Vicky Durand’s Adventure Blog 45

January 6, 2024

Welcome to BIog #45

After a very quiet weekend I woke up new years day with a wonderful feeling of lightness and excited for this years adventures. I think it is going to be an amazing year as there is going to be some big progress with the coconut project. We will be planting trees and having a gene bank for the niu, a tree of life, where every single part is useful and culturally revered. This tree provides food, liquid, medicine, building materials, rope, fire and baskets. “It is a tree that will allow a profound relationship with the fullness of the natural world.” (Dr. Manu Meyer)

The film Niu Forever is in it’s final stages and will preview this June in conjunction with a Pacific Art and Culture Conference held every four years. The world authority, Dr Rolan, will also be visiting Oahu and hopefully Hana.

This week has seen some major progress. I happily spent the days listening to sawing, drills buzzing, hammering and answering questions on how I wanted things. Such a joy after so many days of silence. The rest of the patio roof (all but one last piece) is on now on so things are dry and I have put a little punee on the patio for sitting, sleeping or just hanging out.

An awning was finally installed on the west side to prevent rain from pouring in. The water system is slowly taking place with partial gutters. We are waiting for more rain to fill the tank so the system can be primed. More gutter work is planned for this coming week so that should help.

My long awaited kitchen shelves are now up with dishes. We were also able to hang some art work. Slowly everything is nicely fitting into a place of it’s own with things looking less cluttered. Unfortunately the stainless steel sink rescued from the Wilder House will be four weeks for instalation. It has to be cut, rewelded and polished. We have had a couple of sunny days so the solar shed got it’s final coat of paint as well as the side wall.

The neighbor’s two cows once again broke through the fence and came to visit around 4 am Wednesday morning. My little dog Ehu does not like these visitors here eating our ti leaves so there was a lot of barking. Her barking scared them back through the fence, but then they reappeared around noon just as I had left and the guys were having lunch. Patty and Walt came to shoo them back and repair the fence. Hopefully this will keep them contained.

Although the days are shorter now, the lighting and skies colors seem more intense and have been awesomely spectacular-both morning and evening. I put little solar white lights on the three patio kiawe upright posts and Bob’s big copper bowl serves as a fire pit. Things are looking pretty spiffy and an enjoyable place for evening cocktails and dinners when it is warmer.

I finally made it down the road past seven pools to Kipahulu for a Saturday morning somatic yoga session at Erin’s house. Her house is on the edge of a cliff with the sounds of waves crashing. It is a twenty minute drive passing several water falls that were pumping lots of water from all the late rain. Pretty spectacular all in all!

Time to move onward to some physical therapy for my arm and hand. John, an amazing body healer is here. Besides studying with some local Hawaiian healers he studied and worked at the Edgar Casey Institute in Virginia Beach. Edgar Casey was an advocate of hot castor oil packs. I feel very lucky and grateful to have met him.

Wishing everyone an amazing year-health, happiness and dreams being fulfilled.

aloha nui loa,

vicky

my dinner partner

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