It's that time of year again...Christmas party season!

Well, it’s that time of year again. Tsukahara had it’s first snowfall last week. Not a big deal, just a light dusting on the higher peaks. As I write this post, most of the snow has melted. More snow is forecast for this week. It’s also pizza and party season. Our first party this year went well and we just wrapped up the second party. I really enjoy hearing laughter and conversation in our home. It’s what “Home Sweet Home” is all about. I want to thank everyone for coming. Unfortunately, I was unable to take a decent picture of the festivities because of the lighting. Next year, I’ll use my Nikon instead of the Canon. I’m unable to figure out the settings on the Canon to prevent a picture from having a yellowish tinge from the LED lights. I did take some pictures of Erika prepping for the first party though. She did a fantastic job organizing the whole event. Parties ARE a lot of work. One more to go…or is it two, three?

Thank you Shizu for the Christmas ornaments! We love them!!

On the road again: Kuju and Kikuchi

We are having some great fall weather this year, so…it’s time for a road trip. One of my favorite destinations is Kuju.  Our first stop was at a small rest area off the Yamanami Highway (Route 11). Took some pictures and then we were off to Kuju.
 

Next stop was the Choujabaru Visitors Center. Took some more pics and walked the doggies.

We had one more stop at the top of Kuju (Makinoto Pass, 1330m) and took the doggies for another walk.

After lunch at BoiBoi Campground it was off to Kikuchi in Kumamoto.

It was our second time staying at the Kunasato Hotel in Kikuchi. We really like this hotel because it’s luxurious and the doggies are welcome. Lucky and Kiley sat with us at dinner and when we took onsen. Their beds were right next to ours. The rooms are spacious and very comfortable. Kunasato Hotel is very popular and it’s often difficult to book a room. The food is very good and it’s all-you-can-eat. I had steak and lobster along with a few other things. Last year, I had the most delicious chocolate mousse, but it was not on the menu this time. Oh well, maybe next year. Erika had a head and body massage while I watched a movie (Star Wars The Last Jedi). We both enjoyed the evening and the doggies were exhausted from all of the walks. The next morning, we took onsen and had a hearty breakfast at the hotel. It was an all-you-can eat American style breakfast that was delicious and filling. We took another onsen after breakfast. We got a late start (10am) and headed back home.

On the way back we stopped at a huge park situated in the hills of Kikuchi (Kikuchi Koen). The doggies enjoyed a long walk before we headed home.

One last stop was somewhere near a river on Route 338. Lucky had a swim and we bought some snacks at the gift shop. All in all, it was a fun and relaxing trip. We’re planning a trip to Miyazaki in the near future. I miss the ocean and I’m looking forward to seeing it again with the doggies (it’s been seven years since I last saw the ocean). Cheers.

ScopeDome: After two and a half years

Well, it’s been 2.5 years since ScopeDome found it’s home in Japan. It’s held up very well over the years. Other than the metal trim strip disaster, everything is in working order. Of course the ScopeDome requires some annual maintenance to keep things operating smoothly. I noticed that after the long winter, some of the shutter rollers corroded and needed some grease. I had some sealed bearing rollers (16) made and I’ll be replacing all of them in the near future. Stay tuned for that. The dome has remained watertight through all of the typhoons. There is absolutely no issues with moisture getting to the scope or electronics.

ScopeDome is made of a gel-coated fiberglass. The gel-coat looks pretty good considering it has withstood yellow sand from China, pm 2.5, snow and rain, ash from Mt. Aso, and who knows what else. However, it is a gel-coat and eventually the coating yellows and oxidizes. I planned on this happening before purchasing the dome so this is no surprise. My plan is to make the dome look like new by using a buffer and some really high quality buffing compound…and some elbow grease. The pictures show that the gel-coat has a dull appearance. Some yellowing has also occurred.

The buffer is made by Makita and has a slow start. That’s important because you don’t want that expensive buffing compound to fly off the buffing wheel. I use a wool pad and a finishing pad from Makita. The buffing compound removes oxidation and provides a protective coating especially formulated for gel-coat finishes. It’s a great time (and back) saver since I can do both (oxidation removal and wax) steps at once. Last, make sure the buffer is lightweight. The job took me over 6 hours to complete. I took four days to do it and I waited until it was cool and clear. Autumn is the perfect time to do a job like this.

It was worth the effort. The dome looks like new. Even the scratches disappeared. I’m not sure how long the protection will last, but I purchased plenty of buffing compound for the future. I just hope my back holds up.

OMG! It’s another pile of plywood!! It must be time to do the floor in the LAST bedroom. Stay tuned…

Stairs to the third floor...finished...finally

Autumn is my favorite season. It’s nice and cool with no bugs.  It’s also a perfect time to get some work done around the house. To celebrate our 7^th year in Japan, ta-da…the stairs are finished. I underestimated the difficulty of remodeling stairs and installing handrails. I discovered that there were too many angles to cut, pieces to mill, and figuring out sizes and shapes of all the pieces to get them to fit properly. In other words, it was too much work! Fortunately, my stair building days are over and I’ll never do that again. Okay, enough complaining and here’s the finished results.

The next project is the third floor guest bedroom. We’ll empty the room and get some paint on the walls. The skylight really adds a nice touch to the room. Great view from the third floor and the small windows added during the remodel provides ventilation. I think it’s the nicest room in the house and after it’s fixed up a bit, I think you’ll agree. Stay tuned.

Late summer trip

We decided, at the last minute, to take an overnight trip with the doggies. This was the first time we visited southern Oita. The weather was unstable, but it didn’t rain. Our first stop was a reservoir (don’t know the name). Took some pictures and we were on our way.

On the way to a waterfall, we took some more pictures. It was warm and the water was a welcome relief to Lucky and Kiley.

Our destination was Harajiri no Taki. The falls were beautiful.

After the falls, we still had some time before the room was ready. We visited a winery, milk farm and Boi Boi Campground for a bite to eat. It’s a nice area to camp and the food was good. The Kuju Plateau has a lot to offer and I always look forward to visiting the area. 

The next day we headed to Ryumon no Taki. This is a very busy place in the summer. Only a few people were there when we arrived. The doggies enjoyed the water and that was the end of the trip. We have a few more trips planned before the end of autumn. Stay tuned...