tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-163867822011-12-14T16:43:42.344-10:00My life evolves around garden and Art of Tea as well as my loving wife.Takanoreply@blogger.comBlogger211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-49575647157230504992006-10-25T00:18:00.000-10:002006-10-25T00:29:46.350-10:00

We have mangoose problem raiding eggs from chicken.It must be real easy for them to just hear the chicken's loud opera of egg laying song and just steal the fresh eggs.I caught 3 mangooses (or mangeese? doesn't this sound silly) with a rabbit trap so far.They are pests.I can't think of anything good they do.Perhaps controlling our egg consumption so that we don't get too much choresterol.After I

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1150108229089677372006-06-12T00:12:00.000-10:002006-06-12T00:33:32.226-10:00

6/10 was King Kamehameha's Birthday.There was a parade in Kapaau near Hawi. Northern part of Big Island in Kohala.It is very small town, and was a small parade, but very cozy little parade.First, when we arrived before parade, Lei donated from some organizations were being hung on King Kamehameha Statue.In the end, the statue looked almost completely covered in Lei.It was sunny and warm, but

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1149675611387606792006-06-07T00:09:00.000-10:002006-06-07T00:20:11.400-10:00

It's been a year already since Kimberly and I went to China last year.I haven't studied much Chinese although I learned a lot of Chinese pop songs, or C-POP, that I can sing along without looking at anything.Just reflecting back on what I have accomplished.Hmmm, I don't have anything that I feel accomplished,but we moved to Hawaii, started our own farm, learned much about tea,and now we are

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1149069706299008782006-05-30T23:45:00.000-10:002006-05-31T00:15:44.563-10:00

She says, "It is usual to find roaches in bathroom and kitchen, but bedroom shouldn't have any roaches!"That's right. Kimberly found cockroach shuffling on the bedroom carpet.First thing, you cannot let it go! They are fast. If you let that thing go behind wall between a small gap, they ain't coming back. You gotta catch it right then.She yells, "Bring me a paper!"I wonder why paper.Anyway, I

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1146893878397346572006-05-05T19:28:00.000-10:002006-05-05T19:42:20.963-10:00

It's been a while since the last blog.Spring is here. things are getting a little bit too busy.Tea plants started growing much more vigorously as the days are getting warmer.Today I collected 1 gallon bucket full of chicken manure from the coop and field.This is really interesting process.I took an old spoon that was lying outside and a 1-gallon bucket.Just walking around in the front lawn and

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1143017246837312622006-03-21T22:38:00.000-10:002006-03-21T22:47:26.853-10:00

10 Chickens (9 hens + 1 rooster).They are about 1/2 year old. We are getting about 5-6 eggs a day.Pretty good.Occasionally I find soft shell eggs. Are they still good to eat?Looks like those chickens just need more calcium, but it could be more than that.Kim got crushed oyster shell, but they don't like it much.

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1139705808771580682006-02-11T14:49:00.000-10:002006-02-11T14:56:48.773-10:00

We have a beautiful neighbor living in a giant Eucalyptus tree across the street.His name is Jake.He comes to our yard to spend time with our chickens.Bachelor Jake has no Peacock friends.Lonely peacock.Ocassionaly, we see Jake opens up his feather like a fan.He does not have any female peacock friends to show the beauty of his feather...so he does it to chickens.Our chickens don't really have

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1139704543700968212006-02-11T14:19:00.000-10:002006-02-11T14:45:44.060-10:00

Finally, Our chicken laid a first egg.The chicken is still small so the egg was tiny too, but it was fresh.It was a brown egg.It had a beautiful sun color yolk.It started in late morning. Brown chicken started to make a funny noise.Kimberly sensed something."I bet the chicken is ready to lay an egg!"She brought a cardboard box for the chicken to sit in it, but the chicken is not happy so she

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1134472218809897062005-12-13T00:51:00.000-10:002006-01-16T08:52:14.883-10:00

She comes home terrified.She trusted dogs, but the life is not that simple. 1+1 is not alway 2.She says that the typical story is of postman, but over here in Hawaii they deliver from their cars, thus not much freedom for dog bites.Realtors are eazy victim, especially the ones who walk right up to dogs and tell them, "Bite me".She does not believe that dogs are dangerous animals. Sharp fangs and

Takanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1132608892813047972005-11-21T11:26:00.000-10:002005-11-21T11:34:52.840-10:00

finally after 3 long months of growing period, we got first cucumber yesterday. looks great and taste great! the peel is a little tough, but wild grown cucumber. What do ya expect?I see many flowers and small fruits. Low fertilization and no till style encourages the plants to grow strong and adapt the environment. It is slow to start, but once they have their root established, it is very

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1129874189963122582005-10-20T19:31:00.000-10:002005-10-20T19:57:41.816-10:00

Bee sting hurts and everybody knows that.Some people use bee stings as some kind of theraputic purpose, but it's not that this time.Just like everyday she was taking care of the baby chikens with lots of love.They went over the fence by our garden to our neighbor's yard, which is not a big deal because they never use that part of the land and it is overgrown ginger patch.Kimberly was concerned

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1129708134553888922005-10-18T21:42:00.000-10:002005-10-18T21:48:54.560-10:00

Today Nikki bird was a little sad as usual because she is ... lone-ly-and I got the little ones loose in the evening, and nikki started picking on them.Perhaps she is not very good at showing her excitement of being with other chickens.She picked one little guy so hard that the little one was crying and a feather came off.Well, I just had to accept the natural order of chicken world, but Kimberly

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1129366257630306972005-10-14T22:45:00.000-10:002005-10-14T23:04:46.166-10:00

Dear wife,I removed our ceiling to provide wind break for my new tea plants and roof for our chikens.They look very happy. I am guessing that you will be happy for them too.Instead you got some nice recessed lights which are not really recessed without ceiling.Just to let you know that life is still goooooood... and I can hear you singing in the bath like a little innocent thing.

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1129365810760428472005-10-14T22:37:00.000-10:002005-10-14T22:43:30.766-10:00

We got a new home for the little chikens.They are growing fast and now it's harder to catch 'em.They are looking good.Once they are old enough, they can go free range.Nikki is 90% free range.We don't even bother to put her back in her home at night.She doesn't like it there anyway.

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1127729845542384652005-09-25T20:45:00.000-10:002005-09-30T08:29:07.236-10:00

Nikki?Facts about Araucana.Araucana breed is from South America near northern Chile so she must be latin.Not Nicole, must be Nikita(?). (Ok I dont know much spanish or latin).Araucana lays pale green to blue eggs and the eggs are highly valued. This is why this chicken is quite popular.Why Nikki? My wife asked me once. This is actually a funny question.It is like asking why are you Kimberly?

Takanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1126863046963112982005-09-15T20:23:00.000-10:002005-09-15T23:37:03.266-10:00

Through an Open Window, gentle breeze brings refreshing scent of Night Blooming Jasmin.Sweet and delightful, I thought it was ginger flower at first.I remember the photo I took during the day time that the flower is actually not open as if it is ashamed to lose its scent.

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1126554150418221112005-09-11T21:23:00.000-10:002005-09-12T09:42:31.486-10:00

There are many different kinds of Tea we can grow on Big Island. What are good choices?Taiwan-Oolong, yellow-mountain Green tea (Huang Shang mao feng), Dragon well Green Tea (long jin) are basic choices, but if we are to grow for our own industry, perhaps we should come up with our own unique variety and flavor.Researchers are pushing their choices of Taiwan tea, because they can fetch the high

Takanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1126473441969293342005-09-11T11:11:00.000-10:002005-09-12T09:43:51.476-10:00

Kimberly does not know yet. I got baby Chickens too.10 of them! This will start a big family.There are three kinds and they all lay brown eggs.They do not have names yet, but so cute....

Takanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1126012987915737792005-09-05T20:00:00.000-10:002005-09-06T03:23:07.930-10:00

When Kimberly and I visited Tibetan Tribal region in Sechuan, China, we bought some Tibetan prayer flags, a lot of them.Finally, we arrived at our new home in Hawaii and searched all over our land to open the prayer flags. We cleared some guava trees that tends to overcrowd beautiful native Ohia trees.Ohia trees are very artistic in its own nature. They extend their arms high and wide allowing

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1126010255947490612005-09-05T19:04:00.000-10:002005-09-06T02:49:26.726-10:00

I took some photos of Ginger flowers behind my house.more ginger photos.

Takanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16386782.post-1125964311834793192005-09-04T13:50:00.000-10:002005-09-06T16:02:41.760-10:00

Today I was clearing the ginger patch to make more garden space as usual.There are a lot of pleasant surprises as well as unpleasant.I was taking some photos of the garden and decided to climb up an old platform (about 4 ft high) that felt sound enough, but when I was about to leap off the platform, it suddenly broke and I couldn't help falling in..., eating it!But you know that the greatest

Takanoreply@blogger.com1