Welcome to blog #49 and thank you for tuning in.
This has been an amazing week!
The tulip trees are now gone for phase I of the coconut planting. I was thrilled beyond belief when the last ones hit the ground. The terraces now have to be cleaned up by hand to expose the ancient rock walls. We will be doing that during the next days and hopefully planting coconuts in early March.
The other really great happening is my book Wave Woman was written up in the Inertia as the ten most important books that surfers of all ages and sexes should read. My write up is about eight books down on the list and I am “over the moon” thrilled about this. The Inertia is a popular internet gathering place where the voices and thoughts of surfers flow in the modern era. My son in law Billy just sent me the notification yesterday morning. Pretty exciting when he said there were over 1,000 surfing books he was familiar with. Hopefully it will raise sales.
“To my infinite shame, I have to admit that I’d never heard of Vicky Heldreich Durand until the publication of her memoir. I’m probably not alone in that dereliction. So I’ll encourage every surfer of both genders to get this book and realize that not all of our courageous, committed cultural pioneers were men – and men who faced but a fraction of the sociological challenges met so adeptly and inspirationally by women like Durand. If this book had come out in 1963 it may have changed the entire direction of the sport.”
My builder finally showed up last Sunday to tell me he had signed up for a one month concrete class. Everything he was doing now has to wait. I am really OK with this because we are waiting for materials to arrive and hopefully it will all coincide.
Mikey, a handyman, showed up for a couple of days and there is a lot he can do to move the project forward if he gets his act together. He got the front of the bunk house shored up from wind and rain.
As with everywhere we have had a lot of wind and cool weather. The wind was miserable.
Slowly I arm getting the back yard cleaned up of construction materials. I have made two trips to the land fill this week with more to come next week. My plan is to make the back yard attractive vegetable and flower beds with sweet potatoes growing on the berm.
I gave my book talk for the local book club this morning and they were all so appreciative and welcoming. I love this community. I got distracted and forgot to take pics so am waiting for some to be sent.
I am going to take a break and sign off for now. Thanks for tuning in and
hopefully more good news for next week.
Aloha Nui,
Vicky
Wave Woman: The Life and Struggles of a Surfing Pioneer by Vicky Durand 