I Felt It!

This morning I woke up just before 2 am, a couple minutes later I heard the rats scurrying around in the attic. And immediately after that I felt a slight swaying motion. It was so mild I wasn't sure I really felt it and I wondered how the rats could make the house shake with their running! Then my phone made the funny beep it does when I get an emergency alert; it was telling me that an earthquake was just reported! I sent in my observations for the USGS citizen science project "Did You Feel It?".

Screen shot from USGS website.

When I really woke up I started working on the shelves. Like in the boxes on top of the closet, I was finding a lot of old photos and other cool stuff. I found 2 more funeral photos; one I am sure is Grandpa's funeral since it was taken at the Kapa'au church & my siblings & I are in it along with a bunch of Mom's siblings.

Grandpa's funeral.

The other funeral photo is probably from the 1930's or so judging by the cars. It is also interesting to note the Buddhist sauwastika on the gable end of the church, which is absent in the upper photo. It probably was removed during World War II when people mistook it for the Nazi swastika which faces to the right. Even today ignorant Neo-Nazis sometimes confuse the 2 and tag things with the Buddhist symbol!

Probably the funeral of one of my great-grandparents.

I also found some cedar balls that I got for moths. I have since learned that all the cedar does is make your clothes smell better than they would with naphthalene moth balls! Apparently it is the tightness of a cedar chest that prevents the moths from coming in rather than the cedar oils repelling the moths. Oh well. I couldn't find any camphor at Sunshine Hardware so I will have to bring some with me next time.

I found a really cool Japanese sewing box. I'm sure it was Grandma's since she used to sew a lot, though not as much as Hilo Aunty who was a professional tailor. I was only able to get one drawer to open easily; I didn't want to force the others and break the handle. I will have to try again when I am not pressed for time.


Here's a look at the progress on the shelves.

July 28th.

Today, before lunch.

Refilled and covered with plastic curtains to keep the dust out.

One thing I noticed as I was wiping down the shelves before lunch is that they were built in after the rest of the house. Last night Lem said that Grandpa's friend Kwanji built all the kitchen cabinets, I wonder if he also built these shelves and the cabinet that used to be in the bathroom? (Lem said Grandpa paid Kwanji by giving him one of the steers he raised.)

You can see how the shelves were built around the battens. That's what it looked like in the old bathroom cabinets.

As soon as I finished wiping down the shelves I headed out to take some measurements at the church. I am helping Joy figure out how to get a ramp built so that people like Uncle Kazu & Joy's mother can get in to the church. When I got there & started taking measurements I disturbed the church cat's nap; later it went to check out my car as I was getting ready to leave. I don't think it was too happy with me.

This is where Joy would like the ramp to be located.

The church cat giving me the stink eye!

I met cousin Laurel & her husband William at L & L Barbecue for lunch; it just opened up in Kapa'au last Sunday! I have been told that it has been very popular, on the first day there was apparently a very long line. Today it was busy but no line. I forgot to get a picture of lunch and the building - you can't miss it, it's the most colorful building in town! I think they used every primary color there is!

While I was out I picked up some pin flags. The Aikane Nursery guys need to bring in a larger backhoe to dig out the the avocado stump as well as the grapefruit stump; they wanted to know where the cesspool is so they don't accidentally break the cover. I also marked the extension so that they know what plants need to be moved out of the way.

The northeast corner of the sewing room will be extended to pink flag seen here. The northwest corner will be behind the hapu'u fern in the background.

While I was out marking the cesspool I saw a cat come in from Jessie's yard. I moved behind the mountain apple tree so that my outline would be broken up & watched as the cat almost walked up to me!

It's spotted something.

It's caught something in the banana plant!

On the prowl again.

It still hasn't seen me.

"Oh, oh! What's that!"

"Yikes! Gotta get away!"

"Phew! That was too close for comfort."

After dinner I emptied the last 4 kitchen cabinets. Now everything is out of them and Chris can start fixing them. Tomorrow morning I will be gathering all the things on the getabako shelves to get those out of his way, too. I leave later in the evening.