My Turn to Leave

I usually arrive a day before anyone else so that I can clean things up and get ready for the visitors. I usually leave the day after everyone so that I can clean up and close things up. This time I was unable to get here before Aunty Florence & Tomiko since Curtis was in Alaska, so they opened things up. But I was the last one to leave on Tuesday.

Living room furniture covered and ready for hibernation.

In my previous visit, on June 3rd I started a batch of salted limes; I apparently did not use enough salt, the top layers got a little moldy so I threw that batch out when I arrived this time. I started another batch of salted limes on Saturday morning; I put more salt this time, then set it out at the end of the ramp to sit in the sun. Lem said we needed to use green limes, but the limes this time were ripe because it was so late in the season. (They seemed to work, Tomiko used some ripe ones that we had started last summer.) The limes need to be shaken a couple times a day. Hopefully, I put enough salt and they'll be fine when I return in week or so. (They're in the house while I'm gone, sitting in a south-facing window.) Now I need to find a great tagine recipe! (The chicken tagine appears to use salted lemons; other tagines use other ingredients. I guess I just need to find recipes for salted lemons or limes.)

I went to CSC Cafe for breakfast. And to say good bye to Lem. He was there with his friend Nelson. Later I went to see Uncle Kazu. On the way out of town, I stopped at the Island Gas & Go at the bottom of the hill. I had noticed that the gas in Kona was $3.10/gallon, while Aloha Gas was only $2.99/gallon. On top of that, Jessie told me if you go on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday its 6 cents off each gallon if you have an Aloha Gas card. I stopped for an application. It turns out if you pay with an Aloha Gas card you get 5 cents off each gallon; and on Monday, Wednesday & Friday it's an additional 6 cents off so its $2.88/gallon. And if you pay your total balance off each month its an additional 3 cents off each gallon! If I fill up in Kohala, then top it off in Kawaihae, it is full enough to return to the rental without going in to Kona through the traffic jam. Winner!

On my way in to the plane I noticed that they don't trim the coconuts at the airport. Perhaps they think they are far enough away from where people are at so they won't hit anyone if they fall.


Happy Belated Birthday to Yupa!