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.

Subtle Changes in the Rock Garden

An Untrained Eye Might Not Notice

The shadows and light (outdoors) are always changing and, things in the garden, may move.

Today, I took a wide angle lens and tripod along with the camera, out behind my office.

The little woman of my house, made me promise, not to go on a long walk in the hot sun.

Lately, it's been brutally hot in Okinawa, shortly after the sun rises.

Most of my winter hide, has peeled of the skeleton and, the summer skin is itching to go.

 I swore I wouldn't go on any long hikes with the cameras and, hangout in the AC at the office.

Maybe, I'd make a run to buy lunch and hit the ATM machine, for money.

"Money" she says.  "That's a good idea, I always need money."  "Yeah, I know. Bye."

The Garden Trowel

It would be a distraction if, you were looking closely, to see the changes in the rock garden.

With the camera, locked down steady on the tripod, I played with camera settings.

Changing aperture, shutter speeds and focus points, several images were created.

Someone trying to find an ant or, blade of grass, moving in the scene, might be distracted.

But, I figured there are other folks, who need the garden tool, to keep their interest.

That trowel, I've had for a few years now and, it only cost about a buck.

Cheap and the blade gets bent sometimes. A hammer fixes it, every time.

Bugs hop around, leaves and blades of grass, move throughout the image and, it's quiet.

The rock garden can be relaxing and, it's great therapy for the eyes after using a computer.

Even if, that red tool keeps popping in and out of view, you can relax, watching this animation.

Oops, I must have dozed off. Just now, I realized, I forgot to go to the ATM at the post office.

They closed about 2 hours ago and, I forgot to get the money !

As Kris Kristofferson would say, "Blame It on the Stones."

GIF: Lizard Doing Lunch in Rock Garden

A Bit of Outdoor Therapy

The day, was spent catching up on image processing; I didn't travel far from the office.

Long periods of sitting and staring at a computer monitor, aren't good for the eyeballs.

So, every once in awhile, I grab a camera and head out the door.

It's been acting like it'll rain any minute; the rock garden, outback was the place to go.

Just looking at greenery, relaxes the eyes and, gives me a chance to stretch.

There wasn't any sunlight so, shutter speed is a bit slow for the action going on.

But if, you look closely, the reptile, sticks its tongue out and nabs a little green bug.

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 50MM F1.8

Exposure: f/4   1/500   ISO 400

Location: Kin Town Okinawa Japan

Date and Time:  OCT 10 2016  1:33PM

Related Post:  Animated (GIF) Takydromus Lizard

GIF of Okinawamoribatta (オキナワモリバッタ) a Grasshopper

Multitasking Critter

This guy was munching away at a leaf out in the rock garden this afternoon.

Meteorology shamans, have been dumping some iffy predictions on the islands.

So, I've been hanging around, doing office things lately.

Staring at computer monitors for extended periods, isn't good for your health.

Every 30 minutes, I go outdoors to look at green stuff; it relaxes the eyes.

Some folks, call it nature therapy but, I need more than that.

While outdoors, I stretch and, do what you could call, nicotine replacement therapy, too.

It looks like everyone has been getting into multitasking, these days, even animals.

Just guessing, that bug seems to be doing several things, at one time.

It's munching on that leave, checking for WiFi signals and, doing some sort of yoga.

Out there, without a camera, I had to run inside and grab something. Here's what it was:

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 300MM

Exposure: f/4.5  1/640  ISO 800

Location: Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time: SEP 9 2016  4:07PM

  

Related Post: An Okinawan Grasshopper

Entertained by a Grey-faced Buzzard Eagle

A good cure for a St. Patrick's Day hangover was discovered today.

This bird of prey used a fence at the dam as a perch and lookout.

It kept launching from the fence to catch meals of insects.

After it munched on a meal, the bird would return to the fence.

On a nice day, a person could sit and watch this activity for hours.

It all took place at the Kin Dam.

So, if anybody is wondering where to find me, for the rest of this week look for this fence.

The plan is, to go back and get some more dam therapy !

A Little Explanation About How I Missed the Last Typhoon

 

Way Too Much Sleep Had Something to Do with It

 

 

For the past three days, I slept about 20 hours a day.

A visit to the doctor with pain in the left calf muscle is how things got started.

An examination and some ex-rays were very revealing.

The doctor, determined the cause of my pain, came from my spine.

My freakin' backbone is too straight. Its supposed to be curved.

HUH ?

He showed me a plastic backbone.

One with wires inside it that, I guess, are supposed to represent nerves.

Well, when your backbone is too straight and stiff, those nerves go haywire.

Allegedly, one of those wires in my back, is causing pain in my lower leg.

So, the good doctor sent me for a massage and gave me lots of drugs.

Massage Was Terriffic

 

 

Some young gal got me to lay on a table and gave me the massage of a lifetime.

Not one of those where it feels like the Jaws of Life are crushing you.

Or, one that feels like a jackhammer is being used on your body.

She gently massaged with her fingers, like a grand-daughter would.

When she started rocking my hips and pelvis bones, I almost had to warn her.

Hey. Elvis ain't as dead as some folks think.

Be careful around that little devil. He may come back and try for another hit.

The gal, must have been a mind reader and, moved along down the line, to my legs.

After half an hour or so, the massage was over and I felt sort of relaxed.

Then, it was off to pick up the drugs the doctor prescribed.

Muscle Relaxers and Pain Killers

 

 

Normally, I wouldn't take anything stronger than Aspirin.

The good doctor explained what the four drugs he was giving me would do.

Mostly, relieve pain and relax muscles and, he could give me stronger stuff, too.

When he mentioned some experimental super drug, made from opium, I declined.

Man, I know some dudes who would volunteer to try that stuff.

"Sign us up, we'll be glad to help."  That's what they'd say !

Here's how the past three days went:

Take three different pills after breakfast.

Take the same pills after lunch.

Take them again after supper.

Take this other bag of drugs in between each meal and before bedtime at night.

When I take these drugs here's what happens:

The lower lip goes numb and I get real sleepy.

Drink lots of water and say "Goodnight."

Pain killer, doesn't really kill the pain. It just numbs the brain.

When I combine pain killers with muscle relaxers, I become like a wet noodle.

Typhoon Neoguri Blew Through or By Okinawa

 

 

A couple of times, when I was conscious, I saw the weather outside my window.

People, around the globe, watching TV probably saw more of the storm than me.

It doesn't appear to have done as much damage as predicted.

Mainland Japan, will probably get hit much harder.

Excellent Medical Care and Advice

 

 The Japanese medical professionals and therapists may be on to something.

It's time to start slouching.

We probably, shouldn't yell at our kids so much when they slouch.

They are putting me through some therapy and, I'm learning to take it easy.

Slouching, may be good for your health !