yes, we have no bananas (for monkeys) and other colorful moments in Japan

no, i am not back in Japan but here are a few more looks back to my most recent trip. as for today, back to the gym. it felt good to workout, and good to sweat. and for a treat, Steve took me to In-n-Out for lunch. it is hard to believe that i have been to Japan four times since the last time we met and that was on the tennis courts back in March . . . before cherry blossoms, before the Takatsuki Jazz Festival, before the fireworks festivals and before the autumn leaves.

10,000 yen fine for feeding the wild monkeys along the Minoo takimichi (trail to the waterfall) . . . "let"s keep the wild monkey wild." (about 85 yen to the dollar)

momiji and icho. maple (red) and gingko (yellow).

もみじ　and　いちょう

Nakayama-dera lanterns

Nakayama-dere colorful o-jizo-san

one drop from a shishidoshi

one red maple leaf (as seen in the video below)

way down stream from the Minoo waterfall

Day 3 begins

let`s see. where was i? did i tell you i was in Japan again? did i tell you about surprising Noriko`s Father at the hospital on saturday? did i tell you about the Inagawa Hanabi Taikai (fireworks festival at Inagawa) on saturday? did i mention Ricky singing Beatles songs at the Minoo Tackey FM radio live broadcast? i think i mentioned doing some work in the garden yesterday morning before lunch at Kenta (Kentucky Fried Chicken) before Ricky. i am sure i mentioned walking to one of my favorite places along the trail to the Minoo Waterfall and having my favorite snack and hoping to see a monkey or two. no monkeys but many cute dogs being walked along the forest trail. and it goes without saying i have eaten more delicious food in the last three days then in the last three months . . . since my last visit to the Maekawa Home. later i hope to add some photos from the last few days but first time for a shower and breakfast. and yes, it is very very warm here. i don`t want to call it hot as that would make it seem . . . hotter.

holding a "real" photo

a "real" photo from a real long time ago.

 Autumn 1983.  i know where one of the people is for sure.  i know where one is probably, Canada (and i need to contact him).  one may be back in Senegal. and two in Japan.  yes, i brought the Dr. Pepper from the base.  and my camera.  Katsu drove the Range Rover,  brought the canoe, and camping gear.  Djakte sang in his native French.  Noriko and Yoko  sang in French too as well as Japanese and helped Katsu with the cooking. it was my first time to have such an international "barbecue", first time to row a canoe, first time to go somewhere for momijigari (looking for autumn colors).  little did i know 25 years later, i would still be returning to Japan, and still be trying to take a beautiful autumn photo.  i have only rowed a boat a couple times since then and both times have a story to go with them.

another nonbiri (take it easy) day for me.  thanks for reminding me to cancel my hotel reservation in Philadelphia since i don't have to fly back east until next tuesday. the highlight for today was having some photos made from my digital camera.  it is really nice to "hold" a photo.  for the last year or so that i have been using a digital camera, i have only had a few images printed and i think those were mainly for last year's Christmas card and a few nengajo (end of the year postcard).  i had about 30 photos printed today at CVS.  most of them were from my autumn trip to Japan but a few were some recent "that color green" inside the wave photos.  and one Jonathan Livingston Seagull photo.  i think i will go back tomorrow to make some more "real" photos.  i am still working on this year's card and holiday dvd. the dvd may be put on hold until my month off in January.  and if you remember, some of last year's Christmas cards were made from the Christmas Stroll which is coming up this thursday and of that nearby neighborhood that is "famous" for it's holiday lights.  i may walk there tomorrow night. another highlight today was because of the first "holding a real photo" highlight. i have been trying (for a couple of years now) to get more organized with my photos and maps, brochures, pamphlets, ticket stubs from my travels...well, it's all done now. and if you believe that. actually i have been going thru shoeboxes and shoeboxes full of photos and travel-related stuff.  most of them i have finally labeled...Kilimanjaro, Machu Pichu, bunjee jump, waterfalls, Italy, Holland, Australia, Paris, Edinburgh, US Open (tennis not golf), friends, family, etc.   and of course, there is one whole wall devoted to Japan...cherry blossoms, more cherry blossoms, Takatsuki Jazz Street, Arashiyaka Music Festival, autumn in Kyoto, one month bike trip,more  autumn colors, Shikoku bike trip, and Minoo, Minoh, Mino.  a third highlight is what is written on the back of a photo from 1975 but you will have to send an email or call to find out what it said.  i am going to scan in a "real" photo or two . . . and have some pasta for dinner.

these photos were from "real" photos that i scanned in (but they are originally taken on my little Casio digital camera). i just realized they are  all water-related as well as autumnal related.  i like the Japanese kanji  (character) for mizu 水 (water). my "badge" from the music festival in Kobe which i have added to my back pack features this kanji 水  why, you ask?  because Kobe is by the water? (that reason would cover most cities in Japan). no.  because Kobe is known for it's delicious water.  no.  actually the festival was on a very long shotengai (covered shopping street) called Suidosuji.  now, you can figure it out... no, not yet.  the answer is the first kanji (character) of Suidosuji is 水 which is the kanji for mizu which means water. but, i do not know why the street is called what it is called. another thing to "google".　tomorrow is wednesday which in Japanese is Suiyobi and it written 水曜日.  that reason is a little easier to understand and will explain another time.

Autumn 2008

the past and the present walk into a bar . . .

ok, so it wasn't a bar but as i was walking along the beach today, a gray and foggy first day of December, i noticed it was possible to listen to the past and the present at the same time.  and if you can tell me how that is possible, please send me an email.  or was it all in my head.

today's photos will be from my home away from home and from a wee short walk from my home of ten years.   the photos from Japan are from the last couple of weeks.  the  sunny photos from the beach are from thanksgiving day or the day after.  the gray foggy photos and surfer photos are from today.