March 14, 2003

•      Now, for something less ‘in your face’; (yes, Mitch, I know the difference, & what I have posted in the past has been far from that, until the last few posts, in which I am am trying to get people to wake up from their apathy about the impending war with Iraq… & alot of the rest of the world, if Bush has his way!).

  
  

       I went to Tripler February 28, to the urology clinic. I have had a bladder-control problem (comes & goes) for MANY years. The doctor (a Lieutenant Colonel) wants me to come back for 2 tests in April (he wanted sooner, but is booked until then), one of which is invasive, from my Internet research. I am beginning to think that the problem I have had ‘forever’ may be a congenital anomaly, like my fused L5/sacrum. My bladder control issues don’t fit standard questionnaires designed for adult bladder-control issues.

  
  

       Thinking back on one teenage doctor visit, I have to think congenital problem is the culprit. That doc decided that my urethra was too small, so inserted (with my mom watching) a huge (my opinion) metal catheter, to stretch my urethra. This really didn’t fix my problem at the time & has left me with emotional scars to this day, that I have not talked about. I couldn’t even tell the doc I just saw.

  
  

       I’ve been taking my son to the farmers market every Sunday, after which I drop him in town to skateboard. While at the market, I usually enjoy browsing the vendors’ stalls & chatting with a few people there. Lately, I’ve been scoring on buying orchids, at cheap prices. I even bought a few dendrobium orchids that I had been hoping to buy forever! They were $4.50 each. I bought 4, much to my son’s chagrin. These orchids are very prolific & very sweet-smelling as well as gorgeous! I’ve also bought a few small variety catalayas, non-fragrant dendrobiums, an epi & oncidiums at different times.

  
  

       That Friday, after returning to Hilo from my consult at Tripler, I stopped at the Nurserymen’s Association plant sale. I found a beautiful catalaya there, which I splurged by paying $20 for! It’s a double-lipped purple, with a yellow to white band in the throat & mostly a rich purple on the lip. The next morning, I sniffed it (I did at the plant sale, but that was nighttime, so no smell). It has a light, sweet smell! Perfect!!!! I’d post a pic of it if I had the digital camera that the VA has promised to get for me.

  
  

       The fragrant dendrobiums I bought at the market sell for $14.97 in the local Wal-Mart. They are available online for $29.99 +. I have paid $1 – 4.50 for the non-fragrant ones, which sell for $8.97 in Wal-Mart. The small catalayas sell for $14.97 in Wal-Mart, which I have bought on occasion.

  
  

       I have a small variety catalaya I bought early last month at W-M that has dropped 2 flowers already, has 5 blossoms recently opened & several more buds & flower stalks shooting up. This one is a fragrant, pale yellow with maroon-edged lip & dark yellow throat. The outer petals have pale purple tips & streaks. When I saw this one in W-M, smelled it, & noticed that it would be producing lots more blossoms over time, I could NOT pass it up! My house & yard would be filled with orchids if I could afford to do that! Especially with the fragrant ones.

  
  

       Yesterday, I meant to put together a wrought-iron, wood slat park bench I bought long ago. When I started pulling the lush vegetation in the area I want it, I found holes.

  
  

       The area I live is full of lava tubes & ‘lava trees.’ This means that there are LOTS of holes in the ground. This has its advantages & disadvantages. One thing that can go either way is the fact that water doesn’t stay on top of the ground. In fact, the translation of the Hawaiian name for my subdivision & the nearby forest is ‘Vanishing Waters.’ As much as it rains in this area (250″+/year), this is definitely a plus, since flooding isn’t a problem. However, for those of us who love rivers, streams, creeks, rivulets, ponds & lakes, this means we’re out of luck unless we create our own, which many do.

  
  

       In the ‘tropical garden’ as I call the place I want the bench, I want to create my own little stream with ponds & waterfalls. Where the holes I found yesterday are located, I am enlarging to accommodate this plan. It is near the start of my stream, near my catchment tank, the overflow of which will be my primary water source. This holes area will be my first pond. There is a natural path beside it & a more solid area on the other side of the path, which I will create a natural bridge to get to, using the large lava rocks that I am removing from there & other areas. The only unnatural things I will be using for my project will be the old carpet for the bottom, some kind of plastic liner (like an old waterbed mattress or two) atop that to keep the water from disappearing underground, the pump to return the water to the top of the stream, the electricity to the pump & the piping to get it back uphill (most likely CPVC, which is safe for hot & drinking water).

  
  

       I have also been finding alot of rich black soil, from decomposed plant material. I am removing this from my holes & will use it for my plantings. Along with the soil there is red cinder-soil that the former owner wasted money on in his attempt to make the ground more solid. I say wasted because this stuff washes away very easily with rain. The only reason there still is any in my yard is because of the loam that has clogged the smaller holes in the rocks.

  
  

       My stream will run almost the length of my property. Where I plan for it to end, there will be another pond, at the base of a sheared large rock… sort of a cliff, about 8 feet high. This will be my waterfalls. At the base of that rock is a small but somewhat deep hole (about 3′ nearest to the shear rock, compared with the level around it), which will be the lower pond. I may widen the area some to make the pond bigger, depending upon the rock formations there.

  
  

       I removed alot of diphenbachia… HUGE ones, along with a bunch of irises which are white with purple centers & fragrant, as well as lots of impatiens. Some of this I will replant, once I get my layout done. The unused of these plants I may either sell or give away. It’s not like I don’t have alot of them left elsewhere. My yard is full of them.

  
  

       I have lots of other plants I plan to landscape around my rivulet & ponds. Some are plants I’ve bought while others I have collected wild, in my yard, or from others’ yards (with their permission, of course ). This is a project I had in mind when I first moved in. It’s just procrastination that has interfered with my starting on it before now. That & the horrendous amount of vines, weeds, & brush & tree-trimming that I’ve been doing in bits & pieces over the nearly 6 years of living here. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get ahead of jungle growth!

  
  

       Once I get my camera, I’ll post pics of my work. The buck keeps getting passed about who is responsible to initiate the order for it, as well as the software I requested (graphics stuff & Word Perfect pro), a new printer/scanner/copier, etc.

  
  

       As much as this has been delayed (over 3 years now), more complications have been instated, causing further delays. The VA just made some changes requiring everything purchased for the Vets to be validated, even if it only costs $10. The latest monkeywrench is that we have a new counselor for this island, for the other side of the island, who’s helping the guy for this side. Of course, he’s required to go through training & having to make himself familiar with the Veterans needs. I just learned today that the original counselor for this island got married in Taiwan recently (one of his many vacations since taking this job) & will soon be moving there. The VA is supposed to hire another to replace him. But this means more delay as another person has to familiarize him/herself with the clients’ needs & complete the VA training! ARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

  • 4:52 am
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