Relocating to Puna

[David M]

Thanks Pam. I suspected that might be your approach. If the "farm bureau" is Hawaii Farm Credit, they do offer construction loans, but not owner-builder. They did offer me a potential solution (partially based on equity) that I'm still evaluating as I explore other alternatives. CU Hawaii lists construction loans, including owner-builder on their website.
David

[pslamont]

David: good luck! I hope you get things the way you want. Wish I had found that before I obligated myself to do it this way; would have saved a bundle.

General: Yesterday I worked in the garden. Wearing my Eddie Bauer sandals, a waterproof wraparound body type, was a major mistake. With feet wet, compost and such got into them and ground around against my feet. By the time I got home I had red raw spots along the arch of both feet. Painful mistake. However, there are new plants breaking ground and I expect that within a few weeks the garden will be rich and rewarding. Already the staggered corn is rising in height. There is grat joy in these little successes.

A new friend and neighbor brought me a wonderful banana plant. it's a special type and only two other people on the island grow them. It feels fulfilling to be given such a gift.

Chris has the floor in and has begun framing walls for the downstairs portion of the little cabin. Windows donated by Art & Orchid's B&B from their remodel are giving wonderful light to this otherwise cave like , low ceilinged portion of the structure. Bunks are going in at one end for kids, workers or whomever....again it is fun to see the progress.
I have a new book about composting toilets. A new friend here is using one and perfecting his design. I think we will build a seprate bath and toilet house for use by cabin occupants. It reminds me of the dreams so many of us had in the early seventies of going off into the wilds and living primitively. Perhaps that is what fuels my activities... a subliminal return to those teen years filled with hopes and dreams. Even the Aloha spirit welcoming all to come together feeds that old dream.

Mahalo for your interest and support. And by the way, if ANY of you do any remodeling in your new homes and condos, keep me in mind for recycling the materials you rip out. We have windows, roofing, lumber, plywood, sheetmetal, cabinetry and any number of other materials that we are recycling. It is great not to fill the landfills but to reuse everything possible. If you have anything to offer we can pick it up. contact pslamont@yahoo.com

Mahalo




Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!

[pslamont]

Wow, what a day. With the truck loaded down with scrap wood about to be delivered to the Indian Reservation, I arrived this morning to find a flat tire. On inspection, we discovered that the spare was missing. So now I have a truck with one flat, no spare, current insurance paperwork missing.... oh, and there is no jack in there either. Now I can't say if there ever was or wasn't a jack but I KNOW there was a spare. Hmmmmmm... A good look at all the tires says "buy new tires" so we get out the jack from the Jeep and get started.

Since a couple of my workmen have been bunking out at the cabin I got one to take the flat off and load it into the jeep. Found an acceptable set of tires and bought the first one, had it mounted and headed back to the ranch. As we began to put the new tire on, the jack from the jeep collapsed. Thankfully no one was hurt. We had placed cinder blocks under the truck and it didn't fall more than an inch or two.

So now I have to find a good floor jack, get the tire on the truck, deliver the scrap wood, get the truck to town, get a new proof of insurance and then the other three tires. Oh, and there is buying a new jack for the jeep and another for the truck. AND finding a wheel for the truck to mount the spare on.... sheesh....

Still, we have been BBQing out on the ranch at the cabin and enjoying dinners and evenings for the first time. The garden is coming along. Rain the last few days has made things nice, especially in the garden and orchard.

Met a new neighbor who needed some help that my tractor was able to provide. It's fun to trade assets... he is going to do some greenhouse work for me and another friend who has pretty much perfected the compost toilet is going to help us put one at the cabin. With a floor in the bottom and bunks going in next week, the toilets and probably the cachment system put back up we will have a habitable building here really soon. Good thing because my lease is up in October and it is very clear I will not have the big house finished... will need a place to stay!

It's all good. Downstairs for general living and upstairs for ME. Ahhh, to be the princess....

Okay this is drivel.... You get the picture. Failures have brought awareness. Everything can be overcome and the people surrounding me have been more positives than disappointments in the greater balance. Every week I love this land of mine more and more and every week the Big Island becomes more my home.

Pam

Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!

[David D]

Hi Pam,
I’m here on the Island. We’ve staked (pinned?) out the property. What a chore! My wife arrives on Wednesday and that is the start of our fun week.
Is there a good time to come and visit. I don’t want to set a specific date/time, but drop by when you’re usually on the Ranch.
David D and Deborah D

[pslamont]

Gosh I thought I was on there all the time but it seems lately I am in Hilo more buying supplies!! Call me the night before at home 968 1479 or on my cell during the day 345 8440. Yeah, I know we shouldn't put these things on the web but I am in the phone book too..l. go figure.

Generally, I get to the ranch sometime before lunch (often before 9), do any shopping, getting of water, gas, etc... get back in the afternoon to either weed, water. check on the workmen, think up more things for them to do, or come back to the apartment to rest, do laundry, bake bread (which the guys love), etc.... so there is really no schedule except that I TRY to get back there between 3 and 4:30. However, if you do call I will actually make a commitment for a time block. This is Hawaii.. no one plans down to the minute.

Lots of new people arriving and coming to see my adventure AND I LOVE EACH AND EVERY VISIT... so keep on coming.

Pam

Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!

[David D]

Thanks Pam!!! See ya soon!
David and Deborah D

[pslamont]

David and Deborah came to visit today. What lovely people! We took the grand tour and they ooh'd and ahhh'd in all the right places! LOL

It's always fun to meet the people who post.

I have had several responses via email for a freecycle request for tile so we will be doing some art projects with various tiles whole and broken in the cabin and the playhouse. What fun!

The orchard is looking grand and the garden is beginning to come up. Cucumbers are a couple inches across ow... peppers have flowers, peas and beans have doubled in size. the drought has kept me watering but the set up in the jeep is making it managable. The trees are mostly well etablished, though we planted a few plums, mountain apples and more avocados this week so I guess I might be watering them soon. It has sprinkled through the night for the last couple nights so ther eis hope!!!! It has indeed cut my hand watering down by half. A few good hard rains and I will not be hand watering at all.

Errands have kept me busy but I am determined to get to sanding and staining those great cabinets I got on freecycle... we will be putting the little kitchen in the cabin this weekend I think thanks not only to the cabinets but windows (already in) and flooring (also already in) from wonderful donors from freecycling... plus sink and countertop... wow.

In anticipation, we have been BBQing outdoors every evening all week there... we sure eat like kings

Lots of net friends due to arrive these next few weeks. I hope you all get in touch and come see us. I am also always thrilled to visit your places. It's so fun to share the adventure.

Pam





Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!

[pslamont]

Aloha.... haven't been here all week. The permit was "promised" for Wednesday. It's Friday and no permit. Now a holiday weekend. I am figuring Tuesday at the earliest.... sheesh.

We started excavation anyway. Two men and a backhoe put a bodacious trench in from the road for the underground electric. Ugh.. it is a pain and the LAST thing I wanted done, so of course they did it first. We have been in a drought for weeks so naturally immediately upon digging, it began to rain. Three more pieces of big equipment and they are grading the house site. UGH again. It started raining more so now I have a bunch of blue and yellow machines and trucks all over....and no workers of course. Good news is that although we have to remove about 10 feet at one side, it is all nice red dirt with no rocks . Some friends from Fern Forest have been coming and getting truckloads full. I am promised parts of harvest from gardens in return. Sounds fair to me.

Cabin is really coming along. The lower level is like that Geico commercial with the house that is too small... low ceilings and such but it is only a bunkhouse with a semi-kitchen. and open room for a table but it's cool. we are having fun with it.

The garden is LOVING this gentle intermittent rain. Everything is looking really alive.

Hubby will be here Sunday evening and can stay a whole month. Yayyyyyyyy, I have the honeydoo list all ready.

We hope to start the framing on the house next week. It will all be a new kind of adventure once that starts.


REQUEST: Please save this string for posts about moving to puna. It's my little corner and I appreciate your consideration. Mahalo!!!! Pam

Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!

[David M]

Progress, progress, progress....all so exciting.
Am looking forward to your reports as to the inspections by county inspector. Are you doing post and pier or slab? Did you ever set up a pic site to tease us with some visuals? I'm really hoping I can visit when I'm there is August.
David

[pslamont]

David M: email me pslamont@yahool.com and I will send you a few photos!

Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!