Beginning The Journey
Patchwork created by Alicia Bay Laurel, between 1967 and 1974
Beginning The Journey
Patchwork created by Alicia Bay Laurel, between 1967 and 1974 |
| I have been living on Maui since 1984, and, before
that, from 1974 to 1981--most of my adult life, really. I
have friends there I've loved over twenty five years,
even some who were my "sort-of stepkids" (boyfriends'
children from previous relationships that I parented) who
are now parents themselves. In 1988 I started a wedding
planning business as a venue for my art. I made my own
floral arrangements and decorations, sang and played
guitar, designed and wrote my own advertising and
promotional materials. It was difficult to get away for a
few weeks during those years. I had promised myself that,
when I got out of the wedding planning business, I would
take a road trip around North America and visit the
friends I had seldom seen since the 'seventies. I sold
the wedding business last July, after 3000 weddings and
untold hair-raising experiences. The publication of the
revised Living On The Earth provided another
appealing reason to travel. Since the fans of my book are
often of a bohemian persuasion, and the friends I will be
visitng are as well, why not read from the book at my
friends' favorite bookstores when I visit them? And then,
why not write about what is going on in the bohemian
world all around North America as I am doing that? And
why not sing the songs I wrote at the time I wrote the
book while I am at the book-signings? Shouldn't I also
make a CD of these songs for the people who enjoy the
singing? Since I am selling books, why not also sell my
art? Maybe I can, at least, keep myself in tofu and
gasoline for the trip.
Aikiko Akioshi, founder and leader of a famous big band, said in an interview that do ambitious art projects one must be a little naive. Leap before you look. That is my credo, yet I am methodical. I packed my household goods into labeled boxes in a storage container. I spent hours on the phone booking gigs, lodging, media. I found a good home for my pets. It is the naivete that things will work out that keeps me going. I have had setbacks galore, but I am also blessed with unexpected assistance along the way.
Rabbit Moving Day
We moved the rabbits today. The rabbits have been scheming to move to Haiku ever since I sold the wedding business. Through their powers of deliberate creation, they have managed to attract an invitation from the fabulous Diana Dahl, founder and president of the Maui Organic Farmers Association. They will live in their current spacious rabbit condo, but next to Diana's garden, where they will turn her weeds into fertilizer, amuse her grandchildren, and meditate. I knew they would be cool there, but I cried all day during the move because I will miss them. I wrote this letter of instruction to Diana and her partner Roy Smith: Dear Diana and Roy: I thought I would give you a little introduction to my two houseguests-for-life. Nijinsky, whose name was inspired by his light-footed movements and fawn-colored fur (harkening to Nijinsky's most famous role in Afternoon of a Faun), is the personality rabbit. He prefers being petted to eating food, provided the food is being offered at his normal feeding time. He is a Libra, sociable, intelligent, even-tempered. He has a palpable sense of humor considering he is a creature who expresses all things in pantomime. He is six and a half years old, which, in human years, would be 65--a spry older man. He has lived with me since he was 10 weeks old (a Christmas surprise from Chip). He had a little stroke a couple of years ago, which is why his mouth is crooked, like Popeye's. Moonlight is a Taurus--stubborn, beautiful, slow on her feet, fond of food. I got her "free to a good home" at the age of one, already spayed after two litters. Now she's nearly 5, or 50 in rabbit years, and still a bit traumatized from whatever occurred before she came to live with me, although much more trusting than she was four years ago. After I got her I had to get Nijinsky neutered because he was all over her and she wasn't into it. He eventually forgave me. Sometimes he forgets and humps her anyway. She fights him off, which is why she sometimes has a bald spot on her back. Nonetheless, she loves him devotedly and bathes him frequently. He knows this and shoves his head under her chin to let her know when he wants to be bathed.
The reason I had walls put in around the bottom of the cage is to prevent cats and dogs from coming close and scaring them. I made the cage close to the ground with screen all around so that predators can't nip at their feet from underneath. I suspect this is what Mrs. Bunny suffered from in her last home. They need their water changed every day, so that algae doesn't grow in their water container. They are accustomed to sharing one whole carrot and some greens each day. They crave variety. Whatever you weed out of your organic vegetable garden ought to please them mightily. They love ha'ole koa. They enjoy most flowers; here, I pick the hibiscus flowers and leaves from the hedge, and some cane grass. Mrs. Bunny is wild about her greens. Mr. Bunny likes sweets--banana chips, or an occasional slice of apple. They also get three scoops of Kay Tee Rabbit Food, a sort of granola that has their very favorite treat, banana chips, blended in, along with a variety of nuts, seeds, and dried carrot slices. I buy it at Long's. If insects try to get into the food, place the food dish inside a larger dish and fill the larger dish with water to form a moat. The best vessel for this purpose is a round, flat-bottomed plastic florists' design tray, available at Of Land and Sea in Kahului. If that doesn't discourage them enough, I sprinkle some pyrethrum powder on the wooden parts of the cage to kill the bugs. So far that has worked well. They need their toenails clipped every month or so. This is something they do not like, but if you don' t do it, they catch their long toenails on the cage floor and hurt themselves. It's a two person job. One person wraps the rabbit up in a towel and holds it securely; the other person clips. The rabbit doesn't mind being held as much as fearing being dropped, so support them well. You clip so that you don't cross the pink part at the bottom of the nail where the blood is. Cage cleaning: put the rabbits in a travel cage (together), and hose down the inside of their condo. Let it dry a bit before putting them back in. Keep the caged rabbits out of direct sunlight; it can kill them. If they need a vet, the rabbit specialist for Maui is Dr. Cindy Krach at Animal Care Hospital in Kula. She neutered both of them. Hospital records show Moonlight under the name Babette, a name she hates, that I gave her years ago. Her former owners called her Roxy. Her mother belonged to Candle Summers. The whole rabbit dance requires about ten minutes per day, plus the monthly toenail and cage cleaning time of 30 minutes. Of course, they are happy for the break from boredom any time you want to get into the house with them and pet them, unless it's nap time (mid day and mid night), in which case they will let you know they feel you are imposing. Thanks so much for your time and love in undertaking this mission. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Alicia |
