Typical Days in Phil's Week

Puna Rain Man

One of Phil's Koa Butterfly

Imagining our retirement was a pretty vague pastime before we vacationed in Hawaii in 2011 Since moving here, we have each continued to enjoy those things we love most -- our amazing corgi dogs, our independent and collaborative artistic adventures, and being outside much of the day. (Click on any photo to enlarge.)

Phil's day begins in the kitchen, making coffee and feeding the four corgyn. Phil usually spends some coffee time with morning news, checks the nearly nightly rainfall, and then heads down to his workshop full of tools. One thing we both knew when we moved -- Phil would somehow incorporate his passion for WOOD into the retirement plans.

Watch the "open space" behind Phil...

Heck ya -- they've lost their marbles

Phil has a good network of guy friends who get together regularly for guys night, dinner, darts, talk-story of favorite pastimes world travels and adventures.

But, mostly it's Puna-Talk -- solar conversions, pot holes in da road, latest prescriptions for pests, new tools and toys, (vehicles, building equipment) drone-madness, trapping feral cats, who's got pigs in their yard, and, who's got the "meanest green." (Phil marble-izing with a friend)

Phil's Newest Wood art for Gallery

Phil in his Santana T-shirt, directing

Talk includes property maintenance like cutting trees. So, recently we had our favorite tree guy over to cut down a junk tree near the front of our property that was nearly covering the wires to our house -- as well as the street lines for electricity and cable along our street.

Somewhat jokingly, the professional appointed Phil as traffic manager (like there are 17 homes on our mile stretch, so there's little to worry about -- that is, except when you invite your tree trimmer over.) Sure enough all of a sudden there's cars and people stopping, chatting, and having a spontaneous party in the middle of the block. At one time I counted 7 or 8 people!

Wall created and
windows added.
Now a sitting area

Need local gift? $29 each

And, of course, Phil continues to sell his beautiful hand carved fish made from local wood through his galleries.

A couple weeks ago Phil began to create a wall along one side of the carport -- an area that could provide an additional work and storage space. We had some left over windows from previous project, so they were used after it was framed in. After cutting siding and painting to match the house -- it looks like it was always there!