August 2021 Journal Photos

In the news recently, Jill Biden cut her foot walking on the beach when she was visiting here in July. It reminds me of the time I went surfing in Maunalua Bay at high tide, back in '67, I think, or thereabouts. I paddled out and surfed for a few hours alone and the tide went out and it was getting dark. I had to walk back over the coral with the wind blowing the longboard I was carrying. My feet were all cut up. Had to scrub them with soap and a brush in the shower to prevent infection. I was OK, but very cut up.


My Leo flag arrived back in July. Photo by Andrea.

Andrea's July stream photos.


August is the month of Leo (mostly).

Fisher Hawaii

The worst time to go to a business/art supply store is during the back-to-school rush. Guess what we did? Andrea tried last week, but couldn't even park. On Monday, August 2, we both had medical appointments downtown, so we got lunch at Jack-in-the-Box and drove to Mother Waldron Park in Kakaako and got a picnic table under a monkeypod tree. Then we walked to Fisher Hawaii and got the art paper and colored pens we need for Margo's upcoming class.


Andrea going in.

Rainbows

After the second driest July on record here in Aina Haina, we had morning showers and a double rainbow for breakfast on Tuesday, August 3.


My camera phone would not get the whole rainbow in one shot.


The left side shows the double rainbow. For any given rain-sun configuration there are an infinite number of rainbows because there are an
infinite number of viewpoints. Your philosophical thought for the day. Does that mean there are an infinite number of pots of gold at the "ends"
of the rainbows? Of course. We need to consider that the pot of gold is a metaphor for your personal joy.


Autopanorama with Andrea's new Samsung phone. Photo by Andrea.

Wailupe Stream

Andrea and I walked down to the Hind Drive bridge over the stream on Wednesday, August 4, intending to remove the tower fan someone had thrown there earlier. We were pleasantly surprised to find it had been already removed by someone.


View from the bridge.

Keawawa Watering

Andrea and I helped water at Keawawa on Saturday, August 7, from 8:00 to 9:00 am.


Andrea pulled weeds while Jolie went to get more water cans.

Jeff Peterson Concert

Andrea and I attended Jeff Peterson's first slack key guitar concert since covid bagan at the Manoa Valley Theater on Saturday, August 7, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.


Photo of the stage while we waited for the concert to begin. Jeff had three guitars altogether.


Our masked selfie before I turned the phone off.

Covid deaths in the news these days.

Rick's 1001000 Birthday Party

Andrea and I threw a dinner party for my birthday on Wednesday, August 11.


Wednesday afternoon I attended a UH Zoom lecture by Dr. Veronica Bindi, UH professor specializing in cosmic rays.


Enjoying drinks and pupu before dinner.


Ron's son Kai is now taller than he is.


Randy waved hi while I took the pictures.


Andrea got to relax before serving dinner.


Birthday cake with binary candles after dinner. Black candles are ones and the white candles are zeroes. Photo by Andrea.


The chocolate cake was delicious. I'm wearing my new birthday shirt. Photo by Andrea.

Jan's Visit

Jan flew in on Wednesday afternoon, August 11, in time for my birthday party.


It rained overnight and Friday morning, August 13, Andrea went for a walk in the valley and took this picture of an ambitious cloud.


Robert sent me this solar powered light-up meditating gnome for my birthday.


Andrea's screen capture from the Zoom class with Margo on Friday the 13th.


My drawing from the OLLI art class by Margo today.


Andrea's drawing.

Model Hale

I began making a model hale out of chopsticks and hibachi skewers.


Photo by Andrea on Friday, August 13.


Photo by Andrea.


After a coat of varnish on Saturday. 

My Little Grass Shack by Henry Owens

There's a place in Hawaii
That is very dear to me
I am homesick as can be
Won't you listen to my plea?

I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawaiʻi
I want to be with all the kanes and wahines that I used to know long ago

I can hear the old guitars playing
On the beach at Hō'onaunau
I can hear the Hawaiians saying
"Komo mai no kāua i ka hale welakahao"

It won't be long 'til my ship will be sailing back to Kona
It's grand old place that's always fair to see

I'm just a little Hawaiian and a homesick island boy
I want to go back to my fish and poi

I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawai'i
Where the humuhumunukunukuāpua'a goes swimming by
Where the humuhumunukunukuāpua'a goes swimming by

Bonsai with Stephen

Stephen, a member of Rainbow Bonsai Club, came over Saturday, August 14, with a couple of trees to work on.


Stephen with his banyan ficus.


After pruning and wiring.


After working on the ficus benjamina clump style bonsai. Photo by Andrea.


Saturday evening Andrea got a photo of the om gnome lit up.

Dinner at Panya

Jan treated us to dinner at Panya on Sunday, August 15.


Jan and Andrea.


A woman at the neighboring table offered to take a picture of all three of us.


Wednesday afternoon I took a photo of the birthday cards and gifts before putting them away. Click the image to see the full resolution image.


On Thursday the 19th, we stopped at Kaiser on Pensacola to pick up a prescription for Mom on the way back from radiation treatment, and
dropped it off at the care home.

Dinner with Matt and Diane

We went to dinner at Matt and Diane's house on Friday evening, August 20.


Friday was also Hawaii State Admission Day (1959).


A wonderful dinner prepared by Matt and Diane.

Henry the IV at Mission Houses

Andrea and I went to the fourth and last performance of Shakespeare's Henry the IV Part One as the first event of the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival at the Mission Houses outdoor stage on Saturday evening, August 21.


We parked across King Street from the Mission Houses Museum. The outdoor stage and seating area is behind the 1821 house.


Cold chardonnay while inspecting the play pamphlet. Photo by Andrea.


We brought sushi and a bento to eat before the performance. After some wine, Andrea had a coffee.


While waiting for the play to start, I got a closer photo of the hale. The door with posts and lintel is definitely of western influence.


Sunday, the 22nd, Andrea went to the care home for Zoom with Bill and Tom. Mom was in bed and didn't want to get up.


Sunday night I goofed and let my chess program checkmate me. That hasn't happened in a long time.

Black Heroes of the Martial Arts

At my birthday party last week, Ron Van Clief gave me a copy of his 2019 book Black Heroes of the Martial Arts. I photographed the cover and inscription page on Tuesday morning, August 24.


The book's cover.


Ron's gracious inscription.

I started a new chess game and played the longest game ever.


On Friday the 27th Malia sent us video and a photo of grandson Grayson opening the birthday presents we sent (birthday on August 16).

Black Pine Bonsai

Saturday, August 28, after mowing the lawn, I worked on a black pine bonsai that has been growing in full sun for a while.


Before unwiring.


After needle pulling and light pruning, with the proper front toward the camera. I will wait a few weeks before wiring the secondary branches.


I started making a growing box for the pine out of a wine case that Paul gave me a few years ago.

Drive to Makapuu

Sunday morning, August 29, Andrea and I drove to Makapuu to take a look.


The air and water were clear.


Andrea with Rabbit Island.


Looking toward Sandy Beach. Photo by Andrea.


On our return I finsihed painting the bonsai growing box. Photo by Andrea.


Chinese Banyan (Ficus microcarpa), in training since 1971 and gifted to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum's North American Collection
by Mike Uyeno in 1990. Andrea found this on Facebook. Mike is the founder of Rainbow Bonsai Club.

Kahala Mall

Andrea and I stopped at Whole Foods at Kahala Mall on the way home from radiation treatment on Monday morning, August 30.


A view of the mall from the upper parking level with Diamond Head in the background.


Driving home we saw this Darwin Award contestant.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com

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Last updated September 2, 2021 by Dr. Rick Wagner. Text and images copyright © 2021, unless otherwise attributed, all rights reserved.