Standing Into Danger

Friday, March 28, 2025

Parting Shots

I woke up in Aurora this morning, definitely a jarring transition from Waikiki.

Both Terry and I were slow to get moving after our long trip home from Hawaii.

Truth be said, we're not really moving yet. 😂

I'm sharing a few parting shots from beautiful O'ahu.

Hale'iwa Beach Park

North Shore , ⁨Oʻahu⁩, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

Inside Diamond Head Crater

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i

March 19, 2025

Camera Fun Among Friends

Louise, Terry, and Daniel

The Hideout at the Lawlow

Waikiki, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA

March 25, 2025

Looking Toward the Koʻolau Mountains from Lā'le Point State Wayside

North Shore , ⁨Oʻahu⁩, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

Mother and Chicks

Sunset Beach Park, Pūpūkea

North Shore, ⁨Oʻahu⁩, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

Beautiful Hibiscus

Honolulu Zoo

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA

March 24, 2025

A Sight That Never Gets Old

From Our Lanai at the Royal Kuhio

Waikiki, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA

March 12, 2025

A Fashion Statement

Waikiki, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA

March 19, 2025

Beautiful Waikiki

O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA

March 13, 2025

Goodbye Pretty Kitty ~ Little Laki

International, Market Place, Waikiki, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 25, 2025

Late Afternoon Fun

Hale'iwa Beach Park

O'hau, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 202

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

For Tom: Aloha! ~ My friend Maki strung this beautiful and fragrant lei for me. She gave it to me at our last hula class, the day before she returned to Japan and I to Colorado. We had lots of fun together at many hula classes.

For Nicole: A Koi Face! ~ I visited the Keiki, or Children's Zoo while in Honolulu, and I had great fun watching a pool of big koi.

One of Some Really Big Koi

Keiki Zoo Within the Honolulu Zoo

O'hau, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 24, 2025

For Rain: Cards ~ With all the card players in my life and all the card playing I love to do, I thought it would be easy to find a photo of cards. Wrong! I guess I'm too busy playing. 😂 I chose two historic cards I saw in the Royal British Columbia Museum, BC's oldest known playing cards. Manufactured by Lawrence & Cohen between 1860

1863, the cards are "square cut from one sheet, have no corner markings and use full length artwork." (RBCM exhibit notes) Lawrence & Cohen

Historic Cards

Royal British Columbia Museum

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 15, 2015

Hawaii came and went too fast, but I am filled with memories of good times.

Hopefully I'll be fortunate enough to return to this special place next year!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

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

My next post will be

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 🤞

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

Friday, March 21, 2025

An Unusual Place

Oʻahu⁩ continues to surprise me, and I was really surprised

when our friends Kathy and Bruce took Terry and me to an unusual place

nestled at the bottom of Oahu's lovely Ko'olau Mountains.

Pali of the Ko'olau Mountains

Valley of the Temples Memorial Park

⁨Kāneʻohe, ⁨Oʻahu⁩, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

I first knew Kathy when we attended high school,

and we reconnected a couple of years ago in Honolulu.

Since then, Kathy and her husband Bruce have been generous

with their friendship, hospitality, and time,

and they have introduced us to special places in O'ahu.

So when Kathy turned into an expansive cemetery

in Kāneʻohe on the windward side of the island,

I knew it was for a good reason.

Bruce and Kathy

Byodo-In Temple Grounds

March 14, 2025

The cemetery, Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, is the final resting place

for thousands of Buddhist, Shinto, Protestant, and Catholic residents of Hawaiʻi.

And its most beautiful area contains the magnificent Byodo-In Temple.

The Byodo-In Temple at the Base of the Ko'olau Mountains

March 24, 2016

The Byodo-In Temple

The temple is a non-practicing Buddhist shrine,

a scaled-down replica of the almost 1,000-year-old Byodo-in temple in Uji, Japan.

Byodo-in Temple means “Temple of Equality – not to discriminate,"

and it welcomes all people, regardless of their religious beliefs.

The main building of the temple is the Phoenix Hall or Hoo-do.

It contains a central hall, twin wing corridors,

and a tail hallway, resembling a phoenix in flight.

Surrounding the temple are koi-filled ponds, colorful flowers,

lush greenery, and stately trees where you can wander freely.

The Tail and Right Wing of the Phoenix

An Inviting Forest Floor

Trimezia (Apostle Plant, Apostle's Iris, Fan Iris, Poor Man's Orchid, Walking Iris)

After crossing the bridge to the temple's grounds, we did what most visitors do first,

stop at the Bell House and ring its sacred bell, or bon-sho.

Doing so is said to bring you a happy, blessed, and long life.

The bell, cast from bronze and tin in Osaka, Japan,

is five feet high, weighs three tons, and rings with a calming resonance.

We each struck the bell with a soft wooden log, or shu-moku.

During our visit we continued to hear the voice of the bell rung by other hopeful people.

The Bell House and bon-sho

A good Strike!

After ringing the bon-sho, we walked to the Meditation Pavilion,

passing by koi ponds, a waterfall, and flowers running among the trees.

Terry really enjoyed relaxing in this peaceful space.

Serenity

Azaleas

Tranquility

For me, the best part of our visit, was stepping inside Phoenix Hall

and standing before the stunning Amida Buddha hovering above lotus leaves.

The nine-foot wooden statue of the Buddha is covered with gold lacquer

and finished by gold leaf, giving it a lustrous sheen.

Directly behind the Buddha are smaller sculptures of bodhisattvas, or enlightened beings.

The Amida Buddha represents the teachings of Buddhism about life and death.

I am not a Buddhist, but I felt a profound calmness looking at the serene Buddha.

The Amida Buddha Surrounded by Bodhisattvas

After leaving this deeply spiritual space, we wandered around the beautiful grounds

spending time with our good friends Kathy and Bruce.

Terry and Bruce Exploring

Kathy and the Byodo-in Temple

It's hard to beat a special day in a special place with special friends.

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

For Tom: Aloha ~ Big thrills in the beautiful land of Aloha!

Catching a Wave

Sunset Point Beach Park

Pūpūkea⁩, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

For Nicole: Koi Faces! ~ Koi fish were swimming in ponds throughout the Byodo-In Temple grounds. In Japanese culture, koi symbolize perseverance, good fortune, and courage. They are seen as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles, and are prized for their beauty and longevity.

Hungry, Hopeful Koi Looking for a Handout

Byodo-In Temple Grounds

Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

A Favorite Face ~ Little Laki

Ignoring the Treats I Have for Him

International, Market Place, Waikiki, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 15, 2025

For Rain: Microphone ~ I always enjoy seeing Rich Embry of Alter Ego LV when I'm in Las Vegas. Alter Ego performs downtown on Fremont Street along with other talented bands.

Rich Embry

Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

July 18, 2023

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

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

My next post will be

Friday, March 28, 2025 🤞

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

Friday, March 14, 2025

Out on the Water

When Graves Eye Disease scrambled my vision in 2021,

one of the things that kept me going was the thought of getting on a paddleboard again.

Standup Paddleboarding

Waikīkī Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 24, 2016

I had last gone paddleboarding in March 2016,

never expecting that travel changes, the pandemic,

and Graves disease would keep me from enjoying the sport so long.

Standup Paddleboarding

Waikīkī , Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 24, 2016

Last spring when I had successful strabismus eye surgery,

I asked all my doctors if I could go paddleboarding again.

"Yes," said my surgeon, as did my endocrinologist and primary care doctor.

So with great anticipation I signed up in advance for a refresher lesson

with Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī.

Thinking I had lots of time, I had been swimming lengths in the Royal Kuhio's pool.

But when my lesson day and hour arrived,

the trade winds had blown in after days and days of calm.

Usually the trade winds bring cooling breezes, lower humidity, and pleasant weather.

But this time the winds were strong and gusty, whipping up the waves and currents.

Nevertheless, I went for it, with the guidance of a patient instructor named Tyler.

Tyler Giving Me the Refresher Course

Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī

March 5, 2025

Tyler

Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī

March 5, 2025

Tyler Giving Me the Refresher Course

Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī

March 5, 2025

Into the Water

Terry was there to support me and take photos,

and our friend Janeth from Ottawa was there to cheer me on.

Janeth rode Slotzilla with me in Vegas last year,

but she was not going near a paddleboard.

Tyler Giving Me the Refresher Course

Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī

March 5, 2025

Getting Ready to Fly Like Superman

Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

March 27, 2024

Terry did his best to capture photos, but he forgot how to zoom and was shooting portraits.

Nevertheless, he did catch me standing up on the paddleboard.

Actually I stood up at least 12 times, but I kept getting knocked down,

once head over heels off the back of the board into the ocean.

We kept swimming to a sandy spot near the Royal Hawaiian breakwater,

and the current kept sweeping us back to the Sheraton to the west.

But what fun!

On the Water

As you can see, no one else was on the water paddleboarding or surfing.

Tyler was cheering me on, saying "You're 99% there!"

I'd be up and down I'd go. Over and Over. 😂

On the Water

But Terry managed to catch the shot I wanted most,

me standing up, even if it was only for five seconds.

On the Water

After about forty minutes, my muscles were seizing up.

So, I reluctantly said I'd have to try again another day.

We chatted side by side on our boards as the currents swept us

from the Royal Hawaiian breakwater back to the Sheraton Waikīkī's landing spot.

We had a great conversation trading stories about ourselves,

and I was so comfortable I chanted my hula Permission Chant for him.

(Obviously I was riding high from the exhilaration of being on the water. 😂)

Returning to Shore

Coming Ashore

The big hot cup of coffee I had at Starbucks afterward was so welcome!

Terry and Janeth were the best, listening as I talked while my adrenaline surge dissipated.

I felt so alive and happy!

This won't be my last time on a paddleboard!

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

For Rain: Surfing ~ Catching a wave in an outrigger canoe is lots of fun!

Catching a Wave!

Waikīkī Beach

March 14, 2015

For Tom: Aloha ~ The beautiful land of Aloha!

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue

Waikīkī Beach

March 13, 2025

For Nicole: Feathered and Furry Faces! ~ Cheeky birds raid a bread basket at the Liliha Bakery.

Doves and Sparrows Hit the Jackpot!

Liliha Bakery at the International Market Place

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 6, 2025

Little Laki at Cat Café MOFF

International Market Place, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

March 1, 2025

See you next time! ❤️🌺🍀

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

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

My next post will be

Friday, March 21st 🤞

Books Read in 2024

"5 Languages of Love: The Secret to Love That Lasts" by Gary Chapman
"At Home in the World" by Joyce Maynard
"Cockroaches" by Jo Nesbo
"Death's End" by Cixin Liu
"Eruption" by Michael Crichton and James Patterson
"In Darkness" by L. Diane Wolfe
"In My Time of Dying" by Sebastian Junger
"Nothing to Fear" by Julie McFadden, RN
"The Bat" by Jo Nesbo
"The Dark Forest" by Cixin Liu
"The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon
"The Last to Vanish" by Megan Miranda
"The Montauk Monster" by Hunter Shea
"The Road to Character" by David Brooks
"The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller
"The Twist of a Knife" by Anthony Horowitz
"The Uninhabital Earth: Life After Warming" by David Wallace-Wells
"The Women" by Kristin Hannah
"Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
"Writing the Shadow" by Joanna Penn

Pages

Friday, March 28, 2025

Parting Shots

Friday, March 21, 2025

An Unusual Place

Friday, March 14, 2025

Out on the Water