Airport, originally uploaded by bink_d.

We're leaving on vacation on Thursday. Today it's packing, sweating in the heat, and making a cursory effort to cleanup the house. It'll be interesting to see how the new security guidelines work. The airlines still allow carry-on baggage on our flight from Osaka to Hawaii, so at least we'll have some books and toys to entertain my son. We've got two, count 'em, typhoons bearing down on Japan, but we should be up and away before they get here.

Yosakoi is a big summer dance festival in Kochi, Japan. For 3 days teams dance at various venues throughout the city. It's crowded, sweaty, and fun. These pictures were taken in the main shoppping arcade. The dancers are right in front of you and the music reverberates off the walls and ceiling of the arcade.

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The other day I walked over to the daycare and picked up my son and one of his friends. It was incredibly humid. Half way home, the friend stopped at a relative's house to drop off his knapsack. An aunt gave the boys some ice cream and the problem was to get home before it melted. I tried to keep things moving, but as usual, we got held up by playing Ultraman, looking for fish in a creek, and examining things along the road. We rambled through rice fields and a bamboo grove and finally made it home. We were sweating so much that, after throwing the ice cream in the freezer, we all took cold showers.

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Okitsu
Originally uploaded by bink_d.

This is Okitsu Beach on southern Shikoku near Kubokawa. Getting here is half the fun. The road that descends to the beach has 40-something switchbacks and frequently narrows to one lane. The beach has new restrooms and showers though and I've never encountered a crowd scene. Sometimes there's surf, but there are also calmer areas for the kids.

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It was as hot as the inside of a pizza oven, so we made another trip to the river with one of Ray's friends and his parents. Ray got to try out his new snorkel, but the real crowd pleaser was the inflatable killer whale.

matsuri
Originally uploaded by bink_d.

Summer festivals come in all shapes and sizes in Japan. This one is small and local, put on by my son's daycare center and the elementary school. There are a lot of games for the kids that involve catching goldfish, fishing for toys, and a contest to see who can shout the loudest. Foods include yakisoba, onigiri, yakitori, and snowcones. The night ends with a short fireworks display--nothing major, but the kids love it.

Mugi Cha
Originally uploaded by bink_d.

It doesn't spring into mind when naming the preferred beverages of summer, but when the summer heat is pressing down on you like a stable of sumo wrestlers, there's nothing like a glass or ten of chilled wheat tea. It's as much a part of the Japanese summer as the drone of the locusts, watermelon, and snow cones.

Play Time
Originally uploaded by bink_d.

The best part of swimming lessons is undoubtedly screwing around on the big styrofoam float. Whenever we go to the pool, Ray immediately makes for the float and wants to play some variation of shark attack.

Swimming Lesson
Originally uploaded by bink_d.

Ray also has swimming lessons here on Saturday with other day care and kindergarden kids. He's almost learned to swim, but hasn't mastered his breathing techniques yet. Once he learns how to breath while swimming he should do fine. The good thing about the lessons is that he's now comfortable in the water. A little too comfortable for my liking; the boy has no fear

The Pool
Originally uploaded by bink_d.

The routine has been to hit the river, then sample the delights of Tosayamamura. On the way back up to the road is a small store. The attraction is the ice cream freezer. After some sort of an ice cream treat, melon ice cream balls or banana bars, we continue onto the pool. The path to the pool leads past the small town library, giving Ray a chance to check out some Ultraman books. Then it's on to the pool. I thought it would be a waste of time, because it's heated and I assumed the water was too hot. Luckily the heat has been turned off and the water is refreshing. In the afternoon the pool is usually deserted and Ray and I have the place to ourselves.

PICT0008.JPG
Originally uploaded by bink_d.

Ray has been eager to catch some minnows ever since he saw the neighbor's collection. He has a lot of minnows and goldfish in large ceramic basins outside his house. The fish are hard to see because of all the aquatic plants. Ray goes up to guys house every night in the hopes that he can borrow the neighbor's small hand-net and catch some fish.

Kagami River in Summer
Originally uploaded by bink_d.

Here's the nearest swimming hole to the house, the Upper Kagami River at Tosayamamura. Water is high this year because of the prolonged rainy season, but there's a small gravel beach to put your stuff on and plenty of shade. The water is surprisingly cold and takes awhile to get used to. Ray seems more interested in catching minnows or crabs than swimming, but once you're wet, the summer heat evaporates. You can stand on the bank, look down the river and feel the cool breeze that blows down the valley.

Vacation at Last

The new job mix was intense, including working Saturdays, a lot of prep work for the classes at KWU, and a quick, spring trimester at the high school. Suddenly, about 10 days ago, high school was over and they pulled the attendance book from the teachers' room, meaning there's no need to show up unless you absolutely have to. I gave my last test at the university the same day. Suddenly the miasmal rainy season was over and the weather changed to hot, sunny days with thunder storms in the evening. It's too hot to think, or do much else, so what better time to had for the river?