This Is The Way We Wash Our Clothes, Wash Our Clothes...

While Jenny and the kids were staying at a B&B in Pa'ia, Keith and I would do our laundry there while we bought groceries and supplies. But with Jenny back in Arizona, and no B&B, it was time to figure out how to work the washer and dryer Zach had previously bought for the purpose.

Sunset on Old Clothes

We waited in Arizona for three months after finding out we were moving to Maui, to actually make that move. In that time, it made no sense to buy new stuff because we knew shipping things here would be more expensive, in most cases, than re-buying after we arrived. So, that means that Keith, who needed new clothes anyway, really needed them by the time we arrived.

A Busy Day in Paradise

After spending a few days doing laundry (I didn't want to tax the solar-powered batteries too much until I knew what they could handle) and dealing with a lot of sporadic rain, I didn't expect we'd get much done today because more rain was predicted. However, that turned out to be wrong.

Boxes, and a Bath

When Keith and I were packing to leave Arizona, we boxed everything. But we knew we were going to be camping for a few months before moving into our bamboo hut (that we're still waiting for). So we marked the boxes as to when they were needed: right away, after awhile, sometime when we have extra time and money.

It takes about 2-3 weeks to send something via "surface". So when Jenny told me she would be mailing the boxes, last week, I didn't expect them till mid-month at the earliest.

However, accidentally, she sent them via Priority Mail. So they arrived today, or, at least, half of them did.

Solar Beginnings

My grandson, Zach, always intended for the property to be off the power grid, and to work with solar power exclusively. Today we achieved a step towards that goal: the framing of the panel array.

Exploring

I arrived in Maui permanently March 17th, and I've been sheltering in our cabin here ever since, with rare trips into the nearest city to get supplies. That's almost two months, and I still hadn't explored the whole property, not to mention Hana, the nearest village. But over the past few days I did that, at least to some extent. And here are the receipts.

The Day We Got Running Water

Today was the third Friday we hoped to see the arrival of the Water Guys to complete the running of hose to our cabin. They'd had to cancel the two previous appointments due to rain. But today promised to be a beauty, mostly sunny, so we hoped this would really be the day.

Hold On—It's My Hat!

Today I had to make an unplanned, weekend run into Kahului to pick up some medical prescriptions our Hana doctor didn't have in stock. As I've been really enjoying our solitude on the property, I don't look forward to the relative crowds, especially now that some restrictions have been lifted. And Saturdays have always been more crowded anyway, which is why I've learned to time our trips for Tuesdays.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

No expected rain today meant getting some property work done. I needed to do a load of wash; Zach asked for photos of the container interior; and I had determined to bring down the cowboy for our evening use.

But first, let me explain our experiences with camp showers.

Hana Bay Beach Park

Today I took Keith to see the Hana Bay Beach Park, which re-opened a few days ago.

Pizza Day

We've been watching with interest and more than a little sadness at how people on the mainland are reacting to the restrictions meant to keep us all safer. But that doesn't mean I don't empathize with the desire to go out and do something "normal" even something as innocuous as going out for pizza.

A Little Or Nothing Each Day

On 28 acres of Maui realness, there is no end of things that need doing. At this stage of our occupation, most of that involves cleanup of the trash remaining from previous projects (like building our cabin). On the other hand, unlike in every job I've ever had, there's no deadline or even schedule. So each morning I ask myself: Do I want to actually get anything done today, or should I just goof off?

Cowabunga

After a couple of days of being mostly cooped up due to rain, I decided I wanted to go exploring parts of the property I hadn't yet seen, on the quad. Keith even agreed to come along! (I think my driving makes him nervous.)

Getting Wood

My grandson asked me to pick up 85 boards at the hardware store, to be used to frame the interior of his shipping container, on its way to becoming an apartment. Or a rental. Or something. In any case, all I had to do was to run to a hardware store and pick it up, right? That may have been true prior to the coronvirus, but no more.

Beach Therapy

A noted earlier, some of the beaches on Maui, including our Hana Bay Beach Park, have re-opened, subject to social distancing rules. This morning was a clear one, and after Keith and I stacked Zach's lumber from yesterday, we were definitely ready for a cool-down.

The End of the Innocence

Today we returned our rental Jeep to Hertz, which required another drive to Kahului. The last news we received before leaving the cabin was that there were riots on the mainland in response to the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man at the hands of white police officers in Minneapolis. But that seemed very far away from us in Maui.

The Innocents At Home

Today it occurred to me that we are settling into our rustic digs. While the details of each day here are different, they boil down to the same thing: Up at dawn to feed the dogs and get a hint of the days weather (not whether it will rain, but how often and how much; breakfast around 9; then run around the property to see if anything's amiss; finally, do a few chores.