February Fun Facts part 1

  Welcome, welcome, welcome.

Here comes a series of 4 updates 

what Alishan on the Move did and saw in February.

Yep, the coldest month of the year...
but it's also the turn-around of the winter towards spring.

Yeah...

 First of All, this maneki neko (fortune cat).

Found her in a display at Mamushi Onsen in Itoshima

She was hand made by a 84 year old lady.

And indeed February brought us good health and (some) fortune :-)

We had some snow the other day...

so time to enjoy a white hike!

Start of the trail to Tombo Yama

Always confusing to see oranges covered with snow..

The sign reads something like: 

Mountain, thank you for using you.....

After enough picture taking & absorbing of the scenery 

...it was down the trail..

and spearheading for that Mamushi Onsen.

Not a bad day at all.

Salute

Spring is in the Air.

What a relief after a cold, windy and snowy week:

The weather looked promising for the day.

So we loaded our backpacks and jumped on board the 7 AM

Itoshima Express, heading for Fukuyoshi station.

From there to follow the trail Up and Down 4 Peaks.

Blue blue sky and Plum Blossom.

Peak # 2.

All smiles at the Sunny Side of the Hill.

(yep, we did see the odd snow pocket in shady corners)

It's not only Climb and Run.

Somehow this small lunch popped out of our backpacks.

...of course there were complains about the forgotten bottle of wine.

On Top of the World at the last peak of the day.

Itoshima down there.

  8 hours later we were back at sea-level.

Yeap, these are edible.

 A very popular veggie, of course one reason is:

Spring is Here!

Right now we see dolls like these All over Town.

Soon it's Hina Matsuri, aka Girls Festival.

(3 March).

For sure that calendar day starts Spring.

Salute.

Itoshima: Here we come...our yearly Kaki goya Run (2014)

December 23

is a national holiday in Japan.

That day is becoming our yearly 

Kaki goya Run Event.

(kaki=oyster, goya=hut, the place where you eat "bbq-ed" oysters.) 

As prep for the upcoming Xmas, 

End of the Year

and New Year Parties.

And of course as a SLD training for the 

Ibusuki Marathon in January.

Lucky us, as the weather was perfect that day.

Please click the video.

music: Rise & Fall by Steven Garcia @ Cafe del Mar.

Salute.

i GOOD JOG-ed the 2014 Fukuoka Marathon.

50.000 people wanted to join the first

Fukuoka GOOD JOG Marathon held in November 2014.

Only 10.000 got a starting-ticked. 

I was lucky.

A BIG Thank You to

the organizers, runners, sponsors, supporters

 and the Wonderful Volunteers.

It was SUPER.

Some pictures: 

Running friend Riki is volunteering at " the head-office".

My "home-town": Meinohama fisherman's families are supporting 

left and right. Eji and Etsuko san ( "our" SUMIE maru) with their 

grandchildren  (left).

Oki Arrigatto! 

Marina Animal Clinic staff.

(Nori and Wakame's care-givers).

Yachting friend Mena (r) and neighbor.

Total Towel Service at the goal by Noriko.

Happy Times: 4 h 41 minutes.

( exactly the same score @ 2014 Ibusuki Marathon).

And 2 videos, of course taken with my GoPro.

They are good action cameras, but even so, 

with running there is some "shaking".

Dear Mr Google who works at YouTube was so kind to 

remove those last shakes.

This is part 1: from the start in Tenjin to about 17K

Part 2 is from 26K to the finish at Shima, Itoshima

The bit in the middle?....oops, flat camera battery...

All in All, an Amazing GOOD JOG.

Hope to run you next year.

Salute.