Wishing You a Wonderfully Whackadoodle New Year
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne. We'll take a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne. (Scottish for 'old long since,' in practice meaning 'old times fondly remembered').
Happy 2025 to one and all,
I just wanted to send a bit of new years cheer your way.
Just before midnight, I hiked up the hill near our house with my father in his fancy new chair. We wanted to take in the massive fireworks explosions that happen everywhere in the Islands.
Buying and selling fireworks is illegal in Hawaii, but making fireworks is not illegal. I also believe that others get their friends and family to send them fireworks from other places. No matter how they get them, fireworks on New Years is a tradition here that the police basically allow so long as no one gets hurt.
I snapped a few images to share with you…
Here is what Kailua town looked and sounded like from the top of the Saddle Road:
But what I really wanted to show you is this amazing fellow catching a Yeouiju to grant your new year wishes.
Korean dragons begin their lives as imugis, or lesser dragons resembling giant serpents incapable of flight. They can live for a thousand years, and only become full fledged flying dragons when they are wise and strong enough to catch a Yeouiju as it falls from heaven, thereby transforming into full fledge flying dragons. A pretty nice metaphor for any new year.
Dragons bring with them strength, prosperity, success, luck, rain and guardianship; this dragon is catching his yeouiju and spreading that luck over those below.
May you and yours have an amazing year, full of the same.