Big Island Chickens

Can Closet Update As promised, the Can Closet project is moving along nicely and it's time for an update. Here is the wall we selected for the project. it is just off the Kitchen, and a short open wall space. Three steps and we are out and back into the kitchen so we felt this the logical choice. This unit is going to be placed in the hollow space between the wall studs. It is an often unused dead air space and can be really useful as long as you are careful to not to overdo the span. There are also a few other considerations- There are bearing walls that need to be handled carefully, exterior walls will have insulation that if removed, will affect heating and air conditioning costs, check ahead of cutting into a space for water pipes and electric wires, central vacuum tubes, and of course, be sure to check your local codes as some un-permitted repairs or additions can be costly when you want to sell the property. Different states have vastly different rules.  For us, this wal

Prepping  This is the first post after the news of the Covid 19 "pandemic" and it's associated panic got me to reflect on the precarious nature of the Islands JoAnn I call home. an Island is defined as a land area surrounded on all sides by water. Turns out, quite a lot of water. In one of TenTree . com's  blogs about remote vacations places, it lists Hawaii as "  Hawaii is the most isolated center of population in the world, at 2,390 miles from California and 3,850 miles from Japan.*  " A not so quick flight of 5 hours at 700 mph IS a lot of water. Being an Island 'Vacation' state, we don't have the political real estate to grow enough of our own food  to sustain the population on any given day so we rely on ships to bring in what we won't grow. I say it this way because we do have the acreage to do this, but the powers that be ran off the large farm conglomerates and fruit growers in favor of being the Island Paradise Vacation capi

Well, it's been over a year since the last post and I am surprised that the blog hasn't been shut down. But since it hasn't, I'll start with some news. In that time frame, the world has gone nuts about toilet paper, become afraid of all human face to face contact, the US government has closed schools, banned public gatherings and have ordered people to shelter in place. All because of a flu? Not a flu, a novel Coronvirus. They named it Covid 19.Another of one of the Governments wonderful acronyms:  COR noa VI rus D isease of 20 19.  They've known about it for a year, but the panic was a bit delayed. So much for the world for me today. On a more personal level in the time I have not been posting, I have gained two grandchildren and my father passed away. Today actually. I got up this morning at 4:00 am. It was only a little early for me as I usually am up at 5 or so, but this morning I couldn't sleep so I got up had coffee and got to work in my sewing room