JUNE MUSIC

                                                            JUNE MUSIC

I don’t recall if I’ve mentioned it in these letters, but one thing I’ve really missed since moving here (in addition to our friends) was knowing where to get my fix of music jams.  There are music performances in Hilo every weekend, and a lot of them are free, but what I really enjoy is taking part in the spontaneous creation of music.  Connecting with that has proven elusive.  The local 50’s café has an excellent string band on Friday nights and they have tolerated my harmonica on one occasion and invited me to do it again but I’m a little shy in that setting and eating is not compatible with harmonica.

Last Friday morning I did my monthly turn with the work party at the community park where the old Hakalau Sugar Mill used to be.  There were more workers and less work to be done than usual so we were starting lunch by 10:30 when a small Hawaiian fellow who I had not met before brings out a quality ukulele and starts playing.  Here you see this in parks in Hilo everyday but this man was a really excellent instrumentalist.  I asked him if I went home for my tub base and harmonicas if he would mind my joining in.  He was agreeable so I hurried home and although there was no music when I got back it resumed shortly and we all had a good time, some singing, another uke player, rattles, another tub player and the first guy, who says he will attend the Friday work parties again (so I might go every week to make sure I don’t miss him).

Saturday was also a special music event.  This one was in honor of Bob Dylan’s birthday and was an excellent performance of 28 of Dylan’s songs – better than Dylan because he was easier to understand and a better instrumentalist.  We attended the concert with neighbor friends and preceded it with a Thai restaurant dinner.

Each weekend we do an outdoor activity in addition to neighborhood walks and gardening and although there are many hikes we’d still like to see for the first time, I think we are still under the northern mode of if it is warm out we’d better take advantage by snorkeling.  Here it is so warm in the water now (74-84 depending on depth and currents) that we don’t really need the black Lycra shirts that we bought to keep warm in the winter water but I still wear mine to protect from sunburn and “reef rash” (scrapes on the rock reef).  I’ve added one pound ankle weights in addition to the 5 pound weight belt I’ve been wearing so it is easier to dive and to stay still on the bottom when I want to.  Another pound or two and I’ll be neutral buoyancy.

Through my gardening I’ve already met some nice older neighbors who are curious about who built my unusual garden and want to offer advice.  Most here use chemicals and insist that I will need to.  I am considering using herbicide on the trunks of some of the otherwise unstoppable invasive trees and I have already used a little chemical fertilizer on the bananas and fruit trees because I don’t have access to manure here except by the bag.  I do keep two composters going and also rake grass clippings from the road side for mulch when the county mows.  Today an old man who grew up down the street but now is in a retirement home came by to pick some “spoon" stage coconuts from the gully.  He came over to talk story when he saw me in my front garden and we visited for 20 minutes.  Unlike most, he understood the value of mulch feeding for the garden, especially in this time of drought.  His parents were from Portugal and he married a Hawaiian.  He has promised to return with some special seeds that have been favorites of his.  Another older man who lives down our street has been bringing me starts of trees and plants that he has proprogated .   It seems common that us old guys who believe in growing our own lack family to pass the skill on to.  Too sad.