An American guy with a wife and daughter trying to build a life in the Japan countryside – and share some of it along the way.
That is not to say that spring is not near. Most of the snow is melted, and there are enough flowers coming up now that Mona and i can go for little scavenger-hunt walks and find things other than “Something white”.
Below are some shitake mushroom logs. The little white spots are spore plugs pounded into holes drilled into the tree. Placed in a cool damp dark place, these will soon start to sprout some nice shitake.
It has been quite a while since I took time to take, let alone edit photos, but I decided to sit down yesterday and take care of some of the more recent photos of Mona’s visit to Grandma and Grandpa in Nagoya. It made us jealous to be able to run around with a t-shirt, only to get back home to snow, but I think we will have the last laugh once the summer Nagoya heat sets in.
Mona and friends challenge the mini everest at our local ski hill.
The photos from this year’s little new year celebration probably look the same as those from previous years, but its hard not to get the camera out.
This is an annual festival carried out be each hamlet. For a little more explanation, see my post from 2008. Although the date is always slightly different, I consider this Mona’s birthday celebration, because her birth date coincided with little new year in 2010.
For the past few years we have been back in America and missed this festival, but this year hung around so it validates my taking more photos.
This is about the extent that we celebrated Halloween and Christmas. Actually, Halloween was a much bigger to-do this year as we took a trip out to Heather’s house in Matsumoto for a party with her children, and some trick-or-treating that she had arranged with her neighbors who have absolutely no clue why they are giving the kids the candy that Heather had just given them.
Our Christmas tree this year. Pure to tradition, Mona and I hiked into the forest and she chose this one herself. (Hopefully it is obvious that she decorated it herself as well)
The trip to the beach was followed up by an early autumn hike/camp in Kamikochi with the Facebool Japan Hiking Group.
One of the highlights of Mona’s year is getting out there to camp and make smores and play with her twin Monika
In August Mona and I took a great trip out to the beach and were lucky enough to stumble upon some other kids for her to play with who are living my dream life (at least during the summer when it is warm) in a little outdoor restaurant with the waves crashing and the gulls crying.
Back in the beginning of July 2013, a magazine photographer came out to do an article about Tomoe’s amazing bread. Unfortunately, per Tomoe’s orders, the bread project has gone to the wayside, and Tomoe has given the decree that we are to make no rice this year, helping her with the bread took up a good portion of my time, and the loss of my favorite summer hobby means I have more time to update the blog this year.
Unfortunately, it also means there will be no work for random passer-bys such as this guy I met riding his bike around Japan. He took me up on my offer to stay here for a day or two and help pull weeds in the field.
This is backdated to June, when Mona was still in the Tulip class. Now she is one class higher, and almost ready to graduate from pre-school.
So I realize I hardly write on my blog anymore, I find myself spending too much time just taking photos of Mona, and posting them on facebook. If you have been following the blog, and really want to see this oyabaka (Meaning: a parent who believes everything their child does is wonderful.), then please feel free to friend me on Facebook. I will try to keep posting things on this blog, but…
On Facebook I am https://www.facebook.com/kevin.cameron.92505
Just drop a note letting me know you are here from the blog, since I wont know your name, and until now I have denied anyone unless I know them in some regard, but readers of my blog are welcome.
