A Trader Joe's gift table had been set up. We got a honey sauce and a strawberry pancake mix.
Wines and service.
The happy volunteer guests.
Photo-collage by Matt.
My certificate of appreciation. Andrea got a similar one.
Saturday morning Andrea made Strawberry waffles.
The waffles were delicious.
The repotted kokiʻo ʻulaʻula, in a cement growing pot.
Sunday morning I repaired the broken terra cotta pot with epoxy.
My shohin broom style escambron after growing for a few months in the sun.
The escambron after pruning, Sunday morning, May 3rd.
Andrea photographed the water lily Sunday afternoon.
Monday morning I painted the repaired pot with white outdoor paint.
I photographed the Michiko hibiscus while waiting for the paint to dry.
I reside in the small community of Aina Haina, a part of Honolulu, on the southeast of the island of Oahu in the State of Hawaii, USA.
I began writing around the turn of the century after I turned 50. I had done some technical writing for my aerospace employer before that, and of course, some writing in college. I wanted to write down my childhood memories as a sort of legacy for my children. That gave me the writing bug, and some science fiction began to emerge.
I write SF of the “hard” variety. No magic. I like optimistic (some might say utopian) fiction, set in a future not to distant and not too near.
My first SF was the novella The Zombie Philosopher in 2022 (Page Publishing). It explores some ideas in robot consciousness. The title is a play on philosopher David Chalmers’ thought experiment of the philosopher’s zombie.
Then I wrote a sequel novel, a space opera called Brent and Edward Go to Mars, a space liner tour of the Moon and Mars. Brent and Edward meet Cindy, an undercover detective, for adventures in space and on Mars. Two more sequels, one involving a holiday in Hawaii, were forthcoming.
Right now I am working on the fifth book of the series. It’s about a quarter way done, now.
Both. My first two fiction books were with a hybrid publisher (Page Publishing), and the last two were with traditional Auctus Publishers. I really prefer writing to publishing and marketing.
All my books are both paper and e.
I discovered Robert Heinlein in the seventh grade in the school library. I began reading science fiction earnestly and read almost all of Heinlein, Azimov, and Clarke. William Gibson and Rudy Rucker have been influences and I have also been strongly influenced by many of the great novelists like Hemingway, Steinbeck, etc.
I have been using Microsoft Word since before there was a Windows version.
Two friends and two family members have been helpful to me in both beta and proof reading.
I do not use any editing app and I write with the guess-ahead feature in Word turned off. I will not use AI in any form. Spell and grammar check are acceptable.
Wednesday the sixth I finished painting the repaired pot.
Watching tail chasing. Thursday's Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Fair use for educational purposes. All rights reserved. Photo by Andrea.
It's time to repot my hau tree in bonsai training.
Repotted!
I got this SF quote from the SFWA.
We arrived early and helped set up. Joleen gave us ti lei. Photo by Andrea.
The UH men's volleyball team won their match that evening. Margarite joined us for pupu.
So glad I married her. Photo by Joleen.
Getting close to curtain time. Andrea and I helped set up the 80 chairs. The stage is close to the 1821 frame house.
Kilohana, Charlene from Paris, and Joan joined us.
The opening oli is about to begin.
Sam Gon, left, led the opening oli.
Keiki hula!
Hula noho (sitting) with knee drums.
I carved the Mothers Day turkey next to the flowers I got. Protea by Sally and Photo by Andrea.
Dramatic clouds on our after-dinner walk. Photo by Andrea.
The Okinawan Festival will be in the first weekend of September.
Follow-up on the bonsai willow leaf after four weeks. Lots of new growth.
I will be repotting this eleven tree plumeria forest so I can repair the pot. Two feet fell off.
I repotted the eleven tree plumeria forest Tuesday morning, the twelfth, and repaired the cement pot.
On Wednesday Andrea photographed this miapilo blossom on our morning walk.
Our crazy neighbor returned with his car Thursday afternoon. He has a camp in the back by the stream.
I unwired and pruned the bonsai willow leaf formal upright on Friday, the 15th.
Looking up Lawelawe Street, photo by Andrea.
Clouds, by Andrea.
The demolition of 660 is complete.
A view of our house on the kitchen side.
I had refurbished and mounted the "Welcome to Johnson's Jungle" sign on Friday.
The sign itself.
In the afternoon I pruned and prepared the Chinese banyan bonsai for repotting into a cheap plastic pot for sale in the upcoming
Pacific Bonsai Club show and sale. The tree has been in this round ceramic bonsai pot since last September (eight months).
Andrea pointed out a Michiko hibiscus blossom which I photographed.
I'm going to repot this monkeypod tree from seed. Monkeypods, from the Philippines, are notoriously difficult for bonsai.
I pruned the monkeypod and bent two branches with 5 mm aluminum bonsai wire. Then I potted it in this round ceramic unglazed bonsai pot.
I pruned the banyan tree. Photo by Andrea.
She is wiring a juniper. Photo by Andrea.
Still pruning. Photo by Andrea.
I watched these two guys play for a while and then June, Aiko, Patrick, Karen, and Steve showed up and we played.
The Chinese banyan after pruning at the Pacific Bonsai Club meeting.
Andrea painted the front ramp Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Andrea.
Paul Forney has a new painting of the Secret Spot. Click the image to see the full resolution version.
Michiko serves to Aiko on Thursday.
June, Aiko, Patrick, and Michiko.
The bonsai pīkake has been pruned, wired, and repotted into this cement growing pot. I left the flower buds on.
Friday evening after dinner walk. Photo by Andrea.
Saturday morning I began work on my Ehretia microphylla or Fukien tea in a painted terra cotta growing pot.
The fukien tea has been pruned and all the branches were wired with 3, 2, and 1 mm aluminum bonsai wire. I will leave it in the painted growing pot for now.
Our hip history. Click the image for the full resolution version.
Maiapilo blossom with more coming on our morning walk on Sunday. Photo by Andrea.
Andrea weeding Sunday morning. Click the image for the full resolution version.
Another view of Andrea weeding.
Looking back at the theater building, formerly a church.
The stage set before I turned off my phone.
After the standing ovation for a great performance we drove to Arden for dinner at the bar. Matt the bartender is from Maryland.
Photo by Andrea.
Could be a UAP above the tree in the distance. Photo by Andrea.
We went to Waikīkī after dropping off the car and saw monk seal Kaʻiwi with her month old pup.
We drove to Et Al. for breakfast in Kahala.
Andrea had avocado toast and I had eggs and sausage.
Andrea met with the Gemini Hula Sisters, Maile and Pat, at Et Al. for their birthday dinner Wednesday evening.
Beautiful birthday desserts. Photos by their waiter.
Paul, Steve, Patrick, and June.
Follow-up on the formal upright aʻaliʻi that I had defoliated, pruned, and wired five weeks ago. Aʻaliʻi is a Hawaiian native tree.
A bonsai guava I repotted a couple of months ago.
Another bonsai guava I repotted a couple of months ago. This one's in a bunjin (literati style) pot.
Friday morning Andrea photographed the scene next door, as usual.
Looking at the camp from across Alan's lot.
A triple miapilo!
Food left on top of the refrigerator Friday afternoon. The campsite really stinks now of human waste.
Lower left banyan added to bonsai bench. Red plumeria removed. Click the image for the full resolution version.
The mahogany after defoliating.
The mahogany after wiring.
I photographed the stage set before turning off my phone.
We had garlic bread and Manhattans to begin at Et Al. Quite tasty.
Andrea had the strip loin beef and I had the fresh catch, Marlin, in this case. Both were delicious.
Sunday morning I photographed the mahogany bonsai after potting into an unglazed oval Japanese bonsai pot.
Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com
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