October 2021 Journal Photos

My friend and Democratic Party activist Tony Hale was honored. Image via Facebook. Tony has beaten me at chess occasionally.

Sunday, October 2. This bougainvillea bonsai shows a technique of letting it go wild for a year.

A busboy offered to take our photo.

We started with the zucchini plate and kept with the small plates to share. Photo by Andrea.

When we got home, Andrea took a photo of our Halloween decorations.

I took this photo with officer Ed Ho's phone, cropped left and right. Click the image for the full resolution version.

Thursday afternoon Andrea volunteered at Keawawa while I stayed home and worked on bonsai. Photo by Andrea.

Friday evening Andrea made paella for dinner. We gave some to Jolene two doors up the street.

I stayed home and took this photo of our bonsai bench while Andrea went to Manoa Heritage Center to give a tour. It rained just as she
left, 0.02 inch, postponing my lawn mowing for a while. Can you spot the rubber duckie? Click the image to see the full resolution photo.

It rained at the Manoa Heritage Center. Photo by Andrea.

Lolly took this picture Saturday at Keawawa while Andrea was at Manoa Heritage Center.

Me taking the photo above. Photo by Andrea.

A busy store at the central end of the corridor.

Laurel came right behind us as Alex put out the corner marker floats for our adopt-a-plot.

Photo by Andrea with Black Point and Diamond Head in the far distance.

Our plot is by the big kamani tree.

Alex in the middle with volunteers working.

Volunteers at work. I had to leave early to feed the cats and water the bonsai.

Wednesday afternoon we went to visit Mom in the care home.

Paul Forney sent me his first cut at an illustration for my new book The Zombie Philosopher.

I unpot and bare root the eleven trees, letting them rest in a tub of water so I don't need to rush for the forest building.

I am going to plant two medium sized pairs of trees as twin trees, so I will bind them together beforehand.

I used a saw to make flat spots on one pair of the trees, then I bound them together with bonsai wire. The other pair are simply bound without
flatspotting.

I have a painted growing box and I filled it one third up with quarter inch screened black volcanic cinders.

Then I added potting soil over the cinders and smoothed it level just below the top of the box.

As a general rule when building a forest, the largest trees are placed first, so I took the largest tree and put it toward the back and side of
the box. Some people like to put the larger trees in front in an attempt to achieve a forced perspective, but I think a forest looks more inviting
with the larger trees in the back drawing you in. I put wet sand over the roots to help hold the tree in position.

Then I placed the second largest tree and tied them together with a single piece of bonsai wire. This helps to stabilize them against the wind
as I add the other trees.

Next I placed the two pairs of bound trees, and also use wet sand to hold them and tie them with wire to the first two trees.

The remaining trees are placed somewhat randomly so that we don't have any three in a line, and then I fill the box with potting soil, pressing
it down with my fingers.

Finally, I cover the soil with a layer of black cinders to help protect against soil erosion when watering.

After watering and resting a while. The forest can grow for a year or two before putting it into a shallow forest tray.

We finish off with a nice piece of Halloween cheesecake.

Andrea went to help at Keawawa Thursday afternoon, October 14. This is the outcropping where the heiau was said to be.

It lasted 40 minutes with a 20 minute question period.

In the afternoon Andrea visited Mom in the care home and gave her a decorative Dia De Los Muertos dog.

A view more to the left from the main entrance. I've always enjoyed going to Kahala Mall. My sister Chris used to work there back in the 1970s.

Nohea Gallery, one of our favorite stores. Nohea means beautiful, and they have a lot of things nohea. Expensive too.

Ten o'clock and everyone is all set up.

Tsunami warning center and HAM radio tables.

We had three community preparedness groups: Aina Haina Prepared, Manoa Ready, and Hawaii Kai Strong.

Andrea visiting the tsunami table.

Adele and Mary helped visitors play the go bag game.

Down at the Macy's wing, the architectural society had a world hunger fundraiser with food can art displays.

This was my favorite can art display: three buddies with arms around each other.

This is the store Chris worked in back in the 70s. It had a different name then, but it sold women's clothing.

A closer view of the two Natal plums. Photo taken Sunday morning, October 24.

Later Sunday morning I potted them both.

This is the other one. I had to chainsaw the root to get it to fit in the pot.

After unwiring, pruning, needle pulling, and wiring the primary branches.

An old fashioned Halloween card from a Facebook friend.

Nice view. Photo by Becky.

Bill in the evening, 6:24 PM says the photo metadata. Photo by Becky.

An old fashioned Halloween card from a Facebook friend.

An old fashioned Halloween card from a Facebook friend.

A cloth print of Paul Forney's "The Spot" arrived in the mail from Fine Arts America web site. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Saturday mornng Andrea prepared the bowls for trick-or-treaters on Sunday night.

Saturday afternoon we attended an aloha oe (going away) party at Paul and Nani's house down the street. They sold their house for a million
bucks and will be moving to their family property in South Carolina. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Sunday morning I cut the top lid and cleaned out the pumpkin guts and then Andrea carved the face.

Scary!

Paul Forney completed the cover art for my novella that I had comissioned. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

All set up for Halloween night. Photo by Andrea.

Two help yourself bowls with witch. Photo by Andrea.

Mom's care home sent this photo.