Black-crowned Night Heron Photo of the Week

Early in the Morning

It took a few days of waking up before 4 AM to walk to where this character could be seen.

Sunday, I captured a photo of one flying in a white sky on a day it would rain.

Monday, the image would show you where birds poop comes from.

Yesterday, I stood in one location for two hours and not one Night Heron showed up.

Today, at a little past 7 AM this Heron AKA Goisagi (ゴイサギ) flew overhead.

The position the photo was taken from was near the entrance to Kin Blue Beach.

Learn more about the Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) at All About Birds.

Psychedelic at the Festival - Just One Photo

Mind Twisting Drugs

This won't be a long story, I promise. The doctor gave me these drugs.

For the second night, in a row, I went and shot photos at the Kin Matsuri.

Saturday, I took one of these pills, slept for 3 hours and, went to work.

They said, "Don't operate any machinery, until you feel used to the stuff."

That's why, I took a long nap.  A camera, on a tripod isn't really all that heavy.

At the matsuri,  I tried avoiding beer because, I wasn't sure it would be a good idea.

Eventually, I caved and, tossed a few before the fireworks even got started.

  

Then, shot a bunch of fireworks and, went out drinking beers until 2 AM.

Skipping the nighttime dosage, I slept fairly well. 

Next morning, I did an internet search on Lyrica, the pain killer, they gave me.

Oops. You shouldn't consume alcohol or, only drink in moderation if, you have to.

Well, moderation, to me, would be, no more that 20 and no less than 17 beers.

Just kidding. Taking the dosage the pretty doctor, put me on, I won't be drinking at all.

Pain killers and I, don't exactly, get along with each other, I told the doctor.

Why in hell, anybody would want their brain numbed beats me.

Figure out, what's causing the pain and, fix it. Numskulls.

Anything stronger than Aspirin, is too much, for me. Beer can make me numb.

With two women in the room (wife and doctor) telling me, I need these drugs, I groaned.

There's no sense getting in an argument with experts, who know everything about anything.

So, I'm taking this medicine for the next two weeks. I had to make a promise.

No heavy lifting. Can't lift a cement block, over my head 150 times a day.

That would be dangerous, with a numb skull and psychedelics on your mind.

One hundred and fifty push-ups, a day, doesn't sound too bad, though.

Processing Fireworks Images

All hopped-up on medicines, I'm going through about 300 photo files, for developing.

The bright light and colors was really getting to me, today. Dizzying.

Every 20 minutes or so, I went outside for a break and, a smoke, usually.

Do ten push-ups for each cigarette, you smoke and, it adds up to 150, quickly.

Without cleaning-up the images, I put 50 or more, in a Facebook album.

This one, had some editing done, to remove the smoke, trailing behind the explosion.

Some psychedelic GIF animations, could be in the making, at a later date.

For now, I'm limiting my work, to things which are simple and enjoyable.

Some reporter, wanting to interview me, had to be told, to go find someone else.

A guy, like me, might say something offensive, when taking mind-bending drugs.

We, wouldn't want that to happen, would we ?

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 18 MM

Exposure: f/11   1/sec  ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: OCT 10 2017   8:58 PM  

Wildlife Image: Northern Shoveler Feeding

A Migratory Visitor

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 300 + 1.4 Converter Focal Length 420MM

Exposure:  f/5.6   1/800   ISO 800

Location: Tomigusuku Okinawa Japan

Date and Time:  JAN 23  2017  12:21 PM

Previous Post:  Northern Shoveler, Duck in the Mud 

Reference: Cornell Lab All About Birds

Full Moon NOV 2016 Over Okinawa

Called a Supermoon

It may have appeared a bit brighter than usual but, the size looks the same from here.

Those astronomy dudes, tricked us, is what I'm thinking. I've seen bigger moons.

This one was supposed to be the largest full moon since 1948.

Last night, up in an observation tower, waiting for the moon, were two elderly gals.

They were getting ready, to give up, waiting for the thing to bust through the clouds.

Seeing, a bit of orange glow, off to the east, I told them, wait five minutes.

We got chatting and, I mentioned, this large size moon, hasn't been seen, in over 60 years.

So, they should, hang in there. The last time we had a supermoon, like this was 1948.

That's the year, I was born.  They cackled. That's why they were up there, too.

One was older than me, the other was a bit younger. Now, I have some new friends.

I hope they are happily married because, I never want to get caught, again.

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens Pentax 300MM with 1.4 converter Focal Length 420MM

Exposure: f/16  1/13   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: NOV 15 2016 7:06 PM

There's Something About That Bridge

One Night on a Bar Stool

 

 

This gal, asked me where I had been that day with the cameras and, I showed her this photo.

She got all excited, her eyes got real big and she said, "I want that picture." 

If, she had offered a large sum of paper money, I would have printed it right away.

But, she don't give me free beer and, I don't give away free photography. 

She got busy serving other customers so, I put the photo away.  Click, cell phone OFF.

Last Night Was Her Birthday

 

Just as I walked into the bar, everybody was singing Happy Birthday.

They had a cake, lighted candles and all kinds of people brought presents for her.

Crap. I didn't know about it. I felt lousy but, ordered a beer anyway.

What the Heck

 Today, I dug up the photo file and decided to print it.

The image at the top of this page has power lines, shooting off into the upper right corner.

They are a distraction so, I dragged some sky and clouds over them.

Tonight, I'll drop by the bar and give the print to the gal, as a belated birthday present.

There's no telling why, she got so excited over that picture of a bridge.

Maybe, when she was younger, she lost something down there.

Travel Photo: Out Shooting the Dam with an Old Friend

It's Been a Few Years Since I Last Used this Camera

 

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 got dusted off and taken to Kin Dam today.

The Pentax K3 was mounted on a tripod and, waiting for some birds to fly by.

After a few days of cold weather and rain, it was time to get and get some sun and exercise.

A bit of a chilly breeze started blowing so, I reached in my camera bag for a windbreaker.

That's when, I remembered, I had brought the little Panasonic along.

When, I yanked my jacket out of the bag, the camera went flying and, crashed to the ground.

The poor camera was sent in for a tune-up earlier this year and, came back like brand new.

It cost a few hundred bucks but, I liked that old camera. And, now it's busted, again.

That's what I figured, I deserved anyway. Here's the test photo, I shot.

Exposure:  f/5.6  1/500   ISO 100

Focal length: 7MM

Location: Just off HWY 104 standing above the Kin Dam, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: DEC 9 2015  3:08PM

A similar shot was taken from the same location with the camera at f/11.

But, dark clouds had rolled into the scene so, it's been digitally disposed of; trash.

And, I will have a big decision to make if, this blog ever hits 2 million views.

For the celebration:

Should I give away the Panasonic or, the Cannon G12 ? 

Related Post:

 Panasonic DMC-FZ50 Review of a Good Old Camera

Many Times I Take a Photo of a Photo

Or Make an Image of a Sign

 

 

There's a method to this madness and, it usually involves research.

Today, I'll show you just this one black and white, framed picture found in a museum.

Of course, before snapping the shutter, permission was granted.

 What you are looking at is a ritual conducted in the far north of Okinawa island.

This month, hopefully, a few of us foreigners, will be attending the event.

This photo helps me get the conversations going, trying to learn the details of what takes place.

Documenting stuff like this, at least five questions have to be asked.

That would be the Who, What, Where, When and Why, all writers have to know about.

The first four, I pretty much have the answers, figured out.

It's a bunch of guys wearing traditional clothing, carrying a wooden tub.

And, it happens on a certain month of the lunar calendar.

Why, is the part, I haven't got the answers to, yet.

Do you suppose, they might have another bunch of folks, coming with another wooden tub ?

Like, a crowd of women, carrying a gal, to meet the guy in this wooden tub ?

What would a guy have to do, to get to ride in the tub from this part of town ?

Anyway, the research goes on.

Flower Photo: Kwanso (ウクワンソ) Orange Day Lily

How About Some Tranquility Tea ?

 

 

In the Western world no mention is made of this plant's magical qualities.

But, if you poke around on some of the Asian websites, you can learn a few things.

The common name Daylily, comes from the fact: The flower opens, only for one day.

Scientists and botanists would call this plant, Hemerocallis fulva. 

See all the varieties of the flower at Dave's Garden. 

Learn how to grow and maintain these flowers at Missouri Botanical Garden. 

Bull-headed Shrike -- Interesting Little Bird

Perched on a Wire

 

 

Not the preferred location for a wildlife image but, it had to be done.

This bird was something, I had never noticed in Kin Town before.

So, I shot it.

The identification wouldn't be made with any books I have.

Luckily, Shawn Miller came through with the nomenclature and, a Latin name, too.

The scientific crowd would call them Lanius bucephalus.

The bird likes to catch bugs, frogs, small mammals and, even other birds.

And, impale them on barbed wire or, a thorn, for eating !

Learn more at Bird Research News

Wall Art: Kouri Island's First People

Photo Taken DEC 2011

 

 

Seeing this painting on a building at Kouri-jima got me wondering.

Images of the little kids are printed in a book, for sale, at the location, too.

They must be somebody important but, I never got around to researching the story.

Well, I gotterdun, today.

It seems, Kouri Island has a folktale that sounds similar to Adam and Eve.

They were asking the moon, to keep sending rice cakes so, they'd have something to eat. 

Well, rice cakes quit coming and, they learned to search for food the hard way.

All of a sudden, one day, the boy and girl noticed, their bodies were different.

So, they started wearing vegetation to cover themselves.

Somehow, they started having babies.

Some folks, think these were the first two people in all of Okinawa.

More Ryukyu Island Folklore

Related Post: Just a Couple of Nudies But They Are Works of Art

Flower Photo: Bird of Paradise and a Photo Tip

What Happens in Okinawa

 

 

Yesterday, we took a little camera trek, down to the south of the island.

It had been the second time, in a week, I visited Sueyoshi Park.

Map It Okinawa dude and, a good doctor were on this trip.

The mission, we were on, was to teach the doctor some tricks of the camera trade.

Two days prior, I had photographed this Bird of Paradise flower.

In too much of a hurry, I didn't pay enough attention to the background.

There was something distracting in the image so, I threw the photo away.

In my backpack, I keep a clipboard with different colored backgrounds to use.

The doctor and I, took turns adjusting the background and shooting the flower.

We used black and white and, could have experimented with red but, didn't.

To me, the black background, looks the best.

TIP: Always bring along some portable background material for flower photography.

White material can also be used as a windbreak or, reflector board.

Back in Canada

 

 

When the doctor gets home, he may want to print the Bird of Paradise photo.

So, it's a good thing, we altered the scenery a bit.

We don't want everybody in Canada, looking at what was behind that black board.

Just in case, you're curious and want to know what we were hiding, I let you know.

It was snail crap !

Native Plant of South Africa

 

 

This is also called: Crane Flower or, Crane Lily.

The scientific terminology: Strelitzia reginae

Resources:

FLORIDATA

Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers

Planzafrica

Guidebook of Landscaping Plants in Okinawa ISBN4-900668-63-X

Tree: Cultural Property of Tomari in Nakagusuku Okinawa

A Tropical Almond Tree

 

 

Finding all the trees, designated National Monuments, in Okinawa, may take a year or, two.

Today, we were lucky enough to locate this one, while traveling down south.

It was planted during the Meiji Era and is estimated to be over 200 years old.

Okuwadisa would be the tree name in local dialect.

Tropical Almond or, Seabean Tree are common names in English.

The Latin name is Terminalia catappa.

Off to the left of the tree is a sacred well for drawing water.

A kind gentleman from the neighborhood, gave us a tour of the entire area.

This is the Shicchanuka district of Tomari.

It is chock full of sacred sites and, my senses tell me, they hold some special rituals there.

It may take a few more visits and, I know I will make some new friends.

The place feels mysterious. More to come, on it, later.

Back to the Almond Tree

 

 

It is one of two trees that were planted in Tomari.

The other, was in the district known as, Fucchanume.  Both were gifts from an official.

He was a representative of Shuri, who had completed his assignment.

During the Battle of Okinawa, the tree in Fucchanume was destroyed.

The remaining tree was designated a Cultural Property in 1977.

More at Midorihana-okinawa

Travel Photo: Important Cultural Property of Izena Village

This photo was taken on a trip to Izena Island.

It is a building, off to the left of what is known as the Mekaruke Old House.

The buildings on this site have been designated, important cultural properties.

Meikari-ka and Mekarauke, are the terms found in researching this site.

They may simply be different translations of the local dialect.

It is a large estate, for housing, on such a small island.

The property was not destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa and, is well preserved.

One source reveals, that is was the residence of a senior samurai.

King Sho En's uncle Makoto Saburo, resided here.

Okinawa Soba Day Is Just Around the Corner

October 17, 2014

It took me awhile to figure out, why they have a soba day in Okinawa.

Some people eat this food daily.

And, you can probably find 1,000 places or, more that sell soba.

Type the words Okinawa Soba in a search engine and you'll find all kinds of information.

Type Soba in the search block on this blog and, see how many times I've  mentioned it.

In the past, I've even provided links to recipes for the stuff.

What makes it so popular, is the cost (inexpensive) and the fast service.

It is delicious and, usually comes to your table, piping hot.

The Sweltering Hot Summer Ended

 

 

Now, it's the time of year when the mornings are comfortably cool.

When the sun goes down, it might be a good idea to wear a jacket.

So, that got me thinking, this is the time of year to have an Okinawan Soba holiday.

A big bowl of hot soup, noodles, veges and some meat, sounds good to me.

Only, I'm not waiting for Friday to celebrate the occasion.

There's a soba shop, on my way home.

And, I forgot my jacket.

Flower Photo: Mussaenda Erythrophylla -- I Got Some Today

Crazy Things Happen

 

 

This is a long story, I will attempt to make short.

These flowers caught my eye as I was walking the back roads to buy my lunch.

Construction along the main highway of Kin Town has been driving me nuts.

So, when I leave the office, I walk the back-roads to get some peace and quiet.

The cameras, stay in the office; I'm only going for a quick takeout lunch.

But, when I spotted this tree, I wished I had my camera.

A Five Foot Woman Showed Up Behind the Eight Foot Fence

 

 

"Those are some pretty flowers, you have there." I told her.

Then, I asked if, she knew the name of the tree.

She said she didn't. She thought it might have came from Taiwan.

Next, I asked her if she knew a typhoon was coming. It would blow all the flowers away.

She agreed.

Now We Had a Conversation Going

 

 

Telling her, I was a cameraman, was a good idea.

The plan, was to get some photos of those flowers before they all get  blown away.

She said, taking pictures would be no problem.

But, she looked sort of funny, at me because, I didn't have a camera.

Then, I told her, it's too windy outside to take photos of the flowers.

I asked if it would be alright to cut off a branch and take it home.

She agreed and, I told her I'd be back as soon as I grabbed my lunch, around the corner.

By the time, I got back, she was gone.

Some construction workers, next door, had heard our conversation about the tree.

So, I opened the gate and went into the yard, without looking like an intruder.

And, I snagged a branch to photograph the flowers above.

Today, when I went to buy lunch, she was out in the yard, again.

"The flowers are named Mussaenda."  I told her, I found it on the internet.

And, she invited me in to take some more.

While, I was reaching in my pocket for a Swiss Army knife, she disappeared.

She came back with some sort of pruning tool and handed it to me.

All, you need to photograph flowers, is a small piece of a branch.

But, she was directing me, to cut humongous limbs of the tree.

Maybe, I looked like a lumberjack, to her.

Next thing, you know, I'm walking back down the street with all sorts of flowers.

A Pink and Red Tree

 

 

Have you ever seen a tree with pink and red flowers walking down the street ?

If it was wearing yellow flip-flops, it was probably me.

Feeling like a fruitcake, with bundles of flowers blowing in my face, I hurried along.

Now, was really a good time to take the back roads.

Sonovagun, if I didn't run into somebody on the back streets.

A lady, pushing a cart asked me where I got the pretty flowers.  Great !

After, I convinced her, they weren't stolen, I asked if she wanted some.

Sashigi (plant cuttings) is what the first woman told me, you could do with the flowers.

When, lady #2, heard that, I got rid of one armload of today's booty !

Free to a Good Home

 

 

The rest of today's haul, is soaking in buckets of water, until after the typhoon.

So, if anybody wants to try growing them, drop on by.

Here's what they look like, in real life:

Total Lunar Eclipse OCT 8, 2014 Should Be Viewable in Okinawa

Night Before the Full Moon Oct 7, 2014

 

The moon, tomorrow evening, should turn red when the eclipse happens.

That's how it gets the nickname, Blood Moon.

Tonight, around 6:30, I went out and did some practice shooting, to be prepared.

It's always a good idea to take photos the night before and after the full moon occurs.

Even though the moon wasn't a perfect circle, I shot 21 images, anyway.

That's just in case it gets cloudy or rains tomorrow night.

Astronomers and Mother Nature Don't Always Agree 

Included, in the links below, you can find dates and times the eclipse will occur.

But, whether or not, the moon will be visible, depends on the weather.

According to Time and Date Com, the eclipse (Naha, Okinawa) starts at 7:27PM.

There's not much sense, in me going all the way to Naha, to watch the thing.

On the schedule, these folks published, they tell you about the event.

It's probably best, for me to quote this part:

"Partial Eclipse begins 8 Oct, 18:18

Partial moon eclipse starts - moon is getting red.

Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to the East."

Little Geography Lesson

Naha, is a city on the West coast of Okinawa Island, facing the East China Sea.

The neck of the woods, I live in, is on the eastern side of Okinawa.

For me, to leave the East coast, to watch the moon rise, would be like, I'd have to be crazy.

But, it might be a great place to watch the sun or moon, set.

Find-out If the Eclipse Will Be Visible from Your Location

A Quick Visit to the Ginowan City Museum

The Pros and Cons of Museum Photography

 

 

On the plus side -- Museums are usually climate-controlled.

The bad news -- The lighting might not be the best for photography.

The island was experiencing some rapidly changing weather, due to an approaching typhoon.

Driving around we saw dark grey skies, sprinkles of rain and, bright sunshine.

After hitting half a dozen locations, outdoors it was time for some air-conditioning.

When the weather turns iffy, that's when we switch to Plan B.

It was the first visit to this attraction for Doc Graff.  I had been there several times before.

They have some interesting artifacts in this place.

One, is the remnants of a train that existed on Okinawa prior to WWII.

And, there are lots of cultural/historical items from Ginowan's past, stored within.

They just don't have much in the English language, for you to read.

So, if you can't read or, speak Japanese, you may want to bring along someone who does.

Speaking enough of the dialect, to get by, I always have fun, talking to the museum staff.

And, they are helpful, assisting me with research.

The museum wasn't busy with a busload of tourists, today so, I shot this photo.

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Pentax 18-250mmDA3.5-6.3 at 32mm

Exposure: f/16  2.5sec   ISO 100

A tripod and the camera 2 second timer were used to take the shot.

More Museums on Okinawa

Travel Photo: Todoroki Waterfall (轟の滝) OCT 2011

Camera: Pentax K5

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 18mm

Location: Nago City, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: OCT 17, 2011 at 10:13AM

More About Todoroki in the Then and Now Series

Tree Photo: Sakishima Sappanwood -- Heritiera littoralis

The Site Has Improved

 

 

It's been over a year, since my first visit to this location, in Higashi Village.

Heading up north to the Higashi Museum, we got detoured by a construction crew.

That's how we wound up, stopping here.

The place has been spruced up nicely and, clouds passed overhead so, I snagged this photo.

At the edge of these woods bright light and dark shadows make photography difficult.

In the past, you had to walk through some soggy ground, to reach this tree.

And, there were some yellow and black ropes surrounding the area.

Now, the safety ropes are gone and they have wooden boardwalks leading to the attraction.

Something tells me, a ritual or some sort of shindig may be taking place in the near future.

So, I'll be going back to see if I can weasel my way into getting invited.

They won't say "No" if I don't ask so, I might as well try !

More About the Sundari Trees at Wildscreen ARKive

In the Spotlight: Map It Okinawa Dude -- Motion GIF

Off the Beaten Path

 

 

Today, we went to accomplish a sort of Mission Impossible thing.

And, I'm fairly certain, we gotterdun.

Just a few more details, need to be worked out and, you'll see the whole story.

Completely exhausted from watching these guys, this will be a quick blog post.

Map It Dude takes folks off the paved roads to see things most travelers wouldn't notice.

Without him and, another one of my partners today would not have been a success.

More about that, in an upcoming Then and Now photo shoot.

Meanwhile checkout Map It Okinawa !