News from the homestead: Happiness and harvesting
In August, Mike and I took our first significant break away from Wittbrich Acres. We enjoyed a vacation to Hawaii with our youngest son and his family, including two of our eight grandchildren.
And what a break we had!
We spent a glorious, chicken-free/bee-free respite on the Big Island. Well, sort of…there are chickens and bees on Hawai’i and we were able to enjoy visiting with them without having to tend to them! So much of the fun of vacation is in planning, which for us started last December. We carefully selected the houses we would rent and deliberately chose two different ones so we could enjoy two different types of experiences. Little did we know that Hurricane Lala, which hit the Big Island two days before we arrived, would alter our carefully contrived plans! But let me start at the beginning.
The week before we left, we were paying close attention to weather reports from Hawai’i and threats of Lala making landfall. The storm was building and the warnings were dire. But by late Saturday night, the worst had passed, and by Sunday, flights were landing and taking off from Kona, where we were scheduled to arrive the next day. We were not at all sure what we would find when we got there, but we are a family of adventurers and boarded our 6 a.m. flight from Milwaukee with excitement for whatever was ahead. We even discussed volunteering with locals in the storm recovery as part of our itinerary.
Our flights were on time and without incident. We arrived as scheduled in Kona with lingering clouds and lots of tree debris as the only visible evidence of Lala’s path (at least where we were!). Shortly after arrival we were informed by our rental’s management company that the house we rented was without power, as was much of the island, and because of the location power was unlikely to be restored for several days. So, we pivoted! The management company found us an available alternative, and while it wasn’t exactly what we had planned, it worked out beautifully and perhaps even better than the original. The location was convenient to everything we needed, and because it was coastal had no storm damage. It offered us all the amenities we needed…and it had power!
During our time at Manu Kai Hale, our young grands perfected their swimming skills. That’s what comes from spending at least six hours a day in a pool! We all perfected our game-playing prowess from endless hours of card and board games. We rested, relaxed, and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of our island retreat. I must admit, the smells were particularly welcome compared to what I usually smell every morning!
We enjoyed a plantation tour. I never knew that a single pineapple takes 18 months to grow to maturity! Mike rented a plane and took us for a bird’s- eye view of Maui and the Big Island coast. I got to check off two bucket list items – an oceanside luau complete with fire dancing and a visit to Volcanoes National Park on a day when there was an active eruption! We celebrated my birthday while we were there and Mike had a special song created for me to mark the occasion. There was beach time, and the children’s first-ever swim in an ocean; we made sandcastles and saw sea turtles. Mike and Nathan had a close-up encounter with a manta ray during an evening excursion. I had snuggles and hugs and memory-making-sunset-filled moments during a respite that gave me a full deposit to my experience dividend account.
It’s rare that something doesn’t go wrong when you’re traveling. This was one of those rare trips. Even with the momentary glitch of not being able to move into the original house we rented, it all turned out well, even exceeding our carefully contrived plans! There was literally nothing I would change. We returned home with precious memories of a remarkable time. Aloha and mahalo, Hawaii, for the special gifts you granted us.
And then it was back to Wittbrich Acres for harvesting time!
Last month I reported that my garden was a bust for the 2026 season. Well, that proved premature. Upon arriving home from vacation, I found my tomato plants laden with plump red output and my peppers and melons finally made their appearances. My herbs were mature and beginning to go to seed. Mike’s carefully tended grapevines were full of soon-to-be-made jelly. While we were gone, I completely missed prime time pear harvesting and nearly missed out on my 2026 elderberry collection. Since our return, my canning kitchen has been operating at full-steam–literally and figuratively.
It was also time to extract honey from the more than 50 frames I pulled from the three hives. Mike’s early spring overseeding our lawn with clover proved a welcome and ready nectar source for them and they returned their gratitude with a bounty of more than 160 pounds of luscious, golden goodness. I have three species of queens this year, a Russian, a Carnolian, and an Italian. I wanted to have different origins so I could determine if any were more friendly (read that as “less aggressive”) than the others. This year, I’m happy to report that all three of my hives were sweethearts. While I sustained more than 20 stings last year (an occupational hazard), this year I’ve had only one! Oh, how I hope I can successfully over-winter these colonies with their docile queens. Thanks to my ongoing lessons at the Racine Kenosha Beekeepers Association and my experienced bee mentors, I’ve become a much better steward of these flying miracles of nature. And I know I still have so much to learn.
So, we’re back in the saddle at Wittbrich Acres. In our hearts we’ll carry forward our memories and celebrate with gratitude the true richness and fortunes of our great life.
Wishing you all peace, harmony, and gratitude. Now, it’s back to canning!
Send your canning tips, suggestions, and recipes to Tami@toyourwealth.com
