Standing Into Danger: Hawaii

Showing posts with label Hawaii. Show all posts

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

Friday, February 9, 2024

Aloha!

Well, I didn't plan to post today.

I'm still not through my Insecure Writer's Support Group rounds,

and today Terry and I spent time with our nephew Conor

who was passing through Honolulu for work

and then we caught up with our friend Janeth who had just arrived from Ottawa.

Breakwater on Māmala Bay

by the Royal Hawaiian

Honolulu, Oʻahu⁩, ⁨ ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

January 24, 2024

Throw in pickleball for Terry and a mani/pedi for me yesterday afternoon

and a wonderful massage for me tomorrow morning ~

Well I have no business trying to do a post as well!

But here I am unexpectedly with a mixture of photos to share.

Blame it on two mai tais!

Looking for a Wave!

‎⁨Kuhio Beach Park⁩, ⁨Waikiki

January 25, 2024

A Beautiful Outrigger Canoe

Outrigger Reef Hotel, Waikiki

January 22, 2024

Well Here's Something I Haven't Seen Before!

Target, Ala Moana Center

February 6, 2024

An Ephemeral Rainbow

Here and Gone in Seconds

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

February 5, 2024

Pigeon with Petals

Fort DeRussy Beach

January 31, 2024

Bridal Gown

Puealeilani Atrium Shops, Waikiki

, 2024

Our Nephew Exiting the Ocean

Fort DeRussy Beach

February 9, 2024

Anianiau with Orange 'Ōhi'a

Smallest of the Honeycreeper Birds

by Jasmine Healani Christian

Hyatt Regency, Waikiki

January 26, 2024

Unknown Title (as in I forgot to record it)

by Jasmine Healani Christian

Hyatt Regency, Waikiki

January 26, 2024

Back Again: The Fisherman and His Dog

Breakwater by the Outrigger Reef Hotel, Waikiki

January 31, 2024

Faithful Companion

Breakwater by the Outrigger Reef Hotel, Waikiki

January 31, 2024

Hawaiian Sunset from Our Lanai

Royal Kūhiō, Waikiki

February 7, 2024

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: Far Away:

Far Away: Full Moon

(from Our Lanai)

Royal Kūhiō, Waikiki

January 26, 2024

For Tom's Aloha Friday: Wyland Whaling Wall #67

My all-time favorite mural shot from

a moving bus with a dirty window.

Wyland Whaling Wall

yelp.com ~ Vincent L

American artist Robert Wyland is known for his striking life-size murals of whales

and other marine life in his Whaling Walls series. List in Wikipedia

As an artist and a conservationist, Wyland highlighted the dire circumstances

of whales around the world in his paintings and murals.

This 16-story mural is located on the side

of Royal Aloha Condominiums on Ala Wai Boulevard.

Wyland originally painted this mural for Earth Day 1995,

and he repainted it for Earth Day 2018. Cycletram

For Nicoles's Friday Face Off: Happy Faces

Terry with Our Nephew Conor
Monkeypod, Outrigger Reef Hotel
Fort DeRussy Beach
February 9, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Conor and Me
Monkeypod, Outrigger Reef Hotel
Fort DeRussy Beach
February 9, 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

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Books I've Read in 2023

My blogging buddy Jeanie at the Marmelade Gypsy just shared the books

she read in 2023: 55 books, 17,785 words. I think that's awesome!

As for me, I wasn't going to share my 2023 list,

because it's falls well short of what I usually read in a year: 19 books, 6245 pages.

I also read 4 issues of the 2023 Foreign Affairs journals for about 800 pages more,

but that just pushes me over the 7000 page total.

Pretty sad, even if I have been forced to read with one eye covered with an eye patch.

Each book was well worth reading, some for pleasure, some for learning,

some for asking big questions.

I've arranged my choices alphabetically. Here Goes!

"Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder"

by William Shatner with Joshua Brandon. 199 pages.

Goodreads

William Shatner is the beloved Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame, so I was excited to read

this collection of essays in which Shatner reflects on things he is passionate about.

Instead of looking back at his time on Star Trek, Shatner looks at what is important in life:

learning, curiosity, exploration, our place in the universe,

the meaning of family, the fragility of life, mortality, and making music.

It's an easy, conversational read, but Shatner's passion for life stays with you

long after you finish the last page.

"Death at La Fenice" by Donna Leon. 288 pages.

Goodreads

Venice is one of my favorite cities in the world,

and some thoughtful friend recommended this first book

in the internationally best-selling Commissario Brunetti mystery series.

Brunetti is a detective superintendent in the Italian State Police.

A native Venetian, he is stationed in the city and tackles the mystery of who poisoned

a difficult and disliked German conductor in Venice's famous La Fenice opera house.

Leon has created a shrewd, sophisticated, and charming protagonist,

and she immerses the reader in this magical city.

Her 33-book series has millions of fans around the world, and I want to read more!

A Venetian Canal

‎⁨Rio dei Tolentine⁩, ⁨Venezia⁩, ⁨Venice⁩, ⁨Nord-Est⁩, ⁨Italy⁩

September 23, 2018

"Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkman. 140 pages.

Goodreads

This book had the biggest impact of any of the books I read this year.

I'm sure I've read it entirely three times, some portions even more.

It made me look at time as a finite resource,

and it made me consider exactly what I want to spend my time doing.

"God: A Human History" by Reza Aslan. 320 pages
Goodreads

This book looks at humanity's attempt to understand God throughout history.

From the earliest times, humans have thought about God as a divine version of ourselves,

with all that is good and all that is bad in human nature.

Aslan traces how deeply in human evolution this impulse is rooted

and how it has influenced the development of our major religions.

This is another thought-provoking book that I read and reread.

"I See You" by Clare Mackintosh. 384 pages.

Goodreads

This creepy psychological thriller kept me up late reading

and made me uneasy about riding the subway.

Following Terry into the Subway

London, UK

May 29, 2014

"Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann. 352 pages.
davidgrann

Grann's true-life murder mystery about a horrible and shocking series of crimes committed

against the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s haunts me.

It shows how greed can motivate people to do unspeakable things.

Grann captures the passing of the Old West, wildcatting for black gold, the birth of the FBI,

and the callous prejudice against Native Americans

that enabled the cold-blooded killing of so many for so long.

If you read this story, you won't forget it.

"Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus. 423 pages.

bonniegarmus

Hilarious! Poignant, sometimes painfully true

for any woman who lived through the 50s and 60s,

especially those who pursued careers in the sciences ~ this is a wonderful read.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and I did both.

Our Niece and Lady in Science: Dr. Natalie Heembrock

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

May 2023

"Ministry for the Future" by Kim Stanley Robinson. 576 pages.

Wikipedia

Kim Stanley Robinson is one of my favorite writers,

and I have read this visionary book several times.

His story about the effects of climate change

in the near future is both frightening and hopeful.

It is frightening because it vividly portrays the climate disaster that we are hurtling toward,

and it's hopeful because it shows how things might go right

if we started to take climate change seriously now.

Each time I read this novel, I become less hopeful,

because climate change is happening faster than we ever imagined,

and people don't understand the deadly consequences of postponing action.

"Personal (Jack Reacher) by Lee Child. 416 pages. Wikipedia

Jack Reacher is so much fun as a character,

just, honorable, willing to fight for what is right, and determined to live life on his own terms,

but Jack is also happy-go-lucky, doesn't dwell on problems, roams where life takes him,

and has an ironic, jaded perspective expressed in terse, funny, dialogue and commentary.

To date there are 28 novels in the Jack Reacher series and I hope to read them all.

"Personal," written in the first person, involves Reacher investigating

a sniper who attempted to assassinate the President of France.

"Relentless" by Dean Koontz. 356 pages.

Wikipedia

I can always count on Dean Koontz to give me a good read.

I never know what to expect except that his books often take an unusual slant on a topic.

In this book, Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich, his wife, son, and family dog, Lassie

are hunted by Shearman Waxx, a national book critic, who is feared and respected.

Waxx writes a scathing review of Chubby's latest book

and begins to stalk Chubby and his family.

Then Chubby learns that other authors

Waxx didn't like have had their families brutally murdered.

Now Chubby is fighting for his family's survival.

Suspenseful and thrilling!

"Rising Tiger" by Brad Thor. 352 pages.

Goodreads

I love a political thriller with a crisis that threatens the world,

especially when you can see the plot in current newspaper headlines,

like the bitter border dispute between India and China

as they compete to be the top power in Southeast Asia.

With America's top spy Scott Harvath on the job to defuse tensions and protect democracy,

you know you're in for an intense and consequential story.

My brother loves this genre as well, so it was an added bonus

to learn he had read "Rising Tiger" a couple of months before I did.

We had lots of fun discussing the conflict

between India and China and the plot of the novel.

My Brother Roy, Always Ready for a Good Political Conversation

with My Sister Donnie Joining In

Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 7, 2020

"River and the Ms" by Pat Hatt. 35 pages.

Amazon

If you follow author Pat Hatt on Instagram (pathatttime) like me,

then you are familiar with the antics

of his westies Miles and Milo and his cats, Meadow and River.

So when Pat published this children's picture book about River joining the threesome,

I had to read it. And I was not disappointed with this funny tale.

I can always count on Pat for a good yarn.

"Skunked and The Witch's Curse" by Patrick Hatt. 105 pages. Amazon

I've lost track of the number of books Pat Hat has published, but it's well over a hundred.

If you know Pat, then you know he has been a wonderful uncle to his twin nephews

since they were born five years ago.

They had been hounding him to write an adventure story about them featuring

a witch, a skunk, zombies, pirates, and Lord knows what else.

Of course he was up to the challenge and last year he published this children's novel.

Pat's free-ranging imagination spun a unique and fun-filled adventure

which I found a delight.

Finally Meeting Pat Last Summer!

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 28, 2023

"The Blue Bar" by Damyanti Biswas. 395 pages.

amazon

Singapore writer Damyanti Biswas has established a reputation as a exceptional writer

of gritty, thrilling, murder mysteries set in India (New Delhi and Mumbai).

Publishers Weekly said in a review of "The Blue Bar"

"This searing portrait of marginalized people struggling for survival is unforgettable."

And it is! Damyanti not only creates compelling plots and memorable characters,

she writes eloquent, well-paced prose that captures her characters and Mumbai vividly.

I'll read anything this author writes!

"The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from a Secret World" by Peter Wohellben. 272 pages. amazon

If you are fascinated by trees, this book will deepen your fascination with them.

Author Peter Wohlleben is a forester and has spent his life

working among trees in Germany's Eifel mountains.

Drawing on his experience and love of trees and forests,

Wohlleben opens our eyes to the life cycle of trees

and the scientific processes that sustain them.

The book is controversial because Wohlleben writes that trees

are social beings that communicate, feel, and live in social networks,

and he often uses anthropomorphic language to describe them.

Some scientists are strongly critical, while other readers have made the book very popular.

I'm with Wohlleben, Tolkien, Suzuki, and Simard.

There is a lot more to trees than meets the eye.

The Kuhio Beach Banyan Tree

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 25, 2024

"The Horse" by Geraldine Brooks. 416 pages. geraldinebrooks

I loved this book from beginning to end.

It's a powerful novel about a famous real-life racehorse Lexington

and the deep bond he has with his fictional, enslaved groom Jarrett.

But it's much bigger than a book about horse racing.

It encompasses art, history, osteology, racism, slavery, and social injustice.

"The Noise" by James Patterson. 432 pages.
goodreads

I'm used to reading a thrilling murder mystery when I pick up a James Patterson book,
but this strange and disturbing book veered into science fiction and horror.

The ending was unsettling; the whole book was unsettling.

It's the stuff of nightmares.

"This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom" by Martin Hägglund.

464 pages.

Wikipedia

This was the most challenging book I read this year.
Swedish philosopher and atheist Martin Hägglund examines

fundamental existential questions and current social issues.

He analyzes religion and capitalism, concluding that we are finite beings

who need to focus on our physical life on earth and not on eternity

and who need to pursue democratic socialism to improve the lives of humans.

He argues that what matters is how we treat one another

and what we do with our finite time together in this life.

"Three Women" by Lisa Taddeo. 320 pages.

amazon

This book was well-received and well-reviewed by critics and readers

and has topped bestseller lists worldwide.

Lisa Taddeo spent eight years researching and conducting interviews for this book,

focusing on the sex lives and emotions of three real American women.

It has been described as breathtaking, riveting,

groundbreaking, and a dazzling achievement,

but I found it disturbing and very sad.

I'm sure every woman can relate to something in Lina, Maggie, and Sloane's stories:

the misogyny, the abuse, and the injustice

that they and too many women experience in their lives.

This book is unforgettable.

A heads-up. It is sexually explicit.

There, you have it, my 19 books, a good number of which I read more than once.

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

and Tom's Aloha Friday.

For Rain: the theme "Candles"

I searched for candles in my photo collection and one of the images that came up

did include a candle, but of more interest to me was the flaming Sambuca shot.

I've followed it with the photo of my two sweet and innocent nieces

leading their aunt (me) and their aunt and mother (Donnie) astray with delicious "candles."

A Flaming Sambuca Shot

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 26, 2016

For Nicole: Such Innocent Faces

Lisa and Sara

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 26, 2016

For Tom: Aloha!

Terry and I were having coffee and goodies at Liliha Bakery

a favorite of ours in the International Market Place in Waikiki.

We noticed a lot of little birds flittering and chattering above the seating area.

We had great fun watching them trying to outwit the waitstaff and eat scraps on the tables.

And sometimes those sharp little birds won!

Opportunistic Birds Watching and Waiting

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 29, 2024

Success and a Sweet Syrup Reward

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 29, 2024

And More For Nicole:

A basking monk seal enjoys the warm sunshine by the Outrigger Reef Hotel.

I spoke with two people from Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response (HMAR)

who assured me that the female monk seal was fine and behaving normally.

A Basking Monk Seal

Behind a Protective Perimeter

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 31, 2024

Two People from HMAR

Monitoring the Seal and Answering Questions from the Public

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 31, 2024

A Basking Monk Seal

Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

January 31, 2024

Have a great weekend! 🌺 Aloha!!! 🌺

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

My next post will be soon! 🤞

The Work of HMR: "Thousands of times yearly, HMAR volunteers, interns, and staff respond to Hawaiian monk seals resting on Oʻahu’s shoreline. Because of their very endangered status, every animal is important so during their time on shore volunteers identify the individual seal, assess its body condition, and look for signs of injury or illness while also providing outreach to the public from behind the perimeters they set up so that the seal has a space to rest. This response activity occurs multiple times each day all around Oʻahu, which is Hawaiʻi’s most populated island." Quoted from lexreception

There is a lot more information at LexReception on the link above.

Books Read in 2026

"18 Days in Heaven" by Gale Poirot
"A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Hope, Love, and Overcoming" by Kerrie Rawson
"Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD.
"Is Math Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics Deepest Truths" by Eugenia Cheng
"Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir
"Tell Me Everything" by Elizabeth Strout
"The Covenant of Water" by Abraham Verghese
"The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity" by David Graeber and David Wengrow
"The Life Impossible" by Matthew Haig
"The Lord go the Rings" by JRR Tolkien
"The Match" by Harlan Corben
"The Night the Path Disappeared" by Terri Bergen
"The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper" by Roland Allen
"Theo of Golden" by Allen Levi
"Think Twice" by Harlan Corben
"Why Christianity Must Change Or Die" by John Shelby Spong

Standing Into Danger

Pages

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Walking Among Giants!

Friday, February 9, 2024

Aloha!

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Books I've Read in 2023

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