September began with three hurricanes lined up in the eastern Pacific.
Backgrounds in Western Literature
I attended my English 321 class on Tuesday at noon, September first.
I was able to park in the main structure today and crossed Dole Street to the upper campus.
Food trucks have set up at the Krauss Hall circle.
I sat in the Campus Center and read the assigned Genesis by Robert Crumb.
Wednesday morning the stream behind our house was running after half an inch of rain overnight.
I went to Straub Kahala Wednesday morning to see the sports physician, Dr. Young, about my shoulder. No treatment was recommended, just natural healing.
The waiting room there has a high ceiling.
My bonsai podocarpus in the moyogi (informal upright) style has been growing unrestrained for six months.
The moyogi podocarpus after pruning. No wiring required. The little branch low down has been left on to help fatten the trunk.
Neighborhood Board Meeting
Andrea and I attended the monthly Neighborhood Board meeting at the Aina Haina Library on Wednesday evening, September second.
Andrea was asked by the Chair, Clarissa Burkett, to speak about the issues revolving around the occupants of 668 Lawelawe St.
Thursday morning I went to UH for my class. The UH motto on the bench means "Above all nations is humanity."
I walked past Bachman Hall on my way to the Campus Center for lunch. I saw the student takeover of Bachman Hall back in 1968. Students were
sitting on the floor, around the walls on the second floor, chained together. I was there with my mom and Mits Aoki to see the anti-war protest.
On Friday, Professor Chandra replied to the Na Kupuna office that I am indeed accepted into her class. They wouldn't take my word for it. Thank you,
Professor!
Nandini Chandra
Director, Center for South Asian Studies
Associate Professor, Department of English
College of Arts, Languages, and Letters
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
(obfuscated phone) | nc8 at hawaii dot edu
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/asianstudies/ https://manoa.hawaii.edu/csas/
I saw this on Facebook Friday morning. "Fiction novels" is not redundant.
They are rare, but there exist nonfiction novels. This image looks like AI art.
I photographed my slant style aʻaliʻi, a native Hawaiian tree from seed. It needs pruning.
My root over rock style premna. It needs pruning.
Bonsai Work
I wored on bonsai on Saturday morning, the fifth, part of Labor Day weekend.
My slant style aʻaliʻi after pruning and pot burnishing in preparation for a demonstration on bonsai display next week at Rainbow Bonsai Club.
My premna root over rock style. I pruned it and burnished the pot. This is the better front because it shows the roots better.
Follow-up after two months on the fukien tea in a painted growing pot.
The fukien tea in the painted pot has been pruned and shortened a branch was wired up for a new apex.
My Chinese banyan (ficus microcarpa) in a cement growing pot is ready for some more training.
The Chinese banyan has been radically pruned and wired into an informal upright (moyogi) shape.
Coming home from our after-dinner walk on Saturday. Roderick was there on his scooter talking to Sy.
Labor Day Weekend
Labor Day fell on September 7th this year.
Andrea photographed my bonsai-in-training kokioʻulaʻula (Hawaiian native red hibiscus) on our morning walk before breakfast on Sunday, the 6th.
We flew the flag for Labor Day weekend. Andrea with flag and bonsai bench on Sunday morning, the 6th of September.
I had a volunteer tomato in an olive bonsai so I pulled it up and put it into a small painted pot.
On Labor Day Hurricane Lowell continued to approach the islands. My bonsai kamani, a Polynesian introduction to Hawaii, from seed, needs some work.
I pruned, defoliated, unwired, and rewired my bonsai kamani. Meanwhile, Hurricane Lowell approached Kauai as a category two. Light rain and wind here.
The bonsai kiawe has been growing with wire on in a concrete pot for 13 months (styled and potted in July of 2025).
The bonsai kiawe after unwiring, light pruning, and changing the angle in the pot.
Life in Aina Haina
Damage here from the hurricane was minimal. Kauai was hit hard.
Wednesday morning, the ninth, two days after Hurricane Lowell. Clear sky, photographed by Andrea.
Friday morning, September 11, pointing at lots of pikake blossoms. Photo by Andrea.
Bonsai citrus cascade in a painted growing pot.
The bonsai citrus cascade after pruning and wiring and showing the better front.
Rainbow Bonsai Club
Andrea and I went to the September meeting of Rainbow Bonsai Club in Ahui Manu clubhouse in Kaneohe on Sunday morning, September 13.
These are the props I brought for my lecture on bonsai display.
Patrick conducted the business meeting.
I started with a podocarpus moyogi. Photo by Andrea.
A Chinese banyan. Photo by Andrea.
An aʻaliʻi shakan. Photo by Andrea.
A premna root-over-rock on the right. Photo by Andrea.
Any questions? Photo by Andrea.
Backgrounds in Western Literature
I attended my English 321 class on Tuesday at noon, September 15.
I met Alex in the Campus Center where I later bought a hamburger for lunch.
I explored the campus a bit on the way to class in Bilger Hall.
This ficus benjamina is ready for some more bonsai training.
The bonsai ficus benjamina after pruning, defoliation, and wiring. More branches will be wired at the next session. You don't have to do everything in one day.
I parked on the street by Burger King on Thursday.
Lots of egrets on the lawn by Bachman Hall on the way home from class.
Plumeria Beach House Restaurant at the Kahala Hotel
Andrea and I went to hear Kuʻuipo and her band at the Plumeria Beach House Restaurat at the Kahala Hotel on Thursday evening, September 17.
Contemplating the cocktail list. Photo by Andrea.
Beautiful Andrea with delicious salad.
Ukulele player and Kuʻuipo. There were also steel guitar and a bass players behind the column. Photo by Andrea.
Volunteer hula.
This plumeria bonsai is in an oversized unglazed pot and will be pruned and transplanted to a right-sized pot.
Watering in the plumeria. Photo by Andrea.
The bonsai plumeria has been pruned and put into a right-sized Karenn Ohlinder 2001 round glazed pot.
Jagged Little Pill at Mānoa Valley Theater
Andrea and I went to see the musical play Jagged Little Pill at Mānoa Valley Theater on Sunday afternoon, September 20.
The weather was nice when we arrived at the theater.
The stage set in Connecticut.
Backgrounds in Western Literature
I attended my English 321 class at UH Mānoa on Thursday at noon, September 24.
I photographed Bachman Hall at UH Mānoa on the way home from my English literature class today. Students occupied the building in 1968,
protesting the Vietnam War. I was there, on the second floor. A hundred students had chained themselves together and were sitting on the floor.
Click the image to see the full resolution version.
I remember this anti-war poster from 1967 (from Facebook).
Friday. Two-month update on the bonsai monkeypod in the painted growing pot.
Friday. I defoliated and unwired the bonsai monkeypod and put it into a shallower growing pot.
Friday. This kou tree from seed is ready for some more bonsai training.
Bonsai
I continued working on bonsai on Saturday, the 26th.
Saturday. I wired the bonsai kou and transplanted it into a larger growing pot. Two more years and it will go into a bonsai pot.
Sunday. Two month follow-up on my nursery stock Aʻaliʻi: the wire is cutting in and must be removed.
The nursery stock Aʻaliʻi has been unwired and defoliated to encourage growth of the lowest branch.
Sunday. This kou tree from seed is ready for some more bonsai training.
I have pruned and defoliated and wired the kou tree's roots to a flat rock.
Backgrounds in Western Literature
I attended my English 321 class at UH Mānoa on Tuesday at noon, September 29.
While I was in the Campus Center I got a birdie cam notification.
Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com