Trench Digging

Now that we have gutters, we need to connect the downspouts to supply lines that connect to the water tank.  The supply lines are placed in trenches.  The ground here is mainly gravel-sized rocks with a lot of larger rocks and a little bit of soil.  The digging is done mainly with a pickaxe.

Bubble Tile Finished

Installation of the bubble tile was completed today.

Almost done

Finished

 We often see these cattle egrets around and on the cows in the pasture.

Hall Bathroom Border Tile

In line with our aquatic theme for the hall bathroom, we decided to use a glass bubble tile as the border around the mural (of course, the tile had to be special ordered and took several weeks to get.  The tile comes on 12 x 12 meshes that fit together, but individual tiles have to be placed all along the edges to get a (relatively straight line).

Tom, our tile installer, putting up the bubble tile.

Closeup

This Black Witch Moth spent most of the day on a window screen (it's about 7 inches across).

Mural in Hall Bath

Today the mural in the hall bath was installed.  We obtained a photo of the fish, edited it more to our liking (we moved some of the fish around and changed their shapes a little), and then sent it to a custom tile-making company, which shipped our mural to us just a few weeks later.

Tiling Nearly Done

The tiling in the master bath is done (except for in the niche and the grouting).

The red in the niche is a water-proofing treatment.

 

Back of the shower with shelf

Tiling in Master Bath

The tiling work in the master bath was started.  The tiles are "rainforest" granite.

Front of the shower

Side (with niche) and back

The lanai has become a storage and garbage area, giving it that nice, lived-in feel.

The gutters were installed on Saturday, but they're not hooked up to the water tank yet (have to dig some trenches first), but we got our first good flow of water today.

Bathroom Counter & Sink

The hall bathroom counter and sink were installed today.  The granite is "Blue Pearl" (it has blu-ish highlights that do not show up well in the photos).

We also got an electrician to temporarily hookup the hot water heater, so now we can take hot showers!

Insect Control

This Hawaiian Garden Spider (Argiope apensa) has been living in and near the kitchen window for several months. We finally saw it catch something.  The spider is about 2.5 inches long and is non-poisonous and harmless.

The zig-zag portions of the web are known as stabilimenta and are thought to be warnings to birds that may accidentally fly into and destroy the web and/or insect attractants (they reflect ultraviolet light).

 

(Re-) Moving Day

We were unable to extend our rental any longer, so we had to pack up all out stuff yet again and move into our semi-finished house.  The electricity has been hooked up for a while, but none of the finish work has been done, so there are no outlets, lights, etc. inside the house--everything has to be run from extension cords that are plugged into temporary outlets at the outside circuit breaker box.

Some of our stuff piled up in the bedroom (with extension cord from outside coming through the window)

Fortunately, we have a working toilet (at long as we keep the water pump plugged in), and the kitchen sink works, so we have a source of water.  The shower fixtures also installed, so the showers work (although they are not tiled yet and we have to keep plastic on the walls). Unfortunately, the hot water heater runs on 240V and can't just be plugged in, so we have no hot water.

Work on the kitchen counters continued, and the second piece was installed and the holes were cut for the sink and the cooktop, and then the sink and faucet were installed.

The hall bathroom vanity was installed and prepared for counter installation.

Kitchen Cabinets & Counter

The kitchen (floor) cabinets and one part of the counter were installed.

First Day of Work

After spending several weeks getting multiple vaccinations, two TB tests, and undergoing an evaluation by a physical therapist (to confirm the ability to lift approximately 50 pounds), Diana began her new job as a IT technician at the Kaiser Permanente Hilo Clinic. 

The new office is in an unfinished wing of the building. She is the only person working in this wing. The rest is being used for storage. A bit rustic, but it's very private.

On a Clear Day

You can see the telescopes on Mauna Kea.

The view from the highway, heading towards Hilo

Side Door Installed

The side (kitchen) door of the house was installed, and the house is now more or less secure.  We bought the doors (including the front doors), which are made of solid mahogany, as unfinished and unhung doors, and Mitch (our builder) spent many, many hours sanding, staining, finishing, boring, and hanging them.

Door and sidelight (with masking tape still on)

 Detail of the wood grain

We also got the toilet in the hall bathroom installed--we can even flush it, but we have to keep the pump that maintains the water pressure plugged in (by extension cord).

After waiting more than eight weeks for tile that we ordered (it was supposed to take "three to four weeks" for delivery), we finally got the tile for the front and back of the shower in the hall bath and the wall of the master bath.

Tile waiting to be installed

Black & White Night in Hilo

The bathroom tile was grouted, and now the floor is done.

Tile detail

I spend the afternoon putting together the kitchen cabinets.

Floor cabinets

Wall cabinets

Each year, Hilo hosts its annual Black and White Night. Many stores and other businesses host music of some sort, and many businesses stay open late and provide (very limited) snacks.  People are encouraged to wear black and white.

An a capella group in the lobby of the Palace Theater

Guitarist in an art gallery

Ukelele player in another gallery

Young jugglers

In front of the supermarket

Another group in the Palace Theater

Exterior of the Palace

While wandering around, we came across these giant Great Pyrenees

The owner of the Pyrenees also had a third dog--the white chihuahua. The chihuahua was excited to meet a dog even smaller than him, but he played a little too aggressively for the other dog. The owner said it was because he's accustomed to playing with the big dogs.

That night's moon