Sun And Trees

The late afternoon sun through the trees in the back of the subdivision where we live ... seen through a wide-angle lens.

Getting Lei'd

Forgive the play on words ... I couldn't help it ... :-D

Those aboard this Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737-800, B-5456, received a lei greeting upon deplaning the airliner after arriving at HNL. These folks were part of the delivery flight team, and the lei were provided by the ground handling company. Before boarding the shuttle bus, the those on the flight took pictures at the bottom of the stairs.

I took this shot after B-5456 arrived from its flight from Boeing Field (Seattle, WA).

Rainy Rush Hour

Add a little rain to rush hour traffic, and it adds even more time for me to get home ...

Caution!

Caution tape blocks off a section of Aloha Stadium during renovation and repairs ...

Glass Globe

Part of one of the light fixtures at the Roxy store at the Ward Cinemas complex ... I got this while Kathy was shopping ...

‘Āhinahina

‘Āhinahina, or the Haleakalā Silversword, is one of Hawai‘i's native, and rarest plants that can be found only at the Haleakalā National Park on Maui. Today's photo was taken at the 10,000-foot elevation mark.

National Cemetery Of The Pacific

The National Cemetery Of The Pacific, located in Pū‘owaina Crater, is heavily decorated to honor our fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Each grave marker is decorated with a lei and an American flag, as well as flowers from family and friends. The Memorial Day service also features a 21-gun salute from US Army Howitzer cannons and a F-15 fly over by the Hawai‘i Air National Guard.

On a personal note, Kat's dad is buried here, as he was a veteran who served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Sea Star

One of the many sea stars at the Maui Ocean Center ... this one was in the touch pond.

Small Yellow Flowers

I got these tiny yellow flowers at a public garden ... I'm not sure if they are black-eyed susans ...

Kaena Beach

Where does one seek to escape the hustle and bustle of Honolulu? Rural O‘ahu provides some quiet getaways to spend a quiet day at the beach ... located on the northwest point is Kaena Beach.

240SX

When I had first got Photoshop Elements a few years ago, I took a try at playing with the motion blur feature, and this was onr of the first photos I experimented with ... a photo of my then car.

Softball Field

A wide shot of the softball field from the "Fly Ball To Left Field" game.

Kipapa Gulch

Behind our home is Kipapa Gulch, it runs from the Ko‘olau Mountains into Waipahu. On the other side of the gulch is the town of Kunia, and the trail leading down into the gulch leads to former military bunkers.

New Udom Blooms

One of my Udom Blue Angel orchids bloomed ... and it also gave me a chance to use a friend's wide-angle lens.

Reef Fish

Reef fish cruise around looking for food on a reef fronting the Aloha Tower Marketplace.

Watch Out For That Pole!

While walking around Makawao, we came across this witch on her broomstick, who became one with the utility pole, at the corner of Olinda Road and Makawao Road.

Delivery Flight

The Boeing 737 airliner is the most popular airliner ever built, over 6,000 models have been built since the late 60s. The 737 has been seen all over the world, on every inhabited continent. Due to it's relatively short range, under 3,000 miles, it's not designed to fly long over-water segments. Though a few airlines use the 737 to serve Hawai‘i from the US mainland and Canada. However, to deliver brand new 737s around the world, airlines usually make multi-stop treks from Boeing Field in Seattle, WA to its new home. Most Asian 737 customers receive their new "Baby Boeings", by crossing the Pacific Ocean with at least two stops.

Today's photo is of a brand new AIr China 737-800, B-5423, that is making its TransPacific journey from Boeing Field to Beijing, China. Honolulu is the first stop, in which the crew and aircraft will overnight here. The flight continues the next day, which departs for Majuro (Marshall Islands) then overnights at Saipan (Northern Marianas Islands), before arriving in Beijing.

I got this photo as I was returning from photographing another aircraft, and I wanted to get more angles of this 737. I was going for wide-angle lens look as we were driving around the 737.

Purple & Green

I found this plant that has the inside of the leaves green, and outside purple. I've seen it around town in yards and landscaping.

Trail Of Roses

A trail of roses leads to the honeymoon bed. Some friends had decorated the room after the reception for the wedding couple, of a wedding I had photograhed.

Foam On Sand

The whitewash foam from a wave rolls onto the shore.

Fly Ball To Left Field

This batter hits a fly ball to left during a Makule (Senior) League softball game played at the Patsy T Mink Central O‘ahu Regional Park. The left fielder misplayed the fly ball, and gave up a base hit.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the moms ...

Happy Mother's Day!

Tubular Bells

Along Makawao's Baldwin Avenue was a shop that had a bunch of large wind chimes hanging on their awning.

Protea

UpCountry Maui is one of the best places to get fresh cut protea flowers. Everywhere we went, there was always an abundance of these flowers. I got this shot as we walked around the Kula Lodge.

At The Edge

I got this shot while at the crater lookout of Haleakalā National Park, which shows us above the clouds. However, in a matter of several minutes, we were covered in those clouds.

Artist's Studio

Makawao is also known for its arts and crafts, as a majority of its shops are clothiers, artwork, and crafts. Sherri Reeve is one of those artists whose gallery / studio is a part of the Makawao artist community. She specializes in watercolor, and even doing 3-D layering of her work.

Boys Day

We interrupt Theme Week for this special post ...

On May 5th, the people of Japan celebrate Boys Day. With 25% of Hawai‘i's population being of Japanese ancestry, the tradition of flying the carp (Koi) flags is carried on here as well. Girls Day is celebrated on March 3rd.

I got these koi flags while Kathy & I took a stroll around a shopping area in Hale‘iwa.

Hali‘imaile General Store

In the town of Makawao, is the restaurant called the Hali‘imaile General Store. It's owned by Beverly Gannon, who is one of 12 chefs credited with creating the Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine (a.k.a. Pacific RIm or Fusion - combining Asian and European cuisines). Kathy & I stopped here for lunch on day one of our Maui honeymoon ... and the food ... oh my gosh! It was so good! It was once a real general store, but now a full-scale restaurant and catering service.

When on Maui, you gotta try this restaurant! Great tasting food, large portions & reasonable prices! It's worth the drive!

Lavender

This month's theme week takes us back to Maui, but specifically UpCountry Maui.

Today's photo of a lavender flower comes from the Ali‘i Kula Lavender farm in Kula. It was one of our stops before making our climb up Haleakalā. Kathy wanted to go the lavender farm, and it was a great suggestion. There were a lot of photo ops of flowers, and views of the northern half of Maui. The scent of lavender was so relaxing too!

Ooh! Donuts ...

The only place to find Krispy Kreme Donuts in Hawai‘i is in Kahului, on the island of Maui, and it's located near the Kahului Airport. One can get their donut fix either before just leaving, or right after arriving on "The Valley Isle". Kat & I did both ...

Today's photo was taken right after arriving on Maui to get our Krispy Kreme fix ... priorities ... we knew where our first stop was to be.

Orchid For Sale

I came across these orchids for sale at a hardware store's garden shop. The store employees did not seem to mind the few shots I took.