canyon climbs

it was really gloomy yesterday... and just when I thought this endless ca summer would never end. Oh well, it was a good day to stay indoors and get cozy. 

Last weekend we went on a glorious hike, here are some of my iPhone shots.  ps, I love my barefoot merrells!

curving roads and rolling hills . . .

along the central coast

San Luis Obispo mission de Tolosa and sunny weather. I love the central coast. . .

harvest season on film

for our 4 yr wedding anniversary (!) we had a beautiful time on the central coast wine tasting and wandering around vineyards. if you've never been wine tasting and are thinking of going, the central coast is a really pretty, relaxed area to try it out :D

moving moving

we have been in our car for the past couple of weeks driving up and down and down and up CA.  Wow the weather was beautiful for most of it, with crisp blue skies and lots of fall colors.  We're so excited to be in one place this week, with just a bit of packing to do for the move into our little yellow house.

happenings

//  ojai cactii 
//  the 400 year old Oak tree in Westlake that was cut down ~ R.I.P.  
//  roasting eggplants for a curry

have a great weekend !

final trip to the miyazaki coast

last weekend we ventured out to miyazaki (knowing it would be our last chance to get there before moving.) Ben caught some fun waves and we stayed at our favorite hotel there. We love this place with it's exceptionally large rooms.  And the sunset was incredible that night.  On the way out of town on Sunday, we drove through cedar forests with the windows down... and stopped once along the way to breath in some good mountain air.

aloha summer !

goodbye to spring plums hanging in the trees, rain (I hope,) and a lot of belongings (time for some major trips to the give-away!!)

hello humidity like nowhere else!, the beach (although it didn't happen last weekend,) sunscreen, mosquitos, and farewell parties

dreamcatcher

almost exactly a month ago, before this miserable rainy season began, there was some amazing weather. we went to what is officially called, a "peace gathering," up in the mountains with some friends.  It was like a miniature festival, the kind that can only exist in Japan.  We met some interesting folks, listened to music, saw loads of teepees, ate good curry, bought some tibetan jewelry, and . . . sunbathed !

contrast

more kansai.
we visited the largest slum in all of Japan, called 'airin.' can you spot which photo was taken in that neighborhood? eye opening for us having lived in (spotless clean, orderly, polite) japan such a long time.