from the takimichi to the umimichi: an end of the week, end of November update

taki is Japanese for waterfall and michi is road, or trail or path.  umi is ocean. last sunday Noriko and i walked to the waterfall in Minoo.  it was my 6th walk to the waterfall during my 3 week autumn visit. the autumn leaves were beautiful, the sky blue and the trail packed with people. if you want to see more of my Japan, please read some of the blog entries for november.  and since returning last tuesday i have been adding photos to go along with some of those stories.  i just returned from a nice sunday walk to the beach.  it was my 4th day in a row of walking to the beach.  the sky was blue blue to the east when i left but the ocean was fogged in.  maybe not the best waves for surfers but i remember an old surfer friend that said, "anytime in the water is time well spent."  well, he was from New Jersey and he might have said that with a slight Jersey accent.  and perhaps... different words.  but i remember he said something about being in the water.

i met two of my neighbors, Roberto and Daniel.  in the 10 years that i have lived here, i have never seen them at the beach.  yesterday i saw Roberto as i was about to walk home from the beach so he gave me a ride.  and then today i see both of them again. they were on their way to the pier and back. as i was walking back home from Ralph's a motorcycle rider waved at me as he was parking his Lifeguard truck-yellow Kawasaki in front of Starbucks. i could not see thru his helmet and gear but it turned out to be Sean, another neighbor who shares a bulldog with his ex-girlfriend.  more later.  here is a couple of photos from this morning's walk to and from the beach.

sunday morning shadow

this reminds of the runner's advice i saw on a trail in the Presidio in San Francisco:

"start slow and then taper off"

yes, there is autumn colors in Torrance

looks like a winter day.  hard to believe how sunny and warm it was 20 minutes away (to the east)

one of my favorite ocean scenes. . . pelicans flying along the crest of the waves.

and of course, that green.

Daniel, Roberto and me (in Roberto's sunglasses)

Sean in front of Starbucks.  nice yellow, nice bike.

not sure what this was for but i like the way it looked.

what a difference 20 minutes can make as well as one week.  here a few photos from last sunday in Minoo (northern suburb of Osaka).

a teahouse near the trail to the waterfall (on the other side of the stream next to the Philosopher's library across the bridge from Yamamoto's kisaten/cafe/coffee shop).

3 small falls on the way to the bigger Minoo waterfall

Minoo Taki

more autumn in Japan

meanwhile back in Japan

giving thanks/ありがとう aloha/merci/gracias/grazie/okini

to all in my life

to those on the edge of my life

and those who have come and gone from my life . . .

Happy Birthday to . . .

DAIGO turns 4 today.  well, yesterday for him in Suma (Kobe).

this is Daigo and his two year old sister Misa. Dai-chan is pointing to the license plate on the family car . . . his birthday.  i guess they will have to get another car to put Misa-chan's birthday on it.  we had just finished playing in a park near their home on a sunny but quite cool (some  would say cold) morning. i will be adding more photos of them as the days go by.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ! ! ! 

J a p a n : Autumn in and around Minoo