Experiencing Some of the Truly Important Things

There are some 30 citrus trees growing in several different areas on our place and there’s a row of seven orange trees in a small pasture up at the front of our property near the road that runs past us. My task for yesterday afternoon was to weed around the base of each tree, add some fertilizer and give them all a little extra water.

About an hour and a half into the project, a small party got started at our neighbor’s place across the street. At first there was some conversation and a bit of laughter, but then the music started. Someone had a guitar and there was an ukulele or two, and pretty soon they began singing some old Hawaiian songs … in Hawaiian, of course.

It was a beautiful afternoon, sunny with a few clouds and a light breeze. Our two horses were grazing in the pasture nearby and there was a hint of sweet ginger fragrance in the air, coming from another neighbor’s yard.

I put down my little weed digger and lay back on the grass listening to the music, remembering that there were a couple of cold beers waiting for me back at the house, and thinking about … no, almost overwhelmed by … our good fortune.

Those of us living in this amazing place often have moments like this and, when we do, we look at each other and repeat a favorite expression here, “Lucky we live Hawaii.”

Lucky, indeed.