Irish Washerwoman
Here's a fiddle tune for St. Patrick's Day. Be sure to notice the beautiful Celtic sweater my mom knitted for me as a Christmas present. I am so proud of her handiwork, it's the most gorgeous sweater I have ever seen.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
More "year of progress" photos
A while back, we made a nice parking area out of grass blocks so that Chris would have a nice surface for parking his truck. It's also a good spot for turning around once cars come into our narrow gate. It took several trips to Home Depot to haul the heavy blocks, and more wear and tear on our gloves to carry the abrasive cement objects, but this area of the yard is now much improved.
I am also happy with the progress of our gigantic weed piles. A yard waste pile in the front yard was three feet tall, three feet wide and almost 200 feet long, but we have since removed the sprouting monstera roots from the pile, smashed it down with our dirt bikes and raked it into a very small pile about four feet by four feet. The other pile by the bananas also shrunk due to rotting, dirt biking on it, and finally using a chipper to get rid of a lot of the sticks. The chipped wood is now keeping our pineapple patch weed-free.
Our yard waste pile was pretty huge.
The waste pile today is much smaller and the area around the bananas looks a whole lot better as a result.
The new grass is growing through our grass block parking area.
A while back, we made a nice parking area out of grass blocks so that Chris would have a nice surface for parking his truck. It's also a good spot for turning around once cars come into our narrow gate. It took several trips to Home Depot to haul the heavy blocks, and more wear and tear on our gloves to carry the abrasive cement objects, but this area of the yard is now much improved.
I am also happy with the progress of our gigantic weed piles. A yard waste pile in the front yard was three feet tall, three feet wide and almost 200 feet long, but we have since removed the sprouting monstera roots from the pile, smashed it down with our dirt bikes and raked it into a very small pile about four feet by four feet. The other pile by the bananas also shrunk due to rotting, dirt biking on it, and finally using a chipper to get rid of a lot of the sticks. The chipped wood is now keeping our pineapple patch weed-free.
Our yard waste pile was pretty huge.
The waste pile today is much smaller and the area around the bananas looks a whole lot better as a result.
The new grass is growing through our grass block parking area.
Seventy-six pineapples
Seventy-six trombones are great for parades, but when it's breakfast time I'll take 76 pineapples anyday, and that's how many we have planted. I can't believe I haven't posted a picture of our pineapple patch yet because I'm so happy with it. Our friend who works at a hotel got us a bunch of pineapple tops, Duane gave us a few prized white pineapple tops, and I occasionally pick up a pineapple at the farmer's market or swipe the tops from decorative fruit platters at parties and Realtor events. We then dry the pineapples, remove the bottom leaves, soak them in water for about a week until roots sprout, then we plant them in good, muddy soil.
The result is our kick-butt pineapple patch. It normally takes two years to get a pineapple once the top has been planted, but we already have one plant with fruit and another with a flower.
Prickly Planters
Several months ago we finished putting in planters, now I am waiting for our first bird of paradise flower. The planter along the rock wall is 33 feet long and it contains 13 Tahitian tiare gardenia. The planter along the front of the house has seven bird of paradise and seven white bird of paradise, and the planter along the side of the house is filled with croutons.
Just clearing the weeds and digging holes is a chore in a place where weeds get 20 feet tall and the "soil" is mostly lava rocks. Once the ground was prepared, Chris and I made several trips to pick up black, flat pahoehoe lava to create the border for the planters and red, razor sharp a`a lava to fill them. The price for the materials was right and the planters look great, but Chris' truck and several pairs of leather gloves took a beating during our trips to the lava fields to pick up rocks.
Planters under construction
Planters finished.
Our gloves are finished, too.
Several months ago we finished putting in planters, now I am waiting for our first bird of paradise flower. The planter along the rock wall is 33 feet long and it contains 13 Tahitian tiare gardenia. The planter along the front of the house has seven bird of paradise and seven white bird of paradise, and the planter along the side of the house is filled with croutons.
Just clearing the weeds and digging holes is a chore in a place where weeds get 20 feet tall and the "soil" is mostly lava rocks. Once the ground was prepared, Chris and I made several trips to pick up black, flat pahoehoe lava to create the border for the planters and red, razor sharp a`a lava to fill them. The price for the materials was right and the planters look great, but Chris' truck and several pairs of leather gloves took a beating during our trips to the lava fields to pick up rocks.
Planters under construction
Planters finished.
Our gloves are finished, too.
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
As blind as a snake
Chris found a Blind Snake in our pile of yard waste today and he placed it in the wheelbarrow until I could come have a look. It is common belief there are no snakes in Hawaii, and, well, that's almost true. This tiny snake resembles a skinny earthworm but it obviously slithers like a snake should. It is believed blind snakes came to the islands in potting soil in the 1980s, but unlike many other invasive species, they pose no threat to the ecosystem. That's according to this website that looks reliable enough to me.
Underwater Views
I haven't posted any underwater pictures for a long time, so here are a few I took last weekend at Makalawena.
A honu floats near above the reef.
Squid are pelagic and nocturnal but I have seen them close to shore a few times in daylight. They are strange creatures but they are also very quick- especially when being hunted by pods of dolphins.
A quick dive under an arch at Makalawena. Listen closely for the singing Humpback Whales.
I haven't posted any underwater pictures for a long time, so here are a few I took last weekend at Makalawena.
A honu floats near above the reef.
Squid are pelagic and nocturnal but I have seen them close to shore a few times in daylight. They are strange creatures but they are also very quick- especially when being hunted by pods of dolphins.
A quick dive under an arch at Makalawena. Listen closely for the singing Humpback Whales.
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