SATURDAY SCOOPS
For pets' sake, head for the expo at the Blaisdell

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Jon Orque • The Honolulu Advertiser

Among the attractions:

• Free pet-care advice at the Ask-A-Vet booth.
• Parade of Cats, 11:30 a.m. today.
• Pet Fashion Parade, 1 p.m. today.
• West Oahu Club Parade of Dogs, 1:30 p.m. today.
• A petting zoo of mostly farm animals, such as sheep, a pony and goats, tomorrow.
• Household Cat Show, 11:30 a.m. tomorrow: Enter your cat for a fee and you're almost sure to win a ribbon.
• Hawaiian Kennel Club Puppy Match, noon tomorrow, in which junior handlers "show" puppies who aren't old enough for the real shows.

Then there's a first-aid demonstration by the American Red Cross (noon today and 10:30 a.m. tomorrow), and a little bit of stardust as Alex, spokesdog in the Central Pacific Bank commercials, takes part in a training demonstration (11 a.m. tomorrow). By the way, Alex is just a stage name; his real name is Arnold.

The expo isn't just for cats and dogs. Among the groups taking part are the Hawaii Goldfish and Carp Association, the Hawaii All-Breed Rabbit Club and Worldwide Aquatics.

The event is sponsored by the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association in recognition of National Pet Week and Be Kind to Animals Week.

Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. today and tomorrow. Admission is free and you're free to bring your pets, too, but dogs must be leashed and all pets must be under their owners' control at all times.

You can make a difference in the community, too: Bring donations of nonperishable food items for the Hawaii Foodbank (last year's expo reaped 1,181 pounds of food). Cash, of course, is always gladly accepted.

Oh, and don't forget your camera — there should be lots of opportunities for cute photos. 845-1762.

Haven't tried growing Asian vegetables yet? It's time to start

Move over, carrots. Make way, tomatoes! Expand your garden choices with Asian vegetables with the help of the latest issue of The Old Farmer's Almanac Gardener's Companion.

Asian veggies are as easy to grow as any others and provide new flavors and textures, as many Hawai'i gardeners already know. Plus, they mature fast, are tasty and nutritious.

Some examples:

• Long beans (Vigna sesquipedalis): From the same plant family as black-eyed peas, these are also called snake beans and asparagus beans. Yard-long beans are vigorous growers and need strong support from trellises or poles. Sow seeds six inches apart, in rows two feet apart.
• Edible-pod peas (Pisum sativum): Snow peas are more heat-tolerant than garden peas and last longer into the summer. Dwarf varieties do not need supports, but standard vines should be supported on trellises or poles. Plant ab inch deep and two inches apart, in rows 12 inches apart.
• Edamame (Glycine max): With a higher sugar level than that of ordinary soybeans, edamame are variaties developed for boiling and serving cold. They come in green- and black-seeded varieties. After sowing, thin seedlings to four inches apart, in rows 18 inches apart.
• Ping Tung long eggplant (Solanum melongena): Named after the town in Taiwan where it originated, this long, thin, purple eggplant with a mild flavor readily absorbs flavors of foods cooked with it.Transplant seedlings 18 inches apart in rows two feet apart, in light soil.

Bring out your banjo and jam at bluegrass session in the square The goal: to create a nonprofit bluegrass and acoustic music association on O'ahu. The event: a bluegrass jam session for pickers and music fans, 1-5 p.m. tomorrow at Thomas Square.

So bring your lawn chairs, drinks, a potluck dish, acoustic instruments (if you can play) and join in. A short business meeting will precede the jam. It's free. 622-1077.

Theater to show top short films of '03

Warning: Some films have mature themes.

Screenings are at 7:30 p.m. today, Monday and Tuesday; and at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Total running time is 105 minutes. Tickets are $5 general, $3 museum members. 532-8768.

'Sunset' returns to the beach at Waikiki

"Sunset on the Beach" returns to Waikiki after an extremely successful visit (up to 100,000 people — woohoo!) to Kapolei last weekend. As usual, the event includes food, entertainment and films on the 30-foot screen at Queen's Surf Beach.

Tonight's movie is "I Spy," starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson and based very loosely on the 1960s television series of the same name. Tomorrow's film is "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," about two generations of Southern women, starring Ellen Burstyn and Sandra Bullock.

"Sunset" begins at 4 p.m. each day. Admission is free. 523-CITY.

And mark your calendars: "Sunset" travels to the North Shore May 30-31 and June 1 for its second annual stint at Hale'iwa's Ali'i Beach Park. Hours are noon-10 p.m. each day. Check it out at SunsetAtTheBeach.com.

Stop, smell the roses ... and orchids, too

A rose by any other name is ... a pretty nice Mother's Day gift any year. So stop and smell the lovely things 10 a.m.-2 p.m. today at Windward Mall, at the annual Mother's Day show hosted by the Honolulu Rose Society.

Vote for your favorite rose on display. The rose society will have experts on hand to answer your questions. Bouquets and potted mini roses will be sold, too.

Flower followers, we're not done yet! There's also the Hawaii Kai Orchid Society Mother's Day exhibit and plant sale, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. today at the Koko Marina Shopping Center, under the bell tower.

Maui festival celebrates those who carve trees into canoes

Master carvers will create canoes using old-style adzes and modern power tools 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today through Tuesday (10 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow) in Kamehameha Iki Park; and Wednesday through May 23 in Banyan Tree Park.

Festivities begin with an 'awa ceremony at noon today in Kamehameha Iki Park, and will close with a parade and ho'olaule'a May 24. (808) 667-9175, www.mauicanoefest.com.