Soon-To-Be-Shade House

This $100 investment was worth it's weight in gold during our first year. When we first moved in, Phil built beautiful book cases for the living area and, also on the opposite side of the same wall into the art studio.  Then, during the 16 weeks of construction of the ohana in May-August of the contractors used it to keep their tools dry.



Now, once again, it has been relocated over one side of the property line so that we can have our "shade house" (for you mainland folks, it's like a greenhouse, except it has shade cloth for roof, and sides.)  Here in Puna, you just can't grow tender greens outside in the tropical sun -- they are too delicate.  Our rains here can pound them too hard.  Here's the original canopy, and our plans for the custom-built shade cloth.  It is built by a local business. (Rudy's Shade Cloth in Hilo -- did a beautiful job for us).

I already have several varieties of lettuce, spinach, bok choy started, and we hope to get the pieces (sides, top, doors) assembled this week -- before our friend Esther, from Michigan, arrives.

Once we get it put together, I'll just drop in the final photograph so you can see it completed.  It is one more step toward living with more self-sufficiency.  All we need now are a couple of chickens, right?

(OK so here we are securing the shade cloth to the frame.)