March 2019 Journal Photos

The shamrock is the symbol of Ireland, good luck, and Saint Patrick.

They were building a boulder dam to trap sediment, according to one of the workers Andrea talked to.

We sat at the only picnic table, with a board missing. Photo by Andrea.

Many people don't know there's a blowhole at Makapuu. Photo by Andrea.

Makapuu is the easternmost point of Oahu and a good lookout point for an invasion from Molokai. Makapuu means "eye hill." Photo by Andrea.

We sat at the only picnic table. Andrea took some pictures too.

We had sandwiches, chips, cookies, and apple slices packed in the star spangled lunch box.

The lunch box is built with a half inch of styrofoam insulation with wood veneer inside and out.

I finished off with a home made oatmeal raisin cookie. Photo by Andrea.

We watched the boogie boarders catch waves. Photo by Andrea.

We stopped on the way to the beach and Andrea took photos of the stream dam at the Hind Drive bridge.

I downloaded a couple of sea level measurement graphs for some of my deluded skeptic friends.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center image. John Gardner says it's a conspiracy and hoax in order to keep the funding coming. I counter
that there are better ways to make money. One doesn't see many academics and scientists driving Ferraris.

On Wednesday Andrea stayed home while I went for a swim by myself. It had rained earlier.

On Thursday I noticed the newly planted grass over the sewer pipe was coming up. It took 12 days.

Friday morning Andrea walked up Lawelawe Street and took more photos of the stream work. Here a public access point is fenced off.

Saturday morning Andrea attended a Red Cross class on shelter operations while I mowed the lawn. She stopped at whole foods on the
way home and bought octopus and sardines for dinner.

All the small bonsai sizes lined up on the tables. Photo by Andrea.

On the way home from the meeting we stopped up on Hao Street to take pictures of the restoration work on Wailupe Stream.

Looking toward the debris basin at the upper end of the Wailupe Valley (Aina Haina).

At the heiau talking to some students. Photo by Andrea.

Offerings wrapped in ti leaves on the ahu next to the heiau. Photo by Andrea.

At the hau tree arbor at the Natatorium later that afternoon after our swim.

In the afternoon Andrea went up to the upper Wailupe stream to photograph the work the city is doing. Photo by Andrea.

Monday afternoon, March 18, we went to the beach for a swim. The first day of spring break was crowded.

Thursday evening, March 21, we went to Noi, a Thai restaurant in the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki, for dinner. Afterward we went
to the farmers' market in the Hyatt hotel and then to the Kaimana hotel for dessert. They were crowded and had only one waiter. The
service was so slow we left without ordering. We stopped at Foodland in Aina Haina for Cherry Garcia ice cream and fixed Manhattans at home.

Looking back toward the entrance on the third level of the center. Photo by Andrea.

We had the Cupcake Chardonnay. Photo by Andrea.

After the appetizer sampler we had the chicken wings and pork strips. Photo by Andrea.

Setting up. Photo by Andrea.

Our bonsai display. My tree is the small ficus on the right with the mountain viewing stone.

John and Joanie with some bonsai and other plants for sale.

Ready to begin work on the demonstration trees. Photo by Andrea.

This is John's beautiful shohin display. Photo by Andrea.

John brought a magnificent banyan tree in root-on-rock style. Photo by Andrea.

This is my slant style (shakkan) ficus (banyan) with a mountain viewing stone (suiseki) in the distance. Photo by Andrea.

Pruning a demnstration tree. Photo by Andrea.

John worked on the tree that Hugo brought. Photo by Andrea.

Metaphotography: I photographed the keiki hula in the park across the street. Photo by Andrea.

The photo taken above: Music and keiki hula across the street in Sun Yat Sen Park.

Paintings for sale.

More keiki hula. They and the band were really good.

Adult hula. Photo by Andrea.

Club member Donald, volunteering for the kidney foundation, came by for a look. Photo by Andrea.

Working on bonsai generates visitor interest. Photo by Andrea.

The Rainbow Bonsai Club setup with two canopies and the bonsai display in between them.

The art fair wrapped around to Fort Street Mall at Pauahi Street where some lion dancers prepare to perform.

A new city Art Museum opened today. These are some interesting ceramic pieces.

I brought several bonsai to work on for demonstration.

The lion dancers came down our way. Feeding the red lion. Photo by Andrea, who also made two videos of the lion dance.
Lion Dance One (MP4 file, 50 megabytes)
Lion Dance Two (MP4 file, 12 megabytes)

The lions by the shave ice truck. The little boy with the cymbals is one of the musicians accompanying the lion dancers.

The punk rock band Stink Eye performed in the park. The guitarist had a Gibson Les Paul and the bassist played a Fender bass.

Tuesday we went to the beach in the afternoon and I saw this monk seal resting on the sand.

Getting ready for the show.

Andrea gives her presentation.

After Will from State Farm, Gen gave his talk about FEMA's role in disaster recovery.

Disaster declaration process. Photo by Andrea.

Our robot was waiting bagged in the pits. We're next to a team from Japa this year.

Andrea was the head of pit admin this year.

The field reset crew practiced resetting the field.

Team members got the pit and robot ready.

I had to leave mid-morning to go guide a tour for Manoa Elementary students at the Manoa Heritage Center.

Our robot has passed inspection. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

Working on software in the pit. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

Mentor Donny came in to help.

Getting ready for a practice match after lunch.

Peggy Wagner, Rick Wagner, Rick Wagner, and Andrea Wagner.

A view of the pits.

After I went home in the afternoon, the team got the robot running and on the field for a practice match. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

On the field for a practice match. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

The students did their morning "I'm excited" ritual.

Waiting at the student entrance for the venue to open at 8:00 AM.

Miss Hawaii sang the national anthem at the opening ceremony with an Air Force color guard standing at attention.

The first match gets ready to get underway.

This is what the team sees during the "sandstorm" period.

At lunch time I explored Kalo Place Park tucked in behind the freeway underpass to the lower campus.

Andrea and alumna volunteer Danielle. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

Working on the robot between matches.

Alumna Madi Sim is the MC. Photo by Team Magma via Facebook.

Team Magma (3008) ready for a match on the red alliance.

Talking to some judges in the pit.

Noah demonstrated how the lift works.

The judges asked questions and took notes.

Heading off for a blue alliance match.

Pit administration is ready to go.

Team Magma is getting the robot ready for our first match.

On the field for a morning match. The team continued to do well, finishing qualifications with six wins and six losses.

In the pits talking to a judge. It seemed like we were in the running for a design award but ended up not winning any.

Getting ready for a match on the red alliance.

At lunch time I walked down to One Plus One restaurant at King and Coolidge for a plate lunch and took this photo of Puck's Alley
on the walk back. Andrea and I had our first date there at Mama Mia's Pizza (now a different student pizza joint with the red and
blue table umbrellas). Click on the image to see the full resolution version.

Team lunch on the floor in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Our last match in the quarterfinals. We got picked by the seventh seed alliance.

The robot ran well for the most part, but we lost in two games to the second seed alliance.

Sunday morning this photo was in the Star-Advertiser with an article about the regional competition. Courtesy of Team Magma via Facebook.

Sunday afternoon Andrea made a blueberry crisp. The raspberry custard was already in the oven.