Cajun-Texans: Day 7- The Grounds

After settling in to the hale Kerry cooked us dinner which we followed by a plunge in the giant tub (the water was literally above my shoulders). The property is totally secluded; however, there are windows everywhere! It took a while to get comfortable with the pitch blackness surrounding us, but we slept well. In the morning alarm clocks were unnecessary. Starting early on you can hear the birds hopping around on the roof and singing...and singing...and singing. I like the idea of being awakened by the nature. After coffee we decided to explore the property.

The entrance to the property is welcoming with beautiful Traveler's Palms.

This is the view from the kitchen window of Mt. Haleakala!

A couple of times we spotted a mongoose frolicking through the bushes on the grounds.

The Papaya were definitely one of the more plentiful trees we found at the hale and throughout Maui.

These spiders were like the guardians of the garden. Not only did we have to watch our step because of wet grass and the sloping lawn; but we also had to keep looking up to avoid walking into spiderwebs. They pretty much mandated where we could and could not go. We didn't get chewed up by insects either, so I guess they are doing their job.

At one point I felt something unusually hard underfoot. I looked down and discovered these large snails eveywhere. Some were climbing up the trees, too.

Holy guacamole!!! We saw plenty of citrus and other fruits ; but avocados were definitely the most plentiful. The spiders prevented us from getting too close to some trees and we were told they were ripe once fallen. Unfortunately, once the fruit hits the ground it's pretty much fair game for any other critter who finds it first.