Thanks for tuning in. I have been remiss in doing a weekly blog and think I will change it to every other week as there is so much to do around here it is hard to find the time for writing.
I am in the process of redoing my Koali Niu web site with a strategic marketer and she suggested I start a You Tube channel to document our work here and the tree growth. That will give more of a visual which might work out well.
And speaking of trees the niu planted on the hill are growing at record speed. Some of the seedings planted in April 2024 are now ten feet tall or higher. This is because the earth was covered with Hou for over fifty years and is very fertile. This is the first tree we planted on the edge of the sheer forty foot drop off to the road below. Indrajit thinks it is the revered Niu Hiwa, a tree that faces significant conservation challenges today. “The tree is historically esteemed and is a distinctive, identifiable coconut variety with unique cultural practices tied to it and the loss would have significant implications for Native Hawaiian culture today.” (Gunasakara)
Pretty exciting stuff….
It seems like a wintery day here with a cold wind coming in off the channel between here and the big island.
I guess this is nice for the holiday spirit.
Since my squash crop was so successful I have decided to continue farming squash with three varieties for my next venture. Last week Isaac and Cleo cleared the remains of the last crop, weed eated and laid weed barrier cloth for the next planting.
I am hoping to get the new plants in the ground tomorrow as they are ready to plant. Unfortunately there were not enough pins to adequately tie down the weed barrier cloth and the wind has blown sections around. My plan is to plant the squash just above the cloth and then it grows down over the cloth.
I had a quick trip to Honolulu this last week for a medical appointment. My hana daughter Sarah went with me and we had some fun. Also had a nice dinner at Michaels with some old and new friends. I arrived first and saw a gorgeous sunset.
Bedsides going to the gym and pool the Christmas decorations were out and it was very festive. We also met up with Pierre Grill the piano player.
Hana Ho Magazine on Hawaiian Airlines has a story about the niu which highlights Niu Nowʻs work and the CRB beetle.
Lots of jobs are waiting so am going to close for now. In case I don’t make it back next week I want to wish everyone happy holidays. Thanks for tuning in.
Thanks for tuning in. The days and weeks have been racing by and I am behind on blogging due to many distractions. There has been so much going on that I want to tell you about. Last week it was a choice between working in the garden and writing a blog, and I was on a roll and couldnʻt resist continuing a long awaited project.
Several weekends ago we had a big push forward here. My helper friends, Edwin, Silipei and Indrajit, came over from Oahu for four solid work days. They did work that would have taken months for others to do. They cleared away years of a banana tree debris where the dead stumps and leaves had just been dropped on the ground making a big mess. They cut some overlapping breadfruit trees to make room for the Outstanding tentalo that is going to be put up soon. The vegetation on the hill was encroaching on some of the coconut trees and that all got cut away. These were just a few of the things they did to make things better around here. The Kawasaki mule came in very handy.
Indrajit came with his new assistant and planted three new coconut trees so we now have eight varieties and 27 trees in our gene bank. We will be sharing the off spring of these trees and the related knowledge. They worked on the hill clearing around each of the planted trees making space so the weed eating does not reach and damage the trees. Ten of the coconut seedlings were dug up and donated to Waihee Hawaii Land Trust niu nursery. They also dug up all the remaining taro and replanted on the restored rock walls. Lots of forward movement…
My neighbor Karen gave me two Hawaiian breadfruit keikes so we got those planted. In a few more weeks I will be selling papayas as the trees are full of fruit-the really good orange variety.
We all took turns cooking and we had some great meals. Edwin cooked breadfruit and he and Silipei ate that practically every meal for four days.
I am thrilled with my squash crop which has totaled about 500 pounds of harvested and sold squash. Just yesterday I delivered another 100 pounds to an upscale produce shop in Kula. I figure each of the 5 planted seeds yielded 100 pounds of squash. I also gifted a lot of squash and will continue to do this as it is so rewarding. I am now planning on getting the ground ready for the next crops and will branch out to butternut and Honey Boat Delicate. Pretty exciting for me!!! A squash farmer at this ripe old age.
In the last week we have had plenty of rain-actually too much as parts of the yard are mud. Mana runs around gets her feet muddy and into the house. I will have to get some bricks for the back yard as soon as possible. I have also had run ins with 3 centipedes in the last two days. Eaks!!
Cleo is back and we finally got all five of the white gutter pipes painted chocolate brown. They donʻt stand out as an eye sore now. We have also completed the oiling of the wooden beams for the tentalo. Now anxiously awaiting the tent construction.
Everybody seems pretty happy. Frida is pictured in her new favorite place this morning. She has come a long way since I found her on the side of the road dumped by some heartless person. My friend Kathleen who is a vet teck helped me save her from near death.
Thanks for tuning in. I was on Oahu last week dealing with medical appointments so missed doing a blog. My friend Susan went with me and we had some fun in between meetings. Because of knee surgery, and then hip I hadn’t been to the dentist in over a year so that was a tortuous experience that I do not want to repeat. My Watchman check must have been fine as I have not heard anything to the contrary. After flying back to Maui I spent the afternoon shopping and doing errands so I don’t have to return for the next month.
I am still working on getting organized and putting things away. Actually I am doing a general reorganization-always trying to make things look and work better.
Before getting on the plane On Wednesday I delivered 200 pounds of squash I grew. This is so exciting to be actually producing a food crop. This week I sold another 90 pounds to our local Hana Ranch Market.
Squash loves this hill so I am going to try some other varieties-acorn, cords, and watermelon.
We are finally moving forward…..Yesterday James came to cut the big tree that needs to be removed for coconut planting next weekend. I hate hate cutting good trees, but it was necessary as we need the space.
Before cutting we harvested another big bunch of squash. I bought a magazine full of only squash recipes and am looking forward to trying them. Also instagram has featured some good looking dishes with squash. I made a pasta recipe that was delicious. It is a tad difficult to cut up, but worth it. The dogs are even pretty Ok with it.
Part of the yard is covered with cut branches and I am waiting for the crew to come and clear it out. Some of the bigger chunks will be turned into bowls and the rest milled.
This whole thing with our abundance of food is so interesting with the absence of food and all the possible program cuts in the news. I have also been over run with bananas. Yesterday I made a big bunch to dehydrate. I am also going to be having a bumper crop of papayas in a month or so. Luckily I have found a company that will buy all this extra food growing here. The only problem is taking it to Kahalui.
I just received a text that some people in Kipahulu have killed a bull and they are giving free meat to anyone who shows up at 12. Don’t know if I will go for that. There is a big beautiful black bull in the pasture next door. I give him bananas and ti leaves and can’t bear the thought of what the neighbors will eventually do with him. Wish I could rescue him….
Another free bee is every other week Hasegawas market distributes two packages of ground venison per family. I get it when the timing is right and use it for different recipes and for the dogs. Deer have invaded so this is one companies solution.
I finally drove my Kawasaki mule to the top of the property bouncing off big rocks. I was giving Susan a tour and we both were amazed at the beauty. Those papaya trees are full of fruit. That was where Bob’s parents wanted to build a weekend house.
They knew how to pick the most gorgeous places as there is a view of all four Big Island volcanoes. Also a great place to watch the sunset.
Well, better get going for now. Friday the gang is coming and we will have another coconut planting day and move ahead with other projects.
Thanks for tuning in and wishing everyone a glorious coming week.
It has been a very fun social week with company for a few nights and three dinners out with friends. Two of my grandson Rhodes’ friends, Taylor and Charlie, were on the other side of Maui for a wedding and came to visit me here in Hana. Being surfers from Southern California they were blown away with life and the natural beauty at the jungle’s edge. They helped me with a couple of projects, I showed them some of the sights in the area, and we had some nice meals and nightly fires. They loved it so much and want to return as cat and farm helpers. They both slept in the front room under mosquito netting.
On Thursday My friend Niketa, a chef, and made a wonderful Indian dinner that we took up to a mutual friend Laura’s house for dinner. Besides a great dinner the company was super and this house is at the top of the world above the Hana airport which is always a treat to visit.
Friday was James and Moie’s fifth wedding anniversary and they had a gathering of friends and family to celebrate. James had picked taro from here and pounded poi as one of the many items served. There was lots of lively conversation including the Molokai to Oahu canoe race that took place last Sunday. Hana had a crew that paddled in a koa canoe. The crew paddled the canoe from Maui to Molokai on Thursday, rested for a couple of days and then the race on Sunday which took six hours. There were some very fun stories…..
In between all of that on Friday I managed to lock myself out of my car. Since I was planning on going out I left my purse in the car on the front seat with the extra, unknowingly with the extra set of keys. This is not a place that the Auto Club services in a friendly way so luckily James came with his daughter and with some devices and managed to fish out the extra set of keys that were sitting in m y purse. Getting the keys out through the small opening in the car door was an interesting challenge that took both of us, but finally possible. Yikes!!! That was scarey…. And, the rains have finally come so it was pouring rain during much of the process.
We have been harvesting big batches of squash. This squash is delicious and besides baking I made a pasta sauceI sold some on the road and am taking more in to the Maui Hub on Wednesday. That has been a very successful crop and great ground cover. With my mobility still slightly hampered I need help picked them as walking on the steep hill with all the vines is rather challenging. I have a new helper, Isaac who is a big help for this project.
We are getting ready for the next big coconut planting in early November. Indrajit is currently in Japan learning how to extract DNA from coconuts. I am sure this information will be helpful in the cataloging of the many different varieties of coconuts which is part of his future work. You can see the coconuts are growing.
I better end this as there are lots of jobs waiting for me: washing now that we have rain water, painting the downspouts, oiling the timbers for the Outstanding tent soon to be erected, and planting.
Thanks for tuning in. Remember “when coconuts grow, humanity flourishes.”
I missed last week’s blog as I had a stomach bug and was just missing the urge for words.
During the last two weeks we continue work on restoring the old walls and it is getting to be a gorgeous sight looking up the hill and seeing them so perfectly being reshaped. Thanks to a generous donor Ben comes once a week and is making great head way.
The Outstanding tentalo was finally delivered this last week and it lays under cover until James can build a platform for it to sit on. After that the tent should go up in two days. Some bush clearing needs to be done and I am going to try and oil the wooden support poles. Having the tent is going to give me a lot more flexibility with farm help plus other things.
My hanai daughter Sarah came out for a few days this week and we had two great mornings at the beach before the crowds arrived. The water at Hamoa is crystal clear and so beautiful this time of year. Sarah also helped rake up some leaves and made a big beautiful fire for the full moon night. I always look forward to her visits.
We have hardly any rain so still watching the water use. The waterfall at the top of the property is still trickling however.
The hill is full of squash and we are harvesting them by the bucket loads. Also the banana trees are full of bunches and I need to find a market for the produce asap.
I took time out from writing this to watch the men’s Molokai to Oahu race. Was hoping to see our Hana team in one of the four koa canoes in the race. Unfortunately the TV coverage just stopped and they are still out there hopefully soon to land. I can’t seem to find coverage so am going to wind this up so I can go on to other projects.
During the past two weeks I have gotten to a lot of projects that had to wait for my recovery. I am now doing my own PT at home and walking better every day. It is a long and slow process, but happening. And, it is great getting back to the many projects around here.
Yesterday was weeding and trimming ti leaves down below and Mana helped me.
Thanks for tuning in and wishing everyone a super week in the midst of world choas.
It has been a peaceful pleasant week here and I am happy to be feeling a little stronger every day. I made my first trip to the beach yesterday at Hamoa. We went early with Mana dog and the water was just amazing. She ran around and we swim in crystal clear warmish water and had a great time. It was my first time back in the ocean here in many months and am hoping to get there more often now.
The egrets are here on the hill and seem to be making a home here. They gather on the edge of the pool and a couple were sitting on the boogie board a few days ago. They are such beautiful stately birds and a joy to watch.
The hill is now full of squash and we have had two large harvests. Besides trading I gift them to people who help me and also sell them to one of our local markets. We are going to try some melons now that I see how well these squash do here.
I have some new friends, Cleo and Madeleine, that are great gardeners and helpers. They happen to be best friends so they work well together and get lots done. I am looking forward to getting all the beds weeded and replanted. Cleo is now trained for the cats and is a great support. Hopefully I don’t have any more emergency trips.
Speaking of planting my friend Dimitri just brought all kinds of exotic gingers and planted them in different spots. My Outstanding tent should arrive in the next week and I am thinking these plants will help beautify the area the new garden area.
I am now a member of Hawaii Life Support which will fly a member out to Oahu to the hospital.
Ben started rebuilding the next rock wall that was knocked down by cattle. This work is being carried out by our latest donation. Ben says the rocks speak to him so I am lucky to have him once a week. He was trained by Hana’s best rock wall builder who has since retired.
The pool is now clear and inviting for these hot days. We needed new hoses from the pool to the filter as the sun had wrecked the others. The pool had actually turned green but hydrogen peroxide doses cleared it up. I buy a strong solution in Kahalui and mix it with water and it clears the pool of moss.
We had an early birthday party on Wednesday for James and myself which was a lot of fun with the kids. We had teppanyaki and chocolate birthday cake with chocolate ice cream. The kids loved singing and blowing out the candles.
I am needing to get up and moving so will close this out for now. Wishing everyone a great, healthy, and happy week.
This blog is going to chronicle the last few weeks which have been a very unusual adventure. It has been a medical adventure and an adventure I hope not to repeat.
Several weeks ago my afib kicked in and nothing I did would make it get under control.After a day I went to the little Hana Health Center and saw our visiting doctor from Alabama-Dr. Henry Horton Davis . He suggested I should go on into Maui Memorial, but gave me some meds to slow the heart beat down.
But after a day I was still with a fast heart beat.and feeling awful. After my experience at Maui Mem several years ago with my broken arm I didn’t want to go there again. Saturday Morning I bought a one way ticket to Honolulu on Mokulele so I could get to Straub where all my doctors are located. I knew I couldn’t navigate the Kahalui airport with a change of planes and separate airport. The Mokulele flight took 3.5 hours stopping at various places, but seemed like a safer bet. I got Dana to come out and stay and packed my bag. I texted our neighbor, a retired emergency room nurse, who watches the place from up above telling her that I would be leaving for a few days. She texted back immediately, “I am coming down there right now”. So down she came in her brightly colored new golf cart. She took one look at me and said,” Vicky we are calling 911 right now and you have to go to Maui Memorial. I was just there with Walt and it has improved greatly.” So, I agreed and the ambulance was here before we knew it. Since the drive way is still narley she took me to the bottom of the hill to meet the ambulance. They loaded me in, put in an iv and headed out. As we were heading down the road the driver asked if I wanted a 2.5 hour ambulance ride or a helicopter ride. I told him I had never been I a helicopter and that sounded better. By the time we arrived at the Hana Airport the big black helicopter was there with the REACH team all dressed in black jumpsuits with white helmets. VERY impressive to say the least.
They loaded me in laying flat with a medic at my side and said they better give me some meds for air sickness. Up and away we went which made me think of Vietnam and in 15 min we landed at the hospital.
These men took me into the emergancy room where I had a very fine nurse and doctor.
The doctor suggested a procedure called a cardioversion where they shock the heart back to normal rhythm.
I had that, spent the night and ushered to the airport and caught Mokulele Air back home.
For the last five months I have been on schedule to have a Watchman Procedure so I can get off blood thinners. The Watchman seals off the little appendage off the heart where the blood clots form. Last Saturday I went to Honolulu and met my wing woman Jericho Poppler who flew in from Long Beach to have a mini Waikiki vacation and be with me before the procedure on Monday. We stayed at a lovely hotel right on Waikiki and both had a great rest, nice meals and some swims. We walked over to the Outrigger Canoe Club and ran into our old surfing friend Fred Hemmings.
Now back to the coconuts……I was thrilled to read this article from Civil Beat that discusses the tree of Life-the coconut. It makes me sure we are on the right path here with the coconut gene bank and in years to come how important this will be us and future generations.
Kima Wassel Hardy is an urban agroecologist and community organizer based on O‘ahu. She works through cross-sector collaboration to design and implement regenerative agroforestry projects that strengthen local food security and restore ecosystems. With more than a decade of experience in community-based sustainability and cross-cultural facilitation, she is committed to advancing food sovereignty and ecological resilience in Hawai‘i and beyond.
I tried to drop the file without success….
There is no tree more emblematic of Hawai‘i than the niu, the coconut tree. Towering and graceful, its swaying fronds set the scene for postcards and daydreams.
But this tree is more than a backdrop. It is a living relative, a provider, a vital ancestor that helped Polynesians settle these islands. Niu (which is Hawaiian for coconut) is life.
Every part of the tree has value: nourishing water, sustaining meat, shelter from the leaves, medicine from the oil, wood from its trunk and soil stabilization from its roots. In return, all we have to do is care for it.
Today, we are watching it die.
Once cornerstones of food security and cultural identity, niu are now reduced to “ornamental liabilities.”
For over a hundred years, this view has shaped policy and public perception. Resorts and counties lop off fronds and flowers before they can fruit, weakening the tree’s immune system and severing its relationship with our daily lives. After so much time, many people no longer have a personal connection to niu — and without that relationship, it is difficult to expect anyone to care. What appears to be landscaping is, in truth, cultural erasure.
Into this broken system came the coconut rhinoceros beetle, a tenacious pest that has found easy targets in our stressed trees. Rather than respond with care, the state and counties turned to synthetic pesticides — not only ineffective, but harmful to pollinators, soil, and water. Their use violates the principle of mālama ʻāina, which teaches us that the land is family, not a commodity.
Too often, people speak of O‘ahu as if it is already a lost cause to the fight against CRB. But every single tree is worth defending.
We have other tools. Organic methods, tree care, and community-led efforts have shown signs of healing — new fronds growing back, new life pushing forward. Yet the government refuses to acknowledge these practices as legitimate. Instead, it cuts and poisons our trees indiscriminately.
Palm trees around the Victoria Place condominium complex appear to have been infested with the coconut rhinoceros beetle. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025)
Last year, the state Legislature rejected a bill to recognize niu as a traditional staple crop. Why? Because recognition would require us to honor and protect the tree’s importance as a food source, not dismiss it as mere scenery. That rejection speaks volumes. It’s not just about one tree — it’s about what kind of future we are choosing: resilience or dependence.
Consider this: niu can provide both food and clean water for survival in times of crisis. On an island chain vulnerable to climate shocks, shipping disruptions, and ecological collapse, how can we justify destroying a crop that has fed generations and could be a lifeline in emergencies today?
The threat doesn’t stop with niu: the coconut rhinoceros beetle also attacks other palms, trees, and crops, further undermining the resilience of our landscapes and ecosystems. To deprive our children and grandchildren of this lifeline is to deny them security and abundance. The survival of future generations depends on how we care for niu today. We now face the reality a reality of a Hawai‘i without coconut trees — a future that is unthinkable.
To some, it’s just a tree. To us, it is culture, heritage, and life itself. To lose niu is to lose more than food; it is to erase a living ancestor from Hawai‘i’s future. Its decline is our reckoning — with the land, with our leaders, and with ourselves.
When the coconut tree thrives, so do we.
That is why we are calling on the counties to halt their campaign against coconut trees. We ask them instead to invest in community-led stewardship, support regenerative land management practices, and honor the knowledge that has sustained these islands for centuries. If we truly believe in aloha ʻāina, then our policies must reflect it.
Everything must start with education. Most of those who advocate for niu do so because they have a relationship with it — as food, as shade, as ancestor, as teacher. Facilitating those relationships is vital. Education builds connection, and connection builds care. When more of us know niu not as a liability but as a living relative, more of us will be ready to act — to conserve, to restore, to mālama.
The choices we make now will determine whether future generations inherit a land of abundance, or one of scarcity. The niu has always given freely. It is time for us to give back.
Because when the coconut tree thrives, so do we. Kupu ka niu, kupu ke kanaka. When the coconut grows, humanity flourishes.
For more resources and ways to support community-led stewardship of niu, click here
We have the beginnings of a web site up now, but I am going to be working on this in the coming weeks so hope you will check it out. Koaliniu.org
And, we just had our second donation of $1,000. Which was made by Jericho and will be used for restoration of the ancient lo’i rock walls. Please keep us in mind if you have any extra donation money that you can use for a tax write off.
Several weeks ago our Koali community lost a wonderful member-Anthony James Pu otherwise known as Tony. Tony came up to visit one day several months ago and shared so much valuable information about this property. His passing is a sad loss. I attended his funeral yesterday at the local Catholic Church and what an experience to see how this Hana community revears their kapuna with daily life and ceremonies. What I saw yesterday is a passing important way of life that does not exist anymore. I just feel so lucky to be a witness. I had a nice connection with Tony as he grew up in Nanakuli diving with our friend Buffalo from our old surfing days. He returned to Hana to reclaim his family property and was a lifelong advocate for Hawaiian land and sovereignty.
This has been a long one so am going to close for now.
Hope your week is great and I have more news for next week.
I missed last week as not much happened as I was preoccupied with going to Honolulu for a knee manipulation. The manipulation helps get rid of the surrounding scar tissue that forms on the knee from lack of movement. EAKS! Now the job is to keep it all moving.
The trip inspite of all my warnings for pain and various potential problems went pretty well. Happily I found out the Ala Moana Hotel gives a nice discount if you are visiting for medical. I had two nice nights there and got to listen to Pierre’s great piano music with a great dinner on the 32nd floor at the top. For the next days besides the manipulation I was kept busy going back to Straub for Physical Therapy. Everyone was really fantastic! The last night I stayed with my friend Wendi who has an amazingly gorgeous apartment right next door to where we originally spent our first six months in Hawaii at the Dad Center apartments at Diamond Head. Very nostalgic!!
This last week has been mostly about yard maintenance. Toby came yesterday and we got lots done and some with the help of the mule vehicle which I love and is a life saver. During the months I have been slightly incapacitated the beds have become full of weeds. I am slowly redoing them, but it will take time.
Sara Kehaulani Goo author of Kuleana did a book talk here on Wednesday night at our retreat center Ala Kukui. She wrote an amazing book about her family’s struggle to reclaim their ancestral lands given to them by King Kamehameha III in 1848. Amazingly the the largest breadfruit orchid in the Pacific and Pi’ilanihale Heiau sit on that land.
Piʻilanihale Heiau is the largest heiau (Hawaiian temple) in Maui and one of the most important archaeological sites in the Hawaiian Islands. Located in Kahanu Garden near Hana, it was dedicated to the worship of various Hawaiian gods and goddesses and was integral to early Hawaiian society.
It was named for Piʻilani, a notable figure in Hawaiian royal lineage meaning “ascent to heaven”. Hana refers to the location of the heiau and the meaning of the word itself, which can mean “work, craft, or blossom”.
The heiau sat undisturbed until 1974 when it was deeded to the Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden (now the National Tropical Botanical Garden) and underwent restoration and preservation efforts.
I am working on the final report for the Maui Green Grant so need to get going on that. They are requiring information that I didn’t realize I needed so it is a lot of work digging it all up out of various places.
This morning I was rehoming a mongoose and came across a real old fashioned cattle drive moving the herd from one pasture to another down the Hana Hwy. As I sat there in my car I was hoping they would keep walking past-and they did.
The cats are all doing well and I have to take more pictures. Here is Casper enjoying himself on the rock wall. He goes all over the property and is the big boss here.
Thanks for tuning in. It is a rainy afternoon here in Hana. It has been a pretty good week with the exception of having to put Mr. Sad Eyes down. No wonder he has looked sad as he had a tumor in his mouth and Dr. Alan said it would be a long painful death if I didn’t end it. As much as I hate doing this I never want them to suffer. This always adds sadness to the surrounding days.
On a happy note I attended my first Hana birthday party for Teava who turned two. He is so smart and loves to visit Mana dog.
I was lucky to get another big batch of mangos which I have been processing and freezing for chutney And other things.
I am starting to get out in the garden to weed and that makes me feel more like myself. I have a new young and strong weed eater, named Toby. Now that we have so much cleared the new challenge is keeping it mowed. We actually need a four wheel drive riding mower which is at the top of our wish list. Even with that here is always more hand work to do. There is a lot of hono hono grass growing up in the taro and potatoes which needs to be pulled out by hand. It is easy to pull out and a very rewarding job so I love it.
Was hoping to do some this eve, but woke up with a sore throat and feeling less than wonderful.
I have been slowly but sure digging myself out of a sh_t load of bureaucratic paper work. It is like the universe is saying OK now it is time for you to get organized and get this all behind. This job will probably go all through August unfortunately. Besides my knee followed by hip surgery didn’t help. And, I have been so focused on getting the property in order I let some paper work slide. Gardening is always my preference, but it already feels great to have started the projects. I planted this taro six months ago and this is just a small part of what we have growing.
Zac and two friends came Thursday for a small first taro harvest. They made lau laus and are bringing me some soon which I am looking forward to.
Yesterday Heide and Jenny drove out from Kula with some of my belongings I left on Oahu. Heide brought a great lunch and it was fun to see them.
This vice will come in handy for future projects.
I am coughing and need to close this out so to make some more hot tea for my throat.
The Niu Forever film premiered this week at the Hawaii Conservation Conference and at Native Books last eve.
It will also aire on PBS and I will get the date. Hana Hou Magazine wants to do a story on the projects so that is exciting.
Meanwhile the coconuts in our gene bank here are getting ready for planting.
Thanks for tuning in. Wishing a great week for all.
Thanks for tuning in….It has been another busy week.
A friend Rob Kay from OAHU came out to experience Hana. Rob is an author and writes about healthy aging and other topics in the Honolulu Advertiser. I showed him around parts of Hana best I could in my present condition and he was pretty blown away. Also introduced him to some of my buddies out here and the days flew by. We visited Niketa Lewis who makes great food and picked up a zuccine lasagna.
We also went up to my friend Cherylʻs tea house and farm who is trying to build a house here in Hana. Rob helped me with some heavy projects so that was a big bonus.
On Wednesday I had an appointment for Mister Sad Eyes with a vet in Kula. Unfortunately Mister got away on the last cat carrier transfer so we visited Dr. Alan Kaufman catless. I now have to make another trip this next week. We leave early in the morning to avoid any possible road work and go out the very dramatic back Kaupo way. It is wild scenery looking up to the backside of Haleakala. There are herds of black goats and cattle along the way.
I had my hip and knee X-rays in Kahalui so I could avoid a Honolulu trip. Yesterday was a zoom meeting to let me know all looks good. What a relief to hear this news!! Now I can get back to selective gardening and bending.
Yesterday Walt the mower mowed a water hose. Luckily his wife Patty let me know so two hours later I checked to see that he had just gone merrily off leaving the water running. This would have drained my big water tank had I not checked and was able to shut the water off.
This morning was all about fixing leaks as James came to repair the hose and fix another leak.
I have been hearing from Cory that power usage was exceptionally high and something was wrong with the system. Sure enough the water pump had been running for several days and causing the system to be overused. Once again James was able to show me how to turn the pump off. It can get narly hectic out here.
Luckily I have some great help who usually will come to my rescue.
I was able to get a big bunch of beautiful mangos and am going to process them for chutney. Tenzen and Sarah have a farm and raise the best papayas ever. They were leaving on a trip so they just gave me all this fruit.
This has to be done soon as the fruit spoils quite fast so will cut this short.
I have been listening to a wonderful Audible book called Big Magic-Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book is so right on and I love it.
Will sign off for now. Wishing all of you readers a “Creative” week.
Wave Woman: The Life and Struggles of a Surfing Pioneer by Vicky Durand 