You can't beat this, it's a rainbow greeting me yesterday morning after 3 weeks off-island in NY
After my morning walk to the Pacific and back, I quickly went to see what progress had been made in my absence. Our contractor and his crew had already finished framing on the ground level in the main house, and built the posts and joists for the deck and flooring to go in on the second level. It's starting to look like a house! They also built the catchment tank (we're totally off the grid, and will catch and purify rainwater in the tank), and hooked up the backup generator. (this is for the solar system to charge our batteries in case there's an extended rainy period and we can't make enough power for the houses). Below are a few pictures to show the progress on the house, tank and generator. After that, I thought you'd like to see just a selection of what was blooming yesterday. There are a bunch of different vireyas showing off their blooms, and numerous other flowers brightening the jungle that Robert has tamed. Enjoy, aloha!
Catchment water tank and generator in foreground
Completing the joists for the second story flooring and deck
10 foot high ceilings make the two guest BRs and bathrooms more airy and light-filled
Hey Robert, you're a landscape designer, you better change the view from this guest bedroom!
View from the other guest BR
Da Ocean view...from downstairs, wait til the upstairs is done!
View of the house from the master BR suite
Downstairs lanai taking shape, it's 8 feet all the way around the whole house
Lots of lumber ready to be put to use!
The concrete foundation for what will eventually be a shady hale to nap or have refreshments
View of the main house from bottom of our driveway
We're pickling the interior wood before it goes up
View from where the bed in the master bedroom suite will be
All the flowers in the pictures below were blooming yesterday, April 30, 2014. And they're just a sampling of what's in bloom!
Vireya
Vireya trail -I'll do a whole blog about this later!
Azaleas are blooming soon in NY, but this one in HI is blooming now!
New ginger just planted last month
Pride of Burma tree with orchid-like flowers
Dictionary definition of "florabundant" - angel trumpet flower tree going nuts!
We love this recently purchased plant but can't remember the name...any suggestions?
Three months after Robert and I arrived in Hawaii, all the permits are in place, the foundations are poured, electrical and plumbing is roughed in, and framing has begun! Our builder Bob Kirk tells me we have completed the last inspection "for a long time" and that progress will occur much faster. I am away now for a couple weeks in NY, and by the time I get back, framing will be well underway and maybe even close to done at least on the main house.
So far there have been no big surprises. The subcontractors Bob Kirk chose have all been good, and they have been going as fast as they can despite all the delays for inspections.
Gonzalo Herrera was my guest in Hawaii in April along with his husband Jose. Gonzalo is an accomplished photographer. First there's a link to Gonzalo's pictures of our land. Take a look and comment if you like them! Oh, by the way, our property is a working farm which we have named Kikala Keokea Farms. Note: you need to put your cursor over the link below then click the option that pops under that says, "Go to link"
After work by the electrician, plumber, solar electrician, termite sprayer, our contractor and his workers, and the excavator and the forming/concrete guys, and many visits from the Portapotty guy (hey, it's an important job site service too!), today was a long awaited milestone for us. The first part of the concrete was poured for the foundation of our master suite! Gee, I didn't know concrete could be sexy, but when it's the foundation of the house you've been dreaming of for many years, it's very, very exciting to watch it being poured and take shape as the slab of your house!
Tomorrow Carl and his foundation crew return, along with the concrete truck guy, to finish pouring the slabs for the main house and the hale in the jungle. Bob Kirk, our contractor, is already stacking lumber to dry so it can be ready for the pickling process that's going on all the exposed Douglas Fir. Next week, if we don't get too much rain (BTW, average rainfall in April in our area is >10 inches), Bob and his crew will start framing the main house and the master suite.
Below is a video of the pour, followed by a few shots taken today of the crew working. Also included are some beauty shots of the garden from today.
I have to hurry and finish this so I can go swim in the Pacific, it's a beautiful day today!
Mushrooms after the evening showers
Cement truck arriving, note the size of the agave in the foreground!
Carl signaling the cement truck to start backing up for the pour!
Vanda orchid with air plants below it, lashed to a palm tree.
Cariota Gigas palm tree (which grows to be enormous!) and view toward the driveway.
Looking up towards the house pad from around an island of palms and bamboo.
