A Day of Natural Beauty

I had the pleasure and good fortune of visiting Tojinbo Cliffs in the Fukui region. This cove is renowned for its breathtaking views, sheer cliffs and surrounding beauty.

Pictured below: Photos from along the coast.

Pictured Below: Fantastic aerials provided by a number of hawks.
Pictured below: As some of you know, I had wanted to be an entomologist, so naturally I find insects, spiders and most creepy crawlies beautiful. I've got to get a camera with a setting for these little guys, but I realized I could get some nice silhouette shots. I have MANY more, but I figured one would be enough!

Pictured below: Various rocky outcrops. Along the main cliffs pictured directly below are many, many tourists. This spot is of course famous for its beauty, but also for the tragic stories that enfold it; many have taken their lives from these cliffs!
Pictured below: You can walk along the coast for miles until you come to a little island. Before reaching the island, we passed many a fishing boat. The bridge was a red painted in the Shinto fashion to denote sacred places. Upon crossing the bridge, we wandered through groves of gnarled trees.
Pictured below: Dusk!

O Sumo, Oh yeah!

The wonderful thing about having friends come to visit is
a) you get to see your friends and
b) you get to do things that you normally wouldn't do otherwise.

For me, that was sumo. I wasn't too terribly interested... until I got there. Tournaments last for weeks and often start at 8:00 a.m. with the the lowest-ranked wrestlers. As the day progresses, the more powerful and the more famous wrestlers come out. We arrived at 3pm to start our viewing of the more powerful wrestlers. Yes my friends, we were there for the best! We stayed until the best of the best fought and then, with dismay, left when they had finished at around 6pm.

I was impressed by the ritual and tradition, the sportsmanship as well as showmanship and of course by the wrestlers size, power and... grace. They were wonderful athletes as well as gracious losers and winners.

All I can say is this, if you get a change to check out a live match, DO IT, you won't be disappointed.

Butterflies

There's a lovely insect museum in Ishikawa, so naturally the gal who once wanted to be an entomologist just had to go. Not only did I go, but I experienced firsthand killer butterflies in the botanical gardens. You've probably heard about killer bees (yup, we've got 'em in Japan), but have you heard of killer butterflies? (Yup, they're in Japan, too). They're quite rare and most people have never heard of them. Their Latin name is Danaus Plexippus and their wing span is about 2 inches for males and 1.5 inches for females.

Ha! Just kidding.

The latin name mentioned above is that of a monarch butterfly. I refer to the butterflies we saw as "killer butterflies" because they scared the bejeezums out of many children. Children who had very little experience with these winged lovelies shrieked in terror and had to be carried out wailing... aw.

But, I had a wonderful time hanging out with these beautiful creatures and when I sat still, many would alight atop of my shoulders/ arms/ head... I loved it. Maybe I should have become an entomologist afterall.

Above: Ah, delightful!

Above: Oh my, my, my! Too many at once, or perhaps, one too many proboscis.

There and Back Again

It's been a while and I'm not ashamed to admit that I have never been terribly constant! So, true to form, I let days, weeks and months slip by without realizing it. (Or sometimes I realize it and just don;t get around to any updates). Anyhow, a lot has happened since three months have lapsed; in particular, I went home to VT... and now I'm back again.

Vermont in the summer... ah, it's lovely. There is so much greenery that at times it can hurt to look around! I'm excited to say that there was plenty of hiking to be had, sailing to be done, rivers to explore, berries to pick and of course, family dinners and visits with friends.

I spent three glorious weeks back in my old stomping grounds. The more places I explore, the more appreciation I have for this lovely, magical place.

Above: Just one of many family dinners.

Above: A shot of the local swimming hole known as "the Bristol Falls" to folks who don't live here and "Bartlett's Falls" to those who do!

Above: Abbey Pond in East Middlebury.

Above: What fun to be sailing again. Here's the sunset on Lake Champlain.

Above: The view from "Sunset" in Lincoln.