Yesterday was my first full day in Maui.  Dan and I went to Waihee Ridge for a hike.  It was a 2.5 mile hike with an elevation of 1500 ft.  Didn't think it'd be too bad till I got to mile 2 and was EXHAUSTED haha I need to drink more water.  But I made it!!  The views on the way to the top were beautiful..you could see the water and beaches along with Kahului as well as the mountains with vegetation on them and clouds all around...it looked like Jurassic Park.  By time we got to the top you couldn't really seem much from all the clouds.  Dan and I got down the mountain fast...the red Maui dirt was so slippery you had to practically hop and jog down so you wouldn't fall.  There was one foresty area where they had these trees that had bark that felt like paper.  When we were done Dan drove around and showed me the area.  There are a bunch of monkey pod trees that look like big bonzai trees.  We got a little lost and were turning around in someone's house when he told me "go grab that fruit".  What?! Apparently a little initiation.  I grabbed the green spikey fruit and when we got back Cody told me it was bread fruit which is poisonous when not ripened like the one I grabbed.  When we got back the four of us intern/apprentices went out to dinner at the Kahului Ale House.  

Today was my first day of work...talk about info overload.  I started off the day slowly going on the grand tour the dairy has on Saturday mornings and got to "play tourist".  We were taken around the dairy, watched milking, herded some goats, and then got to sample the cheeses and some desserts.  They were SO good.  After that I helped Nalawi (an employee who's been here for 8 years) clean up and it was off to training.  Right off the bat Dan and I drained an abscess on kisses cheek.  Then we tried checking Conga's mouth for an infected tooth of some sorts because she's been having trouble eating but no such luck.  Then I learned to herd the goats, we did some netting on the trees in one of the pastures, and tried to fix the tarp for shading.  Then was the hardest and most overwhelming task to learn...milking.  It's a process and you want to do it in a timely matter.  I made the typical mistakes and forgot steps but eventually got through the big herd, smaller herd, and the "golden girls" (or the older goats).  It was fun but definitely something I'm anxious to master.  There's also the anxiety of not milking them enough or milking them too much...both lead to mastitis (an inflammed mammary gland).  It's a lot of information and I'm very worried about learning it all.  However I'm trying to tell myself to suck it up and it's only the first day.  Besides, this is what I came for...to farm and experience more animal husbandry.  I knew it wouldn't be easy.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better. 

Tonight we had a movie night and made popcorn.  Even though it's just the four of us, soon to be three until Dec when a new intern comes in, it's nice to at least have good company and go through the same thing.  I definitely love that aspect of jobs like this.