Friday is the sixth day of Hanukkah and Lono presides over Makahiki.

Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou and Mele Kalikimaka! Best of holiday wishes from Hawaiʻi. Photo collage by Andrea.

Today is the fourth day of Hanukkah and our menorah is ready.

These are the medicinal plants (lā‘au lapa‘au) that we learned more about at Monday's docent education session at Mānoa Heritage Center.

Andrea and I attended a fun and engaging activity around lā‘au lapa‘au (medicinal plants) at Mānoa Heritage Center on Monday morning: Kūʻaliʻi, the 1911 Tudor house, from the Mānoa Heritage Center lower gate.

Andrea loves her new Alvin Chang Bonsai mug that she won in the demonstration tree auction Saturday at the Rainbow Bonsai Club show.

My Rainbow Bonsai Club display, a bougainvillea moyogi in an oval Japanese pot. My accent is a suiseki, a viewing stone. This one is eroded by wind from a California desert, a gift from Bill Johnson. Photo by Andrea. www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Hawai...

A juniper on a rock at the Rainbow bonsai show. Nice moss. The accent plant should point the other way, connecting with the bonsai, or, better, be on the other side. John Naka wrote extensively about bonsai display in his Bonsai Techniques, Volume II, but not many in Hawaiʻi seem to have read it.

The fourth book in the sci-fi series is coming soon, so better read the first three now! bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

Still time before Christmas! www.amazon.com/stores/autho...

Water lily, photographed by Andrea.

My "All Books" author page at Amzaon. www.amazon.com/stores/autho...

I got the final cover from Auctus Publishers for my latest novel, Planet of Love. Our protagonists, Brent and Edward have returned from their holiday in Hawaii, and have new and renewed love affairs. Private investigator Dr. Cindy Fairfax goes undercover one more time for adventure with Edward.

This is the Monterey cypress tree that will be in one of two demonstrations at the Rainbow Bonsai Club annual December show on Saturday, the thirteenth.

This is a Chinese ficus (banyan) under consideration for a demonstration tree at the upcoming Rainbow Bonsai Club show and sale, Saturday, December 13, at Koko Head Elementary School.

This is a kiawe tree, from seed, under consideration for a demonstration at the upcoming Rainbow Bonsai Club show and sale on Saturday, December 13.

This is a lime tree from seed being considered for a demonstration tree at the upcoming Rainbow Bonsai Club show and sale (December 13).

November was another action-packed and exhillerating month! rjwagner49.com/Personal/Vac...

Happy holidays, everyone! Photo of me and my reindeer buddy by Andrea at the Kahala Hotel.

What: Rainbow Bonsai Show and Sale When: Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Where: Koko Head Elementary School cafeteria, 189 Lunalilo Home Rd, Honolulu, HI 96825

Leahi (Diamond Head) from Diamond Head Theater where Andrea and I saw the World Premier of Piney Needlesmith on Saturday.

I played tennis this morning with Patrick, Caroline, Steve, and Bill.

Full plates on Thanksgiving. Praise the universe for life.

Thank you, Mr. Ringel, for the amazing blurb for my new science fiction, Planet of Love! ... debate philosophical concepts on equal footing. But this intriguing short novel is ... a love story ... Wagner’s wise and gentle lead into a planet of love that is not Venus but our very own home.

Painting of a Chinatown street, Honolulu.

My bonsai escambron in training after pruning Monday night at the meeting of the Pacific Bonsai Club.

The escambron I took to the Pacific Bonsai Club meeting to work on last night.

My broom style bonsai escambron after working on it at the Rainbow Bonsai Club meeting, Sunday, November 23.

Hemingway's first book, only 60 pages, and one of the few of his I have not yet read, arrived today. The spine is too thin for printing on. I hadn't known that he had published poetry! Can't wait to get into it.

Bonsai demonstration at the monthly meeting of the Rainbow Bonsai Club in Kaneohe. rjwagner49.com/Personal/Vac...

Still the best travel novel by far. Take a holiday space liner through the solar system to Mars and back to Earth. bookshop.org/p/books/bren...

When I was in Air Force boot camp back in '69, we were taught that not only should we not obey unlawful orders, but must report them up the chain of command. We were given examples of unlawful orders. Oh, and I have a new book coming soon! My best one yet.

Andrea photographed our beautiful native maiapilo (Capparis sandwichiana) flower on our Friday morning walk before breakfast. Maiapilo is found only in Hawaiʻi. Extremely difficult for bonsai.

Email your legislators to support libraries: speakupforlibraries.us

Today's art photo. Know what it is?

My bonsai escambron after repotting today. bookshop.org/p/books/bons...

My next book, Planet of Love, the sequel to Love Beyond Orbit, will be out soon from Auctus Publishers, but read that one first! At Thriftbooks and other vendors. www.thriftbooks.com/w/love-beyon...

My bonsai kou after pruning, wiring, and repotting.

My bonsai kou (Cordia subcordata), a Polynesian introduction to Hawaiʻi, has been growing unrestrained for many months. It needs lots of work. From seed.

My bonsai escambron (Clerodendrum aculeatum) after pruning. Repotting later. www.thriftbooks.com/w/bonsai-haw...

I'm working today on a bonsai escambrom, in need of much maintenance work, neglected for a year.

Banana harvest.

Flying the flag on Veterans' Day with bonsai shelves in the foreground. The burned out house next door has not been cleared yet.

Monday I potted my willow leaf ficus (ficus nerifolia) into a plastic training pot, the chokan (formal upright) style. bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/bonsai-hawai...

Today I began to work on my willow leaf ficus (ficus nerifolia), several years in this painted cement pot. Willow leaf ficus make great bonsai.

Prostrata juniper bonsai in training.

I got the new book cover art from Auctus Publishers today! My best one yet, coming soon! See my published books at www.amazon.com/stores/Richa...

Now that anti-fascism has been declared terrorism by Trump, here is our terrorist flag.

The bonsai podocarpus after pruning.

This is my bonsai podocarpus (yew) moyogi (informal upright) which needs pruning.