Vicky Durand’s Adventure Blog #79

October 19, 2024

Welcome to Adventure Blog #79

It has been another good week for progress. Besides the outside stuff I have spent some time in the kitchen dehydrating bananas and experimenting with papaya and making breadfruit soup. I got a nine drawer Excalibur dehydrator. Because of being off grid I didn’t think it would work, but I just run it during the sunny part of the day and then wait overnight and start in again the next day. So far so good and they are really tasty.

It is the beginning of Aloha Week here in Hana and it started yesterday with the Farmer’s Market local produce breadfruit, taro and poke cookoff. The week is full of wonderful local events including a lei making contest followed by a kapuna luncheon at the hotel. It is all very “old Hawaii“ style and things just come to a stop giving way to the week long celebration. I know this first hand as several years ago this week I was trying to get things moved out here and Patrick informed me not possible during Aloha Week as he had school events for his children, a talent show and he was playing music at several other events.

It took me some time to figure how it all works… The entrants make their dishes at home and bring them in little test cups. With the $5 purchase of the Aloha Week Ribbon they pay another $5 to buy what looked like 20 plus food samples of all the entrants cooking. There are awards for first through third place in each category which is announced with prizes. Everyone seemed really into it sitting at tables, testing, talking and judging. Meanwhile there was a stage with loud Hawaiian music and the usual Farmers Market Vendors set up under their tents selling their goods. I got there late and did not do a testing, but next year. And, there is talk about a special coconut cook off and hopefully Jit can come and prepare one of his best dishes.

Today there is a parade with four buses of Kamehameha School band members, horse back riders, old cars, motor cycles, and not sure what else. It meant going to town early to get a parking space, waiting in the sun, etc and I decided to stay here and get some things done. Ashlie my helper was supposedly coming at 10:00, but she is having trouble with her washing machine and it is now several hours later, but it is all good.

Indrajit, Kehau his assistant, Jesse and another man are coming on Monday after a Sunday coconut workshop in town. We will plant more trees and kalo besides meeting people, visiting a farm and looking for new varieties.

My paper work for the Green Grant finally is all in and it should be just a few more weeks till we can start more clearing. The pads are also ready to set up the pool, drain the water tank into the pool and move the tank.

I took Mana into Petco for grooming on Thursday in my new white Toyota Rave 4and what a difference that car makes. It hugs the road so well I have to be careful not to go too fast for the corners. And, what a joy to have air after driving the old truck for two years.

Laka came for the last excavator work-finalizing the water tank pad, reshaping the shed entrance driveway, and taking this big piece of concrete out of the back yard down to where the pool will be located. I am now working on landscaping the back yard.

I almost forgot to mention I sold 65 pounds of my chayote squash this week. And, I just harvested asparagus for dinner. Also the cherry tomatoes are giving some everyday and life is abundant here in more ways than one.

I am now turning water gardens into anthurium plant gardens as I am afraid of the dogs going after the toads. For weeks I have been fishing them out of the pond and relocating, but frogs just keep reappearing. I would love them around as they eat centipedes, but cannot take a chance with the dogs.

After the market I went up the hill to join friends at the Ranch Restaurant where the market can be seen and the music heard. This is where the kids have a great time sliding down the hill on pieces of cardboard.