To Bean or Not to Bean

Coffee picking season has begun in the Kona belt, so things are very exciting on the farm.  I don't think I've adequately explained the terrain and climate in previous posts - it's a jungle out there!  As the coffee pickers from Micronesia race through the fields picking the bright red coffee cherries Tony and I work hard to clear paths through the five foot tall weeds, yanking them up by hand, making way so the coffee pickers can reach the trees with ease.

What makes Kona coffee so special is the discerning pluck of only the red fruit from the trees, leaving the yellow and green fruit to mature on the spindly branches.  At this early stage of the season the picking goes slow, usually about 100 pounds of coffee cherries per picker, but as the season progresses our daily haul will be much more significant.  Not to discount each day's haul, we're easily processing something close to 1300 pounds of cherry each day.  In about four weeks this number will likely double.

The Thrill of Victory - The Agony of the Feet

Each morning we rise with the sun.  Kind of hard not to, considering the myriad of free-range chickens roaming the island.  I've only ever glimpsed one which was trying to pilfer papaya from the compost heap, but I hear roosters all day, and all night.  Contrary to popular belief, roosters do not crow just at sunrise, they crow whenever they darn well feel like it, sunrise just happens to be the time of day when they all like to crow as a group.  One rooster in particular I've dubbed "Dennis the Menace" because his particular version of a cock-a-doodle-do has a distinct "Mr. Wilson!" inflection, I mean this guy is serious about making himself heard.

Rising early has its perks.  The coffee is especially warm and soothing as the last of the evening chill leaves the air, by the time we've finished breakfast it's about 8 AM, and if we get straight to work we can be finished with our daily chores around noon.  Leaving us with the remainder of the day to entertain ourselves as we like. There's plenty to do in the way of entertainment and relaxation.  After all, this gorgeous spread of land overlooks Honaunau Bay, Kealakekua, and the City of Refuge.  I personally like sitting in my makeshift office because it gives me an opportunity to greet tour groups when they arrive.  Tours tend to equal coffee sales, and that equals spending money in my pocket.

The work involves a lot of rock climbing, and various forms of physical strength, weeds around here grow up about three feet overnight.  That's only a mild exaggeration, they really grow closer to two and a half feet overnight, requiring daily treks through the seventeen acre farm to chop, mow, and pull up weeds by hand.  Lava rock is no joke.  In only 10 days of working the farm Tony's already shredded the soles of his work boots, we're talking serious blowout, all the way through, and these boots were practically brand new when we arrived. My own hiking boots are holding up much better, but I won't lie when I say I have to sit for a good two hours after a day's worth of chores are complete.  The terrain is every bit as grueling as it is picturesque.  

Day One: The Toughest Job I'll Ever Love

This job is a workout!  From head to toe, and everywhere in between.  I have bruises on the inside of my knees because my current chores require me to use my whole body as much as my head.  I'm beginning to understand what people mean when they say WWOOFing is "labor intensive".  At the same time, I can't stop grinning like a madwoman because I'm having a ton of fun.

Our day starts around 6 am as the sun is coming up, that's about the time of day when the night has reached its coolest and by then we have goosebumps.  Just as the sun is coming up over the edge of the volcano we're able to enjoy its warmth on our face while we sip fresh brewed Kona coffee.  This coffee is out of this world, unbelievably good.  Seriously.  I usually have to doctor my coffee with copious amounts of cream and sugar before I can choke it down, but this steaming brew I take black, then return for seconds and thirds.  Yum.

Then we start making our way up the sharp incline of the lava trails.  These trails are as treacherous as they are scenic, some of the large slabs of lava rock are stable and large enough to be considered pavement, while others are loose, unsteady, and ready to roll with the right encouragement, or wrong step.  With the help of some walking sticks carved from ancient coffee branches we make quick work of the trail, cumbersome equipment and all.

Once we arrive at the location of our day's work we establish a sort of base camp.  A place to replenish our canteens and meet up to enjoy a freshly plucked avocado or papaya.  Then we get right to work, Tony with his weed whacker and I with my ratcheting loppers.  Tony mows down weeds and snares of flowering vines while I cut down invasive saplings that threaten to overtake the nutrient-dense fields where the coffee grows. I just take it one snip at a time, one step at a time, and by the time we've finished for the day I'm often surprised to find a few dozen neatly-stacked piles of kindling in my wake.  I find this almost as rewarding as finding a chameleon hanging out among the branches.   

Countdown to Kona - We've Got Tickets

Today we sold our bed, it was an almost tearful separation.  Bed's like this only come around once in a lifetime, but a chance to live in Hawai'i is even more rare, so it was one or the other.  We've got our tickets, our bags are nearly packed, we're ready to go!  Still no homes for the cats, but I'm not giving up hope, I just know someone will pull through at the last minute.  Now all we have to do is wait for friends to take the last of what they'd like before the donation crew comes through for a massive pick-up Saturday.   Six days of sleeping on an air mattress, and I couldn't be happier.   Farewell, awesome bed.  Aloha, Hawai'i!

Did you know that on this day in 1959 Hawai'i became our 50th State?  

Let the Packing Begin!

Two bags packed, two more to go!  Apparently Tony thinks we're leaving tomorrow instead of in two weeks.  I can't help but share his enthusiasm, we're both so excited to get started.  Still haven't found anyone to take the cats, but I'm confident help will come through at the last minute.  Friends stop by each day to remove handfuls of my belongings for safe keeping while I continue to make peace with the fact that I simply cannot take it all with me.

We swap emails with Bebo regularly, he's equally excited to see us as we are looking forward to seeing him. Harvesting that world famous Kona coffee begins early in September and Bebo needs all the help he can get. Sometime today we'll receive pictures of our lodgings, and even though I haven't seen the place I've already started decorating it in my head.