Thursday, March 14, 2024

Kitty Heaven

The first time I walked into the International Market Place in Waikiki this year,
I stumbled upon Kitty Heaven.

Pretty Kitty Through the Window
NAO ~ Ragamuffin
Cat Café MOFF
International Market Place, Waikiki
Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA
February 29, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Pretty Kitties in the Windows
Cat Café MOFF
International Market Place, Waikiki
Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA
February 29, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






LAKI ~  Scottish Fold
Cat Café MoFF
March 5, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

There was a new business on the second level of the IMP: Cat Café MOFF.
I had never heard of such a thing before, and I was delighted!

ULU ~  Scottish Fold
Cat Café MoFF
March 5, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





AO ~  Russian Blue
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





LULU ~  Ragdoll
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Customers and Staff
Kitties:  Anela (top), Ao (middle) and Piko (bottom)
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


I dearly love cats, but Terry doesn't like them.
Of course, cats love him and run to him purring!
Here was a place I could spend some quality time with kitties.

$23.00 for 30 Minutes
and a Drink (pop, juice, or water)!
What a Deal!
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





MALU~  Selkirk Rex
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






PIKO~  Minuet
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






PUNA ~  Persian
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



I ran to tell Terry the awesome news.

"23 bucks to sit with a bunch of cats?  
Just watch them through the window!" he said.

"That includes a drink," I offered.

"You could have a nice mai tai at the Hideout for much cheaper than that!

This is what I call "bait and switch" from Terry.
He tries to distract me from one thing by dangling another.
The Hideout is my favorite bar and restaurant in Honolulu.

"Hideout Mai Tai Over Cat Café Drink?
Now That's a Deal!" says Terry.
Bait and Switch
Our Lanai, Royal Kuhio
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






KOA ~  American Shorthair
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved




Cats Being Cats
Kitties:  Ao (left) and Lulu
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





MAHINA  ~  Scottish Fold
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Playing with the Cats
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



Terry surveyed his pickleball friends.
Many of his pickleball friends' wives and other players
had looked at the cats through the window.
Only one wife had visited the cats inside the café.
Terry rested his case.  "Save the money and look through the window."

Hanging Out
Kitties:  Malu (left) and Koa
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





PIKO on the Run
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Nap Time (Couldn't Find This Cat's Name)
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Foot Traffic and LULU in a Box
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


As you probably have figured out, Terry lost that go round!
I really love kitties.  I had several beautiful cats when I was growing up.

You could get the cats' favorite treat for $5.00.
What do you think:  Did I spend that $5.00?

The cats knew that lots of guests bought treats, and they swarmed any with them.

Yes, please!!!
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Boxes are so much fun!
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Kitties Galore
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





NAO ~ Ragamuffin
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Thirty minutes goes so fast!  I loved every second!
I was so engrossed that I forgot to have someone take a photo of me with the kitties.
I'll fix that next year!

And the one I'd take home?
Little Laki, the Scottish Fold cat.
She looks remarkably like my favorite kitty
in a cat puzzle I completed before the Pandemic.
Actually, I'd take any of them home!

I don't apologize for having so many photos.
As I said earlier in the post, I dearly love kitties!

LAKI
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





On the Inside Looking Out
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


I had so much fun in Hawaii!
Hawaii '21 and '22 were challenging.  I was so sick because of my thyroid.
This time I had lots of fun doing the things I love with the friends I love!

Terry's and My Royal Grove Friend Janeth
Liliha Bakery, International Market Place
March 7, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






My Royal Grove Hula Friends and Me
Marianne, Carolyn, Me, and Cindy
First Time We Were All Together Since Before the Pandemic
Starbucks at Seaside and Kuhio, Waikiki
March 7, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Have a great weekend!  🌺 Aloha!!! 🌺




Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

  My next post will be soon! 🤞



On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


 

    

  


Friday, March 8, 2024

Flying!

Aloha!
Waikiki and Diamond Head, O'ahu, Hawai'i
November 13, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Today Terry and I are flying home after saying "Aloha" to the lovely island of O'ahu.
I'll be back next Friday with a new post.
Have a happy, healthy, and creative week!




Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

  My next post will be March 15 🤞



On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

IWSG: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 ~ AI and Creative Writing





It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.






To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Kristina Kelly

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.

This month's featured question is: 
Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses,
or do you refuse to go that route? 
How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aloha Everyone!
I hope that February has been good to you and that you enjoyed love and friendship.
We are flying home to Colorado on Friday after a wonderful time in Hawai'i.
I'm not ready to leave this beautiful island; I never am!

Baby Makapu'u Beach
Looking Toward Makai Research Pier
Waimānalo, ‎⁨Honolulu⁩, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States
March 3, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Regarding this month's AI questions, I'm very clear about where I stand.
I have not "played" with AI to help me write anything.
I've been "tempted," but I know that using AI to help me write
would result in something that was not my creation.

AI is a science that makes machines to think like humans,
but machines do not have souls or emotions or feelings, 
so they can't create like humans.
They can imitate someone's writing, but they can't experience
the author's experiences and how they color his or her creativity.
AI machines lack nuance. 
Therefore, as I see it, machines cannot write creatively. 
Only I can create my writing.

Polemonium or Jacob's ladders 
Baby Makapu'u Beach
Waimānalo, ‎⁨Honolulu⁩, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States
March 3, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


I can see some non-creative ways for AI to assist writers.
For example, AI could scan a document or manuscript 
for errors in typing, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Or, AI could be used in writing bibliographies 
or supplementary notes that don't belong in the main text,
especially to ensure that the format is consistent and follows conventions. 
These are not creative activities and are not creative writing.

Some people might label me a luddite for my position on AI,
but my guiding principle is that I create my own writing, whatever the genre.

Terry with Our Friends Kathy and Bruce
Baby Makapu'u Beach
Waimānalo, ‎⁨Honolulu⁩, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States
March 3, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Sadly, I can foresee AI being used to pump out mass-market,
plot-driven "novels" in many genres purely to make money.
I hope there will always be a place for good authors to publish their creative writing.

We Were Enjoying a Day on the Windward Side of O'hau ~ LOL!
Makapu'u Lookout
Waimānalo, ‎⁨Honolulu⁩, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States
March 3, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Have a creative and fulfilling February!
Enjoy IWSG Day!  And a big thank you to the co-hosts!   




Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be on Friday, March 15th. 🤞

Friday, February 23, 2024

A Dozen Eggs and a Half Dozen Faces

I'm doing a short post today.
I can hear the sigh of collective relief ~ lol!
We're flying home in a week, and I am slammed!

Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date theme this week is "Eggs."
So, out of curiosity, I had my computer search my collection
of 142,156 photos and 909 videos for egg and eggs
(count as I write this and sure to increase). 
I was curious to see what would turn up.
Here goes!

A Delicious Lunch, Jam Cafe, Victoria, 2015:
Terry Divvying Up an Egg Dish
Old Town, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
October 5, 2015
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Alter "Egg," Fremont Street, Las Vegas, 2023:
Alter Ego, a Favorite Fremont Street Cover Band
Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 
July 18, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Pandemic Encouragement, Along Piney Creek, Aurora, 2020:
Rock Art, Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA 
April 9, 2020
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Dining Options, Brighton, 2016:
No Need to Go Hungry!
Brighton Beach, UK
May 27, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Hard Boiled, Victoria, 2015:
Eggs of a Theropod (Carnivorous) Dinosaur
The Royal British Columbia Museum
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
September 16, 2015
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Dim Sum, Chinatown, Honolulu 2015:
Small Egg Custards at Legend Seafood Restaurant
Chinatown, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i
February 11, 2018
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






An Easter Egg Crisis, Lansdowne House, 1961:
No Easter Eggs for the Easter Bunny to Deliver to the Five MacBeath Children!
Letter from My Father to His Relatives 
March 31, 1961






Supplying and Maintaining the Ovation of the Seas, ‎⁨Papeete⁩, 2023:
Pallet with Egg 
‎⁨Papeete⁩,  Tahiti⁩, ⁨⁨French Polynesia⁩
October 23, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Looks Yummy! ‎⁨Aurora, 2019:
Reading Recipes at Starbucks in Barnes & Noble
Aurora, Colorado, USA
February 25, 2019
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Looks Yummy! ‎⁨Venice, 2018:
A Welcome Dinner at Bar ae Maraveje
Venice, Dorsoduro / Accademia, Italy 
September 13, 2018
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






For Rain's TADD:  Eggs:

Aepyornis and Egg 
The Largest Bird That Ever Lived
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver, Colorado, USA
June 15, 2015
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Egg of a Roc! 
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver, Colorado, USA
June 15, 2015
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Aepyornis is thought to be the bird that inspired the legend of the Roc.
Now extinct, it once lived on the island of Madagascar.
Seven hundred years ago Arab traders spoke 
of an elephant bird living off the coast of Africa.
It was so large that it could lift elephants into the sky.
The Aepyornis couldn't fly or lift an elephant,
but its huge eggs fueled legends of the mythical Roc.

The Mythical Roc 
Plate from "The Arabian Nights", 'The Roc which fed its young on elephants & Rhinocerotidae', 
"The Second Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor" (Hodder & Stoughton)
 


For Tom's Aloha Friday:  Mural at SATO 
Hawaiian Mural
Sato Seafood
Waikiki, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i, US
February 6, 20224
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


For Nicoles's Friday Face Off:  Bedtime Story Faces

My Sister Donnie Reading a Bedtime Story
to Krista, Sara, Lisa, Natalie, and Gavin
Baker Creek, Alberta, Canada
At Least 26 Years Ago
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



Have a great weekend!  🌺 Aloha!!! 🌺




Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

  My next post will be soon! 🤞



On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved