Kama'aina

Dec 7
Kama'aina

In Hawaiian Kama'aina means local or people of the land.  Many of the local businesses give, what they cal kama'aina rates, a discount for purchases.  We were told about this from Michelle, owner of a shop in nearby Honakaa.  We were shopping in her store and just chatting with her about building and moving here, so she said, "Oh, then you are a local and I'll give you the kama'aina rate."  I think it's a 5-10% discount, but it's kind of nice to be considered a local now.

So living in the peaceful countryside, we are learning the ways of the land.  Marilyn and Tony are in Australia for two weeks visiting their daughter and bringing her home from he semester abroad through the University of Portland.  Now Marilyn raises chickens.  She has about 25 and she put us in charge of feeding, gathering the eggs, and selling them to her customers who call.

Crissie has become the "chicken lady."  She feeds them in the morning and at night and she chats them up because she thinks they lay eggs better that way.  In the afternoon she checks for eggs and usually gets 10 or so.  So we have free eggs for life - and fresh.  But she is having some trouble with this one hen (pictured hovering over some eggs).  She doesn't lay any eggs anymore but she loves sitting on them.  So Crissie has to coax her off the eggs so she can retrieve them.  They both get into shouting matches with the hen refusing to budge and Crissie coaxing her away.

Another thing about this place is how things grow.  Everything seems to be on steroids.  We were walking the other day and saw a guy digging holes by his fence an just planting branches from a Hibiscus that he lopped off.  He said they would just send out their own roots and start growing, so we've been walking by and checking them out on our daily strolls and sure enough they are beginning to bud.

This is one of the branches starting to bud.

This is the fence where he was planting branches.

This is how rich the soil is.

Another thing is because everything grows so quickly here and since they have an all year round growing season, there's a farmer's market almost every

day of the week.  It costs a little more but you're getting it freshly picked.  Well worth the taste.

Crissie chatting up the boys at the farmer's market.

Fresh veggies

Dry goods too.

So, you may be asking how the house is coming along.  Well, we're starting to move.  They dug out the area and put in and steamrolled some grave and they should be done with that tomorrow.  Lots of dirt and already people are asking for some.  We need to keep some because we need backfill and proper drainage away from the house to avoid flooding.  It rains about 23 inches a year here.  About 7 inches more than Spokane.

Our curved driveway leading to the garage. Need dirt anyone?

Steamrolling the gravel to get ready for the slab.

Dumping gravel and spreading it out.  See the hose and spigot?  We got water today.