Snow and Hikes

This winter was a White Winter.

Very little snow fell on the deck of Alishan, 

but plenty of it ended up on our Trail and Hike routes.

A wonderful December day, and our luck was: 

To be the first ones to the top of Mt Raizan.

This snow lot lasted only for 1 week.

I think that's just perfect.

A lot of hiking cq trail running was done as prep for 

Lantau 50 Trail Run (see later report).

Of course the fun is doing it together with friends...

and taking a rest-stop at the peak.

A Bird Watching hike with Marijke at Aburayama just to the  south of our city .

This too is winter in Fukuoka.... 

the picture was taken on January 2.

....and 2 weeks later,....the waterfall got frozen solid...

Rush hour @ taking groups pictures in front of the Frozen Waterfall.

The next group can come forward but has to duck!! 

And an other perfect hike with Drew,

the Man from Oz, where snowy hills are far and few.

It was indeed walking around in a Magic World.

It doesn't stop: A week later, a long trail run, starting more or less at sea level, where No White is found..

.....just Climb some Stairs...

....And Run theTrail...

Not showing: It was Cold!

 

....but Pretty neh...

That day, the air was clean and clear.

Salute.

Wintery Things

This winter slipped into our system like it happened other years:

Smooth!

Autumn is The Best Season of the Year, great weather and 

all sorts of out-door things are possible until and past Xmas.

And then suddenly IT is here!

One of the signs Year End and Winter are coming is the 

Yearly Rice Beating.

For that event I went back to my old job: 

 the Daycare for the Elderly 

at Kakoh Hospital in Daizafu.

The location now is in a new building,  it's HUGE and 

known as LaLaLa.

It is warm and wonderful to meet up with my old grannies...

 All going strong in their mid 90s!!

Yes, Year End drops grey and more grey days on top of us.

Fu Kyo is loosing out on the daily Sunset Sailing Trips...

....and Princess Wakame..

is always looking for warmer spots.

 Then late December,  an other Yearly Tradition..

...Marina Animal Hospital's Kakki (oyster) Run.

First we chew away 30K of tar-seal with a great mobile AID station following us,

(food, hot tea & coffee and booze!)

...after that, a soak in the Hot-spring of Mamushi 

AND then a feed-up at one of the Oyster tents in Fukuyoshi.

Yes Winter will come soon!

.....one morning we wake up and have 

the first Icing on the Deck....

...to prep ourselves against the coming cold, we eat well:

Natto spaghetti and buri sashimi

 (it's tough to have neighbors that keep on supplying us with freshly caught tuna).

And then it's New Years Day 2014.

Inside Alishan it's cozy and warm...
...esp with Mr Nori on your lap.
Hey Marijke..."No need to dress up for the Day?"

....like the fishermen dress up their boats...?

....Oops almost forgot an other yearly early winter event..

.....Ibusuki Marathon...

This was my 4th entry and by now my legs know the course...AND the stops for the never ending and great food and drink stations.

Run you again Next Year!

 A good laugh at the start...

...and still smiling going over the finish line, 

4 hours and 40 minutes later.

The day after the marathon we drove to Mt Kirishima, as it was host to a very special visitor..

...see Marijke's blog HERE.

  
Also early January we drove down to Kurume to watch the local Fire Festival.

Nope, not fireworks but serious works-on-fire!

 A pleasant day at Izuhara for some more BW.

And Tsuru watching at Izumi (Kagoshima).

Of course for more detailed crane bird pictures...zoeff to Marijke's blog.

 or go: 

HERE

 For Marijke's birthday we stayed the weekend in a small ryokan in Takaonomachi @ Izumi.
(0996-82-0202)

 See here a typical country-style meal.
Wow we aren't used to such amounts anymore.

But it was joyful eating and yummy indeed.

The next day it was Marijke's Birthday and so the inside of Esther had to be flowered.

(hihi, while i was the DD, Marijke had to pick her own flowers at a pit-stop along a country road.....)

And so, to all good and bad comes an end...

Spring is Here!

                                                           

Salute.

Alishan and crew in front of the TV camera (again).

Well, it took some time,

 but click 

HERE 

to see our appearance for Osaka's YTV.

Salute 

Tahhh-TaTaTahhhhh----

The follow-up story.

(see also Out and About part 2)

You might remember: Fu Kyo the Cat stopped in Amami Ohshima, on it's way Down South (may 2012) and that we had to sit out some nasty weather in the Port of Daikuma (not a bad place to do so).

And you do know that my favorite food comes from the sea... But I see it as "a duty" to join Mr. Mitsuda by times for a meal at a "yaki niku" restaurant (meat).

Of course we had no idea where to find a good yaki niku place, so we asked the local fish-tackle shop owner for advice...

and he hooked us up wit his friend the Taxi Driver...

who took us...

...to a restaurant in Naze.....with this Amazing Work of Art on the wall.

After all these years in Japan, i still can't read Kanji but i knew this was something different.

At one stage i asked around WHAT the content was of this writing.

And that started the whole story!

It was produced by the daughter of the restaurant owner.

Now, the company Fu Kyo belongs to, is also involved with

promoting artists...So, phone numbers were exchanged.

Long story short:

Miyuki chan (maker of the art) met up with Kazuya san 

(eldest son of Mr Mitsuda) a few days later in Tokyo and...

"Love was in the Air!"

...resulting in us having to Dress up in our Best!

(one year later).

The first wedding party was held in Fukuoka.

Miyuki chan with her mother.

It was a serious wedding, as you can see.

A few weeks later we flew to Amami Ohshima, 

for the Second Wedding.

 This story-board tells it all.

An Island Style Wedding...

Yes, lots of noise and heaps of action indeed.

My Partners in this story, from R to L: 

The fish-tackle shop Owner, the Taxi Driver, Mr. Mitsuda and Yaki Niku Master.

Dear Kazuya and Miyuki.

Lots of happiness for the future!

from the crew of Alishan.

Salute.