Coffee festival and other activities.

Yes, lots of activity going on. The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival runs from Nov. 2-11 and includes all kinds of local color. Fri nite Ron and I were in the lantern parade. A friend once mentioned that a Knoxville parade was Americana at it's best, but she never saw Hawaianna at it's best. I carried an old Japanese lantern and Ron a coffee pickers basket. Ahead of us was a Filipino group with drums, and behind us was a very vocal cheering group from a local school. We had an excellent singing group, dressed and sounding like the 40's-50's Andrews Sisters, of course Hawaiian costumes and a Japanese rock group. What is hoot it was, yet culturally complete. Then there was music and food at the Hale Halawi Rec center for the rest of the evening. Then it was head home to get coffee ready for brewing in the morn as we were setting up for the Keauhou market on our own for the first time. Ron had picked some bananas, papayas and avocados to sell along with the coffee, so we were on our way. It's a fun little market and only goes from 8am-12noon. Probably the hardest thing for me is getting up so early, but I'll need to get used to it. I was whipped when we got home but I wanted to go to the Holualoa walking tour at 3 and I did. Saw some beautiful artwork, ate more goodies and bought a Hawaiian cookbook and a painted Holualoa tank top. Last nite we went to the Kona Coffee Farmers Assoc. dinner and silent auction with friends. Linda and Al also just bought a farm here and we eagerly traded infomation. They both, like Ron, enjoy picking coffee. I guess I will have to try it sooner or later, but I was never to much into picking blueberries so I may stick to the racking and roasting part. Mark has part of the website up. I sent him some pictures, but he said the clarity needs to be worked on and then we will be good to go. Ron's truck is in Hilo, so tomorrow we are going over to pick it up and probably spend the nite to take a look at the Hilo Farmers market on Wed. Then it's back home to package the coffee on Thurs. Right now I can hardly type as I went ocean jogging this morn got completely wore out from the big swells. We had rain yesterday for the first time since we came back and are now having Kona breezes so the ocean was a bit stirred up and cooler in spots. There are underground fresh water rivers running into the bay and with all the water coming down from the mountains every once in awhile you hit a cold spot which makes you jog a bit faster. Today is turning out to be another beautiful sunny calm day so we are off to the farm to pick up some parchment to get milled and roasted for this weekend.