twins! (and a new pasture)

New Pasture is done! Given time issues.... we hired Darrel to fence in a new pasture on the upper property.

GB and Damien are discussing the specifics

2 giant albezia trees are DOWNsee how dense it is in there?

Fenceline complete!

Yesterday we adopted twin goats, Thorn and Tamarind. They are 3 week old nubians from a litter of 4. They need a few more weeks to get more mamas milk and then they'll come home with us. They're going in the new pasture, but we need to make them a shelter. We're "pros" at that!

storm

November 2009 was stormy. We had 2 big weekend storms, the first of which resulted in 2 of our temple bamboo falling over :(
They were originally planted valentines day 2007. And then Super Bowl Sunday 2008 one of the Bamboo fell in the big landslide. It was replanted and is doing well, though much shorter than it's counterparts.

So with 2 down, we had to figure out what to do. We chose the "easy" route. Ra'am and I dug out the holes that they came out of... GB gave the bamboo a big haircut with the chainsaw, and we righted them. We're HOPING they come back ok. They're hardy plants, so they should be fine, but we're sad anyways!

Wet and stormy day! The pool was needing water before this.... now? Totally full!

Bamboo down :( Digging out from underneath

new pond

Pre-Bar Mitzvah we were in a mad rush to spruce things up around here. Unfortunately GB spent the last months leading up to big event all laid up.... but we still managed to get a ton done!
Of course GB was the instigator of this pond. He had this great idea to lay out the humongous and heavy rocks.... but I was busy doing other things. So he called up Heather and asked her if she'd do it, and she agreed. Next thing I knew, GB had laid out all of the rocks himself. Crazy GB!

I posted one picture of the new pond, but there are in progress shots of us sealing it:

The pond is great, but we haven't been able to keep fish in it yet because the ph is so high. We're working on lowering it

palms

We had a great visit our to Floribunda nursery last week 12/23. Our intention was to buy 4 palms (lanceolata) for around the koi pond, since they won't grow above the roof. Of course we walked away with a ton of stuff....


For around koi pond
Dypsis Lanceolata (horizontal stripes)
Pinanga Pilippinensis (small trunk aka Noam’s choice)


By pool
Beccariophoenix madagascariensis (substitute for coconut palms) (planted near coco palms- which will probably have to go when they start dropping stuff cuz they're too close to where people go)




For front gate
Carpoxylon macrospermum


Ivory nut
Metroxylon vitiense (plant near wet spot)

For near chicken coop
Dypsis Saintlucei (white trunk)


For near Bambusa vulgaris
Prichardia beccariana

Red Betel Nut (substitute for Sealing Wax Palm)
Areca Macrocalyx (red)

The Hairy palm! (planted in pool lawn)
Dypsis Fibrosa


Substitute for ‘Areca’ Dypsis Lut.
Pinanga coronata blunt leaf

We also planted a bunch of vetiver grass on the Hilo side of the pool, that we got from Rob and Mike. We're really excited about this grass because we have so many erosion prone areas, and this grass is supposed to be good for it (and it's sterile! and easy to propagate!)

What the farmer gets for the holidays

First, we only have three cats. So when Buck and Lena's friend was leaving for Mongolia last week, we inherited his kitty. It's the dark one in the lower left. Her name is Uki, but that is sometimes Luka's nickname. We are going to have to give her a new name. It is easier than renaming Luka!

Milo is a little iffy on our new cat. Notice the puffing of his tail.

Matt and Heather surprised us with a live gift this morning.

I've always wanted one, but Karen has nixed it because they are loud. Turns out the females aren't loud and surprise, surprise, Matt and Heather gave us a Peacock! (technically a Pea Hen)

Karen named her Pippi Longstocking because she is reading a book set in Sweden.

Matt said that at his house all the chickens picked on Pippi. He left her wings unclipped so she could fly out of the chicken run. We did leave her wings unclipped so she can go where she wants to, but at our house, Pippi seems to be in control of the chickens!