Testing the waters as the pool is being built

In nine quick days since the first blog about our new pool, the foundation was leveled and the pool set up last week. Earlier this week a concrete wall was built in front of the pool to prevent erosion and provide support for the pool frame. We added 14,500 gallons of water on Saturday, and have been swimming daily since then.

The deck supports are complete. Today our contractor Eric Knowlton and his crew started on the  decking which will embrace the pool on three sides. The ocean side will be a "faux infinity edge" (no water falls over it, that would be too much of a drain on our solar system). It's perfect for propping your elbows on from the water while you gaze at the Pacific in the distance!

Our house is completely offgrid, so the pool is as well. We doubled the capacity of our solar system to accommodate the new poolwater pump, and to give us more spare amps for the house. Our original solar contractor Jeremiah Augustine from Lightworkers Electric upgraded us by switching 8 new batteries out for the 8 original ones. The new technology gives us twice the amps with the same number of batteries, and for less cost than the original, lower capacity ones.

As all this pool work has been progressing, we've also been tending to the 11+ acres of jungle and gardens around the house. Despite predictions of a long drought starting in December, we've had our usual multiple rainstorms pretty much daily. We can watch the rain clouds gather over the Pacific then roll toward our house, soak the new plants (and us if we're in the garden), and then look for rainbows as the rain recedes. We get 120 inches (300 cm) of rain per year. It rarely rains for long periods of time, so we welcome the nourishing water for the plants.

Here are a few photos of the pool construction, then a brief video of the water being added, and some garden shots as well. Enjoy!

Me supervising, it's very hard work!

It takes a lot of workers to build a pool!

Making sure the foundation is perfectly level

The pool laid out, ready to be lifted onto the frame supports

Aaron the electrician pointing to where the switch for the pool perimeter rope lights will go

Tammy delivered 3 and 1/2 truckloads of water. She's pictured with Ricky White, Eric Knowlton, and Nohea.

Adding salt to make the pool a saltwater pool.
It's deceptively low tech to manage once it gets to steady state. 

Today, adding the first part of the Trex decking. Nohea and Ed. 

Kevin McGuire, our pool systems guy, working on the saltwater pump

The house and master suite through the new garden we planted only in January this year. 

The jungle pavilion built by menehunes, well really by Eric, while Robert and I were back in NY.
Note the posts made from the same Ohi'a trees that are the predominant tree on our land. 

Master suite from the new garden

Queen Emma lily, a reliable bloomer

Robert about to go in the pool for the first swim. 

Native flowering plant. 

Ti plant leaves aglow with red and green. 

Another good omen, a praying mantis took up residence shortly after we erected the pool. 

Bitter melon, an obnoxious but pretty weed,  alongside sapphire showers bush

Sunrise today

Double rainbow between our main house and the master suite

From Plan to Plunge in Four Weeks: Adding a Pool to our HI Home

It's been a while since I posted, here's a short recap. Robert Welsch and I bought our 11 acres in HI in 2005. We started planting the landscaping in 2007 and 2008. And in 2014, we started, finished and moved into our new home right before New Years. We enjoyed living in it all Winter 2015, then returned to NY from March until early December.

Many friends and family who toured our new house and gardens had the same comment,
"Where's the pool going to go?"

We would laugh and never really considered having a pool until we saw a very nice one at a friend's house nearby. They built an above ground pool nestled into a hillside, with a deck all around it. And that's exactly what we're doing right now. Robert designed the pool using graph paper, then had our Westover Landscape Design crew do a 3D view for us. Here's what it looks like in the rendering:

Our construction crew broke ground and did much of the excavation before we got out here December 2 for our winter stay. Last week much of the framing for the deck was completed along with the retraining walls for the sides of the pool. This week we are leveling the area where the pool will be placed. Next week the deck will be built. After that we add water, hook up the pump and salt infusion system (it's a salt water pool), and add some batteries to our solar system to accommodate the new power draw.

Then, if we're lucky and no big surprises occur, we expect to be plunging into our pool in time for New Years!

Here are some pics of the start of the project, and a short video of where we are as of today.

Video: PS you need to copy and paste the URL below to your browser to open it. 

It may be operator error, but I'm blaming Google Blogger!

https://youtu.be/C6_lhS4DbGE

We moved in and LOVE it!

Eleven months after breaking ground, we moved in on December 29, 2014. A big 'mahalo" (thank you in Hawaiian) goes out to our contractor Bob Kirk and his team for making it all happen.

We have been busy setting up the master suite and guest bedrooms first, and the kitchen, living room and lanai sitting areas second. It seems that every time you think you've bought what you need for a room, one or two more items come up in a "oh yeah, we need one of those" moment. We've been spending a lot of time on buying trips in Hilo, our closest big city, and online. Amazon and Macy's seem to be on a first name basis with me!

Since we're totally off-grid, setting up the solar, catchment water purification, satellite internet, and cell phone antenna extenders has been my focus. Mostly everything is working seamlessly so far, except I am writing this while on extended hold with Exede satellite internet tech support. We keep losing connectivity, but I am sure I will figure it out soon. Any IT geeks who want to help will be on top of the list for next year's guests ;-)

We had our first dinner at our new home picnic style with my great-nephew Nicholas Moll. I included some pictures of our adventures across the island with Nick. He was bitten by the Hawaii bug, and has a yearlong plan to save enough to move here from Portland, Maine. Hawaii is a magical place- and even more magical now that we are in our own tropical home! Aloha!

PS The first five shots are from our friend and guest photographer Greg Sharpe. He's very, very talented, thanks Greg!

Robert, our friend Howard, and me on the lanai

After these five photos from Greg, the rest are my shots. 

Robert assembling our bed

Great-nephew Nick helping assemble the master hale bed.

Robert at sunrise yesterday.

Outdoor dining on the lanai.

Master hale.

Master hale bathroom.

Guest bedroom suite one, all ready for Robert's Dad, Bill and his girlfriend Vonnie who arrive January 19. We are honored to have them as our first guests!

Second view of bedroom.
By the way, there's another guest bedroom. It's where we're storing all the stuff that will find a place within a few weeks when our next set of guests arrive in February. For now, we need the storage!

Outdoor shower, long view. This is what I see when I shower every day. Well, at least if I need a shower ;-)

View across our master hale to garden.

Master hale.

Sunrise with ocean view this morning.

Guest bathroom shower.

Nick at Waipio Valley.

Nick joining Robert and me for our first meal, picnic style, at our almost completed house!

Nick taste testing three sugary concoctions. 

Nick, Robert and me at Waipio Valley.