Shall Fall Visit Us Soon

So restless. I have to do something. Into the car. I hit the end of a road. Here we walk. I sweat. I smell the warm bark. I hit the ridge.



I push a bit farther and the forest rumbles. The branches start cracking. My body freezes up. A wild pig is dashing away. Is my stick in hand any good? My blood felt great. Nothing but endless green hills. The miniscule hamlets here and there.



I wondered why that area looked strange passing by the first time. There was an old tree.



I've got a bad habit of finding shrines. Maybe they find me.



Why did the air smell of thick laundry soap?




Shrines are peaceful and full of nothing. The last reminders and safe havens for nature in a land of concrete.




The sun graced my skin and kissed my lips. Who would have thought? The rice also made me blind.

Where the River Bends

The rice fields have yellowed over and the farmers are working hard to hang the harvest.



What was a mere instant of humid weather evaporated into cool mornings and nights. Oh how I've longed for high pressure. It's been too infrequent for my mind and soul. The rivers glow with an unbelievable green in the blue skies of autumn. From afar it looks like algae plumes gone astray. Don't be fooled. Get close and peer into the shallow depths where the slender fish swim. That is if you can find them.



Submersible bridges wading in the shallows much the same. The fishermen are trying to track their catch. They all are the best of friends but long time foes.



I would love to steal one of the boats and ride the river. I would let my skin turn ruddy from the bright sun. I wouldn't really care.



You won't really believe what you see. But they call it Niyodogawa blue for a reason.



A great secret of nature. Man has made sure to explain it clearly.



In the still neck of the river. A man and his boat sliced the water. I couldn't resist. Maybe a trespass on my part.



How was the catch today? He didn't say.



In Japanese they say the sky is high but when I was asked to translate, a suitable phrase escaped me. Then looking here I realized I knew it all along. Endless sky.



Out of the classroom spills passive aggressive Chinese hate. At least for the day, the fisherman and I felt no such state.

Kiyotaki

With every turn of the meandering mountain roads I wonder if something more than sugi and concrete walls will meet my eyes. A little stream flowing under a bridge. Broken views of what seems to be endless hills. Not much ever changes. Too late to turn back. Too much commitment to going forward is the constant problem. It's the same as my favorite mountains. Clear when I leave but foggy when I get close. I know what lies behind the thick fog. It isn't good enough though. I want to see something. How much of the mundane will we allow ourselves to be satisfied with? Before you know it you are crossing over a mountain ridge and entering another microcosm. Here you are hoping for the best knowing half the time nothing will be your reward. Yet we push onward. Same story again and again.



Then a sign might catch your eye. The car only takes you so far. The feet have to do the rest. Adjacent vacant roads are losing their fight with nature. The steep edges losing to the rain. The concrete yielding its once strong grasp. In a way you are glad. In a way it's sad. The warm sun slowly turning cold. The distant view of a waterfall hidden away.



Your interest might be piqued again. The path doesn't end.



The ropes only convey one message. Go forward. The valley is ready to leave its green behind and go to fall.



What great fate has kept this tranquil spot at bay?




The giant rock slide is responsible you could say. Yet a clear path remains.



Well, is that the something I came to find? It's shadowy stare left me chilled. It's then you realize the time has come to go home.

Oh Wednesday

Last week I ventured off into the mountains only to find an unpaved road that my bald tire car wasn't going to like. I turned around and found myself just going. Up and over some unknown mountains. Through memories of the past spring.



More remains to be said. More for later.

After the Rains

One more rainy day and I'm going to lose my mind. At least it cleared off in the afternoon. I've hated being stuck inside all the time. I figured there might be some crabs hanging out on the walls by the river after all the rain so I went out to greet the mosquitoes and twilight. There weren't any crabs like I had seen in earlier summer so I was a bit disappointed. I tried to find anything else interesting around the river. It was all pretty mundane. Concrete walls and weeds. Then on my loop back up to the house I came across some dew soaked beauties. My monthly flower allowance has been met and this is deserving.



Tomorrow could be worthwhile. The waterfalls will be blasting. I have no choice but to go.