They typically arrive in a flock of six or eight. At one time, I counted at least 16 of them together in the feeder, on the lanai, at the fountain, or in the trees above the lanai.

It is not uncommon to see three or four in the feeder at one time.

I started working on the shower area outside the bathroom. The first chore is to remove the rocks down to below the floor elevation of the bathroom. A small electric jackhammer is just the right tool for this.

But first. I have to shovel away the loose dirt and small rocks.

January 30, 2025

Today, I drove to downtown Na’alehu and left the truck in the parking lot of the commercial center across from the hardware store. Then, I caught the bus into Kona to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles. I need to get a copy of the registration so I can get the annual safety inspection. I need to have the physical paper registration for this inspection. You need the current inspection to register the vehicle. I cannot find the little piece of paper that you keep in your vehicle. But, no problem, it is all computerized and contained in the DMV’s computer system. For a $5 fee, they will print me a copy. I could even request one to be mailed to me by sending in a request with the $5, and within two or three weeks, I’ll get the copy! The registration expires at the end of February, so I cannot wait for two or three weeks.

Anyway, I call the DMV office and get their AI recording – no human. It directs me to their kiosk at a local grocery store, and to their website. The kiosk at the grocery store is around the corner from the DMV office, so if I go to the kiosk, I might as well go to the office. The website tells me that I need to have an appointment to visit the DMV, (it also says that you do not need an appointment – if they can add a phrase that says you do not need an appointment, why not simply remove the phrase that says you do???!) so I go online and make an appointment for 10:30 this morning. And, there is no way to actually complete anything. Just a location for instructions and forms to print out and send in.

I plan on riding the bus – the 8 am bus will get me there at the office at 10:00 am, and save me $25 in gas! I will catch the 12:30 bus back and get home around 2:30pm. I can also do a little shopping while I am in Kona!

The bus is 10 minutes late, and runs later, and later. At 10:30am, I am still 10 iles away from the DMV office, with 4 or 5 more stops to make. I pull out my phone and go to the DMV website. Appointments ar available at 10:45, 11:00, 11:15. and 11:30 am. Then in the afternoon starting at 1:00 pm. I pick 11:00 am. We arrive at the office at 11:05. I go to the office to check in and find that no appointment is needed!

I tell the receptionist that I need a copy of my registration paper.

He asks, “What is your license number?”

I tell him, and he pulls it up on his computer. “Your safety inspection has expired.” he says.

“Yes” I answer. “That is why I need the copy of the registration. To get the safety inspection.”

“I can’t give you a copy of the registration because the safety is expired,” he explains. “You have to have the safety inspection before the registration.”

“But, it is already registered!” I answer. “I just need a copy of the current registration – the one that expires at the end of February.”

“We can’t give you that until you have the safety inspection.”

“They won’t do the safety inspection without the registration!” I complain. “And I can’t find the one I already have. The one you sent me last year!”

“Safety first” he smiles! “They can do the safety inspection but give you a ‘failed due to registration’ which you bring back here and then we can register the vehicle.”

“I tried to get the safety inspection” I explain. “But they said I needed the little piece of paper!”

“Go back to them and tell them to give you a ‘failed due to registration’ form.” He smiles and continues, “Safety is the most important thing.”

Razza Frazza, shicka, muzza, . . .

They could have told me this on the phone and saved me this trip – but they don’t answer the phone at the Hawaii DMV in Kona!!

So, it’s out to the grocery store, then down to the bus stop. And there is NO 12:30 bus like I thought! Not until 2:35!

A two hour bus ride back to Na’alehu where I left the truck.

Arriving back at the site around 5 pm, I do a little work on removing the rock from the shower area.

And I hammer out a trench for the drain pipe.

Now it is down to the level I need it.

February 1, 2025

I repiped the drain for the shower.

Originally I had used 1 1/2″ PVC with a couple of 90 degree elbows as the trap. The elbows are too sharp – not a gentle bend if I ever need to run a snake through the drain, so I got an actual 2″ shower drain and 2 inch “p” trap – in black ABS pipe!

February 4, 2025

The last few days I have been helping my neighbor build rock gate columns for his parent’s house.

We start by digging a footing about 12 to 16″ deep. After pouring the footing, we stack up the rocks in a square pattern about 30″ square and then fill the square with concrete.

Moving up about 12 ” at a time, alternating stacking rocks and pouring concrete.

My sister and her husband arrive tomorrow for a few days.

TTFN

Another Week (or so)

January 21, 2025

Worked on the roof framing today. Roof rafters all in place and the fascia is installed.

January 22, 2025

Cut and installed bocking between the roof joists over the walls and through the center.

Then I began installing the roof deck boards. As this will be a walking deck that will be open to the weather, I am trying to clamp the boards together as tight as I can to help with keeping it from leaking into the bathroom below. Once the boards are all in place, I will cover this with elastomeric roof coating and hope for the best!

I need to go to Kona to the Department of Motor Vehicles for a copy of the registration for the truck. The registration expires in February and I will need to pay the local mechanic shop for the “safety inspection” that really does nothing to check for safety. But you have to have the physical piece of paper that is the registration . . . and I cannot find it, . . . so I need to go to Kona, pay them $5 for a duplicate copy, then get the inspection, then pay the registration!

I had to find the title to take with me just in case!

January 24, 2025

On the makai side of the bathroom – the side towards the ocean – there are, or will be two windows. I am making the window frames from some 1 x 6’s I salvaged from some pallets. I sanded them once, then spread wood filler over them to fill the nail holes, and gouges. Then I will sand them again before building the window frames and installing them into the openings.

My neighbor has a stronger solar energy system that will run an electric sander, and he lets me use his power. I have cut and sanded all the parts for the window frames as well as the windows themselves.

I had ordered two old fashioned lantern type solar lights for outside the bathroom. They arrived in the mail today, so I hung them up!

January 25, 2025

When I made the doors for the bungalow at Ahi, I had cut some strips from the 2 x 4’s I sed for the outer frames. These strips are about 3/4″ square, with one rounded corner lengthwise along the strip. Using a block plane, I rounded a second edge to match this and used these as the battens to cover the joints of the vertical siding boards.

I also have installed the window frames and trim around the windows.

January 26, 2025

A while ago, I had picked up some louvered bifolding closet doors that someone had discarded. Using the table saw and the generator, I cut some 2 x 4’s to use as the outer frame of the bathroom door, and these two louvered doors as inserts.

One louvered door is 12″ wide, and the other is 14″ wide. I’m not really sure just how this worked as a bifolding door, but, I took off the three hinges that held them together and glued them together using dowel rods. Together with the 2 x 4 frame, I have a 28″ door.

Then, I cut the corner from some 2 x 6’s, lengthwise 3/4″ x 1 3/4″ to create a “rabbited” door jamb.

January 27, 2025

I fastened the door jamb in place and installed some trim around the door. I also added more of the 3/4″ square battens over the vertical joints of the siding boards.

Rounding the edge of each batten trim board is very time consuming, but, that is all right, I work cheap!

TTFN

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

And Into December

December 1, 2024

The blockwork for the walls of the bathroom at Holowai has been completed.

I wanted to build the first two feet out of concrete block to get it above the level of the surrounding ground. I’ll grout the cells and pour a concrete cap on top of these walls. Then build frame walls up from there.

December 2, 2024

The pump truck arrived at 7Am and set up for the pouring of my neighbor’s driveway. I had agreed to help him with this. Their son, the one who had asked me to help, has spent the last week setting up the forms and laying down some wire mesh and a few strategically placed pieces of rebar.

The pump operator stretched out and connected the hoses, while we did a final check of the forms and reinforcing.

The Motley Crew gathered at the top.

In spite of the fact that the concrere was batched out of the plant at 5:30 in the morning in Kona, and arrived a little after 8:00 AM, we were still able to get it out of the trucks and pumped up the hill where we were able to knock it down into some semblence of a flat driveway. This concrete had already started to set up – even while it was in the trucks. Concrete that has been in the truck this long would normally be refused and sent back to the plant – at least that is the procedure on the mainland. I don’t know about the procedure here on the south end of Hawaii, two hours drive from the nearest concrete plant. But yet, others seem to be able to pour concrete that has come from Kona and has been in the truck way too long, and they end up with a very smooth finish. Experience in dealing with this issue has obviously taught them some tricks that I don’t know!

Anyway, I did the best I could with my knowledge and experience. Not the best finish in the world, and not what I was hoping to provide, but it is definitely useable as a driveway. The rough finish may be a blessing in disguise in rainy weather!

For those interested in a bit of the financial aspects of this, a local contractor quoted them $25K to pour this driveway. They paid the concrete company $320 per cubic yard for 20 yards of concrete – a cost of $6400. The pump truck cost $1310. Form material, reinforcing wire, and a few pieces of rebar cost under $1000, and he gave a few bucks to those who helped pour it – again, a cost of under $1000. For about $9500, they have a $25K driveway that will add much more than that to the value of their home.

Ater the pour, Alanah and I went for a drive down the coast to Honuapo.

The sky was clear. and there was only a very slight breeze. Kilauea was easily seen with very little cloud cover.

A beautiful day to be in Hawaii!

Deember 3, 2024

Alanah painted the roof deck boards for the bathroom. I knew that it would be easier to paint them before they were in place, and this gives them a protective coating even where one board crosses another. When painting them after installing them, it is not possible to seal them with even this one coat of paint in the areas between the boards where they cross.

I built forms on top of the block walls for the concrete caps.

I will need bolts to imbed in the wet concrete for fastening the frame walls down. Like eveything in Hawaii, just a bit expensive. Or maybe I’m just getting cheap (frugal) in my old age.

Coming out of the lumber/hardware store in Kona, we say an image of Smaug the Dragon from the Hobbit in the clouds at sunset! Yeah, I have a vivid imagination!

Alanah caught the 9:00 PM flight back to the mainland, leaving me alone once again!

December 4, 2024

I slept late today after returning late from taking Alanah to the Airport in Kona last night.

The major accomplishment for the day was to haul some block over to Ahi for the walls of the bathroom. I will be doing the same thing there as I am doing at Holowai, namely, building block walls up 2 foot high before transitioning to wood frame walls.

December 5, 2024

Today’s task is to build the walls at the bathroom at Ahi. This is a good start!

December 6, 2024

I set up the generator and the mixer out near the front gates to use the last of the pile of sand and gravel to pour a few sections of the cap on the bathroom walls. I knew I could not mix enough concrete fast enough to grout the cells and pour the entire cap in one setting, so I broke it up into four pieces and poured them in an alternating pattern.

Basically, this first pour took care of the four corners. Later, I’ll pour the center sections to complete the cap.

Then, it was back to the ocean. Not a cloud in the sky left the entire Kilauea volcano fully visible again today.

Upon returning to the property, after a quick “swim” in the swimming pool in the lava field at the edge of the ocean, I staked up the tomato plants. There are six or eight little tomatoes on the plants! They may not be ripe before I leave for the mainland on the 16th!

December 7, 2024

When they delivered my lumber the other day. they forgot to bring the rebar I had ordered. Ten pieces of rebar 20 feet long is not something I can easily transport from Kona. I had them add some 2 x 4’s that I will use in the second floor structure on the bungalow at Ahi.

December 8, 2024

I did a little bit of laundry today, and hung it out to dry. Some of it here at Holowai, and some I hung up inside the bungalow at Ahi.

Holowai Street also needed a bit of sprucing up.

Setting up the mixer at the sand/gravel pile by the bathroom, I was able to complete the cap for the bathroom walls.

December 9, 2024

More block were hauled over to Ahi and used to build up the bathroom walls to the 2 foot height.

Debating on one more course, due to the slope of the hillside next to the bathroom. The purpose of the block walls is to raise it above the danger of rocks tumbling downhill and crashing through a frame wall.

December 10, 2024

After stacking the roof deck boards that Alanah had painted, I began painting the ceiling joist/rafter boards.

They are being painting a contrasting color, which is easier done before they are put in place.

December 11, 2024

One of the Hawaiian Honeycreepers came by to the feeder. This is the first one I have seen at the feeder since I returned from the mainland. That does not mean that they haven’t been coming to the feeder when I wasn’t around. . . just that I had not seen one before.

The studs for the walls will be a different color that the roof/ceiling deck boards and the ceiling joist/rafters. Just to be different. And, . . . this is the color of the paint I have on hand.

The property is oriented more towards the east than to the west. I get fabulous sunrises, but cannot really see great sunsets. Except for this one, where the clouds to the north are colored red and orange with a bit of purple and yellow.

December 12, 2024

After painting the studs for the walls, I cut them to length, and then painted the cut ends. Hopefully, this will help to protect them from deteriorating.

There are two doorways and there will be two windows in the bathroom walls. For these, I will need some 2 x 6 headers, which I cut and painted.

Using some full length 2 x 4’s, I laid out the stud placing for the walls. I still need some pressure treated sill plates for the bottom of the walls.

And, I had another visit from either Bert or Ernie – or a substitute! They seem to be a bit more stand-offish this time aroound!

December 14, 2024

One last trip down to the ocean was the order of the day, today.

The swimming pool was overfull and the waves kept trying to pour in more water.

The view from the swimmng pool out to the west towards the two wading pools out on the point showed a lot of water up on the lava shelf. Many of the depressions were full of water.

The two wading pools were overflowing to the point that they looked like one pool.

Next to the main wading pool, a depression about 6 feet in diameter and three feet deep was full of water. Whether it was salt water, or freshwater, I didn’t know, but I was hoping that being surrounded by black lava, the water will be a bit warmer than the ocean. I have found that the sweimming pool, being larger, and frequently replenished by the ocean, is just about the same temperature. On a calm, sunny day. it is maybe a few degrees warmer, but not much. The wading pools, being shallower typically are about five to ten degrees warmer. Today was a bit overcast, with a breeze and a bit of wave action creating cascades of water splashing up onto the lava surrounding these tide pools.

I hoped this 6 foot diameter depression would be warmer, but it wasn’t. I wanted to take a bath.

But this area a bit further back from the ocean was a few degrees warmer, and sufficed as my bathtub for today.

After drying off and while changing clothes at the truck, I saw some movement through the branches of the trees and out on the lava towards the ocean. I was a bit startled as there were no other cars about, and I thought I was alone.

Stepping arond the truck and out from behind the trees, I got a better view. Menehunes DO exist!

December 15, 2025

My nickname of Galleons Lap for the Ahi Road property comes from the last Winnie The Pooh book.

 “… Christopher Robin, “but what I like doing best is Nothing.”

“How do you do Nothing?” asked Pooh, after he had wondered for a long time.

“Well, it’s when people call out at you just as you’re going off to do it, What are you going to do, Christopher Robin, and you say, Oh, nothing, and then you go and do it.”

“Oh, I see,” said Pooh.

“This is a nothing sort of thing that we’re doing now.”

“Oh, I see,” said Pooh again.

“It means just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”

“Oh!” said Pooh.

They walked on, thinking of This and That, and by-and-by they came to an enchanted place on the very top of the Forest called Galleons Lap, which is sixty-something trees in a circle; and Christopher Robin knew that it was enchanted because nobody had ever been able to count whether it was sixty-three or sixty-four, not even when he tied a piece of string round each tree after he had counted it.”

In keeping with this theme, I have created a door and house front resembling where Pooh lives, under the name of Sanders.

Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under the name of Sanders.
What does “under the name” mean? asked Christopher Robin.
‘It means he had the name over the door in gold letters and lived under it.’

(Thanks to A.A Milne)

Much of the day today was spent getting everything put away, in preparation for my leaving the island tomorrow.

December 16, 2024

My ride back to the mainland. I caught the 6AM bus from Na’alehu to Kona – arriving at 8:30AM at the airport. After checking in with the airline and passing through security, I waited with the other passengers to board the plane.

As we walked out onto the tarmac, I could see Maui in the distance, beyond the airport control tower.

Looking back over the terminal buildings, Hualalai volcano was clear and unobscured by any clouds. A rare occurrance.

I had a better view of this volcano that is at the edge of Kona, from the airplane.

As we took off, the coastline orth and west of the airport was clearly visible.

And then Mauna Kea became visible as we climbed higher and flew past the edge of Hualalai.

There was no snow on top, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky to obscure my view of the observatory perched atop Mauna Kea. We left the volcanoes behind as we headed out over the ocean towards the mainland.

Hold that thought, I’ll be right back!

TTFN

Back to Hawaii

November 23, 2024

The boys are back. Bert and Ernie (or a close facsimile of them) came by for breakfast.

While waiting for my lumber delivery to arrive, I set up my hammock. Out by the road seemed like a good spot so I would be aware when the truck arrives.

A pallet of block for the bathroom walls,

and some 2 x 4’s and 2 x 6’s for the walls and the roof.

Perhaps I should get busy taking these pallets apart for the 2 x 4’s for porch decking and the 1 x 4’s for what ever else.

November 25, 2024

The chipper needs a little attention. I removed the carbureator and took it over to a shop in Oceanview where they rent tools. They also do repairs, so I thought they might have a new gasket for this. Nope. So I re-used the old one with a little TLC.

There is a pile of branches waiting for me to get the carbureator back in place. Maybe tomorrow!

My porch decking is getting a bit precarious. It is past time to replace a few of these boards.

Luckily, I have a handful to use.

Some of the lumber has been moved off the roadway before it grows legs and walks off.

The pile is smaller, but the larger boards are the next ones to move!

November 26, 2024

It works! The repairs I did to the carbureator seem to have helped!

While moving the larger boards from the roadway, I made a new friend! Six to eight inches long!

And Big Red came by in the afternoon for a chat!

November 27, 2024

My neighbor asked for help with pouring a driveway to his parent’s house up on the hill. Fabulous view from up here.

Going to be a real challenge!

November 28, 2024 – Thanksgiving Day

Papaya for breakfast

Add a few guavas

and a bit of orange

Had a different bird stop by. A brown one. He sat for a short while on the cross bars of the handrail, them flew off.

Off to Kona in the afternoon. Alanah arrives from Arizona tonight – late! For the long holiday weekend.

TTFN

How Gall(bladder)ing

December 20, 2024

Had an interesting conversation with Dr Kumar at Arizona Advanced Surgery. She patiently explained the purpose of the gallbladder and the possible (and most probable) reasons for my abdominal pains last month.

From what I understood, the Liver creates a substance called “bile”, and secretes it into the gallbladder. The gallbladder concentrates it by removing the water and stores it until food gets past the stomach and into the intestine. The bile travels through the bile duct, into the intestine, where it aids in the digestion of fats.

Apparently, I eat too many fats – dairy, bacon, etc. and acidic foods like tomatoes!

She draws a diagram on a small white board kinda like this:

Cholesterol builds up in the gallbladder creating stones. I have high cholesterol! One (or more) of these stones can get stuck in the opening of the gallbladder when it is trying to release the bile, causing it to swell and get irritated, creating the feeling of having a tennis ball stuck in my stomach! When the gallbladder relaxes, the stone drops out of the opening and back into the bladder.

Apparently, 20% of people have gallstones with no issues.

If this condition persists, or if the gallbladder does not relax, it is time to remove it!

“But, wait!” I said! “It was put there for a reason. Just like the door on this examination room. You can’t just eliminate the door into this room, or the room becomes unuseable.”

“It’s more like your wisdom teeth” she explained. “Yes, they are there for a reason, but sometimes, it is better to remove them.” Hmmmm. . . good analogy!

“But, I wanna keep all my body parts”, I am reluctant to give in!

“OK, then you can choose to just live with the pain!” she smiled!

“But, the pain is gone, now!”

“Well, then we should monitor it, and see if it reocurrs!” she replied, “and if the pain re-occurs, we need to remove it.” A compromise, I can live with!

“But, if we remove it, then the liver just dumps the bile straight into the intestine.” I counter. “Doesn’t this create issues?” I don’t wanna give up so easily!

“For about the first month after removal of the gallbladder, there is some discomfort” she explains, “but the bile duct expands and acts as a storage container in place of the gallbladder.”

Her definition of “some discomfort” and mine, may be a bit different – especially since I will be the one experiencing the “discomfort”!

“OK” I reply. “But what about the cyst on my kidney?”

“That is a different issue that is unrelated to your gallbladder” she replies. “And there are two of them – a cyst on each of your kidneys. And there is also a small growth on your gallbladder.” She adds a little dot to her drawing directly on the gallbladder.

“HUH?” “What small growth?”

“Yes, there is a small growth – about 6mm in size- on your gallbladder. 6 mm is not too bad, but we get real concerned if and when it gets to be around 10mm. Then we need to remove it and the gallbladder.” she smiles. “We can monitor this through the ultrasound.”

It just keeps on getting better and better! “Sounds like I’m getting near death” I reply!

“We don’t wanna go there,” again she smiles.

“So, how do we ” monitor” my gallbladder?” I ask.

“We need to do an ultrasound every year.” she says. “So in about a year, you will get an email from my office reminding yo to go in for an ultrasound to check your ballbladder and the small growth on it.”

“Well,” I reply, “I’m scheduled for a CT scan on the 27th.” I continue, “Will this tell us anything?”

“Not about your gallbladder.” she explains. “That is for identifying the two cysts on the kidneys. Make sure you keep that appointment.” she says as she gets up from her chair. Apparently, it is time to go, so we head towards the door.

“So, do you have any questions for me?” she asks as we leave the examination room.

“I’m almost afraid to ask!”

She smiles!

Health Update

November 12, 2024

Upon returning to Arizona, I made an appointment with my doctor to check me out because of my stomach pains. (The hole in my head from the branch on the 7th has healed) They could not get me in until the 14th of October – five days away. (I was calling on the 9th)

After describing the issue, my doctor examined me and poked and probed my abdomen – from the front, from the back, from both sides. He was most concerned about my liver and kidneys, and they drew blood – three vials of blood – and did tests. He gave me an order to get an ultrasound done at a place called SimonMed.

I called them for an appointment and the first appointment they had was on October 30. More than two weeks away! I could have gone to one of their locations other than the one closest to me, but the earliest at any of these other locations was the 28th. If this was serious, I could be dead by then!

The next day, I got a text from my doctor’s office that the blood tests all came back great, that they found no issues, but the doctor would still like me to get the untra sound!

On the 30th, I showed up at the SimonMed office, and they told me that there would be a $179.00 charge, in addition to my insurance! I don’t think so! I left and went home. Then I called my medical insurance company. They told me that there should be no additional charge! My insurance company called the people at SimonMed and verified that according to my insurance coverage and their contract with my insurance company, there was no charge – not even any co-pay! They also set up a new appointment – for November 12th!

I went back to my doctor’s office and talked to the office manager. I told them that I did not like SimonMed, and she replied, “Nobody does!” I asked if they could use anyone else other than SimonMed, and she said that SimonMed was the only medical imaging company on my insurance. I asked about Scottsdale Medical Imaging Labs, a company they had used before and was on the first floor of their building, but I was told that while SMIL was able to get patients in within a couple of days, they no longer had a contract with my insurance company!

So, today, the 12th, I showed up at SimonMed for my appointment, and after I told the receptionist my name, gave her my insurance card and my ID, (the same ID I need to vote), she checked for my appointment and said, “There will be a $179 additional payment.”

I replied that I had spoken with my insurance company and they assured me that there would be no additional payment needed. She frowned, and said, kind of under her breath, “Hmmm . . .I ALWAYS collect SOMETHING!”, before turning back to her computer and pushing some keys. Then she said to me, “Well, you’ll have to take a seat while I CHECK on this!”

Ten minutes later, she said, “There will be no charge! Someone will be with you shortly!”

I wonder how many patients blindly allow them to overcharge them?

Yes, I’m just complaining!

I got the ultra sound and they are sending the results to my doctor. It will probably take them two weeks, just like it took for them to set up an appointment! By then, I’ll be back in Hawaii!

TTFN

Update:

November 20, 2024

The doctor said that the ultrasound indicated something called a “fatty liver”, definitely gallstones, and a cyst on my right kidney!

He wants me to schedule a CT scan for further diagnosng, and to see a surgeon!

I have an appointment fot the CT scan and the surgeon preliminary appointment on the 20th of December.

It sounds like I am at death’s door. Thank goodness I have Health Professionals to see me through – but through in which direction?

I’m Baaaack

November 23, 2024

I’m back in Hawaii. On the 18th, I got up at 3:30 AM to catch a 5:30 AM flight out of Phoenix. I landed in Kona (after a layover in Oakland) at 12:10PM.

The same two girls were there to welcome me with leis as have been there on every other trip.

After collecting my luggage, I waited out front of the airport sign by the terminal for my neighbor. He was going in to Kona today, so he said he would pick me up. Wahoo! That meant I was able to do a bit of grocery shopping for milk and eggs, etc.

We arrived at the property in Na’alehu around 5 PM. I wandered around the property and found that things were much the same as when I left in October.

The next morning, after breakfast, I took a better look around. Holowai street didn’t look like it had overgrown much at all.

The other wheelbarrow is full to the brim!

The two wheelbarrows were both full of water, so it must have rained a bit.

The Holowai property also doesn’t look too overgrown.

My first task was to set up the fountain to attract my little feathered friends. I also set up the solar panels on the roof of the shed. One of the guave trees has a bunch of guavas on the ground under it. I gathered them all up so I could see if any new ones fell that might be edible.

Over at Ahi, things were a bit different.

The grass on the road in front of the property is getting tall again and there is some tall grass growing in the driveway.

The trees above also have grown downward and will need some trimming.

I used the weedeater on the grass in the driveway until the battery went dead. Then I used my clippers to cut down the overhanging branches.

The grass is also getting long on the Kona side of the driveway.

I found another battery for the weedeater that had some power in it and I trimmed the grass on this side of the property.

On the 20th, I took a look at my plants at Holowai. The Tomatoes have grown and produced since I left. I watered them to help them along.

The carrots and onions are still growing – slowly, but still growing!

Back at Ahi, I started trimming the grass at the top of the hill at the front of the property.

I borrowed my neighbor’s lawnmower and mowed the grass on the road leading to the property,

And directly in front of the property.

I hung around until after dark to see if the solar lights on the signs worked.

They did!

The next day, I began gathering up the guavas I had put in various places and put them all in the hanging basket in the kitchen.

Then, I took some of my dirty laundry from my last trip, over to my neighbor’s place. Someone had given him a washing machine and a dryer, so I “volunteered” to try them out. the machine washed the clothes, but during the spin cycle, it was jumping all over the place – obviously unbalanced. So we stopped the cycle to balance the load inside the machine, but the lid was locked and would not unlock. Only by unplugging the machine and getting it to totally reset, did the lid unlock. I took the clothes out and brought them over to Ahi and hung them up to dry inside the bungalow.

After hanging up the clothes, I went up to the road, and saw this rainbow. It was a full rainbow from ground to ground, and it even had a double lighter one above it!

This morning, as I was eating breakfast, Bert and Ernie came by for a bite to eat.

They stopped in yesterday afternoon and sat on the handrail, but when I got up to get my phone to take a picture, they vanished!

Today, I didn’t get up, and they proceeded to eat at the feeder before flying away.

TTFN

Golf in AZ

While I was in Arizona, I went golfing at the same course I like in Mesa.

Standing on the 8th tee looking across the 9th fairway towards the shrinking lake

This is a nine hole executive course that is just the basics. The grass on the course is a bit browner than normal.

And the lake is reduced in size quite drastically. But this white egret doesn’t seem to mind.

The brown shows the normal level of the lake when it is full. this shot is looking at the tee area for the 9th hole!

I like this course because of the trees. They provide welcome shade – relief from the Arizona sun, but are difficult to hit golf balls through!

Past the fifth tee, the path travels through a concrete spillway that directs overflow water from an area next to the freeway and into the lake. Obviously, this is only in usd during heavy rains.

The clubhouse is quite simple, and the driving range only gets watered when it rains!

TTFN

My Last Week

October 3, 2024

The last section of the gazebo floor is ready to pour. I haven’t had any more issues with stomach pains at 2:00 AM, but I will go see my doctor when I get back in Arizona.

The mixer is set up in the driveway at the road for easy access to the pile of sand and gravel.

And just like that, it is done!

Afterwards, I worked on leveling the area at the door for the bathroom. I also need to somehow create a trench through here to extend the sewer line up to the house for any plumbing drains I might need there. Looks like I will need to borrow Brian’s chipping hammer again.

October 4, 2024

After extending the plumbing vent with a coupling and a section of pipe above the level of the block, I finished with the rest of the block on the second row at the bathroom.

October 5, 2024

More work on the area at the bathroom door. Also, created short walls of rock at the bottom areas of the bathroom.

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I will backfill behind the rock wall with gravel and this will further identify a pathway from the house past the bathroom.

October 6, 2024

Yesterday, grouted the upper part of the house columns. Today I pulled off the forms.

Further work on cleaning up the area at the bathroom door and some backfilling behind the rock walls.

I have piled up the smaller sand and gravel from the pile at the road. Using my screen, I have separated the larger rock and I use this as backfill material, while preserving the smaller material for mixing concrete.

This has reduced the pile considerably. Not bad for an old guy with a shovel and a wheelbarrow.

I pulled a couple of carrots from my garden. They have been growing for about four months, so I’m not sure just how they will taste!

October 7, 2024

I cooked the carrots for dinner last night, and they were great!

There was a pile of branches at the chipper so I thought I should chip these before returning to the mainland. They will be easier to chip before they dry out. I also decided to trim a few more of the branches that are overhanging the neighbor’s property near the shed and chip these while I was at it.

The branches in the christmas berry trees grow in a tangled mess. After cutting them off the trunk, it is difficult to pull them out of the tangled mass of branches. I had cut one branch with my small electric chainsaw and was pulling on it but it would not come loose. I dropped my chainsaw to the ground – I was on a branch that was ten feet off the ground – and using both hands, I pulled real hard. It came loose and the end of the branch bashed me in the head. I was lucky that I didn’t fall out of the tree!

Since I cannot see the top of my own head, I took pictures to give me an idea of the hole I had created in my head! Surprisingly, it didn’t really hurt. I walked over to my neighbor’s because he has running water, and used his hose to wash the blood out of my hair and off my face.

Then I went down to Honoapu to soak my head in salt water!

October 8, 2024

My last day in Hawaii was clear and sunny. I had to catch the early bus out of Waiohinu in order to catch my 9:00AM flight! And just like that, I’m on the way back to the mainland.

TTFN