Kamehameha Day Parade

A  L  O  H  A !

Kamehameha,

 called 'The Great' and 'The Lonely One'

 was born between 1748 and 1761

 on the island of Hawaii. 

 In 1871 his grandson,

 King Kamehameha V, 

 designated - by royal Proclamation- 

that June 11 of each year

 was to be a perpetual  holiday here in the isles

 to honor the life and accomplishments

 of Hawaii's founding statesman,
 warrior, conqueror,
  and king. 

Kamehameha Schools Letter Girls

 It is said that Kamehameha fulfilled ancient traditional prophecies

 of a high Chief who would vanquish all other chiefs

 to become the greatest of all  in Hawai`i. 

His childhood was spent in seclusion with
 foster parents. 

In accordance with a 
strikingly Arthurian legend,

 the boy Kamehameha lifted 
the 5,000 pound Naha stone

 at age 14, 
the only person ever to do so. 

The legend states that the one who lifts it 

was the prophesied warrior
 who would unite all of the islands.

 The Naha Stone rests today
 in front of the Hilo Public Library

 on the island of Hawaiʻi.

 After a stormy period  of contention, 

the island of Hawai`i was under unified rule

 by 1791.

 Kamehameha was favored by the old gods

 in a clear, strategic way, 

when a rival chief's warriors

 on their way to attack, 

were overtaken by a flowing lava outbreak!

  The imprint of their feet
 may be seen yet today 
in the hardened lava flow.

Members of Royal Societies

By 1810,
 the last of the chiefs
 of the islands of Maui, 
O`ahu and Kaua`i 

relinquished sovereignty
 to Kamehameha.

 The Kingdom of Hawai`i was born

 For the rest of his life,
 Kamehameha I wisely ruled 
a dizzy-ingly transitional period 
in peace. 

He established Hawaii
 as a recognized nation,
 launched trade with other countries,

 introduced new animal and plant life,
 promoted agriculture 
and fostered industry. 

Daughters of Hawaii

The "Napoleon of the Pacific"
 died in Kailua-Kona 
on the island of Hawai`i 
in 1819.

The first Kamehameha Day
 was observed on June 11, 1872, 

 with horse races,
 velocipede, sack, wheelbarrow, 
and foot races too!

  2012 marks the 140th anniversary

 of the only  United States holiday
 that honors a royal.

This year's 96th annual
 floral parade

  began at ʻIolani Palace
 in downtown Honolulu,

moved up Ala Moana Boulevard 
 and into Waikīkī, 

ending in a big party
 at Kapiʻolani Park.

 [incidentally, June 11

 is also the anniversary 
of this great Park's dedication]  

Traditional royal paʻu riders
 represent a time

 when royal's on horseback
 toured their realm,

visiting the people.

 Women display 19th century 
riding gowns,

 skirts draped in pa`u style

cunningly fastened
 with Kukui Nuts!

Riders are bedecked with lei

 and other floral arrangements, 

as are their mounts.

Hawaiian cowboys,

called 'Paniolo'

were roping & riding

before many places

considered 'western'

on the continent!

What would country music

 BE

without the twangy

Hawaiian Guitar?! 

Some Paniolo

became famous rodeo

stars in the 'States.'

This fellow 

plays an important role

 in the equestrian parade!

Woop!  

 There IT IS !

The Chinese

 were early immigrants

 to the Kingdom.

It wouldn't be Hawaii

without the 'Celestials'

their food, work ethic, 

and culture.

What a day to be a happy kid

- of ANY age!

Some of us have to

 learn

to be happy

as we grow

older

Thanks for visiting

and celebrating with us!

Take Away Fun - Leave a Comment

                                  Warmly, cloudia

!!PARADE VIDEO BELOW!!

Unscented Academy

A  L  O  H  A !

 “ The thing

 that makes you exceptional …

 is inevitably that

 which must also 

make you 

lonely. ”

  Lorraine Hansberry

In a Garden

A  L  O  H  A !

 

" Asparagus 

inspires gentle thoughts. "

 
Charles Lamb

See that?

“ Don’t put off living

 to next week, 

next month, next year 

or next decade.
The only time you’re ever

 living 

is in this moment.”  

 Celestine Chua

Well hello!

" Science arose from poetry... 

when times change 

the two can meet again 

on a higher level 

as friends.  "

  Goethe

“My life is my message.” 

Gandhi

" A gentleman has his eyes 

on all those present; 

he is tender toward
 the bashful, 

gentle toward 
the distant, 

and merciful 

 toward the absent.  "

Lawrence G. Lovasik

" I stare and stare.

 It seems 

I was called for this: 

To glorify things 

just because 

they are.  "

Czeslaw Milosz

- in a garden. . .

" Some people

 think luxury is the opposite

 of poverty.

 It is not. 

It is the opposite of 

vulgarity. "

Coco Chanel

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Thanks for rambling here!

Take away Peace - Leave Your Comment

                            Warmly, cloudia

Mates in Motion

A  L  O  H  A !

Click Upon These Photos for LUCK

“Live not for Battles Won.
Live not for

 The-End-of-the-Song.
Live in the

 along.”

 Gwendolyn Brooks

“ What lies behind us 

and what lies before us

 are tiny matters 

compared to what lies 

within us ”

 Ralph Waldo Emerson

" There's nothing I value

 more

 than the closeness of friends

 and family,
 a smile

 as I pass

 someone on the street. "

Willie Stargell

 (*)>
/ )
/"  

This morning out on my lanai

(the Hawaiian word for a porch,or balcony)

I noticed the white doves that live around

Ala Moana Park

 playingFlying with:

 the light,

the updraft,

and each other

beneath my 33 floor perch.

My [blog invisible] husband

had just left for the day.

Thoughts of how some birds mate

for life made me reflect

upon OUR seasons

together.

I enjoyed it so much, that I wrote this poem.

Or it would be truer to say

this poem wrote itself

with my pen, and to my delight.

Hope YOU like it:

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" POEM"

 

Lucky are we who are blessed

(not cursed)

to be in a pair.

Especially the match

of lone-wolves,

 exceedingly rare.

Today I watched

the morning white birds

at play in the up-drafts

this building must birth-

Around anti-clockwise

again and again

thrilling harmony,

avian friends!

Their joy at one

with Waikiki-

mountains, fragrance,

excited people,

Aloha, 

the sea.

I must have watched them

the length of a song

engaging sight,

but more beautiful

thoughts.

Till they flew off

together

beyond the canal-

  I lost sight of them,

still wingtip

to wingtip,

among the trees

on the other side.

Thanks for perching here to share my view

Take away Peace - Leave Your Comment

                           Warmly, cloudia

Back Streets Back Roads

A  L  O  H  A !

A Nice Summer Day to Wander

" I live on a one-way street
 that's also a dead end. 
I'm not sure how I got there.  "

Steven Wright

So many wonders to see!

"You need to let

 the little things

 that would ordinarily

 bore you 

suddenly 

thrill you.” 

Andy Warhol

Just riding past- what's happening HERE?

“There are no

 ordinary moments. 

There is always 

something 

going on.” 

 Peaceful Warrior

Wait! Look at the trousers. Could it be?!

" It always amazes me 

to think

 that every house 

on every street 

is full of so many stories; 

so many triumphs 

and tragedies, 

and all we see 

are yards and driveways.  "

Glenn Close

YES!  Lion Dancers at Practice!

" Great works 

are often born

 on a street corner 

or in a restaurant's

 revolving door.  "

Albert Camus

 >  <  }  }  ( ° >

Isn't Summer just the time for wandering?

After daily routines of school for months

the child in each of us awakes to

June light and realizes: Freedom!

I like the back streets,

 the carriage ways, back alleys

and lanes- 

 of which Honolulu has many.

One of the things I learned from Dad:

The main routes - are not the ONLY way.

Civilians knew the main roads,

but we knew the shortcuts, sights,

and logic

of going just one block over.

On my scooter

I still prefer our leafy residential streets

most laid in the 20th Century

of which this small island city

is a singular museum.

There is a picture of the President

on a visit home after his grandma "Toot"

had passed,

walking alone (for the moment)

down my fave little Young St

(I guess his too)

a block from where he grew up

in her home. 

Are YOU wandering this Summer,

in your town?

Region?

Country?

Continent?

World?

Can't WAIT

to see your pictures,

and hear YOUR stories;

but as for me,

I'll be ambling around

Honolulu Town

on my little scooter.

Toot!   Toot!

Thank YOU for stopping

                              Warmly, cloudia