Pigs from the Sea Anniversary Coming Soon

 It happened on September 27, 1948

The Governor of Hawaii declared Pigs from the Sea Day on the 70th anniversary.

The Okinawan spirit of Yuimaru - Helping each other is seen in this story.

Let the monument do the talking.

LINKS

Pigs from the Sea Day 

YouTube Video

Google Maps 

Blood Moon SEP 2025

 Some Before and  After Images

It all started with climbing upstairs to the roof, hauling camera gear around six PM.

A few minutes before 7 PM, the moon appeared.

It's been a while since the last time we've seen a full moon on this island.

Clouds or rain have kept the moon hidden over the past few months.

This time, a power line ran across the bottom of my photo.

Cropping it out was easier than Photoshopping. So, that's what I did!

Blood Moon Peaks at 2:09 PM

Not so sure about what most 70-something folks are doing at that hour. I sleep!

Here's a shot taken with a 100mm lens from the back door of my house.

Time: 0348

Parting Shot

At 6 AM, the moon was setting over Ishikawa when I took this photo.

From the bypass on HWY 329, the dog pulled me uphill so I could nap at home.

End of Full Moon story.

Waterfall Therapy

 Only 92 Steps Away From Parking Area

There's only room for 2 or 3 vehicles to park and it's along a winding stretch of road.

Folks like to speed on this highway so, I wouldn't bring pets or wild and crazy kids.

Water cascading through the forest makes some soothing sounds.

Location: Sumba Falls in Kunigami

JUN 2024 Full Moon Over Okinawa

 It's Been Awhile

The Moon hasn't appeared in my viewfinder since March of this year.

And, it tricked me by showing up way farther south than I had expected.

A few quick adjustments and, by 7:30 PM a final shot was made and, I got off the roof.

June 21st happens to be the first day of Summer.

So, I decided air-conditioning was where I needed to be!

Scene from Sueyoshi

 A Park in Naha City

Sueyoshi Park

DEC 2023 Full Moon Over Okinawa

 

Maybe Weather Will Be Better Tomorrow

Cool and cloudy outside tonight this was the clearest shot I could get.

No promises but, tomorrow a better image might be obtained.

Enjoy the Holidays!

November's Full Moon Took Some Patience

A Few Hours Ahead of Time

 The tripod and gimbal were hauled upstairs and positioned on the roof.

Due to some recent surgery, no heavy weight-lifting is allowed.

So, I put the 560 MM lens in a backpack and pretended it wasn't heavy.

Clouds Have A Way Of Ruining Photos

Every month I attempt some Full Moon Photography but, the weather doesn't always cooperate.

A quote stolen from Forbes via screenshot came to mind so, I hung around and waited.

The time between the first and second moon photo: One minute!

OCT 2023 Full Moon

 Shining Over Okinawa

This was shortly after 6 PM and the moon was only 99.6% full. That's close enough for me!

A Favorite Photo From The Harvest Moon Festival

 Moon Covered by Rain Clouds

It's been 4 years since the Kangetsusai (Moon Viewing Festival) was held in Kin Town.

Rain wouldn't stop the show from going on!

AUG 2023 Full Moon Over Okinawa

Called A Blue Moon

Better late than not at all, here's how it appeared from the roof of my house. 

Some Wi-Fi problems (typhoon-related) kept me from posting earlier.

Does it look like a Blue Moon to you?

JUL 2023 Full Moon Over Okinawwa

 

It Was Tricky

Climbing the stairs to my rooftop an hour before sunset gives me time to prepare.

The tripod is set up, the lens gets cleaned and some basic adjustments are made.

While I was setting things up it started to rain.  It was just a sprinkle and wouldn't last long.

The rain eventually quit but, threatening black clouds kept appearing.

The moon could be seen from my location shortly before 8PM.   But, it was windy.

Clouds would roll in and out, making it impossible to capture a clear shot of the moon.

Out of three dozen shots, only three full moon images will remain in my files.

This was my favorite one.

Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July!

March 2023 Full Moon Over Okinawa

 It's Been A While

Finally a decent image of the Full Moon in Okinawa.

Amen

Holy Mackerel! Lookit What I'm Doin' Now

 March Is Sneaking Up

It's almost the end of February and the blog hasn't been touched.  It's time to update.

Not much outdoor activity has been going on due to poor health and the weather.

The health is improving and the weather almost seemed like spring for a few days.

Then winter came once again.

So Let's Get On A Health Kick

Pretty much hanging around the house and not exercising fattens folks up.

One day fumbling around on Google I discovered the benefits of canned fish.

Yeah, I consume a couple of cans of tuna each week but, here's something new.

A can of Saba Misoni is Mackerel simmered in Miso.

What the heck is Miso?  It's a paste made by fermenting soybeans in Japan.

Between mackerel and miso, there are all sorts of health benefits.

Like lowering blood pressure and cholesterol while boosting the body's immune system.

Supposedly, canned mackerel is more powerful than tuna.

During warm weather, I BBQ mackerel and think it tastes better than canned fish.

The canned stuff is like the first time you tasted beer. An acquired taste is required.

Part II Nothing to See Here

There won't be any images or videos posted, just use some imagination.

Since early September, I've had to take things easy. No lifting and no long walks.

A broken disk in the back makes life kind of miserable.  Things are slowly improving.

For the first few months, a back brace had to be worn, all day long.

No long walks and no heavy lifting were the doctor's orders.

Weekly rehabilitation visits and all sorts of therapy took place.

They even microwaved my bones!

Now that the broken disk has healed, muscles and nerves need some fine-tuning.

The painkillers I was taking (opiates) are no longer required. Amen.

Slowly getting back into an exercise routine, I still have to take it easy.

The left hip seems to malfunction frequently. Sometimes, it locks up.

Range of motion stretches and massage, along with heat therapy seems to help.

The Funny Part

Sometimes it's difficult for a therapist to determine what a patient needs to do.

Last Friday the guy says, "Mike walk on your fingers."

That seemed odd but, I bent over and started to kick my feet in the air, to do a handstand.

"No, your foot fingers."  He's Japanese. He meant to step with my toes down before my heels.

If he would have said, "Ashi no yubi," I would have understood. Now he knows, "toes."

Can you imagine what an old bearded guy looks like walking on his tip toes?

Well, I like to walk early in the morning. Before sunup, there are not a lot of people around.

Thinking I'd look like a fool, I only walked on the toes of the left foot.

That way, I'd only look like I was half crazy. Don't you think?

Whenever I spotted a car coming or someone walking their dog, I walked normally.

Tiptoes on both feet. Can you picture a ballerina in yellow flip-flops?

Anyhow, this therapy might be working. Let's wait and see.

End of January Special Things

 A Few Photos Plus A Video

Cherry Blossoms with Different Background Colors

Sometimes you'll see blue skies in the Winter.

Occasionally dark backgrounds highlight the scene.

A white building always helps that pink flower pop!

But, nothing beats surprising a Special Someone on their 77th birthday:

DIY All Natural Fruit Fly Killer

 Just A Drop of Dish Soap

There has been way too much rain this month for my usual Full Moon photography.

It did make some short appearances but, avoided my fooling around with the camera.

Spending plenty of time indoors I noticed fruit flies hanging around the kitchen.

 

In Japan, this is what Apple Cider Vinegar in a bottle looks like.

It's been a while since I searched the internet for a natural way to eliminate these bugs.

So, you might want to Google it yourself for recipes.

Here's how it all started. Just put one drop of dish soap in a container.

If you like feeling silly, sing a Mary Poppins song, the pesty insects might like it, too!

The Bottle of Vinegar May Last a Whole Year!

Sometimes I'll put a splash of vinegar on my salad but, not even a teaspoon full.

For the month of December, I'm posting a photo of how many fruit flies have drowned.

 Not bad, considering I spilled the thing once after the first week, trying to count the bugs.

There aren't any more fruit flies buzzing around my apples, bananas, and pears.

Some folks would probably suggest keeping fruits in the refrigerator.

But, that would put way too much restriction on how many beers could fit in there!

Here's a Pioneer Woman's Recipe, I found for you to try.

Have Safe and Happy Holidays!

Horrible Blood Moon November 2022

 Wind and Clouds with Camera Shake

Normally I wouldn't post terrible photography like this or, even process the images.

But, I got thinking. "Why not show the world how it really gets sometimes?"

The clouds blocked out the moon many times and the wind was blowing, shaking my camera.

This is how the moon looks sometimes after 10 too many beers.

About a dozen times I tried (unsuccessfully) to get a nice sharp image.

It Never Happened

The photo I would have liked to publish never got taken.

But, I was out there and got to witness the Full Blood Moon of November 2022.

Some photo editing was done to attempt to clear the blurred image.

But, shaky hands don't do the best job of patching things up.

If you all don't mind now, I'll go back to bed.

Ghost of Nanachi-baka

 Located in Makishi, Naha, Okinawa

Not far from Miebashi Station on Yui Rail is a hill we'll call Nanachi-baka.

Best translated as Seven Tombs for the family burial sites which stood there.

Surrounded by the concrete of Naha, it's on private property but the woods are visible.

Thanks to Google Earth Pro you can see the terrain. There's a bit of greenery in the image.

Whenever you spot a grove of trees on a hill in the city, assume it's some sort of sacred place.

If it weren't special, developer bulldozers would have claimed the land.

Another scene borrowed from a Google Earth screenshot at ground level.

Miebashi Station is on the left side of the image frame.

Show Us the Ghost!

Alright, alright first let me do some explaining.

After three days of unsuccessfully trying to reach Banksy here's what I decided.

Draw the pictures myself or attempt to sketch them with a pencil and paper.

Should a real artist show up, these sketches will be replaced. I promise.

Nearby this grove of trees a young woman would purchase candy around closing time.

She hands the cashier Japanese yen to pay for the sweets. Then off she goes.

The problem is, the next morning the shopkeeper noticed the money had changed.

The yen note had turned into uchikabi (symbolic paper notes) given to dead spirits.

Kind of Mysterious

These little mom-and-pop stores are in competition with some big chains.

So, to stay in business, you have to keep an eye on the profits.

Next time that gal comes into the store late at night she's going to be followed home.

Sure enough, another night the woman comes by and gets more candy, paying with yen.

The store owner follows from a distance. It's dark outside.

The girl with the candy goes into the woods of Nanachi-baka and disappears. 

At one of the tombs, a baby could be heard crying. The storekeeper looked inside.

The woman who bought the sweets was dead.  Candy wrappers were near the baby.

Local villagers made sure the mother got a proper burial and raised the child.

The ghost was never seen again.

Happy Halloween!

PROMISE

This is the last time I will try doing sketches!

August Full Moon Over Okinawa

 Last Night of Obon

For those unfamiliar with local customs, Okinawa, Japan has a three-day holiday called Obon.

It is believed that the spirits of the deceased visit their family during this time.

The light of the full moon guides them back to the heavens.

 The weather had us worried because clouds and rain periodically ruined the view.

At 10 minutes past 8 PM the shutter was snapped on the scene.

July 2022 Full Moon Over Okinawa, Japan

 It Peeked Through Clouds at 7:47 PM

For the past few months, Full Moon Photography was practically impossible.

Last night, just a few minutes were spent on the roof, capturing this shot.

Can you see the Rabbit?

Rainy Season in Okinawa Ain't All Bad

 

Stay Home and Complain if, You Like

The full moon was hidden from us this month and that was a little disappointing.

We can't let the rainstorms ruin our whole month. So here's what we've been doing.

Call it Back Roads Waterfall Photography.

It's Therapeutic

We're not talking about some famous falls like Niagara in the USA.

Not even visiting the famous waterfalls in Okinawa.

During the rainy season, some waterfalls, just pop-up out of nowhere.

They may not be bubbling, babbling, and spitting out water in the jungles all year long.

In the hills of Kunigami, there are falls you will hear before you can see them.

Not as famous as all those tourist attractions waterfalls sound good to me.

Here, you can enjoy the exhilarating, breathtaking, calming, splashing outdoors nature.

Call it whatever you like, it's soothing to me and, an important part of Okinawa's rainy season.