Today I Learned Some Russian in Okinawa, Japan (Photos)

Today I was out wandering around with the Canon G12 and ran across this thing.

And, I took this photo so I wouldn't forget, I learned a Russian word.

TOCHKA

That's Russian for a "Point" or "Hub" describing an important position in a battle.

So, what we have here is a picture of a Tochka.

It's a little concrete building that three people can hang out in and shoot their guns out the two windows if anybody comes along and tries to take it away from them.

This one is still standing but got lots of bullet damage during World War II.

And, nobody was home when I looked in there.

So, I figured nobody would mind if I shot this sign, too.  It helps me remember.

The location of this Tochka is Kakazu Village in Okinawa, Japan.

Back in school days, I heard about the war and I knew the US and Japan fought over this island.

 Sadly, many Okinawan people were killed in the battle.

Today, I learned the Russian word, tochka.

Now, I'm wondering.  Were the Russians here, too?

GOOGLE MAP LOCATION

A Scene From Within UNESCO Nakijin Castle Walls Okinawa

This is a photo taken from within the walls of Nakajin Castle during the month of July.

The position this was photographed from is probably one of northernmost points that can be reached inside the castle walls.

Experimenting with the Pentax KD 10, there were 3 shots taken at f/22.

Shutter speeds were adjusted to get one photo at perfect exposure, one at -1 on the light-meter and one at +1.  Then, combine all three in Adobe Elements to create an HDR photo.

What I didn't realize, at the time, was the clouds were moving fairly quickly.

So, this is one of those photos scheduled for the recycle bin.  My clouds got smeared.

The newer models of most DSLRs, and some point and shooters, have HDR capability built in to them.  I haven't tried the HDR Mode on any of my cameras, yet but, will, one of these days.

It would be interesting to do a comparison between HDR photos created in-camera and HDR shots created manually, I think.

All I have to do is figure out where those camera manuals sneaked off to and read the darn things, one of these days.

We're having some weather in Okinawa, Japan this week that makes a body feel like staying indoors and reading.  It just might be a good time to getterdun.



This Sunday's Silly Sign Could Inspire A Redneck (Photos)

It's been a month of Sundays, I walked by this Silly Sign with my dogs and couldn't decide whether or not to go through all the trouble of taking photos and translating for you.

But, I gotterdun this morning and I'm sure glad that I did because,

IT INSPIRED ME !

What you see in the photo is where some responsible citizen got a can of spray paint and made a sign that says "Gomi Kirei".  Rough translation: "Nice and neat garbage".

This sign is on the east end of a housing project.

Now, turn around in the street and just have a peek at the west end of the same place.

Nobody took the time to make a sign for folks throwing away garbage, there.

So, I figure, that's how things got that way.

WAIT !   There's MORE.  

THIS GAVE SOME INSPIRATION TO THE REDNECK PART OF ME !

SO, I RUN ON HOME WITH THE DOGS.

Most times, I keep a pile of trash in the front yard, just in case those cameramen from

Redneck Yard of the Month come around. But, they never show up.

So, I moved some of the junk out back and straightened things up a bit.

And, I made me a sign, by golly.

THIS SUNDAY'S SILLY SIGN COULD MAKE ME A MILLIONAIRE !

SEE ALL THE SILLY SIGNS IN THE DOOZIES

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Photo Essay: The Surprise at Tachigaa Waterfalls in Okinawa

Going down the stairs to see the waterfall there is plenty of shade in the forest.

It takes a few minutes to find the waterfall but, you can hear it, somewhere off in the distance.

There are a couple of places along the way where you can step out in the sun and view the falls.

All the way down at ground level is the best place to take wide angle photos.

Getting up a little closer could get a person and their camera wet.

But,  that's where you discover the surprise.  There is a cabin off to the right of the falls.

And, if you weren't so busy looking for the falls on your way down the stairs, you would have noticed it then.

Not a problem, just take some photos on the way back up.

But, keep your eyes open for A REAL ANGRY CATERPILLAR along the way.

MORE INFORMATION ON TACHIGAA WATERFALLS

Watching The World Economy Tank: A Bird Photo

Watching the world economy tank is better than sticking your head in the sand.

Or, is it ?



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