Mahalo Nui, Andy Irons

Since we left our best boards in Nicaragua, the first order of business was to make enough money for each of us to buy a stick for this winter in Hawaii.  That didn't take too long and here's what we got:

Ian got a sick Tractor board shaped coincidentally, for Andy Irons (yesterday was his passing - RIP Andy - what a truly devastating blow to the islands of Hawaii and the entire international surfing community.)  I got a JC.  Ian is madly in love with his new board and I'm getting used to the thinness of the nose on mine, but am loving the ease of duck-diving.  Unfortunately, neither of us are getting in the water as much as we'd like but I suppose that's the trade-off with work and also, the commute to waves.  

This project has made us feel like we brought a little piece of Nicaragua home with us.  Ian built a raised planter box a couple of weeks ago, and we've planted an array of herbs, vegetables, and strawberries.  Everything is doing really well, especially the tomatoes, the jalapeños and the manoa lettuce.  It's fun to check the daily progress of our plants.  The Hawaiian chili plant was struggling initially, but has somehow managed to pull through.  Bless this state and it's year-round growing season.  

And here are a couple of throw back pictures from our last couple of weeks in Nicaragua.  Jaime was visiting from Maui and convinced me to get on a horse, after the fin of her board gashed open her arm and put her out of the water for her last few days in town.  I'm glad I did because it was a blast.  Puna followed us the whole length of the beach, keeping an appropriate distance and I managed to get my old girl Canelo, moving at a jockey's pace.  What a beautiful sunset we got too.  

And that's that.  More to come.  The circus is arriving to the North Shore and the Rip Curl Pro starts this week.  

Waves, Garden Boxes, Baked Goods, and Cabbage Patch Dolls

I slacked on updates this last week.  To my small but loyal group of devotees, I love you and I'm sorry.  There were fun, small waves all week at Colorados and I'm really becoming quite fond of the spot.  Panga Drops still rocks my world, as it did yesterday, tossing me around like a sweatshirt on spin cycle.  I did have one fun, small day there and was able to catch some rights.  Then the tide changed, some bigger sets came through, and I got stuck inside for an eternity.  This inevitably took all my energy, and I paddled in, humbled as usual.  Poor Ian has had to endure my frustrated tears more times than once.  What a beautiful, empty beach though.  Incarnadine sunsets and sand dollar heaven.  Not to mention, it's a dog's paradise.

Ian and Juan Pablo completed the garden box this week.  It looks really cool with the varnished, bamboo frame.  We don't have any seeds yet, but we transplanted some basil and cilantro and made a nice pasta with fresh herbs the other night.  Hopefully, we can get some vegetables started that will probably be ready just in time for us to leave.  Juan Pablo is the cuidador (night guard) of La Vista and he is excited at the prospect of maintaining our garden while we're gone.  Our banana plants are really starting to take off and the orange tree and papaya trees are going strong.  Unfortunately, the avocado tree didn't make it but, Juan Pablo planted a new one for us.  Ian gathered some Bird of Paradise that he planted along the back part of the house too - a little touch of Hawaii for our Nicaraguan 'hale.'  It looks awesome.

So, while Ian spends his time in the yard, I spend my time in the kitchen.  I have been dabbling in all sorts of baked goods.  My bagel shapes have improved dramatically and I think I've perfected a mix of recipes.  Our friends Gustavo and Marie manage a beach front surf lodge and have thirteen guests coming next week.  They asked me to do some breakfast treats and desserts for them which would officially make this venture, my first job in Nicaragua.  On the menu - cinnamon rolls, muffins, bacon and cheese biscuits, Russian tea cake, banana bread, brownies, cookies and cakes.  One of the guests happens to be pro-surfer Rob Machado and luckily for Ian, I'm nervous - so I've been testing everything out on him.  I never claimed to be a professional.  Wish me luck everyone.  We could use some grocery money.     

And in totally unrelated news, in 1983, the state of Minnesota sold out of Cabbage Patch Dolls.  Weeks later while on family vacation in LA, my mom found them in a department store and we had to have them.  It didn't matter to us that we were the only white girls in MN with black babies.  I'm pretty sure this is where my obsession with Motown started.  Here is a picture of a picture. 

 

P.S. - Happy Birthday to Ian's mom, Kathy!