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.