Floating Lantern Ceremony

I attended the Floating Lantern Ceremony at Ala Moana Beach Park last night, along with about 40,000 other people. Each year prayers and tributes to deceased family and friends are scrawled on the paper lanterns before they are released from the shore to float into the Pacific Ocean (to protect the ocean they are later recovered and recycled for the following year).

Memorial Day

"This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine. . . .
Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine."

A friend shared these lyrics and I liked them so much I wanted to repost them here.  I took this photo today at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.  Hundreds of Boy Scouts and other volunteers worked yesterday to place a lei at each and every one of the nearly 50,000 gravesites there.

Tower 2F

Publics Beach, with the Waikiki shoreline in the background.  The pink building is the iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel, built in 1927.

Can't Catch Me

Wow, this dog was such a fast runner!  And though she looks very serious (even a little menacing) in this shot, she was really playful and friendly. 

The Best Place to Watch a Sunset

is beneath the canopy of a palm tree, toes buried in soft white sand.  For more sky photos from around the world, visit Skywatch Friday HERE.

S: Sea Turtle

During the summer months it's easy to spot green sea turtles on Oahu, especially at Laniakea Beach (appropriately nicknamed Turtle Beach) on the North Shore. They come ashore to feed on the algae there or bask in the sun. For more 'S' photos, visit ABC Wednesday HERE.

Canoe Oar Paddleboard?

Take your pick - because there were plenty of both at Publics Beach the day I snapped this :)

Sunny the Super Pony

A pony shows off his ribbons after a hard day's work at a Hawaii Horse Show Association Event in Waimanalo.

Respite

Ahhh...Papa'iloa Beach.  One of my favorites.  I don't know what makes me love it more than the others. Is it the afternoon shade offered by the palms, the stillness seldom found on other North Shore beaches, or the chance to spot a sea turtle sunning itself? 

School's Out for SUMMER!

Snapped this at my daughter's preschool graduation on Friday.  Many of the schools here wrapped up classes and kids are looking forward to more beach time and bike riding!  What a great place to be a kid.

Flying Dolphins

I actually photographed this dolphin when she was performing at Sea Life Park, which is located directly across the street from the ocean.  So while it may appear that she's jumping from the sea at first glance, she is actually in a saltwater pool.  It's Skywatch Friday, and you can see sky photos from around the globe by clicking HERE.

R: Rabbit Island

Rabbit Island (also called Manana Island in Hawaiian), as seen from the Makapu'u lookout.  The smaller, flatter island in the foreground is Kaohikaipu Island.  For more 'R' photos visit ABC Wednesday HERE.

The Suite Life

A view of the Hilton Hawaiian Village from the beach.  It's one of the many resort hotels down in Waikiki, and it even has its own saltwater lagoon.  We stayed here for a few days back in December and had a great time.

My Morning Walk

A beautiful sunny morning, with Manana Island (aka Rabbit Island) in the distance.  From the Hawaii for Visitors website:

"The islet is also known as Rabbit Island. Some people think it is because the island is shaped like a rabbit's head or body, but it is actually because rabbits were raised on the island until 1994. The rabbits were removed at that time because they started destroying the native ecosystem of the island, which is an important seabird breeding area."

Lazy Sunday

These two bicycles were parked on one of the beach access paths here in Kailua.  I noticed two things about them as I walked by:  the rusty bike chains, pedals, etc. (everything rusts SO quickly in Hawaii!) and the slippers that were hanging on one of the handle bars.

Lanikai Dogs

I took an early morning walk along Lanikai Beach, and as usual there were plenty of dogs out for some playtime with their owners.  I just couldn't choose between these two, so I had to post a photo of each of them.  The top one is the very playful one year old Lani, who was a full-speed-ahead-bundle-of-energy!  The bottom photo is the sweet almost 11 year old Gabby. 

p.s. Parents of Lani and Gabby, if you'd like the other photos I took of your dogs please email me lisa_lim03@hotmail.com and I'll be happy to share them with you :)

Skywatch

A glowing sunset over the marina in Waikiki.  For more sky photos from around the world, check out Skywatch Friday HERE.

Q: Queen's Beach

Queen's Beach and adjacent Kuhio Beach are located on the eastern end of Waikiki. This area really is like a giant swimming pool due to the concrete seawalls in the water. It's calm, clear, and shallow - the perfect place for kids to play! For more 'Q' photos, visit ABC Wednesday HERE.

Welcome Home!

Our friend returned from his overseas deployment today, and as is the custom in Hawaii, he was greeted at the airport by friends with leis made from flowers, candy, and yes, miniature bottles of liquor! With more than 32,000 active duty members plus their families stationed here, the military presence here on Oahu is undeniable. It is also not without controversy, but this is a photo blog, so I will leave those debates to the political blogs :) Welcome home friend!

Monkeypod

One of the beautiful old Monkeypod trees in Kailua that offers respite from the sun beneath it's huge canopy.

Great Food, Even Better Views

The atrium at the Ko'Olau Golf Club, where my husband treated me to an early Mother's Day brunch :) Happy Mother's Day to all of the hard-working moms out there!

Auku'u

The Black-Crowned Night Heron is called an Auku'u in the Hawaiian language, and is found on all of the Hawaiian Islands.  Yesterday I posted a photo of the Hamakua Marsh, which is where I spotted this heron.  It's Skywatch Friday, and you can click HERE to see sky images from around the world.

Hamakua Marsh

I took this yesterday while I was waiting for my car's oil change - the marsh is located directly behind a busy street on the perimeter of Kailua, but in spite of its location it is a sanctuary for many species of birds. 

P: Pineapple Ice Cream

Made here at the Dole Plantation, it's the perfect treat on a hot, sunny day!  For more 'P' photos, visit ABC Wednesday.

Ehukai

This was taken at dusk at Ehukai Beach Park on the North Shore.  I love that that there was no one around - as soon as the sun sank beneath the horizon, everyone scattered.

Vintage Charm

An old tin sign randomly nailed to the side of a building in Haleiwa. 

Casting

A young man stands at the edge of Kaneohe Bay, contemplating where to cast his net.