Despite having accomplished almost nothing in regards to the spring chores we had envisioned being “on top of”, I am exremely happy for spring if only for the fact that the neighbor chilred play outside a lot now, and it is a lot easier to get Mona ready to go out when she hears them. …
Monthly Archives: May 2012
Maybe I’m a sucker
So I logged into flickr to do the usual upload-for-storage so that I can share the photo on my blog. There are probably better more efficient work-flows nowadays, but I am used to flickr. I only use it for a place to host my photos, nothing more, so I was surprised to see that someone …
Good News Bad News
Good news if you are my mom. Bad news if you are a casual reader who just likes photos of wild mountain vegetables. I have a camera with video capabilities now. Here are some clips I took today of Mona. The first one is her after the bath. We use the onsen (hot spring) that …
One Week Countdown
Today is the start of the one-week countdown before another big bike trip. For some reason, no matter how many times I do this, I always find it difficult to sleep the week before a trip. There is always something that could go wrong – my fault or not, and no matter how many times …
Cant get enough cute
Mona can’t get enough of the cute little critters she finds every day. Frogs, earthworms, beetle larve, centipedes, and now this. As I was scavenging through the old house, I heard some cries from one box and found these guys. Mona could hardly contain herself when I showed her. “Cute! Cute! Eeeeeeee! Waaaaa! Cute! Teee …
I want to cry
every time another wonderful old Japanese farmhouse is slaughtered. There is a “herratige rescue group” that Tomoe works with since the earthquake. It is a university professsor his students, and a lot of out-of-town volunteers that are working to rescue and catalogue historically significant documents and tools from old farm houses and kura warehouses that …
Expelled
Mona’s first time to be expelled – from pre-school. Second tuesday of every month is open school day so parents can go with the kids, and bring non-student kids to play. I took Mona there this morning and after her eyes light up seeing all the kids, she is in the door before the teacher …
Firewood and Field
Two big things almost off the spring to-do list. Sunday was the local street-cleaning work day and all the neighborhood men-folk get together to clear debris from the mountain road and make sure the water is flowing clog free. For many of the men though, it is just a chance to chill, chat and stand …
A Sea of Fuki
Took our first trip this year up to some of the back mountain fields where the best sansai grow. We weren’t disappointed – except that we had not brought enough bags. The fukinoto were unbelievablly big and soft and they stretched for as far as the eye could see. We will have to make another …
Grown up Gyoja
Grown up versions of the gyoja ninnikiu sprouts I posted the other day.