More Around the Neighborhood

Someone is airing futon outside this apartment building.

Street mirror.

Garage made out of corrugated plastic.

Train crossing.

Around the Neighborhood

I bought a pen today and the shopkeeper put it in this small paper envelope. Some of the bears are holding signs that say "Mitsubishi Pencil." The pen I bought wasn't from the Mitsubishi Corporation.

Taking Flight

The color is not so good in this photo, but look at the different "poses" of flight! These birds all took off when the cat moved (see this post.)

Sweet Olive

In the first weeks of October, the air is heavy with the sweet perfume of kinmokusei trees. The small trees near our grocery store were heavily in bloom. The trees can get really tall.

Cat In the Bean Field

Yesterday I saw one of the cats we caught last year. He's the one who got caught eating the fish head I had for another cat. We took him to the vet to have an operation. He looks healthy and well fed, but he doesn't look very happy to see me. click on the label below to see more posts about cats.

In the Morning Light

The leeks look blue.

So does the broccoli.

Click on the photo to enlarge it. Actually the camera was on the wrong setting!

What's this? And what is it used for?

It's not a clothes pin.

It's a clip to hold the net. I think that's daikon under the net.

Sports Day

Today was a national holiday for Sports Day. Click on the labels below for past posts. Little Brother's junior high had its Sports Day last June. Big Sister's high school had its Sports Day in September.

It was a beautiful day today. I didn't hear any loudspeakers in our area today or over the weekend.

Check the Kids Web Japan link, too.

Kids Web Japan--Sports Day

Typhoon approaching us

Click here to track the typhoon. So far it's raining but quiet and still here in west Tokyo. No winds yet.

Neighborhood Fall Festival 2009

Kids wearing happi coats are pulling something out of the park.

They were pulling this mikoshi, portable shrine. They carried it down the street and around the neighborhood several times. Grown-ups helped.

They pushed and beat this drum, too. The festival was Saturday and Sunday.

Click here for the 2006 post. here for close-ups of the mikoshi. Click on the label below for posts on other festivals.

Autumn Moon Viewing

Tonight was the night for moon viewing. Read about Autumnal Moonlight Viewing at Kids Web Japan.

We all went to the roof garden several times to view the moon. It was a nice crisp night. It is difficult to take pictures of the moon. I still need more practice!

We bought flowers with pampas grass. We also bought mochi round like the full moon filled with adzuki bean paste. The rabbit is a decoration our family uses when we decorate for Easter. Click on the label below for other posts.

I took this picture from the roof garden. I used the tripod and zoom lens. Much better!

Still hanging on

This is what the morning glories near the public garden looked like today. It is the end of the season for morning glories. Actually, people in our neighborhood usually clear them away after summer.

This was two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago, I took this photo in the evening when the blooms closed. I had to use the flash. The blooms looked purple after they closed.

This was taken at the same time. These morning glories were waiting for morning to bloom.

Another Use for Clothes Pins

The farmer behind our house has covered some of his rows of vegetables.

Kerry Martin's SCBWI Presentation

Kerry Martin, senior design editor for Clarion Books, was in Tokyo this month. She visited our SCBWI chapter and gave a presentation about the process of bringing art and text together for picture books. Some of her favorite picture books are The Boy Who Couldn't Swim by Deb Lucke, Wave by Suzy Lee, The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams and I am Dodo by Kae Nishimura.

Author/illustrator Kae Nishimura was in the audience! Here she is with Kerry Martin. They went to Parsons School of Design in New York together. Click here for Kae Nishimura's website. It is in Japanese but maybe you can switch it over to English through Blogger.

SCBWI member illustrator Midori Mori was also in town. Click here for her website.

SCBWI member illustrator Patrik Washburn translated from English into Japanese. His website is here.

Neighbor's Kiwi

Our neighbor wrapped part of the kiwi vine in a piece of old screen. Any idea why?