Daily reflections by Ema and Elle.
By Ema ~ For breakfast we decided to go and harvest some guava from the trees as they are in huge abundance right now and Elle loves harvesting. I am so grateful to be able to nourish us from the land again.
The horses in the pasture next to where we are staying came to see us. The guava orchard is right next to the pasture where they are kept.
I had a long call with the women who’s land this is and walked the gardens with her via the phone to know what will need my tending while here. It is wonderful how well she knows each plant and step of this land. By the time I got finished on the phone I was starving and Elle was hungry too so we had our veggie Thai rice wrap and some of the Portuguese lime in water for lunch.
Jonathan let me know that today was the farmers market in town, so we headed that way. It was closing soon, but we were able to get a few things, like an organic white pineapple, a big avocado, some rambutan, and ahi jerky caught and prepared by a local family. We also got a vegetarian spring roll each to eat there and a fresh squeezed lemon aid with lilikoi, and a limeade with coconut water and pineapple, all from local fruits. They come in mason jars with decals on them, so you can use the containers again. We are going to reuse them and create jars for our mom and siblings as gifts to collect memories for them from our adventures. I have forgotten the bag I usually carry for groceries, and saw an artist stand with bags, so decided to go and check it out. The art actually almost felt familiar and as soon as the women and I turned to one another to speak I realized she too was familiar. I asked her if she once owned a gallery in Hilo and when she said yes I knew it was her. My first time to the island I was alone and traveling around with my pack on my back, just going wherever the flow took me. I had stayed in a hostel the first couple days in Hilo and that day had journeyed out with some friends I met there to see waterfalls. The gallery was an old plantation like building sitting in a field looking out to the ocean. It was so colorful, pink, yellow, turquoise, all sorts of colors. Inside there were many rooms full of art, a little cafe area, and off the back a small cottage. There was a tree at the entrance with huge trumpet flowers that hung like bells from the branches. The blooms were peach colored and so delicate looking I was sure there were faeries that lived in them. The women who ran the gallery and I immediately connected and soon she had invited me to stay. She set me up in one of the back rooms that was still part of the gallery and filled with art, but had a futon in the corner. At night I would pull it out to sleep and in the day it was a couch again for the guests to the gallery. I stayed for a couple weeks and helped at the gallery during the day. Diane was normally alone and enjoyed having the freedom to go to town, as the gallery was outside of Hilo down a scenic drive along the coast. A few months ago when I returned to the island and visited that area I looked for it, but could not find it. When I went to California this summer to get my storage I found some of her old cards and an address. I was happy to try to find her this return to the island. In that moment realizing it was her was absolutely amazing. Not only had it been probably twelve years since I last saw her, but it was completely the opposite end of the island. Turns out unfortunately the gallery has been tore down, but she still lives in that area and drives up to the top of the island every weekend for this farmers market. I did get one of her bags, not my favorite, as Elle and I both had a different favorite, but agreed on our second favorite so we went with that. It is fishies under the sea and seemed fitting that I had found her again after all theses years out of all the fish in the sea and with how big the sea is, right here in the little town we are staying in. We plan to get to the market early next week and see her again. From there we made our way to the artist co-op as the were having their monthly swap meet. We wandered through to see all the art and met a sweet women who asked if Elle would be interested in art classes as part of her homeschooling. There is a local women that is hoping to get a few students together for weekly classes. We left our info and will hear more on that soon.
My goddaughter, Stella, joined us at the gallery and we went to the natural food store to get some treats. We found a mango bigger than I have ever seen before and got that, an ice cream bean, and some coconut milk Thai tea ice cream. We went back to the property to have our snack and prepared for the beach. The girls did a quick hike down to the banyan tree, but I guess the swing needs to be fixed. I will have to go and check that out and see if I can.
We were off to the beach, with tails for us each. I drove us down to Mauna Kea, seeing storm clouds in the distance, but thankfully they stayed more over Kona and the skies were still clear over the beach upon our arrival. The waters were not as calm as usual, but the waves were not too big, just the sand had mixed with the water so it was not as clear.
There were lots of people on the beach and in the water, so we got out our tails and to the shore we went. I could here people saying, “Wow, Hawaii really does have everything, even mermaids!” It was funny, but as mermaids do we went straight for the waters. I always stop at an ocean edge and let her waves come to greet me and once touched I move forward to enter. A Hawaiian elder taught me this many years ago when I was first on the islands. It is out of respect not to just run into the water the first time, yet rather be welcomed. Once she greets you, you are accepted to enter. A sort of acknowledgment and agreement of protection. I since have always respected such at any waters edge with a tide. It was pure delight being in the ocean with my two little mermaids. These girls are part of my heart and to have them together has been so much fun and such a blessing.
They danced and played in the waters and on the beach.
We feasted on our mango and got covered in the juices, but thanks to the ocean that was easy to solve with a quick dip int he waters!
We played until sunset and when I told the girls we had to get going they became starfish and said they could not.
We ran down the beach writing in the sand as the waves washed it away and the colors filled the sky. Light faded into night.
That beach is also known for swimming with the manta rays at night and there is a big light off the resort that attracts them to the shoreline. We took the short hike over to see off the cliff and caught sight of one that swam by. They are giant, but so graceful. Their movement like flight through the water.
It was now after dark and we made the hike back up to the car from the beach through the night. The girls tried to hitchhike and get a ride from the golf carts going by, but all that passed were full. We made it back to the car and got loaded up and drove Stella home. It was time for some dinner and I was excited to cook the breadfruit. When it is firm, it is similar to potatoes. You can also cook it once soft and use the paste like pancake batter. Tonight it was done like pan roasted potatoes cooked in olive oil with a bit of tamari to salt it. It was a little softer on the edges than it should have been and in another day would have been good for batter, but thankfully the inside was still good and it worked. It was turning a little sweeter also, but not too much that it still was yummy as a salty food. I also made our other piece of Marlin to share and we had a slice of avocado for us each. I love how nourishing the food on this island is. Even Elle has mentioned how much healthier she feels here and it is only day 3.
Elle was more comfortable tonight in our new home for the next 6 weeks and took a shower. I did so too, as my hair was caked in sand. We danced under the full moon for awhile before bedtime. I love how warm it is here in the evenings, so I can be outside at any hour. I am very sensitive to cold. Hawaii temps and I go well together. Elle had a bit of a surprise on her bed tonight. The one creature she did not want to meet in Hawaii had come to see her. I was sitting on the porch when I heard a scream. I jumped up as I thought something really bad had happened to see her suddenly run out from the bedroom in hysterics. I asked what had happened and she, through her complete terror, told me of the centipede on her bed. I could not find it at first, but she refused to enter the room. Finally I got her to explain more and found it on the edge about to go into the covers. It’s body was on the top, but it’s headed was tucked ready to enter. I told her to run and get a jar, minutes past and thankfully it did not move. I finally went to find her and stepped out of our room to her just outside the door standing frozen. I asked her what she as doing and she just looked at me with eyes wide. I took the jar and went in only to realize he was much to big to catch into the jar. I sent her back to the kitchen to find something bigger. After several more minutes I yelled to her, not wanting to leave and loose track of the centipede. She finally answered, but still did not come. I told her again to hurry up, as soon we would loose him if he went into the covers. She arrived with a pot and lid. I asked her what took so long and I guess she was just in the kitchen standing there processing. Anyhow I put the pan in front of him at the edge of the covers and the hand broom behind. Thankfully he crawled right in. Elle was suppose to put the lid on, but froze again. I put the broom on top of the pan until she got the lid in place and it was closed. He was not happy now and was running around. I carried the pan to the edge of the gulch and set it down as I did not want to him to land on me in the night if I dumped it and the wind caught him. I figured I would just come back for the glass pot in the morning.
We checked all the layers of Elle’s bed, but she still would not get in. She sat with me on the porch awhile. She was getting exhausted, but was planning to just sleep with me in my bed. I told her no way in a twin, I barely survived a full bed with her this summer in the van. She is very active in her sleep. So we went though the layers of her bed again and she finally got in. In minutes she was out. I had my evening sit with Sunny the cat. The dogs in the neighborhood nearby were all howling at the moon. It is full tonight. I made my way to my bed, checking the layers as well. I always do in tropical places or when camping in nature. All was clear, so I crawled into my bed and was off to my dreams.
By Elle ~ Today we woke up and decided to go pick some guavas. I love harvesting things, its so fun. We were on the phone with mom and I wanted her to come and harvest with us, so we took her through the phone. When we went to the edge of the horses and they let me pet them for a while before moving on. We sent some pictures to mom of me harvesting and even a video, because of this we ended up getting to many guavas but hopefully we eat them all. Once finished with breakfast ema had a super long call with terry about gardening while all this was going on I POOPED OUT A GRUB! Yup you read correct. I POOPED OUT A WORM! Now ema is making me tell you that I didn’t poop it out, it was already in the toilet, we think, but who knows I might have pooped a grub right out. When ema was finished on her long phone call I was starving and so was ema, so we had our rice veggie spring rolls, and some Portuguese lime water which tasted gross so from then on I add in pog juice to make it taste better. Right around then was when sissy told me that there was a farmers market and we would have to hurry because it closed in 30 minutes. We hopped in the car and headed to the market. Once there we made it in time they were just about to start bringing down all the booths. We went around and got some roomotons, white pineapple, fish jurkey made from ohi, a lilikoi drink, a lime drink, and spring rolls. At the spring rolls booth the lady was talking and ema could not hear her and she said grubs so she thought bug grub but they weren’t so the lady started fanning away her insults with a leaf. The last stand we went to was the best by far or ant least according to ema. We went to a stand with bags because we had left ours in Michigan, when there ema said you look firmillar they started talking and apparently they had known each other from like 15 years ago they talked for a while which left me sitting there bored out of my mind. When they finished talking the farmers market was over so we headed over to the artist co op. The artist co op was filled with so much there was a wood carving of big foot sitting outside and that was before we even touched the building.
When we were inside there was this lady that came up and started to tell us all about the co op and I don’t know how but somehow ema mentioned my homeschooling and the next thing I know I’m doing an art program through the co op. I find this very exciting I just hope it doesn’t cost to much. The lady had us write down our info and what art I would like to do then out of the blue this other lady came up and stated playing with my hair and talking to me about when people say how old I am I should correct them and say how young I am and then she was saying how controlling the word you is or telling someone to do something not asking them and then she left for the bathroom and was telling the lady that the toilet didn’t work. We went into the next room and talked with the lady for a while about what art ema liked that’s when ema told me she would be back she was going outside to go get Stella I said okay and sat there looking at an essential oil bracelet. When they came in we looked around and I found a tiny gecko smaller than my pinkie nail I picked him up scared I was going to smoosh him by grabbing him. I picked him up and put him on a leaf outside so he could finish shedding. We didn’t stay much longer and we headed to the natural food store but before leaving there was a gecko on my door this scared me and I yelled Stella got it out and then she screamed while doing that, once there I asked if we could go into a shop called Olivia Clare and ema said we could while she dealt with her moon. We looked around and Stella showed me how to crack some sort of nut soon ema came back and we all looked around until finally leaving for the natural food store next door. Inside the natural food store we found the biggest mango ever and decided to get it because it was so giant we also got some sort of ice cream plant, starfruit, and some other things that I cant remember, when we were done at the natural food store we headed back home and we ate some fruit and chips then Stella and I decided to take a walk down to the swing but didn’t stay long because the swing was hurting us. We were suppose to go to the beach but Victoria was not feeling well so I asked if we could just go with out her we asked and she said that was fine so we got out my swim suits and I made the bad dicishion to leave the left over swimsuits on my bed and boy did I later pay for that, anyway we got all of our stuff and headed to the beach which was about 30 minutes away when we got there we applied sunscreen and ran to the ocean Stella asked if I thought it was cold I told her no… this is quite warm actually and that’s when ema said the waters were cold in Michigan so this felt warm to me we all played and swam until I asked if we could eat our mango but when I went to get it one of the men playing foot ball that was quite short ran into me said oh sorry and ran back to his foot ball game when I finally got the mango we ate it and boy was it yummy! When we finished we were all sticky so we jumped into the ocean and swam till ema said we needed to go I laid down like a starfish and said I cant sorry I’m a starfish Stella laid down and did the same thing, we were 2 starfish laying on the beach. It was getting dark and it was shark o clock acording to ema so we went to see the mantereys and saw one before leaving because of the masqutos we got our stuff and headed to the car but not before having more of the hunny thing seeds we drove back and dropped off Stella but just before getting there, there was something that bit ema’s toe I didn’t like this but I didint have much of a choice to get into the car again. It seemed like it would be a normal night we ate dinner did the dishes but it was not normal just as I went into my room to pick up the swimsuits I saw it, the devil himself, the one thing I really didn’t want to see sitting there on my bed, A CENTIPEDE! I screamed at the top of my lungs and ran out of the room faster than you can say centipede I saw ema and I told her about this she could not find it I was not going in there so I just said on the side of my bed she told me to get a jar I got one but it was to small so I was sent for another one but it had a hole so I sat in the kitchen prossesing when suddenly I heard he’s going to go in your bed so I grabbed a pan and gave it to her, my job was to put on the top of the lid but I froze and didint end up doing it till ema said Elowyn put it on! She wanted me to dump him but I was not going to do that so she had to. She set him at the edge of the grass in hopes that he would crawl out. I didint want to go to bed and sat up with ema until I had no choice for the rest of the night I was scared and very jumpy and I did not want to go to bed but soon enough I got in bed and went to sleep.
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