Obviously we have been busy since I let an entire month slip by before I wrote the August newsletter. We had Todd's parents and our two nieces, Jessica and Sarah here for a little more than two weeks. Both girls are so grown up for 10 and 6 years old. Jessica is already 5 feet tall and looks more like a teenager than a 10 year old girl. She is very mature for her age. Sarah is cute as can be with her blond hair and sweet smile. She is as independent as ever and had tons of fun playing with Buddy. She would throw a stick and not wait for Buddy. She would run and get it. It was the funniest thing to watch. Jess also had a good time with Buddy. For our first day of doggie basic obedience class, we had to leave Buddy home. So, the girls dog sat and had fun being in charge.

     Todd had lots of workers for the month of August. While Todd's parents and our nieces were here, they helped to pick the largest coffee pick so far this year. They picked over 200 pounds of coffee cherry. After coffee picking, Sarah said that Hawaii was too much work. Don't we know it, but we love it anyway. Ok, one more funny Sarah story. Sharon, my mother in law was hand washing one of Sarah's dresses when Sarah walked in and said, "Is that how you have to wash clothes here?" So we had to show Sarah the washer and dryer to let her know she was not roughing it.

     The girls went to a snorkeling lesson and the instructor was extremely impressed with their abilities. He said he never saw a 6 year old swim as well as Sarah. Todd took the girls and his parents snorkeling early one morning while I was working to see if the dolphins were at the bay. Instead of seeing dolphins, they got to see a 5 foot white tipped reef shark. Todd's mom was still on the shore after the first sighting of the shark. Todd swam back to shore and left his nieces and father with the shark. He asked his mom if she wanted to see a shark and she said yes. Todd took her out to see it and then once everyone was back on shore, reality set in to his mother. She, her husband, her son and grandchildren were swimming with a shark. She didn't know what to think. Was she nuts for allowing her grandchildren in the water or for wanting to swim with it herself. Needless to say it was an experience of a lifetime that I am sure no one will forget. The girls are way ahead of me. I haven't been in the water with dolphins or a shark. It was so much fun to have family here again. We enjoyed playing cards, eating meals together and swimming.

     Anne and Peter stayed with us in the apartment. Peter is an angelic healer. Next Eric, Lisa and their son Steve stayed in the apartment. Their visit overlapped with Todd's parents and our neices. One day they all picked coffee together. Thank you for the help! Then at the end of the month we had John and Sandra and their two children stay in the main house. The whole family except Sandra worked with computers so we talked for at least an hour when they first arrived.

     The farm is progressing. Todd is busy picking and processing coffee. He is also working very hard at getting our mac nut trees in shape for a crew to come in an pick. It is a full time job just for him to keep the grass cut. The weather has been perfect here which is just what you need to grow just about anything including grass and weeds.