Life in Paradise ain't what it's cracked up to be

[WaterWitchin]

It appears things are coming along nicely again, compared to that mess of smoke, fumes, etc., a ways back. Bet it feels really good to be back working the homestead again. I'm happy for you.

PS No mangoes for me! VERY allergic to them and papaya! Nice bunch of bananas. Extremely jealous of avocado trees growing in the yard.

[voyager]

That's actually a very poor bunch of bananas, badly affected by the eruption's SOx gasses.
We've got some really nice bunches coming up in a few more months.
I'm already planning on having to put some out at the end of our driveway.
Many of the residents here put their excess fruit, usually avos, out at the end of their driveway by the street for neighbors to take as they want.
It keeps them from laying on the ground to draw rats and pigs.

Yeah, yesterday I was thinking that Paradise has returned.
Don't need to go throwing anymore virgins into the volcano for now.

[Dollythehun]

Thankfully...

[WaterWitchin]

It may be a poor looking bunch of bananas, but they look better than the ones we can grow here in Kansas!

PS Looking at that black cinder stuff you turn into dirt really makes me want to dig around in it and see what it feels like. It looks like it would be a wonderful amendment for a new asparagus bed I'm planting in the spring.

[early]

psailed as crew on a small boat in 77 to Hawaii from San Francisco to Hilo. Caught another boat to Maui, and later that summer, Saw the spectacular smoke and fumes even in Maui. I think I will stick to Maui's dormant volcano, where I hiked inside for 9 miles one day. Very quiet and beautiful moon scape. Wind on clothing and goats in the distance were the only sounds except my footprints. It was a wonderful solo day inside the basin.

[voyager]

Got an email today that early had replied to this thread.
I had forgotten all about it.
@waterwitchin
Our banana bunches are looking much better now.
The effects from the eruption on the yard plants are looking to be about over.
Things seem to be getting back to normal.
We just finished a nice big bunch of Santa Caterina [Dwarf Hawaiian Apple] bananas with another nice bunch ready to cut in another week or two.
Got a couple of bunches coming up soon from the Brazilian [Tall Hawaiian Apple] bananas.
Plus several new banana flowers starting on both types.
Avacados have begun to bloom.
We've eaten all the longans, lemons, tangerines and are almost done with the Valencia juice oranges.
Oranges, longan, and tangerines will begin blooming soon for the next crop to come.
We are too wet for mangos.

@earley
We've visited and vacationed on most of the islands around here: Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Maui, and we live on Big Island.
We still prefer B.I. to all and any of the others.
Keep in mind that our view is for a place to live not a place to be a tourist on.
Plus, we prefer the windward side to the kona side.

We both still miss living in Alaska very much.
But, we have no desire to return.
We're both too old to go back to the Alaskan winters.
We're glad to be here now, and not there.

Our winter is almost over.
We are getting acclimated to the climate.
55*F in the morning now requires me to wear a fleece jacket and pants for the first hour or two..
Just don't see me skiing at -15*, or pumping gas into the car at -55* while not wearing a coat anymore.
We have become spoiled.

Some of thew orchids were killed by the eruption, not many.
The spring bloom is getting ready to start budding.
I hate to admit it.
But, the orchids have just become a nice addition to the yard and jungle around us.
Which reminds me, I need to cut some of the weeds back so I can see the lower orchids when they bloom.

[WaterWitchin]

Been thinking about you a lot last few days Voyager. My geography is always challenged, but isn't this the same volcano erupting now as the one before. Close to where you live? Are you doing okay?

[voyager]

I just happened to look at this forum, first time in a very long time.

Yes, we are on the portion of Kilauea refereed to as the East Rift Zone.
It runs about 31 land miles and 43 underwater miles north of the actual volcano summit.
Then there is the Southwest Rift Zone.
It runs about 20 land miles south of the summit with very little extending underwater, making the rift zones and the volcano about 60 miles long.

Eruptions can and do happen at any location from one end of the rift zones to the other.
Right now, all activity is taking place at the summit caldera.
As long as it stays there, or elsewhere, but away from here, all is well.

We were impacted by the eruption much more than we realized.
We were spared any actual danger from the lava floes.
But, we were much more impacted by the gasses evolved by the eruption.
We did need to take actions to protect ourselves from the gasses.

The last months have shown that the fruit trees and other vegetation on our property were severely effected by those gasses.
Most of them seem to be recovering nicely now.
It'll probably be more apparent through the next couple of years or so.

The orchids took a relatively lighter beating, but we did loose some while some have begun to do well again.
I may begin to acquire more again.
But, orchids are not high on my list of needs at the moment.

Many people were scared off by the eruption leaving a number of vacant homes in the area.
Many of these homes have been inundated by squatters of various types.
We've had a lot of security issues recently from uninvited "guests" coming onto our lot.
Fruit from our trees has been stolen by "visitors" coming by in the night.
I have and am still installing motion detectors, lights and security cameras.

This used to be a very serene place to live.
It still is, but the eruption has drawn all the worms out of the woodwork.
A fair number of residents have now begun to try imposing their idea of what they think the conditions should be.
No matter how ridiculous and unrealistic they are.
The list is long, too long to go into here.
At least we are well insulated from most of the resident caused problems.
It is mostly a "stupidity" issue for me.
I'm getting the squatter caused problems reduced and may have them soon completely eliminated.
I do complain some, but all is actually well here.

[WaterWitchin]

Thank you Voyager. I'm sorry for your present plight, but at least you live in a semi-paradise regardless of riffraff. There is stupid everywhere, but fortunately we in my little piece of the world avoid it fairly well so far. I'm happy to hear your world right now is similar.

When you travel out of your house tomorrow without having to dress up like you're at the North Pole, think of me. I will think of you, as I sit inside my warm house and don't bother to go out. Stay steady Voyager.