April 2019 Journal Photos

Some interesting chess games I played against the computer this month.

April began with very little rain, only 0.02 inch in the rain guage on April Fools Day.

Sans Souci Beach

I went to the beach in the afternoon on Monday, April 1, while Andrea stayed home and baked cookies, oatmeal raisin.

I saw a guy flying a quadrotor. Cropped: click the image to see the original photo.

Metaphotography is photography about photography. On Friday a man photographed his cat.

On Friday there was no setup for an event at the Waikiki Aquarium. Perhaps they are letting the grass recover from the four-times-weekly luau.

Saturday Barbecue

We invited Joleen and her sisters over for barbecue dinner on Saturday evening, April 6. That morning Andrea and I went to see "talk story" with Congressman Ed Case at the Aina Haina Elementary School cafeteria. The turnout was quite good.

We walked down the elementary school. I left during the constituent questions and statements period while Andrea stayed to the end. I got a ride
back with Ricky Minn who lives down the street from us. Photo by Andrea.

Joleen's Mom, Sylvia, was there too.

We had wine, water, and pupu before the grilled duck.

Two pieces of duck were left on the platter.

Bonsai Work

I worked on a bonsai on Sunday mornning, April 7, and decided to photograph the process.

I have heard this tree called a "hagerbush" but I can't find it when researching it. Before, in a concrete growing pot.

Pruned. Remove anything growing straight up or down. Remove branches growing back toward the trunk. Remove branches
growing in a crook and remove crotch growth. Remove branches growing too strongly near the top.

Repotted into another concrete growing pot more suitable for the tree.

Monday afternoon after the beach we went to the Outrigger Canoe Club for the Kapiolani Park Preservation Society 5:00 PM meeting but arrived
an hour early by mistake. It was warm with little wind, so we went home rather than wait around for an hour.

Dinner at Hy's Steakhouse

Andrea and I went to dinner at Hy's Steakhouse on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki after our swim on Thursday, April 11. We had heard good things about it so I made us a reservation for a Thursday evening.

An old craftsman house in Waikiki on the way to Hy's.

We started with a couple of glasses of prosecco.

We finished with dulce and vanilla ice cream.

Joel Coito Celebration of Life

Andrea and I went to the Joel Coito viewing and celebration of life at Sacred Hearts Academy on Saturday, April 13, in the afternoon after picking up 13 dozen malasadas at Leonard's Bakery in Kapahulu.

Photo sent to us in thanks from Joleen on behalf of her Mom, Lois, Judith and Adrienne.

View of the school from the Student Center.

Photo from Andrea's google album added to this page in June 2019.

On the way back from the viewing in the chapel I took this photo of a mobile fountain with the Student Center in the background.

Photo sent to us in thanks from Joleen on behalf of her Mom, Lois, Judith and Adrienne.

Inside the Student Center for the celebration of life and luau.

Carl and Dorain Young. Photo from Andrea's google album added to this page in June 2019.

Ester Whitton and Linda Starr also joined us at our table. Photo from Andrea's google album added to this page in June 2019.

Rainbow Bonsai Club Meeting

Andrea and I attended the regular monthly Rainbow Bonsai Club meeting in Waimanalo on Sunday morning, April 14.

President Ryan Greer presided.

Today's special topic was kengai, cascade style. John, Alan, Ryan, and I brought trees to show.

John led the discussion.

Something Rotten at Diamond Head Theater

Andrea and I attended the matinee performance of Something Rotten at Diamond Head Theater Sunday afternoon, April 14. Aleks Pevec was dynamic in the role of William Shakespeare. Andrea (in Facebook) says it "was an outstanding cast over all. Loved Garrett Hols as Nostradamus. Kevin Pease did a great job as Nick Bottom. Megan Ellis was super as Bea Bottom."

We parked at Kapiolani Community College across the street from Diamond Head Theater. I took this photo of a rock construction and planting,
probably something left from Fort Ruger.

We brought home the program and I scanned the cover art.

The traditional marquee photo. Andrea in red on the bench in the entryway.

A seven piece orchestra and an Elizabethan themed stage setting inside. Photography is not allowed during performances.

Afterward we went to the Kaimana, a beach hotel, for pupu and cocktails. We had the nacho plate, fried zuchini, and mai tais. We bought
ice cream (a drumstick and a crunch bar for Andrea) at Russel Convenience, as we often do, to eat in the car on the way home.

On Tuesday I photographed the flowers and bees on our lychee tree.

Andrea took this photo of a kolea, ready to fly back to Alaska, on her walk in the morning.

On Wednesday morning Andrea photographed the business cards she updated and printed for Aina Haina Prepared in preparation for the
preparedness fair at Kahala Mall in May.

Roast Duck

After mowing the lawn on Saturday, April 20, I got the Big Green Egg barbecue ready to roast a spatchcocked duck on the grill.

I came across this interesting mate in two (white to move) on Facebook. One must prove that black may not castle (his king has moved previously).

The large duck has been spatchcocked and marinaded and is ready for the fire.

The Big Green Egg is ready.

Skin side up to start.

Twenty minutes and turned twice.

Ten more minutes. The flare-up flame will be extinguished when the lid is closed.

The temperature gauge says nearly 600F, but I'm not sure of its accuracy.

Letting it rest for ten minutes before carving.

I made a separate page for the roast duck photos.

Easter Brunch

Andrea and I picked up Mom from the care home on Easter Sunday, April 21, and drove her to Lynn's house in Manoa to have brunch with cousin Kim and her husband Pete.

Mom, me, Lynn, Kim, and Pete. Photo by Andrea.

Photographer Andrea.

My photo of the brunch bunch. Mom, Andrea, Kim, and Pete. Later we Skyped with uncle Bob in Washington State.

Sunday afternoon I took this photo of my stack of books to read with the already read books in the shorter stack in the back.

Tuesday morning I took this photo of the chessboard and openings book I have had since 1971. Chess Openings, Theory and Practice
by I. A. Horowitz is a classic reference. Openings knowledge is an edge in any tournament.

On Tuesday afternoon we went to the beach and saw this monk seal.

A closer view of the monk seal.

Malia took this picture of the grandkids in virginia, via Facebook.

Dinner at DK Steakhouse

After swimming, Andrea and I met Pete and Kim at DK Steakhouse for dinner in Waikiki at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, April 24.

We met in the courtyard of the Mariott at Kuhio Beach.

Photo by Andrea.

Josh, our waiter, took this photo. We watched the sun set as we ate dinner.

Not the most spectacular of sunsets, but as Josh noted, it never gets old. Photo by Kim.

Thursday we went for an afternoon swim and I saw this monk seal resting behind the aquarium.

Friday morning Andrea had a tour at Manoa Heritage Center and she took this photo of a picture of Julie and Mary Cooke with Barrack Obama.

Arlo Guthrie at the Hawaii Theater

Andrea and I went to see Arlo Guthrie and his band at the Hawaii Theater on Saturday night, April 27. The show started at eight and we had a dinner reservation at Fete restaurant on Hotel Street at 6:00 PM. We drove there and parked in Kukui Plaza and made it to the restaurant a little bit early.

We were seated at the kitchen counter at Fete where we could watch the culinary action. Photo by Andrea.

Andrea points to the marquee.

We entered Hawaii Theater at 7:00 and waited upstairs until the inner doors opened at 7:30. Photo by Andrea.

We had seats in the center loge (see Andrea seated there). I walked all the way to the back to get this photo of the whole auditorium.

The proscenium has a mural scene of a procession with Athena in a chariot. Photo by Andrea.

We were directly under the dome at the top of the auditorium. Photo by Andrea.

Tuesday, with the sun on the meridian, I took this photo of the sun flag I started flying in anticipation of the solstice coming up.
Click the image to see the full resolution photo.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com