Vicky Durand’s Adventure Blog #24

Welcome To Adventure Blog #24

July 15, 2023

Hard to believe it is the end of another week and we are half way through July. How optimistic I was when I pictured camping for just two or three months. Now it has five and a half months, but extremely happy months. The weeks are rolling around so quickly, but this has been a busy and productive week. Sunday I joined friends for a brunch at a new friend’s house on the bay. His sister had sent him a special food package from New York and he invited us to help him eat it. We gladly agreed and it was a relief from the usual Sunday yard work.

Monday morning I left at 5am for Kahalui to get the tires balanced and Mana sheared. A woman I met at Petco when they refused her due to heavy matting offered. It worked out really great and I will not let that happen again. For awhile I thought an expensive vet visit with putting to sleep while cutting would be in store. Luckily, we were saved and Mana seems much more comfortable with all the fur gone. She is acting up a bit more than usual and maybe due to the big change with her fur. She is always a total handful and I keep waiting for maturity.

The guys are working on the huge old growth cedar beams and kiawe posts. The beams are so heavy they drive the truck to where beams are stacked, load the beams and drive up to ag shed. All week they have been sanding and painting with stain and they are looking rich and beautiful. Monday they will start with putting the uprights for the patio and I can hardly wait.

Wednesday Indrajit and I worked on and finished the writeup for a Department of Agriculture reforesting grant which is due July 20 with an August 20th award date. I am hoping we can get this money as it will be a big step forward. This grant will set the stage for the next big project which is going to be very exciting and possibly a documentary film will be made about it. Meanwhile I am waiting for the micro grant results. Other government grants are coming down the pipeline which I am hoping to tap into for reforesting.

Bradley came yesterday to take out a tulip tree and remove many of the tulip tree stumps in our way for the next chipping date and planting. Those trees are a menace and there are about five more to go for the next phase. There is a lot of work to smooth out the terraces and distribute the chips evenly. I am working on getting things cleaned up for the property blessing in two weeks. A few people who have helped me here are coming for the event along with two film makers (Alex who made Kumu Niu and a friend). I hope you have all watched the Youtube short film Kumu Niu by now.

There are four lo’i cleared of hau and we have cleared right up to the back jungle. Now there is still a lot of work to do smoothing out the earth and chips for our planting. The area is looking pretty messy right now but, in about ten days this will change. At this point I am happy with the large area we have managed to clear in the last year. Some of the rock walls have been damaged by cows trampling over them and hopefully they can be somewhat repaired.

Wednesday evening I was weeding around some rocks out on the high point on the property and discovered another rock wall hidden by years of soil accumulation, grass and weeds. I was out there till dark with the pick gently uncovering this wall. There is more work to be done, but this is really fun.

They poured the back yard patio footings yesterday. When I returned from the farmers market the pump was humming and I realized they totally drained my 5,000 gallon water tank. Now I sit with no water until the next rain which hopefully will be soon. I am going to a friend’s house to fill up some jugs to eak along until the predicted storm on Tuesday. There is a hose at Karen’s and the beach also has a shower which helps. Meanwhile I am playing a water game repurposing every extra drop of used water and praying for rain. No hurricane-just the rain.

Well, I better close now, send this blog out and get to the garden work. Thanks for tuning in and hope you will be in touch next week when there will be some exciting steps forward with a front patio frame. The shower tree Bob and I planted is in full bloom and gracing the driveway entrance.

Wishing a great week for all of you. Please leave some comments.

Aloha Nui,

Vicky