Green Thumb

Erika did it! She successfully grew corn and cucumbers. Not only that, but they were delicious. Yeah, it's probably not a big deal for most people, but we're not talking about most people. Erika's thumb has been a solid shade of brown ever since I met her. This dramatic change from a brown to a green thumb is an amazing transformation. I often teased her about her unique gardening abilities, but not any more...nice job!

 

 

I'll update the progress of her watermelons in a later post. They look pretty good so far. George

 

Higashi-Shiiya Falls

We managed to find some time between the raindrops to take a short trip with the dogs. Our destination was Higashi Falls. I figured with all of the rainfall we have been having, the falls should be spectacular. We were not disappointed! The drive took us less than 30 minutes. It’s a good time to go because there are not many tourists before the summer break. The entrance fee is 300 yen and dogs are allowed.
 

The trail leading towards the falls is well maintained. Be careful of the slippery, moss covered boulders. The rushing river runs parallel to the trail and there are many photo opportunities.

Lucky always manages to find time to go fishing. The cool mist and spray from the waterfall and rapids brought a welcome relief from the humidity. The few tourists that did visit the waterfall only stayed a short time. I’m assuming it was a little too cool for them. I reminded Erika that we did pay an entrance fee, so we took our time and enjoyed the scenery.

 

 

 

On the way home, we stopped near the entrance to African Safari (wild animal park). I wanted to take a picture of Lucky peeing on the elephant’s foot, but I missed the shot.   George

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reality Check

Yesterday, I had a reality check. I was attending an English teachers' meeting and discovered something very disappointing. Teachers lie! I had set the ethical standards for being a teacher very high. Let me be more specific. I had set the ethical and moral standards for being a JAPANESE teacher very high. I was under the impression that I was living in a country that viewed education as a priority. I had thought that education in Japan was something to be respected and the educators were the ones holding the torch and leading the way. I believe that the old saying, “Ignorance is bliss” comes into play here. I was ignorant and I was bliss when I attended these English teachers' meetings.

The meetings occur about five times a year. Only Japanese is spoken. I find that kind of ironic to have only Japanese spoken at an English teachers' meeting. Well anyway, I would sit in the meetings and thumb through the materials that were given. I didn’t have a clue as to what was being said. I nodded when everyone nodded. I smiled when everyone smiled. Most of the time my mind was a million miles away figuring out a woodworking project or something else along those lines. What made the meeting, I attended yesterday, different was that I had an interpreter.

The teachers I work with rattled on about how they did the lesson plans and led the class. That would be great if it were true. I do the lesson plans and lead the class for every school except one. These teachers were lying in front of the Board of Education and sadly, in front of me. As they continued to boast about their imaginary achievements, I smiled to myself. Here’s another saying that appropriately applies, “The proof is in the pudding”. The school district continues to see very little improvement in English education. It’s no wonder. The teachers lie to protect themselves and cheat the students out of a proper education they deserve. Those are rather strong accusations to be making against someone you can’t communicate with. Perhaps, but I witnessed it with my own eyes and ears.

When I shared this experience with Erika she said that I should have voiced out at the meeting. I’m afraid that wouldn’t have helped matters. My interpreter is Japanese and she wouldn’t have translated what I had to say. It would have been considered “inappropriate”. If I had said something, I would have created tremendous friction between the teachers and me. I’m as guilty as the Japanese teachers. We are both protecting our jobs. Of course, the ones who are suffering from the consequences of our actions are the children.

Erika reminded me that some of the teachers in America are just as corrupt. I told her that I agree and that was what troubled me the most. I left America to leave that sort of behavior behind. Sure, I understand that in business and in government, it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, corrupt behavior exists and it’s a fact of life. My reality check was to find that this kind of behavior exists in education…Japanese education.   George

Another View

I was looking at some pictures I had taken last year and discovered that I had not posted these photos. These are photos of what I call, the “back side” of Mt. Yufu. Tsukahara is located on the opposite side of these views. I find it interesting to compare the stark scenic contrast between the Tsukahara side verses the Yufuin side. Actually, this is the view that a hiker would likely see before attempting to climb the volcano. The climb normally takes about 90 minutes. Our excuse for not climbing Mt. Yufu is that dogs would have a hard time with the sharp rocks and boulders along the trail. We only go where the dogs can go!

 

This side of the volcano is strewn with boulders that I assume are the remnants of a previous eruption. I read somewhere that Mt. Yufu erupted about 2000 years ago. The volcano is considered active as well as its neighbor, Mt. Tsurumi. A three month alert was given of a possible eruption immediately after the disasters of 2011.    George

Buyo the Ninja Bug

I’m quickly learning that Japan has all kinds of creatures that can cause harm and discomfort. My newest revelation is called “Buyo”. I was bitten a few times last year and once this year…so far. Buyo is tiny so it’s impossible to detect when it lands on your skin. Buyo has a numbing agent in its saliva which means it can bite and you can’t feel it. The saliva also has an anticoagulant which allows the insect to suck on your blood at its leisure. I call this lovely little monster “Ninja Bug” because you don’t know that it attacked you until it’s all over. The little critter leaves a nasty bite mark that turns red. The bite area becomes painfully swollen over the next few hours. My lower calf area enlarged by a third. As if that isn’t bad enough…an itch develops. Not just any itch, but an itch that can drive you crazy. I have been averaging about ten days of discomfort before the symptoms subside. I use insect repellants that contain DEET, but this doesn’t stop them. The best defense is to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts, and to stay indoors when they are most likely to be “hunting”. Here’s a link with some graphic pictures of the Ninja Bug.     George

Planning Stage 1

One of the major tasks of creating an observatory is planning. I’m using present tense since I’m still in that stage of construction. I’ll share some of my ideas and the reasoning behind those ideas as the project progresses. Why build an observatory, George? Good question! Setting up and tearing down a hundred pound telescope takes precious time away from what I’m most interested in…astrophotography. With a permanent setup (observatory), I’m able to start taking pictures in minutes rather than hours. I won’t go into detail here, but I wanted to point out that I’m not doing any kind of scientific research. I just want to take “pretty” pictures. I do have a few goals in mind. I think my ultimate goal (dream) is to have a photo published in APOD (Astronomy Photo of the Day). This is a project run by NASA and it’s targeted for “backyard” and professional astronomers. I think it would be quite an honor to be recognized by professional astronomers and it’s something worth pursuing. To reach that point will require a lot of preparation, skill, patience, time, knowledge, and luck. I didn’t mention "money" because some of the photos on APOD are taken with relatively modest equipment used by very skilled individuals.

Over the course of the past couple of years, I have been carefully trying to figure out where I would build the observatory. I needed an unobstructed 360 degree view to the horizon. Dreamer…What I have is a view that has a volcano towards the southeast, a three story house towards the west, a roof of my garage towards the northwest, and two tall trees towards the southwest. Other than that it’s perfect. Well, not exactly perfect. The volcano creates its own weather by not allowing clouds to pass. During the summer months, Tsukahara will have thunderstorms when everyone else is hot and humid. I’ll take the storms, thank you. What this means is that I can almost rule out taking photos in the summer due to cloud cover and the potential for lightning strikes. I’ll talk more about lightning strikes in another post. I’ll just mention that lightning is a bad thing for the delicate electronics associated with astrophotography. What kind of electronics are you talking about? I’m glad you asked.

 

Here is a diagram of what I’m trying to accomplish…an observatory that is automated. What does that mean? I like to sleep at night. I enjoy spending time with my family. I do not want to stay up all night babysitting my equipment. Instead, I want the computer to do most of the work. Believe it or not, there are inexpensive software and hardware that will detect the weather conditions and determine if it is safe to open the observatory roof. The program will close the roof if clouds roll in. Another program will wake the telescope, point it in the correct position, focus, track the object, take the required photos, change filters, take more photos, park the telescope, close the roof, and put the system to sleep. Yes, the whole thing is automated. In the morning, a stack of images is ready for processing. Does it sound too good to be true? Not really. There are hundreds of backyard observers doing just that…getting a good night’s sleep and creating images suitable for publishing. The trick is to have all of the equipment working in sync and 100 percent reliable. It’s easy to say, but incredibly difficult and frustrating to accomplish. Hey, if it were easy, then where is the challenge? The journey to create this form of art (and it is art) should be fun. I have to keep reminding myself, this is fun. It’s a lifelong hobby and it’s fun. I’m having fun, but sometimes…     George

Suzumebachi

Suzumebachi is the Japanese name for the Asian Giant Hornet. In my previous post I mentioned that I called them "Yakuza". I included a Youtube link to this fascinating creature. Suzumebachi has the distinct reputation as being the "Most lethal animal in Japan." They can fly to a distance of 60 miles at a speed of 25 mph. The hornet is responsible for 30 to 40 deaths a year in Japan. The hornets can tear apart a bee hive in a few hours. If a single hornet is detected early, the bees (hundreds) can overpower the intruder by forming a tight ball around it. The bees fan their wings and increase the inside temperature and carbon dioxide of the ball to kill the hornet.

The Japanese have learned to live with Suzumebachi. Some very "unique" people even raise them as a crop. Yes, some Japanese eat the larvae raw or fry the adults and eat them like potato chips. They also put the insects into sake and drink them. Oh, and the spit from the Suzumebachi is a favorite athlete drink. If you don't believe me...just watch the video. The nests are collectors items if they are found intact. All of this sounds a bit too much for me. I have 10 to 15 of these buggers in the backyard trees and the dogs are afraid to go outside. I'm researching ways to make them go away before they decide to build a nest. At which point, we would have to hire someone to remove them. We were told that could cost around $300. Stay tuned...      George

Yakuza

Please let me explain the title to this post. “Yakuza” are members of the Japanese mafia. It’s a good idea to leave them alone. If you happen to cross paths with them, steer clear and get the heck out of there. That is how I feel about these flying yakuza. As soon as we experience a warm day, they magically appear. The loud and distinctive drone gives them away, long before they can be seen. That’s a good thing as it gives me time to retreat and run for safety. Yes, I actually run! I’m not too proud to say that these flying terrors scare the heck out of me. I hear them coming and I drop everything and run for cover. I was told that the sting from one of these beasts is extremely painful. The first close encounter will send you to the hospital where they are prepared to deal with such things. The second close encounter, can result in death.

Wearing certain colors (black, red, or orange) can entice these winged devils to sting you. My biggest fear is that I’m up high on a ladder and a yakuza decides to greet me. Thirty feet is a long way to crawl down a ladder. I need to work on the crown of the roof, but I have been putting it off for as long as I can. It’s already too risky to work up there this year. I’ll have to plan an attempt next March when it’s too cold for them.

 

I found this yakuza in front of our neighbor's house. It looks like was hit by a car. For some strange reason, I was sad to see that it was killed. I have the upmost respect for this creature and to see it lying there made me realize how vulnerable we all are. Out of respect, I placed the deceased yakuza into the bushes. Strange, I know, but hey, it's strange to be living out in the middle of nowhere.    George

Inch By Inch

 Golden Week is finally over and it’s time to go back to work. Most people use Golden Week as an excuse to take time off work, spend time with the family, and do some traveling / sightseeing. That means the entire country is out and about on the limited highways and byways. Long lines and traffic jams are the norm during this period. Where did you go George? Here’s my answer and the reasoning behind it.

Repairing our driveway

Erika loves to move gravel?

Firewood had to be moved, railroad ties moved, weed barrier installed, gravel moved, railroad ties moved, firewood split and stacked. Still a long way to go...

Erika and I stayed at home. One of the advantages of living in a tourist area is that travel is not required to enjoy nature. We’re immersed in the beautiful scenery and all that we need to do is to enjoy it. Our definition of “enjoy” might be a little different than most. For us, we enjoyed moving gravel, splitting logs, stacking wood, gardening, sealing and staining walls, cleaning, and weeding. Sounds like fun? Our enjoyment comes from the fact that we accomplished things as a couple. With our busy schedules, we rarely have the time to do major things around the house. Golden Week gives us a chance to do things that need to be done. Of course, we never get half of the things done that we wanted to do. That’s okay. A little bit at a time goes a long way when you add it all up.

Logs waiting to be sawn, split, and stacked

 Spring is the time for collecting and processing firewood. Our efforts in that department are well under way. The woodshed has been emptied and reorganized. Currently, we have almost a two year supply of firewood. Our goal is to have enough wood for three years. The problem is that we don’t have the storage space. I’d like to build another woodshed, but Erika doesn’t agree.

Garden #2

Garden #1

Garden #3 needs lots of work

Spring is also the time for gardening. We have three gardens. Garden #1 is used for blueberries and a nursery for various fruit trees. Garden #2 is used as a nursery for Japanese maples, berries, and some vegetables. Garden #3 is used for fruits and vegetables. After all the wood is processed, we’ll be building garden #4. That garden will be used for the vine-type plants like pumpkin. I’m pretty sure we’ll need more room for cucumbers and watermelon. Erika is even trying to grow corn. I have to remind her that the plants are going to grow very large. Inch by inch, row by row…we’ll see. Weeding is a pain, but the Hula Hoe is doing the trick. The soil around here is amazingly friable, dark and rich with nutrients. Just about anything will grow as long as it can handle the deep freeze of winter.      George   

Disneyland of Food

A couple of weeks ago, we took some of our students to Costco in Fukuoka. My mom and the dogs came along for the ride. We piled into three vehicles and Miyuki was in the lead car. She knew how to get there. She did a great job of getting us there and back safely. Thank you Miyuki! We let Noriko in the lead car use one of our cell phones. English was the only requirement for using the phone. On the way to Fukuoka, I received a call from Noriko, asking that we pass their vehicle. I was puzzled as to why they wanted us to lead. The traffic was heavy and we were afraid to change lanes. I quickly handed the phone to Erika for clarification. Yep, sure enough, they wanted us to pass them. Miyuki wanted us pass safely so that we would end up in the correct lane while she blocked traffic…pretty clever thinking on her part.

Fukuoka is a two hour drive from Tsukahara. There are many full service rest areas along the highway. The roundtrip cost to drive on the highway from Yufuin to Fukuoka is about 5000 yen. Considering it would have taken a lot longer on the smaller side roads, it was worth it. The speed limit on the highway is 80kph, but I think the posted speed limit is a mere suggestion. Most of the cars were flying past us. I finally figured out why some Japanese own very expensive sports cars. They like to drive fast on the highways. We were passed by a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsches, BMW’s, Jaguar and a Maserati just to name a few. I often see cars like these in Tsukahara, but I couldn’t figure out why. The top speed on our country roads is 60kph. Why would anyone need a car like that to drive so slow? Now, I know the answer.

The highlight for the students was a chance to eat a Costco pizza. I had a couple of slices, but I satisfied my craving for junk food with a couple of foot-long hotdogs smothered in ketchup, mustard, and relish…yummmmm. The general impression was that Costco was huge, they had a lot of stuff, and the stuff they had was big. I guess that sums it up. Even the carts were huge. Judging from what I saw at the check-out lines, people visited Costco for the experience rather than actually buying a bunch of things. I saw many carts with just a couple of items. It was interesting to see the long lines of people patiently waiting to taste free samples. Each person would take only one sample knowing that the person behind them had been patiently waiting in line also. In the U.S., it’s not that uncommon for someone to eat all of the samples and leave nothing for everyone else.

The parking lot was filled to capacity. I glanced at the license plates and I was amazed at how far people traveled to come to this store. Erika reminded me that only two Costco warehouses exist in Kyushu. “A Disneyland of food,” is how I described Costco to the students before they traveled to Fukuoka. After the trip, I concluded that Costco is like a taste of America without the hassle and cost of jumping on an airplane. I hope our students came away with that impression too.     George

Well, that's it.

My mom’s visit to Japan was important for both of us. She had a chance to see my life in Japan. She was able to see how happy I am here. She also saw how busy we are with the business and remodeling our home.  She witnessed the difficulties and inconveniences of living in the countryside. I think the time she spent here put her mind at ease. She said that she could stop worrying about me, but I know that is impossible. She is an expert at worrying and she will always do so. The second purpose of her visit was to determine if she could live in Japan after she becomes unable to take care of herself. I don’t think she can live here. Reverting back to Japanese culture would be difficult after being an American for 60+ years. Come to think of it…for me, reverting back to American culture would be very difficult after living in Japan for only 2.5 years. Why? The differences between the two cultures are light years apart, especially comparing a life in a small community in the Japan countryside with a life in a moderately sized city in California. Let me explain…

Life in Tsukahara is quiet and slow. Life in the Bay Area (California) is not. In Tsukahara, everyone knows everyone. We try to treat each other with respect and kindness and expect the same in return. In California, I lived in the same house for ten years and I didn’t know any of my neighbors. I didn’t want to know them. I kept my doors locked and I kept to myself. It was safer to do so. For my mom, she has lived in that kind of environment for most of her life. One day, I found that all of our doors were locked in Tsukahara, because she locked them. She was afraid that maybe a deer would break into the house? On my last visit to my mom’s house, I found myself staying indoors even though the house is located in a gated community. All of the new stories about random murders and violence prevented me from having a pleasant visit to the golden state. Each night, the local news would spend the first five or ten minutes describing a recent homicide, robbery, or rape. I didn’t realize it, but I was numb to those stories when I lived in the states. Upon my return visit, I became sensitive to the news of violence…maybe too sensitive. I did not want to leave the relatively safe confines of my mom’s home.

The third purpose of her visit was to spend time with her older sister. I think they enjoyed each other’s company for a few days. Those moments were priceless. Overall, I was able to share five weeks with my mom. That fact is amazing considering I used to argue with her after 5 minutes! Erika was the very best daughter-in-law. She took care of my mom when I was at work. She took her shopping, and to the local restaurants. They did some sightseeing in Yufuin. She introduced my mom to some of the neighbors. Erika was even the last one to say, “Goodbye” to her at the bus stop before she went back to America. I’m a lucky guy to have such a great wife. Well, that’s it. My mom is safely back home and ready to start her new life in retirement.    George

I'm back!



First day in Japan. Mt. Yufu in the background.

It’s great to be home! I missed my wife, dogs, and most important…the volcano. In my previous post, I wrote that I had a surprise to disclose. What’s the surprise, George? My mom flew back with me to Japan. She will be visiting for a month. Believe it or not, she just celebrated her 85^th birthday. I was worried about her enduring the long flight from San Francisco. She ended up having more energy than me after we arrived in Fukuoka. She is an amazing woman. She has been here for about a week. Her older sister, niece and her son has been showing my mom the Yufuin/ Beppu area in style. You know…fancy hotels, hot springs, 11 course dinners. It has been a fantastic experience for her…so far. Thank you, Megumi and Nao, for taking great care of my mom. I think the most important part of the trip has been the time that she could spend with her sister. Sadly, they both believe that it will be their last.

Which one is my mom?

What did you do while you were in the U.S.? Not much. Before I left, my mom had not renewed her driver’s license. I was ready to help her prepare for a life without a car. I wanted to spend as much time as I could getting her used to using public transportation. As it turned out, she passed her driver’s test on the first try. She said that she couldn’t have done it without my help, but I disagree. She studied very hard on her own. Needless to say, she was ecstatic when she received her test score. I was grateful that I could be there to share that with her.

Jelly Belly Factory entrance

 

Jelly Belly bus

Jelly Belly mascot



Jelly Belly VW

Guess what it is? It's a Jelly Belly motorcycle



Made with 25,000 jelly beans

What else did you do?  Honestly, after being away from the hustle and bustle of the city, I was hesitant to get out and explore. I could not believe how much everything had grown. The cars and the roads seemed to be enormous after experiencing Japan for a few years. Traffic congestion was the norm. I didn’t know where everyone was going, but they were certainly in a hurry to get there. The speed limit is about 140kph on the freeway. It’s called a “freeway” because there are no toll booths except for the bridges. I’m used to driving at 60kph. I stayed in the slow lane for most of my driving excursions. There are six lanes of traffic in each direction. It didn’t take long to get used to driving on the right side of the road, but I often turned the windshield wiper on instead of the turn signals. Besides visiting the Factory Stores, which I hate to do, I visited the Jelly Belly Factory to pick up some gifts.



New homes near the park boundaries

I spent some time hiking in Rockville Hills Park. I have fond memories of the park. I used to walk my other dogs there. Even the park has grown. It used to be a place that was hidden away from the public’s eye. Now it is surrounded by million dollar homes and patrolled by park rangers making sure the park entrance fee is paid. Rockville Park is still a nice place to visit and it’s good to know that it’s being protected from future development. My mom and I ate at all of the local restaurants. I satisfied any cravings I had for pizza and fast food. I learned that things (fast food and pizza) don’t taste as well as I remembered them. I can live without that kind of junk food for the rest of my life. I sorely missed Erika’s home cooking.

Beautiful spring day at Rockville Hills Park

Here’s what I learned from my recent trip to the states: Living in California is convenient. The convenience comes with a high price tag. I’m convinced that the everyday stress of commuting back and forth to the bay area had taken many precious years from my life. It’s nice to be able to go to the mall and buy whatever you want. I learned that what I want and what I need are two entirely different things. Lightening the load has brought me a greater appreciation for the things I have rather than the things I want. It’s nice to live in a gated community full of stucco homes and manicured lawns. I’d rather live in Japan in a broken down log home on the side of a volcano. Peace and quiet are priceless. It’s nice to be in a familiar English environment. Perhaps, but not understanding what people are saying behind your back has its advantages. California does have great weather. Yep, there’s no denying that. Will I ever move back to the U.S.? What do you think?     George

NEWS

Here's a bit of trivia. Do you know what "NEWS" stands for? North, East, West, and South. That's not the news. Skip down a couple of paragraphs for that.

Before the door and wall was moved

 

After the door was moved

Before the wall was removed

 

Continuing the ongoing saga of our remodel…the door to the living room has been moved. A wall has been removed to make room for our couch. A new wall was built to accept the door using the recycled materials from the previous demolition.

 

Recyled materials after demolition

Moving the couch didn’t seem like a big deal until we actually rearranged the furniture. Amazing! All of a sudden, we have a huge living space. The couch, in its original position, closed off the living room from the kitchen and dining area. In other words, the couch was in the way. With the obstacle out of the way, we have room to roam. Cool! I forgot to mention that Erika and I are challenged when it comes to interior decoration. So when we have a successful furniture rearrangement, it’s a big deal for us.

After door and wall was moved. The tatami room will be removed next.

NEWS…I’ll be going to California for a couple of weeks to visit my mother. She’ll be celebrating her 85^th birthday. It’s been almost three years since I've seen her. I promise to take lots of pictures of the trip not only for the blog, but also for my students. I leave for the U.S. on March 12^th. I’ll be flying Hawaiian Airlines from Fukuoka to Honolulu to San Francisco. It’s a late flight (9pm) and I’ll be arriving in San Francisco around 10pm. I’ll catch a shuttle to my mom’s house which should take a couple of hours. Is Erika coming with you? Good question. Nope.

Sorry, but I’ll be unable to blog for the next couple of weeks. I’ll have a big surprise to share with you when I get back. Stay tuned…