Tree meets Sea

Some of the story on Freddie and Fannie

2012-02-17T07:16:00.000-06:00

This is not the whole story, obviously, but it is a big part that you don't hear much about. We were willfully thrown into this big recession by government intervention abetted by greedy and shady dealers.

sheesh

2012-02-14T11:35:00.002-06:00

Matt at the Takeout

2012-02-06T07:27:00.001-06:00

Matt makes a final play in the competition holes at the takeout of the Nantahala. Pay no attention to the poor camera work at the end. I thought I had punched the off button. My feet and the ground have been the subject of many hours of videotape.

Comments welcome.

Spring Fever for Floating

2012-01-31T06:00:00.002-06:00

With all the recent rain, and a warm day or two mixed in randomly, my thoughts naturally turn to getting into the kayak and doing a little floating.

Our favorite local spot is the Locust Fork of the Warrior which crosses US231 about 20 miles south of Arab. It has some interesting and challenging whitewater, a covered bridge and beautiful limestone canyons. But, the water only runs high enough part of the year, when the rains are frequent enough to generate the required runoff. Runable times usually are concentrated in April and May, and often not even then. In the old days, before the internet, it was difficult to know when it was worth the trip there to float. You might show up and it was dry or flooded. However, now you can see the river level live from your web connection. The best time to float is when the river is between 3 feet and 6 feet of gauge height. So, as you can see, it has been right on the mark lately. Unfortunately, when the nights get cold and the days don't really warm up that much, it is miserable and dangerous to float it even with a wetsuit. So, the river height is just a tease until it warms up a little.

So, I am forced to pull a set of photos from the archives, and these are from the Nantahala, not the Locust Fork.

One interesting thing about the Nantahala, is that it is in a deep gorge in North Carolina, and the sun doesn't hit the river in all places until just at noon. The water comes out of the bottom of a deep dam upstream and it is very cold, so on a warm day, the warm air meets the cold water and forms a spotty, foggy mist, even in the sunlight.

One of the memorable things about this trip was our pick-up companion, George. You can see him in the silver helmet in the background on the yellow-orange kayak. He met us at the put-in and noticed that my kayak was similar to his, and asked to tag along. Floating solo isn't a good idea, so we were more than willing to have him join us. There is safety in having more people with rescue ropes, etc. George was very interesting companion, talkative and extroverted. One of his favorite topics was his water bottle that filtered the water as you squirted it out into your mouth. He demonstrated this by emptying it into the river, filling it up with river water, and squirting it out of the bottle through the filter-cap and into his mouth.. He offered us all a swig, which we declined. Precious asked him if the filter was good enough to treat urine for drinking. He smiled and said she could try it. With her own bottle.

Here the girls show how to accomplish teamwork in the Ducky.

Sometimes you just have to take a break. Especially when the boys are playing in a hole.

Wade demonstrates how to do an "ender" Pretty good!

Matt Surfs a wave.

That is the rear half of Matt's boat up against his shoulder - an "ender" shown from the side.

Matt demonstrates the other kind of "ender" It is harder than it looks. He came out of this without even having to roll.

Precious navigates some serious whitewater.

At the end of the day, we all look forward to some serious eating.

It can't go on like this for much longer

2012-01-29T22:12:00.000-06:00

Men Retreat: Run away Run away!!

2012-01-23T00:45:00.005-06:00

At our Presbyterian Church, there is an annual Men's Retreat. Surprisingly, it does not have a whole lot of scratching, spitting, and other socially unacceptable behavior associated with it. But, it does have Guns! A subset of the group meets at the local shooting range and propels small units of lead and brass through defenseless paper and plastic and then eventually into a large pile of dirt.

Somebody in the group looks like a gangsta. Thankfully, he didn't rap for us.

I think he is about to show us how a blow-dart is used to take down a target. Sometimes, as Freud says, "a cigar is just a cigar"

He has that "This is sweet!" look on his face.

So, would John Calvin have preferred a laser-sighted pistol or a tricked-out AK-47?

After the gunplay, banging around other small projectiles is a favorite pasttime.

When they saw I was going to take their picture, all the chips came off the table. Was it because they didnt want word getting out about their high-stakes game?

One group of guys stood around the fire outside. In the cold wind. Enjoying their favorite available beverage.

I did not take any pictures the next morning of all the activities, as I was busy exploring the hillside trails with the sons-in-law.

Minoo Part Three

2012-01-20T00:28:00.003-06:00

It is a nice hike from the village to the waterfall and back. Usually there are many monkeys begging for food, stealing food, and watching the people, but the weather must ahve discouraged them from the trail just as it apparently had the people.

Only at the return, did we see our first and only monkey at an abandoned access to the hotel that sits above the entrance on a high hill.

After sizing us up for donations, he apparently decided we weren't worth much effort and he ambled off.

Minoo is known especially for the bright red yellow and orange foliage around the waterfall area in autumn.

Minoo Part Two

2012-01-18T00:02:00.008-06:00

Taking photographs in the canyon was tricky on this day because it was so dark. I took a lot of photos, but had to throw away 5 out of 6 due to exposure related issues. Most of the surviving photos used longer than usual exposure times, either making a little bit of blur for any motion in the frame, or making the photo lighter than the actual scene.

Here is one of Punkin taking a break just before leaving the falls, and heading back. It was shot with a flash and unretouched. You can see that the area behind and to the right is very dark. That is more like what the real light was like in the canyon that day.

Near the falls there live a large number of monkeys. They are agressive, and so the signs tell you not to feed them. On our trip that day, however, there were none to be found near the falls. There were no other people, either, so we were the only primates on the trail.

The trail features a few very small snack shops and one-room restaurants along the way. None were open for us, though.

One last look at the falls as we descend the trail back to the village.

The young people took the right-hand trail, and the older pair took the left.

The trails joined later. As you can see, the street-lights are on where there are any. This one was at a restroom.

A long exposure gets some details.

At this little shrine, we noticed this interesting pair of tiny cars. As Matt and I approached them to take a look, a woman came out of the shrine shop and as best as we could tell, sharply informed us in Japanese that they weren't open and to keep moving! The body language and the arm waving didnt need as much translation. It was one of the few times anyone was rude to us during our stay. We briefly looked at the cars and left. The path up to this point will allow tiny cars more narrow than a golf cart such as these to go up and down.

The shrine was very beautiful, though.


Along the way, there was a butterfly museum. It was closed.	A

Minoo part One

2012-01-16T01:33:00.031-06:00

To the north of Osaka, at the last stop of the Hankyu rail line, up against and inside the hills is the village of Minoo. Minoo guards the entrance to a deep, narrow, long canyon of exceptional beauty, a canyon that concludes at Minoo Falls.

The walk to Minoo Falls was one of my favorite excursions when we lived in Japan, and I walked it several times both with folks who had come to visit with us, and solo. It was always filled with waterfalls, beautiful flora, abundant birds and monkeys.

The pathway has several religious shrines along the way.

On this particular day, the whole place seemed much different than I had ever seen. The sky was particularly dark with a light rain all day, giving the area a somewhat spooky, mystical appearance. This is a deviation from the path, about halfway, that I never had the opportunity to pursue. Perhaps next visit.

The crew stands at Minoo Falls.

Umeda at night

2012-01-11T23:46:00.004-06:00

Osaka is one of the most densely populated places in the world, and is the most densely populated city of Japan. While somewhat smaller in population than Tokyo, it is MUCH smaller in land area. Umeda is the Northernmost hub of two-hub Osaka. The more Southern hub is Namba.


All around the Umeda area is an extremely extensive underground with shopping, restaurants, amusements and subways going in all different directions. Looking somewhat South, in the distance you can see a building that sits above the former underground location of our favorite (and only) Wendy's restaurant.

You may remember the location of the above photo from a previous post >HERE<:

Kyoto: by the Kamo River 2010 Japan Trip - continued....

2012-01-09T14:36:00.002-06:00

Kyoto is the old Imperial capitol, which moved to Edo (Tokyo) around the time of the end of the US War of Unwarranted Northern Aggression, during the elimination of the Shogunate and the re-assertion of the governmental authority of the Emperor. We did a lot of walking that day, as we did most days on our trip.

A bridge over the Kamo River, looking East in mid-Kyoto at the end of the day.

A little Japanese bird isnt too afraid of us, only a couple of feet away half hidden in the rocks and the wild hostas.

Ah, a good chance to try out my polarizing filter. The shot without the filter didn't show the fish for all the glare.

Shots from the other side of the Family

2011-12-31T13:40:00.000-06:00


I was unable to get back into position before the camera fired its time delayed shot. So, it got my better side.

She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy

2011-12-30T10:46:00.000-06:00

And, it is.

Family shots

2011-12-15T21:50:00.001-06:00

Most of these photos can go unremarked!

Reclamation

2011-12-01T07:59:00.001-06:00

One of the personal missions I feel regarding my small farm is to rehabilitate to the extent possible the part of the land that was never restored after it was strip mined in the early '60s. The most serious spot is a berm that has enabled the beavers to periodically flood several acres, and use as a base below it to ruin several more acres of trees by setting up a series of small wallows and dams. After consulting with the USDA Forest Service, I embarked on a restoration effort that will eventually put the stream-bed that runs through the area in wet weather back to its approximate original path. My longtime friend Glenn accompanied me on a recent trip, and here is shown learning the backhoe. We eventually punched a gap in the berm which I hope to expand to make the land productive again. Beavers be dammed, or un-dammed..

Thanksgiving time is here.

2011-11-23T22:51:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving must be here because my Christmas Cactus is blooming.

When I see this I think of my Big Mama. She had an incredibly green thumb and one of the plants she grew so successfully was Christmas Cactus. Hers were dark green, plush with long shiny branches and beautiful and very colorful flowers. She would hang the pots on her porch or perch them on posts with the long stems dangling down several feet. My cactus is a pale imitation of hers. And we would visit her around the time of her Christmas Cactus blooming.

My other grandmother loved petunias which she very successfully grew in the summertime, and when I see them, I think of her, too.

I miss them both.

Some People are Meant to Be Together

2011-10-24T00:01:00.010-05:00

Some people are just meant to be together. We are two of them. We met through a twisted, rocky and sometimes miserable route, but one that prepared us for a life together. Some people are being prepared even as children for each other. Never have I ever regretted our decision and commitment to be together for the rest of our lives.

She is so cute, I could just squeeze her.

the answer is... briefs....

A rare glimpse of the girl getting mirror time.

After 30 years, I am still the only one with cellulite.

In about 23 Years I will be ready to sit in the front and drive.

Because I am getting my 2-year-old's learner's permit now.

It was 30 years ago today that she became my Spousal Unit, and said "I do". It has been the grandest 30 years. Only the Lord could have prepared two people so different, and yet with so many things in common for our journey together. I really hope that by all this sweet talk, she puts up with me for another 30. I surely love this woman.

Ishmaelnot's Soccer

2011-10-21T14:01:00.000-05:00

Our nephew, Ishmaelnot is a pretty good player. He knows which side of the ball to kick. It doesn't usually take much time for his opponents to figure this out and key on him.

Often times, the other team will gang up on him and chase him down.

When they do contend for the ball, he can be the object of a little bit of foul play.

Sometimes it is hard for the referee not to see. But the ref manages somehow.


Ishmaelnot will sometimes take matters into his own hands when he has to.

Trip to Beaufort

2011-10-17T21:19:00.003-05:00

Uncle James and I headed out on Sunday morning to Beaufort. We had not left the state when it started to drizzle, and the sky became dark. After weeks of dry weather, a storm drove up the Florida coast, with winds and rain and dark sky all the way up the Atlantic, just in time for us. When we arrived, we also realized that it was a full moon and the barometer was dropping like Auburn's 2011 National Championship hopes. So, as a result, the fishing was not going to be good. The weather man kept up a tease, though, each day telling us that the weather would clear in a day & a half. It didn't.

This picture shows Uncle James driving the boat through the tidewater and Uncle Billy throwing a shrimping net. The shrimping and fishing were awful, The crabbing was good!

It was interesting as a newly retired guy visiting with three members of the family from the previous generation. There were often two, even three conversations going on at the same time with no listeners. The two most often spoken words were "Huh?" and "What?". I think I contributed about half of those, so this was a peek into my hearing-aid-wearing future.

We gathered about 60 blue crabs during the week.

Uncle Billy knows how to prepare crab.

Once the cooking starts, all you need to do is tell fishing stories.

After the blue crab is red, he is cooked.

Uncle James had his hat and gear in his van ready to go when I picked him up. Unfortunately, because we went in my van, he forgot to get his hat out and take it. He begged me to lend him this Auburn hat, because he has always wanted to wear one, and just never had the opportunity despite his matriculation with a masters degree from that institution. And then, he begged me to take his photo.*

We caught a few shrimp as we went, as bait for fishing. Most were sacrifices to the fickle fishing gods, and the crabs that snatched them.

My only other experience was a couple years ago recounted HERE

I was beginning to think that I was the fishing jinx because other than a few crabs on our lines, stealing our bait, and a few fish that were too small to keep, only Uncle Billy had caught one. That is, until I didn't go with them. That's when James caught his fish.

It was a spotted tail redfish. Uncle James was so proud of catching that fish that he begged me to take his photograph.*

*[I may have the details of these notes backwards] ;-)

Post Tsunami Photos

2011-09-20T17:51:00.002-05:00

I was impressed by some of these photos of before and after of the Tsunami area in Japan:

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/09/japan-earthquake-six-months-later/100146/

Ryoanji

2011-09-19T22:48:00.003-05:00

Ryoanji (notice the "ji" for temple) is a couple of miles from Kinkaku-ji. We walked to the bus stop just a couple hundred meters from the exit from Kinkaku-ji, but the bus appeared to be quite a while in coming, and there was a big crowd ahead of us. So we walked the distance, taking in an art gallery or two along the way.

The grounds here are also fairly extensive at around 120 acres, and has been the trust of a Zen Buddhist sect for just over a thousand years. The temple grounds includes two ponds.

Japanese Maples, Irises and lilly pads predominate the Mirror Pond.

What pagan temple would be complete without a pagan idol?
I knew he had no power, though, because he was wearing no college football jersey.

The most famous part of the temple complex is this zen rock garden which is maintained daily by the monks with rakes. They pretend that the lines have some meaning. I have to confess that my cynical mind thinks its all boogey-baloney, made up to impress the easily-impressed. However, I do admit that the place has been put together and is run in such a way as to convey a peacefulness. There is no basketball goal at either end, and you simply are not allowed onto the gravel. There are 15 large rocks in the gravel beds, and supposedly you can only view 14 at one time due to their arrangement, unless you have attained enlightenment. I say "give me a mirror" and I can fix that.

As with a lot of temple and castle locations, especially the ones with wooden floors, you must remove your shoes when entering the buildings. Here several of our crew contemplate the meaning of it all while sitting on the edge of the Hojo. After the hike from Kinkaku-ji, a rest for the feet was welcome.

I always found the bridges, buildings, roofs, roads, monuments and other man-made edifices quite a curiosity. If you click on the picture, you can see better the details of how the Hojo roof construction is made from several layers of thinly sliced wooden shakes pressed together as a composite.

At this fountain, you are invited to wash your mouth and hands to prepare to enter the tea house. I politely declined. I had enough washing my mouth out when I was in Jr. High. Out in the country, where my mom and dad grew up, and I spent significant time growing up, we called it a "dipper", and it was a measure of how you couldn't afford indoor plumbing.

The Teahouse apparently accepts only clean customers.

This photo is awful and out of focus, but it is the best of four shots I took. I guess there must have been an undetected earthquake that affected my camerawork at that very instant. The Hojo is essentially one large room subdivided by sliding panels

The panels are decorated with traditional Japanese art.

Leaving Ryoanji, you walk along the opposite side of the Mirror Pond.

nuff said

2011-09-16T09:21:00.001-05:00

Kinkaku-Ji Part 2

2011-09-14T10:50:00.003-05:00

The Kinkaku-Ji complex is located at the corner of Kyoto, up against the mountain.

On many of the other shrines and buildings, elaborate tilework finishes the rooflines. This is fairly typical of many buildings in Japan, especially older ones and temples. Each area has its own symbols, and sometimes each family has one.

The equivalent of gargoyles often glare out from the roof ridge.

A very elaborate roof. How would you like to clean the leave out of that in Autumn?

This shrine in the Kinkaku-Ji complex offers an opportunity to wave some incense into your face, pull on a rope to ring a gong, and to buy a candle and light it. Many of the visitors drop a few coins into a slotted box.
Inside one of the shrines, you can see the ornate objects including drums, gongs, arranged flowers, tapestries, screens, benches, boxes, and stuff I have no idea what it is. Unlike Christianity, it doesn't seem to be at all a participatory religion. I will stay with what I have , thanks.

Kinkaku-ji Part-1 of However many I decide to post....

2011-09-13T16:01:00.000-05:00

I realize the trip was some 18 months ago. But it seems like just a few days ago in my mind. I have had a terrible time this year putting together the balance of the photos, finding it difficult to sort them and edit them. I have resolved to put aside the reasons for my emotional indolence.
So, belatedly, the 2010 trip to Japan photo show resumes, with a few shots from a day trip to Kyoto.

Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan. It was the ceremonial home of the Emperor for several hundred years, only moving to Edo/Tokyo in the mid to late 1800s, when the Meiji Emperor ended the Shogunate and took administrative power to himself. The movie "The Last Samurai" deals with this period and upheaval that took place as the Samurai system was also abolished. Above is Spousal Unit entering the Kinkaku-ji temple complex.

The Golden Temple, Kinkaku-ji ("Ji" means temple) is a world heritage site, and was spared bombing by the Allies during WWII, as was virtually all of Kyoto. It is a wooden building with a thick pure gold leaf.

It demands that you take photographs.

The grounds are extensive and include several small waterfalls in a very artful landscape.

Photos of Punkin the birthday girl

2011-08-26T11:43:00.004-05:00

Punkin turned 29. It seem just like yesterday that all we could see of her was this. Of course, she isn't obvious in her appearance in the above photo. But, she surely is "in there".

Her latent interest in flowers has bloomed in recent years, but to her daddy, she still looks the same.

Michael loves Lauren

2011-08-01T20:25:00.007-05:00

One of the less interesting things about having a wide front yard on a shortcut around the intersection at the local high school is the large debris field this presents. Mostly it is bottles, paper, food wrappers, beer cans, and trash of all types. Once, I found a cheap but useable pair of binoculars. Today's treasure was a shiny disc.
So, being the music fan, I had to take a closer look. Perhaps it is a real treasure.

Apparently Michael loves Lauren. So much! Probably everyone has been Michael or Lauren at least once. So, we are presented with a mystery. How did the shiny disc come to rest in my front yard? Was Lauren unappreciative of Michael or his taste in music? Was the disc flung in anger or simply left on top of the car, only to blow off at my house? Did Michael have a change of heart about the gift? Was it left there in hopes she would walk by and discover it? I do not know Michael nor Lauren. In any case, I hope Lauren was worthy of Michael's love and that he deserved her.

June Ultimate with the offspring and the SILs

2011-06-26T20:50:00.006-05:00

Spousal Unit and I are blessed with three active girls, athletic all, as well as smart. They also married three athletic smart young men. That would be SILs #1-3. All 3 SILs played in a game, along with D3 - Amy, this past week. Here is how it looked from the sideline.

Matt shows the advantage of altitude, and being there fustest with the mostest (altitude).

Wade considers his passing options while his opponent does the Al Jolsen imitation.

"Mammy!"

Ryan springs for the catch.

Matt extends.

Amy finds a way to get under the disc.

And a way to get rid of it to a teammate.

Wade decides that the opponent needs a big-ole-hug.

Happy Birthday, Precious

2011-06-18T14:24:00.001-05:00

Banpaku Kinen Koen Osaka's Expo Park

2011-05-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

Banpaku Kinen-Koen is Osaka Prefecture's Expo Park, where the World Exposition was held in 1970. It is a very large place, and only a quarter mile or so from where we lived. We enjoyed visiting again.

The park is divided into several very large and different areas. This area is the castle area.

Wade

Matt

Spousal Unit in the new hat. I really like that hat on her.

Punkin Haid bumped her haid exiting this castle building. The Doorways are Japanese size, and even though she is part daughter of Nihon, she was just a little to tall to walk through unscathed.

The Wellmans in one of the castle doorways.

There were many many large, loud birds visiting the park that day.

While the kids went one way, Spousal Unit and I went along the mile long Japanese Garden. It was very beautiful.

Waterfalls in the Japanese garden.

Can I have a Peanut?

2011-04-09T22:26:00.002-05:00

Please?

Fourth Japan Missionary Quake Update

2011-04-06T20:28:00.000-05:00

"Love must be sincere. . . Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12

Dear Friends,

Please take a few minutes if you can to see a couple of videos:

1) A news report of the tsunami hitting Kamaishi City in northern Japan:

http://www.3news.co.nz/NEW-VIDEO-Tsunami-strikes-Kamaishi-Japan/tabid/313/articleID/202422/Default.aspx

2) Relief work in Kamaishi City (starts with a video of Tom there last week):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yuroJA6WPM&feature=share

Tom and nine others from here in Nagoya took a 4-1/2 day trip last week up north, primarily to Kamaishi City on the coast. They drove two truckloads full of supplies and a van of people to help. In Kamaishi they saw cars hanging from second-floor balconies and on the rooftops. The smell of death was all around, almost overwhelmingly. Dead bodies are continually being found, along with dead animals, dead fish washed in from the sea, etc. On one day when they were working at a house in the area, the police came and got another dead body from two doors down that had just been discovered.

The one church in the area has only 15 members. The members themselves are reeling from the disaster but doing all they can to help. The pastor's house was wiped out and he is living in one of the shelters. The church is still in tact and was the ONLY building in the area that had running water for several days after the earthquake and tsunami. They have gladly shared their "miracle water" with people from all over the area, along with food and other supplies that have been brought in to the church.

The team spread out. Tom and three others went to work helping Mrs. F, whose husband had been killed in the tsunami. She had been at her family business and had somehow been able to help her elderly mother to safety, with water lapping at their heels. Her husband was a few minutes away at home, where he, their home and neighborhood were all wiped out by the tsunami. Now she had no one to help go through the rubble that had been their family business. Tom and the others worked alongside her, salvaging what they could, ripping out rotting, destroyed flooring, etc. Three women went on the trip this time for the particular purpose of offering more emotional support to the victims. They had the opportunity to hug and cry with her, and the whole team prayed with her and offered physical labor support, which was very comforting to her. They even sang a song to her about God's love for her.

While some continued helping her the following day, Tom and others went on to help a couple in their mid 70's and their son who had fled to the 3rd floor of their home to escape the tsunami. (This home can be seen in both the videos above.) As the water continued to come higher and higher, they thought they would die, but they were able to go up into their closet, another step higher, and grab on to the bar at the top of the closet and hold on. They could look out the door and see three people hanging onto an antenna on top of a building across the way. Other buildings around them were being wiped out all the while. Their neighbors on both sides were killed and their homes were destroyed. Tom and the others helped them sort through the rubble and salvage what they could, particularly photographs and other things of sentimental value. The devastation is hard to get your mind around. They were also able to visit the hospital, also serving as an evacuation shelter, and deliver care packages to people there (including the elderly mother of Mrs. F., whom they helped the first day).

We asked the pastor there what else we could do to help; he said he would like help to take people to a public bath an hour away--a physical comfort and help, as well as an emotional encouragement and hope-builder. So another group from our church went after Tom and his group returned, primarily going to take people to get baths. A nurse and another young woman went along to help people in and out of baths who are not physically strong enough to do it for themselves. Another huge truckload of supplies went out as well. May God continue to help His Church be the arms of Christ during this time of excruciating pain and suffering for so many. And may the gospel bring hope that will never fail, that will never be wiped out or destroyed. Oh God, have mercy.

While relief efforts continue, so does God's work in Nagoya. A new missionary family, Michael, Cathalain, and Tobin Carter have just arrived to join our team. We are continuing with choir activities in the midst of things, and the LORD is blessing that as well. One particularly exciting development is that we started an introductory course to the Bible for choir members this week, led by Bruce Young, a veteran missionary to Japan who is back in Nagoya for about 5 weeks. We had a small group in our home this Tuesday, and there were great questions and discussion. Others are planning to come in the coming three weeks. Please pray for this great opportunity and for how the LORD will continue to lead in that.

Please pray too for us as some of the choir members will be singing at an evangelistic meeting called "Heart and Soul" this Sunday afternoon and hearing a gospel message from our MTW country leader, Dan Iverson. We trust the LORD will use this in their hearts for the sake of the gospel.

Please pray for clear leading from the LORD. We are very tired--missionaries, church members, etc.--but we are so thankful for the grace and strength to serve. We really need ongoing clarity in HOW to serve in the midst of such need. We want to continue to be led clearly by the LORD, not just responding in a knee-jerk way to the urgency of the need. God is so good and will surely continue to lead.

We will continue to trust the LORD to take care of the nuclear situation. He is God and is in charge, even in the midst of this broken, fallen world.

Thank you so much for sending us, for praying for us and for praying for the people of Japan. We are simply an extension of the many of you who have sent us. The Body of Christ is beautiful.

God bless you and keep you in His peace. In Christ's love,

Tom, Teresa, Ian & Liana Wilson

MTW Missionaries to Japan

Tom, Teresa, and Ian Wilson • 2-9-15 Mitake, Togocho, Aichi-gun, Aichi-ken, 470-0156 Japan • tomteresawilson@gmail.com

Tax-Deductible Donations: Payable to Mission to the World • PO Box 116284, Atlanta, GA 30368-6284

(Account # 018228)

For disaster relief donations:

The account is 93993 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. You may give online: click here . Or you may send a check to:

Mission to the World
P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284
(Please be sure to write Project # 93993 on the memo line. )

3rd Letter on the Disaster from Japan + Links

2011-03-27T08:36:00.001-05:00

Dear friends,

Trucks continue to roll out of our church loaded with food, water, fuel, and other supplies being rushed to the disaster-stricken areas in northern Japan. So far we have been able to send about 10 tons of supplies, and we have other trucks lined up. Our fellow MTW missionaries in Chiba and Tokyo and their related churches have continued to send tons and tons of supplies as well. You can view pictures from one of the recent trips from our church by clicking here. Be sure to see the pictures later in the series. These are taken on a trip to Sendai, when our partnering church there asked our group to take supplies to a local school serving as an evacuation shelter. Before that they had only received supplies for 70 people, but they had over 500 there. They had no heat in the cold weather there. The ones in charge of the shelter said, "Is that really okay to just take these things for free?" What a privilege to be the hands and feet of Christ in this time of devastation for so many. On another trip very near the border of the evacuation area near the nuclear power plant, our crew was able to take supplies to a nursing home that had not yet received any supplies in over a week, because they are not an evacuation shelter. The churches in the areas to which we're going are taking the supplies that we carry and distributing them to the people in great need in the area. Our latest trip was to Ishinomaki, one of the towns that was wiped out by the tsunami.

Tomorrow we will send two trucks and a van (along with a nearby partnering group), with 5 tons of supplies and 10 volunteers. Tom will be driving again, and they will stay a couple of days to help out in the area. They will serve in a number of ways, including deliveries and clean-up. Along with the physical needs, there is obviously an excruciating need for emotional/spiritual care. The church there is asking for help on that front as well, and we are hoping and praying to be able to provide help in that way. Some of the team members this time will focus on talking/counseling with people one-on-one, including three women who will make the trip this time. (Amy Newsome is one of them, for those of you who know her.) There was even some talk of the possibility of Tom singing and playing the piano for the people there. You know how healing and comforting music can be. Another similar trip is lined up for shortly after they return.

We want to send you a couple of great links to see more updates on the relief efforts here by MTW missionaries in Japan, along with some pictures and videos:

* Wayne and Amy Newsome--our team leader/church pastor and his family: http://newsomesinjapan.blogspot.com/

* Roger and Abi Lowther--MTW music missionaries in Tokyo: http://rogerlowther.blogspot.com/

(Sorry, but we don't have a blog ourselves at this point; maybe we need to look into getting one going soon.)

This week I read the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes to Ian and Liana, after watching together a short video of taking relief to the devastated regions (you can see people lined up to get the water, etc...... at http://vimeo.com/21221181). Ian (our 5-year-old) said, "Mom, can I give all my money to send stuff to those people?" I said, "Yes, honey, you sure can! That would be a great thing to do and this is a great time to do that." So he eagerly went and poured out the contents of his piggy bank, wallet, and "generosity fund" and put it all in an envelope. He said, "Maybe God will make this like that fish and bread the little boy gave." It surely warmed our hearts, and we praise God that tomorrow his $33.34 worth of food and other supplies will be on the truck his daddy will be driving, trusting God to bless and multiply grace to those who receive it. He's also been rounding up manga Bibles and candy from his "stash" to take. It's wonderful to see God using this to work grace and compassion in our children's hearts too. What a blessing.

Thank you so much to so many of you who have GIVEN SO GENEROUSLY to help in this time of crisis, as well as giving financial support to allow us to be here in the first place. We are regularly sending people out to buy food, water, fuel, etc., to be put on the trucks along with all that is being donated here. We trust God will use all of our 'loaves and fishes' to feed the multitudes here--not only physically but spiritually and for all eternity.

So much else is happening, and it is hard to report it all in the midst of everything. A couple of notes:

* The LORD helped us finish recording the gospel rehearsal cd that we will be sending this week to hundreds of families all over Japan in the gospel choir network we're part of (Hallelujah Gospel Family). We included a "bonus track" of (Tom's arrangement of) Amazing Grace in Japanese and English, including an interlude with several scriptures being read. We pray God will use this cd profoundly in people's hearts during this time when so many are hurting and so many more are gripped with fear (and as we hear that thousands of people listen to these cd's over and over and over...) One of our choir members told us that her two children go to sleep listening to our rehearsal cd's every night. Hear Amazing Grace by clicking here. (The scriptures you'll hear in Japanese are Psalm 46:1-3, Isaiah 41:13, John 3:16, Isaiah 43:4, & Hebrews 13:5b-6a.)

* My sister Delaine is planning to come in a couple of days on a one-week trip to help out with relief efforts. Yea! We get to see her! I (Teresa) am checking into trying to spend a couple of days volunteering along with her and her group (after Tom returns).

* Great conversations are happening about the gospel. One of our choir members said the other day, "What is God?!!" We are continuing to seek God for wisdom and boldness to take these opportunities to proclaim the only true safe place, the LORD our God. We are planning some talks, particularly with Bruce and Susan Young, veteran missionaries to Japan, being back in town for a couple of months.

We pray God will continue to help us "lift high the cross," our only true lasting and salvation as we seek to bring comfort and help to those reeling from disaster and hope to those gripped with fear. God have mercy on the people of Japan.

God bless you. With love in Christ, our true and lasting comfort who enables us to comfort others,

Tom, Teresa, Ian & Liana Wilson

MTW Missionaries to Japan

"...whoever sows generously will also reap generously.....Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."

-- 2 Corinthians 9:6, 10-12

Tom, Teresa, and Ian Wilson • 2-9-15 Mitake, Togocho, Aichi-gun, Aichi-ken, 470-0156 Japan • tomteresawilson@gmail.com

Tax-Deductible Donations: Payable to Mission to the World • PO Box 116284, Atlanta, GA 30368-6284

(Account # 018228)

For disaster relief donations:

Follow-up from our friends in Japan: How you can help

2011-03-17T06:16:00.000-05:00

Dear everyone,

Thank you so much for your outpouring of love and concern for us. I apologize that we have not been able to respond personally to most of the emails we've received! We would love to! Please know that we appreciate your prayers and that we appreciate the fact that you are letting us know that you are praying!

Yesterday, our fellow MTW missionaries near Tokyo were able to navigate the backroads (since all major roads and train lines are closed) with supplies into one of the hard hit areas in northern Japan. Apparently, the area they reached had not received any supplies since the earthquake even though there were hundreds of people in the emergency shelters. There are just too many people to help, that the government can't reach them all. A perfect time for the church to rise up! As the missionaries unloaded water bottles, the people in the shelter were crying for joy- not only for the needed commodity, but also that they were being cared for by strangers in another part of Japan.

Thus, our team in Nagoya and the churches of our presbytery are preparing to send trucks of supplies along with the missionaries near Tokyo. I may be able to drive a truck if my driver's license is approved.

Please pray!!!

That we will be able to get through to areas that desperately need these supplies

That God will provide the trucks necessary (renting trucks in March is next to impossible because it is when most people move before the new school year begins in April)

That God will provide the funds necessary to purchase and take the necessary supplies

That we will have the opportunity to proclaim Jesus' name as we carry out mercy ministry.

May these trucks be like the 5 loaves and 2 fish! Before He fed the groups of 5000 and of 4000 Matthew and Mark say that Jesus had compassion on the crowds. "When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd."

The areas hit by the quake are the least evangelized areas in Japan! May the light of His love shine through!

Here's the opportunity many of you have asked us about already. How can you help?

MTW has issued a Minuteman Appeal for Japan. The situation is unclear, and will be for some time, but we are committed to making a strong response. We do know that God has placed us in a position of strength with the depth of our team, their broad presence, and long ministry history in Japan. Please join MTW and our Japan team in urgent prayer that God will open many hearts to the gospel and that His Church will grow.

The account is 93993 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. You may give online: click here . Or you may send a check to:

Mission to the World
P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284
(Please be sure to write Project # 93993 on the memo line. )

Thank you for loving the people of Japan in word and in deed.

Thank you so much!

Tom, Teresa, Ian and Liana

Letter from our Japanese missionary friends

2011-03-12T10:32:00.000-06:00

Thank you all who pray for us. Please keep praying!

Nagoya felt the quake yesterday-quite strongly, but there was no physical damage. We can tell, however, that people's hearts have been shaken to the core. For example, tonight at our community choir practice (about half Christians, half non-Christians) one lady related to me the fear she experienced yesterday. She was in the subway during the quake and thought that she may be buried alive. I've never really considered this lady terribly interested in Christianity. She loves to sing, but I thought her interest in choir didn't go beyond that. In tears, she asked me, in that kind of situation, how should she pray? Would God be with her in that situation? It breaks my heart to see a grown woman cry!

Tonight we practiced a setting of Psalm 23 (Mack Wilberg's "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need"-Absolutely gorgeous!-listen to it here on youtube). I took the opportunity to address our choir member's tears by explaining that Christians aren't promised a life without pain. In fact, we're reminded that we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. . . but "Thou art with me!" Jesus is Immanuel. He experienced our pain, sadness, and even our death. The promise we have is that Jesus understands us and is with us.

Please, please pray that we will take advantage of the rare opportunities in which we are asked the questions every missionary wants to be asked. It doesn't happen enough here in Japan.

Please pray for this lady (and others) to join a Bible study in our area to learn more about our great God who came to be with us, save us, and love us.

Please pray for us as we try to finish practice cds that we make for our gospel choirs. We will be singing 10 songs this term in our gospel choirs, all with wonderful messages of hope. Teresa and I record our voices singing every part and then we distribute the cds among members of our choir, and other choirs affiliated with us around Japan (over 40 choirs). Thus, we send 700 cds to people around the country- many in the worst affected areas of Sendai, Fukushima, and Ibaragi. May these cds bring the message of hope to people who desperately need it. As a side note, gospel music became popular in Japan after the last big earthquake in Kobe in 1995. Gospel music gave hope to the devastated people of Kobe and then spread in popularity around the country from there. What will God do this time after the worst quake in Japan's recorded history?

Christians and missionaries here in Nagoya want to assist with relief efforts, but all roads and train lines into the devastated areas are closed off to the general public. May God give us wisdom as to what to do and when to do it.

Below, I've included a portion of an email from our MTW country director, Dan Iverson, who is near Tokyo. He and the missionaries on his team felt the quakes much more intensely than we did. What he writes puts the death toll in perspective of the greater need in Japan. This has turned into a long email, but please read and pray!

By the way, we're nowhere near those nuclear plants-but we still won't go outside if it rains!

Thank you so much,

Tom. Teresa, Ian and Liana

Tom, Teresa, and Ian Wilson • 2-9-15 Mitake, Togocho, Aichi-gun, Aichi-ken, 470-0156 Japan • tomteresawilson@gmail.com
Tax-Deductible Donations: Payable to Mission to the World • PO Box 116284, Atlanta, GA 30368-6284
(Account # 018228)

Now as I send this after writing below info (w/o proofing), news is saying 1400 dead and missing, including 4 trains of people, and 5 nuclear power plants in trouble (Japan news is still saying only 2 nuclear plants... trying to prevent panic, maybe???)

Sat 3/12 12:10 pm Jpn time (USA EST+14 hrs)

Family, Friends,

Please pray for us we decide where to go and help with hands, food, water, diapers, and money, etc. More than 1100 dead or missing, which sad expectation that this will go much higher considering how big and widespread the tsunamis were.

Where to go?
130 miles, 200 km of coastal area devastation from monster earthquake and resulting tsunamis, so it is difficult to know where we should go to help. We are looking for missionaries or churches in area to partner with/ be a base. Pray for wisdom: when, where, who to go... what to take.

1100 killed= 12 day total of suicides in Japan
To put the spiritual darkness of Japan in perspective, Japan averages about 90 suicides per day. It is so sad that already 1100 people appear to have died in the earthquake/tsunami and that is making world-wide news. It needs to also break our heart that this very rich country is really so spiritually impoverished, with so many with no hope. But if indeed 1100 are dead from the killer earthquake, we need to also remember that a normal 12 days in Japan brings about this many suicides. But it does not make CNN news.

Poor Japan in 1970 had half as many suicides as today's rich Japan with so much "abundance."
it is sad but telling that Japan had half its current @32,000 suicides a year in 1970. Japan was poor, beginning to grow strong economically and educationally. Now Japan "made it", has 100 literacy, longest life expectancy in the world, etc, but with the Bible's Ecclesiastes 2, so many Japanese people who sought the "abundant" life have found that "all is vanity." Pray for a new turning to the One who really does give abundant life (John 10:10b).

So, as we and so many Christians mobilize and seek to relieve incredible suffering and pain in the name of Christ to the 5 million people of the devastated areas, pray that this will bring a turning to the true and living God, and to Christ and his grace and love. Japan really needs true hope that does not disappoint.

Below are some stats on the affected areas, and just how lost and unreached they are.

We are just having another tremor right now, not so big, but no one even stopped what they were doing... it must have been the 100th I felt... but we all stopped counting. What power and might!

How do we help? Our plans?

Concert with Korean professional choir today at 3pm, now turned into concert and offering and prayer time afterwards:
We have a concert at 3pm, in 3 hours, here at our church building, planned from long ago as an outreach event. The choir arrived yesterday (Fri) to Narita airport 30 min before the 1st and biggest earthquake. The airport was soon closed down.
So we decided to go ahead with it, make it shorter, and use it as a time for witness to the many non Christians who will come (if they still come with all that has happened... we were expecting about 100), and offering for the devastation, and prayer afterwards for Christians to stay and join in on. Non-Chrisitans will be welcome to stay, and some probably will.

Rented a truck, preparing to go: Need to know where to go. Please pray for that.
We have rented one truck from tonight, and are having people bring supplies to take north to worship tomorrow. Email and cell etc are down in the Sendai area, where things were the worse. We know OPC missionaries there who could be a base for us to help with their churches, if they and the churches are okay, but all we know is that "OPC missionaries the Cummings are okay, but have no electricity or other utilities" (word we finally got 2d hand). And, because the two nuclear power plants in the affected region are a very serious concern, we may not be allowed into some areas to help.

The stats on Japan's spiritual poverty, and especially the affected area:
The areas affected by the earthquake and tsunamis of Miyagi, Fukushima, and Ibaraki are some of the most spiritually needy places in Japan. With over 4.9 million people yet only about 9,000 active Christians (about 0.15%; about 1/6 of 1%). Fukushima has the lowest average worship attendance in all of Japan with only 19 per church. There are is one city and 44 towns with no church at all. There are 86 missionaries (adults, including husband and wife) assigned to these prefectures.
One town in Ibaraki has over 46,000 people with no church (OperJpn 24) and several others have over 24,000 people with no churches. Average attendance for all the churches in Japan is the lowest in Fukushima prefecture. Ibaraki prefecture has the least number of people claiming to have any religious beliefs.

Please do pray for Japan! And for us.

In Christ, who rules all,
Dan

When Teddys Attack! (From the Vault)

2011-02-12T13:53:00.001-06:00

Punkins come under assault.
But she got better!

The Park with the Roller Slide

2011-01-30T18:29:00.013-06:00

There was a park on a high hill with a peculiar slide near our home. [see THIS POST]. Walking over there I remembered it was to the right, but it was really to our left. We walked around just a little bit too much, but with some directions from a local fellow and my recovering memory, we found the park.

During our year in Osaka, I had come in second in a rock/paper/scissors tournament at this park held by Senri Newtown Baptist Church (see last post) during a Saturday cookout and fellowship. I had noticed that all the Japanese ladies were giving the "scissors", and so I would challenge them and give the "rock" sign. I worked my way up to the final, when I was surprised that my new opponent gave the "paper" sign and defeated me. I couldn't understand why my rock algorithm had failed! Well, it turns out, she was a Filipino international student, and not Japanese at all.

The park had a roller slide, and it also had a three story tower with a great view southward toward Osaka proper. (we lived in the northernmost suburb). Frances was tired from the climb up the hill, so she sat on a bench. The younguns got on the slide except for one fellow, SIL #1.

He went into the parking lot and began checking out all the exotic automobiles.

The roller slide had a series of two inch rollers similar to a factory assembly line or packing plant. The slide split into two paths that rejoined and was probably about 200 yards in length, running down hill through the trees, descending about 100 feet over that distance. Unfortunately, rolling down on the rollers generates quite a bit of heat, and the ride isnt smooth, so you need several layers of cardboard or something thick underneath you to make the ride bearable. A single or double layer of cardboard will give you a hot and worn fanny. Some experienced riders brought a shaped peice of plywood, which seemed to be optimal.

This young Japanese fellow and a couple others had been playing on the upper part of the slide, blocking riders and hopping from route to route, being a general nuisance, as only 9 year olds (or so) can. Someone complained (or informed) to one of the children's parents and two of the boys took off in quite a hurry. The one remaining boy, this one, I think, got a royal chewing out in public. I could not understand a word of what was said, but I understood every word of it. I wanted to take pictures of the scene, but after a moment of his humiliating public correction, the poor kid started crying, and I just couldn't bear to take his picture.

They are all smiling because they thought it was funny. (I am kidding)

Kita Senri - our home sweet home

2011-01-22T20:01:00.014-06:00

One of our goals was to visit the Senri Newtown Baptist Church that we attended while we lived in Osaka. So, on Sunday morning, we rode the train to Kita Senri and hiked the couple of miles, mostly uphill, to the new location of the church. It had grown significantly since we were there. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the new church building. The service was similar to what we had been used to, with a translator providing the sermon play-by-play and color via headset. Except, it wasn't Nakano-san, for she had moved a year after we did, but one of her pupils instead.

We hiked from the church to Osaka International School, where the girls attended and made life-long memories, and several stories. Since it was Sunday, no one was there. Amanda and Wade stand outside the front door. After looking around, we started walking back through the old path we used to take to the school towards our old apartment.

From our apartment it was a 40 minute walk to the Osaka International School. Part of the walk wound through a little rural patch with a small primitive farm, a bamboo forest, several reservoirs, and past this Chinese style house. Rich Japanese do not flaunt their wealth in the same way rich Americans do. But we could tell the owners of the house (when we were living there) were wealthy, including the expensive cars in the driveway, and the unusually large yard. Since our time living there however, it had apparently been sold and appeared to have been converted into a funeral home. Most of the rest of the area was in the process of complete change, and a new neighborhood of homes was under construction.Amanda shows how she navigated the gates that keep motorcycles from going through the path. Bicycles can be lifted over the gates, but motorcycles cannot.

Japanese McDonalds was a treat. It has a different taste.

Our favorite (at the time) Japanese hamburger joint was Dom Dom. The Dom Dom was replaced in less than a year by McDonalds at Kita Senri. In the background, you can see the Peacock grocery store where I did most of the shopping during our term in Japan. Many great hours of mangled Japanese, pantomimes, bad food choices and searching for the elusive pepperoni.

SIL#2 rests after filling meal of McTeriyaki burgers.

Of all the place in Kita Senri, this location has perhaps more stories. We were all fond of the great donuts that the store sold, but it is likely that Amy was its most solid patron. She has endured a lot of teasing about her spending her lunch money and her bus money on Mr. Donut. Amy participated in all their sales promotions and brought home several small promotional towels that they gave out to their best customers. She gave me one, and I keep it in my closet as a prized possession and treasured memory.

Oh, those darn paparazzi. They follow Frances around everywhere.

From this pedestrian bridge I once fished out a stolen bicycle and walked it to the police box to turn in. I think they initially thought I had stolen it. Our church translator, Mrs. Nakano obtained a pink bicycle from another church lady and gave it to me. I rode that bike all over the area, exploring, going to the school, carrying groceries, and running errands until about a month before we left, when it was stolen from the bike rack at the apartment.

Here is the curbside of the apartment where we lived.

The small playground isn't as well maintained as it was 13 years prior.

Our apartment from the end of the building.

The younguns in a bamboo grove near our old home on the path to Osaka's Expo park.

A List of Barely Socratic Questions to American Progressives : The Current Truth

2011-01-15T21:51:00.000-06:00

A List of Barely Socratic Questions to American Progressives : The Current Truth

Dancing Princesses

2011-01-08T09:18:00.007-06:00

After leaving Osaka-Jo and eating yakisoba, we wandered upon these ladies dancing in a secluded portion of the park. A young woman with a curved sword (third from right) appeared to be leading the dancers and calling the shots. You can do that if you are the only one with a sword.

I have no idea what they were doing. Perhaps they are ladies auxiliary to the Kiwanis or Rotary Club.

I was hiding from Frances....

2010-12-27T22:09:00.002-06:00

in our little game. So I slipped into the wardrobe, and on the other side, I found this.
Surely there is a lamppost around somewhere.

A benefit of being The Fun Couple

2010-11-24T13:10:00.002-06:00

Still enjoying our honeymoon after an interruption of about 29 years, one of the things Spousal Unit and I delight in is being able to just decide to get in the car and go. On this occasion, we made a surprise visit to Memphis to watch Nephew #3 (red) play in a soccer tournament. In this shot, he goes for a block.

Osaka-jo : Osaka Castle

2010-11-20T21:08:00.006-06:00

Looking down upon the Osaka-jo park and one of the moats around the castle.
Fancy roofing and bracing. Incredible workmanship.

Some Hollywood types enjoy the view of Osaka from the castle keep.

After a good climb up the keep around the museum inside and back down, some feet need a break.

In Osaka-jo park, a magician/juggler enlists a Japanese boy to help with the show.

Here is a moat that has been partially filled.

Young as in old. New as in cold.

A lot of Japanese history was made around this castle. The castle covers about 50 acres or more. The white building is the castle keep, which is more or less a tower built on top of the castle. Osaka-jo was built starting in 1583 on the site of a shrine near the confluence of two rivers into a major castle by the man who first united Japan, about the same time Sir Walter Raleigh returned from America to Queen Elizabeth I's court. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi died, his son lost the castle after several seiges and battles to the man who would become the first Shogun of Japan, Ieyasu Tokugawa. Hideyoshi also killed and persecuted Christians severely. Hideyoshi's son and wife committed suicide on the castle grounds when the Tokugawa forces stormed the castle walls and defeat was imminent.

One of the small shrines around the castle grounds. Definitely something you wouldn't see in Huntsville. Ok, well, maybe you wouldn't see it in Madison. Or perhaps at my house.

M'thew and Punkin pose before the keep.

Precious and Mr. Pie pose as well.
After a full day of castle touring, one of Osaka's treats await us. We had all been keeping our eye out for a yakisoba stand, and here we found one. The yakisoba wasn't the best, however. Like the song says: "ate it anyway". You know the rest....

Princess and the Parrot at Osaka-jo

2010-11-20T12:12:00.003-06:00

Princess and Precious were entering Osaka-jo castle grounds when a Japanese man offered to put his parrot on Princess' shoulder. "For Free, no money", he said. More startled than agreeing, she said "yes".

Just your average day with a bottle of CC Lemon and a parrot on your shoulder.

The castle keep at Osaka-jo.

We are not perfectible .... at least Here

2010-10-25T07:23:00.001-05:00

time to call her Ma'am again

2010-10-24T18:30:00.001-05:00

Call Me Senator from RightChange on Vimeo.

Miyajima Up on Mt. Misen

2010-09-22T18:31:00.017-05:00

The journey up to the top of Mt. Misen started at the bottom. It was going to be quite a climb.

Japan has a lot of carp. Just as Hiroshima has the carp as their symbol, Miyajima has its share of them, too.
There were a number of beautiful bridges and waterfalls.
Ashley Wilkes' Daddy kneels so that the beauty of the brook can be captured in the background.

.
After a fair amount of climbing, Ashley Wilkes' parents decided to ride the ropeway to the top of the lesser mountain, so the group split up, with the youth group taking the more vigorous route.
Out in the Seto Inland Sea, a naval destroyer prowls. We couldn't tell which Navy it belonged to.

From the lesser peak, Shishi-iwa, a good view of Hiroshima can be had. This looks back toward the center of Hiroshima and back to the castle where these mountain islands can be seen in the distance.
The seaweed culturing platforms can be seen in the Inland Sea.
Ashley Wilkes' Momma observes from the Shishi-iwa observatory.
The Seto Inland Sea is dotted with thousands of beautiful beaches. This particular island has a pretty & tiny little beach, and if you click on the picture, you may be able to see some tunnels carved into the cliffs. I wonder if the tunnels were military structures.

While the youth group was climbing the vigorous path, we took foot to trail from the lesser peak to the Mt. Misen peak, which was about 100 m higher and roughly a kilometer away.
This picture doesn't give the full impression of the steepness of the climb.

At the top, we saw some greedy and just a little bit rude deer.
The group enjoys some snacks and drinks while I look down from the little observation platform at the top.
No peak is complete without an antenna, and no antenna is complete without a bird.
The Shishi-iwa observatory on the lesser peak from the greater peak.
If you click on this picture, you can see what the destroyer was playing games with, perhaps Marco Polo? Look in the sea where the vegetation meets the bottom of the rock face.

Ryan holds up the gate so we can all leave.

As the youth group takes the vigorous route back down the mountain, the older crew winds through the lesser taken path through some beautiful settings.

Yes, more of that Tori. As the tide recedes and the sun goes down, the locals grab their grocery bags and snatch up some shellfish and the tourists walk out to the now exposed Tori.
Well, we couldn't leave Miyajima without yet one more Tori shot, and with both peaks of Mt. Misen in the background.

At the end of the day, this Samurai had more energy than I did. Miyajima was well worth the effort, and a very beautiful site.

oh, the games

2010-08-29T19:16:00.001-05:00

Miyajima - at sea level

2010-08-21T21:10:00.015-05:00

At the bottom of a previous post about Hiroshima, I pointed to a picture from the castle keep looking over the rooftops of Hiroshima, and into the distance to the SouthWest. The mountains on the horizon were the twin peaks of the island Miyajima. It is our next destination.

We took an early train to the Miyajima ferry. It is on the water; it was cloudy and the wind was blowing rather briskly. And it was a COLD morning in May. Ryan, who didn't bring a jacket on the trip was just a little uncomfortable until it warmed up about an hour after we reached Miyajima. As we waited for the ferry, this crane posed for me, and moved just one instant before I could take his picture. He was teasing me.

However, I captured him on his fly-by, with a Miyajima ferry in the background.
This temple opposite the island glowed against the mountain when the sun shone upon it.

It is a very beautiful little island.

Looking back toward Hiroshima from the ferry, you can see the seaweed cultivating platforms in the bay.

This orange Tori (gate) is probably one of the most photographed things in Japan. I caught it quite a few times, myself.
A better view of the peaks of Miyajima. In a couple hours from the ferry ride, we will be on top, looking down.

Ryan works his charm, taming the man-eating deer to the delight of some Japanese boys.
You can find the Tori for sale in many shops on the island.
This traditional statue of a bear has been provided gifts of a cigarette between his lips and a beer at his feet.
Like any tourist trap.. err.. I mean vacation destination, Miyajima has its share of junk... err.. I mean souvenir shops. Rebecca and Matt are wisely staying out of them for the moment.

The Tori again.

Just like Cowbell, you cant get enough Tori.

I've got the fever for more Tori. Ryan provides the excuse for another shot.

What? What we need is more Tori.

Everybody Tori now...
Ok, this is not Tori.

At high tide, this bridge and the walkway above it are over about 3 or 4 feet of water. The tide was receding when we arrived.

It really is a pretty place.

Hiroshiima - the dome park

2010-08-01T22:04:00.007-05:00

Hiroshima is a shrine to itself, and its suffering the first attack with an atomic weapon. This famous dome is the Hiroshima Gembaku Dome, and remains a witness to the destruction of the city during the "Pacific War."

Approximately 1500 feet above this spot, the first atomic weapon used in war was detonated. The blast effects from this graveyard helped identify the epicenter by angle of the burn into the stone.

A plaque at the spot of the epicenter tells some history.

At the Peace Museum, the younguns read about the history.

A section of the park was dedicated to a little girl who died of leukemia some years after the war. Her name was Sadako, and she was told that if she made a thousand paper cranes, she could be cured. She died before making the cranes.

These are parts of a bridge that survived the atomic explosion.

The river is home to all kinds of turtles, birds and fish today.

Hiroshima part tre'

2010-07-28T20:30:00.001-05:00

Near downtown is Hiroshima Castle. It is an old castle with a couple of moats and a fairly tall keep, although nothing like Osaka or Himeji. Here, the younguns sit in a completely unposed, spontaneous situation ripe for photo taking.

Inside the castle, you can find some genuine Japanese people all dressed up in their everyday wear.

The old buildings, and especially old castles, are quite ornate. Here is a roofline in the castle complex that shows off a stylized version of the carp that Hiroshima claims as its symbol.

The keep, the moat, the goat and his keeper.

The Japanese love their flowers. This beauty was in a pot outside a family home where there was no room between the wall and the road.

From atop the castle keep, you can get a pretty good veiw of the city. Off in the distance, just on the horizon, beyond the saucer shaped sports dome, you can see Mt. Mizen, the highest point of the island Miyajima. You can read more about this beautiful island in a subsequent post, and perhaps even a picture pointing back the other way from the top!

Hiroshima part deux

2010-07-27T21:11:00.000-05:00

Hiroshima is a city of bridges. Several small rivers meet at the city, and join the bay or the Ota River. The Ota River Delta is also in Hiroshima, so there is a need for many bridges.

Like many towns, a lot of shopping areas are located in arcades such as the one above. We found both a Subway and a Mr. Donut, both of which beckoned us. The Subway was definitely Japanese, with a menu and taste unlike our American versions. Mr. Donut was Mr. Donut.

As I mentioned in the previous manhole cover post, Hiroshima is proud of its baseball team, the Carp. Here at the Carp Stadium, you can see the directions for the fans. I have it on good authority that the words say something like "Please to run over opposing team fans with bicycle whenever possible".

It was a decent looking and decently sized stadium downtown Hiroshima. Perhaps The Pettus Pie will tell you their story of going to a Carps game one evening together.

At Number 7

2010-07-26T20:05:00.005-05:00

Number 7 cartoon in the top ten goes to a series that was only made for ten years: 1930-39. That can only mean Betty Boop!

Made by Fleischer Studios, the same studios as Popeye, Betty made its entire run in black and white, and in her first appearance, she was a poodle! For the first three or four years, the cartoon was considered quite racy, and for adults only, although they wouldn't be considered as such today. But in 1933/34, the movie industry implemented the self-censoring Hays Code, and Betty's dress and character were toned down.

Part of the reason Betty is so great is because of how much the girls enjoyed the VHS versions of her films when they were kids, and how much their parents enjoyed their entertainment. The films were always so musical and happy. The animation was very good for the time, with a lot of thought put into the well-designed backgrounds, and in several episodes, the moving perspective was very well done, such as Betty Boop and the Little King.

You can see several of Betty's episodes at: The Digital Archive

One of our favorite episodes was The Musical Mountaineers .
Hillbillies may still be one the few groups you cans till parody in such a fashion. But, in the end, the episode is more affectionate than harsh stereotype.

Betty also shares something with Ashley Wilkes' family in THIS EPISODE.

Hiroshima Okonomiyaki

2010-07-08T16:27:00.002-05:00

Wikipedia says:

"Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き^?) is a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked" (cf. yakitori and yakisoba). Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan, but is widely available throughout the country. Toppings and batters tend to vary according to region."

Well, we were in Hiroshima, so here is our tale.

We arrived in the afternoon in Hiroshima, took a short side trip from the Hostel to look at some fabric that Amanda was interested in getting for a special quilt she plans. Amanda and Frances continued to look at fabric, while the rest of us wandered through some back streets and alleys, a fair distance from the main routes. In one alley we encountered an older lady who came out from her shop and smiled at us, and we returned the smile, continuing to explore. After a while, it occurred to us that we should return to the fabric shop and reassemble for dinner. We passed by the lady and her shop, and we realized it was a small cafe. She was a little more assertive this time, and not only smiled, but motioned us inside. Wade and I returned to the fabric shop and retrieved our spousal units while the others waited at the cafe. It was a tiny place that had room for us, with only one or two empty seats left, certainly a "mom and pop shop". The old lady called down for her husband who decended from what apparently was an upstairs apartment.

Since okonomiyaki was the specialty of Hiroshima, and almost the only thing on the menu, we ordered it. The preparation was a ritual that the chef had apparently observed for quite a long time.

The description of "pancake with a variety of ingredients" does not fully describe the concoction.
It had some cabbage-like vegetables, some other vegetables, some shrimp, some egg, some sprouts, some squid, and who knows what else.

Small bottles of beer were not available, so Matt took the lead and the rest of us followed.
The Chef's assistant fried us some noodles. Mmmmmm.

They seemed quite happy to have our business, it probably made their week. While we were there, a Japanese man came in for dinner. He appeared to be a regular customer, and he got his food and ate it before we even came close to finishing ours.

After dinner, outside the cafe, Ashley Wilkes' Daddy demonstrates the common pose among the young Japanese, and looks thoroughly Japanese doing it. Im sure the Kirin had no influence.
It was a very enjoyable evening, with a culinary adventure and followed by a two mile hike back to the hostel.

Eufaula 2010

2010-07-08T07:33:00.000-05:00

Ashley Wilkes' Mom and I went to Eufaula. I had never taken her there, so it was a first for her. One of the big attractions of the town is its high concentration of 19th century mansions and old homes. For a small town, it has quite a few.

The nickname is "Bluff City", and I suppose it isn't related to poker, but to the fact that it sits upon a high bluff above the Chattahoochee River.

Ashley Wilkes' Momma and I stepped into an antique shop to see what we could find. I saw several faded prints of these English paintings for sale. Every home had a copy, it seemed. My Big Mama had a copy of them in her Living Room. I'm not sure where they are now. They thought a lot of these copies, as the price was $135 each, "firm"!

Just like Huntsville, Eufaula had a Martin Theater, but theirs was more like the Lyric Theater in Huntsville, just across from the Martin. It was burned out and hollow inside.

The downtown is quite pretty, and on this day, you can see it was very hot. (click on the photo for a bigger view)

The citizens are proud of their Confederate heritage. Apparently in 1865 their mayor scooted out of town just as word of Appomatox arrived to meet the Union Army's march to the sea to let them know of Lee's surrender in order that the town might not be burned to the ground. Then he rushed back to town to make sure all the Confederates knew as well, so that trouble didn't break out and result in the town burning after all. Units from Eufaula apparently had quite a reputation in the Virginia theatre for bravery and ferocity.

The building behind houses a Cajun restaurant that has poor service, but pretty good food. Our lunch cost twice what it ought, but it also had twice as much food as it ought. So, we took the leftovers back to the farm and had another meal of it.

There is just one hospital in Barbour County, and it is in Eufaula. This is how it looks today.

This is what the hospital looked like in 1956 when I drew my first breath.

Ancestors

2010-07-07T19:23:00.002-05:00

My beloved grandparents, B. and Ruth. I miss them.

Kita Senri Love Rollercoaster

2010-06-30T22:02:00.001-05:00

Rainy Day in Tokyo

2010-06-28T21:34:00.006-05:00

The plan was to spend the day at Mt. Fuji, something I felt I had missed when we lived there. Unfortunately, the weather was absolutely not cooperating, and since it was raining and foggy, there was no point in going to see the famous volcano. So, we went to the Metro Tokyo Museum, stopping along the way to buy some 100 yen umbrellas. The highlight for me in the museum was an older Japanese gentleman who had survived the "Pacific War" and the firebombing of Tokyo as a child. He was a volunteer guide who spoke to us in English, being very patient to tell us they didn't resent the Americans for their suffering, but were glad over America's post war generosity and introduction (imposition?) of the fruits of democracy.

This lady (right) apparently really wanted to be in my picture.

Meet me at Hachiko. Amanda writes (pre-trip) of this famous statue of a dog in Tokyo .... HERE. Here is Ashley Wilkes' Momma and Daddy posing in front of the statue.

Rebecca prepares to take a photo at Shibuya. Hachiko is in the background.

They are probably smiling because I said something extremely witty and funny.

It is very crowded in Tokyo, even on a rainy day there are a lot of folks out and about.

Can you find Waldo? There are actually two Waldos in this photo. It was taken across the street from the last photo. (click on the picture for a bigger view).

Shinkansen from ShinOsaka to Tokyo

2010-06-21T06:04:00.001-05:00

Very creative. I didn't put this together, but I recognize the photos.

Shinkansen ver.2 from daihei shibata on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday to Chocolaty Feet

2010-06-18T16:07:00.003-05:00

The girl with Chocolaty Feet shows off one of her toes for her birthday.

Tsukuda-jima: The fishermen's Island in Edo Bay

2010-06-11T20:53:00.007-05:00

An interesting but brief stop, Tsukudajima's history is interesting. In 1603, Ieyasu Tokugawa became the first Shogun, a military dictator, after taking power in a series of battles in the southwest in Osaka and Nagoya. Edo was a very small village at the time, and he made it his functional capital, with the Emperor safely tucked away in Kyoto. Edo was renamed Tokyo. In order for Edo to become the functional capital, Tokugawa inticed a group of fishermen from Osaka by giving them a sand bar. The sand bar was underwater most of the time, but they accepted, and quickly filled the sandbar in, forming Tsukuda-jima. Over time, the fishermen became very prosperous, and the island fill expanded, and now, it has expanded so much that it is connected to the mainland and is no longer a separate island, and has only a small fraction of fishermen living there. The rest of the island is a very nice, expensive neighborhood. Above is the cycle group admiring the fisherman's shrine underneath the Tori, or gate.

The shrine has a hand washing station that is part of the shinto ritual.
There are several intricate wood carvings on the shrine that celebrate the fisherman's work.
And occasionally a decorative ironwork that celebrates the shrine and the fishermen.
Matt and Ryan enjoy the scenery.

The sense of scale is amazing, from the small shrine, small remnants of the fishing village to the tall buildings growing up out of what used to be the bay.
Part of Tsukuda-jima's small fishing fleet.
Did I mention that Tokyo is proud of their azaleas? The residents of Tsukuda-jima are, too.

Bike View: Bridges of Tokyo Part 2

2010-06-11T10:46:00.008-05:00

This suspension bridge over Edo Bay has supports on the little island that appears to be a fort. That is because it is. This island is one of several constructed by the Shogun shortly after American Admiral Perry forcibly opened Japan from its approximately 350 year of self-imposed isolation in 1853 by firing cannon from his fleet of "black ships" into Tokyo from Edo Bay. The Japanese agreed to the opening of the country but built these little fort islands and stocked them with their own cannon to prevent their vulnerable situation from continuing. Within 15 years, the Shogun had completely lost power, and the Emperor obtained it, starting very cultured, and very backward Japan on a fast path to modernization during the Meiji Restoration. (click on the picture for a bigger view)

The above bridge runs along and above the old Imperial outer moat.

This lovely garden isn't on a bridge.

tower and temple 2 on the bike hike

2010-06-10T22:05:00.003-05:00

Just past the gate, but before the Temple was this bell. The bell is original, I think, but the housing burned down during "The Pacific War".
Inside the temple was this colorful thing. I see the ying and yang in the center, but otherwise, I have no idea what it was. The corner was dark, so it was a challenge to capture it without a flash.
Inside the temple was this here Booder. There were a half dozen people there, worshiping or something, and we tried not to take their picture. There are a lot of graven images in Japan. And to quote a wise man who wrote a travelogue around 13 years ago: "In the US we are more guilty of idle worship, but in Japan, there is real idol worship."
So, you go to the temple stand and buy your fortune, printed out on a small sheet of paper. Pooh! The darn thing says Auburn is going to lose to Bama four years in a row! Well, we can't have that!, so you tie the fortune up on the rack and leave it in hopes that you shake the bad luck off. We shall see.... I think a lot of Tennessee fans have been by here....
Clearly there was less power in my pedal, and I was having a little trouble getting the shot straight! I swear I wasn't drinking. Yet. This was getting close to the end of the bike hike, and was up near the top of a hill. The Japanese really don't build things this crooked, but I thought the "modern" Eiffel tower behind the ancient temple was a nice metaphor. (whatever that is).

Tokyo Bike Hike: the tower and temple

2010-06-09T18:07:00.002-05:00

As we were winding down the first half of the bike hike, we rode a ferry across Edo Bay. I was having some trouble getting the exposure right, as you can see.

I actually ruined a couple of the other pictures I took, due to overexposure, but htis one is at least lookable. There is something not quite right about the photo, can you spot it?

As we entered the temple grounds, we passed through the gate, and just inside was a very large cedar tree that was planted by the man whose face is on the US $50 bill. It is a lovely tree. While there, we watched a huge crow snatch a baby bird, tear it half apart and hide it for later snacking among the boughs. Our guide had commented that Tokyo was trying to figure out something to do with their excess and excessively aggressive crows. I have friends who have solutions!

Fish market part 2

2010-06-08T19:47:00.002-05:00

The youth group admires the huge slabs of fish. This picture doesn't quite do the slabs justice as far as size.
Our guide had a relationship with these shop owners, they showed us a tuna head and tail and we (she) bought some sashimi from them, the light and dark. The youth group and Frances ate it for lunch, and had nothing but good things to say about it.
I tried to tell this fellow that you could tune a piano, but you couldn't tuna fish and he just looked at me like I was crazy.
Mo fish than you can shake a stick at.

TSUKIJI FISH MARKET part 1

2010-06-07T22:10:00.000-05:00

As I used to tell the girls, when you suck on this octopus, it will suck you right back.

The Tsukiki fish market is the largest fish market in the world. It was about the third stop on our bike hike of Tokyo, and sits on Edo Bay, near downtown, near the upscale Ginza district.

They ship fish to and from all over the world.

You would almost think the place smells bad, since fish goes in and out of here all day. However, it didn't. Ive never seen so much fish, and smelled so little.

Fish, that is.

Bike view Bridges of Tokyo

2010-06-07T21:29:00.001-05:00

There were many interesting bridges we saw on our bike hike around Tokyo, especially since our tour concentrated on the bay area. I love this very Japanese looking suspension bridge. I want one for my farm.

I wish I had taken two more seconds to better frame this shot. Still, I like it.

The tower under construction in the distance (center frame) is off toward Disney Tokyo. Later, our tour gets fairly close to it. It will eventually be three times as tall as the current tall tower.

A lot of what you see has been filled into Edo Bay (Tokyo), where there was previously no land.

Tokyo Bike Tour part 1

2010-06-07T18:42:00.010-05:00

Amanda and wade listen to the bicycle tourguide as she tells us where we are. We started this 30K bike tour first thing on the morning after spending a full day traveling to get to Tokyo.

We are at the outer edge of the old Imperial Palace. The inner part of the old Imperial Palace is today the only part that remains as such. The outer ring has since been devoted to new development, except for a few places such as this one.

Rebecca and Matt listen to the guide.

Here you see an old rampart of the pre-war Imperial Castle's outer wall.

This is a signpost at the edge of the old Imperial Castle, looking back into where the outer ring of the Castle/Palace grounds were.

This image shows the edge of the old Imperial Castle ground looking down the old formal exit. The old building in the center is the old Bank of Japan building that survived the firebombing of "the Pacific War" (WWII).

Tokyo , where the bay reaches up into the City

2010-06-06T20:44:00.001-05:00

First Meal in Tokyo

2010-06-05T20:46:00.002-05:00

Some very tired and very hungry folks enjoy their first meal in Tokyo upon arriving. It was a new experience for us. You go in the front door, select your meal from a vending machine with pictures of the food, insert cash and receive a ticket for the meal. A waitress brings your food from the kitchen and takes your ticket. It is very efficient.

Manhole covers in Japan

2010-05-31T21:08:00.006-05:00

Manhole covers in Japan became an interest of mine while living there 13 years ago.

In Hiroshima, they are proud of their baseball team, the Carp, although the few games I saw on TV while there didn't provide much opportunity for pride. Their pitching was really awful.

In Minoh, they are very proud of their waterfall. I'll show some pictures of that in a later post.

In Kyoto, the motif was the imperial chrysanthemum and a turtle in the middle. the turtle points three ways, depending on how you look.

Osaka is very proud of its castle, a location of an incredible amount of Japanese history. Originally, it was built by the first unifier of Japan, Hideyoshi Toyotomi in the late 1500s. His son lost it to the man who later became the first Shogun.

This azalea cover is from Tokyo. They had a lot of azaleas in Tokyo.

This cover is also from Tokyo, and is a variation of the first Shogun's family symbol.

Also from Minoh, they are proud of their forest, with its many maple trees whose leaves flame brightly in the fall.

heh, the Gentleman's sport....

2010-04-20T21:59:00.000-05:00

I love soccer, but there is some crazy furriners....

Yet even More of my new Blossoms

2010-04-01T21:01:00.004-05:00