Saturday, June 29, 2013

iPhone Post

Good morning!

I am still figuring out this new application for blogging from my phone.  Tiny keyboard... pardon my inevitable typos!

We were so pleased to arrive at the airport plenty early, until the flight was delayed by two hours.  Yes, we had travel hassles etc.  But, you cannot swim to Hawaii and eventually we did arrive at our destination.  

And isn't it miraculous to awaken in a new place, open your front door and behold fresh adventures waiting for you?  Hello Hilo!

Maria, Geoff and I went on the first explore of the day, and we found:  tropical flowers, a diabetic goat, a horse and a donkey, a rooster and his hens, papayas, mongooses, and a big blue sky.  

We've seen and done so much more since that first walk, I cannot keep up. But, I'd like to try, so I will continue to pop in, jot down a few reflections, and share glimpses from my iPhone.  Actually, it'll probably be a bit random, and jumbled, and I hope the quality of these iPhone images are worthwhile... they look okay on this teeny screen.  

Back at home, our Bird House and Barn are in good hands.  Not all reports about Mister Foo are glowing.  I must remember to bring something full of aloha for our dear caretakers.  




Harlequin Bugs :: Return of The Enemy

Harlequin bugs are awful. Horrible. Abominable. Hideous. Despicable. Nasty.

Let's not mince words, or tread lightly. I am unapologetic in my disdain and loathing of these invaders. They are vampires, sucking away at the tender sprouts, and even heartier shrubs in our garden. Farewell, poor, dear blueberry bushes.

Once they have eaten of the cruciferous family, the Murgantia histrionica acquires a nasty taste. I cannot convince the chickens to partake of them. They don't drown. They don't sit still... they can fly! I've crushed hundreds. Geoff vacuumed thousands. The ground is crawling with them. Sorry. Are you creeped out, yet? Yeesh, I am fed up with them!

The damage they do is extensive and thorough. Blarggh! My poor sunflower sprouts!

This calls for extreme measures... not synthetic pesticides, but something we hope is safely effective: Safer Brand Insecticidal Soap and Concentrated Pyrethrin Insect Killer. It breaks down, and is considered a product that can be used in an organic garden. I am not endorsing them, yet, but we are hopeful. Geoff did a lot of research on this, and now it's on order, we just have to wait and see. I'll keep you posted. Mostly, I hope you never have to do battle with the enemy.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Chameleon Blog!

Thanks to Zan for her suggestion about a blogger app.  This is a test for posting from my phone!  It's strange and amazing that these tech things are possible.  And how about this chameleon friend?!  William spied him crossing the wire outside our Volcano cottage.  

Okay.  Let's hit "post" and hope this works!

{this moment}

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

:: Inspired by Soule Mama ::

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments, for all to find and see.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Cannot Get Enough

Last October my cousin came for a stay, and she prepared a feast for us. I loved everything Rebekah made, but one dish really got to me, and I cannot get enough. With summer here, and all the fresh veggies and good lemons available, I am happier than ever with a bowl of cucumber and lemon salad. Add some of those wild tomatoes we found, and some little mozzarella cheese balls~bocconcini, and it becomes something extra wonderful!

Easy. Fresh. And refreshing.

Organic Persian cucumbers, peeled and sliced
A few fresh mint leaves, torn and tossed in with the cukes
Corne de Bouc, or any small tomato
I dashed some black pepper on the tomatoes
and I splashed a zesty amount of fresh squeezed lemon over everything
and then... I add those tasty little bocconcini, too.

The next part? Choose the tastiest, or prettiest, order to stack them on your fork!
Salud!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

They Look Good From Here

Where: Target.

What: Men's cotton, drawstring pajama pants.

Mission: Switch out the hem for a cute cuff, for beauty and to shorten (shorter, shorter, shorter!) the length.

Method: By the seat of my pajama pants!

I thought I measured well enough... but evidently I underestimated the proximity of my legs to the ground.

They came out too long, too trippy-hippy. Yes, I am a casual dresser, living in a casual town, traveling to a casual Island, but this was a bit too much.

So. Without cutting any more, I raised the hem. How did I raise the hem? We just don't know!

I did a series of folds and seams, and it looked great, but then I went to do the second one and good grief!!! I could not for the life of me figure out how the heck I did the first one. I made a puzzle, with no solution at the back of the book! Max tried to help me, and Delia tried to help me, and I'd rather not add up the minutes spent trying to figure out two folds. When I finally figured it out, I raced back to the sewing machine, afraid the secret formula would disappear again!

The reason I did not cut the length is that the weight of the extra fabric in the heavy hem keeps the light weight fabric from being too flimsy. It pulls the pant legs down, and makes them more shapely. But, yes... they are still pretty casual. They will also be comfy and light. I sort of want to whip up a second pair. What time does our flight leave?!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Not Posting Today

Chickenblog is closed today. I am not posting, reflecting, sharing, musing, scratching, pecking, or nothin'.

Look away. There's nothing here but to-do lists, and mild panic about imminent travel plans. Nothing but packing, preparing, paring, and parting. And tidying up. And tying loose ends. Dull stuff, indeed.

Come back tomorrow. Come back and see whether I had any success turning men's pajama pants into relaxed, and cute, tropical traveling pants, for myself. In my mind they are marvelous, clever, simply gorgeous.

Come back to Chickenblog, please, when I am not anxious about flying... _my arms get so tired_
Return a bit later, please, and I will have something fresh, something new, something inspired to share. And there won't be any hints of desperation, dread, or drama.

Don't you love the days before a vacation, when you are frazzled a bit, and scrambling to get everything in order, and coping with any neurosis (ahem)... and really it all just makes you need a vacation!!!? Yeah, that's why today Chickenblog is closed.

Monday, June 24, 2013

In The Night Garden

Twilight is the illumination that is produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, illuminating the lower atmosphere when the Sun itself is not directly visible because it is below the horizon, so that the surface of the Earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark. I enjoy discovering. I always believed twilight was a poet's expression for evening, for a magical time between day and night, when shadows crept in, and stars might appear. But scientists are poets, too, and they have some very specific notions about twilight, and dusk, and now I know that I was racing against the sun's arrival at 18 degrees below the horizon, when twilight's brightness would be nearly zero.

I enjoy the garden after sunset, the night garden.
Our last, whole, pumpkin. I think we should carve it, tonight, with a fire going, and the super moon glowing.

Our pumpkin patch, under the care of our lantern. We eagerly anticipate the new pumpkins.

And sunflowers, and cucumbers, and green beans, too.

These marigolds are the sentries, guarding the tomatoes through the night.

The marigolds have many night marauders to fight off.

Benjamin, too, is a night watchman, patrolling the garden, stepping silently across the lawn, and around the planters, garden beds, tools, and sprouts. No mice dare cross his steady gaze.

Only the goats and rabbits are out now... they begin their frolics and moon dances.

But in the coop, the hens are still, roosting quietly, waiting for the sun to return.

Penny, Debbie, Shebot and Kamen take the high roost, and won't leave their spots until morning.

For children, and kittens, like rabbits and goats, this twilight moment is a time for more play.

Dusk... the darkest stage of twilight evening. The jacaranda at its finest, still full of blossoms and green leaves. A summer night in the garden is a beautiful place beneath this tree...

... beneath this moon.