A Whale of a Tale

About this same time of year last year we signed up, with high hopes, to go on a whale watching cruise.  Our hopes were maybe a little too high which left us with some disappointed feelings when we saw only a fleeting tail or fin or poof of water.

Not to be defeated (or maybe we're slow to learn), we signed up again this year to see some whales.  We did learn from last year that bringing the kids with us was not a good idea.  Hours of staring at water for a quick peak at a whale fin was not their idea of fun.  Nor mine, since Emmy and London apparently have a fear of boats, and apparently continuous body contact with me was the only way to soothe that fear.  So this year our friend Liz graciously agreed to host the kids while Stevie and I went out on a whale hunt (for photographs only, thought I might need to clarify that since we are in Japan...)

Although the weather was looking forboding in the morning, we still headed out and were pleasantly surprised to find patches of sunshine in the middle of the ocean.  That makes all the difference around here because the minute the sun hits the water the color turns from a steel gray to an amazing blue that defies description.

Ready to go!

Another difference this year is that we went out with an American boat and crew so we were actually able to understand what was going on!  The morning started with us catching up to a group of Japanese tour boats just off the Karamas islands during which we were treated to our first whale sighting.  I think at this first stop it was more exciting to see how the boats were pitching in the choppy water, especially when the crowd all moved to one part of the boat!

The second location we headed to yielded us a great opportunity to see a pair of wales together with an awesome double fin show and double tail show!  (Note the color change of the water, this is what sunshine does!)

Finally, we broke off by ourselves and the captain found a pair of humpbacks frolicing and playing like I imagined we'd see.  They were breaching and splashing, although it was really hard to get a picture of the breaching so I only have pics of the splash...

This one was taken by my friend Maureen's husband when they went out last weekend...

Wish I had taken this!

These two big guys (or gals, couldn't be sure) were hanging out just below the water and then would come up for air, flop around, and even at one point, one of them checked us out.  This is called "spy-hopping" when they stick their heads strait of the water to see what's going on.  What a neat thing to see in person!  They finally got within about 20 feet of the boat and then disappeared.  By this point, the waves were beginning to get a bit precarious so we had to head back to the dock, but it will definitely be a trip I'll remember for a lifetime.

That's a fin!

Look how close they were to us!

Mowing

The Japanese have interesting ways of doing things - we've been privy to their ways since we've lived here, but one of the stranger ways of doing things is the way they mow.  Yes, we're talking grass here.

Many moons ago, for those of you paying attention, I did a post about the way that the yard workers dress - a cross between nuclear fallout, Little House on the Prairie and homeless.  There is no good description - just pictures...

So in this "Lawn Ninja" gear (as Stevie calls them), the Japanese cut lawns, trees, borders, etc.

And then there are the ways they cut the median strips on roads.  I know, you wouldn't think this would be an interesting topic for a post, but stick with me.

First, let me state a fact.  This is a sub-tropical island so plants grow fast.  Weeds grow even faster.  So the Japanese solution for keeping the weeds and grasses in the median strips at bay is to raze them every month or so.  I mean take them down to nubs so you think they'd never grow again - but they always do seem to live to see another day.

But it's the process that is so interesting because it's so labor intensive.  For instance, here's a typical progression...

Driving down the road and you start seeing cones closing the lane (note the bushy grass)...

 

Approaching Workman One who is holding a large screen (on wheels! so it's movable) to stop grass from flying into traffic and Workmen 2, 3, 4 and 5 busy with their weed wackers...

Workmen 6 & 7 wacking the weeds behind a screen to keep it all neat and tidy...

Workmen 8, 9, 10 and 11 stacking up the wacked weeds...

Workmen 12, 13, 14 and 15 putting the cut weeds into a garbage truck...

Finally, Workmen 16 with a giant flag waving cars to get over (in case the bright yellow cones weren't clear enough)...

Now how's that for a process???

Thai in the Sky

On Saturday our neighbors, Liz and Don, asked us to join them for an adventure to the south end of the island.  They went a few weeks ago and found a remote beach full of tiny spiral shells and other seaside treasures.  Don had a grand idea that he was going to fill this Patron bottle with the shells and Stevie had an idea that he might find some fish. 

Twisting through some farm fields (on roads, not off-roading), we came through a clearing to a beautiful wide beach area.  The tide was way, way out and there were all kinds of tidal pools to explore, shells and sea glass to collect and - fortunately for Stevie - fish to catch!  He was reeling in all kinds of fish including an interesting needle fish (or that's what we're calling it).

Filling the bottle



Fun in the tidal pools.

Waiting for the big one.

After collecting our fill of shells, bits of pottery and sea glass (Don's bottle was only half full, though),

My treasure collection.

Cannon's treasure collection.

our tummies called us to our next stop...Thai in the Sky.  Ok, that's not the real name, but it's acurate.  It's a fantastic Thai restaurant on the top of a hill with a fantastic view of the ocean and beyond. 

View from the restaurant.

To get to the restaurant from the parking lot, you have to pass through an open building housing a strange, eclectic collection of dinosaur and fish fossils.  Not sure which ones were real and which ones were fake, or what they had to do with a Thai restaurant on top of a mountain in Okinawa?

London with a quetzocoatlus fossil (like a flying bird).

This cracked me up - these dinosaurs were for sale but they just looked so funny all perfectly lined up!

I've heard a lot about this restaurant from other Americans and I've been wanting to try it but the 1 hour drive has put me off until now.  It was so good, though, I know we'll go back!

Parking Sign

Does anyone but me find it really funny to find a sign like this...

(Read it out loud for the best effect - Lrregular).

In front of this store?

London's Award

I realized as I was reviewing my posts that I never did a full post about London's award ceremony at school.  And in all fairness to the kid, especially since his brother has been hogging the lime-light lately, I wanted to correct my error...

So last Friday was the Quarterly Awards Ceremony for London's school and we were notified earlier in the week that he was getting one.  It just so happened that Stevie was post-call that day so he could attend too (a rare thing!).  Now, London still doesn't receive "official" grades in first grade, but they somehow come up with awards to bestow anyways.

London was chosen for the honor of a "Teacher's Choice" award and his teacher had many a kind words to say about our boy which made us very proud.  Way to go, London!

One of the comments Mrs. Murray made about London was about his infectious grin and how it makes you smile, but sometimes just looking at him can make you smile too...  (Those are glasses he made to mark the 100th day of school and his new river otter.)

Flowers, Part 2

I told you I'd find a way to finish off my flower adventure, even if I had to wait a few days!  Sunday was reasonable weather and the last day of the Orchid Show that I had been wanting to see, so I gathered my clan (with a bribe of a trip to the aquarium) and Liz's clan (they're fun to do stuff with and the girls seem to keep each other entertained - and by that I mean the set of little girls and the set of big girls!) and headed up island to the Tropical Dream Center.  Great name, isn't it?

Although we've been to the aquarium numerous times, we've never been to any of the other parts that make up this tourist destination on the Motubu penninsula.  The Tropical Dream Center is open all year, but for these two weeks it is home to the Okinawa International Orchid Show. 

Going down the steps toward the Orchid show there were all kinds of flower topiaries...

Now I'm not an orchid cultivator, in fact the one I own is lucky to be alive and pleases me by blooming once a year, but I do think they are a pretty flower.  But I had no idea how many varieties and colors they could come in and how interesting their shapes can be.

All of us set off through the exhibit with the idea of seeing the flowers and then heading over to the aquarium, but after two rooms the guys and kids had had enough of waiting for Liz and I to gawk and take pictures.  Liz is my kindred spirit for photography and has taught me a tremendous amount and I was very glad to have her guidance for this experience.  Stevie, Don and the kids were not so glad.  But as Liz said, "You can't take photographers to a flower show and not expect them to take pictures!"  So the guys and kids abandoned us and headed over to see the fish leaving us to ogle at the orchids...

This was a lei.

The colors!

The shapes!

The beauty.

Even the greenery was beautiful.

Doesn't this look like a laughin face?

These reminded me of birds.

And as always, the funny sign.  I wondered if before following this path we were on the "unusual" route?