Farmers' Market

KCC Farmers' Market opens Saturdays at 7:30 (with a gong!) and I was told to get there by 7. Made it by 8, and saw why--parking! The entry promised rows of goodies, and yes, there were LOTS of flowers, here only two stalls' worth. Cooked food of all kinds, local drinks, fruits, vegetables, bread, coffee, plate lunches, fried green tomatoes--row upon row of goodies! People meandering, on Island time, and long lines at the two vegetable stalls. 100% Kona coffee sells out in the first 15 minutes! The curly leaf lettuce was already gone at 8:30! Almost got bitter melon, but held off, maybe next week.

Drummers and Lion Dancers, a white-maned one and a black-maned one, with people sticking dollar bills into their mouths for luck in the New Year of the Rat. Of course I got a cup of coffee, Molokai, said to be as good as Kona, from the same sort of red berry, but I am going to stick with Kona (luckily I found 100% Kona coffee at Long's later in the afternoon, and at half the price--but who knows about the real value). At my choice of food stalls, I got the Egyptian Chicken Vegetable Curry plate lunch for a couple meals. May get several different dishes next time as the person next to me was doing--food through Monday! The market's bounty: got Ho'omaluhia honey after tasting 3 types; Ho'omaluhia is from banana blossom, java plum and coconut! Perfect with Country Olive bread.
Basil, mint, chives, edamame, fruits and veggies, fresh from gardens, a treat! The sweet lemons are as big as a tangerine and have green peel. Yum yum.

Kona Coffee

Been wishing I could run into some Kona coffee in this Land of the Starbucks. Oops, my friend has Kona coffee in her fridge and a coffee maker on her counter. Duh. So, Day 9, the treat at last! Yes, it does take a week (or longer) to "settle" enough to live large!

The Kona breakfast coffee seems to have reminded the sun to come on out and banish the rain from the night and early morning, of course with the usual rainbow just outside the French doors. Alas, dryish for only a couple of hours until just after lunch, when torrential rains, not just tropical showers, began again. They seemed to have stopped in the early evening so I went for a walk to get some exercise and got soaked by more torrential rains instead. Waded through ankle-deep rivers coming back up the hill--I give up, gym here I come. Honolulu Club (has similar machines, etc. to Alaska Club) is $250 for one month short-term! So, Curves it'll be, at only $61. Cardio? Maybe wet walks will be the way? My friend says she's walked on the beach under an umbrella--may just have to go that route!

To top off the day, the neighbors must be Chinese-related because they set off massive fireworks about 7:30--I thought it was a shoot-out and ducked down from the windows and heaven knows where Piha is--she scooted out of here fast! Then I saw the fireworks in the garden just below and got it--Happy Year of the Rat!