After struggling with trying to come up with a clever pattern for the floor of the bathroom, I decided to just keep it simple. Just four sections. So, I set up forms to be able to pour two of the four sections.
When I had the gravel/sand mix delivered to Holowai, I had him dump it into two piles – one on each side of the driveway, The last time I had a load delivered, they dumped it in one pile that extended halfway out into the area of the road where people drove. I hoped that by dumping it into two piles, it would not block the roadway as much.
I have been working on moving the smaller of the two piles – separating the smaller stuff from the larger rocks. I dumped the smaller stuff in a pile about 30 feet inside the gates. The larger rocks, I have used as backfill material around the block walls. Today, I moved the last of the smaller pile.
I dumped the larger rocks here to fill this area and backfill next to the block walls.
It has spilled out around the corner.
I set up forms to pour a third section of the floor for the gazebo extension.
the tops of the columns are also ready to create a concrete cap on them.
The birds were all waiting for me at the lanai when I got up this morning. So, I crushed up a couple of crackers and put the crumbs into the feeder.
If you look closely at the picture above, you will see a Northern Red Cardinal, and a couple of honeycreepers waiting their turn at the feeder.
After breakfast, I set up forms for another step at the bottom of the garden stairs. I think that this one will be the bottom step. I plan on creating at least two more steps at the upper end of the staircase.
Forms are also set up at the top of the gazebo columns to pour a concrete cap.
I need to find some bolts to set into the concrete when I pour it to use to bolt the 4 x 4 metal bases I had my grandson in Arizona weld for me before I came. I have the bolts somewhere in the back of the Ford Escape – I think!
I set up the mixer in the driveway and mixed concrete to pour another section of the floor for the gazebo extension. I struggled with the scraps from my lava pattern stamp. I created it with lines of silicone caulking on window screen. The screen has deteriorated and fallen apart, leaving it in multiple smaller pieces. But I was successful in stamping a lava pattern in this part of the gazebo floor.
I also poured the bottom step on my garden steps. I used a sponge to create a “sand” finish on this, like I have on the other steps.
Over by the driveway, there is a guava tree that gives me guavas periodically. I am too late for the guava on the left – the birds have gotten to it and cleaned out everything inside, leaving it an empty shell.
I have set up these pieces of containers as a tiered fountain using two solar powered water pumps. I like it and so do the birds. I have seen the red headed cardinals using it as a bird bath, They get in and splash water all over themselves. I am not quick enough to catch a photo of them doing this . . . maybe in the future.
I was greeted by two of my feathered friends this morning as they came by to get something to eat from the bird feeder. The Hawaiian Honeycreeper paitently waited its turn as the Red Headed Cardinal pecked away at the cracker crumbs in the feeder.
After breakfast, I removed the forms from the concrete in the bathroom area.
Then I used the weed whacker to chop down the weeds in the area and around the septic tank.
I also cut down the weeds in and around the house walls.
I took a drive down to the ocean at Honuapo. The ocean is pretty calm today, not much wave action crashing against the lava and shooting into the air.
The swimming poolis clear, calm and inviting.
Almost dead center of the picture above is his little boat
As I was at the swimming pool, a guy ccame walking around the point from the Whittington Beach area, carrying what appeared to be a homemade boat – made from branches tied together with odd rope scraps, string, and fishing line and a sail made of a plastic garbage bag and a palm frond. The whole thing would have barely fit into a wheelbarrow!
I wish I had taken better pictures of his boat – and of him! He was barely five feet tall, with a muscular build, scruffy beard and wild unkept hair, and a complexion of someone who spent many hours outdoors. He was wearing a pair of torn cargo shorts, an old dirty tee shirt that was so old and/or dirty that the printing on it was illegible. On his feet, he had a pair of rubber boots like the ones a scuba diver would wear, with the seams coming apart. They were unzipped and I doubted that the zippers even worked any more. He reminded me of a lost, forgotten and forelorn Menehune!
He stood on the lava at the upper left side of the picture above watching the waves. Finally, he released/tossed the homemade boat/raft into the water, tied to a line that was many small pieces of scrap ropes tied together – about 50 feet of line! It looked like a rough imitation of a mini “Kon-Tiki raft!
I expected the waves to throw it against the lava, but it slowly moved away from shore and began going around the point. He said that there was a current moving around the point and if he released it, it would flow around to Whittington Beach area. Apparently, there are baited hooks below the boat/raft, and he was fishing. I asked him what he was hoping to catch, and he told me. But I didn’t understand what he said. I did understand that he was using the crabs that scurry around on the lava as bait.
A little to the right of center is his boat with the sails collapsed.
He chucked and said “They don’t like using the plastic bag for a sail . . . they get caught on boats propellers!” I watched him for over a half an hour as he watched his little boat/raft. The clouds were slowly moving in from over the volcano behind us, growing heavier and darker, as if it were going to rain, so I headed back to the truck.
On the way back to the property, I stopped at the water fill station just outside the transfer station to fill the bottles I had brought with me. As I filled the bottles, it slowly and lightly sprinkled on me.
When I got back to the property, the rain had quit and everything was dry!
I took pictures of all this using my phone. I download the photos to a thumb drive so I can attach them here later. When I create these postings, I use the pictures to help me remember what I did each day. Well, I cannot find the thumb drive that I downloaded pictures for August and half of September. I had it on October 7th when I was packing up to leave Hawaii, but I cannot find it now. Perhaps I need to not wait so long inthe future, to create these posts. At this point I will have to pick up with the pictures that are still on my phone and hope to be able to find the thumbdrive later.
This post starts with the pictures i still had on my phone.
Previously, I have been building columns on the side of the kitchen gazebo towards Holowai Street to expand the kitchen area. Here is a picture of the columns built, and one column cap formed ready to pour as well as a second section of the floor between the two new columns. I have already poured one section from the existing gazebo out to one of the new columns.
Additionally, I had also begun building a bathroom at the Holowai property – one that will drain into the septic tank. I set up forms to pour a section of the floor around the perimiter of the bathroom as a “foundation” for the walls and to identify the area of the bathroom.
I poured concrete into these forms in sections. It took three pours.
I changed out the sway bar links on the Ford Explorer Sport Track. It was quite easy to do. The rubber bushings on one of them were all worn out so it was making a “clunk” sound every time I went over a bump – and I go over alot of bumps on the dirt/gravel roads in the subdivision.
Not my truck – pic from internet
I jacked up the truck and removed the wheel to access the link. It is basically a long bolt that attaches the sway bar to the “A” shaped bracket that holds the wheel mechanism. There are rubber bushings above and below the sway bar and then bushings above and below the “A” bracket – with a metal tube or sleeve that goes over the rod and holds the bushings in place. I could have just replaced the bushings, but they came with a new bolt, so, why not. I did re-use the old tube/sleeves as the new ones were 1/2″ longer for some reason.
In the afternoon, i planted onions, radishes, beets and lettuce in the tire gardens. One of the raised wooden planters still has carrots and onions growing in it. They are thin and look to be struggling for lack of water, but they are still there. I gave them a good dose of water after adding some turnip seeds along one side of the planter
Then I planted two “tomato rocket” ( a coil of material with fertilizer and seeds embedded in it) coils in the other raised wooden planter – my “tomato” planter!
I took pictures of all this using my phone. I download the photos to a thumb drive so I can attach them here later. When I create these postings, I use the pictures to help me remember what I did each day. Well, I cannot find the thumb drive that I downloaded pictures for August and half of September. I had it on October 7th when I was packing up to leave Hawaii, but I cannot find it now. Perhaps I need to not wait so long inthe future, to create these posts. At this point I will have to pick up with the pictures that are still on my phone and hope to be able to find the thumbdrive later.
It was sunny this morning, and overcast and humid in the afternoon.
Using my weedeater, I trimmed the weeds and tall grass between the kitchen gazebo and the shed. Then I turned to trimming the weeds that create the pesky little burrs from the area arond the tire garden and over the septic system.
One of the packages I picked up from the post office was a long awaited live animal trap. I had tried to order one while I was here on my last trip, and twice, it failed to arrive for whatever reasons. I had set the live animal trap past night, and this morning there was a cat in it!
Now I was faced with the question – what do I do with it?
I fixed myself breakfast while I pondered this question. My phone rang as I was washing my breakfast dishes. It was my neighbor. He said that it appeared that one of his cats was caught in my trap . . . and would I be kind enough to return it to him to take away. He said that he understood why I did not want them in my kitchen.
I gave him the trap with the cat in it. An hour later, he returned the empty trap along with a bag of oranges. He had released it on the opposite side of his property and hopefully it had learned its lesson!
Then, I used the weed eater to trim the grass around the entry to the driveway at Ahi… until it ran out of string!
I went on line and ordered some more spools of string.
I called Gary and asked him to deliver a load of 2 1/2″ minus gravel to my property at Ahi. 2 1/2″ minus means that nothing larger than what will pass through a screen with 2 1/2″ openings should be in the load. The load containing about 13 or 14 tons cost $550.00 and was a full load for a 10 wheeled dump truck. I had it dumped at the top of the driveway.
After he had dumped this load, I ordered another load for the Holowai Property. This arrived about 45 minutes later, and I had him dump it in two piles – one on each side of the driveway!
At about 6:00 PM, I was sitting in the gazebo after I had just finished dinner. Dinner – I browned some hamburger meat, then opened a can of tomato sauce and put about a third of it into a saucepan. I had a small bottle of mushrooms, and added a few tablespoons of mushroom pieces to the tomato sauce. Sprinkled in some Mexican oregano, basil leaves, parsley flakes, a bit of salt and black pepper and heated this until it was simmering. I peeled a small yellow squash and cut it into 1″ chunks and put it into another saucepan to boil. Then I added the browned hamburger to the sauce in the other saucepan. Once the squash had cooked, I added it also to the sauce as it simmered. Into the empty saucepan, I placed a few handfuls of elbow macaroni and a bit of water and started this to boil. Once the macaroni was cooked, I added it to the toato sauce concoction and sprinkled some crumbled cheese on top with the lid on the pan on a burner and turned off the flame. I tried to grate the cheese using my grater, but it only crumbled. Once the cheese had melted, I served it onto a plate (I guess I could have eaten it right out of the pan, but I prefer to be just a tiny bit more civilized!) . . .dinner!
The sun had gone down and I was relaxing as the light slowly began to fade out of the sky, and suddenly, there he was!
Standing on top of the roof of the bird feeder was one of the red headed cardinals.
I had set up my three tiered fountain – three old containers with a solar water pump in the lowest one – yesterday to attract the birds, but I didn’t have anything to put into the feeder! I typically crush up a couple of crackers, butter crackers to be precise, and put the crumbs into the feeder. The birds can handle the crumbs easier than larger pieces. But I didn’t have any crackers!
He hopped down to the feeder.
Then he hopped out to the flower pot on the lanai.
I tried to explain to him that I had looked through all my totes where my kitchen stuff was, and didn’t find any crackers as he hopped up onto the handrail.
He just looked at me with the look as if to say, “And you didn’t think to bring any with you?”?!!?
I apologized profusely, and he listened. Then he flew up into the branches of the tree above the lanai where his mate was waiting. I guess he explained the situation to her, because they both flew away.
I got out a dog biscuit – I thought to bring dog treats, but no bird treats – and broke off a small piece. I tried to crush itup as best I could, but it was so very hard, and put the crumbs into the feeder.
He must have been watching me because as soon as I sat down into my chair, he flew down into the feeder. He sampled the dog biscuit before flying up to the handrail and gave me a look as if to say, “You’ve GOT to be kidding! That will never do!” And then he flew away!
I guess I will have to get some crackers somewhere!
Sunshine when I got up this morning, and then around 11:00 AM the clouds moved in and it rained most all afternoon. Nothing heavy, just a slow steady drizzle.
In the morning, I set up the solar panels on the roof of the shed at Holowai. Then I went to the post office in Naalehu to collect the packages I had ordered!
Christmas in August!
Ahi Road does not seem to be too badly overgrown.
And the top of the driveway is still recognizable.
The driveway is still too steep, and with not a lot of grass/weeds.
The Hilo side of the driveway will require a bit of work,
As will the Kona side. I am pleased to see that the Ulu tree (breadfruit), the mango tree, and the macademia nut tree [all still small saplings] are still alive!
The outhouse is still standing, so that is a big advantage!
View towards South Point from on top of bungalow at Ahi
Then I set up the solar panels on the bungalow at Ahi between rain showers!
A walk around the Holowai property found my bell peppers in the one gallon pot were basically sticks, but there were a few leaves on them.
The tomato in the pot on the lanai was dead, as were any tomato plants in the tomato planter at the back of the lot. But in my other wooden planter, there were some carrots and green onions struggling to stay alive!
The hibiscus was reduced to the size when I first bought it, and my two citrus plants (I think they are tangerenes) in the small wooden planter by the path from the driveway were doing good!
Everything was as I had left it, except that the neighbor’s feral cats had gotten into the kitchen area. They had opened a cardboard box with a dozen packets of ramen noodles and eaten all the ramen noodles and scattered the remains of the flavor packets all over!
I had a bunch of empty water bottles, so I loaded them into the truck and did a water run to the park in Waiohinu.
TSA had to inspect the inside of both of my bags. Their curiosity satisfied, I went to my gate and still had time to buy a breakfast burrito! The TSA agents are slipping up! They let me through too easily!
7:20 AM – Plane took off from Phoenix
8:05 AM – Plane landed in Las Vegas
My next flight for Kona, Hawaii is scheduled for 10:00 AM
The last time I was here, there was snow on the mountains beyond the airport, but I could not see any there this time! Probably too early in the year!
9:40 AM – Boarded plane
10:00 AM – Plane pushed away from the gate. After sitting on the Tarmac for thirty minutes, the pilot said that it seemed that every plane wanted to leave at the same time, and we were in line waiting our turn.
11:00 AM – Plane took off from Las Vegas – One hour late.
1:45 PM – Plane landed in Kona – only 30 minutes late. Plenty of time to catch the 2:30 PM bus to Naalehu/Waiohinu!
The sky was clear and the only noticeable clouds were the ones around the top of Hualalai Volcano outside of Kona.
4:45 PM – Arrived at the Wong Yuen Chinese store in Waiohinu. My neighbor Scott was there to pick me up. I bought a 10 lb bag of ice for $5 and we drove to Holowai!
5:00 PM – Arrived at the property on Holowai Street!
The grass has not grown too high since I left, and the gates are still easily accessible.
The property at Holowai has not become overgrown as well.
But I need to unpack and see about something to eat!
I will be treturning to Hawaii around the middle of August. In the mean time, I will be enjoying the 100 plus degree weather in Arizona . But hey, it is a dry heat!
Golf
After returning from Hawaii, I was invited to golf the Biltmore Country Club.
I made the fourth in a foursome that included three players who play this course regularly.
I didn’t do as poorly as I had feared, but yet, I definitely was not as good as the other three.
The course was beautiful . . . much better than I am used to playing!
This tree reminds me of a tree that looks like a pitchfork in the movie “Romancing the stone”.. It’s one of the markers on the treasure map called “El Tenedor del Diablo”, the Devil’s Fork.
It lived up to it’s name . . . at least it did for me. My second shot hit the right fork and bounced off to the left, away from the direction of the hole!
It was nice to get out and experience some of the things the way that others do.
I made a few good shots, but more importantly, I didn’t make any really bad ones. And THAT is an improvement for me!
This is my favorite hole. Not because I did well,
but because of the view from the tee box.
A week after playing the Biltmore, I came back to earth and played my old reliable 9 hole executive course in Mesa.
View down the fairway on the 2nd hole. A few more brown patches, but still enjoyable.
Fairway for the 7th hole
Sign for the 7th hole
My golf buddy. He/she followed me from the 4th hole, all the way around the lake to the 8th tee box, where it took flight and flew across the lake back to the 4th fairway
My best shot of the day. On the 7th hole from the tee. Yes, I missed that four foot putt!!!!
4th of July on the Salt River
The fourth of July was not the best day for going to the river, as there were lots and lots of others there as well. Parking was a premium, but luckily, my daughter has a handicapped parking permit!
We began by inflating the tubes while the rest of the group were parking at the other end of the river. By parking one car at the bottom, we will have transportation to get back to the other car.
Inflating continues.
Inflating a paddle board using an air compressor plugged into the car power outlet (they used to be called a cigaret lighter)
We weren’t the only ones floating on the river today!
A rare solitary moment.
Lazily floating down stream.
Two talented kids on paddle poards. EVen the dog was excited to get out.
I have decided on a pattern for the floor in the bathroom at Ahi.
“X” marks the spot!”
I will pour a big “X” from corner to corner. So I poured one leg of the “X”.
I set up the mixer at the bottom of the driveway where I have created a large pile of sand and gravel. With the generator nearby, I mix about a wheelbarrow full each load.
I have also put together the drain lines for the toilet at Holowai.
I still need a pipe to connect this to the septic tank!
Monday May 27, 2024
I set up forms for the opposing cross in the “X” as well as a 6″ wide stem wall around the perimiter of the bathroom.
I threw in some rebar and mixed up some concrete.
Then went down to Honuapo to sit in the ocean.
The sky was a bit clearer today
And the waves a little stronger. But the lava is always the same!
Tuesday May 28, 2024
Set up the mixer at Ahi again.
This time, I added a bit of color to the mix.
Poured the last sections of the floor.
Filling in the triangles created from the “X” pattern.
Then got out the mower and mowed in front of the Ahi property and started along the road. The wire came loose from the terminal inside again, so I put it back in place and used some electrical tape to hold it in place. Big mistake.
The loose connection got so hot, it started the tape on fire and burned thru the top cover of the lawnmower! I think that is the end of the mower!
Back at Holowai, I have bell peppers growing in a pot!
Wednesday May 29, 2024
My hibiscus is looking like it will flower again with two flowers.
I also have quite a few strawberry guava plants producing small fruits.
The fruit is smaller than a ping pong ball, and a real challenge to get open and get the pulp out. There are lots of seeds, but they taste great!
I went to the hardware store in OceanView and picked up a piece of PVC pipe to connect my drain lines to the septic system at Holowai.
Then I went over to Ahi.
Last night, it looked like it was going to rain and I did not want the rain to ruin my new floor in the bathroom, so I covered it with plastic.
This morning, I uncovered it and removed the last of the forms.
Thursday May 30, 2024
My hibiscus has bloomed – both flowers!
At Ahi, I have guavas on the trees
The waves are crashing a bit taller at Honuapu
Overlooking Whittington Beach Park and Honuapo
I spent some time down at the ocean
I leave to go back to the mainland next week, so I wanted to come down to the ocean.
I never get tired of watching this.
Friday, May 31, 2024
The birds keep coming by for a snack. The honeycreepers seem to be ruling the roost while the redheaded cardinals wait in the wings.
They are going to miss me when I’m gone! OK, They won’t miss ME . . . they will miss getting free food!
I picked some of the guavas
The door panels at Ahi began falling apart, so I spent the day putting them back together.
I got tired of sitting on the bed with my computer on my lap, so I decided to put together a desk!
When I come back, I will need to sand it and varnish it!
Saturday June 1, 2024
I spent the day laying block on the last of the four corners.
True, . . . it didn’t take all day. I also began the process of sorting through stuff in preparation for going back to the mainland in a few days.
Sunday June 2, 2024
I poured another step at the bottom of my garden steps. Continuing to make life a bit easier – less stumbling around in the dark!
I also sorted through my food stuff in the kitchen, . . .deciding, what to leave in . . .what to leave out!
And as Bob Seger says, I’ve got so much more to think about Deadlines and commitments What to leave in, what to leave out I’m older now but still running Against the wind Well I’m older now and still running Against the wind
And I started on the columns for the gazebo extension.
Monday June 3, 2024
As I drive down the dirt roads, there is a “clunk” coming from the front suspension of the truck. Something is loose under there.
I look under the truck at the sway bar and the control arms. I see that one of the sway bar links is loose and the bushings at the end are worn.
Something to take care of when I return. Either I will order a set of these and have them delivered or I will bring them back with me when I come.
I make sure all my tools are put away, take down the solar panels from the roof of the shed, and trust that everything will be here when I get back.
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
The day has come. I go back to the mainland today. My neighbor drops me off at 8:00 am at the bus stop in Waiohinu.
I ride the bus to Kona and get on a plane around 1 Pm and another Hawaii adventure comes to an end!
TropicalCastaway 