Every year our cats get a tad fatter, a little happier and a lot lazier. When they’re not terrorizing us for midnight snacks, morning back rubs or water from the tap, they’re usually either snoozing or terrorizing some other nonthreatening creatures. Late in the afternoon they can be found keeping a watchful eye over their hunting grounds while most likely planning their next ill-fated crime.
Here’s a keeper from one of our recent Photo Safari classes. This endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal barely opened an eye to check out our camera equipment and didn’t move another muscle until we turned our backs on her. She moved quickly into the water and was off to dinner before anyone noticed. It’s always a treat to watch one of these awesome creatures in the water or on the beach… just lucky I had my camera and a group of photo enthusiasts to take part in it this time!
It’s hard to say that we weren’t disappointed when one of our egg-layers developed colorful tail feathers and an alarmingly screechy voice. However, our rooster has several redeeming qualities that make him a permanent fixture in our yard as well as a frequent topic of conversation. He’s as big as a turkey and louder than a blow horn, but for his lady hens, he’s quite the gentleman. Always calling them over when he finds a tasty bug, sometimes delivering worms right to their feet, he is a giver with a watchful eye. He keeps our hens close and out of trouble. We’ve even caught him cuddling up to the ladies in their nesting boxes as they perform their daily egg laying duties. But the best part is his mating dance. More to come, I’m sure.
More weeding, whacking, mowing, shoveling, and hauling is required as we enter the rainy season. Good thing we’ve got helpers. Lucky likes to ride the shovel and get first dibs as the fresh tasty bugs are uncovered. There was a lot to be thankful for over our long holiday weekend… homegrown fruits and veggies, the backyard egg factory, healthy plants, lazy cats, etc. We really wish we had the chance to share Thanksgiving with family but Christmas is right around the corner and we can’t wait to cozy up by the fireplace with the Wagners. Until then, we’ll be sure to stay good and dirty working in the yard with our trusty sidekicks.
The chickens are fat, happy, and in search of any wiggling insect in sight. We recently planted milkweed along our path in hopes of attracting more butterflies and it worked! Unfortunately, our chickens love to search for caterpillars and the cats occasionally entertain themselves with butterflies. Thanks to Julia’s supervision, most fatal accidents have been avoided.
Last year’s leftover project scraps have become this year’s supply for our newest yard decor. With the chicks doubling in size every week, they’ve already outgrown their bathtub box so I made fast business of building their upgraded unit. Their new digs include custom laying boxes, panoramic floor to ceiling windows, rooftop mega-skylight, handicap accessibility ramp, ergonomic roosting perch, and most importantly, our trademark removable poop tray (patent pending).
Introducing the newest members of our family. In about six months these little ladies will be fertilizing our garden, keeping our cats on their toes and helping us make the best breakfasts in town. For now, they’ve got a safe and cozy little home in our bathtub while their deluxe chicken condo is being customized by yours truly.
Just a little update… We’re back in the swing of things now and off to a great start. Last week I got my official notice for tenure as a HI teacher and the feeling of increased job security is great, especially with furloughs and statewide budget cuts. Julia’s on-deck and cruising through the year at the middle school. ’09 was full of changes for us so we’re really looking forward to some consistency in the year ahead. Hopefully 2010 will bring back economic stability and an improved educational outlook to the islands. In the meantime, the cats are still fat and happy, our plants are looking pretty nice, and the surf’s up too. Hope all is well with you!
This morning Julia walked into the web of our newest hanging friend and I couldn’t help laughing when she stopped, dropped and rolled to get him off. These garden spiders are actually pretty fascinating to watch as they build and rebuild their webs in the constant trade winds. They’re always sailing in the breeze and bouncing up and down in their intricate and neatly spun homes. This guy currently resides right above our picnic table at about the same height as Julia’s face but she’s decided to let him stay.
My Dad is headed back home to Oxnard tonight and we’re definitely going to miss him! I don’t think any of us expected to work so hard the past two weeks. We still have a little “touch-up” work left (finish the pickets and build the stairs) but we got so much accomplished with Big Kimo’s help. We are so grateful for all of his guidance and support.
P.S. – The cats have also been productive during their spring break…
In celebration of our 100th post (yes I am a nerd), I’ve decided to do a little poll… If you do some non-credible research you’ll find that cane spiders are about the size of a tuna can and prey on cockroaches and silverfish. They’re fast, they jump really far and they love hiding in dark cracks.
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This is a shot of our first dinner in our new place. The walls are still bare and there are boxes strewn about in the corners but it’s slowly starting to feel like home. We’ve been here for about a week now and everywhere we look there’s a ton of touch-ups and little projects to keep us busy. Good thing it’s been rainy and windy lately! Today is actually the first sunny day we’ve had in a while. Here’s a shot of our kitties (couldn’t get them in their hula skirts) enjoying the sunshine…
I’ve also added a little addition to the blog on the sidebar for fast photo updates taken with my cellphone (thanks to Matt for the inspiration). So now you can look forward to enjoying completely pointless pictures taken from our daily routines.
All tired out from a hard day’s work. Good thing it’s the weekend… Aloha Friday!
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