Sunday 8 January 2012

Camping at Bright


It has become one of our traditions
to go on an annual camping trip.
This year we decided to head to Bright,
known famously for its Autumn trees,
but it was just a lovely in Summer.
We spent the nights lighting sparklers for Elise.


The days were hot, so we chose a spot
under a tree along the Owens River,
which had beautiful clear water.
TM decided there might be gold in the river
and sat there for hours panning with his hands!


Elise and TM get into some serious
watermelon eating!


A rare photo opp!

Happy New Year! 新年明けましておめでとうございます!


The New Year is probably the most important
event in the Japanese calendar (on par with
Christmas in Australia) and it is a time when
the whole family get together.
TM obviously misses this very much, so we have
made our own tradition.
We have the customary soba noodles on New Year's Eve
(although chilled because it's too hot to have them warm).
This year we had NHK Tv, so TM was able to
watch the endless music program that everyone
typically watches in Japan on NY eve.
I have to admit, I have never been a fan of it,
but I actually got into it this year.
Elise kept up a dancing ritual in front of the TV.


TM managed to stay up till 2am (as Japan is 2 hrs behind
Oz), but I turned in after 12pm,
seeing as I am usually
the one on Elise and dog duty when they
wake up at random hours!
TM set up this little shrine on our dining room buffet
and has been presenting 'god' with little offerings
of sake and rice.

May it be an excellent year for everyone.

The White Christmas

As everyone will have noticed, Christmas Day this year
put on a strange weather display... hot one minute...

Snowing hail-stones the next!...


But the main thing for Elise was that Santa came!