Day 1: We arrive at the farm at dusk. My first impression of the farm is of a patch work quilt of trees and small shelters with paths going every which way. The land here is flat but in the distance are the classic velvety green Hawaiian mountains. It gets dark quickly so I will have to wait till morning to really see what surrounds me. Mary, Katie and I eat a simple dinner in one of the outdoor kitchens. Fresh salad and steamed broccoli from the garden. The salad dressing is made using a fresh lime that Mary runs out and picks from a tree just outside the kitchen. It is the sweetest broccoli I have ever eaten.
It is not as warm as I expected and I am glad I brought one of my cozy cashmere sweaters from home. Tired we all go to bed. I feel snug in my mummy bag I brought, I am not sure yet what matter of creepy crawlies there are and do not want to share my sleeping bag with one thank you. Listening to the night sounds in a new place is a way we orient ourselves. Here they are all new. It sounds to me like it is raining off and on all night but it makes no sense because I see twinkly stars. The turns out it is the palm leaves knocking together. There are various choruses that perform throughout the night, first is the howling dog chorus, next the lightning storm, and the grand finale is the rooster raga with the native birds joining in for the last stanza. I wake to find myself in what to me is a tropical paradise. Surrounding me are avocado, mango, banana, tangelo, orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, pomelo and coconut trees. These are the ones I know of. There are 65 avocado trees of numerous varieties. The vegetable gardens are not too shabby either. There are four large areas devoted to vegetables. One is currently in cover crops, the other three are planted with carrots, beets, broccoli, kale, eggplant, cilantro and numerous greens, lettuces and basil.
Day2: First day of work in the gardens, thin carrots, thin beets, weed the paths, and pull the nut-grass.. a bad invasive that is like our quack grass. Watch out for centipedes, they are just under the surface, usually coiled in small balls. I am told that they bite and leave an unpleasant swelling bump. This is why it is good to wear shoes when gardening. For that and the red mud that does not seem to wash out.
Day3: Winds of up to 50 mph predicted for this afternoon, it is already blowing really hard and the rain is coming in through the side of my dwelling. I move all my bags to the center of the room and put towels next to the screens to sop up the rain. Now I cozy up with a book. Maybe this is Hawaii's equivalent to a winter day.
Day 6: It is Saturday and we decide to work this morning because of missing last Wednesday, the storm day There is another storm here now from the opposite direction that makes Wednesday's storm seem mild. I did not now it could rain so hard, much harder and it would be like being submerged, thank mama nature rain comes in the form of drops. The wind is howling and whipping the trees so hard I can not tell which way it is coming from, Within 10 minutes the puddles are everywhere and the rain gutters running full blast. Just when I think it can't get any stronger it does. I just hope the window next to me does not get hit and crack. The banana trees are bent to the ground as if in reverence or fear of the winds power. My four avocados on the sill are soaking wet and a large puddle is forming on the floor. It is hard to focus on my writing. Hard to believe that earlier today we were out planting seeds. Mary and I planted eggplant, lettuces and kale in flats. In the garden beets. We then dug up two beds that had gotten out of hand, overgrown with nasturtiums, wandering jew and mountain yams. Mountain yams are a strange plant who's tuber (which is what you eat) looks like a deformed brown leather football when you first dig it up. Some of them are small, the size of a normal potato, others are bigger than a football! When scrubbed up they start to resemble a sweet potato. My lunch consists of sauteed mountain yam with green onions, basil and an avocado. Most excellent. I am really glad I cooked lunch straight after work as I just got done in time to get in out of the storm. The outdoor kitchen has a roof but it does leak some.
Later: The winds have died down and it is now just a drizzle. I moped up the floor and hung the towel out. Rice cracker with a cup of tea for dinner. Now some reading and writing.
Tomorrow I may go into town to do laundry and internet if I can make it down the muddy road
It is not as warm as I expected and I am glad I brought one of my cozy cashmere sweaters from home. Tired we all go to bed. I feel snug in my mummy bag I brought, I am not sure yet what matter of creepy crawlies there are and do not want to share my sleeping bag with one thank you. Listening to the night sounds in a new place is a way we orient ourselves. Here they are all new. It sounds to me like it is raining off and on all night but it makes no sense because I see twinkly stars. The turns out it is the palm leaves knocking together. There are various choruses that perform throughout the night, first is the howling dog chorus, next the lightning storm, and the grand finale is the rooster raga with the native birds joining in for the last stanza. I wake to find myself in what to me is a tropical paradise. Surrounding me are avocado, mango, banana, tangelo, orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, pomelo and coconut trees. These are the ones I know of. There are 65 avocado trees of numerous varieties. The vegetable gardens are not too shabby either. There are four large areas devoted to vegetables. One is currently in cover crops, the other three are planted with carrots, beets, broccoli, kale, eggplant, cilantro and numerous greens, lettuces and basil.
Day2: First day of work in the gardens, thin carrots, thin beets, weed the paths, and pull the nut-grass.. a bad invasive that is like our quack grass. Watch out for centipedes, they are just under the surface, usually coiled in small balls. I am told that they bite and leave an unpleasant swelling bump. This is why it is good to wear shoes when gardening. For that and the red mud that does not seem to wash out.
Day3: Winds of up to 50 mph predicted for this afternoon, it is already blowing really hard and the rain is coming in through the side of my dwelling. I move all my bags to the center of the room and put towels next to the screens to sop up the rain. Now I cozy up with a book. Maybe this is Hawaii's equivalent to a winter day.
Day 6: It is Saturday and we decide to work this morning because of missing last Wednesday, the storm day There is another storm here now from the opposite direction that makes Wednesday's storm seem mild. I did not now it could rain so hard, much harder and it would be like being submerged, thank mama nature rain comes in the form of drops. The wind is howling and whipping the trees so hard I can not tell which way it is coming from, Within 10 minutes the puddles are everywhere and the rain gutters running full blast. Just when I think it can't get any stronger it does. I just hope the window next to me does not get hit and crack. The banana trees are bent to the ground as if in reverence or fear of the winds power. My four avocados on the sill are soaking wet and a large puddle is forming on the floor. It is hard to focus on my writing. Hard to believe that earlier today we were out planting seeds. Mary and I planted eggplant, lettuces and kale in flats. In the garden beets. We then dug up two beds that had gotten out of hand, overgrown with nasturtiums, wandering jew and mountain yams. Mountain yams are a strange plant who's tuber (which is what you eat) looks like a deformed brown leather football when you first dig it up. Some of them are small, the size of a normal potato, others are bigger than a football! When scrubbed up they start to resemble a sweet potato. My lunch consists of sauteed mountain yam with green onions, basil and an avocado. Most excellent. I am really glad I cooked lunch straight after work as I just got done in time to get in out of the storm. The outdoor kitchen has a roof but it does leak some.
Later: The winds have died down and it is now just a drizzle. I moped up the floor and hung the towel out. Rice cracker with a cup of tea for dinner. Now some reading and writing.
Tomorrow I may go into town to do laundry and internet if I can make it down the muddy road
So you haven't really escaped the rain? Well at least it's a bit warmer than the northwest! What a beautiful experience! And your photos are wonderful!
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