One Handed Push-Up

Great White Egret in Early Morning Light

The Face of a Lightning Bug

Yumiko and Sonia at the Meiji Shrine

 Our last day in Tokyo and Yumiko and Sonia visited the Meiji Shrine.  We will be back home on Tuesday.  See you then!!

Stray Cats in Aoyama Cemetery

We came back to Tokyo yesterday and I couldn't help myself.  I had to go back to the Aoyama Cemetery near our apartment where I spent many early morning hours a few years ago.  I wanted to see if the stray cats were still there.  And to my total delight, there they were.  All rough and tough and beautiful.  (Click on cat for better view.)

Lots of Rain - But No Typhoon

Well, there was lots of calm before the storm.  We woke up early, had breakfast and then took the little ferry from our hotel to the main land.  We slogged through the rain and got on the train and made it back to Tokyo in five hours without seeing hide nor hair of the typhoon.  And... when we got back home the good people from the Kyoto Hotel, as promised delivered my computer back to me safe and sound.  Life is good again.

The Glories of Travel

Well, here is the latest.  I am writing from the lobby computer in our little hot Spring Hotel located on the tip of the Kii Peninsula near Osaka.  We stayed in a wonderful hotel in Kyoto, except in our haste to get to the next train I left my lap top in our guest room in typical Kitty Riley Kono fashion.  Luckily the wonderful Japanese people in the hotel said they would pack up the computer and send it to our apartment in Tokyo so it will arrive when we get back on Friday.  Ugh...... 

This afternoon a huge typhoon is scheduled to hit our hotel and keep hitting it until late this evening.  Everyone says there is nothing to worry about, but we can see all the fishing vessels have come back in from out in the ocean and have tied up at the shoreline and no more boats are going out today.  Oh, the glories of travel.

Ken forgot to bring any reading material and has stolen my book, so I am here writing to all of you.  If we make it through the storm, I will post again tomorrow.  In the mean time, here's a snap shot of Yumiko and Sonia under an ancient bell in Kyoto

We Made it to Tokyo

We got to Tokyo on Sunday afternoon safe and sound and all in good spirits.  Yumiko (right) and her friend Sonia Zohrabian are here with Ken at the kitchen table.  They spent the day yesterday walking the city, singing in a little Karaoke place, and then dinner in a Chinese restaurant. It is hotter than hot, but we will survive.  Today we leave in about two hours for an over night in Kyoto with Ken's friend Yutaka San and then on to the Ki Peninsula where we will stay two nights in a little onsen hot spring hotel.  More updates as we go along.

The Osprey Grabs a Fish (Click on Osprey for Better View)

The Babies Just Keep Getting Bigger!!

I've become rather obsessed with my baby praying mantises.  They are now in the vegetable garden, the flower garden and the Japanese Maple and they are growing!!  Some are getting much bigger than others.  This is a medium sized one.  Oh it is way too much fun to go out and say hello each morning and be greeted by these cool little creatures.

New Antlers

I've Had Just About Enough of You

I Need a Manicure!

Tasty Breakfast

Sleep Walking

Uh Oh..... I Think I Ate a Bad Oyster

We're Hungry!!!!

Morning Doves Kissing With Their Eyes Closed

Our Little Raised Bed Garden

Our friend Tim Wrona created a wonderful raised bed vegetable garden in early April in our back yard.  Here's a before and after picture.    Pretty soon the tomato plants will fill those four tall tomato cages and the peas and pole beans and cucumbers and zucchini will fill up that lattice work in the back.  We've got potatoes and beets, kale, carrots, peppers, eggplants, brussel sprouts, all kinds of lettuce and herbs. Now how do we  keep the rabbits and squirrels and groundhogs from taking their fare share??

Red Wing Blackbirds

The Baby Girl                                                            

The Baby Boy                                                .