Soto Mission Bon Dance, 8/15/09

It has been fun attending bon dances this summer.                             The musicians epitomize the ambiance of the evening.

This little one was beaming with happiness as she danced.

Zoo, 8/15/09

Thanks to Hawaii Photographic Society (HPS) for making arrangements to shoot at 8:00 a.m. 

Amy and I went straight to the tiger, this male tiger didn't give us much of an opportunity to take pictures of him.  He kept coming out of his area and then turning around and going back in.

I thought it was neat to see this pelican following this little bird.
I admire the beauty of this bird and took a bunch of pictures.  A nice gentleman came by and informed me that she is sitting on her eggs.  I thought OMG, no wonder she just stayed there and looked around.

I was fortunate that before long she stood up to check on her eggs.

Only to get back to keeping her eggs warm.I really wanted to take pictures of the toucan.  I didn't want the cage to show but the openings were small.  This made it very difficult to get the focal point to go in between the bars and onto the toucan. Perhaps the toucan was camera shy, it kept flying about.  So these are my 2 best shots.

I am always intrigued by the zebra's stripes.  These 2 pictures show how its stripes continue into its mane.  Cool, huh?

A weekend in Kahuku, 8/9/09

Jellos?  This home in Kahuku was a gathering place for a mini class reunion. Needless to say it was fun.  

My friends hoped to get good shots of this log.


Due to an impending hurricane, the waves were a bit rough.  
Before turning in, I got this moon shot.
I set my alarm for 5:50 a.m. to see the sunrise.  My friends said Saturday morning's sunrise was spectacular.  However this morning, the weather wasn't good and within minutes the clouds rolled in blocking the view of the sunrise.  Not fair.
I did get one last shot of the log.  I of course didn't want to go back into town.

Honolulu Family Fair, 8/2/09

Ever take a picture of the fair from a ferris wheel?  That was fun.

This wagon matches the ambiance of the fair.

It was a guessing game as to how long to keep the exposure open to show motion. Yes, the bright spot to the left is the moon.

Now I am goofing with the zoom while leaving the exposure open.

Okay, maybe I got carried away.
The Pharoh Fury was fun to watch the riders' expressions.
This was the hardest ride to take a picture of.  Many times Erick and I would just get shots of feet or the bottom of the thingy they are lying on.  Boy did we delete a lot of shots.

Koganji Temple Obon Festival- in Manoa, 8/1/09

I enjoyed another bon dance. 

The following is an excerpt:

The Obon tradition was brought to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants and evolved into a social and cultural event, as well as a religious custom designed to honor ancestors through an evening of dance, music and merry-making. 

To the right, Manoa Koganji Temple

This display of respect is what the people in the picture above are looking at.

The attendance was terrific, by 7 pm the designated area for dancing was filled.

Food was plentiful.

I ran into many people I knew, here is my previous co-worker and her daughter.
Erick and I wondered where Amy went, here she (in the black dress) is dancing. Later I joined Amy.

Lanterns are symbolic of lighting the way for the spirits.
We were entertained by Taiko "big drum" drummers.
Look at the enthusiasm of the drummers.

Foster Garden, 8/2/09

I did 2 posts: 

Foster Garden, 8/2/09 and Jon's room, 7/24/09

Foster Garden is a great place for nature shots.  We enjoyed the Orchid Conservatory.  Not only was it fun shooting with Milton S., Roger, Dewey, and Angie;  they also came to my assistance.  I was having difficulties getting sharp and close shots.

Jon's room, 7/24/09

What?  Yes, you are looking at a plain blue room.  My son felt the same way. Watch how he transformed it with paint.

I am stoked how well he transformed his room.  I give him a lot of credit.