Standing Into Danger: February 2024

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

Alter "Egg," Fremont Street, Las Vegas, 2023:

Alter Ego, a Favorite Fremont Street Cover Band

Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

July 18, 2023

Pandemic Encouragement, Along Piney Creek, Aurora, 2020:

Rock Art, Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

April 9, 2020

Dining Options, Brighton, 2016:

No Need to Go Hungry!

Brighton Beach, UK

May 27, 2016

Hard Boiled, Victoria, 2015:

Eggs of a Theropod (Carnivorous) Dinosaur

The Royal British Columbia Museum

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 16, 2015

Dim Sum, Chinatown, Honolulu 2015:

Small Egg Custards at Legend Seafood Restaurant

Chinatown, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i

February 11, 2018

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

Pixabay

Supplying and Maintaining the Ovation of the Seas, ‎⁨Papeete⁩, 2023:

Pallet with Egg

‎⁨Papeete⁩, Tahiti⁩, ⁨⁨French Polynesia⁩

October 23, 2023

Looks Yummy! ‎⁨Aurora, 2019:

Reading Recipes at Starbucks in Barnes & Noble

Aurora, Colorado, USA

February 25, 2019

Looks Yummy! ‎⁨Venice, 2018:

A Welcome Dinner at Bar ae Maraveje

Venice, Dorsoduro / Accademia, Italy

September 13, 2018

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date Nicole's Friday Face Off

and Tom's Aloha Friday.

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

Egg of a Roc!

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Denver, Colorado, USA

June 15, 2015

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)

Wikimedia License

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

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Walking Among Giants!

Last year I read Peter Wohellben's wonderful book "The Hidden Life of Trees:

What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from a Secret World."

As I explored the Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu with Terry the other day,

I couldn't help thinking about what its trees have experienced and perhaps communicated.

And I even crossed off a bucket list item, touching a giant kapok tree!

Touching a Giant, a Kapok Tree

Foster Botanical Garden

Honolulu, Oʻahu⁩, ⁨ ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

February 15, 2024

For many years in my teaching career I shared Lynne Cherry's

excellent book about the kapok tree and forest conservation.

Sadly in the thirty-four years since it was published,

we have only worsened the plight of of our natural world. Amazon

How I would have loved to share my pictures of the giant Kapok tree

in Foster Botanical Garden with my students.

It was magical! It's hard to imagine the scale of this giant,

which can reach 240 feet/73 meters in height and 19 feet/5.8 meters in diameter.

This giant kapok, Cieba pentandra, has been designated an exceptional tree

and is protected by a city ordinance.

It was planted in 1850 by Dr. William Hillebrand, a physician and botanist,

who had a cottage in the middle terrace of the current gardens.

The kapok is native to tropical America and Africa.

Its wide buttresses support the tree in shallow soils

like the flying buttresses of Gothic cathedrals.

In its native jungles, the kapok is home to many diverse species,

including frogs, birds and bromeliads.

It's a deciduous tree that sprouts pink and white flowers

that attract bats which aid in pollination.

The kapok produces abundant seeds that are among

the first to colonize open areas in the forest.

The kapok is useful for humans too.

Its lightweight, porous wood is suitable for carving and making dugout canoes.

The seeds' silky fibers have been used in life preservers and bedding,

and the seeds' oil in soap.

Medicines have been created from other parts of this magnificent giant.

The Foster Botanical Garden site has an interesting history.

It was gifted to Queen Kalama, the wife of King Kamehameha III,

during the Great Mahele of 1848 when the Hawaiian Islands

were redistributed among the government, Hawaiian royalty, nobles, and commoners.

Queen Kalama leased some of the land to Dr. William Hillebrand

who imported many plants and animals to the islands,

including the ubiquitous mynah birds.

He, in turn, sold the land to "Captain" Thomas R. Foster,

a master shipbuilder from my native Nova Scotia.

His wife Mary gifted the land to the city and county of Honolulu,

stipulating that it be preserved as Foster Garden.

As a result people today can wander among the beauty and peace of this special place.

Near the Entrance to Foster Botanical Garden

Beautiful Orchids in the Conservatory

There are many storied trees and plants in this oasis near Chinatown.

I'm sharing some photos of some of them:

1. Bo or Bodhi Tree:

Terry stands in front of the Garden's Bo Tree (Ficus religiosa)

Buddha attained enlightenment under a revered Bodhi tree

at the Mahabodhi Temple in Sri Lanka. That tree dates to 288 BC.

A Buddist monk gave Mary Foster a clipping from that famous tree in 1913,

and it has grown into a giant here.

Mary developed a passionate belief in Buddhism and became the first Hawaiian Buddhist.

Replica of the Great Buddha of Kamakura

In 1968 the governor of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan gave this statue to the City of Honolulu

to commemorate the centennial of the first Japanese immigrants arriving Hawai'i

2. Quipo Tree:

Quipo Tree (Cavanillesia platanifolia)

This was the first tree I spotted, and I literally ran to it!

Planted in 1930, it is one of some twenty trees designated exceptional in the garden,

and it is protected by a city ordinance. It is breathtaking!

It is a flowering plant related to the giant hibiscus,

and it can grow to 197 feet/60 meters in height.

Its bark has characteristic rings,

and it produces leaves near the top of the tree for only one month a year.

3. Cycad:

Cycad: Encephalartos gratis

Female Encephalartos gratis with Cones

Cycads are a very old order of tree dating back to about 280 million years ago in the Permian. They evolved long before flowering plants. Many are extinct in the wild. These two are found in Foster's Prehistoric Glen. They grow in Malawi and Mozambique.

I had fun walking among the Cycads and imagining a vanished world.

4. Cannonball Tree:

Two Cannonball Trees (Couroupita guianensis)

The cannonball tree on the left is the biggest in the USA. It was planted in 1931.

Cannonball (Couroupita guianesis)

This tree is hard to see as a whole. Its orange flowers blossom on stems

growing from the trunk. It sports heavy round fruit

which could definitely give you a headache if one fell on you.

And everything is shrouded by thickets of its stems.

It is another of the protected trees designated as exceptional.

5. Loulu Palm:

Loulu Palm (Pritchardia Schattaueri)

A tree just for me!

I shouldn't make light of it, because this species of Loulu palm is critically endangered with only a dozen specimens left in the wild in 2001. Endemic to the southwestern forests of the Island of Hawai'i, it is primarily found in botanical gardens. Habitat loss along with rats, weeds, and hoofed animals were and are threatening the survival of the species. The Nature Conservancy is working with other conservation organizations

to nurture seedlings at its Kona Hema Preserve.

"Beautiful Butterflies" by Bronzemen 2009

So many gorgeous trees and plants ~ It's hard to pick just a few.

I loved the Foster Botanical Garden, and I will return to it!

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date Nicole's Friday Face Off

and Tom's Aloha Friday.

For Rain's TADD: Ladders:

Ladders at Battery Randolph with One of its 14-inch Canons (a model)

US Army Museum of Hawaii

Waikiki, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i

February 14, 2024

For Tom's Aloha Friday: Surfing's Done!

Surfing's Done

Marina Beach

Waikiki, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i

February 17, 2024

For Nicoles's Friday Face Off: Funny Face

Terry Spotted This Funny Face!

Marina Beach

Waikiki, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i

February 17, 2024

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

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Enter the Lions!

On February 11th, I was one of the residents and visitors

at the Royal Kuhio who enjoyed a special treat.

We celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Dragon

with the Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association.

The lion dancers welcomed in the Chinese New Year

by performing a traditional lion dance for us in the lobby.

Enter the Lions!

at the Royal Kuhio

Honolulu, Oʻahu⁩, ⁨ ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

February 11, 2024

The Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association

is a non-profit organization

formed in Honolulu in 2005.

All members are volunteers made up of

students and working professionals.

Website

I absolutely love lion dances: the colorful prance of the lions,

the continuous beat of the drum, the loud clash of the cymbals,

and the high-pitched voice of the gong.

I was not disappointed with this up close performance!

Drum and Cymbals

at the Royal Kuhio

February 11, 2024

The anticipation and excitement in the lobby built as the dancers arrived,

donned their costumes, and formed up to enter the Royal Kuhio lobby.

The Dancers and Musicians Arrive

Just when the lion dance originated is not certain,

but it dates back hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

The performers of the lion dance mimic the movements of a lion.

The dancer at the front leads the lion, setting the direction, pace, and footwork.

He also controls the head, ears, and mouth movements

as well as the blinking of the lion's eyes.

The dancer in the tail must follow the steps of the head dancer

and the beat of the music while bent over.

Members of the Wah Gnai Lion Dance Association

Forming Up to Enter

Accompany the lion dances are musicians playing the drum, cymbals, and the gong.

The drum represents the heartbeat of the lion,

and the cymbals and gong represent its thoughts.

The music is loud and intense to drive away ghosts and evil spirits.

Musicians

Dancers

The lion dance is an important tradition in the Chinese community.

It brings happiness, good luck, and drives evil spirits away

on special occasions like the new year.

Chinese kung fu schools and organizations demonstrate

their strength and character through the lion dance.

Greeting the Audience

There are two different kinds of lions in the lion dance: southern and northern.

This dance featured southern lions. The color of the lion is significant too.

Red lions symbolize courage, golden lions liveliness, and green lions friendship.

Wah Gnai Lion Dance Association Members

Selfie

Bringing Happiness

At lion dances you may see people "feeding" the lions

with red envelopes or folded money.

These donations are supposed to bring good luck

and thank the performers doing the dance.

I couldn't resist feeding both lions.

Good luck and Thank You!

Next year I'll have the traditional red and gold envelopes which are a symbol of good luck.

I don't have any Chinese ancestors in my background,

but red has always been my favorite color.

In Chinese culture it represents with energy, happiness and good luck, so me!

Energy, Happiness and Good Luck!

The Two Lions

The energy, stamina, and athleticism of the dancers is amazing,

and I don't envy the tail dancer who is bent over and nearly blind most of the time!

Lion and Front Dancer

At first in all the excitement, movement and music,

I couldn't see the differences between the two lions, but different they were.

Mouth One

Mouth Two

Thank You for the Donation!

As the dance wound down, the lions and others gathered for a group shot.

A Parting Shot

As the lions were exiting, I suddenly saw one lion biting the top of the lobby door.

What on earth?

Biting at the Top of the Door

(and a shoe in the middle ???)

People familiar with the traditions of the dance knew what was happening,

but I was perplexed.

Then I realized that the head dancer was sitting on the shoulders of the tail dancer

and that the lion was trying to bite off a cabbage suspended above the door.

A Big Stretch

Biting the Cabbage

Got it!

A few moments later, after "eating" the cabbage,

the lion started spitting it out on the floor!

Eating and Spitting

Spitting

I learned that spitting out the cabbage represents

spreading wealth, prosperity, and good luck.

Eating and Spitting Done

A member of the audience picked up a green piece of cabbage.

She told me, if I collected a piece of the green cabbage and saved it,

I would have good luck throughout the year.

I need all the luck I can get, so I picked up a nice green piece.

Then the lions were shedding their skins

and the Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association departing.

A truly magic experience was over.

Exit the Lions!

All Rights Reserve

Back in our condo, I carefully wrapped the good luck cabbage piece in Saran wrap.

Then I tucked it into my purse next to my father-in-law's St. Christopher's Medal,

which I always carry because St. Christopher is the Patron Saint of Travelers.

With all this good luck surrounding me,

I'll make it back to the Royal Kuhio next year.

It is a great place to stay!

A Taste of the Magic

Lion Dance | Happy Chinese New Year 2023

Edinburgh St James Quarter

You Tube

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date,

Nicole's Friday Face Off, and Tom's Aloha Friday.

For Rain's TADD: Theme ~ Lips: The Lips of the Lions.

For Nicoles's Friday Face Off: The Faces of the Lions

For Tom's Aloha Friday:

This afternoon I met a junior high school friend Kathy for lunch,

and then we visited the beautiful Lyon Arboretum at the back of the Mānoa Valley.

Kathy and Me

Lyon Arboretum

Honolulu, Oʻahu⁩, Hawai'i, USA

February 15, 2024

Lyon Arboretum

Lyon Arboretum is part of the University of Hawaiʻi and is a public botanical garden.

https://manoa.hawaii.edu/lyon/

https://www.hawaiiactivities.com/travelguide/lyon-arboretum/

Have a great weekend! 🌺 Aloha!!! 🌺

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be soon! 🤞

Books Read in 2024

"5 Languages of Love: The Secret to Love That Lasts" by Gary Chapman
"At Home in the World" by Joyce Maynard
"Cockroaches" by Jo Nesbo
"Death's End" by Cixin Liu
"Eruption" by Michael Crichton and James Patterson
"In Darkness" by L. Diane Wolfe
"In My Time of Dying" by Sebastian Junger
"Nothing to Fear" by Julie McFadden, RN
"The Bat" by Jo Nesbo
"The Dark Forest" by Cixin Liu
"The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon
"The Last to Vanish" by Megan Miranda
"The Montauk Monster" by Hunter Shea
"The Road to Character" by David Brooks
"The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller
"The Twist of a Knife" by Anthony Horowitz
"The Uninhabital Earth: Life After Warming" by David Wallace-Wells
"The Women" by Kristin Hannah
"Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
"Writing the Shadow" by Joanna Penn

Pages

Friday, February 23, 2024

A Dozen Eggs and a Half Dozen Faces

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Walking Among Giants!

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Enter the Lions!