Earthquake Pets: Beating the heat!

Please read Kate's post about time at Heart animal shelter, Tokushima. Also included are tips on how to deal with the crazy heat.....¬

Earthquake Pets: Beating the heat!: We lucked out! There was a typhoon on the horizon a few days before we headed up to Tokushima. It miraculously dissipated before we got there...

In season?

Right now, I hate Japan...lol

The weather is still scorching. There hasn't been a day under 30 yet and I am melting.

Don't get me wrong, I love the sun, but, being back at work means that I should probably dress at least a little bit conservatively. That said, i have a uniform of a T-shirt (it's simply delightful), so, whatever I do wear gets covered anyway.

I shouldn't really complain. I mean, rocking up to work in surf shorts and vests is hardly problematic, is it?

But, my gripe is that, today, I put a strappy summer dress on and suddenly felt wrong, even though, I know I could catch the rays as I cycle. Yet, somehow a bare back felt uncalled for what with the Autumn equinox almost upon us.

Just yesterday, my husband and I were talking about Japan and it's seasons. Maybe this was at the back of my mind.

You see, in Japan, even if May is sunny and warm, or rainy and groggy, there is no air conditioning on the trains because it is not yet summer. Just like in Autumn, you will see people wearing coats, not because it is cold, but because it is Autumn - of course!

This year has been one of the hottest yet and I will seriously worry for anyone with any unnecessary layers after the start of official Autumn next week.

So, while I long for a cool breeze, I love that I can still trot off to work in my birkies, shorts and vests. Am happy to wait for true summer to wear that dress again!


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Location:In season?

Location:Kasukabe,Japan

Blind - A short film

Watch this - it will take five minutes, but you will be thinking for a lot longer.

It is a video about a salary man and his journey to work. It might seem so surreal, yet, in today's world, it is more real than we realise.


blind from YUKIHIRO SHODA on Vimeo.

Harvest Moon

This morning, I saw the sun and the moon share the same piece of sky in the east. This baffled me for a while as I thought the sun reflected in order to make the moon visible, so how could we see them both so near to one another?

But, at full moon time, the moon is near the sun - of course it is. That is how we get the rare solar eclipse. (Next full one is in November next year!!!)

Oh, did you know that there actually IS such a thing called the blue moon?! It is rare, but it has nothing to do with the colour. Given that the lunar month is 29.5 days long, there are the few times where there are two full moons in the one calendar month. The second one is called the blue moon. Well, I never!

This morning, the views were just amazing, this evening too...

The sun

The moon over the rice paddies

The moon, loitering in the east.

Sunset in the west

Even Elbi has his full moon moments.

September 11th 2011

Today marks the six month anniversary of the tragedies in Japan and the tenth year since the attack in the US.

We have to stop for a minute and remember. Remember the people lost at those times. Remember the suffering on those days, the suffering that continues still in their hearts.

Humanity has to hold its hand out to one another and be kind, patient and caring.

Please don't forget.

JAPAN - 2.46pm - Stop for a minute.

Lists

I work from lists. I write and re-write and eventually things get done.



Procrastination can come in so many shapes and sizes, as we well know.

This weekend, I have found myself making bags with duct tape and also old T-shirts....

From an old T-shirt

Made using duct tape

Counting my suddenly impressive collection of Kokeshi dolls....

Kokeshi dolls originate in Tohoku. The dolls are simple wood figures with no head, no legs. Some speculate that they symbolise the death of unwanted babies during 18th Century. The dolls are a great symbol of the region. I made one too - Can you guess which one?!

 And, I also tried my hand at self-mutilation....

OK, it was an accident. Let me tell you, caramalised sugar from the hot pot is HOT!

On the list, you can see the words 'pineapple' and 'carrot'.  This weekend, I was going to attempt my first jams.....It went rather wrong, shall we say and three fingers have been scalded, this one being the worst.

4 days later....yuk!

Cook I am not, but it won't stop me trying.

Now, to work on the rest of that list.....

I want to steal a sunflower.....

...but I haven't got the heart, even though they are there growing in the wild as if wild.

Welcome to Friday!

 The sun is breaking through the cloud as we leave the house and the beams just get stronger and stronger!

Yay, it's Friday!!! Or is that 'Get the f**k away from me!!!!

On our path, covered in mud

Perhaps he is trying to get back to the family.

 Wild flowers are everywhere and I take them without guilt.

This flower is in abundance but what is it?

The rice is being harvested. This field has some hanging to dry!

Attached to a garden and a house - definitely cannot steal these.

And pop it in a jar, and presto, we have decoration

So glad I had my camera out with me this morning.