Saturday, February 29, 2020

Toilet Paper Panic Buying Hits Okinawa

corona-virus, buyers, Okinawa, Toilet paper, panic, Japan


Unbelievable!



This morning I was reading about the store shelves being cleaned-out by panic buyers.

People were worried about imports being cut-off from China due to Corona Virus 19.

Big cities all over Japan and even Naha the capital of Okinawa had toilet paper shortages.

The Japanese paper industry tried to calm their fears. Japan makes its own toilet paper.

I had a good laugh and spent the rest of my day doing serious stuff. Like taking a crap.

I walked to the local supermarket. Tea, ice cream and toilet paper were on the shopping list.

There wasn't a single roll of toilet paper on the shelves. Not even any baby wipes!



People Shouldn't Panic



First, it was paper face masks that disappeared from every store in town.

Now, we've got a toilet paper shortage because of panic buying. Damn it!

Next, I'll have to start collecting banana leaves to wipe my hairy bottom with.

If everybody starts doing that, next thing ya know there will be a banana shortage.

Two sources from today's news should assure everyone, there is no need to panic.

Kyodo News tells us there is no need to panic and cause toilet paper shortages.

 Look at Mothership to see what this panic buying is causing throughout Japan.

Y'all better calm down and quit causing panic toilet paper buying.

Or, I might come to a neighborhood near you and swipe all the banana leaves!

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Funny Translations: The Cat May Fly Out

Looking for Something New to Drink?





With things like Coronavirus flying around the world, it would be wise to stay healthy.



It's probably a good idea to check your vitamin C levels once in a while.


Not sure how you're supposed to do that, I walked down the street to a vending machine.



 cat, corona-virus, humor, drink, Okinawa, BinVita, vitamin C


 It was easy enough for me to figure out BinVita was some sort of vitamin C drink.


Before opening the bottle I decided to scan the ingredients with Google Translate on my iPhone.

Here's what I learned:


Ingredients: fruit dextrose liquid sugar / carbonic acid, acidulant, flavor, vitamin C, carotene pigment, 

nicotinamide, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B2, vitamin B, Vitamin Bs, Vitamin B12.


Contents: 500ml ● Shelf Life: Described on the bottom side of the cap.

Storage Method: Store at room temperature away from direct sunlight.

Manufacturer: Okinawa Botlers Co., Ltd. 163 Izumi Nutrition Facts Labeled in Izumi, 

Kunigami-Cho,

 Motobu-Cho, Okinawa Prefecture.


And A Word of Caution:


Leave it at room temperature after drinking, it may damage your own equipment or 

the cat may fly out.




Sunday, February 23, 2020

Just Ducky: Couple of Eurasian Wigeon's

 birds, ducks, Mareca penelope, migratory, Okinawa



First Time I've Seen These in Kin Town



Yesterday, I ran across a few dozen of them. They got spooked and flew away.

In-flight, it seemed like they may have been some sort of geese.

My internet searches turned up nothing helpful so, I started asking friends.

There's even a helpful group in Holland (on Facebook) I sent photos to for ID.

Out in the wetlands again today, I shot a few hundred more photos.

My contacts came through and, I did some more internet searching. Here's what we've got:

Latin Name: Mareca penelope

Common Name: Eurasian Wigeon

Japanese: ユーラシアヒヒ (Yūrashiahihi)

The photo was taken this morning around 9 AM.  It was a long, exhausting day.

For now let's just say, "The bird with the redhead is the guy."

Learn more about these birds at All About Birds.




Thursday, February 13, 2020

This Bird Made My Day

 birds, Grey-faced Buzzard, migratory, Okinawa, wildlife



A Hectic Week with Springlike Weather



Daylight temperatures have been mild this week and we've been going outside without jackets.

It could be a sign that winter is over but, you never know when you're living on an island.

This afternoon skies got cloudy several times and there was a good chance it would rain.

The past few days I spent lots of time going to the dentist and a massage expert.

No need to give you the gory details, let's just say appointments kept me busy.



A Few Minutes Break in the Clouds



Several dozen shots were composed, of this bird, perched on poles under darkened skies.

When I spotted the critter perched in a tree, I moved closer and set up the tripod.

Clouds were rapidly moving across the background. I wanted some blue sky.

The Pentax K1 was equipped with a 1.4 converter and 300 MM lens.

The photo above was taken at 4:39 PM with an exposure of f 5.6 1/4000 ISO 800.



birds, Grey-faced Buzzard, migratory, Okinawa


Exposure was adjusted to f 9 1/1250 ISO 800 and the bird launched while it was still 4:39 PM.

The Grey-faced Buzzard is a migratory bird, visiting Okinawa from October until March.

Hopefully, I'll be able to capture more images of them in-flight before they depart.

Sunday, February 9, 2020

FEB 2020 Full Moon Over Okinawa

 astronomy, full moon, Japan, Okinawa, rabbit



The Rabbit Is Upright


Shortly after 7 PM, the moon came out from behind the clouds.

After catching a few good images of the rising moon, I decided to give the camera rest.

The rabbit in the moon is in an upright position so, my job is done for the day.

Whether I go out and shoot the moon again tomorrow morning depends upon the weather and,     
how late my body decides to stay asleep.

If anyone wants to see the rabbit inverted, just look at the previous blog.

Those who have no idea what the Moon Rabbit is, LOOK HERE.




Saturday, February 8, 2020

FEB 2020 Full Moon Preview

astronomy, full-moon, Japan, Okinawa



A Wee Bit Early



Living on an island, weather can be unpredictable, so here's a sneak preview.

The moon in this photo is at about 99.9% full and most folks wouldn't guess it ain't full, yet.

Luckily, I woke up before 4 AM and looked out my back door to check on the moon.

It was nice and bright but, fast-moving clouds kept ruining the scene.

This photo was taken at 4:29 AM from the roof of my house.

After a few swigs of ice coffee, I walked down to the beach, where I could see the moonset.

 Carrying the weight of a tripod,  and the Pentax (420 MM of a lens) is good exercise.

The moon was covered by clouds the whole time I was walking. That was 3800 steps.

Every day I try to get at least 10,000 steps of walking done and, some easy weight conditioning.

Unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger, I won't quit training just because I'm 72. That wuss!

If I'm still alive and, the moon shows, I'll probably go out and shoot it again tonight. 

In case you haven't noticed, the rabbit is upside down. See ya later...