Vicky Durand’s Adventure Blog #56

Welcome to Adventure Blog #56
March 23, 2004

Thanks for tuning in. This has been an interesting week with no building. It has been a great week, but a little unusual. I am starting this later than usual because I have spent the morning driving back and forth to Hasegawa General Store trying to get proper hose fittings for my sink which has just been put in place. Luckily a man named Dwain was at the store on my second trip and helped find conversion fittings for the sink water lines.

AND, this sink has a long story. It was out of the historic 1907 Wilder House on Roundtop Drive in Honolulu. When Bob sold the house the new owners offered it to me and I was delighted to take it. when I went to pick it up it was gone. They had hired some men to clear out other things and they took the sink. I got their number and called them and said that was my sink and I wanted it back. He said they took it to the dump. I said OK I will meet you there and I want it back. They then mysteriously found the sink and I got it to Tantalus where we used it for many years.

For the move here I packed it up dreaming of using it in a kitchen. It has sat around the yard for over a year waiting. My builder Chris told me it would not fit in the existing place and it had to be cut and rewelded. He said a man named Issac could do this as he was a great welder and he took it to Isaac saying it would be at least a month as Issac was very busy. All the time I have been doing dishes in an outdoor sink with the hose. Finally, after two months I heard via the grapevine my sink was ready. I said great I will pick it up. Katie said oh no Chris will bring it to you. Then when I rechecked a man named Mikey will bring it to me. Mikey told me he was too busy. But, in the meantime my builder disappeared (this job is very unfinished) with no communication. To make a long story short I finally called Katie Issac’s significant other and said tomorrow I am coming for my sink. Kira and I picked the sink up several days ago at a job site and Mikey is here trying to hook it up. The end that was cut and rewelded is less than wonderful and doesn’t look professional to me. But at this point in time I can deal with it as I am just happy to have this semi installed with running cold water.

Since my builder left there has been no building this week, but Kira and I have been working on the hill. We are putting weed barrier cloth down and then raking and wheel borrowing the hau chips on top. We invited a young friend up for dinner on Sunday night and they all did some work.

Also I am working on uncovering the ancient rock walls buried in dirt and chips. It is going to be beautiful with the coconuts planted and squash as ground cover. So exciting!!!

My young friends from Oahu, Megan and Eli, came over last Saturday and along with Kira they filled a big hole left by the water tank’s first installation. It took many wheel barrows of dirt and chips. I just planted some flowers and a night blooming Jasmine.

Eli also opened the bottom part of the trail up to the waterfall and pool. When they dropped the tulip trees some fell on the hau which fell over the trail entry.

Vegetable seeds planted in our raised beds are poking their heads up. We have been enjoying some great plantains.

I am putting the word out for a new builder and know the right one will certainly show up. Water in a sink after many months-a BIG day! Hot water to follow in the next weeks when heat on demand water heater installed.

Thanks so much for tuning in and have a great week.

Aloha Nui,

vicky