On the cribbage front Andy and I are in an even 6 win tie. I got off to a slow start and lost 5 in a row! Can’t believe I’m even telling you this. Well, we finally had some time to kick back and relax and catch up on the blog. Traveling from place to […]

Imagine hiking an ancient trail in search of enlightenment. All you have are the provisions on your back and the sandals on your feet. You pack light (you bring with you several pairs of sandals for when they wear out), because of the steep up and down trail and you will rely on help from […]

Our second farm stay was at Yohey’s farm in the Wakayama Prefecture, South of Osaka. We chose it because he looked to be about our age and working with other young farmers. His house was very communal because in addition to Yohey, his wife, child, mom and cat there were many other people living there. […]

Religion in Japan, from my viewpoint, is mixed heavily with culture and the complexities of Buddhism, stemming from India and Shintoism, a native folkloric religion. Temples in honor of Buddhas and shrines in honor of Shinto gods and goddesses are everywhere here and they represent all sects of both religions. We have paid our respects […]

“Itadakimas!” is said before every meal here in Japan. It has no direct translation but means something like “I receive this” or “let’s eat!” Arriving almost a month ago I was unsure of what we would be eating … I heard either you like it or you don’t. Turns out we both like it! And […]