June flights are booked

And we will be visiting the mainland from June 2-24. There are a few things I don't seem to be able to find here in the island and will want to pick up on my trips back. In case anyone is shopping and see those wine pourers I like would you pick them up for me? They are the flat silver ones that you roll and put just inside the bottle top to stop any dripping.
Day before yesterday I went to my first yoga classs since I have been on the island. I believe I found one of the best instructors ever. There are quite a few yoga studios here, kinda expect that in Hawaii. But until paddling and ocean jogging slowed down a bit I never took the time to check them out until I saw this one 7 minutes walking time from my house. Hooda is the kind of instructor I like. She shows the moves and then walks around the room helping with the moves and showing alternives and corrections. Then at the end, during relaxation, she sang. Sounded like a yoga chant and at first I wondered where the music came from as there was no background music during the class. I got a great class in a gorgeous, quiet setting and met some new friends.
I did my computations on how much coffee we have left. We weighed the parchment and reduced that by about 1/3 as that is how much weight is lost during milling and roasting. We figure we have about 300 pounds to last us until when next crop is ready in Sept.-Oct. I am saving some back for our regular customers and of course we will be gone in June and only time will tell if supply will meet demand. We hope so. Meanwhile tourists keep pouring in to see the volcano erupting. I actually think they are downplaying the story. It's both an awesone and frightening event and I believe they are leaving the scary stuff out. I don't mean that the lava will get to anyone as it moves so slowly that you have plenty of time to get out of its way. But it's the smoke and dust. Our days over here have not been the clearest and the NP data shows that the sulfur dioxide fumes are at the highest ever calculated. Right now the VOG blows southeast of the eruption spot and the only towns it is bothering is Volcano and Pohala. I think most of us would just rather fire-goddess Pele would make up her mind what she wants to do and get on with it instead of spewing and gushing with the smoke.

Wouldn't you just know....................

So, today, a snippet of recent scoop. Madame Pele exploded two nights ago. The summit of Kilauea spewed rocks from a gaseous explosion which was at first thought to be an earthquake. (We did not feel it here.) It was the first volcanic discharge since 1924 in the crater and the the first eruption in Kilauea caldera since 1982. Scientists are still uncertain as to what's next!! Meanwhile last week we did travel to the Puna area to view the new lava flow. I had not known that some 30 years ago there were small farms growing fruits, mainly papaya's, right where we walked. Where we walked was total lava. Very different than the lava near us. It was still shiny, I suppose because it is a fairly new cover. Yet, there were still small homes built there in land reclaimed. I believe the day we went that the whole population of the island including locals and tourists where there too so we couldn't get a parking spot close. As we hiked in and it got dark we could see the incandescent orange glow of the lava. We didn't go in all the way as we learned that the flow had taken a new course, as it seems to be doing daily, and went underground again before reaching the ocean. Earlier in the day we hiked to the black sand beach and saw a few whales playing. Then we stayed the night at the Ala Kai bed & breakfast (www.alakaibb.com) , which was a real treat right on the ocean. Breakfast was served with a bright morning sunrise and tons of fruit from the island. And speaking of fruits of the island. Never do I cease learning of a new one almost weekly. We brought a 'sapote' home with us from the market Sat. and tried it today. How about eating a pear sweetened with brown sugar. Maybe a bit more custardy, but that is the flavor. Then there are rambutan, lychee, carambola, lilikoi, guava. All new to me and I like them all. Tomorrow our apple bananas are ripe and I'll dehydrate some more. The last batch went to Nic & family with our own mac nuts (dehydrated also). Next Jackie gets a batch and I owe Sheila & family some bananas as they got macnuts and coffee last week. We have about 10 pineapples ripening at different stages and I am anxious to feast on one. I am told they are called white pineapples and are much sweeter than the gold. Avocado season is just about over. Ron is sad as he has really grown to like them. But now we see tons of mangoes hanging from the trees.......not the same trees.....mango trees. I understand that they should be ripe by May or so. We are coming back to the mainland (Mich. & Tenn.) in June so I hope we don't miss most of them. Wish we could bring them back but Ag rules won't let you carry them on and if I packed them I think we'd have mango juice before we got them to you. But you can always come and sample them here!! Just a while ago I headed down to Paleaku Gardens (about a 6-8 min walk from here). I was headed to a yoga class which unfortunately for me was cancelled. I'll have to go next week, but the caretaker was kind enough to show me a bit around the complex. Lucky for me as it is both beautiful and spiritual. You cannot tell from the road how lovely it is as it opens to a commons area where they have retreats and weddings. They charge for tours (I think $5) and I recommend it and will be taking guests down there if they'd like as they have a unique garden there called the galaxy gardens. You can see a sample of what's there at www.galaxygarden.net . There also are small temples ,obelisks, or statues in areas representing every religion on the world right down to native Indian, etc. Then they also have star gazing nights, as the garden is also an astronomy center. Neighbors did the gazing one night and said it is spectacular. Ron & I plan on viewing at the next one.

Always controversy

We thought we had left politics behind when we retired but no matter where you go it finds you. We haven't been here long enough to make hard decisions on many of the local issues here but are involved in one only because we are coffee farmers. Our video from the KCFC.org we belong to made it to YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8-lKZb64l4. There is a bill in our local House looking to pass a law that to be labeled Kona coffee you must have at least 75% Kona beans in the package. Currently it is legal to package a 10% blend. Truthfully it seems to me not to matter as the package is labeled either 10% of 100% and the price also reflects the difference. And the taste definitely reflects the difference. So this is one thing I hope not to get too involved with. But most of the members are quite determined to continue to support the new bill to the end.

Spectacular

Yesterday the lava reached the ocean. This hasn't happened since last June when a small earthquake near the current flow at the time changed the course. The old Pu'o vent quit smoking for a few months. Later as scientists expected the lava found a new route. It headed very slowly towards an old abandonded subdivision in Puna. Two diehard men still lived there and were interviewed occasionally on the news until last week lava closed off the road they rode their cycles in to their homes. So they hiked in the back way as the lava continued to cross the road. Meanwhile the NP system feverishly was rebuilding an old road that was used approx eight years ago for tourist viewing of the old flow. We had some visitors here that told us they were there last week and could easily see the new flow. Now the flow has made it's way to the ocean so Ron & I are off Sunday for a visit to the volcano, new lava flow and hike to the ocean to see the spectacular plunge into the ocean. They are reopening the road Saturday and of course the best time to see the glow is after dark. So Sunday evening that is where we will be hiking with our flashlight to view what happens no where else in the world.