Happy Halloween!

The Sanrio store in Kahala Mall had a Halloween display with Hello Kitty figures in Halloween costumes.

Thunderbird 1

Thunderbird 1 taxies out to Runway 26R, with the other five F-16Cs following for their take-off over the thousands that gathered to see them perform at Hickam AFB.

Long High Cloud

A cirrus cloud streaks across the sky, above Dillingham Airfield in Mokule‘ia.

Anthurium Bud

One of my Chinese Anthurium buds from a plant that I had ...

Old Chicken Coops

This old chicken coop is part of Peterson's Upland Farm in Wahiawa. It's probably the last few places to farm fresh eggs on O‘ahu. These old coops are used for storage.

Bagasse Bin

Bagasse is a process that sugar mills use to separate the sugar cane juice from the plant after harvesting. The Wai‘alua Sugar Mill was converted to shops and small businesses after its closure in 1996. It's main tenants are the Wai‘alua Coffee and the North Shore Soap Factory.

The North Shore Soap Factory is located in the bagasse bin of the Wai‘alua Sugar Mill, and this is a shot of the inside of the cone-shaped ceiling.

Teacher's Appreciation

Kathy got a bunch of flower arrangements at the end of the school year from the parents of the pre-school children she teaches. Today's photo is part of one of those arrangements.

Watch Dog

This dog sits guard while his owner catches some rays on the beach.

Мрия Under Rainbow

The Antonov An225 "Мрия (Mriya)" is the largest aircraft in the world. It was originally designed to transport the Soviet/Russian version of their Space Shuttle. It is now used as a commercial transport to ferry large items around the world by Antonov Airlines. It is also the only model ever built, and is based at Gostemel Airport, Kiev, Ukraine.

Last Monday (the 12th) ,the Mriya was transitting through HNL on its was to Pago Pago, American Sāmoa to bring ten electrical generators to the earthquake and tsunami ravaged US Territory. Sāmoa and the Republic of Tonga were also affected by the earthquake.

I had the opportunity to see the An225 up close and personal, thanks to friends at HNL. The big bird was in the process of being re-fueled when we got there, and the flight manager allowed us into the Mriya and check out the interior. I posted more photos of the An225 on my HNL RareBirds blog. We were certainly blessed to have a rainbow grace the background, as we took our last photos of the Ukranian big bird.

Smoke Plume

This smoke plume came from one of the several brush fires in the Waipio, which is a few miles east of us. Surprisingly, with this particular fire, the smoke did not bother us, but rose over us.

Casting Net

The ancient art of net fishing is still in practice today, as this guy casts his net at Mokulē‘ia Beach.

Matsumoto Shave Ice

A stop in Hale‘iwa is not complete without a stop at Matsumoto Shave Ice. The world famous shave ice (aka snow cones) store usually sports a line that can go around the building. It's known for its finely shaved ice and variety of flavors and add-ons that attract tourists and locals alike. Along the walls are photos of celebrities who have stopped by for their shave ice fix, as well as souvenir t-shirts.

Today's photo shows the inside of Matsumoto Shave Ice, and the line of people waiting to order.

Think Pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the theme color is pink,

Multi-Colored Sunrise

This was the sunrise from last month, where the sun and clouds mix to form a colorful sunrise.

Want proof God exists? Here's something only He can create!

Tailgating

Where there is a college football game, there are tailgaters. This was the scene of Aloha Stadium's Hālawa Parking Lots for the 2008 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. I took this photo from the upper south concourse while we were setting up our camera equipment, a few hours before kick-off.

The UH Warriors are on the road this weekend facing the University of Idaho Vandals in Moscow, ID,

Throwing Sand

This boy hurls a handful of sand toward his brother as they built sand castles at Kailua Beach Park

Free Hugs!

Yesterday was National Hug Day, and to commemorate it, the staff from Marsha Nadalin Salon & Spa at Kahala Mall offered free hugs to anyone who was walking through the center section of the mall.

Purple Pair

A pair of purple orchids that bloomed a few months ago. These flowers came from a big pot with a few different varieties of dendrobiums that I wondered if it would ever produce flowers ... after three years, it happened.

Victoria's Secret

Victoria's Secret opened their first Hawai‘i store two weeks ago at the Ala Moana Center. Some of the mannequins were adorned with lei, and this was one of them. Kathy & I had gone on the second day, and store security had set up an entry line similar to getting into a nightclub, where they would let a limited number of people in.

View From The Ocean

Kat & I spent an afternoon at Mokulē‘ia Beach during a recent long weekend. I took this from the ocean, in waist-high water to get a different perspective.

One of the things Kat & I discovered, was that there are pockets in the sand that are ice cold. We had been wading in the water, and dug our feet into the sand, only to find spots of sand that was colder than the water.

Saint Damien of Moloka‘i

Father Damien (nee Jozef deVeuster) of Moloka‘i was canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church today in Vatican City, by Pope Benedict XVI.

Saint Damien was a missionary from Belgium, who ministered to the leper colony at Kalaupapa, Moloka‘i (which is now a national park). He lived among the colony, and eventually succumbed to the disease.

Today's photo shows the statue of Saint Damien that stands on the Beretania Street side of the Capitol Building.

Smoky Salute

After their performance, and parking back on the Hickam ramp, the Thunderbirds blow smoke as a salute to those who watched them perform.

Mirror Pass

Thunderbirds 5 and 6 make the mirror pass. Note that since Thunderbird 5 is the lead solo aircraft, and does many maneuvers upside-down, the "5" is painted upside-down.

Six-Ship Delta

All six Thunderbirds F-16Cs fly in the six-ship delta formation.

X Formation

Thunderbirds 1-4, and 6 form the X Formation loop. The five F-16Cs are seen above as they descend out of the loop to show center.

Arrowhead Loop

Thunderbirds 1-4 soar into the "wild blue yonder", flying in the arrowhead formation loop. We could not have asked for better weather, as the sky was clear for their performance.

Diamond Pass

The first routine the Thunderbirds did after departing Runway 26R, was the four-ship "Diamond Pass". Thunderbirds 1-4 flew from behind the crowd toward show center then further south.

Pre-Flight

The theme week for October is "The US Air Force's Thunderbirds".

The US Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" headlined the "Wings Over The Pacific" airshow held at Hickam AIr Force Base a few weeks ago. The airshow drew several thousand people over the course of two days. Kathy & I were among those who attended the Saturday show.

Today's photo shows the six F-16C "Fighting Falcon" pilots walking toward their planes.

Unfinished Building

The Moana Vista condominium project has been in limbo since the original developer ran out of money. The property fell into foreclosure, and several dozen apartment buyers left in the cold. A deal with a new buyer for the property is currently being worked out.

Ready Camera ... Take!

A shot of the camera switcher at our church, New Hope Leeward. I got this during one of our worship services I directed.

Wai‘alua Soda Works

The Wai‘alua Soda Works is a locally made gourmet soda that features flavors from around Hawai‘i, but is available in parts of the mainland via the internet.

We came across this soda while checking things out at the old Wai‘alua Sugar Mill, and the North Shore Soap Factory. This lilikoi (passion fruit) flavor was really delicious and refreshing!


Wow! It's already October?!? Oh my gosh!

Didn't Kat do a great job with her photos! Thanks hunny!