22 October Columbia Hills State Park/Horsethief Lake

Slow to get started and a long drive to the Columbia Gorge and our plans to camp at Beacon Rock fell thru because the campground is closed for the winter, so we continued the drive to Columbia Hills State Park.
On a scale of 1-10, I think we would give this park a 5 or 6. The utility sites, all 8 of them and in a tight little bunch at the entrance to the park, the rest is day use only, but the hikes are interesting and we took lots of pictures.
Once parked and settled in, we walked down to the waters edge and laughted at the "no swimming" sign. Didn't have to tell us more than once, the water looked cold and murky. 

Nisqually NWR

The Delta has many ecosystems and this is one of my favorite places to sit and catch my breath. I am sitting in a bird blind peeking at a duck who, of course you can't see. This date was one of the best for siting birds, besides the duck, I saw herons and some little shore bird pecking in the mud. 

Its been awhile

This tree is actually called "Old Grandpa" by the locals. You go for a hike and no telling what you find to take a picture of. This is September at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge near Olympia, WA 

Destination Brewster, WA

My hubby is a Mason and he was invited to a function in Brewster, Wa and the first thing I did was to run to a map and try to find "Brewster".
Brewster is mid-northern section of the state, above Wenatchee, along the Columbia River. In fact, it started as a ferry landing and was named Virginia City, although the name and purpose were both short-lived. (They actually had to move the whole town, lock-stock and hotel to a better deep-water dock a few years after the first one was developed)
Not a big town by any standards, it didn't take me long to drive through it, and the only great thing I found was a delicious Mexican Bakery that had more selection of pan dulce than I have ever seen. The smells coming out of the building made my mouth squirt and I was sorry my diet doesn't allow breads.
After Brewster the road continued north, now following the Okanagan River and I saw a sigh for the Fort Okanagan Interpretive Center and lucked out to find they were having a talk about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was presented by a Army Corp of Engineer lady who really new her stuff. I had to laugh, there was another gentleman sitting next to me and when I arrived he asked if I were a Clarky. He was certainly one and Ill bet he knew more about the Expetion than she did. (I have a book on Lewis and Clark at home and I'm going to read it again as the talk was very interesting)
(The photo above is from the site of the Interpretive Center. It is in the high-desert and as you see very deserty in the foreground and very green along the river. On the right side, the green are apple trees and if I were a betting person, I would thing there are at least a billion apple trees in this area. One man told me that lots of farmers are now switching to grapes as wine is better cash crop)
I did stop at one of the many fruit stands. The prices were excellent and I bought some beautiful blueberries that were the size of nickles and sweet as sugar.
The next town up the road was Malott, a scenic little town that was flooded by the Okanogan in 1938 when a dam broke, so most of the buildings are from that time or later.
Last stop was to the city of Okanogan. I wish I had taken some pictures because the Methodist Church faced with river cobbles and the courthouse, built in semi-Spanish style architecture were awesome. Guess we just need to go back some day.
It was a long ride home because we just didn't want to deal with the traffic or retrace our steps. so we headed to Ellensburg and Yakima and then took White Pass over the mountains. The last time I was on this section was with Dea and family when the boys were young. I didn't remember how beautiful the drive was. 

Portland

We don't seem to have time to lake long trips, but we had time to head south and visit Portland, Oregon and friends in the area. What a hoot.
While I really enjoy rural America, city living does have its merits - like access to some amazing restaurants, art and parks and during our short stay in Portland, we managed to get in a bit of all of it, plus shopping.
We met our friends in a suburb of Portland called Beaverton and parked the car, opting instead to use the amazing Portland transit system where we bought a $4.oo all day ticket and with that took trains, trolleys and buses.
Our first stop was to Goose Hollow where we found the most amazing restaurant for lunch. I had a ruben, drenched in melted cheese, corned beef, sauerkraut and since I am doing Atkins, I didn't even miss the bread.
We walked through downtown, window shopping, art galleries, brousing and sightseeing. Found these little bears playing in a troth, which was one of many artforms in the city.
Our next stop was to Washington Park. The docent told us it was the biggest park in the US, but unfortunately there was a news article in the Portland paper a week later that ranked Portlands green space and only #14 th in the nation. It is large and you could spend days there, checking out the zoo, the museum, the hiking trails, etc. but we opted for the two very famous gardens, the Japanese garden and the Rose Garden. The Japanese garden made us homesick for Japan as it was 'right on' correct. The Rose Garden was a mixture of beautiful sights and smells.

There is much to see and do in Portland and we just scratched the surface. We will be back. 

Beyond the Dunes

The dunes quickly transitioned into a few blades of grass and some weather-worn logs. 

Marshland

This little creek bubbled right thru the park.

DH and I decided that we would love to become Campground hosts so we talked to the couple who were hosting the park at that time. They were doing their first hosting job and had only been doing it for a week so they didn't know if they could recommend it or not. Its only a month assignment so we decided to send for an application. 

Ocean City Park Pine.

The pines were in bloom at the park and gave the air a sweet smell 

9 June Ocean City State Park

The walk happened because I had some ground beef that needed to be cooked and while hamburgers sounded okay, I really wanted to do something else. My meager pantry didn’t hold a lot of promise but knew town was only just down the road and walking along the beach would be fun.
Ocean City State Park is nestled in the tree-line above the beach, but to get there you walk through three different ecosystems, the trees, the marsh, the dunes and then the beach. (I guess that’s 4!) The park is very nice, the spaces are wide apart and off set so you are not looking into your neighbors windows, or smelling his/her dinner. You wake to the sounds of birds and notice that any crumbs left from the night before no longer exist and wonder who dined after you.
From the park, the marsh is really a surprise. While I didn’t see them, I could hear ducks and marsh-birds and the sound of running water. Lilies bloom along a little creek, and spring blooms, clover, lupine, and sweet pea lined the sandy trail.
And then just as suddenly, your in the sand dunes, and your feet are slipping in the soft sand, and the wind blown erosion makes beautiful ripples, and the wild flowers have disappeared and in their place are dune grasses that also bend with the wind. While it was beautiful, it was also hard to walk in, so I headed for the waters edge where the sand here can support cars which are allowed on the beach, one of the few in the US.

While town didn’t look that far away, it was and the longer I walked it kept staying in the distance like a mirage, never getting any closer but not looking far away. I found three in- tack sand dollars which I placed on an old log to retrieve when I returned and kept trekking forward hoping that my feet wouldn’t give out before I got there. Signs of “town” did get closer. A herd of rental horses came into view. Tourists from the hotels began to come out and play in the surf, the blank sand now was full of last nights footprints and finally town emerged with its little tourist trap businesses, moped rentals and fast food joints that hawked fish and chips and oyster stew.

IGA was the closest market in town and I was amazed at the assortment of cheese and salads, sausage and well, lots of beach toys. I ended up with a bag full of some fresh veggies, nuts and no cheese. I also bought a book that listed the wild flower of the Pacific Northwest sea coast. Now I could name my new friends.

Walking back was beginning to get painful, but I had no choice and kept trying to focus on which log I left the sand dollars LOL, it took awhile as I checked about 2 dozen before I found the one and retrieved my booty and sat for awhile. Some gulls joined me, hoping I would feed them. They were mostly young ones, with brown coats, the adults seemed to hang back which is probably why they lived to be adults. One old crow (raven) was the bravest of the lot and got right up to the edge of my foot. By the time I returned to the motor home cooking was the last thing on my mind, I just wanted to sit and read. (I did end up cooking dinner and Roy came home and joined me and then returned to his doings stuff.

8 June 06 Ocean Shores, WA

This is going to be a short trip, as the drive to Ocean Shores is less than 100 miles, even taking the long way around to avoid the Interstates.

Roy is spending the weekend at some sort of Masonic function so that means Ill have most of the time alone to enjoy the beach flora and fauna. His meeting is at the Ocean Shores Convention Center and what do you know, the hotels have WIFI and I am hooked up to the internet. (Battery won’t last long though, so I won’t have time to surf the net.

The weather seems do’able. Cloudy but promising sun for later today.

Sunday, headed home.

One last look at LaPush and more whales greeted us this morning. This is a totum outside the LaPush Restaurant. Our local friend told us that a group from California bought the restuarant last winter. I wish them well.

Our trip home was beautiful, and we really took the long way home. We kept south on Hwy 101 until we got to the town of Raymond and then turned east on Hwy 6. Raymond was deserted and then suddenly we came to the town park and it looked like the whole community was there in mass. Isn't that cool.
We drove thru one farming community after another and I would have pulled over to take pictures but the road was narrow and no place for poor Casita to park. She did get a lot of bugs in her teeth, we we got home we were amazed at how many bugs had ended their short lives on our grill.

We are really ancious to get on the road again. Gas is nearly $3.00 a gallon and I am boycotting Exxon, who is taking a lot of flax right now for giving their retired CEO 400 million dollars, but I learned on the news today that Exxon is the one comp
any that is really looking and exploring for more gas/oil reserves so maybe I will boycott Chevron instead. Had to laugh, there is a local Mom and Pop gas station that sells Chevron flying a jolly roger flag over their business. What does that tell you.
I don't think we will be going anywhere in May as I am going to help out at the Red Cross at Madigan, Sumo is on and have a few medical appointments. In June we are going back to the coast, but this time, we are going to Ocean Shores area. Maybe after that, we can take off again

Aka'lat Island, La Push, WA

Today it is know as James Island, but since ancient times it was known as Aka'Lat, (Top of the Rock) in the language of the Quileute people. It was a burial gound for chiefs, a fortress in times of defence and considered a resting place for the ancestors.
The waters just to the left of the Island are were the whales feed and the town of La Push is just to the right.
We stayed at Lonesome Creek RV park and its rated right at the top of our list of best spots to RV. 

Derelict Boat, La Push Harbor, WA

We woke up on Saturday morning to a glorious day, the wind had died out, the clouds had all disappeared and we were left with only sparkling sun and surf. Quickly we made a pot of coffee and took our cups out to the beach.
OMG, the first thing we noticed was that it was full of surfers, and they were all camped at the other end of the beach, so that is what the folks meant by quiet. But what really excited us, was there were whales about a 100 yards out, feeding, playing, blowing.. and when I looked at my guide book it said that this was an area where folks came to whale watch. Here we thought we would see nothing worth writing about, and we find whales. We counted about 3 of them, but water spouts were everywhere so there may have been more.
After breakfast, we walked along the beach to the town of La Push, and came first to the harbor where we found this delelict boat. There was just something beautiful and sad about her and Roy dreamed of restoration. The town itself was pretty small, maybe 100 or so homes, but it does have a Coast Guard Station and restaurant and a small school.
As we walked around I just happened to notice an eagle sitting in the top of an old pine tree. We stopped to take some pictures and met a local gentleman who told us the eagle had a nest in the tree but the winter storms had knocked it out.
He also told us about the Fisherman's Memorial, a Coast Guard boat went out to rescue a sailboat and a huge wave picked it up and tossed it on the rocks of James Island, killing all on board. The sailboat was also lost. He told us about 80 MPH winds and how the surf has killer logs that folks have to be so careful of. We weren't surprized, there are tons of logs littering the beach.

Another cool thing is we have now visited our second Indian Nation. This area is mostly Quileute country.
We continued to walk around, enjoying the sun, the surf and more whales. As it turned out Saturday was the warmest day of the year, Sunday would be even more beautiful.

La Push, Washington

Fate sometimes lends a little twist to our adventures. We departed Neah Bay on a bright sunny morning, sunny but windy. The drive out was more spectacular than the one in with glimpes of great beaches and views of Canada and the Straits of Juan De Fuca. Our plan was to drive to Forks and spend the night, but fortunately, as it turned out, the park was closed for the winter. Flipping a coin, we decided to try La Push, Washington as we knew it had two RV parks and one was on the ocean.
The RV park was nice, a little pricey, but it had electricity and water and thats all we needed. They suggest that we take Space 1 since it would be quiet? I wasn't sure what noise was going to bother us, but we took Space 1 and set up.
We were a little disappointed. The beach was mostly black rocks, and since the wind was really rippin' by this time, we didn't spend a lot of time out doors.The only birds we saw were crows and gulls and while I have nothing against either crows or gulls, I didn't think I was going to have a lot to write about. Rocky beach, no wildlife!!
Played a couple games of backgammon with Roy, who decided that I was making up the rules as I went along since I was winning, but then he gammoned me, and changed his mind. Went to bed listening to the wind rock the RV.

Neah Bay

Neah Bay http://www.northolympic.com/makah/##b
Woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of rain on the rig and in the morning, we were sitting in puddles. We hoped it would clears, but neither the weatherman nor the sky look very promising. Undaunted, we unhooked the rig and followed the signs out of town to ShiShi. I had wanted to go to Cape Flattery but I read that the trail was steep and RVs were not recommended. So we headed to ShiShi, another beach and another trail. It started out easy enough, we walked on a boardwalk and bridges over the little creeks, but the further we went, the more muddy the route became, and we had to start climbing over trees that blew down in recent winter storms. Roy would stop often to cut little trenches to drain off some of the water, but I walked on. By this time, the mud was getting ankle deep and I decided, I just didn’t think that I needed to see the beach that much. I turned around knowing Roy was behind me.

Well, he wasn’t. He had climbed up above to miss the mud and we passed each other. Suddenly, I know something is very wrong, he was not behind me. I called. Nothing, I yelled. Nothing. I knew that I should turn around, but I just couldn’t do any more mud. Roy would have to fend for himself. I figured he either fell off a cliff, and if that was the case, I couldn’t help him anyway, cause I never saw a cliff, or we had passed and he would figure out I wasn’t there. Another hiker passed me and I told him I was returning to the car and if he saw my husband to please tell him. I went back to the rig and decided that if he didn’t come back in an hour I would call 911. He retuned just about an hour later, mad and wet.

I don’t think we will be doing much more hiking at least not in the rain.

19 Apr Heading to Neah Bay

While the forecast was for rain, when we woke, the skies were gray but the tops of the Olympics were clear, a good sign. It really wouldn’t have mattered, if you let the rain stop you in Washington, you would never get anywhere. After a leisurely breakfast, we pulled out from our now, new favorite RV park, Rainbows End RV in Sequim. If you want a place that has a tad bit more room than a normal parking lot RV park, and some mighty friendly staff, this is the place. I highly recommend it. The only one complaint that I might have is that they did ask the age of our rig and a gentleman who lives there on a monthly basis said they didn’t allow older rigs….but the neighboring rig was a beautiful retro (probably mid 70ies) Silver Streak 5th Wheel that was very cool looking. Wish we had taken a picture of it as it had so much character.

The trip to Neah Bay was more exciting for DH who was sitting on the passenger side looking over the high cliffs, praying that I would stay off the edge. Hwy 112 is narrow and there were places that looked and felt torn up and signs warning of slides and washouts, (didn’t help Roy’s attitude at all). We averaged about 30 MPH as we switch-backed around one hairpin curve after another. Lucky the traffic was light and there were places to pull over for folks to pass. I will be darned if I know how those big rigs negotiate those curves…Wow

We arrived about noon and found our destination; The Cove Motel and RV Park. There were a number of places listed on the internet and the Cove was the third place I called and the first to answered the phone. Turned out to be the best of the bunch, the park looked just like a park and it was nearly empty, another RV and some tenter;s who were packing up to go were our only neighbors.

Neah Bay is on the Makah Reservation and we paid a $10 annual fee to be there. That was fine, we didn’t mind as long as the money went to help this sad little town. The Makah’s land takes up most of the corner of the Olympic Peninsula, but it is about a 1/10 of what once was. Smallpox nearly wiped the tribe out and they got the short end of the treaty ‘stick’ also, both thanks to the white man’s westward march.

The rain was just beginning, so we downed our raincoats and walk the half mile to the Makah Museum. What a great museum, it had artifacts from two archeological sites, a 3000 year old village they found near Clallam Bay, (east of Neah Bay) and Ozette, another village found in 1977. It had been built against a cliff on the beach and a wall of mud triggered by an ancient earthquake, destroying it. A great storm uncovered it and archeologists have been there ever since. Those artifacts are now at the Makah Museum and also a replica of the longhouses they built and lived in. It’s a great museum and one which I would highly recommend if you brave the road that is.


Tomorrow, we explore more of Neah Bay.

Dungeness Spit

Had a great trip to the Dungeness Spit, a 5 mile long 'spit' of land that protrudes into the Straits of Juan De Fuca. At the end of the 5 miles is a lighthouse, but we didn't venture that far out, actually we didn't venture out at all since we only had a hour to explore.
Dungeness is off Kitchen-Dick road which is off Hwy 101. Roy kept calling it Chicken Dick road, but its not, its Kitchen Dick and don't you forget that.
Remember the woodpecker at our last stop, rat-ta-tat-tating, well this time far in the distance we heard some geese honking and the sound got closer and closer until finally we saw them coming in right over our heads. It was a pair, and they honked until they finally landed about 100 yards from us.
My birding friends probably expect some name for these geese, but all I can tell them is they were dark in color. I wouldn't call them Canadian, but then what do I know. They honked, they were geese and thats all I know. There are tons of birds in the area, and we saw a sign about Black Brants which are numerous in the area. Brants belong to the goose family I think, so maybe that is what I saw. On the drive in, I noticed there were ducks in the pond, again, what kinda duck, Im clueless.
Walking thru the woods was nice also. The berrys are all in flower, and the new ferns are starting to curl up into new leaves and there are lots of windfalls from our long winter. A little chipmuck came and said hello and a deer stood about 10 yards from us, looked at us and chose to ignore us. They can take horses down to the spit so we met a couple of riders coming up. They stopped to chat a minute. I wish they had offered me a lift up the steep hill. LOL

FINALLY got to stop at the Museum in Sequim and it was worth the wait. In 1977 a farmer was digging a pond and found a bone, which was so large, he knew that it had to be something bigger than todays animals. It turned out to be a Mastadon and that is the prime exhibit at the museum. They found the tusks, a piece of jawbone with tooth which identified it and they also found a rib bone that had a rock point in it from some ancient mans spear. Very cool.

Tomorrow we head west.

Had a King Dome put on Casita

So we could get satellite TV and of course, we are having trouble connecting with the Internet. We drive the 150 miles to Eric's RV because the guys there are the best. John is honest and helpful, Buster is the best, even if he acts a tad grumpy and Spud has become a blessing. If you ever need RV help, try Erics. You won't be sorry.
And while your having your rig worked on, go next door to the Mexican Restaurant for lunch. Bests salas that I have tasted in a long time. Yum
Tonight we are staying at a nice RV Park called Rainbow's End RV Park. It is very special, well landscaped, with helpful and friendly staff. Its not like the normal parking lot that I so object to.
Day 3, back to Erics to see if we can get this thing fixed.....

Back to Sequim

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1841989

We paid $138.00 for a tank of gas yesterday and now I know why. You can believe that! We won't be buying Exxon gas. What in the heck is Mr Raymond going to do with $400. million dollars, the man is old as snot and couldn't spend it all even if he hired me to help him. Lets boycott Exxon cause its such a slap in the face to hear where our money is going. Besides getting 400 million, he is also going to get a million or so a year for consulting fees. Poor guy. I'll be he's one of George's buddies.
So back to our little trip. We decided that we would bypass the interstates and it was fun to go through a bunch of little towns, Raymond, Elma, McCleary and ended up staying at Sequim Bay State Park. What a pretty park, tall trees, surrounded by forest. We heard, but didn't see, a woodpecker rat-ta-tat-tating high in one of the trees, but there were really few birds to enjoy on the bay.
We found Trillium growing in the woods below us. Trillium is one of the first flowers of spring and they are so beautiful. I understand that they are nearly extint in Michigan because they are preferred food for the white tail deer. Here in Washington, they are also on the verge of extinction but mostly because our forests are disappearing. They come in reds and pinks and even a deep wine color, but all I have seen are the white ones.
Dinner was delicious. If you like Mexican and spicy, try this soup. It is so easy and soooo good. Take two cans of black beans, one can of beef broth, and about a cup (or a small jar) of chunky salsa into a pot with a couple teaspoons of cumin. Heat and serve with sour cream and chopped green onions. (I put some of the beans in my food processor so I would have more broth and less bean.
Buy the way, neither Roy nor I were visited by my son's ghost friend. I even woke up a few times and waited to see if anything would make itself known, but nothing. Maybe we lost them on the road someplace.

Haunted !!!

I can't believe that its been almost two months since I have posted!! Sorry about that, I have been very busy. I volunteer for the Red Cross again doing casework and have been taking care of some worrisome medical problems that have developed and three times a week I have been going to water arobics. I nearly had a heart attack two weeks ago when the IRS sent us a bill for $17,000, but so far our CPA said that while we do owe, we don't owe that much. Thank goodness, I don't want to pay for this horrible war or give one cent to G. Bush....

Yes, alas, according to my son, our poor little Casita is haunted, and not by a playful ghost, but by mean poltergeist who held him down and poked the pillow behind him. For those of you who know my son, he is normally a pretty level headed person, but this isn't the first time that he has been "haunted" by spirits. Some day, remind me to tell you the Mr Herzhog ghost story that both my daughter and son experienced.

Haunted or no, we are off again tomorrow for a small adventure back to the Olympic National Park. I am really excited for as I have been there before, this time we are going to spend some time there and just enjoy the ocean, etc. Watch this spot. Gas prices what they are, my plans to check out Nevada are currenly on hold and instead we are going to check out Washington State...

So, what have I been doing? We got a dish, actually we got three dishes, one for the Motorhome, and one for normal TV and the last one to get Japanese channel so we can watch Sumo. LOL, you know I love my sumo and I am really looking forward to that. The next basho starts in May, so we will be home for then, for sure.

Sequim, Wa

20 Feb 06,
I am certainly glad that we brought the feather bed cause under the covers it was roasty toasty, but let an extremedy escape and it froze. Needless to say, new bed, new surroundings, new noise, we were awake for most of the night.
About 0630 Roy braved the cold, and dressed. He was the one who told me to turn off the heat so I was perfetly willing to let him get up and turn it back on. Fifteen minutes later it was still cold as a witches tit, but I needed coffee and so I forced myself out of bed and into some clothes.
Our very first breakfast in Casita was hot oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon. The milk was frozen solid so that tells me the refrigerator works, I just need to find the settings to turn it down.
But Casita has some short-comings. We have no cable outlet so I guess well have to get the domb for the TV. The sink leaks, Roy is going to get a new fauset for it, but now I have heat and thats mostly what I am concerned about. The bed was comfy and the toilet seat when sat upon, even in the cold, wasn't bad at all.
We left Casita in the good hands of Buster at Erics and set on foot to explore Sequim. The first stop was coffee at Burger Kinds. I bought a copy of the Sequim Gasette and the front page had a story about where Sequim got its name. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find it online, but here is the link to the paper. http://www.sequimgazette.com/index.php?menu=1
The article said that there are a few possible places that Sequim got its name. On authority said that it came from Suxtcikwi'in' a tribal word for "quiet or calm waters". The first letters mailed out from Sequim were post marked Seguin and the first book written about the are called it Squim. Another theory is that there was an onion type bulb that grew in the area and gathering these bulbs were called 'going skwimming"
We killed about an hour at Burger King and then headed for the drug store as I am getting that scratching throat/chills/stuffy nose feeling, a sure indicator of a cold coming on. Betty was over on Saturday and she had a horrible cold so I guess its my turn. Roy also needed a hat and of course there is always a list of things that we forgot to bring, hair brush for one.
Lunch was a a great Mexican Restaurant. We had a carne verde burrito that was very good. Also their home made salsa was perfect.
The rest of the day was spent at Eric's. When she was all done, and strutting her stuff we drove about a mile to an RV park and the nice folks there helped Roy set up. I turned the heat on and spent a very comfortable night.

Sunday 19 Feb 06
Milage 122
Destination Sequim, Washington
Gas $2.08 a gallon, $72.
We did it, I actually drove Casita on her first shake down cruise and we both did very well.
We drove to Sequim, to Erics Auto and RV Repair as Casita needs headers and has an exhause leak. It will be expensive but well worth the money with gas prices the way they are.
Most of Hwy 101 is designated as a senic highway and that is not a lie. We went from forest, to water views (Puget Sound) to small farms. The Sound was like glass and except for being a tad bit cold, it was a perfect day from traveling.
We arrived at Erics about 4pm. They have some electric outlets there so we plugged in and made ourselves at home. The TV didn't work but thats because they have no local stations in the area, so we ate left over split pea soup and watched videos on the lap top. 

Finally

Well poor old Casita has been thru the mill with all this rain. She sprange a few leaks, the step went out but not back in, the lights didn't work, but finally we are taking her on our first shake down cruise on the 20th. Destination Sequim, Wa where she is going to get new headers and a back up camera.
I am not sure why we have to drive all the way to Sequim, but that's okay, I haven't been to Port Angeles in ages and I have never been to Neah Bay, where I am sure we will get some wild pictures. While we plan to just follow our whims, I would also like to do the Dungeous again and check out Port Townsend. We might do the loop and might not. Sequim is kinda a great place to visit in the winter because it happens to be in what they call a rain shadow. It gets only about 10 inches of rain a year there while just around the corner in the Hoh area, they get over a 1oo inches. But its a small town that unfortunately lost all its personality when WalMart and Safeway moved it. There is a couple blocks of quaint little stores, but most of it is now strip malls.
I can give you a better picture when I return.

Household Goods Arrived

Well, the furniture made it over the ocean and all in one piece, but his, mine and ours doesn't fit in this little home. Retirement is a time for downsizing and I seem to be accumlating instead. We are talking seriously about selling the house and building something out on the property, but something has to fit all this stuff.

But most of the boxes are unpacked, some are still sitting on the back porch, but if I opened them I wouldn't have any place to put the stuff anyway so let them sit. I am still missing a few important items, but nothing that I need to go digging for. Opening boxes is a little like Christmas, little gifts to unwrap. BUT, the Japanese really wrap stuff. First there is a thick layer of paper around what ever and then a layer of that white wrapping paper and finally a layer of bubble wrap. The problem is it takes forever to unwrap stuff and there is so much stuff that needs tossed. I'm filling up a landfill.

The more it rains here in Washington, the more heading south sounds like a plan, so it is now time to get Casita on the road. First, we need to fix the electric step that has stopped working and while it could have been something as simple as a broken wire, Roy bought the whole works and again as soon as it stops raining, we will start work on it. Also, we need a new front window I noticed, we have a major crack and the skylight in the bathroom is leaking. Its never ending I guess.
Once I get on the road, all will be right with the world

Rain Rain Go Away

According to the news, today is the 24th straight day of rain in the Pacific Northwest and I believe it. The rivers are overflowing their banks. The roads are littered with Water Over Road Signs and to make matters worse, my whole yard is like a sopping sponge.
We thought about getting into the Motorhome and heading to the frist dry spot we can find but we have doctors appointments, and committments to deal with, so here we sit and wait for the sun to shine

Wow, this rig is getting expensive

DH and I drove over to Sequim yesterday. Sequim is on the Olympic pennisula and what a magnificent drive, we drove thru the forests, we drove along the sound and the road twisted around thru quaint little towns. It rained some, but not alot.
The whole purpose of the trip was to locate Eric's RV and Service. It was recommended to us by another RVer and we drove over there to check on the price of Headers, leaverlers, (sp) a dish, solar and the bill got up to about 12,000. I almost gaged cause I need to get tires also.
So, I think we will take the dish and solar off the list for now and see what Camping World wants for the levelors.

Tacoma Museum of Glass

Tacoma? Noted for art?
Today, friends and I went and checked out the new exhibit at the Tacoma Glass Art Museum and I was not disappointed at all. I went a few years ago and thought it was good, but this time, I found it to be fasinating and interesting, and of course the glass was amazing.
We first checked out the "hot room' where they actually blow glass. Last time we just watched, but this time, they talked about what they were doing and why and how. It was fasinating.
OOOh and there is a glass organ there which is on loan and will only be there a couple more days. The glass blower/engineer made an organ with glass tubes and fire and it actually plays eerie notes and a magical sounds comes forth. It was worth the entrance fee alone.
Next time you come up to Tacoma, lets plan to go there. I could go over and over again and never get tired of it, it's so wonderful. I know that you will really enjoy it.
Our friend is up from Portland and it has rained every day since he came. He is use to the rain but I would really like to show him something other than rain clouds and dark skys. Tomorrow we plan to ge to Mima Mounds and play in the mud. Also Ft Lewis has a nice small museum that is well worth the trip.

Casita is coming home

The motorhome has been in storage for the past year and today Roy and John are going to go get it and bring it home. Sitting hasn't done alot for the old girl and so I know we have tons of stuff to do to her, just to get her on the road. She is going to get new tires next week and levelors and headers and thats just a start cause there are probably other things that she needs done. I know there are other things that she needs done.

Home

WE MADE IT, not without trails and troubles, but none the less we made it home and spent the first day sitting on our couch, looking for something to watch on TV. For those of you who are in Japan and think you have nothing to watch on TV, we have a 100 channels of nothing to watch on TV.....Never complain, at least you have a couple decent movie channels.

SOOOOO, we get to the airport on Tuesday night, thanks to Bev and Berry who graciously took us up there and delivered us at the airport hotel. It was a very luxorious hotel and worth every penny to stay there and not have to take a 0430 train that might or might not get us on time to the airport. BUT we went down to dinner and they had a western side and a Japanese side and as Western on our last night in Japan was unconcievable, we went to on the japanese side. Well, the waitress must not have had foreigners in there before as they were so gracious and helpful ( and didn't understand a word) but we ordered the Special Set thinking it would be cheaper than the regular menu. WRONG answer. First of all the set came with raw fish. (I see your nose Sallie) but while I was perfectly willing to eat Roys, he did manage to eat it. There was the obligatory rice, cut in the shape of a star, there was an egg drop like soup which was very pretty but tasteless. There was also this snotball, tinted orange, the was perfectly discusting, which I had to try, and there was about a half dozen other tidbits. Our bill though, almost made me faint 6832 yen. OMG Then we went upstairs to bed and it was like sleeping on rocks, hard wasn't exactly the word, hard and lumpy. Neither of us got much sleep.

The next morning we were on the first shuttle to the airport and the gal at the ticket counter looks at me, my passport expired in July. My stomach suddenly was naucious and racing, trying to decide what to do. I pulled out a copy of my orders and military ID which expired today and hoped that that would work. She faxed the copies to someone in Tokyo and told me to check in with the ticket agent when I got there.
So I stayed in panic mode until I got to Tokyo and tried to see the ticket agent. They don't open until 1130 and its like 0930. More panic. I'm thinking I can probably go to the Embassy in Tokyo and get it there for lots of money.

Finally 1130 comes around and the ticket agent shakes his head at me, and calls the State Department and because I am on military orders and a US citizen, he or she said to let me on the plane and that was the last time anyone noticed that I had an expired passport. Even the immigration office at SeaTac didn't look at it.

The plane ride was smooth and because of the lumpy hard bed in Japan I slept thru most of it. The food was nasty but you knew that. We made it thru customs in about a blink and then after a short wait, got the shuttle and then got home.

There was a little mouse sitting on the livingroom rug waiting for us.

So, we get home and the phone that I have given everyone the numberto, is disconnected. The kid that stayed here probably didn't want to pay for both lines so now I don't have a phone. I am hoping that we can get it reconnected. (Turned out to be a broke line with Roy repaired in a flash.
Also, to Roys massive frustration, the kids girlfriend gave him a computer keyboard and moved the letters around to spell I LOVE YOU JR, so Roy can't use the computer because he looks when he types. LOL serves him right.

Promised you pictures that you don't normally see and this cute fellow is a temple "gate keeper". Carved in wood and painted in gold this fellow is probably over 100 years old.

This last week has really flown by, and in 4 days I will be back in the US. But tomorrow we go to see the last sumo match of the season. I am so excited as Kotooshu, the big guy from Bulgaria (big and cute and tall and handsome and narry an inch of fat on him) has done great this last bascho. He beat the yokosuna in one of the most exciting matches of the year. Tomorrow there is really nothing to descide as Assashoriu has already won, but thats okay. I might get another doll. Did I mention I collect sumo dolls?

Sallie, Roy and I have been going out to eat just about every night. Tonight I had tofu salad which is delicious. Going to eat in the States just isnt going to be the adventure it is here.
First we order food from pictures on a menu as most menus are only in Japanese (as it should be) Tonight Roy ordered a noodle dish and it was cold, and had squid in it. He didn't mind the squid but the cold noodles wasn't to his liking.
I remember going to eat and ordering a sandwich once It turned out to be a potato salad sandwich with catsup. Actually it really wasn't bad. They also have strawberry cream sandwiches. Squid ink is popular pizza choice here in Japan. It looks just about like you would think it looks, black. ( I haven't tried Squid Ink anything)
One of my favorite places to go get a good cheap meal in Japan is at 7/11. Yep, same folks as in the US, but not the same food. We stop every Tuesday night after pottery. Charla got corn soup in a can and it smells absolutely delcious. You can get canned goods either hot or cold. They also sell bento boxes which is tidpits of assorted foods. I am going to miss 7/11 also.

This is our famous Kintai Bridge, and about the only tourist attraction in Iwakuni. It was build in the 600s but has been rebuild often, and actually most of the wooden part has been all replaced since we came here. 

Every home in Japan has a garden, it might be in pots along side the road, it might be a 3 foot square under a window, but they all have one thing in common, they are beautiful
Roy and I found this beautiful pink plant along side the road. It just made us smile and Roy took a picture.
I have so many beautiful pictures of Japan that I would like to share so as I download them I will share them with you.

We are in a hotel now, out of quarters and just waiting for the big day. My friend told me that I will probably be bored. I don't think so, I have to much to do, friends to visit, a house to deal with, and the motorhome to get into shape. 

Chogen no Sato is a reconstructed antique village in the mountains above Yamaguchi and we were lucky to arrive at the same time they were having the Momiji matsuri (fall leaves?) festival.
This village was originally built in 800 something by the same Buddhist monk who settled Mt Koya. He came looking for lumber to build more temples.
There are craft shops to make paper crafts, bamboo crafts and much more. We watched them make paper and Roy was fasinated by the wood shop, ofcourse.
The trip was sponsored by the City of Iwakuni so half the participates were Japanese and there was one family from the Netherlands. Now picture this, they had us singing songs on the bus, some in Japan and some in English. We sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and I think in all the years, I never knew there was more than one verse to Twinkle Twinkle. There are three. We also sang Row Row Row Your Boat in round, but it was pretty bad.
It was a great trip and we enjoyed the new friends that we made. 

Anyone want to guess what this is?

Steam locomotives are still in use in Japan but mostly for the tourist trade. We took this train to the apple farm. What a nostalgic trip that was, just listening to the whistle brought back so many memories.

lynne_hammonds@yahoo.com

Apple Picking

We had a great time picking apples. Fuji apples are large and sweet and beautiful. Japanese like to peel off the skin on apples so when you arrive at the farm, they give you a knife and a bag. You can eat all you want off the trees, but you have to buy the take home ones. I bought 4 and they cost 730 yen, about $7.00 

Next Adventure

Well, orders have arrived, tickets are purchased and we will be home, the same day we leave here. This weekend, we went out and shopped, getting some things for the motorhome, gifts and Roy found another clock for our mantel. (That makes about an even half dozen, but what can I say, the man likes old clocks.) At least this one was made in Japan. The last one he bought here, is German I am sure. None of them work very well.....
I am very disappointed. I ordered a Buddhist Chant off ebay, won it for $4.99 and the guys said that it was returned damaged from the post office. What a bunch of crap. I bet he never had it in the first place or found another buyer. Oh well, I will keep trying.
So most of our time is going to be spent cleaning out and sorting and getting ready for the big move. We do have three more trips planned. We are going on a day trip with the City of Iwakuni, (Its a Friendship trip) to a little town that is noted for its crafts. We are also going apple picking next week and going to ride in an antique steam engine/train thru the mountains and best for last, we are going to go to our last and final Sumo match. I am going to take lots of yen so I can get some great sumo stuff, to go with my great sumo doll collection. I have 4 or 5 dolls now and I love them all.
And then we will be home and busy with the holidays. My bud is coming up for Christmas and we have a lot planned for when he comes. I am thinking about throwing a Retirement party for myself at the same place that we had a goodbye party for me in 1995. It would be fitting.

This is a picture of our room, at night the futons were laid out by the staff. A snack was waiting for us when we arrived, cookies and hot tea. 

Kukai

Kukai, known as Kobosaishi through his posthumous honorific name, sailed to China at the age of 31 in the year 804. In the ancient capital of Chang'an, he studied Tantric Buddhism under priest Keika and was granted a master title. After returning from China in 806, he had been spreading the Shingon (True Word) Sect of Buddhism.
He founded Mt. Koya (Koyasan) as a religious retreat in 816, when the then Emperor Saga granted him the land. It is said that this was the start of Kongobuji Temple.

The Taste of Mt Koya

Buddhist are vegetarian and so our three meals were all vegetarian. I must admit that by the end of the trip, I was thinking about big juicy hamburgers and carnage. But the meals were very good.
Dinner (pictured) was about 10 different items, maybe even 12. The tofu, which is generally made from Soy beans was made from Sesame seeds and had a very creamy taste and texture. (Well, as much taste as you can get from tofu) I bought some dried to bring home and if it doesn’t get confiscated by customs, we will have it at home. The tofu was served in a soy sauce and with the obligatory wasami. There were pickled things and noodle dishes, and some were delicious and others just okay, and still others not edible to my tongue. Of course there was the rice bowl and the green tea. That was funny, for just at $6.00 you could by one large beer or some hot or cold sake. That’s expensive beer, but those who order it were not disappointed. Dessert was melon and a slice of persimmon that is grown in that area and just delicious. I was more than full and the only thing that was difficult was sitting on the floor. The paper cone that you see is a hot noodle dish with mushrooms and veggies and it boiled right in the paper. It looked pretty but not much taste.

Breakfast was about the same except we had Miso soup. This miso didn’t taste like the normal soup that I have had in the past and the interpreter said that it was because Miso is generally made from fish sauce and this was not. It was good and I wasn’t disappointed and enjoyed all my meals. (But you know me, I try anything once and sometimes more than once.)

(Just to tell you about the cost of living in Japan, I went out and bought some Persimmons and 5 cost me just under $5. but they had some better ones for $10.00. $2 a piece for a persimmon. Amazing. I am going apple picking next week and if its anything like last years, the apples which are Fuji's, are sweet, juicy and also about 2 bucks each. I spent $12.00 on a bag last year and I am sure this year will be no different. )

The Sounds of Mt Koya

We got to attend a Buddhist something, ceremony might be the correct term. We were led into this darken room (and in the back were some chairs which I took advantage of) A young Buddhist priest (or novice, I am not sure which as he was dressed in blue and not the normal orange) spoke for awhile but not speaking Japanese I could only listed and look around at the peaceful room. Then the lights went out and only three candles on the alter lit the room and a priest came in and the two started a chant, many of the other participants also chanted, and bells rang, and gongs sounded and a feeling of peace enveloped us. It lasted about a half hour and then we were awarded certificates for attending. (Needless to say, I went to ebay and ordered a copy of some Buddhist Chants.)
That wasn’t the last time we were treated to chanting, it was just our first experience. Later that night, after dinner, we were taken to an auditorium and again treated to Buddhist music and chants and again, I loved the feeling that came over me. This time the chants were accompanied by a cello, violin and different percussion instruments. Sunday morning we were also again treated to a morning service and again listed to the beautiful chants. We even got to participate in this one, and I found out why, there was a collection box there (See I guess all religions are pretty much the same.)

The Sights of Mt Koya

I mentioned below that our Buddhist Adventure was a treat to all five senses. Not only were the eyes blessed with beauty and interest and ok, so we also got some rain in them, but our other senses were also stimulated beyond the norm.
I need to tell you first about the drive UP the mountain. Thank goodness we had a excellent bus driver because Japanese roads are well, narrow might be an overstatement. This road would hardly qualify as a one-lane road in the US and this bus was huge, but our bus driver took those switchbacks with a skill that I wish I would possess. He was good. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the top, I was sick and I was sitting at the front of the bus, those in back were turning shades of green. We were glad to get out, even in the rain.
We by the way were a lot of great folks from Iwakuni Marine Corp Base. Sallie was there; Belinda, our librarian; teachers from the school; Marines from HQ and of course Yugi our tour guide who admitted to being a little nervous for this one. (I don't know why, the man has never lost anyone yet, but this was a first for IT&T)Did I mention Saturday it rained, and rained and rained, but we all had umbrellas so it didn't seem to matter a great deal, we got a little wet but that was fine. We were out of the bus....We first toured Kongojuii, a huge Temple that was built by a warlord for his mother. It is absolutely huge and the gardens were raked gravel and rocks, my kind of garden, that’s for sure.From there we went across the street and from there our ears/hearing sense took over.

Buddhist Adventure

We are home from our Buddhist Adventure and I have so much to tell you, I feel absolutely overwhelmed. We saw and did so much; one letter couldn't do it justice. Each sense was stimulated. The sights were magnificent, the sounds were serene, the smells were not of this earth, the tastes were different and the feel was calming and stimulating all at the same time. We went to Mt Koya, a Buddhist RetreatMt Koya is to Buddhist in Japan, the pinnacle of the religious pyramid. First I know you know this about the Japanese and religion. Japan has two major religions, Shintoism and Buddhism, with Christianity following a distant third. If you ask a Japanese person if they are Buddhist, they will tell you they are, but they can and often are also Shinto and even Christian (This must really drive Christian missionaries nuts, as they think they have a convert and find that really don't) They do not believe that you just must practice one religion exclusively and they don't even understand that concept. They marry in the Shinto church, they bury their dead in the Buddhist tradition and celebrate Christmas all at the same time, and it is all very logical to them.Anyway, Mt Koya is a beautiful mountaintop, where Esoteric Buddhism is practiced. (I hope you don't want an explanation of that, because while I learned a lot about the practice, I didn't learn anything about the different nuances of Buddhism, that study would probably take the rest of my life)Esoteric Buddhism was started by Kukai, (Kobo Daishe is what he is called now) 774-835. Kukai was from an aristocrat family but turned to Buddhism while in University. Basically, he went to China to study Buddhism and returned to bring his teachings to the Japanese. Upon arrival in Japan he was met by a young man with two dogs, a white dog and a black dog and the young man told him the dogs would guide him to the mountain, which they did, they took him to the base of Mt Koya and there he met an old woman. (I don't really know if I understood what the old woman had to do with the story, but it is significant in some way)Kukai turned out to be a great leader and he attracted a large following and now Mt Koya has many temples, cemeteries, monasteries, etc. His mausoleum is there, as he wanted to be buried along side a river deep in the mountains. Now his mausoleum is at the top of a huge cemetery where most of Japans great and near great families have their monuments. The older part of the cemetery consists of old Samurai families, the newer section has monuments from the wars, Nissan has a huge monument dedicated to employees who died of injuries on the job, and just rich families who can afford it. There are over a half million monuments at this cemetery, which gives you some idea of the Japanese economy. I understand that what they do is divide the ashes of the deceased and one part is buried on Mt Koyo and the other part is buried in a cemetery in the person’s hometown.

Weekend Mt. Koya Trip

LOL, Recieved the following memo from the group that is sponsoring this weekends trip to the Buddhist Temple

Temple Lodging Information
We will stay at one of the temple lodging facilities on
Mt. Koya. These temple lodgings have been opened recently for tourists because
fewer Buddhist monks want to experience Ascetic (very stict) practive these
days. Therefore there is no strict discipline to follow (We heard about
the Monks hitting folks with sticks) however, there are few important things to
keep in mind.
1) There is no specific dress code. However it is
not appropriate to wear short sleeve shirts or short pants.
2) The rooms are separate for men and women (even for
married coples).
3) Meals (dinner, breakfast and lunch) are only
vegetarian food with tea or water. However, you can order Sake or Beer for a
charge at dinnertime (Soft Drinks are not available)
4) Dinner starts promptly at 5:30pm and Breakfast
starts promptly at 7:30am. Everyone is expected to eat
together
5) You are allowed to bring your own sacks (snacks?)
and drinks (there are no vending machines). However these items may only be
consumed in the privacy of your room.
6) While you are having dinner, employees of the
lodging facility will make your bed (Futon)
7) The public bathing facilities are only available
from 1600 to 2300 (there is nothing available in the mornign) Women and men's
bathrooms are separate. Please bring your own shampoo, soap, toothbrush,
and bath towel.
8)Both Japanese and Western style toilets are
available
9) Zen practice (meditation) is held early in the
mornng, 30 minutes before breakfast. Your nightgown, pajamas, or the Yukatas
provided by the lodging facility are not appropriate for this
practice
10) There is no safety box for your valuables
11) Silence Time is from 2300 until the next morning
around 0500.
12 The Yukata (night wear ((robe))) furnished by the
facility is for use in your room only. Please leave it in your room before
checking out.

I am really looking forward to this trip, but a little worried. I am not much for public bathing.... so we will see how that goes. I might just pack a bunch of wetwipes and forget the whole thing.

Maybe I need to explain about the roof tiles

I spoke below about roof tiles and thought that maybe I should explain why Roy is fasinated by them. It seems that the old families in Japan each had their own roof tile design so that is why there are so many different ones. Above in another design from Iwakuni families.

I am not sure this qualifies as an interesting picture, but there are few blogs that feature roof tiles so may be I can class the picture as unique if nothing else

This tile adorns a thatched roof.

Just hit me

OMG, I just read another persons travel blog and okay, if mine get that bad would someone please hit me. The first word of every sentence was "I". It was scary, and the pictures .. Pretty.. But much the same.
Pictures... We all take pictures and what do we do with them all?. All right, raise your hand, how many of you have a shoe box full of pictures that you never look at. Roy just bought a $1000.00 camera and is talking about buying a $1000 dollar zoom lens to go with it. So, what are we going to do with all those pictures and who is going to look at them and how many sunsets can a person take AND when its all said and done, in a year from now, heck a month from now, heck tomorrow, there will be another sunset and I won't know one cloud from another. LOL Dear daughter, it looks as if your going to not only inherit the mess in the garage, but your going to have to dump a million pictures of stuff that you don't even know what or where or who they are.) As it is, he takes picture of stuff and I haven't a clue what they are when I get home. "Roy, what is this a picture of?" "Oh, that a roof tile, isn't it cool"? But I thought we had enough pictures of roof tiles?" Well, this one is special cause its on a roof that we haven't taken a picture of before"! Actually, I am kidding but we do have a dozen roof tile pictures.
Okay, I promise, if I post a picture, it will be of something that you have never seen before, or something truly remarkable. No sunsets. No pictures of pretty mountains or Aunt Tillys back yard, or a wild flower surrounded by rocks, or rosy rear end or even roof tiles, regardless of how interested you are in roof tiles. Also, kill me if I start to post pictures of our motorhome or worse the inside of our motorhome. (I suppose if I have one of those $150.000 dollar mansions on wheels then I would post a picture of it, but ours is Ms Cheapo Casita and hopefully she is camera shy but if you want to see a picture of her google Pursuit by Georgie Boy and check it out. Better yet, call me and we will come and visit and I'll give you a private tour. (Yep Cousin Linda, you're my first visit....)

When we first move out of metropolitan USA in 1974 we moved to Ft Leonardwood MO. I had never lived in a town without at least 2 million people and suddenly I find myself in rural American. I might as well have been in Mongolia because while we all spoke almost the same language, I just didn't know about rural life.. I remember one day Jean and I were reading the local paper and I was almost in shock because the big stories of the day was that Trudy Jones had company over for Sunday Dinner and she served chicken and rice. I was laughing so hard I nearly pee'd my pants. I'm sorry, in San Francisco or LA or even Guadalajara, the big story would be a crime or a politician or even some gossip about a famous person, but that anyone served chicken and rice would never have made any page of the San Francisco Chronical...
Now Jean was a new friend that I made when I moved to Missouri and she spoke some "rural". She taught me about 'cracklins and boiled peanuts (Expect I thought she was saying bald peanut and that made no sense to me at all. What was a bald peanut?. She had to buy me a bag and of course I became addicted immediately, and you can bet I am going to time my next visit to bald peanut season) and I taught her about tacos and French bread.
Were was I going with this. Wow, old age is horrible, brain fart, I have no idea what the point was going to be. Maybe that some of the travel blogs that I read are like rural Americana and I should just keep my mouth shut. I just don't want to sound like a second grader.... and I know that If I tried to keep a running log of our travels you would hear a lot of boring stuff. "Today we put 30 miles on the rig and visited "big tree" and boy was big tree, a very very big tree with pretty green leaves"! Stick my finger down my throat.

Now I know that your all excited to hear about our trip to Mt Koya and the stay with the Buddhist monks next week. I hope I make the bus as it leaves at 0500. Grrrr.

End of Summer

Great and beautiful day today. The weather has gone from hot and humid to warm and beautiful. School has started so the streets are quiet for most of the day and I've got a stack of great books to read. Sallie, my engineer friend here on base told me she was reading Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series and I remembered how much I loved them, sooooo I went to Amazon.com (What would I do with out Amazon?) and ordered book one thru 6. I'm reading three, the Mummy Case and its fun reading. The first book, she is a spinster who is traveling the world and while visiting Egypt, she meets and falls in love with Radcliff Emerson, a noted archeologist. The second book is just as good, they get themselves into some different mysteries, which together they solve. Now the third book, their young son Ramsey has joined them and he stays in trouble, falling into a sand pit, stealing a lion cub, etc....
Also, sadly in some ways, I am packing up and getting ready to return home. Leaving Japan will be so hard, for I have made some great friends, and we have had some great times. Roy is also dragging his feet as he doesn't want to leave either. He was even offered a great job here, where he would make lots of money, but we're ready to come home. We need to break in the motor home, we have guests coming for Christmas and I have been tapped to go on a disaster assignment as soon as I am ready. I don't think I'll be ready right away.
Anyway, I really love fall. Its my favorite time of year and Japan is beautiful

Sumo is over for the September Basho

Vickie, did I tell you that Sumo comes to Las Vegas in the fall. Meet me there next year (06) cause I won't be home in time this year. BUT, I will be going to Fukaoka in November to watch the last night of the last basho of 05. I don't care that I can only afford seats in the "nose-bleed" section and I don't care that Kaio, my favorite, favorite will probably be retired, I just want a glimps of Kotooshu, and I want to get a calendar and maybe a signed autograph and oh, another sumo doll to add to my collection.
This was a great match. Kotooshu, the big Bulgarian with beautiful blue eyes and not an ounce of fat on his body did an outstanding job, winning 13 of the 15 matches. He was just promoted to Sekiwaki, thats like the third level and he made history, beating just about everyone. Unfortunately, he didn't beat the Yokosuna, (top dog) so he didn't become champion but he still did an outstanding job and made history. There is always next basho. http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi_2510.html
I am going to miss Sumo. Its been a great part of my Japan adventure and I thank Vic for turning me on to it.

Can you do Japan on a dime?

Judy emailed me that she and DH are coming to Japan for a visit. Unfortunately she will be here when the cherry blossoms are out and I will not be here to show her around. She asked if I had any tips for doing Japan cheaply as she posted in another blog and the only comment she got was "Japan ain't cheap"
That person is right Judy. Japan isn't a cheap vacation. If you want cheap, right now some of the best places to go are Vietnam and China. Both places are great places to visit, and both can be done on a budget.
But there are some tricks to keeping prices down in Japan also.
1) The Bullet Train is the best way to get around Japan and you can get a two week pass and go just about anywhere with it for a bargain price. Make sure you get the pass outside of Japan cause it isn't available here in country. Japanese are good about helping and much is written in English. Just remember, they leave on time. Period.
2) There are youth hostels just about all over, and elder hostels also. While I have never stayed in one, I have seen the one here in town and it is in a beautiful park like area and quiet.
3) Food in Japan is expensive, but you can get some great meals from places like Family Mart and 7-11. They sell bento boxes for 3 to 5 dollars, juice boxes, soft drinks, coffee, etc. Bakery's sell delicious baked goods but be careful, some might have bean paste or potato or even bacon and egg or cheese. Also the fast food restaurants are a good deal and they are just about in every big town. Don't expect to get hamburgers, you'll more than likely get a rice bowl with meat, or noodles (Ramen) Dont eat in hotel restaurants, they are very expensive unless you get breakfast with your room rent.
4) Hotels are expensive so go online and spend some time looking around. If you only have a week
5) If you only have a week or so, fly into Osaka and take the local train to Kyoto. It is the best, most beautiful city with both history and lots to see and do.
6) We stayed at the New Kyoto Hotel or Hotel New Kyoto, something like that. It cost about $123 for two nights, and the room as a twin bed, table, chair, TV (All Japan TVs have pay porn, so if you think its a movie channel, think again. Its porn) bath, shower and they have slippers and a robe for you to wear. The robes are not to leave the hotel so don't think they are gifts.
In the lobby of the hotel you can get a daily bus pass for 500 yen. Its a bargain and you will soon find the tourist buses. When you have see all that Kyoto has to offer, check on some of the outlining areas for more great things.
The golden pavillion is a must. Nijo Castle with its nightengale floors is worth the price, great museams, craft stores, and the Ginza is not to be missed.
Anyway, Judy girl, you can do Japan on a dime , well lots of dimes maybe. But you will come back with a smile on your face.

Sophie Sale

We had our last fund raiser of the year and my last fund raiser, period. It was a lot of fun and of course, we were some of the biggest customers. Sophie sells antique furniture, replica furniture, baskets and stuff.
I bought two beautiful, hand carved window shutters, one for each child. I know RB will love it, but might not be Bets taste at all. Also, purchased each a little chest with hand carving on the front. Then Roy won a 19 century red and gold cubboard. Again not my taste, but its very old, hand carved and I am sure one of our friends will love it, or maybe our new S-I-L would like it.

Sophie, the lady who sells the antique furniture and Nye, the Persian Rug guy, and so fun. Sophie is Chinese and just built a house in Bejing. She has invited us to come visit and we are thinking about it as it would be an adventure of a lifetime. Nye is from England but he is Indian by nationality and unfortunately, he got very sick while here and had to be hospitalized. I really feel sorry for him as he speaks only a small bit of Japanese so he doesn't even know what is happening to him. Sophie speaks Japanese, many of the Chinese dialects, English, and many of the middle eastern languages. I guess you have to be fluent when you travel like she does. She also owns a home in London and one in Okinawa. She is a citizen of the world.

Speaking about being a citizen, I am down to 2 months and one week before I retire. I am so excited. We have already made plans to have our buddy from Portland come and spend Christmas with us and then we are off Oregon, Calif, Arizona and New Mexico, Utah and Nevada. That should take us at least a year, but if I never get home that will be find also.

Still not feeling well, but think it must be bad diet, stress and just the crude.

Tonight is pottery class again. Haven't been in a month as the typhoon cancelled the last class. I hope my vase shows up, and the pot I was working on.

Its been a week.

All week, I have come here trying to think of something profound to write about and nothing has come to mind. I haven't been feeling well. Nothing that I can point to at all, just feeling bad. The problem is that, when I can't identify whats wrong, I get anxiety attacts ever since I returned from Iraq, plus I'm a hypocondriac, so put the two together, and I am a real mess.
Monday I started water arobics and ooooo, the water felt so good. I didn't want to get out at all.

See I have nothing to talk about and this is boring and dull. Maybe I'll come up with something next week.

Updates

1) Well one wimpy typhoon turned into a monster in the community. There was a lot of flooding and even more damage than we thought. I watched the Japanese news and it was scary.

2) Roy loved the idea of staying at the Buddhist Temple in October so he is going to sign us up today. Did I mention the price, $200 dollars per person for one night......

3) I think I am going to change the name of Casita to something Japanese and will decorate it with my beautiful Japanese art.

4) Pottery class was cancelled this week due to the typhoon and my poor half pot is rapidly drying out.

5) Two months and 3 weeks to retirement.

Mysteries of Buddhism Tour

Wait til you read about our next adventure. Its called the Mysteries of Buddhism tour and we leave on the 15th of October at 0500 and travel to Mt Koya. Mt Koya is north of here (well actually we've had this discussion about my sence of direction ) Its above Osaka actually, about a 5 hour drive.
http://japaneseguesthouses.com/db/mount_koya/.
Once we get there, we will have a half-day guided sightseeing tour to the Temples and around the area. Then we check into the Temple for a traditional Monk's lodging (males and females separate, of course) We have a half hour lecture on Basic Buddhist Concepts and then a traditional vegetarian Monk's dinner, followed by a concert by a Shingon Buddhist Monk. Sound fun so far? The night is going to be interesting. Males and females sleep separately, there is a public bath and toilet, but not in the room. Meals are, of course vegetarian and we will sleep on a Japanese tatami floor with a futon. We need to bring our own soap, shampoo, towels and toothbrushes.

Day 2 is Morning Zen Meditation, followed by a traditional monks breakfast and after breakfast we will visit yet another Temple and participate in the "Goma" Fire Ritual and more meditation.
I am really excited as it sounds like a great time. I just hope we can find a few more folks to join us as minimum 15 people are needed to do this trip.

I will certainly tell you all about it and hope that I can take pictures of everything.

Typhoon

While the US has been recovering from Hurricane Kathrine, we in Japan had our own Super typhoon to deal with yeasterday. Actually, while there was some flooding and a few deaths, Japan was very lucky. It was classed as a Super Typhoon, a 4 or 5 on the US scale, but it only glanced off Okinawa and by the time that it got to us, had lost a lot of its punch. The winds gusted at about 50 MPH which is nothing. Today it went back out to sea to see if it could regroup but I think the cooler waters in the north just killed it off completely

Last year, we had three typhoons hit and the year is still young, so we will have more I am sure.

Kyoto, Japan

Its my birthday and what a way to celebrate. Saturday morning, Sallie, Berry and Bev Nelson and Roy and I loaded up a van and headed north to Kyoto. The weather was outstanding but we did hear about a Super Typhoon brewing in the south. Nothing we were going to worry about.
We have all been to Kyoto before and we have all loved it, but before we had taken a tour with ITT and this time we were on our own.
We had a lot of trouble finding a hotel that could accommodate us all. We needed two doubles and one single and we needed parking. Parking it turned out was the hardest thing to find. Some had no parking at all, some changed hourly, but finally we found one with free parking, and the price was right.
Well, okay Japanese hotels are expensive. If you can find something for under a hundred a night, you can consider yourself really lucky. The Kyoto New Hotel, (which I don't think is very "new") checked in at just $100 a night for a double and that was a great deal. It had two beds, a refrig, a pot to make hot water, and like all hotels, robes and slippers.
The trip up was about 6 hours long with all of us taking a turn at driving, and we arrived before check in time so we started sighseeing right away. The first stop was to a handicraft place where they showed how textiles were woven, wood was carved, pottery turned, etc. It was fasinating, especially the textiles. We spent a good three hours just wandering around looking at all the Japanese crafts.
Our Hotel wasn't hard to find and like most Japanese hotels, the rooms were small and clean. The beds have to be the hardest in the world, and the pillows are all rice husks or barley or some sort of bean. Also, you can always find porn on Japanese television so I always tell folks not to let the kids channel surf in Japan cause they will get a great education.
We all decided that Italian would be a great dinner and we found a restaurant a couple blocks away. Have I mentioned that Japanese food is expensive. For 33.00 Roy and I had a plate of noodles and some garlic bread and drinks.
Sunday morning, we went downstairs for breakfast and I ordered the Japanese Breakfast for 12.00. I got a green salad, a raw egg, a slice of smoked fish, miso soup and a bowl of rice. I mixed the egg in the miso to cook it a bit. The others only groaned when they saw me eat it, but it was better than their watery scrambled eggs with catsup and corn soup.
We hopped a bus and went to the Silver Pavillion. They were doing some construction but the grounds were beautiful. From there we walked along the river on the Philosophers path, past a half dozen or so temples, like the one above. They are so beautiful, but like castles, temples are all starting to look like, so we headed to the Kyoto National Museum.
I am telling you, it was probably the most interesting one that I have seen in a long time. There were huge Buddas carved from wood dating back to the 15 and 16th century. There was pottery dating back to about the 1st century and examples of kimonos that were just awesome. It was an amazing museum.
Lunch for 4, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches and ice tea. 30.00 dollars
Our final stop was the Kyoto Handicraft Gallery where they make and sell everything Japanese from pearl jewerly, laquare ware, woodblocking, textiles, etc. We bought a music box for a friend of mine in Washington and some pictures of Kyoto for us. While we were shopping, the rain started and it didn't let up for the rest of the trip.
We certainly lucked out for dinner. We found this little Chinese place a couple blocks from the hotel and we had the most delicious meal, best Chinese since I have been here. It was a popular place, as tables were all full and folks can in for take out constantly. It was a winner and if I ever go back, its on the short list of places to eat. Cheap to,,,, well for Japan.
Monday we headed home as the typhoon was getting closer and closer and we didn't want to get stuck.