Ito English

Keya Beach July 9th

2011-07-11T10:43:00.004+09:00

Jake bringing some ice shavings back from the beach shop. He loves the stuff!
There were very few people swimming. We enjoyed snorkelling around the rocks.
We stayed most of the morning.When it got too hot, we went home.
But came back again for the sunset. Glad we live here!

Sunset at Nogita

2011-04-11T13:51:00.001+09:00

Recently the weather has been getting more springlike. This was a nice sunset from Nogita beach.

Ganmosu

2011-03-07T19:33:00.003+09:00

I went to Ganmosu today with my'old' friend U san. It was cold and windy but the sand dunes were spectacular.

Some time in the near future we will take my son there for some sand sledging. I'm sure he will love it!

Niginohama at sunset

2010-10-19T20:27:00.002+09:00

Looking towards Nogita from the end of the sea wall.
Again towards Nogita from where a small stream comes down to the beach.
Looking back towards Keya no Ooto

Nephew Tom in Kyoto

2010-10-17T19:00:00.002+09:00

Recently my nephew, Tom visited from England. It was his first trip to Japan so I took him up to Kyoto to see the temples and gardens. I was very happy to be back and I think he had a great time too.
Kiyomizudera was lovely in the fading sunlight.
We walked through Gion and were lucky enough to see a lot of women in kimonos and even a Maiko.
I have been to Kinkakuji before but never when the weather was as good as this.

Fukae Bay

2010-09-22T09:25:00.002+09:00

I went on a short bike ride yesterday to Fukae Bay just across the way from us.It is a pleasant place which not many people know about as it is a little off the beaten track.

It was another baking hot day and I got sunburn on my arms.Must wear long sleeves in future!

Sumo Tournament, Keya

2010-09-02T08:07:00.003+09:00

Yesterday, September 1st. I took part in the local Sumo tournament. It is meant to ensure a good harvest. Jake also fought. We both lost unfortunately but we will be back next year!

Bike Ride to Zubaiji Dam

2010-06-01T16:21:00.003+09:00

I went on a short bike ride to a nearby dam this morning with Chris.We both thought this mountainside was pretty cool.
It was pretty misty up in the hills.You wouldn't think it was the beginning of June from the temperature.Chilly!
This is the dam.Quite a pleasant spot in good weather I guess.
We didn't see many other cars on the roads.We will be going up there again.

A Day Out in Nogita

2010-03-30T19:27:00.003+09:00

A view from Nogita beach back towards Keya.It is a great place to play around in summer.Very shallow sloping beach.
Natty Dread, a hamburger and jerk chicken restaurant on the beach.The owner seems to have built the place from driftwood.

2010-03-17T18:24:00.004+09:00

the view from the balcony of the restaurant below.
This is the newest restaurant in Itoshima.I will be teaching the staff English in the future.

Today we went there to try the food.Very tasty indeed!
The sashimi was fresh and delicious as usual in this area.
The main course was Suzuki in a mint sauce.Very nice too!

There were a total of seven dishes between the start and finish of the meal.We were stuffed!
This is the genkan of the place.A very nice tsubo niwa.

Fukuoka Dome Bouncy Castles

2010-01-30T12:27:00.002+09:00

We took Jake down to Fukuoka Dome the other week to bounce around in 'Kid's Adventure Land', a bouncy castle event.He had a great time while we stood in the cold watching.

The Cat Crept In

2010-01-30T12:18:00.002+09:00

I finally finished the cat-flap.It fits in one of our windows because our doors are very difficult, if not impossible to fit a cat-flap to.

The cats are starting to get the hang of coming in and out through it now.They were a bit bemused by it at first,But when we stopped opening the door for them they got the idea.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-12-28T17:03:00.003+09:00

This is me Santa-ing at a shopping mall near Fukuoka.I enjoyed making all the kids happy with sweets and toys.
Next year is the year of the Tiger so poor old Tigger got dressed up.Doesn't look too happy about it does he?

The Cats Tucked Up For Sleep

2009-12-17T22:39:00.003+09:00

Tigger and Snowy have made up and are friends again.It was cold so we tucked them up in a blanket to keep them warm.Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

Hope You've Been Good

2009-12-02T16:54:00.003+09:00

Yesterday I spent the whole day making a TV commercial as Santa.I had to have false eyebrows glued on with spirit gum.Which is a real pain (literally) to get off.
The first part of the job involved jumping around in Nishi Koen in Fukuoka.They were making it look as if I was flying after a present .
The second part was set in Hawkstown shopping mall.I had to do a kind of dance in front of the Christmas trees.
It was an interesting ,if exhausting,experience.I had to be there for 8 a.m. and we finally finished at 9 p.m..I was very glad to get out of the costume and back into my normal clothes.

Humphrey's Bash

2009-11-06T16:46:00.003+09:00

I took Jake with me to a party at my friend Humphrey's place last weekend.Jake had a great time jumping around on the trampoline and playing foosball with some of the other guests.
I also enjoyed the great food which Humphrey had cooked up including mackerel/creamcheese pate and smoked chicken.I couldn't drink as I was driving but I had a quick try of his 'moonshine' which was very strong but delicious.

Keya No Ooto

2009-10-21T17:40:00.009+09:00

This photo was taken by my good friend Chris who just happened to be in Keya as we were getting on the boat.
We went to Keya No Ooto today.A short boat trip from Keya takes you to a basalt column cave which the boat can enter.A bit Blue Grotto but not as spectacular.Nice tho!
The cave entrance is on the left of the rock in the shadows in this picture.
Me and Jake inside the cave.
Looks almost Mediterranean coming back to the quayside in Keya.A very pleasant trip.On a lovely sunny day.

Niginohama and Keya no Oto From Highland Park

2009-10-06T08:34:00.007+09:00

This is a photo of Niginohama looking back towards Keya.This spot is about a ten-minute walk from our house.It is on the way to our usual sledging place.It was a beautiful day but the beach was almost deserted.

This is our sledging area.As you can see the dunes are quite steep here.This is not the best run but it is still a real laugh and a bit scary!

A view from Highland Park ( where the rich people live) down towards Keya no Oto.Our house is just off the right side of the top of this picture.

Defying Gravity

2009-09-07T19:47:00.003+09:00

When we were at Sunset Live we met the other foreigner who lives in Keya.
He,Jeff, sells trampolines, and had a few on the beach at the festival.
He offered us our pick of the ones he had there at a good price.We decided to buy a 3 metre diameter one.Big enough for Jake to have fun on for a few years at least.
Some pics of Jake and S chan (from next door) enjoying the new trampoline.

Sunset Live Keya Beach

2009-09-04T21:15:00.002+09:00

These are two views of the 'Sunset Live' three day music festival which is held on our local beach each year in Keya.
It was my first time to go there.I was impressed by the number of things to do and see.It was very good fun even for an old guy like me.
The young things must love it!

This will give you some idea of the number of people who attend.This was only the first day so I guess it must be crazy over the weekend.

A Sunny Saturday

2009-09-01T08:19:00.002+09:00

I went for a motorcycle ride with my good friend Chris on Saturday.It was a lovely day so Chris decided to unleash his lilly-white legs on the unsuspecting populace of Itoshima.
At Nijo Parking Area on the way we met up with Paddy,an Aussie lad who is working with Chris .He has recently taken up bicycling.He covered about 50 km that day.I will stick to motor powered transport for the long distances!
We ended up at the top of Kagamiyama in Karatsu.It was too hazy for a great view but was still very nice up there.

More From England trip

2009-08-23T12:36:00.003+09:00

Near my parents' house in England there is a nice country park where we took Jake to see the birds.Last year he was scared of the geese but this year he was fine.
We went to an outlet mall near Wookey Hole where Jake was very happy to find this merry-go-round.We bought some nice cups and saucers for half price.We could have spent a lot of money there as some of the stuff was genuinely cheap.
Finally, near my sister's house,in Southend on Sea ,there is an amusement park where the parent accompanying a child can ride for free.A very good arrangement I think.Of course Jake wanted to ride everything but in the end we ran out of time.Mainly because he made me ride the roller coaster with him 5 times! Tjis is Jake and Nat on a sideways Ferris wheel.

England Trip August 10 to 19 2009

2009-08-21T21:52:00.002+09:00

This is Jake with his cousin Tom in the hall of mirrors at Wookey Hole in Somerset, England.
I found the mirror thing very unsettling.Guess I'm not cut out to be a narcissist.
This is a view from the car park at Wookey Hole.We enjoyed a picnic nearby as we were very hungry after walking round the cave and other attractions ( including a kids' circus)

This is a very pretty house in the same village as the pub where we had lunch.

This is the pub where we had lunch one day. It was very tasty! I had sausage and mash.Yum!
It was a very old pub with very low ceilings and a very nice fireplace.I really miss these old country pubs living outside England.One of the best things about the Sceptred Isle I think.

BY ANY MEANS

2009-08-03T08:27:00.005+09:00

I and Humphrey and Nick went down to Kumamoto station on Thursday July 30th to meet up with Charley Boorman and his camera crew.
They are filming a new series of 'By Any Means' , a travel show for the BBC.
This time they were travelling from Australia up through S/E Asia to finish up in Tokyo.
We went with them from Kumamoto across to Beppu.
I was driving the van carrying the crew and Humphrey and Nick were lucky enough to be riding along with Charley.
Halfway up Mt. Aso we stopped for some cornering shots.
On the other side of Aso we stopped for some drinks as it was very hot and muggy.
Everyone had a good time.Charley and his crew were a good laugh.They put us up in a hotel in Beppu where we all had dinner together.The next morning we rode to the port and waved them off on a small fishing boat bound for Shikoku.

Finally Finished Fence Fantastic!!

2009-07-28T17:23:00.004+09:00

The fence looks much better now that it has been capped off with split bamboo!The plan is to hide what can still be seen of the sheds with trees which will be donated ( again) by Mr.K. Great thanks to him!Also to Mr. U.

This will be a small Japanese style garden built by Mr. K. Looks great already but will be even better with the addition of some plantings.We will probably take out the small rock in the middle.

Photos Of The Area

2009-07-21T09:42:00.004+09:00

Looking from Kafuri fish port towards Mt. Kaya
From Benten Bridge towards Kafuri
From Benten Bridge looking towards Nijo in the distance

Swimming At Nogita Beach

2009-07-21T09:35:00.004+09:00

It was a nice sunny day this Saturday so we went to Nogita for a swim.The beach was crowded.Well, relatively!
Jake just before he disappeared sideways.Ha ha!

Meinohama Driving School Bike Event

2009-07-21T09:26:00.003+09:00

It was a sweltering hot day.But I still enjoyed riding nice shiny Harleys.
I really like the Sportster.It even went round corners pretty well.Nice smooth power delivery too!
This is the Harley Cross Bones or something.A bit like a circus clown bike.I touched down the floorboards twice.Even at the slow speeds I was doing round the test track!

Breakfast At Current Then Kayaking At Nogita

2009-07-12T19:38:00.003+09:00

This morning we decided to go to Current, a favourite restaurant near us for breakfast.We love the view from the terrace tables.
They do a pretty good set menu which comprises several types of bread,a salad, soup,bacon and eggs and a bottomless cup of coffee.Good value for 770 yen.

Jake took this photo of me.It looks like I have a green Mohican haircut!
After breakfast we went to Nogita beach for some swimming and kayaking .It was Jake's first time in a kayak but I was impressed that he didn't get seasick or scared at all.He loved it!We went over to a rocky islet not far from the shore.It was a little choppy in the sea but still great fun!I look forward to doing it again soon.

Latest Fence Report

2009-07-06T18:37:00.003+09:00

Well, the fence has taken another step towards completion.We did a few hours work on it today.Including trips to pick up more bamboo.It still needs about one more day's work to finish.
But I think it is looking pretty good!

The Twins On The Cat Tree

2009-07-05T14:13:00.002+09:00

The cats have started to use the cat tree nowadays.They seem to like sleeping on it too.Better than them sleeping on my bed!It's no fun being woken up by a cat's claws!

Tanabata Festival At Hikitsu Kindergarten

2009-07-05T14:09:00.003+09:00

Yesterday, July 4th, was the Hikitsu Hoikuen Tanabata Festival.Jake had a great time playing with his friends and eating lots of junk.He also seemed to enjoy the dancing this year.Last year he was too shy to take part.

Near Our House In Keya Itoshima

2009-07-05T14:07:00.005+09:00

A picture of the countryside very near our house in Keya.It is nice to be close to so much green!

Swimming at Keya Beach

2009-06-29T10:53:00.005+09:00

It was a beautiful day on Sunday so Jake decided to ride his bicycle down to the beach for a
swim.The beach was very uncrowded as you can see!

Fence Progress Report

2009-06-25T21:24:00.003+09:00

We managed to finish another panel of the fence( except for trimming the top) yesterday.
I think it is going to look pretty good when it is finished completely.
We are going to cut some more bamboo tomorrow.

New Fence Starts To Take Shape

2009-06-23T17:36:00.003+09:00

Well as you can see we didn't get too far with the fence today before the skies opened and the downpour started.
But you can get at least some idea of what we are trying for.The plan is to make a feature of the pine trees over the fence by cutting some 'windows' into it.Still a long way to go! I hope the weather is kinder to us tomorrow.

Start Of A New Fence

2009-06-22T10:59:00.004+09:00

I laid out the bamboo (which me and Paddy had cut last week)to see if there was enough for the sight screen I want to build.The plan is to hide the neighbour's ugly sheds.
I think I need some more! So it's another trip to the hills to cut some.

It's A Hard Life

2009-06-22T10:47:00.002+09:00

Tigger and Snowy were feeling tired after a hard morning chasing each other round the house.So they fell asleep in the middle of the kitchen floor.
Life is so tough when you are small,cute and furry!

My new, very old bike

2009-06-17T20:46:00.003+09:00

Two views of my new bike project.It is a Yamaha SR500,which is a classic amongst bike fans.
I bought it for a good price from one of my students.They threw in a lot of spares and original parts.All it needs,I hope,is some TLC.I am looking forward to riding around the great riding roads we have in this area.

Mt Kaya from Hikitsu bay

2009-06-16T10:07:00.003+09:00

It was a lovely morning the other day so I went for a quick spin on my motorbike.I took this from half-way round Hikitsu bay.Mt. Kaya is in the background.This is at low tide,obviously.
It was still cool at the time so it was a very refreshing ride.

The house gets a new face

2009-06-16T09:09:00.003+09:00

This is the front of the house after putting in some new plants.I got a 'nanten' and a 'tsubaki' amongst others from K san's garden.Thanks to him the place looks much better.Inthe foreground you can see the stones I am putting in to make a car parking space.I have been collecting them little by little from a local stone mason.They are all offcuts so they are free!
I am planting 'ryu no hige ' between the stones.I think it will look pretty good when it is all finished.It will be a while yet tho!

The twins

2009-06-08T22:50:00.003+09:00

Finally a picture of Snowy and Tigger climbing the cat tree I built for them to play on.It needs a little more work but they are starting to enjoy messing about on it .

I get by with a little help from my friends

2009-06-08T22:42:00.004+09:00

A couple of pictures of the very nearly completed Tsubo niwa outside my bathroom.
Mostly built by two friends of mine from kindly donated materials and plants.I am very grateful for all the work they have put into this project.The next thing we will build is a fence to hide some ugly sheds next to my garden.Thanks again U san and K san!!
Also I must thank Chris and Paddy who have been a great help in this project.

Our new Twins

2009-05-27T19:02:00.003+09:00

This is Snowy,she is quieter than Tigger.But fights like a demon!
This is Tigger, he likes to try to reach the ceiling by climbing up the screen doors.He hasn't quite got the hang of climbing down tho!

View from Mt Kaya

2009-05-16T19:58:00.002+09:00

This from Mt.Kaya looking to the East.In the foreground is the Aeon supermarket.

Sunset 2009 5 15

2009-05-16T19:50:00.002+09:00

This is the sunset taken from my friend's garden near Fukunoura beach.Hime shima is just off to the left.A beautiful view almost every night.He is a lucky guy!

2009-05-07T20:52:00.002+09:00

This is a view from Fukushima across to Irohajima onsen.Taken from the herb/flower park on Fukushima.A very beautiful view on a sunny day.We will definitely go there again.

2009-05-07T20:49:00.001+09:00

I went down to Fukushima in Golden Week after finishing four weddings in Imari(my debut as a wedding celebrant)This pic is of the rice terraces near the campsite we stayed on.Very popular as a sunset photo.

Marinoa City

2009-04-24T19:47:00.004+09:00

We went to Marinoa City Outlet Mall the other day so that I could buy some shoes.
Jake decided that he wanted to go on the big Ferris wheel.He paid with his own money!
I needed to buy shoes to use for my new career as a priest!!!!
Yup,I am going to be a wedding ' Bokushi' on weekends and holidays.Everyone says I look like a priest anyway,so I decided to try it.

Saturday April 11th

2009-04-16T19:18:00.003+09:00

We went to the beach again and did some dune sledging.Jake loves it!
It was a very warm day.Jake ended up only wearing his jeans and paddling in the sea.
Soon we will be swimming!

Kagami Yama

2009-04-08T21:01:00.003+09:00

I went on a quick ride to Kagami Yama near Karatsu with Chris the other day.A beautiful view from the top even though it was a bit hazy.

Yozakura in Keya

2009-03-28T11:51:00.002+09:00

A bit cold but all smiles.

Yozakura in Keya

2009-03-28T11:47:00.003+09:00

Some of the friends family and students who were at the Hanami party on Thursday last week.We all had a great time.And the food was excellent!

C.P Salon Maebaru English Students

2009-03-22T15:28:00.003+09:00

I had a very interesting time talking with these ladies recently.

Another sunday on the beach

2009-03-15T22:31:00.002+09:00

We spent the morning on Niginohama sliding down the sand dunes on sledges.Great fun but now the house is full of sand.Normal in summer but this is a bit early!
I went to Ko's house with Humphrey.There was a beautiful view across to Nijo-cho.

Tax forms

2009-03-11T21:34:00.001+09:00

I spent the afternoon at Fukuoka tower filling in my 'Kakuteishinkoku' tax forms.
The staff there were very friendly and helpful.Very different from the staff in Kyoto!
I even got some money back! Yay!!

A fun Sunday

2009-03-09T18:17:00.005+09:00

Spent this Sunday with my friends Chris and Humphrey and their families.We ended up down near Nogita at Natty Dread cafe eating burgers.Great food!

Helpful friends

2009-03-07T21:27:00.003+09:00

I went out this morning to deliver chirashis with my friend Ko.Many thanks to him!He is a genius.
After that,in the afternoon, I went back to his house for a cuppa.
While I was there my British friend,Chris came over to help Ko with his computer.He knows about these infernal machines.He is the person who taught me to produce a blog.So all thanks to him too!
I hope to meet up with him again tomorrow.This picture is me and him on our bikes.

Introduction

2009-03-06T19:17:00.000+09:00

Over the past few months I have been trying to slowly get my garden into some kind of order.Today one of my students gave me some shrubs and bamboo.So I have planted them and I hope they will grow.I think bamboo looks good almost anywhere so I was very happy to be given some!