along the way

i didn`t make it all the way to the waterfall but i had a nice 5 hour walk. i did make it the waterfall trail as well as up and down a few side streets here in Minoo. around 5pm, i met Noriko around the ekimae (front of the train station). she had a few more errands to run and then we drove to Japan for my gogo tea. on the way home we stopped by Makudo (McDonald`s) for a McFlurry. Noriko used the coupon that came directly to her keitai (cell phone). it was delicious and we saved the last few spoonfuls for Noriko`s Mother who was waiting for our return home. dinner was delicious as usual but not so usual was the entree... pasta. oh, i will return to the ekimae and waterfall trail tomorrow for something very interesting. i hope to make it to the waterfall which may be my last time before returning home (my Los Angeles home).

sunny bunny sunday morning

the view from my window on this sunny sunday morning


the bigger view


tony with old and new friends and some easter chocolate from See`s Candies (made in Los Angeles)

take me back to Takarazuka

the only plan when i left home around noon was to go for a little walk and see what the day brings. somehow i ended up taking the train to Takarazuka. and i am glad i did. here a few sakura photos from the Hana Michi. i heard some nice "live music" there also. and saw, photographed many dogs and one lazy cat. more later including a photo of . . . Tiger and tony.

later is now and now is just about midnite. and it has been a long but nice sunday. it started with my making pumpkin pancakes. and then my walk and train to Takarazuka. and then the singers, the cherry blossoms, and Tiger and Akemi and more dogs at Dog Run-Do. after returning home around 6pm and helping Noriko with her Father we finally left for dinner around 730p. tonite`s

dinner was at Ichiban Curry. very good. from there it was a short walk to Carrefour (Aeon) for a few groceries. and then home by 9pm. it was Noriko`s Father time again. i think i took my ofuro (bath) after 11pm. now it is time for bed. here is the two cute singers whose names i can`t remember but i think videotaped a few minutes of them so they might have said there name.

also, as promised early . . . Tiger the Chow. and tony and (not "the") Tiger.

Tiger he belongs to a nice woman named Akemi i met walking along the Hana Michi. she was walking with a friend from Shikoku who was returning home by train and highway bus to Kagawa. the 3 (5 if you count Tiger and tony) of us walked back to the Hankyu Takarazuka Station together.

tony and Tiger

Happy Valentine's Day

my sweet Valentine chocolate from a sweet friend

(i think it is about a 40 degree difference in where this photo was taken and where i am now)

買った!の

the moon and i at sunset

soon (looking up)

tony and another clue (looking west)

sunset afterglow (looking north)

sunset with a view (looking east)

long ago today

a year ago i went back to my hometown for my Mother's birthday which means "happy birthday" (today) to my Mother. she was born in The Year of The Rabbit . . . this is The Year of The Tiger so that makes her ___ years old.

here is my Mother and i about ___ years ago (not in my hometown or even my homecountry)

no sunrays or shadows this morning

leftover raindrops. i walked in the rain to the bus stop this morning and in the sunshine on the way home in the afternoon.

i couldn't find any raindrops on these tsuyukusa but they do look good in their one day in the sun

and when we got home, there was a nice daffodil waiting for us

snail in headlights (don't worry he made it across the road)

if all goes as planned . . .

we will be on our way to the airport soon. and then to Philly. and if all that goes as planned, tomorrow night we will be in San Diego. it has been almost four months since i was at work. (not including working out). more from somewhere . . .

last sunrise before heading east.

i am solar powered

the sun returned to the south bay today. my nose stopped running and my fever went down . . . perhaps i am solar powered. and speaking of solar power, i met (very briefly met) two very interesting (after reading about them on their webpage) adventurous people this morning on my way to the gym. they were on bicycles and heading south on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). i thought maybe they were riding to Mexico. well, they were heading south but their goal was a little further away, a little more east, and a little more south. did i hear Miami? pinpon! please take a moment to look up their webpage called Solar Cycle Diaries. and give them the right of way if you happen to come across them, cheers. i need to do another adventure. my bike ride down to Mexico was in 1999. and i did have two smaller rides in Japan in 2003 and 2005. of course, my biggest ride was in 1992 for about a month in Japan. good times. i would like to imagine but cannot imagine the bike ride they are on. i hope they will have safe travels . . .さいごまで。Brilliant!

here is one more photo from yesterday's Laundry Room on a Rainy Day series:

and one today reflecting yesterday's "storm watch 2009"

and this one is the last one i took before remembering i forgot my water bottle for the gym. hard but not so hard to believe that i forgot something because after returning to my apartment to get my water bottle, i left my camera at home. and why is that of note? because, i was not able to get a photo of the two amazing bike riders. and also, because i never go anywhere without at least one camera.

solar powered leaf, fallen

after returning from the gym i went to check the mail (with my camera) i noticed this little scene of fallen leaves on the shadow of a tree.

trying to return home, fallen

it has been a week since i returned from Japan. here are a few holiday photos i found today.

nice reflection. the ornament is still there . . . the reflection is here.

when i think of Santa, i think "oden"

nothing says Christmas like a gorilla

believe it or not

infinite impossibilities (from yesterday)

after 11 years of listening, i completely forgot about The Vinyl Cafe this morning.

luckily i can listen tomorrow morning after my sunday walk to the beach. and i didn't go outside until 4pm. didn't even open the door until then. i only went out to take out the trash and check the mail. and in the mail was a nice postcard from my sister from her recent anniversary adventure to Egypt. here is the postcard.

from S & S

meanwhile back in Japan . . .

Colonel Santa, i mean Colonel Sanders