Birthday and Driving

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. We had a really nice party on the NCL beach north of the anchorage. Teuta and Ruby came down and Tonera and family from the fuel depot came to as well as Bold Spirit, Swell, Elise and Southern Cross.

There was too much food, Trinda made a chocolate cake with fudge icing, beef & onions over rice and hearts of palm salad. others brought raw coconut fish, fried tuna and other small fish, octopus and Te Varo spaghetti, fried breadfruit and several more. We made a bonfire on the beach and drank a little wine, beer and green coconut (mui moto) plus lots of water.

While I was looking for wood for the fire, mostly dry palm tree parts, I scratched my shin a little. I didn't notice it at first. We went spear fishing the next day and I swam for maybe 3 hours. Yesterday I noticed the scratches were large, red and angry looking so I started on antibiotics and salve. It will be a few days before I can get it wet again.

Tearibwa and husband came yesterday, just as we were trying to decide if we should borrow the NCL bikes and pedal down to see them. It has been 2 weeks since they last came. They brought a large stalk of green bananas. Trinda and she crocheted all day. He doesn't speak hardly any English, so he watched me epoxy a broke lamp/flashlight back together. We fixed them a nice lunch. We had a steak in the freezer that was thawing out so we had to eat it. They loved it. Not much beef here since there is
no refrigeration since not much electricity on the island. Also pancakes, fresh squash (pumpkin) from Ruby, rice and octopus.

We took them back across to the other side and waited with them for the school kids' truck. We discovered they like to play cards! So next time we get together we'll play cards instead of me and her husband just sitting while Trinda and Tearibwa sew.

Today Tauta drove down to deliver a ladies church group to the ferry to go to the other side. He wanted to go fishing so he asked me if I could drive a car. I said yes. He asked if I would wait for 2:00 and drive the ladies back to his house then. He said (I'm almost sure) that he would fish and take his boat back up to his house and I would meet him there.

Well we had a nice ride up. It is about 5 miles, but the road is so bad that it took just over an hour to get there without throwing the old ladies out the back ouf the flatbed truck! It is a 2 ton Toyota. Then we found Ruby at her school. She had no idea why I had her truck. I explaned then we went to her house to wait, since Tauta wasn't there yet. We had tea and dried breadfruit soaked in boiling water with shreaded coconut and sugar. We also had a kind of smoked/dried tuna. It was a nice snack.
Still no Tauta. At sundown we went to the beach where he is supposed to bring his boat. No one has seen him. Ruby is getting worried. We drive back to her house and another truck pulls up and says Tauta is waiting at the ferry dock beside our boat!

So Trinda and I drive his truck back. Bold Spirit and Swell have fed them supper and kept them entertained while they waited. They and caught several tuna and gave us a nice fillet. I just had some sushimi.

What we had here was a lack of communication!

(no subject)

Just when you think that nothing else can go wrong, the last fan belt breaks for the generator!

At least the Kwai hasn't left yet. Maybe they will remember to get me some spares.

I borrowed a bicycle again yesterday. Borau, the boy from Southern Cross went with me. We pedaled the 5 miles up to the North end where Teuta and Ruby have the bee hive. I was so tired when we got there I couldn't even look at the bees. It took 20 minutes sitting in the shade and a quart of water before I could stand up. These 12 year-olds pedal faster than I can!

The bees are in the box still. Teuta moved them to his house and put them under a tree in the yard. I opened a few of the top bars. I couldn't see in very well to see how they were coming, if they were building hive from the top bars, so I stuck in my camera and took a few snaps. Even the flash didn't seem to bother them much.

But no, they are still only working the old hive laying in the bottom of the box. I just looked it up, it has only been 9 days! I guess I expected them to move faster! I wish we had been able to get just the bees without the old hive, but that's the way it goes.

We had a pot-luck at Borau's stepfather's house last night. We met the guy on the other boat finally, Chris on Elise. Seems like a nice guy. The girls, Trinda, Borau's sister, step-sister, mother, Lorraine and Liz of Swell all played cards and jacks. Us guys just talked and had a few beers. They have one of two ducks on the island of Fanning! There used to be a papa duck too, but he didn't make it. It was really funny to watch the duck and a dog rub each others neck while waiting to try to steel
food from the pig. His trough is between the cooking fire and the table. Borau's mother fried breadfruit and fresh fish while this was going on! It was a nice night and all the food was good.

Just Another Day

We were having our morning coffee when I looked back and noticed the two smaller solar panels were not there! I asked Trinda if she had seen them lately, but she didn't really remember. They were held on with hose clamps, since 2000 in San Diego. Sure enough half of one hose clamp was still there. The wind was strong a while last night. It must have been too much for them. The stainless clamps had rusted through!

We are anchored in only 12 feet of water, but it is never very clear. So we suited up and started snorkeling. Liz on Swell noticed us and swam over too. She had been cleaning her boat bottom. She helped a lot, she found them and even got a rope tied on them before I could get back in the water. These kids are better at holding their breath than us old folks!

Trinda had been trimming the cabbage we've had since Hawaii, and threw her favorite knife over with the peels, while I was getting my suit on to look for the panels. I didn't find it. The visibility was only about 2 feet here this morning.

After I got the panels up and rinsed them off, I noticed the inverter was flashing an error code. I started checking it. I had to take out all the canned food from 3 shelves, unscrew 2 shelves and take out the inverter to just get the lid open to look. I didn't find anything obvious! Darn! I then turned it back on and measured the volts. Only 96 volts. That was the cause of the error code. Well, the only thing we have that has to have the inverter is the computer. All the power tools and Trinda's
cake mixer can live without being used if they have too. I checked the power adapter for the computer and it says it is good from 100 to 240 volts, so we'll limp along for a while.

We may have to stay here another few weeks to order a backup inverter. The Kwai supply ship is planning on leaving Hawaii on May 28 for the next trip here. That would make us miss getting to Samoa for the June 28th trip to Seattle...

Almost Bees

I did borrow a bike Friday afternoon. Trinda insisted that we do a boat project first. We re-caulked the cleet on the side of the boat that we think was leaking water into one of the cabinets and a couple of windows and the trim above the windows. These boats just seem to LEAK!!

So I didn't get started til after 3:00. It is at least 5 miles up there, so I was peddling hard. After only 2 miiles, I was getting tired, but I looked up and saw a truck coming. It was Teuta. They were out gathering coconuts to feed the pigs and dog. And some green ones to drink. So I stopped and helped them instead of going on up to see his bees. He said that most of the bees are staying inside the box! Hurray! He still hadn't moved the box to his house, its still in the school yard. I had told
him it needed to be in the shade, so they put some palm leaves over it to keep it cooler until they do move it. After we picked a lot of coconuts from his 3/4 acre, he said he wanted more from the government land closer down by us. So we put the bike in the truck and came back.

He was planning to take Liz, from "s/v Swell", fishing on Sat. and wanted to confirm with her. So when we got to the dock I went to get her. He gave me several coconuts and some for the other boats. So we have lots of coconuts again.

Saturday, Liz did go fishing with them. While they were out, the wind came up and blew like crazy for a while. 40 knots for a little,35 for an hour and 30 for most of the morning. Another boat has come, Chris on Elise. His anchor chain broke and he started drifting toward the reef. He got it started, but was by himself so couldn't get away. I picked up Lorraine and we went over and got aboard to help, in the 6 foot wind chop! We let go the rest of his chain. It is only 10 feet deep, so he was sure
he could find it. And he went out the pass and waited for it to calm down before he came back and re-anchored with his backup anchor. As soon as I got back to the boat, I checked our mooring lines to make sure they weren't chaffing through. They were fine.

We worried about Liz and Teuta and company. But they showed up a little later with a couple of wahoo, 2 big yellow fin tuna and a small rainbow runner. Yes they had some wind and waves, but they were catching fish! Liz shared her tuna with all of us. Nice sushi mi for me and we had it bar-b-qued later too.

All of our potatoes are sprouting, the sweet one and the baby reds both. Trinda cut a bunch of the eyes with a little potato attached and put them in water. This morning we took 2 bunches to town to the Customs lady, Marina, and to the NCL manager, Bobby. Bobby then gave us several breadfruit to share among the boaters. This afternoon we didn't do much.

School and Bees

Today Teuta and Rubis came down and picked us up (the school teachers from the north side). They wanted Trinda to come to the primary school to show the kids about folding paper airplanes, fans and finger puppets. She also made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies and took some of my old line to make jump ropes. Everything was a hit. There are now paper planes all over the school grounds. They knew about jump rope, but usually twist 2 pandanas tree roots together to make a rope. Trinda made them
promise that the ropes would stay at the school and not go to a fisherman! Ha! Rubis locked them up in the school office.

We had given her some seeds and cuttings of sweet potato eyes. She is having the school board build a fence in front of her classroom for a garden. Otherwise the pigs would eat the plants. We also had started an avacado tree from a seed. She has it too, ready for when the garden fence is finished and some more dirt is brought in. She had a melon, she called a watermelon, that was almost ripe. Trinda showed her how to tell. She picked one and gave it to us. It is a cross between a cantaloupe and
a honey dew. It was really sweet.

They made lunch for us. Rubis has trained her chickens to come when she calls. She beats an old coffee can on the porch then feeds them a little rice. She caught one and boiled it special for us. It was again tough, but tasty. She also had rice, fried bread fruit, boiled pumpkin (a sort of local squash) and they opened a cold can of corned beef. We ate and smiled.

There was a large tree leaning over the teacher cottages and the end of the soccer field. The teachers wanted it cut down. It also had a large bee hive high up in it. So they cut it down yesterday. Teuta tried to get the bees in the Top Bar Hive last night. He was unsuccessful. The kids were throwing rocks at the bees, so they weren't calm. They asked for my help. "I know nothing about bees!", I said, but went along anyway. We lite some coconut husks for smoke and went close to look. After the kids
got back the bees calmed down some. The hive was broken up some. We sat the hive box close to the hive and started trying to get parts of it in. That made the bees mad! About the third try they really took after Teuta. They got in his hair and stung him several times on the head. It didn't seem to phase him much though. Finally we leaned the box over and I got a long branch. I pulled and poked the hive till it was sorta in the box as we up righted it. They were mad again. This time one stung me on
the forearm. I was holding a burning coconut husk (it had quit smoking so it wasn't doing any good). The only thing I could think of was to brush off the bee with it. Black arm! No burn, just charcoal all down my arm. I put a little mud on it and it didn't swell much. We had about half of the hive in the box. We let the bees settle down again, then I started putting the bars on top. I finally got all but 8 inches of the top closed then put on the top plywood over it and the remaining open part. We
left them alone for an hour or so. I went to the school well and washed off my arm. Just a little sore, not much damage I guess.

It looks like most of the bees are staying in the box. Maybe we succeeded in getting the queen. Only time will tell. I told Teuta to return at sundown. And check if more bees are in the box than out on the old hive. If they are then finish putting the top bars on, close it all the way up then take the have back to his house and put it where he wants it.

I am anxious to see if they stay. I am considering borrowing a bike and peddling the 5 miles out there tomorrow just to see. I forgot to take the camera out of my pocket till the action was all over. I got a few pictures of the box beside the old hive but that's all.

On the way back, his cousin stopped by the end of the old airplane runway and showed us the cannon pointing out to sea left from WWII. I was surprised it was still here. I hadn't realized that the war affected islands this far east.

It was a long day.

Gulliver and National Health Day

Yesterday we went down to Aramari, the village 5 miles South we ride to, to pick up Gulliver the parrot. It was quite a ride for him. Bobby, the NCL island manager, took us in a small flatbed pickup thing. It was really rough on the road. Even we got sore and it was almost too exciting for Gulliver.

Today we delivered him to the Kwai. They are taking him to Christmas Island, where he has one month to be rescued before he is put down. It would really be a shame if nothing can be done. A vet and a gal from the bird rescue place in Arizona are flying to Christmas in two weeks to look at him. They are bringing a scanner to see if he has a chip implanted. If so it will be a free ride. If not, his future is questionable. He is quite the bird. He says "Hello" frequently.

Then we went to the central maniaba where they were celebrating National Health Day. Each village gave a contribution to the Minister of Health representative, or head nurse. The Kwai brought a Mr Carlton Smith who has been securing medical donations and delivering them to the Line Islands for the past 5 years. He's a Rotarian from Southern California and has been doing this mostly on his own. He has started a web site, http://www.pacificislandaid.org It is a non-profit organization to help this
needy group of islands. He hopes some ay to get a light plane stationed in Christmas that could fly emergency missions to Fanning and Washington islands and also bring volunteer doctors here.

At the maniaba, the gave speeches in Kiribati, so we couldn't understand. Some folks translated a little to us. Then they had music and dancing. Here the women ask the guys to dance. Guess what, as the only odd ball white guy there I had to dance every dance. Trinda got pictures, but not in time to send to Eldon, so it'll be a while before ya'll get to laugh at me. Trinda danced a couple of times too. The music was all 60's and 70's rock, some of it was translated to Kiribati, but most was English.
Trinda twisted, but I just kinda rocked back and forth. Some of the old folks really got down! One of our past guests, Moscikatake, ask me to dance and another lady cut in. She turned around a clotted her on the head!, But I think they were friends. Both asked me to dance again later.

Ruby and Touta said they are stopping by the boat later today. we'll see. Trinda is giving her the avocado plants she started in Hawaii.

Octopus Salad

Things are going well. The rain is still lighter than the first week or two. We have been snorkeling in the pass regularly and have caught an octopus or two, They make a wonderful salad, with a little olive oil, olives, shredded cabbage, onion and such. We have hardly gotten into the freezer.

The ice box is doing well, although it is using a fair amount of electricity. We have eaten all the fresh vegatables out of it so there is some empty air space trhat I am blaming it on.

We have done very little boat work. We have been visiting too much. We borrowed bikes and pedaled down to the South end to visit the ladies Trinda was weaving with. It was a nice day, although a long ride.

It is still hard to believe the conditions these people live in. They have no electricity, except for a few have 10 watt solar panels and a car battery for a light or two at night. They have no stoves to cook in. I see a few two-burner kerosene stove parts but few of them have the fuel for them so they are rusting in the corner. they cook on open fires on the ground of coconut husks with bars over them to balance a pot on. No running water, they depend on catching rain water or a few shallow wells
full of mosquitoes and such. Most don't know to boil the water even. The restroom is the nearest beach, if they make it, but they keep pigs moored in the yard, so it all smells the same. Moored in that they tie a string to a back foot and to a palm tree. The pig is free to walk in a 6 foot circle. There are dogs wandering all around too.

Since no electricity, no refrigeration either. Any food left over is put in a cabinet with fine wire mesh for sides to try to keep the flies and ants out. Mostly they eat or share all of a fish the day they catch it, or take a chance on it the next day. Most families have young people to fish and get coconuts or dig taro or pick bread fruit in season.

Trinda's friend has 5 huts, about 10 feet square. They are palm tree poles with palm tree board to hold a raised floor (about 3 feet off the ground) with thatched roofs and mostly no walls. Cloth curtains or woven palm fronds make dividers. One is her bedroom, one for the young boys (6 & 9), one for the older one at home (25) one for storage and one is the kitchen cabinet and roof for the cooking fire. The beds are woven mats, maybe 1/8 inch thick lying on the floor. I have not seen a chair yet.
Her husband is one of the Island Councilmen, and doesn't seem to work much beyond that. The 25 year old fishes for the family, gathers and dries seaweed for Norwegian export at .65/lb and gathers, smokes and dries sea cucumbers for Oriental export at $8.50/kilo. It takes a lot of them to make a pound.

But, there is more laughter here than any place else we have been. They are very happy in their ignorance.

You have more than likely heard of the sailboat that wrecked here last Dec. and left a dog and a parrot stranded here as they made their escape to California. The dog, Snickers, was rescued through the efforts of our friends on Southern Cross, by NCL and an airline that took him to Los Angles. Today Robby and I built a bird cage for the parrot, Gulliver, a large blue and red Macaw, to ride the local freighter from Hawaii, back to Christmas Island where there are weekly flights. It is still not decided
if the parrot can go back to the states. He has no papers (they sank with the sailboat) and the owners are not responsive about trying to prove he was legitimate. If he is not rescued in some way from Christmas, he will be killed as an illegal immigrant in 30 days. Robby has been writing to all kinds of people and rescue societies to try to save him.

Tomorrow we are all going down to the South end of the island to put him in his new cage so he can ride the Kwai to Christmas on Saturday.