Fixed .....Maybe

I’ve upgraded to a newer iPad, so it looks like I’m back in business. It’s still an older iPad, but it has the latest OS and browsers on it. As long as it works, I’m happy. So I’m just now checking out how this thing works. It’s a bit different, but not all that different.  So I should catch on without much difficulty. It does annoy me that some new programmer trying to be a hotshot goes and changes things meaninglessly. Like a thingy that was on the upper left of the screen now is on the upper right. Huh? Why? To me that’s like buying a newer version of my pickup truck and finding that the brake pedal is now on the right instead of the left. Or perhaps moving the “e” key on the keyboard to the other side. Doesn’t make sense. Why change something that already works just fine? Oh well, guess I’m just a dinosaur. Anyway, I’ll just have to get use to the changes, since I haven’t been given a choice. My only condolence is knowing that when those young programmers get old in the future, they’ll be annoyed when somebody comes along and changes things on them. I can only wish that they are considerably inconvenienced! 

Tomorrow I’ll try uploading photos, entering text, and publishing. 

Green Tomatoes

Lots of green tomatoes at the moment. But the plants are starting to get diseases. So while I'm assured ripe tomatoes for the next couple weeks, I don't know what while happen by mid September. I might lose the plants by then. Such is farming.....no guarantees. 

Red Bananas

A small bunch of red bananas, still a month away from harvest. Our favorite banana for serving with yogurt or using in smoothies. The peels are reddish, but not the flesh. The flesh is a deeper or stronger yellow than regular bananas. To us, they taste more banana-y. 

Taro in the Rain

 The homestead farm has seen 45 inches of rain so far this year. Almost all of it has been in light amounts of night time rains. The result is that the ground is always wet to some degree or other, Mosses grow everywhere, the grass and plants are growing exceptionally well....except of course for those varieties that don't like their feet wet. I'm living in a rainforest now. 

Every morning the taro leaves look so pretty covered in rain drops. 

This variety is termed Zuike. Not Hawaiian. The unique characteristic of this one is that it is so low in oxalates that one could eat it raw! I'm finding that it grows really well with lots of rain. 

Having Trouble with Blogger

Let it be known that I have old computers using old operating systems. Normally that doesn't bother me. Heck, I'm old myself and managing to get along well enough, thank you. But Google is upgrading Blogger and I find that I'm now a dinosaur. The new Blogger doesn't play with my iPhone or iPad. It works extremely slowly with my desk top computer. I use Safari on the phone and tablet, and the new blogger isn't functional at all. I tried using Chrome on the desk top and it's as slow as molasses at the North Pole. So hubby is going to install a different browser on the desktop and see if I can get Blogger to work. Then next step will be to upgrade my iPad. I've been planning on doing that but haven't gotten around to it. This will prompt me to get off my duff and get it done. 

New Piglets

 The new piglets have settled into their new home, and are doing well. They play with their blankets, rags, and toys. They are little gluttons about the food. They're still shy of me, but with time they will come to know that I'm the giver food and toys. 

I didn't think I'd have piglets again. I didn't go out looking for these. A friend is moving and needed to give these little guys to someone. So I took them. I figured that if I couldn't handle them, I'd give them to somebody else. But so far, so good. Perhaps this group will be my last set of piglets. Time will tell. 

Apples

Apples aren't common in Hawaii, at least those being locally grown. But there are low chill varieties that will grow here. I can't say that they're great fresh eating apples, but they are passable. And any apple you can grow on your own land is something special, enough to overlook the downsides. 

My main problem with growing apples are frequent attacks by the Chinese rose beetle. Those beetles can devastate a tree, setting it back. The trees recover, but the loss of leaves takes it toll. And for the first time this year, pollination was way down. Next year I'll try hand pollination. 

Right now my trees have young apples on them. They're not ready to harvest yet even though they look red. Adam made the mistake of picking them last year way too early, just because they looked red. According to prior experience, the apples should be ready sometime in September. 

Mamaki

I grow mamaki in the semi shade. The plant seems to prefer living along the margins of a woods. While it also grows ok in full sun, the semi shade plants produce bigger leaves. Mamaki is in the nettle family, and thus is good for making tea. 

Red Swan Beans

Red Swan .... A variety of fresh snap beans that I find is easy to grow. And the fact that the pods are reddish in color, makes the, very easy to find when picking. 

Very pretty pink flowers. 

Photo Parade

Life is such that I don't have the extra time to devote to blogging. I have choices to be made and priorities to set. I've put blogging way low on the list. Caring for friends and my community is far more important to me. Keeping my homestead farm going is a bit lower on my list, but also real important.

This pandemic is taking a significant toll on people. Not everyone, for sure. The covidiots seem to be living life as usual, since many of them didn't have steady jobs before the lockdown either. So outside of fighting mask wearing and social distancing, their lives are pretty much the same. They just can't join the crowd that is bemoaning their loss of income. But for everyone else, this pandemic has changed a lot of things. And after many months, it is wearing some of us down....way down. I'm seeing depression developing in many of the people I help out. 

Hubby and I are surviving ok. I'm just busy. By evening I'm tired out. Thus, no blogging. 

I propose that in place of blogging for awhile, I'll post photos from my farm. Photos are quick and easy. They don't require thinking. Don't require much time.