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 Have Arrived!

Today is our first day at Bebo's Kona Coffee farm, After  a full morning of travel and a quick trip to Costco, we got straight to work chilling with the amazing Bebo and his equally wonderful wife, Karen.  The farm is gorgeous, the family dog (Posse) was kind enough to give us a guided tour of the back acres where the bulk of the coffee grows.  While the bulk of our lush scenery consists of rugged, lava rock trails and coffee beans inching ever closer to ripeness, just over the tops of these trees we have an unobstructed view of the Kona cost.  Spectacular doesn't begin to do this place justice.  Bebo and his wife represent the epitome of hospitality, anyone who stays at their B&B would be treated like royalty, and family.

Tomorrow marks our first day of actual work on the premises - weed whacking and branch removal.  To look at the sheer size of the property and consider this task is an exercise in futility.  Everyone agrees that this sort of work is just a matter of one step at a time, little by little, till the job is done.  It has to be done, just not all in one day.  We're pretty excited to get started.  I know our chores sound labor intensive, but right now it just doesn't translate as "work" to us.  I'll probably feel different after 4 hours of laborious farm chores, but right now I'm feeling nothing but bliss.

Pictures and video will posted soon, I promise!

Countdown to Kona - Balancing Work and Play

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning we'll be departing for the big island of Hawai'i. This week in California has been great fun and I have absolutely no concept of time.  The past few days have been a whirlwind of family visits peppered with long stretches in the sun, on the beach, in the ocean.  It's rough I tell ya.  This is the kind of stress I like, where my biggest concern pertains to the best SPF for 3 hours at Malibu Beach.

That isn't to say my week has been all play and no work.  I still have my freelance clients to satisfy, and I have to say I am absolutely loving my work right now.  I'm graced with a steady stream of assignments that I find interesting, inspiring, encouraging, and often these are all rolled into one.  Life is good.

Tony's getting pretty awesome at cracking coconuts, can't wait to see him learn how to climb a tree to retrieve them fresh.