September 2023 Journal Photos

Okinawan Festival

The forty-first Okinawan festival at the Hawaii Convention Center on Labor Day Weekend.

Friday


Friday morning, September first, Andrea photographed my bonsai pikake.


Friday afternoon I went to help set up the bonsai exhibit. These are the parking level makai elevators. No gun allowed, so if you need
to shoot someone on the way down, you're just out of luck.


The stage with its backdrop is set up.


We had to wait for our tables and chairs to be set up by the Convention Center crew.


Volunteers setting up the bonsai display.

Saturday


Alvin's moyogi prostrata juniper. Photo by Andrea.


Daniel's junipers on rocks. Photo by Andrea.


Roy's junipers on a rock. Photo by Andrea.


This is my premna root on rock bonsai with mondo grass accent.


Musical instruments upon the stage. They were all played together later.


Doors opened to the public at 9:00 AM.


It was a nice looking bonsai exhibit.


The dwarf podocarpus I worked on that Andrea bought. Photo by Andrea.


At 10:00 AM Andrea and I went to look at the cultural village and crafts fair.


A children's song and dance in the "cultural village."


Robin giving some pointers to Jonathan. Photo by Andrea.

Bonsai Garden Tour by Tom Lau.

Sunday


There was a big crowd when I got there Sunday at noon.


Andrea dropped me off with a donation haggerbush bonsai and went to park the car at Ala Moana shopping center while I went to the FIRST
booth. Kalani High robotics team (3008) was there showing Vex robots. There was also a Lego robotics table.


Letting the kids play with robot controlling.


Miss Hawaii, Star Dahl-Thurston, came by to look at bonsai.


Andrea asked Miss Hawaii if she could take her photo with me working on a tree. Photo by Andrea.


I invited her to sit down to watch. Photo by Andrea.


I explained a number of basic principles of bonsai. Photo by Andrea.


Andrea at 2:00 PM.


Andrea and I watched some of the drum dancing.

Labor Day

Labor Day was Monday the fourth of September.


Andrea walked with the neighborhood patrol while I ate breakfast and read the paper. She got back about eight and ate the
papaya I fixed for her along with some sour dough toast. Photo by Andrea.


The walking group.


There were several maiapilo flowers in our front yard that Andrea photographed.


Flying the Biden flag on Labor Day. It's also the flag of the USA. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Stitches removal at Dr. Ellison's Office

On Tuesday the fifth Andrea first took Joleen to her colonsocopy and bought a lotus pot at Geobunga. Then she took me to get my cheek stitches removed at POB 2. I had mentioned my book to Dr. Ellison last Tuesday when he removed the basal cell cancer from my cheek, and he said he was interested in science fiction, so I told him I would bring him a copy. He was excited to hear that, and was grateful when I presented Brent and Edward Go to Mars to him.


The New Yorker had a Talk of the Town article on the Maui fires that I copied from their Website. Fair use for educational purposes.


Geobunga's new location in Honolulu. Photo by Andrea.


I scanned a nice letter from the morning paper. Fair use for educational purposes.


Wednesday morning Andrea walked again with the civil patrol..

Breakfast at Jack's

On Thursday the seventh, Andrea and I walked down to Jack's for breakfast. We were the first customers in the restaurant. Andrea had scrambled eggs, rice, Portugese sausage, and a muffin. I had fried eggs over, whole wheat toast, link sausage, and rice. Coffee for both and I had an orange juice while Andrea had a guava juice.


Drinking coffee. Photo by Andrea.


Back at you.


The waitress offered to take our picture.


On Friday I went to Straub for my monthly shot and took this photo of Thomas Square while I was waiting. Saturday I mowed the lawn.

Rainbow Bonsai Club

On Sunday the tenth, Andrea and I attended the monthly meeting of RBC. Afterward we visited Suzi in her condo at Makani Kai down by the water in Kaneohe.


Andrea handed out one free drawing ticket to each attendee, extra tickets were one dollar each.


We worked on trees after the meeting. Photo by Andrea.


Discussion of the trees. Photo by Andrea.


Suzi greeted us when we arrived after the bonsai meeting. Photo by Andrea.


We walked Frazzle the dog down by the yacht harbor.


Suzi laid out a delicious spread for us.


She read some of her poetry to us.


On Tuesday I photographed the mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius) that I will be doing the demonstration on at H'omaluhia Gardens
on Saturday the 23rd. Click the image to see the full resolution view.

Bonsai Work-Play

On Wednesday the thirteenth, Andrea went to give tours and hula at MHC. I stayed home to exercise and work on bonsai. I repotted the red hibiscus that Faye designed years ago. It has lopsided roots and needed some root work.


I had taken this tree to the bonsai club meeting on Sunday and defoliated it there. Click the image to see the full resolution view.


I removed the tree from its pot and bare rooted it to do some root work. Click the image to see the full resolution view.


After repotting in a smaller (plastic) pot, I gave it a cover of sand to hold the soil and soaked it in water.
Click the image to see the full resolution view.


The repotted tree. The lopsided roots have been removed. Click the image to see the full resolution view.

Dinner at Roy's

Andrea and I had scheduled a reservation for dinner at Roy's in Hawaii Kai for 5:45 PM Wednesday and we arrived ten minute early. We were seated outdoors, as requested, and had a fine evening of conversation and watching the sun set. We didn't actually watch the sun, due to the fine looking clouds, but it was a good sunset.


Bo, our waiter, took this photo of us after bringing our Manhattans made with Maker's Mark bourbon.


It was a fine looking sunset.

Manoa Heritage Center Tours

I took Andrea's MHC fourth grade ten o'clock tour Thursday morning on the 14th because she had a sore shoulder. I had a tour of my own on Friday afternoon at 1:30 PM.


Thursday morning the children did ahupua'a learning in the classroom while the other half did garden tours. I had the second shift.

Planting Lotus Seedlings

Andrea had started some lotus seedlings from seeds we got from a lotus pond at a neighbor's house up the street. She photographed me putting them in the large pot she bought from Geobunga (see above). Saturday, September 16.


The sprouting seeds four weeks ago. One had already been removed from the sprouting bowl to the initial growing bowl.


First I salvaged some red clay from some store-bought junipers I had. I put them in some good potting soil.


I put a layer of medium Akadama in the bottom of the lotus pot, and put the layer of clay on top of that. Then I brought over the
lotus seedlings in their growing bowl. The stick is to poke holes in the clay.


I put in the five seedlings in a star pattern.


Then I covered the clay with a layer of coral sand.


I used the growing bowl to diffuse the water to float the lotus pads.


The finished product.


After dinner the water had cleared.


Sunday morning I photographed the dendrobium orchid that Andrea had bought at the Okinawan Festival.


Tuesday morning I finished transplanting the shimpaku junipers for the MHC workshop on November 18.


Wednesday morning I repotted five more junipers for the upcoming workshop. We now have 16 in good soil, eight shimpaku, and eight
prostrata.

UHM College of Natural Sciences Pilina Ao Speaker Series

Thursday evening Andrea and I attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa off-campus event to learn about how AI is advancing science. Andrea Wagner: "A thoroughly enjoyable evening out to learn about latest trends in AI. Dinner at Pho Viet followed by dessert from Le Crepe Cafe. Someone had to do it." September 20, 2023.


We arrived early and the place was filling up fast. We ordered dinner and a bottle of pinot grigio.


Our table became full. Rich and Cathy, unknown woman with black hair, Bill Meyers, Carolyn Yacoe, unknown man on right corner, and Bob
next to Andrea. Service was slow because the restaurant wasn't prepared for the large crowd, but everyone got fed eventually.


Prof. Peter Sadowski's (right) 150 word introduction was written by ChatGP, a large language model (LLM).

I attended the SFWA annual meeting via Zoom on Thursday, the 21st. I have recently been selected to membership in the SWFA emerging technologies advisory committee. SWFA has $1.5 M in investments and $160 k in cash.

Rainbow Bonsai Presentation at Ho'omaluhia Gardens

Saturday the 23rd, Andrea and I went to Ho'omaluhia Gardens in Kaneohe to help John Arafiles give a presentation on bonsai. Also assisting were John's wife Joan and Eddie Oi who set up the outreach event.


After setting up, we looked around the place. This is an art show.


There was a nice description of ancient Polynesian voyaging canoe preparation for colonization. Click the image to see the full resolution version.


John was up first and talked about the five major bonsai styles. Here he shows a formal upright black pine.


John talked about other styles besides the major five. Here he talks about the forest style.


After John's talk, I began a demonstration on a mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius) I had brought.


I took the tree out of the growing pot and began defoliating and pruning the tree.


I wired several of the branches.


After potting the formal upright, I drenched it with water poured from the spray bottle.


After a layer of fine cinders as a top dressing, the bonsai is completed.


I had propped my book against John's dai so people could see it and order online if they chose. Many people came up afterward for a closer look.


Sunday I attended the afternoon Zoom session of the philosophy meet-up group. The topic was objectivity.

Evening Walk with the Aina Haina Civil Patrol

Monday evening we met the walking group at the Hind Drive bridge for a walk up Hao Street, across the Ani Street Bridge, and down Hind Iuka Drive.


People socializing while waiting for everyone to arrive.


Official photo from Paris.


I walked with Randy and we talked a while. Photo by Andrea.


Tuesday morning we went to Lowes after our dual dental appointment and bought a new lawnmower.
I had to scan the receipt to register it for warranty.

Bonsai Kamani

Wednesday I worked on my bonsai kamani from seed.


Andrea walked with the civil patrol Wednesday morning and I walked down to the bridge where they met and back.


I downloaded last year's certificate of appreciation for daily reporting of rainfall here.


The tree after growing several years in a terra cotta pot. Click the image to see the full resolution version.


The tree after branch removal, root pruning, and repoting in a cement growing pot. Click the image to see the full resolution version.

Legislative Priorities Meeting

Wednesday evening Andrea and I attended the Democratic Party of Hawaii Region 1 Legislative Priorities meeting. Andrea talked about a well educated workforce and I talked about public transportation. It was a Zoom hybrid meeting.


A view of the meeting room in the Aina Haina public library.


Another view.

Sunset Seminar at the Kahala Hotel

Thursday Andrea and I attended the seminar on coral.


The Kahala Hotel is a nice setting for the seminar series.


Our friend Carmella sat at our table with us.


Andrea got this great photo of the full moon on the way out.


Friday I painted a pair of pots while Andrea went to give tours at Mission Houses.


I added red and white paint to complete the two pots.

ABCs of Bonsai Class Assistance

I assisted at the third and last ABCs of bonsai class put on by the HBA on Saturday, the 30th.


The repotting demonstration trees.


Charlene gave the introduction.


Patrick, president of the Rainbow Bonsai Club gave the potting demonstration.


Charlene demonstrated on the smaller tree.


The demonstration action.


Meanwhile, Andrea was volunteering at family day at Mission Houses.

Mama Mia! at Diamond Head Theater

Andrea and I went to see the matinee show at DHT. It was an exceptionally great performance. Fast paced, great music, singing, and dancing.


We met friend Joyce from civil patrol there.


I photographed the stage set before turning off my phone. They put out a bed and lowered some windows to make a bedroom scene.


At intermission we had champagne on the new lawn.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com


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Last updated October 3, 2023 by Dr. Richard Jeffery Wagner. Text and images copyright © 2023, unless otherwise attributed, all rights reserved.