A blistering day.
The sun sets in our part of the world. It felt like a summer’s day, as if the rainy season was already over. I hope it isn’t. It has barely begun and the rice harvest depends on it.
Pumps and fountains
More fun with the Spectre app on the edge of Lake Senba. Mito is set for 34C today. I got my walk in early.
Japanese Rat snake
They live for an average of 15 years, can grow to 180cms, hunt small rodents and, given the opportunity will take bird’s eggs. They may bite if threatened but are not poisonous. I met one on a recent walk and was struck by the beauty of its coloring and the ease with which it swam to the other side of the River Sakasa.
Swallows sipping
Fast and erratic in their flight, Swallows only seem to slow down to take the briefest of drinks.
Credit: Music by Daddy_s_Music from Pixabay
The River Sakura
Join me on a walk along the River Sakura on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Bent to accommodate, turtle on a rock, tape shedding, snake-like, The Screams graffiti, Bye-STOP!
Renewal
The whiteboard readied for a new school year.
DIY refurbishment of a white board with sticky-back plastic film.
Amazon sells a sheet of thick white film with an adhesive back which is perfect for reviving flagging white boards. I recently fixed the one in our Kasahara classroom. It really has transformed what was a fairly tatty display into a gleaming surface which is easy to write on and so much easier to clean. Money well spent!
Bedraggled.
I walked around Lake Senba in the drizzle on Sunday. Even in those damp and uninviting conditions the blossom maintained its beauty.
Mito’s Plum blossom festival.
Mito is well known for Kairaku-en, one of three great Japanese parks, the others being Kenroku-en in Kanazawa prefecture and Kōraku-en in Okayama prefecture. Kairaku-en was built in 1842 by Tokugawa Noriaki, clan lord of Mito and now hosts an annual Plum festival which attracts large numbers of tourists both domestic and international.
Many thanks.
When I introduced our new website to some of my adult student classes I asked if anyone would be prepared to post a comment about their experience of studying with us. It has been gratifying to receive a number of comments which I’ve subsequently published on the Home page. It reminded me of the cards and thank you letters we’ve received over the years from some of the children we have taught. This picture (of me) by a kindergarten student was drawn in 2008. I put it in a frame and it has been on display in our Kasahara classroom for the past fifteen years.
Love the ears!