My crepe myrtle bonsai in training bloomed for the first time on August first. Photo by Andrea.
We sat on a park bench in the shade while we waited for the doors to open at 2:30.
Inside the theater, waiting for the show to start. Lots of little princesses with magic wands in the audience.
Wednesday morning, August 8, I photographed our summer flags and some art items through our front windwo.
Three o'clock in the afternoon and Andrea is nearly done prepping for the party food.
Everything's ready for the party and all we need now is the guests. Reading the Rumpole stories. Photo by Andrea.
Making sure everyone has drinks and pupu. Photo by Andrea.
Shortly after six and four more guests are due to arrive.
People began to get dinner plates. Photo by Andrea.
Joleen having a good time. Photo by Andrea.
Getting ready to light the binary candles (1001011base 2 = 75).
About to strike the match. Photo by Andrea.
Andrea made a video of the birthday cake singing.
People enjoyed cake and conversation. I talked to Aires for a while. Photo by Andrea.
A good time indoors after the cake ceremony. Photo by Andrea.
Gary took this selfie photo later in the evening, after most of the guests had gone.
Simina got this one of Andrea and me. Jenny gave me the puakenikeni seed pod lei and Joleen gave me the flower lei.
The meeting is being called to order by President Pat and Secretary Eddie.
I talked about the benefits of volunteering for the Hawaii Bonsai Association exhibit at the upcoming Okinawa Festival. Photo by Andrea.
I began my demonstration by topping the Surinam cherry. Photo by Andrea.
I display the bonsai for the audience after the pruning is complete. Photo by Andrea.
I put the bonsai into the benefit drawing and Josephine won it. Then she did her on demo on repotting orchids. Photo by Andrea.
Later I helped Jackie with pruning her Chinese ficus (banyan) bonsai. Photo by Andrea.
Trump is obsessed with Kamala's crowd sizes. He is so needy. He spread the disinformation that Kamala used AI to fake the fifteen thousand
who showed up to meet her in Michigan. Reputable sources call the photos and crowd estimate authentic. For one thing, the Air Force has quit
putting tail numbers on the presidential aircraft, and the double fakers didn't know that, citing it as evidence of a fake photo.
Photo by Luke, our bartender.
For dessert Andrea got a chocolate martini.
Cheers!
Bartender Luke at work. He's from Colorado and has been in Hawaiʻi for three years.
I got a birthday dessert and chocolate ice cream.
Monday morning it rained on Lawelawe Street. It's good for the bonsai.
This is the colorful little dragon Simina gave me.
Becky's plane arrived on time and the baggage came quickly. Photo by Andrea.
We gave her a pikake lei. Photo by Andrea.
She looked great in the three-stranded lei. Photo by Andrea.
Pointing to a puffer fish.
At the large tropical tank.
A sea dragon pup.
We went for a swim at the adjoining beach and saw Kaiʻiwi, the monk seal, resting on the sand.
Friday afternoon I was reading Rumpole out under the lychee tree when Becky made this short video.
Becky and Andrea both got muffins with their eggs. I had link sausage with mine and Becky had Polish sausage.
Ready to check in with Norwegian Cruise Lines for the Pride of America. Photo by Becky.
Up two escalators to the gangway.
In our room with a balcony. Photo by Andrea.
The harbor from our stateroom balcony. The Aloha Tower is on the right.
Still at the dock and people are already playing in the pool. Photo by Andrea.
Exploring the ship, we climbed as high as possible for passengers.
Amidships on deck six.
Checking out the shopping options.
Checking out the library. Photo by Andrea.
We departed at seven o'clock. The Aloha Tower was illuminated.
We got a window table in the Liberty restaurant on deck six, aft.
August 17, 2024:
Start of interisland cruise. Andrea drove the Leaf and Becky took it back home. The big warehouse-looking building, Pier 2. Security check-in, then shell lei greeter, then regular check-in, the photos with two pretty girls, and up the escalators to the gangway to midship deck six. Got good directions to our room on deck 10 aft on the port side.
We explored the ship and back to the room. I was dripping sweat from the stair climbing so I took off my clothes and we lay on the bed for half an hour. We went forward to the art gallery but were 10 minutes late for the 5:30 lottery and champagne event, so we got no champagne. We went aft to the Liberty restaurant and had a nice dinner at a window table in the stern on deck 6.
The ship's hands and shore crew began casting off a little before seven and the ship began to move at seven sharp. Two tugs spun the ship 180 and we headed out the channel at twilight with the bright but cloud-hidden moon. Once out of the harbor, the ship's fishtailing motion is significant, perhaps from a cross-swell hitting the bow.
On deck 13. Photo by Andrea.
We went up to a high deck as the ship was docking and saw these outrigger canoes going out to sea.
We walked off the ship for a morning of exploration. I was wearing my blue running shoes which failed on the way back. Photo by Andrea.
We left the ship just before 9:00 AM for a walk to the botanical garden, about five miles round trip.
We walked onto the Maui College campus to take a look.
We saw this sculpture of trees and a dolphin. We made it to the botanical garden but they were closed for Sunday. The round trip was almost five miles.
When we returned I changed out of my sweaty shirt and we had lunch at the Cadillac restaurant. Photo by Andrea.
Later we went to the bar and got coffee and tea. Photo by Andrea.
We went upstairs to read in one of the cabanas. Photo by Andrea.
We had dinner in the ship's Skyline restaurant with art deco decor, reminiscent of the Chrysler Building.
Metaphotography. Photo by Andrea.
We went to the 8:00 PM Polynesian dance show in the Hollywood Theater in the bow of the ship.
The opposing view.
Leaving the ship through the warehouse. We walked 1.9 miles round trip to Ross, TJ Maxx, and Longs in the nearby shopping center. I bought
shoes to replace the ones that failed on our five mile walk yesterday.
We went to lunch in the Cadillac restaurant again.
Walking along deck 6 to the art auction in the afternoon. Deck 6 goes all around the outside of the ship. Three times around is a mile.
At the art auction. Nobody bought anything. All overpriced minima bids, in my opinion.
In the evening for table service at the bar. Photo by Andrea.
August 19, 2024, Monday, 8:30 PM:
Leaving Maui headed for Hawaiʻi. Will dock in Hilo at 08:00 Tuesday. Kahhului was a bit dismal. Half a mile of chain link corridor to get to the shopping center. We walked five miles to the botanic garden on Sunday to find it closed. I blew out the sole of my left shoe.
Walked in my dress shoes on Monday to Ross, about half a mile, to buy new shoes. Got the only pair of size 13 shoes in the store and they fit perfectly.
Left on time for Hilo in spite of several passengers being up to 20 minutes late.
Breakfast in Skyline as we approached the dock.
We walked to the Queen Liliuokalani park at Banyan Drive. It was nearly five miles round trip by Andrea's calibrated pedometer app on her phone.
Looking at the salt water pond near Banyan Drive in my new black and red shoes. Photo by Andrea.
Looking back at the ship from Banyan Drive.
We stopped at the Banyan Gallery and bought a little something for Becky who is watching our house.
We walked over the footbridge to Coconut Island.
The view of Mauna Kea from Coconut Island.
Andrea took this photo of the explanatory sign on Coconut Island. Click the image to see the full resolution version.
On Coconut Island. Photo by Andrea.
A hula dancer gourd art by Jenna who owns the Banyan Gallery.
Liliuokalani Garden is the largest Japanese garden in the world.
The famous clock that stopped in the devatating Hilo tsunami. Photo by Andrea.
Having lunch in the Aloha Cafe with some Micronesian artifacts. Photo by Andrea.
Descending the staircase in the atrium. Photo by Andrea. Click the image to see the full resolution version.
Becky polished our silver and sent us this photo with different groups indicated.
The capitol dome area, deck 5, waiting for the "how to run a floating hotel" talk.
The panel of ships officers answered questions from the audience.
Becky and I played a correspondence game. I'm black, and it's my move. I win a pawn. Do you see it?
We had dinner in La Cucina, the Italian restaurant. Andrea had the lamb shank and I had the steak.
Examining the wine. Photo by Andrea.
August 20, Tuesday, day 4, Hilo:
Red sky in morning, sunny on our walk into Hilo, another five miles round trip out to Coconut Island. Returned very hot. Drank water and we lay down in the air-conditioned stateroom to cool off before lunch in the Aloha Cafe, a self-serve cafeteria. We both had salads, then back to the room for a nap.
We went to the "How to Run a Floating Hotel" Q&A session with several ship's officers. The interisland tour has been sailing full. The staff and waiters have been amazing. I hope they can keep it up. We met Kristina Brewington who assisted at the event. She also writes the ship's daily newsletter.
Passengers boarding a tender. There is a stair down from deck five to the loading platform attached to the ship.
Andrea and I walked around deck 6 after breakfast.
A tender underway to the dock in Kona, which is a two mile walk from downtown.
I set up the game that Becky and I were playing on the deck set for further analysis. Photo by Andrea.
The tenders ran continuously all day. Photo by Andrea.
Infinite Ricks in the mirrored elevator. Photo by Andrea.
Wearing my kukui nut lei in the Mardi Gras lounge. Photo by Andrea.
We attended the cake decorating demonstration. Photo by Andrea.
Reading Ulysses on deck six. Photo by Andrea.
Dinner at Cadillac.
August 21, Wedesday, day 5, Kona:
The ship arrived at 7:00 AM holding station with fore and aft thrusters. We stayed aboard and watched passengers board the four tenders, launched from the ship, each holding 97 passengers.
We did the Hawaiian Puzzle activity with Alena in the Mardi Gras nightclub and were the only participants. Lunch in the Aloha Cafe and then we did the kukui nut lei making, again with Alena, and with Kristina helping. Well attended. Watched returning passengers and the loading of the tenders back onto the ship.
Dinner in Cadillac, cocktails in the Atrium bar, and then bed. Kauaʻi tomorrow.
Andrea had an omelet and I had the eggs Benedict.
The game continues. Black's move. Becky is white.
We decided not to walk up to Grove Farm but went to the beach walk instead.
We walked the upland side of the resorts and went down through the Royal Sonesta Kauaʻi Resort. Click the image to see the full resolution version.
At the famous wet coconut weather station. Photo by Andrea.
A Chinese marble sculpture in front of a beach hotel. Photo by Andrea.
The entrance to the tunnel to the elevator. Photo by Andrea.
On the beach walk looking back at the Pride of America.
At the end of the beach walk was a tunnel to an elevator. This five feet by five feet painting was in the tunnel.
After lunch we took a walk around topside. Andrea at the aft railing.
Crew person Kristina, who writes the ship's daily newsletter, Freestyle, was eating her lunch there and offered to take our photo.
We walked to the highest forward rail and took some more photos.
We had dinner in Jefferson's Bistro, a French style restaurant. Superb.
Hoisting a French champagne. Photo by Andrea.
Later we had a scorpion and a sea breeze in the bar on deck five. Photo by Andrea.
State of the game today. Black's move will be castles.
August 22, day 6, Kauaʻi:
The hike along the highway to Grove Farm did not look appealing so we walked along the resort beach walk. There is this tunnel right into the rock at the end that leads to an elevator. We did not go up. Tomorrow we will go further!
Had a delicieux dinner at the Jefferson restaurant onboard. Andrea had the filet mignon and I had the pork chop. Great wines and desserts.
Started reading the genre novel Death on Deck, having put Ulysses asside for a while.
Cruise director Anne Marie participated in the cake decorating demonstration in the atrium with the master pastry chef. Andrea and I both thought her comedy act reminded us of Lucile Ball.
It was awesome to see Hōkūlea arriving as part of their Pacific voyage. Photo by Andrea.
Watching Hōkūlea come in to the harbor.
Breakfast in Skyline. Andrea had the Belgian waffles and I had my usual two eggs over with pork link sausage and wheat toast.
The Belgian waffles. The restaurants had these neat salt and pepper grinders, two in one. Crank clockwise for pepper, counterclockwise for salt. Photo by Andrea.
We left the ship shortly after 9:00 AM and walked to the beachwalk again. Here is Duke's Canoe Club bar and restaurant.
We went up the elevator to the top of the cliff overlooking the bay.
Beautiful Nāwiliwili.
Andrea took photos, too.
Triangular wood carvings on the tunnel walls. Photo by Andrea.
Posing later at the door to Jefferson's Bistro. Photo by Andrea.
Our final cruise dinner in the Liberty restaurant.
Andrea looks a little sad to be leaving Kauaʻi.
We had Casear salads. Photo by Andrea.
Leaving Kauaʻi. Photo by Andrea.
Waiting in line to go down the gangway in Honolulu. Becky arrived to drive us home just as we got outside. Photo by Andrea.
On Monday the 26th Becky made hot chicken wing nachos for dinner. Photo by Andrea.
On Wednesday on our evening walk after dinner. I'm pointing to a yellow poinsiana flower cluster. Photo by Becky.
On Thursday Becky received the JPEG files she got from a scanning company from old photos we had laying around. This is Harry Hirao and
Lenore Johnson at a bonsai event in California, perhaps at the Huntington, in the early oughts when she was visiting.
Friday the 30th we had a breakfast of papaya, orange slices, gargantuan blueberries, toast, and banana bread.
Later we worked on aloha shirt and muʻu muʻu designs with colored pencils and the templates from HOMA.
Saturday morning Andrea took Becky for a drive past Makapuʻu. Photo by Andrea.
A portion of the bonsai display. Photo by Nelson Dias.
The completed setup Saturday morning. Photo by Nelson Dias.
Alvin at the event. Photo by Nelson Dias.
Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com