It is the last week at Malu Aina before Judy and I travel to the mainland for the holidays. The last few days on the farm have been wet. There is standing water in all of the fields and everything has become damp and limp. Our little cabin in the woods has held up nicely. There is mud everywhere and keeping ones feet and clothes “clean-ish” has become a big challenge.
From our cabin we can hear cars on the main road and cows lowing in the distance.. Closer to the cabin we are surrounded by the sounds of frogs, birds, and the vibrant aliveness of nature.
The sun in Hawaii comes up quickly in the morning. One moment it is night and the next, or so it seems, day is upon us. The slow drawn-out predawn show of the northern latitudes is missing here. As the sun leaps into the sky it is greeted by crowing and tussling of Roosters preparing to leave the roost.
Tuesday I spent the morning working under the cover of the screen house. This is the small shelter where we grow all of our salad greens. Without the protection of the screen house, the fragile lettuce plants would not survive the torrential rains of the rain-forest.
In the afternoon I sat with Martha, Judy, and Jim around the dinner table stuffing and stamping envelopes while drinking coffee and “talking story”. I was happy not to put my wet socks and muddy boots back on and trudge out to the the fields.
In the evening Martha prepared a delicious dinner. We finished the day with pumpkin pie, of which we all ate too much.
Several of the Banana plants on the farm, have been knocked down by the wind. On Wednesday, covered in rain gear and dodging the worst of the rain, I replanted many of the stumps.
In the evening our local Hawaii Seed group had its monthly meeting. We discussed GMOs and how to protect Taro from becoming the next crop contaminated / poisoned by Genetic Engineering. The New Year will mark the begining of the Hawaii Legislative session. It will also be a busy time for us as we struggle to convince our legislators to resist the enticements of money and power, and instead do what is right – protect our food and our children from the dangers of GMOs.
On Saturday morning we will leave for New Orleans. I will miss the quiet and routines of Malu Aina and life on the farm. However it will be good to be with family for the Holidays. It is something that we missed last year.
Peace, Paul
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