Before and After

I've been spending a lot of time in my yard trying to clear up the post-construction mess.  This is what I've accompished in the last three weeks.  To get a real grasp of how much I've accomplished I'm going to show the before and after.

Here goes...

And Now for the Back!...

There is still plenty of work left to do, but I'm so happy I was able to accomplish as much as we were able to do today!  I'm going to sleep vvverrry good tonight!

Day 1 of the Clean Up

I got off to a rough start this morning and really didn't get any of what I wanted to get cleared in the front yard accomplished.  Instead I cleared some of the left over lumber in the back yard and when it started raining I spent the rest of the afternoon gardening in the rain. 

There is still so much to do this week.  But tomorrow I am taking the day off to have a great 30th Birthday!  It is going to be spent at the beach, eating good food and yummy cake!

Sunday Drive

After church today I took a little drive.  There is nothing like the sweet smell of the lava, especially when the Lehua blossoms are in bloom.  I don't know what it is that makes the lava smell so sweetly, but it is like nothing I could ever describe.  It is similar to the way the scent of flowers floats through the air, except it is coming from what appears to be a black desert.

The lehua looks particularly beautiful after a rainstorm.

 I drove up to my old house.  It is as if time stopped when we left, and the only evidence of it passing is the deterioration of the street signs.

It has also gotten a lot more built up over the last ten years.  Overall it was a very peaceful drive and ended with me stopping at my neighbor, Cocoa's house for gardening tips.  I forgot to take a picture of her garden.  She is originally from Thailand and makes wonders with our poor soil and limited water supplies.  I always find inspiration from her garden.  It is a hard landscape to grow things unless you can either spend a lot of money to amend your soil, or you have a super cool neighbor that does magic in her yard and can give you tips!

Daily Commute

A small storm came in off the ocean bringing a little rain and clearing the VOG for a change.  I pulled over on my way home to take a few pictures of a rare "VOG-less" afternoon!

The point in the distance is Kealakekua Bay, the original landing spot for Captain Cook.  He was killed off the point and there is a large monument that marks the area.  It is only accessible by boat or down a very rough 4-wheel drive road, if you know someone who has a key to unlock the gate.  The bay itself is a beautiful spot to snorkel and kayak.  Kona is on the other side of the point, which is roughly an hour north from where I live.

The 1 mile stretch from the highway to my driveway is definitely not for the faint of heart!

Macadamia Nuts from my neighbor's tree.

Lilikoi's (aka Passion Fruit) and some kind of wood flower that starts off as a nut and then flowers like a rose.  It looks like someone carved a flower out of bark.  Vines love our area.  We have so many types of invasive species of vines it is hard to keep track of them all.

My neighbor's wild banana trees.

What foreclosure looks like in my neighborhood.

The sunset greeting me in my driveway.

Beautiful rainclouds that brought a very welcome surprise of rain!

My budding garden was very happy it rained!

I hope you enjoyed my trip home.  Commuting an hour each way can be exhausting, but at least the drive is beautiful.

Hale like the House the Koa Wood built!

This is a happy birthday to my favorite White Rasta, Julia.

Julia and I met on a sunny Hawaiian day as she made the ever fateful decision to join First Hawaiian Bank (it is more a cult than a "job" environment).

Ah the joys and not so much fun days that we have experienced (maybe this should be an ode to Nunu?)...as Service Manager Associates. The late nights (ahem...May 29th, 2008? or was it 2007?).

Anyway, you are my favorite White Rasta that looks like a banker...well aside from Michael.

But that's another ode for another day.

Time Passes 2 Quickly!

Somebody told me today that, "They couldn't believe it was already the end of May!"

I concur. I can't believe it is only 4 measly months until the entire family comes home for Pueo and Nicole's wedding! There is so much still to do.

Where to even begin! I think I need a vacation to catch up on the things I need to get done on my vacation!

I remember the days of old when vacations actually meant fun places to visit and a day spent relaxing at the beach. Instead I spend entirely too much time on home projects (and the worst part is that my home doesn't look like I've spent any time doing ANY type of project).

What is a girl to do?

What I need is a little help. My friend Amy suggested I date a Mexican, that way I automatically inherit his entire family to work on the farm.

That's just a little too high of a price tag for my comfort level.

What I need is an act of GOD.

I need it to rain more. I have figured out that the answer to all of my prayers is rain. The more it rains, the greener my yard will look. The more water I will catch in my catchment tank...which means I have more water to do laundry! The rain will also speed up the deterioration process of any garbage left over from construction, which will eliminate me having to take it to the dump. Grass will grow where now there is only dirt. The rain will also be good for my neighbors and their farms and the wild herd of goats will retreat back down the mountain and I won't have to worry about them eating my budding garden.

Rain will answer all my problems!

It is also only two months until my 30th Birthday! I'm trying to organize a big party. My friends, Michael and Julia, live in a barn and have wanted to throw a barn party. We decided (while slightly intoxicated at Nicci's daughter's 1st birthday this past weekend) to hold my 30th birthday party at their barn. We are pricing Kegs and I'm trying to find a theme that won't cost me very much money. It's my birthday. I would prefer to NOT spend very much money for a good time. It's also an excuse to set up my brother with my friend Jenna.

We shall see.

We shall see...that is if I look outside while the time is flying by!

Green Thumb. Me? Really?

The day before yesterday I found out that my thumbs have just a little green to them after all. All these years I really thought that genetic trait skipped me...but judging by the progress my small garden is making, it turns out I have a little bit of a green thumb!

I have tried repeatedly to start plants by seed to no avail. It turns out that I either wasn't giving them enough water, or the birds were eating them as soon as I was putting them out like a fourth grader eating halloween candy.

This month I made the decision to try to do it the right way. I gathered the necessary ingredients and went to work slowly. I inched in to the gardener nook, by starting with small vegetables already a few inches tall, such as tomatoes, peppers, and basil. I was hopeful that I would be able to do it as a real 'gardener' and bought a few packages of seeds. On Mother's Day my older brother came by for diner and also helped me get started. He was a little on the pessimistic side when it came to the cantaloupe though...but I told him not to doubt my budding ability. I still haven't planted the cantaloupe, but I intend too. That day we started the lettuce and a few of the green bean seeds. I made sure to water them daily, and was getting pretty discouraged up until this past Sunday, when I noticed that the green beans were over three inches and the lettuce had sprouted! I am super excited to get the back yard cleared and actually plant garden beds. As of right now I am dealing specifically in pots.

I have a few Mango trees, Avocado trees, and a whole lot of Rangpur limes, a Banana tree, dozens of orchids, some roses (that aren't doing very well), and left over poinsetta plants from Christmas. All of which need to be planted in the ground with my vegetables. I even have a few Jojoba bushes and a Rambutan tree. All of which (except the vegetables) are compliments of my brother. I'm not going to mention how many trees I've already killed that he has abandoned on the farm, it's just nice to know that I am finally able to grow something!