Posts: 15
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2008
Aloha,
I have been reading the Punaweb for several months and decided that it is way past time to introduce myself. My husband and I live in Gunnison, CO. Gunnison is one of the most beautiful places to live in the Summer. It is in the middle of the Rocky Mountains and summer high temps are somewhere around 75 degrees. Winters are another story. It is still beautiful but one of the coldest spots in the nation. For instance, today we had a low of minus 30 degrees farenheit. The average temperature from December 12 thru January 12 was negative 15 degrees. I know, because that was the billing cycle for my electric bill which put me into shock. (I also work for the local rural electric company. No...unfortunately there are no employee discounts for electricity.)
My husband and I have had the priviledge of visiting Hawaii five times with the most recent visit to Puna this last March. We absolutely fell in love with the area. We have had many serious conversations about relocating to Puna. We certainly respect the native Hawaiian culture and who knows, maybe some day our dream of living in Hawaii will become a reality. We are currently busy helping our three sons (ages 19, 20 & 22) transition into adulthood. Whew, what a job that can be!
Anyway...I enjoy your forum and just wanted to say hi.
Marcia
Posts: 8,459
Threads: 1,032
Joined: May 2003
Aloha Marcia,
Welcome to Punaweb. I'm sure it will humor you to know my wife has brought fourth every quilt we own to deal with these 59 degree nights. How spoiled we get!
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Posts: 15
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2008
Thanks for the welcome. Your response certainly put a smile on my face. Very true though, cold is relative to what we are accustomed to. We have lived in Gunnison 30 years. The cold definetly gets harder to take with age. I have never believed in using an electric blanket; however, I found myself sleeping with the heating pad just to keep warm this winter. I decided this was silly and broke down and bought the electric blanket. I would imagine an electric blanket might be hard to find in your area. Maybe not though, as I know with higher elevation it gets cool. Anyway...I would be happy to ship your wife an electric blanket if she can't take the 59 degrees anymore.[  ]
Posts: 496
Threads: 11
Joined: Jan 2008
Since I've been reading the forums for months I figured it was well past time to join in.
Mike and I (highschool sweethearts and still married after 32 years) have been coming to the islands for a couple months a year for 14 years, ever since my dad moved ashore (Maui) from his sailboat and wanted company. We fell in love with with Hawaii, as so many do. When Dad retired and moved back to the mainland, we had to find another way to be able to keep coming here, so we did the vacation rental thing. First on Kauai, then the Big Island. Four years ago we bought our house in Hawaiian Shores, and - finally - last September we made the Big Move! I must say, I'll take all the rains any time over the ice and snow that's falling back in Idaho! (Although a little sun would be welcome about now.)
So that's us in a nutshell. Looking forward to getting to know our new neighbors :-)
aloha, Liz
"The best things in life aren't things."
Posts: 6
Threads: 1
Joined: Feb 2008
Gerald, my partner of 16 years and I will be moving to the Big Island sometime this summer/early fall. We currently own a ranch in northern New Mexico not far from Taos. We raise sheep and I am a rug weaver in training. Gerald is a math/science middle school teacher and has an appointment with the Hawaii DOE next month so hopefully will land a job on the Big Island.
Oh, we also have three horses, chickens, barn cats etc.
We have really enjoyed the Punaweb forums...wealth of knowledge.
We lived on Kauai back in the mid 90's and visited the Big Island a few times. We LOVE the Big Island.
We have enjoyed our time in New Mexico but the past couple of winters have been brutal. Not sure we could take another one!
We have three Ibizan hounds that will be coming with us as well as two house cats. One of the cats was a rescue from a shelter on Kauai. Now he gets to come "home". Have done all the required testing and microchipping so hopefully we can avoid any type of quarantine.
Does anyone know if there would be a market for hand woven rugs? I am trying to decide if I should continue my apprenticeship and ship my looms etc. Thinking maybe I can change from Rio Grande style rugs to Hawaiian designs. Appreciate any and all thought you might have on this.
Looking forward to meeting many of you. Our move is contingent on the selling of our ranch. Pretty unique property so hopefully it will sell fast. questendranch.com is our website that has many pics of the place if anyone knows of someone wanting a really cool ranch!
Kawika (and Gerald)
Posts: 603
Threads: 60
Joined: Mar 2008
Aloha PunaWeb,
My name is Melissa, I live in Hawaiian Acres with my "mini-zoo", 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 bird. I moved here 3 1/2 years ago to continue with my education. I graduated with my bachelor's last year. I started my business, Yurts of Hawaii, in 2006, after searching for an affordable way to build on some land. It has been a wild ride and such a learning experience and, in the end, it is great experience to work doing something that I strongly believe in and enjoy. I also volunteer quite a bit with various homeless programs and assist where I can, it is something that I came to believe in after I started a program in Hilo for my senior practicum, aimed at empowering teenaged girls whose families were living in transitional housing. I am an artist, poet, yurt girl, fun-loving, rudeness-hating, 31-years-young woman. Nice to virtually meet you~
Melissa Fletcher
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
Posts: 2,014
Threads: 46
Joined: Jun 2003
Bringing forward for benefit of anyone wanting to learning about "us" [8D]
David
Ninole Resident
Ninole Resident
Posts: 128
Threads: 22
Joined: Feb 2008
Well, now that I am officially a BI resident, I will chime in. We moved in on 3/11, just makai from David M in Ninole. Hubby, I and 2 old dogs survived the trip from middleofnowhere, Nevada. There were 2 1/2 feet of snow still on the ground when we left.
Rain? phhttt....
We are off grid, on nearly 2 acres. Dogs (and we) are settling in nicely.....
Chele, David, and the puppy girls Buffy and Ursula
Posts: 551
Threads: 61
Joined: Oct 2004
Welcome Chele, David, and the puppy girls Buffy and Ursula. Hope to see you all, or at least two of your group( if not all ) at Dave and Sophie's. Beautiful area you picked to live.[ ]
Aloha
Wyatt
"Yearn to understand first and to be understood second."
-- Beca Lewis Allen
Posts: 83
Threads: 9
Joined: Feb 2008
Ok, my husband was complaining that we haven't introduced ourselves yet!
So here goes!
My husband and I met on Kauai 7 years ago at a dive shop, we fell in love (despite working together) and our family started to grow -we now have 4 children, after 5 years of living on the mainland (for family) we couldn't take it anymore and had to move back home, This time we were in a position to purchase a home, however Kauai prices were so unattainable! As I was dreaming and drooling over homes on Kauai I found a misplaced listing for Puna on a Kauai search. That's where it began, after much discussion and fretting over "that volcano" we both decided it was worth it. We could own a home, have plenty of room on an acre or more and live aloha. There are risks involved, but there are people all over the world living with similar risks earthquakes(ca), dormant? volcanoes(wa),massive floods etc...Now my husbands parents felt otherwise, and that was a difficult situation to deal with, but ultimately this is our journey. And our journey led us here.
My husband (divedog220) is a private contractor in Iraq,where he is now - it is rough for all of us, but it has allowed us to accomplish our dreams. He plans to come home after Christmas to start a landscape company, and spend some much needed time with his family! And this full time mommy looks forward to it!
Puna has surprised me with how much I love it, I thought I would be wishing I was on Kauai instead (my first love and where I spend 11 years of my earlier life) but I was wrong. I love it here, I woke up this morning full of joy just to be here! and I don't think I could sleep without those coqui frogs! My kids are happier and healthier. They spend all day outside climbing trees and running, or swimming at the beach. We eat way more fresh food here, it's easier with the farmers market and everyone is just glowing!
We are avid scuba divers (given the chance- not much in Ohio), love sculpting our acre of land, and love the outdoors. I am trying to garden (hhhaha)and wish to someday be an artist. Ohana is most important and we want to raise our kids to love nature and to respect all people.
We plan on growing old here (if Pele permits) and to raise our children to live life to it's fullest, Puna is a great starting point for them and a great final destination for us !
Aloha!
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