March 2018 Journal Photos

House Painting

Painting work continued on Thursday, March 1.

Andrea and I went to the beach in the afternoon. Sprinkler system installation at the Aquarium.

I went to the beach Friday afternoon. The dark mass in the water is a school of fish.

Limu research with UH was there at the Natatorium.

Friday the house painting was done. Paul will be back Monday for any touching up needed.

View from the back.

Saturday morning Andrea helped OLLI at Experience Manoa at UH.

Saturday we got our Save the Date card from Becky and Eric.

Democratic Party Precinct Meeting

Andrea and I attended the District 18 meeting on Wednesday, March 7.

Waiting for the meeting to start in the Kalani High School Cafeteria. That's Diamond Head in the distance in the window.

Andrea became president of District 3 and I'm vice president. Rep. Mark Hashem and his wife look on.

Walk on the Wild Side

Andrea and I along with Rainbow Bonsai Club attended a street fair event put on the the Kidney Foundation in Chinatown called A Walk on the Wild Side on Saturday, March 10.

We arrived on Nuuanu Street around 9:00 AM and waited for others to arrive. Andrea parked the car in Kukui Plaza.

I played a game of chess with the vendor across the street from us and lost by a severe blunder. Photo by Andrea.

I brought four trees to work on during the six hours we were there. Photo by Andrea.

Ryan brought one popup and Donald went to buy a second one that we set up later.

Much better with the second popup. Photo by Andrea.

The bonsai display looked nice with the red table covers lent to us by the arts center at Marks Garage. Photo by Andrea.

Andrea and I got plate lunches at the red truck.

There was a lion dance.

People stopped to watch me working on trees and they asked questions.

A walk on the wild side! Photo by Andrea.

And a wild side fashion show.

A jungle theme. Photo by Andrea.

A large chess board was set up for people to play with. I played (and lost) one game.

Strutting down the red carpet. Photo by Andrea.

Getting photos of the fashion models.

It was an exotic show. Photo by Andrea.

It was nice to relax in the shade for a while. Photo by Andrea.

Rainbow Bonsai Club Meeting

Andrea and I attended the monthly Rainbow Bonsai Club meeting on Sunday morning, March 11.

My niece Lisa, brother John's daughter, arrived on the north shore with her husband and two keiki.

After the business meeting we worked on trees.

John brought a ficus benjamina forest on a slab to work on.

Josephine and George chat by my hau tree.

Working on our trees. Photo by Andrea.

John's ficus forest looks nice. Photo by Andrea.

Lots of bonai work going on.

My finished hau tree. Photo by Andrea.

Fun Home at Manoa Valley Theater

Andrea and I went to the musical tragicomedy performance at MVT on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 PM, March 11. We went to the Hau Tree Lanai at the Kaimana Hotel for dinner afterward.

I took this photo of the stage set before the show began. No photos are allowed during performances.

Andrea took two photos of the stage set and hers came out a lot more in focus than mine.

The second of Andrea's stage pictures.

At the Hau Tree Lanai.

Andrea had the onaga and I had the ahi, both fresh catches.

At the Natatorium waiting for the fireworks to begin, with flash.

There were three launch sites for the Waikiki fireworks. Photo by Andrea.

I took a lot of fireworks pictures during the 15 minute show and this was the best one.

Kalo Harvesting at the Manoa Heritage Center

Andrea and I went to the kalo (taro) harvesting event at the MHC on Monday morning, March 12.

Anthony gave us a talk about kalo at the visitor's center.

Then we went up to the kalo patch.

Anthony told us what to do.

Demonstrating with a huli nano.

Andrea worked hard and got fairly dirty.

Mass production. We gave an offering at the heiau afterward and everyone got to take home leaves, corms, and huli.

Shipwrecks Lecture at the Aquarium

Andrea and I went to the "Shipwrecks and More" lecture at the Waikiki Aquarium on Tuesday afternoon, March 13.

We went to the beach for a swim first and I got this photo of the new sprinklers working at the Aquarium.

We arrived early for the lecture and got good seets in the Aquarium presentation room.

There was a dolphin fish (mahi mahi) skeleton on display in a case.

Taking the photo above. Photo by Andrea.

Wednesday morning still life.

Aina Haina Trail Checkout Hike

Andrea and I drove up to the trailhead and walked 20 minutes up to check out the trail conditions in preparation for our Saturday hike with Manoa Heritage Center docents on Wedesday morning, March 14.

Developer Jeff Stone left fencing after his aborted attempt at illegal development at the trailhead.

The last view of civilization.

The trail was wet but doable.

In the afternoon we went to the beach and saw Kaiiwi resting on the shore.

Lunch with Lisa and Family

Andrea and I met our niece Lisa, Cory, Andrew, and Lauren at Cinnamon's at the Ilikai for lunch on Friday, March 16.

Friday morning Keven and I went in his truck to pick up the order of cinders from the Big Island at Young Brothers at Pier 39.

We had a very nice lunch at Cinnamon's.

We stopped at a waterfall on the way out to take pictures.

Lisa got a person there to take our picture with her phone.

Andrea and me with the keiki.

And with Lisa. They flew back to California the next day.

Aina Haina Trail Hike

Andrea and I led our Saturday hike with Manoa Heritage Center docents in the morning of March 17.

At the end of Hao Street taking a break before hitting the trail. Photo by Andrea.

Off we go. Photo by Andrea.

A last view of civilization. Photo by Andrea.

A mountain orchid on the trail. Photo by Andrea.

Entering the bamboo forest. Photo by Andrea.

Several hikers stayed for pot luck lunch. Kevin, Jenny, Andrea, and Keala.

On Sunday I got an Italian chocolate Easter egg in the mail from Becky in a Jackson Pollock style.

Kalo Planting at the Manoa Heritage Center

Andrea and I went to the kalo planting event at the MHC on Monday morning, March 19.

We arrived early for the 9:00 AM event and I got this photo of the new visitor center.

Anthony raked the compost over the kalo patch.

Everybody worked planting the huli.

Almost done.

Andrea took a turn watering.

We picked mountain apple afterwards.

Monday evening I went to a Team Magma meeting to prepare for the Hawaii Regional.

Wednesday morning I finished refurbishing the menehune bridge. I replaced a partially rotted board and painted it gray and blue.

I spray painted the wire stands and set up my newly varnished "Self Portrait" koa haole wood carving.

Andrea also photographed the menehune bridge.

2018 Team Magma Hawaii Regional

Andrea and I supported the team at the Hawaii Regional from Thursday, March 22 through Saturday, March 24. Andrea once again volunteered to work in pit administration all three days.

Thursday

Thursday is practice day. The team set up the pit in the morning and worked on the robot and drove in scheduled practice matches in the afternoon.

Scouting and media teams in the stands watching the action on the field.

Our robot takes the field for practice match 3.

The robot puts a cube on the blue alliance switch.

In goes the cube.

Andrea in pit administration.

Danielle and Madi, former team students, now at UH, also volunteered.

In the pit fixing problems identified on the practice field.

Friday

Friday is qualification matches all day. We finished up ranked 14 out of 37. I had a dental appointment in the morning so I missed the opening ceremony, arriving at 11:00 AM.

The view from L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, which has a concession in the athletic center, where I had lunch (chicken katsu).
Leahi (Diamond Head) is in the distance.

A view of the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Center from L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.

The 3008 robot moves forward during autonomous period carrying a power cube.

Scoring the power cube in our switch after teleoperated mode started.

Pit routine. Alex refined the robot code all day.

Moving the robot out to get in queue for a match.

In the viewing stand.

Typical crowd awaiting the start of a match.

Mechanical trouble. The robot threw a chain.

Andrea, Donny, Madi and Danielle in pit administration.

Saturday

We finished the qualifying rounds on Saturday morning being ranked 14 and ended up as the eighth alliance captain. We chose Saint Louis Crusaders and Kamehameha High School as our alliance partners. We played top seed Raid Zero allied with the Hawaiian Kids and Robo Dawgs and were knocked out in that quarter final. We won the Industrial Design Award in the closing ceremonies.

Saturday morning I arrived early and sat in the empty stands waiting for the team. Photo by Hawaii Robotics.

Scoring a power cube in the "exchange" in a qualifying match.

In the pits working on the robot.

Autonomous mode in a qualifying match.

Scoring a power cube in the "exchange" in a qualifying match.

In queue for our final qualifying match with Spyder (1622) and Hawaiian Kids (359).

With a Coke just before the lunch break. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

Autonomous mode in our final qualifying match.

We had the high score of the Hawaii Regional! Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

Watching the matches. Photo by Hawaii Robotics.

Getting the robot ready for elimination rounds as eighth alliance captain.

With the team doing arm waves for the camera above. Photo by Hawaii Robotics.

Quarterfinal match.

Watching the competition with the team. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

Everyone was having a good time. Photo by Hawaii Robotics.

Final match teams shaking hands before play.

Wayland and me with the Industrial Design Award. Photo by Hawaii Robotics.

Mrs. Torige got us outside for a photo after the awards ceremony. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

With our alliance partners. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

Wet March

Having rained Friday and Saturday, March now has over four inches of rain.

I bought a thousand piece puzzle for Andrea at Honey Baked Ham on King Street when I went to lunch last Thursday and Andrea started
putting it together Sunday night. We got another 0.63 inch of rain in the guage on Monday morning.

We had fair weather Wednesday for our backyard barbecue with Trish, Polly, and PJ.

Counter-photo by Andrea.

Andrea photographed us hamming it up with the Jackson Pollock easter egg.

Thursday morning while sitting in the Ala Moana Tower conference room I came up with a simple proof that the earth has a finite radius.

After meeting with out financial advisor we had lunch at Islands in Ala Moana.

Nice Work If You Can Get It at Diamond Head Theater

Andrea and I attended the 1927 vintage Broadway musical comedy on Thursday evening, March 29.

Under the marquee. The show proved to be hilarious. I don't recall ever laughing out loud so much.

We admired the sunset and Honolulu city lights before going into the theater.

The orchestra to the right consisted of a piano (leader), two reeds, two horns, guitar, bass, and drums.

Picnic Lunch with Mom

Andrea and I packed a picnic basket and picked up Mom for lunch on Saturday, March 31.

It began to rain on the way to the park so we diverted to the house and had a picnic lunch at the dining table.

Andrea made oven fried chicken, potato-mac salad, and fruit salad. It was delicious.

Walking to the car for the return trip to the care home.

A chess game played in March.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com