Standing Into Danger: January 2026

Friday, January 30, 2026

Out and About In Waikiki

I remembered at the last minute I had to do a portrait for my friend Nicole's challenge.

There went any chance for a written post, because I'm meeting a good friend

at an informal jam session of music and hula at the Royal Grove.

I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces and friends!

Kanikapila Night at the Royal Grove Hotel

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 26, 2018

So I'm sharing some photos from this past week in Waikiki:

A Woman Sculling in a Single-Person Racing Shell

Ala Wai Canal

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2026

Pink Ginger at Hale Koa

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 28, 2026

A Fun Event at Our Favorite Hideout

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2026

Three Golden Retrievers Enjoying Happy Hour

The Hideout at the Laylow

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2026

Aloha Ambassadors Clean Up an Abandoned Homeless Shopping Cart

The Ala Wai Canal

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2026

An Egret Near Hale Koa

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 28, 2026

A Kitty Enjoys the Morning

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 24, 2026

A Delicious Pineapple Margarita

Margaritas

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 27, 2026

Beautiful Lines

Hale Koa Grounds

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 28, 2026

A Calm Pacific Ocean

Outrigger Breakwater

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 28, 2026

John and Kerry Celebrate Their Birthdays while Ted Looks On

Margaritas

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 27, 2026

Enjoying the Morning

Fort DeRussy Beach

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 28, 2026

I'm linking to Gillena's Lunch Break, Nicole's Friday Face Off, and Tom's Aloha Friday.

For Gillena ~ A Great Meal ~ Tuesday Taco Special at Margaritas ~ chicken, steak, and pork belly ~ so delicious!

Yummy Tacos!

Margaritas

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 27, 2026

For Nicole ~ Birthday Celebration Faces

Terry's Pickleball Friends Celebrate John and Kerrie's Birthdays

Ted (front left), John, Kerrie, Me, Val, Jim, Terry, and Emily

Margaritas

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 27, 2026

My portrait of G. W. F. Hegel based on a photo in Philosophy Now: The Ultimate Guide Issue 7, Ancient Greek Philosophy. For some reason Hegel's portrait spoke to me. No mapping grid this time. I only had 40 minutes of which 20 I spent erasing. 😂

My Portrait of GFW Hegel

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 28, 2026

For Tom ~ A Beautiful Mural ~ It is painted in the parking lot of Margaritas where we celebrated our friends' birthdays at 808 Sheridan Street. I could not find any reliable information about the mural or who the artist was. The neighborhood around Sheridan Street and nearby Kaka‘ako has become known for vibrant street art and murals. Business owners will sometimes commission artists to paint murals on their properties. The meaning of the information in the lower left is unknown, except the mural may be called "Blume."

A Street Mural in Margaritas' Parking Lot

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 27, 2026

My evening at the Royal Grove with my friends was wonderful.

The songs and dances are not professional, only spontaneous presentations.

One week a few musicians and dancers may come, or, like last night, many.

Each person in turn chooses a song, and everyone plays, sings, or dances.

They all participate for the love of Hawaiian language, music, and dance.

Here is one video I took. The link will take you to the video on YouTube,

if the play button doesn't work.

Royal Grove 1/28/26 Jam Session

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBlmOOHKu3k

Note: My computer still needs some serious repair work, and I may be without it this week.

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Wednesday, February 4, IWSG Day. 🤞

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

Friday, January 23, 2026

Seven Questions

My friend Jeanie, at The Marmalade Gypsy, shared an interesting post on January 8th:

Seven Reflection Questions that Made Me Think!

Jeanie is a bubbly, optimistic person whose blog lifts my spirits. She writes about her creativity, travel, art, food, wine, and the people and animals she loves. Despite a challenging 2025, she is moving into 2026 with hope, purpose, and fun. Her reflections were insightful and inspiring, so I thought I would tackle them myself.

Jeanie found the questions in an article “7 Reflection Questions

to Ask Yourself for a Happier New Year,"

in The New York Times, December 26, 2025 issue (Well Section).

So here go my answers:

1. When did you feel the most joyful and carefree?

Definitely it was during our stay in Waikiki last year. Friendship. beauty, flowers, and cultural experiences made it a time of healing and rest.

Taylor, Me, Terry, Daniel, and Jeremy ~ at our Favorite Hideout at the Laylow

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 25, 2025

Waikiki from the Top of Diamond Head

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 19 2025

I Particularly Love Yellow Hibiscus Flowers

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 24, 2025

I Really Love Hula

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 12, 2025

2. What gave you energy — and what drained it?

Music gave me energy and stress drained it. This was a highly stressful year for me. One song I played many, many times was Jellyroll's "I am not okay." It was always comforting, and when I think of how Jellyroll transformed his life, I'm blown away. Besides turning around his early life that included a stint in prison, he has recently lost almost 250 pounds.

"I Am Not Okay" by Jellyroll

YouTube

Facebook

3. What seemed impossible — but you did it anyway?

I climbed Diamond Head the day after my 75th birthday ~ alone. Terry went with me to the start of the trail. It's not the trail, it's the stairs that include a set of 99 steep steps where people much younger than I am turn around. There's another 74-step stairway, a 54-step metal staircase, and after a 225-foot tunnel, a spiral stairway that emerges into a WWII bunker. Just watch me go this year!

The 99-Step Steep Staircase ~ Diamond Head Trail

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 19, 2025

Hikers Greet Me as I emerge into the Bunker

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

May 19, 2025

At the Summit

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 19, 2025

4. What habit, if you did it more consistently, would have a positive effect on your life?

Stretching daily. Groan. I hate the time it takes, but it makes everything else better.

😂😱😂

5. What did you try to control that was actually outside your control?

I tried to control my life during our renovation. Silly me! No matter how great the craftsmen are, something will go awry. We had some of the best in the industry, and unexpected things delayed the finish. Our renovation was the source of so much stress for Terry and me this year.

Steven Works on Our Stairwell Railing

Aurora, Colorado, USA

May 23, 2025

6. Is there anyone you need to forgive in 2026?

Me ~ I was so harsh with myself for not meeting my expectations for myself last year. I need to forgive myself and to be kinder and more compassionate toward myself.

Yours Truly at The Butcher Bar

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 20, 2025

7. What will you carry forward into the new year? (implied question)

Being alive is an incredible gift. It's amazing to know that we are stardust ~ literally. The atoms that make up our bodies, like carbon, oxygen, and iron, were forged in ancient stars and scattered across the universe by supernova explosions. If even one event from the beginning of time was different, I wouldn't exist. And perplexingly, all the cells that make up my body have changed at least once, maybe more, during my life, but I persist as a conscious being. I'm a river that flows continually. Terry, me, each of you, humans, are walking miracles. I will carry this, buoyed by gratitude, into 2026.

Photo by Andrea Stöckel

PublicDomainPictures.net

I'm linking to Gillena's Lunch Break, Nicole's Friday Face Off, and Tom's Aloha Friday.

For Gillena ~ A Great Meal ~ bone marrow burger with a side of fries at The Butcher Bar. We always split orders.

The Butcher Bar ~ Bone Marrow Burger Special

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 20, 2025

My Half ~ YUMMY!

For Nicole ~ My Favorite Face

Terry at The Butcher Bar

For Tom ~ An Iconic Scene ~ The early morning Ala Wai Canal in Waikiki. This 2-mile/3.2-kilometer long, man-made, tidal waterway was constructed between 1921 and 1928 to drain wetlands for the development of Waikiki. Teams of outrigger canoes train on it, and walkers and joggers run on both sides. It looks idyllic, but it is highly polluted, hypereutropic, and poses a flood risk.

The Ala Wai Canal

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 22, 2026

And some Aloha ~. Terry and I share a meal with good friends Emily and Ted at the Cheesecake Factory.

Aloha is Sharing a Good Meal with Good Friends!

Cheesecake Factory, Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 21, 2026

Note: My computer needs some serious repair work, and I may be without it this next week.

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Friday, January 30th. 🤞

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

Friday, January 16, 2026

Aloha!

We made it to Waikiki somehow! 😂

The past week feels like a blur, what with packing up the house, stopping over in Vegas, flying to Honolulu, and getting settled in our rental condo in the Royal Kuhio. Whew!

I've decided that it's okay to be tired.

Here are a few photo highlights:

We're Ready to Get Out of the Cold ~

and the Muleys Were Looking for Grass after the Snowfall

Aurora, Colorado, USA

January 9, 2026

Tenmile Range Near Breckenridge ~ Such a Thin Snowpack

Rocky Mountain Corridor

Colorado UA

January 11, 2026

Canyonlands National Park

Nearest Town, Moab, Utah

January 11, 2026

Vegas Vickie ~ CIRCA Resort and Casino

Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada USA

January 11, 2026

The Three Amigos ~ Terry, Jon, and I

8 East Thai Restaurant, CIRCA Resort and Casino

Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada USA

January 12, 2026

The Steelers-Texans Wild Card Playoff Game Begins in Acrisure Stadium

From the Sport Book Overhang, CIRCA

Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada USA

January 12, 2026

A Bartender Pours Six Cocktails at Once While Blowing a Whistle

Overhang Bar, CIRCA

Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada USA

January 12, 2026

Alter Ego: Nick Burbey, Daniel Conway (Drummer), Rich Embry, and Kevin Vecchione

Fremont Street

Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada USA

January 12, 2026

Leaving Las Vegas ~

Flying Past the Keystone Thrust Fault with Mt. Charleston in the Background

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada USA

January 13, 2026

San Pedro Bay Ports Complex

Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach

California, USA

January 13, 2026

Cloud Land: Altocumulus Stratiformis Perlucidus

Somewhere Over the Pacific Ocean

January 13, 2026

‎⁨Land Ho! Hāna Forest Reserve⁩

Maui⁩, ⁨Hāna⁩, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 13, 2026

Offloading Our Luggage

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 13, 2026

‎⁨It's a Hawaii fish, that we should be proud of

by Mia Kam, Kindergarten, Ma'ema'e Elementary School

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Art

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 13, 2026

Home Sweet Hawaiian Home ~ Royal Kuhio

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 13, 2026

JRoQ and Melanie Performing at the Hideout

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 13, 2026

Bartenders Extraordinaire ~ Taylor and Jeremy

The Hideout at the Layaway

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 13, 2026

Yikes #1! Four Window Washers

Yikes #2! For Perspective

The Ritz Carleton

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 14, 2026

I'm linking to Gillena's Lunch Break, Nicole's Friday Face Off, and Tom's Aloha Friday.

For Gillena ~ A Great Meal

Enjoying Dinner at Marugame Udon

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 14, 2026

For Nicole ~ A Great Face

A Comfortable Kitty at Cat Café MOFF

The International Market Place

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 15, 2026

For Tom ~ An Iconic Scene

Diamond Head

from the Moana Surfrider

Honolulu, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 15, 2026

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Friday, January 23rd. 🤞

Books Read in 2025

'A City on Mars" by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith
"6:40 to Montreal" by Eva Jurczyk
"A Fall in Denver" by Sarah Andrews
"A Gambling Man" by David Baldacci
"American Wolf" by Nate Blakeslee
"Cane River" by Lalita Tademy
"Determination: A Mother of Five Conquers College" by Victoria Marie Lees
"Football for Dummies" by Howie Long with John Czarnecki
"Imagine Hatt Season 1" by Patrick Hatt
"Just One Look" by Harlan Coben
"Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
"Meditations for Mortals" by Oliver Burkeman
"Mother Nature" by Sarah Andrews
"Never Too Late" by Danielle Steel
"Nothing to Fear: Demystifying Death to Live More Fully" by Julie McFadden, RN
"Philosophy Now: Digital Philosophy" Issue 168
"Philosophy Now: The Politics of Freedom" Issue 163
"Philosophy Now: The Thoughts on Thought Issue" Issue 164
"Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir
"Shadow of the the Wind" by Carlo Ruiz Zafón
"Tensleep" by Sarah Andrews
"The Cove" by Patrick Hatt
"The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist's Warning" by Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD
"The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments" by Hadley Vlahos, RN
"The Light Eaters" by Zoë Schlanger
"The Power of Touch: A Story of Redeeming Love" by Pat Garcia
"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
"The Warlord" by Gena Showalter
"Think Twice" by Harlan Coben
"Unless" by Carol Shields
"We Who Wrestle with God" by Jordan B. Peterson
"What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living" by Diane Button
Imagine Hatt: Season One" by Patrick Hatt

Standing Into Danger

Pages

Friday, January 30, 2026

Out and About In Waikiki

Friday, January 23, 2026

Seven Questions

Friday, January 16, 2026

Aloha!

Translate