Dirt work

I scrape the dirt out of my fingernails and wipe the sweat off my brow. At long last Ben and I have a real project to dream about, pour energy into, and watch fruit forth into reality: working hard on clearing Ben's land for his family and momma, the old fashioned way with sweat and muscle. When Ben first pulled up to his little lot outside of sleepy ranchland, Na alehu, I gasped at the jungle of 3 meter high Christmas Berry trees dominating every inch of the lot. It was so thick there was not even a place to park the car and we had to belly crawl to reach the ancient stone wall marking the back border. After a few hours here and there whenever we are camping out on the land, we have cleared out an area for 3 cars to park, started a drive way, built a kitchen and fire circle area, stone walls defining paths, and stone steps carved out by hand. Most impressively, thanks to Ben's motivation, at least a third of the land is cleared. The biggest grassy clearing nestled next to the lava rock wall is our favorite spot to sip our tea as we watch the moon rise over the ocean and the stars peak out at an intensity I have only found at the heights of most remote corners of Colorado. But this time, we can lay out on our backs with no need for blankets or down coats. We fall asleep to the sound of cattle, wild pigs, owls, and cats meowing through the night. We wake with dawn as a chorus of rooster and bird calls erupt with the rising sun, never late, and always anxious to start the fresh new day.