My brother went back home

 My brother went back home...sad!

We had a great time together: putting together 2 puzzles, lots of walks, even seeing the Duke Kahanamoku statues. And we made sure to put our feet in the ocean. Being from New Mexico, he doesn't get that chance often. The really important thing about him, though, is that he helped me believe in Jesus. Changed my life!

We also visited the Honolulu Zoo. Above is a duck from Kauai..Maoli. I hadn't realized Kauai had its own duck.

And we had very nice sunrises for our walk.

The Eucalyptus tree at the top of Akaaka. Helps me celebrate getting up that big hill.

And the cute bunny also helps me celebrate, when he twinkles his nose at me.

Turns out my brother is better at putting puzzles together. But we both enjoyed the work. Someone is very competitive. We won't say who.

You know I love pink roses especially.

This big German Shepherd tried to intimidate us. Did he succeed? Let's just say I'm glad the fence was there. Did you know they changed the name of this dog after World War II? To Alsatian. German was not a good thing to be back then.

Orchid and below, Hibiscus

We found just one little flower in the Bromeliad.

Baby pineapple. So cute.

Lovely Toucan

This little guy had a conversation with my brother: What?! What?! Howling near the Howler Monkeys.

Ring Tailed Lemurs

Palm tree in Waikiki. I'm not a fan of big buildings.

The Howler Monkeys

Effalump. He seemed rather lonely.

Croc. Or Alligator. Not sure how to tell one from another.

Wart Hog with super huge tusks

Lizard for my sweetheart.

Giraffe and Zebra. Not able to get very close.

These two monkeys spent 10 minutes or so preening each other.

This Chimp was trying to nap, perhaps, and kept his hands over his eyes.

Finally we found the Rhino. They are amazing animals.

And the Nene goose

My brother was willing and able to help me do Crossing Guard duty. He handed out the flashing lights and reflective wrist bands. A dangerous intersection made a little bit better.

Venus hiding in the clouds.

Cute mailbox. A friend changes them every now and again.

The Rose garden also has gnomes and bird boxes.

Getting ready for Valentine's Day.

Nice lady likes Snoopy too!

How did this Dinosaur get into the garden?

Even with this sign, people walked around it and continued on their way. Perhaps they can't read?!

Ocean was quite flat. Made us want to get in.

The flatness didn't stop these surfers.

If you look closely, you can see tiny Needlefish.

I introduced my brother to the ABC stores. Wow, there are sure a lot of them in Waikiki.

Here's the Duke Kahanamoku statue.

Since I wear real shoes on my walks, this store intrigued me. But not enough for us to go in. It wasn't a shopping trip.

God's rays

Roses still showing off.

Here is my fave dog. His eyes are so blue. And once he knows you, he's very friendly.

Arizona Memorial. My brother had already visited it on a previous trip, so we just spotted it from the top of one of the hills on our walk.

Water Lily. Not quite fully open yet.

Venus is very bright in our morning sky.

Crown of Thorns plant

And here is the mystery succulent. Once I find out what its name is, there's a chance I'll be able to purchase one.

I had mentioned the Saffron Finch, so we were finally able to spot 'em.

A very nice present to have my brother in town. He also brought my Christmas present: a very nice painting of an octopus! My sis-in-law discovered it, as painted by one of her students.

Have a great week. Appreciate your beloved family.