fast forward to yesterday

birthday flowers from an old friend


Tony, Niji, Tori, Kobukuro birthday cookies and . . . that laughing cow. (birthday cake is in the box)


it is a slow start to a rainy cool April First. looking back at my blog from last April 1st, i went for a walk with Noriko`s Father. and Noriko and i went to see the wonderful movie Okuribito. two years ago, i went to see the cherry blossoms at Osaka-jo (castle).
here are some photos from yesterday. oh, はずかしい(shy) Noriko has asked me not to put her photo is my blog but i will send you one if you want to see the birthday girl at lunch, dinner, with her birthday cake and a couple of birthday presents including the . . . laughing cow.


Noriko also wondered what i was taking a photo of. hopefully you will able to see what i was saw in the photo at the bottom.


fallen but not forgotten


Minoo (Minoh, Mino) manhole


yesterday`s model

birthday sakura

birthday lunch at Kamizona in Minoo

birthday dinner at home

birthday ikebana. if you remember, the first photo of Noriko`s ikebana had no lilies in bloom.

yesterday on her birthday the second (top) one fully opened.

can you see what i saw?

a little bit of yesterday with the Casio

waiting on the bus home at Minoo Station


the first Mister Donut in Japan is here in Minoo. the first one i can remember going to was in Ome about . . . many years ago.


please call if you see him. his Family is worried.

floeing (the "e" should be a "w")

a local collector

pansy way

many visitors today

Minoo Onsen

outside Hashimototey Cafe. i met an interesting guy here yesterday with a very interesting (and very soon-t0-be appropriate name) . . . Sakurayama-san.

the end but not the end

a few more images from my first day starting my second week of my 4th visit to Minoo this year.

i think i mentioned the sun shining in earlier.

i knew i felt something at 1:13pm

around 130pm. Noriko`s Father and i went for a little walk. their house (my home away from home) is the one with the blue tiled roof. the window on the second floor is the rear of the house and it is this window which gives me the view of the mountains to the north. in this photo, you are looking south towards Osaka.

this is actual kaki (persimmons) drying. i love kaki. i will try to find the first photo i took of these kaki when they were first hung out to dry. this house overlooks the parking lot where Noriko keeps her car. when i was here in the summer, the owner of this house had nasu (eggplants) growing in a rented car space. he also has had ichigo (strawberry) and kyuri (cucumbers).

why no #4?

tin roof rusted

on my way (walk) to meet Noriko at Visola i took this photo of some beautiful "photogenic" clouds near sunset.

yes, that is Tony sitting on the Christmas bench

Carrefour Hachi

a little Christmas spirit at Visola

ah, negiyaki for dinner! oishikatta . . . itadakimasu and gochisosama deshita.

o-ru-su-ba-n

Noriko`s Father and i are in charge of the house for a few hours today. no rain outside, no storms inside. the sun just starting shining in the window. the umbrellas are in the front garden drying from yesterday`s rain. all is well. soon it will be time for Ningen Koko Ho. today the area around Osaka-jo will be featured.

here are more images from my little walk in the rain yesterday. my main goal was to capture a raindrop or two on a flower or two or whatever i came across. i was also on my way to Visola Market Park (shopping mall featuring Carrefour). and my lunch was . . . a Happy Set-o from McDonald`s. my other goal was the cute fish-shaped sponges that Noriko`s Mother likes for dishwashing. Carrefour was out of the them but i found a similar one at the new 100 shop called Seria. nice shop and as always hard to leave without buying a few things that i need.

meanwhile back in Japan