Hello! It has been awhile, and I have lost track of what I said in my last story. So, sorry if I ramble over old news and new. How can you have an old new? Finally made the trek into Captain Cook. Not a bad hike. Three miles in, walk around, and three miles home. My left foot was very sore on the way home, I think I have a bone spur in there somewhere. On the way in, I took a bazillion pictures of all the different kinds of flowers we saw. So much beauty. We walk along the road side, and there is only a two foot space to walk. Feels like playing Russian Roulette. Someone suggested bikes - I am afraid to walk, facing traffic, much less riding with my back to oncoming traffic!We stopped at the 90 year old manago Hotel for breakfast. Yay! Bacon! Discussed hiking to see the property that Phil's son is looking to buy. Sorry, I don't think so. Let me just see how I do on this trip. We stopped at a bakery that had gluten-free goodies! Yum! Then off to the farmer's market. OMG! So many differnt kinds of vegies and fruits - bought a lilikoi - passionfruit. Haven't eaten it yet.So many different kinds of local arts. Wood carving, jewelry, block printed t-shirts with prehistoric petroglyphs, honey, teas, jams, all kinds of food - including gluten-free bread! I bought some kukui oil from an old woman who pressed it herself, she was shelling the nuts as we spoke. There was a cup of flowers and I picked it up to smell it - take one, she says. Oh, Heaven! Pu'u Kenekene. Tahitian. She tucked it behind my ear, and I smelled it all day - wonderful! I can still smell it today as it sits in a cup of water. I also met the woman artist who makes these beautiful sacred geometry art cards. I bought some on my last trip to the island. I just started weeping when she said she is the artist.We walked back to the bakeryand Phil bolught carrot juice (prevents cancer he says), and then back to teh market to buy a pie with gluten-free crushed nut crust, three kinds of chocolate at the bottom, and coconut pudding on top. There are no words for the delishiousness! Sat and ate listening to a man who sang and played a Dobro guitar. What more can a person ask? Stopped at the local grocery store and filled our backpacks with some basic foodstuffs. No fridge to store stuff in. On the way back, Phil kept trying to talk me into walking further to find the farm properties. No. I am tired and crabby now. As we pass the house of one of the farm tenants, Jenny, she invites us to go to the beach with her. Forget about the phone calls to friends and familly, forget about writing a new World Nomad story, forget about the aching feet. Yes! We will go! We get our swim gear and jump in her beat up Subaru. She picks up a friend and goes down the road where Phil's farm is - way, way out! To the beach with two pregnant women. The day has gotten overcast, and the water feels chilly. I get 2/3 wet. Poseidon, your daughter is here, I say. Send me a sign you know me! Two green sea turtles appear. So cool! There is a narrow channel that we were in which is the route to the sea. I talk with two boys who are collecting brittle star fish and sea cucumbers. Can I touch them? They share. I talk to families, snorkelers, surfers, dogs, turtles, just having a dang good time! We pack it up and head back home. Phil says, we could hike down here and camp! Are you crazy? hike down here with camping gear? Who is gonna get me home? We will figure it out. Back at the farm, Bebo's family is having an early Christmas because Anthony and Marcus are going to the mainland to visit Marcus' mother, and sell coffee.A really nice turkey dinner. We leave as they get ready to open presents. What a perfect day!! This morning, Phil was going to take the day off to hike to the farm properties. We have to spray fertilizer, so he stays. Anthony gives him a ride to the road he is going to hike. Phil asks me again if I will come. The answer is still no. It was waaaaaay down the road. We let him off at 11:30 and he is not back yet!
Anthony is leaving us. Leaving us to the whims of Bebo. Bebo changes his mind on the minute. Whenever we go to spray the trees, one minute we are going to spray fertilizer, no just fungus, no fungus and fertilizer. We are going to spray it here, no there, no here and there. He does have good ideas. He had cut down all of the vegetation in the middle of the compound and the 13 permutatin of his ideas for this space (including tent space for me), was to make an enclosed area with raised garden beds, maybe a stage and picnic area. On and on, Anyways, We had hauled 12 truckloads of lava rock to the center of the compound. Henry built a beautiful rock wall by himself. We shoveled smelly, rotting wood that had gone through the chipper all around the inside of the area created by the rock wall, and then shoveled green waste all over that. Pee-yew!!. Then we built 10 raised garden beds that were placed in the enclosure. Looks beautimous! The stag and picnic area are still in development. We never know what we are going to do day to day, or minute to minute, with Bebo.
Henry, my neighbor is crying. There are only boards separating us. I hear everything. I am now able to sleep even when they are drinking and watching TV. They try to keep it low, but still, we can see into each other's rooms. I have a sheet hanging up on the wall. They have a lot of drama going on. Henry and his friend have invited me to go spear fishing with them. H-m-m-m, can Phil come too?
Well, I gotta go show up for dinner and see if Phil has returned. Bebo's wife, Karen, put out cold leftovers from dinner last night and told us to help ourselves. Lunch was a sandwich with a couple little pieces of turkey in it. Guess what is for supper? I must be losing weight...
Hope all are well, despite everything, I am WELL!!!!
