Vicky Durand’s Adventure Blog #31

September 2, 2023

Welcome to BLOG #31

WOW, this seems like a milestone. To think it is also the last official weekend of summer. Already I see the days getting shorter, cooler winds, and day light running a tad latter in the morning. And, It has been another week that has come to end very fast.

I woke up this morning with no power. I can easily do without lights, but I need my Starlink to work so there is access to the internet. I have also come to realize that in this life off the grid, there is always something not working and needs fixing. Luckily there are people here to repair things. I have lots of water now and this is how it fills with each little rain.

The shed floor is now finished and looking super dup. The window and door trim is almost all completed and they are here on this Saturday morning working to complete that job. Yesterday the third sliding door and the bamboo ply for one wall was delivered. Earlier in the week I picked up the cabinets and plumbing materials. In a couple of weeks the refrigerator and patio roofing be in and then ta da……my things in storage will be delivered and I am launched at the end of this month.

This is how they primed the framing before painting and installing.

Indrajit is flying in this morning and we will plan and strategize for the coconut planting. We are in the process of working on a logo for Koali Niu and a web site among other projects.

Yesterday Bradley’s boys came to take out more hau surrounding the six tulip trees. This had to be done before Bradley can come in with his big equipment and take the trees out. Then the next steps of ground preparation and planting can be worked on. Jit is also going to gather some coconut varieties from the nearby areas. And, hopefully there will time for some swims as I haven’t been to the ocean all week.

A new adventure this week was that I took a quick trip to Oahu for a lunch meeting and to advocate for a project I have gotten interested in. It is our former governor, Linda Lingle’s Women’s Prison Project. This is a project to lighten the sentence and create rehabilitation for women who have been guilty of non-violent crimes and who have children. Luckily she has taken this project on as Hawaii’s sentencing process has complicated efforts to reform the broken prison system. See Civil Beat article Sept. 1, 2023. Hawaii is the only state that assigns the Parole Board the responsibility of setting minimum sentences for felonies. This is what determines how long before a prisoner is eligible for parole. The women have really taken a hit hit on this because the Parole Board is composed of discriminating, ruthless, and biased men who are running amok with some unfair sentences. I listened to a couple recording tapes of the hearings and was appalled at the tone as well as the outcome.

Revisiting Oahu and a club that I used to enjoy going to made me so happy to get back here as fast as possible. I was able to accomplish this thanks to Hawaiian Airlines and Uber.

So, it has been another full week of moving forward. The animals are all loving their new life.

Happy Labor Day weekend and thanks for tuning in. My stats say over 300 people are tuning in, but only a couple respond.???
Aloha Nui,
vicky