Yellow Angel's Trumpets in Kin Town (Photos)

This Plant Became a Tree

It's Chinese New Year's Day where I'm living.

Walking the back roads to my office, I spotted these flowers in someone's yard.

It was early afternoon and the sun was shining a little too brightly for my comfort.

So, I planned on taking the cameras over there sometime after 3PM.

It's not nice to just walk into somebody's yard and start shooting their plants.

So, I stayed out in the driveway and used my zoom lens.

Out came the owner of the house, probably wondering what some old geezer was doing.

I had to think quick. 

 Happy Lunar New Year, is a good way to get started, I figured.

Then, I asked if I could shoot those pretty flowers.

It worked, I got to go inside !

 By 6PM my photos were all processed.

The Fiji Film guy had this one printed for me and, I went back and delivered it to the owner.

The whole family was gathered around some tables.

They may have been celebrating the Chinese New Year, too.

I thanked them for allowing me to take the photos.

When I asked, no one knew the name of the plant but, I told them not to worry.

It's something I could research online.

Brugmansia suaveolens, is something I've seen before. It's called Angel's Trumpet.

For those who wish to read in Japanese, I found a link for this flowering plant:

キダチチョウセンアサガオ属

Useful Resources for Angel's Trumpets

Better Homes and Gardens

Brugmansia Growers International

Trumpetflowers

Sub-tropical Flowers in Okinawa p112  ISBN4-9901917-3-0

Himawari Matsuri -- Sunflower Festival in Okinawa

 

Today was the first time I ever went to the Sunflower Festival.

 

For a minute it looked like we would lose the blue skies.

So, I hurried and shot this.

Then, said, "Lets get outta here and go back up north to see cherry blossoms."

 It isn't that I'm scared of sunflowers or, anything like that.

But, what if I would have lost one of my yellow flip-flops in those fields ?

Cherry Blossoms Bustin' Out Everywhere !

Today just two sites on Okinawa were visited.

Weekdays are the best time to go.

Traffic was non-existent and, it wasn't crowded up at Mt. Yaedake.

 

Lots of cherry trees were in full bloom.

The sun shined and, we had blue skies.

At Nakijin Castle, the best blossoms were along the road, going down the hill.

Where else, in the world, could you get weather like this, in the month of January ?

More Sakura Photos on Facebook

Nisshudo Cave in Kin Town is Where It's At (15 Photos)

The Starting Point

 

The day began here.  When I asked if I could tour the caves with a camera.

That's how I discovered I needed to make an appointment.

 2PM was the next available tour so, I said I'd be back.

Arriving early, I shot some photos of sake bottles, to kill time.

I figured there would be a big crowd of tourists.

Taking photos in a cave, with people moving around, isn't much fun.

But, I got lucky. Nobody else showed up.

It got me thinking, if the gal who drove me would leave, I could have the whole place to myself.

She flipped on the light switch and left, saying, "Come back this way when you're done."

Maybe, that's because, I think too loud.

All by myself, down there I went.

Man, I was happier than a kid turned loose in a toy store.

They have more sake bottles stored in there than anyplace I've ever been.

It would be a good idea to go back and ask them, how many are kept in there.

Thousands, would be my guess.

Maybe, there are tens of thousands.  I don't really know.

But, I know I fall asleep just singing 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.

So, you really don't want to see me count sake bottles.

One spot in the caves, had a place where people left offerings of coins.

That made me remember, I needed to find a coffee machine so, back up, I went.

You could get lost in there, if you don't follow the arrows on the floor.

The gal who drove me there was sweeping the cave entrance when I returned.

So, I told her to take her time and shot this sign on the way back out.

This cave, I've photographed and written about before at CNN Travel and TripAdvisor.

But, today's excursion, was through a part I have never seen before.

There will be plenty coming on this gem of a cave.

I have to go back and get all the information and, shoot some more.

It's only a few minutes walk, from my office !



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Going Down How I Gotter Dun.  You Can Getter Dun Too

Maybe A Chinese Gentleman Got Shot Today

The day started with a search for cherry blossoms.

This is what I spotted along the way.

Not having a photographic memory, I decided to use the camera.

Still, I'm a little challenged on the flowers in my brain department.

Can someone tell me if that thing is a Chrysanthemum or, not ?

RELATED POST: The Four Chinese Gentlemen

Trying to Capture the Four Chinese Gentlemen in Okinawa

Here's a Goal for the New Year

 

 

In my never ending search, to learn everything on the internet, I discovered this.

Centuries ago, the Chinese came up with something called the Four Noble Plants.

Nowadays, in the art world, they are called the Four Gentlemen.

Plum Blossoms

Orchids

Bamboo

Chrysanthemums

Well, I got three out of the four, in my photo collection, already.

The first photo is one of some plum blossoms taken a little late in the season.

So, I need to get back out and find some fresh ones and shoot a bit more artistically.

Orchids, they will have plenty of them in Motobu, next week.

February is the month of Okinawa's International Orchid Show.

Bamboo, I can find plenty of places on this island to shoot images of, any day of the week.

Chrysanthemums, are driving me crazy.

Do you know, they have about 150,000 different kinds of Mums ?

After about six hours of looking at them online, I gave up.

There must have been 75,000 images of them, I saw today and I still don't know if I ever shot one.

Maybe, I'm just not a flower type kind of guy.

But, I learned a lot about those flowers while searching. 

The circular symbol, on the tiled roof, behind those cherry blossoms, is a chrysanthemum.

The symbol of a chrysanthemum is popular in Japan.

 I may have to visit a flower shop, because I wouldn't know a mum, in the wild if I tripped over one.

Before 2014 comes to an end, I plan on shooting those Four Gentlemen the right way.

If anybody has a field of mums, growing by their house, give me a holler.

And, if it's a nice sunny day, we'll getterdun.

Travel Photo: Educational Street Art in Itoman Okinawa

A talented artist painted this on corrugated metal.

It is displayed at the Uminchu Art and Craft Center near Itoman Port.

It gives an excellent overview of what to expect when you enter this museum.

The sabani boat and tools of the fishing culture are shown here.

And, they wrote the names of each item, in language even I, can understand.

Nago Mountain Cherry Blossoms at Night and a Tip

Sakura Report #4

 

 

These 10 photos should give you an idea how the little pink flowers are doing.

Last night we grabbed the cameras and went to all the way to the top of the hill.

My favorite brewery, provided lanterns to light up the stairway.

The Nago City Sakura Matsuri, begins tomorrow.

THe festival tents and stage are set up and ready for business.

Stone lanterns glow, on both sides of the path, leading to the shrine above.

 It's a fairly steep climb so, I took my time and shot lots of photos.

 There may have been a grand total, of about five people, on the mountain while we visited.

So, I had plenty of time to play with different photo compositions.

Nago City, doesn't look the same, when you're up there in the dark.

 This is the shrine at the top of the mountain.

The trail to the left was lighted by lanterns so, I went down there, too.

Before long, there were no more lights and, it got really dark.

 

So, I decided  to go back down the stairs, I used to get up there.

And, I remembered to shoot a few cherry blossoms, too.

 It can be cold and windy up in the mountains during sakura season.

 So, I used the light from those Orion Beer lanterns to my advantage.

Travelers Tip

 

Some people go to these events for the festivities.

Stuff like food, drinks, entertainment and mingling with the crowds is alright.

If you want the most enjoyable experience, viewing the flowers, wait.

A week or, two later is when they'll really be blooming !

Discoveries and a New Year Resolution

Here are Photos of Today's Discoveries

Sakura or, cherry blossoms, almost in my backyard.

Don't ask me why I've never seen them before.  Maybe, it has something to do with not looking.

Two doors away from my back door, there's a cherry tree, as big as a house.

Poinsettias,  I knew they were there all along.

 It's just the first time I realized, I could use the neighbor's tile roof as a backdrop.

Normally I Don't Go Running Around Making Resolutions

 

 

But, with the Chinese New Year, just around the corner, I think I'll give it a try.

Remember that snail, I suspected, might kill the banana leaf and, what I did with it ?

From now on, I resolve to not throw snails over the fence, anymore.

Well, I mean, that particular fence.  There's a fence, in another direction that might be OK.

Remember the night of the last full moon ?

Dude who was burning garbage in his yard, maybe he'd give some snails asylum !

2014 Cherry Blossom Report #3 With Photos

It's a Good Thing We Don't Get Paid for This

 

 

People would expect us to go places, according to some sort of a plan.

Mt. Yaedake, is already almost in full bloom but, the weather took a turn on us.

Doc and I, decided to head south today, instead of north.

Once we get away from the wives, we're pretty much, our own bosses. So, that's what we do.

We went to Yaese Castle Ruins, to see how the sakura, are coming along down that way.

This was the first cherry blossom I spotted.

So, I shot a quick image, just in case there weren't any more.

There isn't really any money to be made chasing sakura but, we do it anyway.

We got plenty of exercise, climbing that hill.

The place is ready for the 8th Yaese Sakura Matsuri and it's lighted at night.

The flowers just don't always cooperate with the town's schedule.

An unscientific guess, would be maybe, 10% or less, of the blossoms have opened.

If you don't like crowds of people around you, now would be the best time to go.

To catch a lot of cherry blossoms here, maybe you could wait a week or, two.

Motubu's Mt. Yaedake is the best place to view sakura blossoms at this time.

But, along with all those flowers, you will see lots of crowds, too.