 Additional
Posts
This page might contain additional information from some of following sources:
Facebook Post - from my FB account
Email
Message - from my email account
Journal Post - from the journal our oldest son Shai is keeping |
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August 1, 2025 -
Journal Post - Taking out the trash and more fertilizer
First thing this morning, mom and I took out the trash. The trash bags were
filled with old blankets and cushions from the previous owner. The trash we
threw out today was only about half of the total amount of cushions. The other
half was to be thrown out on "big trash" day.
After that, we all got ready to head out into town. The first thing we did was
take a drive to the building supply store. On our first load, we bought 4 bags
of cement mix and 20 bags of chicken fertilizer. However, when I was unloading
these bags into the storage building at home, I realized I had only loaded 19
when we were at the shop. So on our second trip to get 20 bags of manure, I also
loaded up one bag of chicken fertilizer to make the total an even 20. After the
building supply store, we headed to the supermarket to buy lunch and groceries.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad headed out. The first thing he did was take a bag of chicken
fertilizer, and a bag of manure up to the upper area of the property. Then he
spread out the contents of the bags over all the fruit trees to fertilize them.
Once he was done with that, he began to spray the rock wall along the main
street. The reason for this was to clean out the rocks and prepare them for the
cement dad was going to apply between them. The reason for the cement is
because, while the rock wall is stable, it would be a lot more stable with
cement holding it all together. Dad's planning to apply the cement tomorrow.
After that, he watered the fruit trees and the garden, and that was it for the
day.
The high for today was 101 °F (ca. 38.33 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
August 2, 2025 -
Journal Post - Cementing the rock wall
This morning, only dad headed out. He spent the entire morning working on
putting cement on the rock wall that was along the street. Dad was using the
cement we bought the previous day to do the wall. He was using the hose to get
the water to mix with the cement. Because of the age of the hose, the pressure
caused a hole in the hose to form, so it started to leak and somehow expand.
While he was working, a lady who we have seen go walking every once in a while,
came up and talked to him! She and dad talked for a while, and then dad called
mom out. The woman is actually Mr Irie's wife! Once she left, dad got back to
work.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad headed back out.
Mom went into the room behind the kitchen and moved the empty cardboard boxes
that were in that room into the garage. After that, mom and I went into the room
and began to do some sorting. The main thing was to separate all the metal so we
could give the metal we don't want to Mr Kaku, but since we were already in
there, we basically finished sorting the room. While we were working, dad called
mom to come out because someone had come over. It was Mr Kuyama (the one who we
met on our second day here)! He came over to talk and to give us peaches!
Once he left, mom and I finished the room by tearing up most of the cardboard
boxes we had sorted out. Once that was done, I headed up to my room.
Dad spent most of the day working on the wall, and he finished the side and the
part along the street. All that was to do was the top of the wall.
Dad then spent the last hour or so of the day watering the fruit trees and
garden.
And that was it for today. The high today was 102 °F (ca. 38.89 °C) and the low
was 75 °F (ca. 23.89 °C).
August 3, 2025 -
Journal Post - More work on the wall
This morning only dad headed out. He spent the whole morning working on the
cement wall.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad had a bunch of conversations with the neighbors while he was
working. About three times Mr Kuyama drove up and talked to him. And dad also
had a conversation with Mr Takahara.
Along with working on the wall with the cement, dad also fixed the concrete
supports for the support beams holding up the veranda on the garage.
Sometime in the afternoon, mom brought out all the metal into the garage that
her and I had sorted the previous day. Dad decided to keep some of it, but most
of it was going to be given to Mr Kaku. Dad also burned all the cardboard that
mom had brought out the previous day.
Late in the afternoon, the owner of the land next to us came back with his
friend. They came to cut off the last branches, move all the wood into the
corner, and finally they proceeded to spray the entire land with what we're
guessing is round up. Now of course it is their land, so we have no say. But we
were going to go over and cut all the bamboo that was growing, and the round up
messed up that plan a little.
Around 5:00 pm, dad finished working on the wall, by then he had basically
completely finished it. He spent the rest of the afternoon soaking the fruit
trees and garden, and that was it for the day.
The high for today was 102 °F (ca. 38.89 °C) the low was 81 °F. (ca. 27.22 °C).
August 4, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work in the farm and moving a lot of wood
Before dad did anything today, he joined Line.
Then he headed out. He spent basically the entire morning putting 12 wood beams
on the roof of the storage building to add support for the tarp when it rains.
During the morning, mom headed to the farm. At the farm, mom did a bunch of
weeding, and watered the plants. While she was at the farm Mr Kuyama went over
to talk to her and to give her strawberry seedlings! In total, he gave mom 20 of
them!
And that was it for the morning.
In the afternoon, dad spent most of the day moving wood from across the whole
property into the storage building. The reason for this was well one, he needed
a place to put all the wood, and two, since all the wood is covered, it wouldn't
get warped, and he could work on it despite the weather conditions.
Dad watered the fruit trees and garden, and then in the last 30 minutes of the
day, he went crazy, putting all the last small pieces of wood into the storage
building.
The high for today was 100 °F (ca. 37.78 °C), and the low was 82 (ca. 27.78 °C).
August 5, 2025 -
Journal Post - Moving stuff and work on the well
This morning, only dad headed out.
He spent the morning moving bits of concrete, smashing bits of concrete and
stuff we didn't need, and sawing the handles off old tools to use to replace the
handles of our newer tools. Dad also spent a bit of time organizing all the
stuff in the storage building and making it look nice.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, dad and I headed out.
We spent a while working on the well together. At first dad loaded the buckets
with muck, and I transported it to the muck/sifted soil pile. Once all the main
muck was out, I went into the well and began to dig, and dad cleaned around the
well.
We did that until about 3:00 pm, and then we headed in for a timeout.
After our timeout, I kept working on the well, while dad worked on the compost
pile. He got me to move the green compost holder into the back. We had given the
thing a shot, but ultimately we realized it would be better if we did an open
compost. So dad spent a while using a bucket to move all the compost to a
different spot in the upper area.
While we were working, one of the workers who worked on installing the septic
tank drove up in a large truck. He didn't come to greet us or anything, but
we're pretty sure he fixed the leak in the septic pipe, so that was interesting.
Anyway, once dad was done with the compost, mom and the kids came out. They came
out to pick some vegetables, and to work on setting up some pots for some seeds
mom bought. Then dad sprayed the garden.
By the time dad was done spraying the garden, I had made the well a lot more
clean and quite a bit deeper. So the last thing we did today was spray the well
to clean it for when it rains.
The high for today was 104 °F (ca. 104 °C) and the low was 81 °F (ca. 27.22 °C).
August 6, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work with pots and the well
This morning, before dad went to work, I got a Line account!
And then dad headed out. Dad first spent some time in the storage building,
sorting out the wood a little more. While he was working, Mr Kuyama pulled up
and gave him a huge watermelon!
Then dad spent a while cleaning the entry of the house. That meant cleaning the
pots and sweeping around them.
The last thing dad did this morning was pull out the two cypress trees that had
dried up.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad headed out. He spent until about 3:00 pm moving some stuff to
the dog area.
Around 3:00 pm, I headed out. All I did the whole day was more work on the well.
While I was doing that, dad worked on setting up a barrier so the dog couldn't
get to the hill next to the street. This greatly reduced the chance of his leash
getting tangled.
Around 4:00 pm, mom and the kids came out. First they picked some vegetables,
and then the kids headed in, and mom stayed out to put some seeds in her pots.
When dad was done with the dog area, he spent until about 5:00 pm filling up his
huge pots with soil and putting various plants into them. The last thing he did
was soak the garden, and then we headed in.
The high for today was 100 °F (ca. 37.78 °C) and the low was 81 °F (ca. 27.22
°C).
August 7, 2025 -
Journal Post - Library day!
This morning we woke up to the sound of the pouring rain. The rain continued
until about 8:00 am.
Around 9:45 am, we headed out in the truck! We didn't stay long anywhere because
today was just a checking out trip. We first headed to the library in Osafune.
It was nice, just a bit small because it was just a room in the community
building. Then we headed to the library in Oku, which is also the main library
in Setouchi. We stayed there for a while checking things out, and I even got a
library card! Then we headed to the sports facility in Osafune. It has quite a
few areas for sports and other activities, but it definitely feels like a small
town sports facility. The last place we went was to the grocery store to buy
lunch.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad headed out. He spent basically the entire afternoon smoothing
out what used to be the dirt parking. He took all the dirt and dumped it in the
corner between the storage building and the road.
Around 4:00 pm, mom and the kids went out to pick some vegetables. Once the kids
went in the house, mom stayed out for a while and did more work on her pots.
Once dad was done with the smoothing, he watered the garden and fruit trees.
The high for today was 95 °F (ca. 35 °C), and the low was 76 °F (ca. 24.44 °C).
August 8, 2025 -
Journal Post - Working at the farm and at home
This morning dad got to work in the old dirt parking area, while mom and I
headed to the farm.
At the farm we put up poles for the peppers, made a bed and planted bush beans,
watered some plants, and did some weeding. Around 10:00 am, we headed home.
While we were at the farm, dad was busy getting the outline ready for the
seedling area! All the seedlings are currently stored under the orange tree, but
it's not great. So we're turning the old dirt parking into a seedling garden!
Once we got home, we all went in and took a timeout. While we were doing this,
Mrs Irie came over and gave us cherry tomatoes and みょが. She stayed for a while
talking with mom, and then she left.
Once she left, dad and I headed out. I spent until lunch working on making holes
to put posts in, while dad started on making the new compost bin out of wood.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I headed back out. He kept working on the compost bin,
while I continued making the holes.
While we were working, two ladies walked up. We thought they just wanted to
talk, but they turned out to be sales people for some cold drink. We did talk to
them for a while, and they were very nice. Once they left, we headed back to
work.
Since dad was making the compost bin by hand, his hands eventually got fatigued
from the intense screwing. So we switched jobs, I worked on screwing the screws
into the compost bin, and dad worked a bit on the holes.
Ethan came out and asked if we wanted to take a timeout, so we did. It was
already raining when we went in, but by the time we were ready to go back out,
it was pouring. So we decided to wrap it up for the day. Dad went back out just
to put some stuff away.
Before I was going to feed Copernicus, the worker showed up to fix the pipe.
When they were done, the septic water was finally flowing into the drain.
Once they left, I fed the dog, and that was it for today.
The high for today was 95 °F (ca. 35 °C) and the low was 75 °F (ca. 23.89 °C).
August 9, 2025 -
Journal Post - A 38 kilometer bike ride, and hanging out along the river
This morning the plan was for dad and I to go on a bike ride. And so we did.
First we sprayed the gears of the bike with silicon spray. Once that was done,
we got ready and headed off.
The plan was to ride towards the coast, but we weren't sure we were going to
ride all the way. Along the ride we saw a couple of nice parks near the river,
and we even rode along the river. We stopped a couple of times, wondering if we
should keep going, but we kept saying "just a little bit more", and about a
dozen "little bit more’s" later, we arrived at the coast. Now, when I say coast,
I mean a little pier next to a giant factory. But we made it! So dad and I took
some photos and videos, and then headed back home. We took a timeout along the
river to drink, and then we kept on riding. Dad seemed to be doing fine, even
though this was our first bike ride. I, on the other hand, was not doing nearly
as well. My legs were cramping like crazy, and I felt like I was about to pass
out. We had to stop multiple times so I could rest, but we eventually made it
home, without even walking our bikes up a single hill. The ride to the coast is
about 19 kilometers long, so in total we rode about 38 kilometers.
Once we headed home, I practically fell off my bike in exhaustion, and dad, in
his usual style, calmly got off the bike. Anyway, we put the bikes away, and
headed in. And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, we headed to the park! We first drove to the park close to our
house, but it was raining when we arrived, and because of the rain, all the
playground equipment would be soaked. So we decided to go somewhere else. That
somewhere is one of the parks dad and I saw along our bike ride! It's close to
the river and has a huge open grass area to hang out in. So we went there and
decided to hang out there. We played ball, took some funny photos, and just hung
out. Around 5:00 pm, we headed home for the day.
While we were taking showers, Mr Budo showed up and gave us a watermelon, and
talked to mom for a bit about the photo gallery. My photos were not showcased
this year, but the gallery agreed to let me show mine next year! Which is
honestly really cool!
And that was it for the day.
The high today was 88 °F (ca. 31.11 °C), and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
August 10, 2025 -
Journal Post - Cleaning the second floor of the garage
This morning, only dad went out. He spent the entire morning on the second floor
of the garage, cleaning the windows, sweeping the beams, and wiping the walls.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, dad finished up sweeping and began to use his vacuum to collect all
the dust. Around 5:00 pm, he came in for the day.
The high for today was 81 °F (ca. 27.22 °C) and the low was 76 °F (ca. 24.44
°C).
August 11, 2025 -
Journal Post - Morning spent in the other yard
This morning dad and I headed out to cut all the weeds and bamboo in the other
yard.
Dad used the weed whacker to the larger areas, and I used the Gomboy to cut the
bamboo in the areas the weed whacker couldn't go, such as where there were roof
tiles or rocks. Once everything was cut, dad and I raked it into long piles to
dry out. The reason we want it dry is so we can burn it. Eventually dad left me
to rake, and he began pulling the branches out of the pile the owner of the
property had made. While he was doing that though, he somehow got covered in
ants, and he began to get stung over and over. The pain was so intense that dad
had to rush in the house to wash the ants off and put on cream. So I moved the
logs dad had sorted out, and finished the raking. I then put away the tools, and
headed in.
And that was it for the morning.
We spent the afternoon in the house. I was in my room, while dad was asleep. The
ant venom seemed to have some effect on him where it made him really fatigued.
So he slept through the entire afternoon.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 82 °F (ca. 27.78 °C) and the low was 76 °F (ca. 24.44
°C).
August 12, 2025 -
Journal Post - Staining the second floor of the garage
This morning, only dad headed out. He spent the whole morning on the second
floor of the garage staining. He stained around the windows, the beams, and the
floor.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad continued staining and finished about half of the second floor
of the garage.
Around 5:00 pm, dad came in for the day.
The high for today was 81 °F (ca. 31.11 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
August 13, 2025 -
Journal Post - Working in the other yard
This morning dad and I headed out, we spent the entire morning working in the
other yard.
First, I moved all the old wood from our property into the other, then we got a
burn pile going. Dad burned all the wood and all the weeds and bamboo laying
across the entire yard. While he did that, I worked on sorting out the wood
pile.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, dad began to do a detailed rake of the entire yard, while I
finished up taking the wood out of the mess and piling it more neatly. Once it
was piled, I began to process the branches with the clippers. When dad was done
with the raking, he began to sort the pile of wood I made, taking out the small
branches and only leaving the big ones.
By 5:00 pm, the entire yard was clean, basically.
Since it was such a "tough" day, dad wanted to go shopping to buy drinks and
dinner. And we did, with the guarantee of working on the dog house the next day.
So we went shopping, and that was it for the day.
The high for today was 95 °F (ca. 35 °C) and the low was 78 °F (ca. 25.56 °C).
August 14, 2025 -
Journal Post - Finishing the compost and building the dog house
This morning, dad and I headed out to work on the compost bin and build the dog
house, and mom headed to the farm.
While I finished putting the last screws into the compost bin, dad did some
light work on the kayaks by giving them a brief wipe, and washing the sheet that
covered them.
In the time mom was at the farm, dad and I finished the compost bin, moved it to
the upper area, and had started working on planning for the dog house.
When mom came back, she forgot the rake. So I went back to get it, and while I
was at the farm, I moved all the metal arches out of the dirt and into the
driveway area, and leaned them against the building.
While I was walking back home, Mr Irie drove up to our house. He gave us some
veggies and talked to us for a while, and then he headed off.
Dad and I spent the rest of the morning working on the dog house until we were
called in for lunch.
Right as we were about to head in, Mr Kuyama drove up and struck up a
conversation with us. We talked for a little about what we were building, and
then we had a long discussion about fishing. Apparently the neighborhood pond
was full of shrimp that anyone could go and catch.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, dad headed back out, and I got my hair cut by mom. Once my hair was
cut, I went back out.
In the morning, we had finished planning and cutting the plywood for the floor.
While I was getting my hair cut, dad had been measuring a bunch of wood, and
when I came out, I cut it all up.
Dad and I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the dog house, and by 5:00
pm, we had it done, with even a curved entrance! So we moved it into the dog
area, put the room on, and Copernicus's new house was done!
And that was it for this busy, but fun day.
The high for today was 98 °F (ca. 36.67 °C) and the low was 80 °F (ca. 26.67
°C).
August 15, 2025 -
Journal Post - Moving the wood and some random projects
This morning, dad and I headed out to work on the wood pile, and mom headed to
the farm.
I got to work by using the wheelbarrow to transport the wood from the other yard
to the driveway, where dad was waiting to process and stack it.
After a few loads, mom came out to head to the farm. I took a break from moving
the wood to bring some wood planks to the farm for her. And while I was at the
farm, dad told me to bring back 10 metal arches, so I did.
Once I got back, I continued to work on the wood.
Around 10:30 am, mom got back from the farm. At the farm she had planted some
seeds and did some more weeding. And with the wood, she was trying an experiment
where instead of exposing the dirt which left the seeds in the direct sunlight,
she covered the section of seeds with the wood boards I brought over.
By 12:00 am, I had moved all the straight pieces of wood from the other yard
into our property. And then we were called in for lunch.
After lunch, Copernicus had gone under the dog house, so dad and I had to spend
30 minutes working on it so he couldn't go under.
Once that was done, I got back to work on the wood, and finished it up around
3:30 pm. Dad and I headed in for a quick timeout, and then headed back out.
My last project for the day was to work on the dog area so he wouldn't get stuck
anywhere, while I did that, dad did some work on the kayaks, including patching
the hole in his.
When I went over to the dog area, Copernicus had found a tiny hole to wiggle
under the dog house. So dad gave me some wood, and I re-did the boards along so
he couldn't get under. I also spent a tiny bit of time making sure there was
nothing he could get stuck on. While I was working, it began to pour. Dad had
finished his project, so he headed in. But I stayed out because I still wanted
to make a platform Copernicus could get in the dog house with, and I had to
finish putting in the last few screws. So once that was done, and I had fed him,
I headed in.
The high for today was 99 °F (ca. 37.22 °C) and the low was 78 °F (ca. 25.56
°C).
August 16, 2025 -
Journal Post - Cleaning the truck and cutting the wood
Today, we had planned to go to the beach with the kayaks. But when dad went out
to inspect the patch he had done on his kayak, it flaked off in a large gooey
chunk. So, obviously, we couldn't go today, so dad and I headed out to work. The
solution to the problem was instead for now dad just used superglue to patch the
hole, which seemed to work really well.
Before the main project, I unscrewed one of the boards on the dog house to allow
for more air flow, therefore making it cooler there.
I spent the entire morning cutting the wood from the other property into pieces
that could fit in the barbecue.
Dad spent the whole morning vacuuming the vehicles. First he did the back of the
truck and bus, then did the side and the seats, and then brought out the carpet
from the truck and vacuumed it.
While we were working, two people showed up. First, Mr Kuyama came over asking
for the monthly amount of money we give to the community, and also talked to us
about the upcoming community festival. Then, Ayane and her grandmother came over
with some souvenirs from Tokyo! They stayed for a while chatting with mom, but
eventually they left.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, I continued cutting the wood, while dad did some wiping on the
truck. He used window cleaner to give the inside of the windows and the truck
interior a quick wipe down. When he was done with that, we headed in for a
timeout.
After the timeout, the kids, dad, and I headed out. I kept cutting the wood, and
dad and the kids washed the truck with the hose, cleaning agent, and sponges!
They finished around 5:00 pm. By then I had finished about half of the pile of
wood. And now the truck was black and sparkling.
The high for today was 96 °F (ca. 35.56 °C) and the low was 80 °F (ca. 26.67
°C).
August 17, 2025 -
Journal Post - The first beach trip!
First thing after breakfast, we all got into the truck and drove the kayaks to
the beach shack. To make the trip in the afternoon easier, we decided to first
drop off the kayaks in the morning. So once we got there, in about five minutes
we had the kayaks in the building.
We then returned home. Dad spent the rest of the morning working on getting the
beach supplies ready, which included the snorkels, fishing poles, and more.
And that was it for the morning.
Basically right after lunch, we headed to the beach. The first thing we did was
unload the truck and put everything in the beach shack. After that, we loaded up
the kayaks and roller, and wheeled it all to the beach. Then at the beach,
before going fishing, we tested the water, and it was surprisingly nice!
After a quick swim, we got the kayaks ready, and went out for the first time in
the Seto Inland Sea! First Dad and Lael went, then Dad and Ethan, and then dad
and I, and then mom and I. Lael and Ethan also got to try out going in a kayak
by themselves for the first time!
Once we were all done trying out the kayaks, dad and I got them ready for
fishing, and we headed out! We spent a long time out there, trying out different
spots. But sadly, we didn't catch any, we didn't even get a single bite. So we
headed back to shore.
We spent a few hours playing, swimming, and just paddling in the kayaks (Lael
and Ethan both love going in them solo). But while we were playing, we saw a
thunderstorm in the distance, so I checked the radar, and low and behold, a
super strong thunderstorm was headed our way.
So we packed up and headed back to the beach shack. We then loaded up the truck
and headed home. On the way, we drove into the storm, and it was strong. But at
home the storm had already passed. We really quickly washed off our feet with
the hose, and then headed in.
The high for today was 99 °F (ca. 35.56 °C) and the low was 76 °F (ca. 24.44
°C).
August 18, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work in the garden and the holes
This morning dad and I headed out. The first thing I did was finish cutting the
wood up into bite sized bits. While I was doing that, dad weeded the entire
upper area.
Mom went shopping this morning to mail some stuff out and to buy some groceries.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, I spent the entire morning working on the holes for the seedling
building. And dad did some maintenance work on the garden.
And that was pretty much it for today.
The high for today was 99 °F (ca. 37.22 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
August 19, 2025 -
Journal Post - More holes and gardening, and the first library trip and
walk!
Dad and I spent the morning working. While I continued on making the holes for
the seedling area, dad did some work in the garden, weeding, tying up plants,
trimming trees, and watering.
When he was done with that, he went and took the wood off the trailer so we
could bring it in for inspection. While he was doing that, Mr Kuyama drove up
and talked to us for a while. He showed us the peaches he had in his truck that
he would use for the base of his grafted peach trees.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, I headed to the library! I spent a couple of hours there studying,
and I got home right on time at 6:00 pm.
While I was out, dad and everyone went for a walk! Mom and the kids only went
for a little bit and then went home, but dad went to the "pine forest" which is
about a 2-kilometer walk, so in total dad walked 4 kilometers.
Once he came home he did a bit of gardening, and then he headed in at 5:00 pm.
While I was feeding Copernicus, Mr Takahara came over and gave me a half slice
of a huge watermelon! I thanked him profusely and he headed back home.
And that was it for the day.
The high for today was 100 °F (ca. 37.78 °C) and the low was 78 °F (ca. 25.56
°C).
August 20, 2025 -
Journal Post - Stacking wood, finishing the holes, and the first fish caught
in Okayama!
This morning, dad and I headed out to work. The only thing I did all morning was
work on making the holes for the posts of the seedling greenhouse. While I was
doing that, dad did some light gardening, and then got to work on the wood.
First, he used the bow saw, and began to cut up some of the larger pieces into
bits that could fit into the BBQ. Once he had enough, he began to stack that
wood, along with the ones I processed, into the huge metal container.
By lunch, I had finished the holes, and dad had a bunch of wood stacked in the
container.
After lunch, we headed to the beach.
When we got there, we realized it was low tide. The tide was so low that we
could see the huge clumps of seaweed growing. So that made the area we could
swim in very small.
After checking out the water, we did some kayaking. First, Lael went for a ride
and then a quick fish. And then Ethan went in the kayak and fished for a while.
Once they were done on the kayaks, dad and I headed out. We saw a bunch of fish
jumping, so we stayed near the shore to see if we could catch them. But no luck.
So first dad headed way out, trying a bunch of spots and eventually hooked up to
a buoy. I stayed behind, trying to catch the jumping fish, but to no success. So
I headed over to dad. In the time we were separated, dad caught two fish! They
were small, but it was the first fish we caught in the Seto Sea! I hooked up to
dad's buoy line, and we stayed there for a while, but we caught nothing. So we
headed back and fished close to the shore, but nothing. So we headed back to
shore. It was 5:30 pm by the time we got back onto the shore. So after a quick
snack and drink, we packed up and headed back to the beach shack. Once we loaded
up the truck, we headed home.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 99 °F (ca. 37.22 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
August 21, 2025 -
Journal Post - Dropping off the trailer, putting in the posts, cutting wood,
and a trip to the library
This morning, the first thing we did was we dropped off the truck and trailer at
the car mechanic. The trailer was due for its bi-yearly inspection, and he
needed the truck to be able to move the trailer.
Once we got home, dad and I headed out. The first thing we did was put all the
posts into the holes I made. Once that was done, I worked on filling up around
the posts with dirt to stabilize them. While I was doing that, dad first watered
the garden, and then got to work on processing the large chunks of wood by
cutting them into pieces big enough to fit in the barbecue.
By lunch, dad had a bunch of the wood cut, and I had a couple of posts
stabilized.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, I headed out. I first went to buy a few things at the ¥100 store,
and on the way I saw Mr Budo on his bike. I said hello, and we talked for a
little while, and then we rode off. So I went shopping, and then headed to the
library where I spent the rest of the day.
While I was out, dad continued cutting the wood. While he was working, Mr Irie
came over and talked for a long time. We were planning to get together with them
this weekend, but because dad has a terrible cough, and even mom is getting it a
little, they decided it would be best to not be in an enclosed environment
together. So we're all going to this sort of event in the neighborhood, and
we're all gonna hang out there!
Once I got home, I fed the dog, and that was it for today.
The high for today was 100 °F (ca. 37.78 °C) and the low was 80 °F (ca. 26.67
°C).
August 22, 2025 -
Journal Post - Almost finishing the post, light work around the storage
building, and picking up the truck
This morning, dad and I headed out to work. The first thing he did was finish
processing the wood, while I worked on packing more of the posts into the
ground.
While we were working, mom headed to the farm.
Dad and I kept at what we were doing until mom came back. The reason for this
was that morning mom had a bunch of calls with the car mechanic about the
trailer, so we didn't know if we were going to be able to pick it up today. At
the farm, mom had gotten a call from the mechanic, and when she came back home,
she told dad that we could pick up the truck in the late afternoon, but not the
trailer. So with that, mom headed in, and dad and I got to work on a burn pile.
Really quick, before that, dad watered the garden.
In the other yard, dad dumped a ton of weeds, and he also had some old wood to
burn. I also needed to clean the dog area, so this was a perfect time to do the
burn pile. So dad got it going, while I cleaned the dog area, and then threw all
the hair and feces onto the pile so it all burned to ashes.
Once that was done, I got back to work on the posts and dad processed some more
wood.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, I spent the afternoon continuing to pack in the posts, while dad
prepared along the side of the storage building for concrete. I helped a little
by weeding.
Around 4:00 pm, we headed out in the bus to pick up the truck. Once we arrived,
mom and dad had a long conversation with the mechanic about the trailer. There
were multiple things wrong with it, from faulty electric wires, to missing
brakes. After the conversation, we got in the truck, and mom got in the bus, and
we drove home. At home, mom got out of the bus and came into the truck, and then
we headed to the department store. At the department store, we bought 8 bags of
powder concrete, and 8 bags of powder concrete with rocks. Then we drove home, I
unloaded them into the storage building, and then we went grocery shopping. Once
we got home, I fed the dog, and that was it for today.
The high for today was 97 °F (ca. 36.11 °C) and the low was 79 °F (ca. 26.11
°C).
August 23, 2025 -
Journal Post - Concrete, sweeping, and a festival
This morning, dad and I headed out. All I did was sweep the street in front of
our house, and along it. While I did that, dad started working on doing the
concrete along the storage building.
Once I was done sleeping, I had to do some work on the dog area. I made it, so
Copernicus could go under his dog house to lay on the cool dirt.
By lunch, I had finished the dog area, and dad got a bunch done along the
storage building.
After lunch, I stayed in and dad went back out to work. By the end of the day,
he had finished filling nearly half of the area along the storage building with
concrete.
Tonight, there was a community festival taking place! So after a hurried dinner,
we headed to the festival. This festival has been going on for the last 300
years, and the name is 蚊帳無し踊る, which means "no mosquito net dance". A long time
ago, people had to sleep under mosquito nets, and for a couple of hours, they
just went out from under the nets, and danced without worrying about the
mosquitoes. And they still carry on the tradition of the dancing, along with
snacks for kids and beer for adults. At the festival we met a bunch of our
friends, and we got a ton of snacks. We headed home kinda early and hung out and
ate snacks for a while. Then we took a shower, and headed off to bed.
The high for today was 98 °F (ca. 36.67 °C) and the low was 78 °F (ca. 25.56).
August 24, 2025 -
Journal Post - Shrine cleaning, and more concrete
This morning, dad and I headed out super early. I did some weeding where weeds
were popping out in the rocks, and dad prepared to do more concrete work.
Around 8:00 am, Mr Budo rode up on his bike to head to the shrine cleaning. When
he showed up, I was just getting ready, so I hurried to the shrine after him. A
couple of other people showed up, and we cleaned the shrine for about an hour.
After that was done, I headed home. Dad and I took a quick drink, and then
headed back out. Dad began to work on concrete, and I picked up all the little
bits of trash in the upper area. The trash was from all the loads we had dumped
up there of unsorted dirt.
Once I was done with that, dad stayed out, and I headed in to get some stuff
done.
And that was it for the morning.
During lunch, dad very much surprised us by saying that he had found a turtle!
He found it walking across the street, and apparently it's called a Red Spotted
Slider. So after lunch, we went to check it out and take photos. Because it's an
invasive species, it's illegal to release it, so we have a new pet!
After all that, I headed to the library. While I was there, dad finished the
whole area along the storage building!
At 6:00 pm, I arrived home.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 98 °F (ca. 36.67 °C) and the low was 79 °F (ca. 26.11
°C).
August 25, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work at the farm and around the storage building
First thing today, dad and I headed out. Dad began to set up the space to use
his last bag of concrete in the corner area along the storage building. I waited
for mom to come out. Once she did, we headed to the farm.
At the farm, I put the plexiglass arches into around two beds, while mom did
some weeding. Then she put her zucchini seedlings into the beds, while I did
some weeding. When she was done, we did a bit more weeding, and then headed
home. In the time we were at the farm, dad had used up the last bag of concrete.
Once we got home, mom headed in, and I stayed out. First I moved all the metal
out of the garage and into the driveway. While dad did some work in the garden.
When I was done moving the metal, I swept the upper area of the section of the
street near our house.
By the time I was done sweeping, it was lunchtime, so we headed in.
After lunch, dad decided I could stay in, and he would go out.
Dad spent the rest of the afternoon working on the seedling area, and by the end
of the day, he had made a full frame around the posts I put in.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 93 °F (ca. 38.89 °C) and the low was 79 °F (ca. 26.11
°C).
August 26, 2025 -
Journal Post - A lot of work on the seedling area and plans for the bamboo
This morning was spent mostly working on the seedling area.
I worked on making a clean cut in the dirt in front of the seedling area to help
with drainage and erosion. While I did that, dad worked on filling up the raised
beds he made with dirt.
While we were working, Mr Kaku came and picked up all the metal.
Once I was done digging the dirt, I backfilled the lower area of the seedling
area with the dirt. When I was done with that, I began to move all the rocks I
had sorted out into the upper area. While I was doing that, dad finished the
first layer of dirt in the raised beds, and began to break up all the dried pond
muck that was dumped in the sifted dirt area.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, the first thing I did was finish moving the rocks, while dad
quickly watered the garden. And then it was time for...the bamboo.
The original plan with the bamboo was to use it along the storage building to
make a sort of wall. But there were two issues with this plan. The first being,
because we had let the poles sit for so long, they had become water damaged, and
some bug had chewed them up so much that some of the pieces just split in half.
But some of them were still okay, so I brought them over, and dad cut them and
put them up. But here comes the second issue. After we put up about 10 poles, we
stepped backed and looked, and realized it looked awful. So before anyone in the
neighborhood could see, we tore it down, and I moved all the bamboo back into
the other yard. Because we now had basically no use for it, the plan is to burn
it all.
With the disappointment of the failed plan, we headed in for a timeout. After
the timeout, dad said I could stay in, and he headed out to work. He spent the
entire afternoon working on the seedling area. Putting up boards to provide some
shade, and moving all the pot holders into the seedling area. Around 5:00 pm, he
came in.
The high for today was 99 °F (ca. 37.22 °C) and the low was 79 °F (ca. 26.11
°C).
August 27, 2025 -
Journal Post - A very interesting day
Today started out...interesting. We knew today that the 伊勢代神楽 (Lion dancers)
were coming around our town, and we didn't want to miss them. Because we had
arrived here this year, and we hadn't applied the year before, they didn't come
to our house. But we watched as they danced for the houses of our neighbors, and
Mrs Takahara even invited us into her family's yard to see the Lion dancers.
Once they finished their house, they kept going around the next ones. After
quite a long talk with Mr Takahara, we followed them around for a little bit,
and then headed back home.
After that, we headed out in the truck to go look at soil. We went to a place
close by that had piles of soil and rock. We checked out a few of their piles,
and surprisingly their "worst" pile was the best for us. They had a pile of
decomposed granite, but it didn't look great for growing. The pile we were
interested in was their "worst". The reason it was the worst is that it was just
a mix of dirt from a bunch of different construction sites. And although it was
sifted, it still had a lot of rock and a bit of trash in it. But the soil
texture looked great for growing. After talking to the worker, we found out that
they didn't even want the dirt pile, and that they would deliver it for free! So
after taking some samples of dirt, we headed home.
Once we got home, mom got out and went into the bus, and then we drove to the
car mechanic. Once there, we left the truck. He needed it to tow the trailer to
the actual place it gets inspected. Once we dropped off the truck, we all went
into the bus and headed to the store to buy groceries and lunch.
After shopping, we headed home, and that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I headed out. Before we had gone out, mom and dad had done
the calculations and estimated that we needed 7 to 8 loads of either dirt. And
after looking at the samples, we decided to go with the free dirt. The only
issue with that is that we had no idea where the dirt came from, and we would
have to rake sift all of it.
Anyway, the first thing we did was work on cleaning the storage building. I
moved all the fertilizer bags into the back rock area, while dad worked on
getting all the wood off the floor of the building. While we were doing this, a
huge thunderstorm hit us, so we had to just wait in the building for a while.
Once I was done moving the bags, I had to work on the dog area. Copernicus had
broken through the gate dad made, so I had to build a new one. I spent the rest
of the afternoon doing that. While I was doing that, dad worked on raking the
floor of the storage building and pulling all the weeds in preparation for the
dirt.
While we were working, Ayane came over to hang out and see if we were coming to
the Lion dance show. We would go if it was held outside, but since we were still
coughing, we wouldn't go if it was done in the preschool. We found out it was in
the preschool, so we didn't go.
Around 5:00 pm, we headed in. By that time, I had finished the new gate in the
dog area, and put his chain up higher. And dad had raked the whole floor of the
storage building, and moved some wood off the rocks.
In the house, we quickly changed clothes, and then headed out to pick up the
truck and trailer because the trailer was done! So we drove there in the bus,
had a quick talk and thanked the mechanic, and then headed home.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 93 °F (ca. 38.89 °C) and the low for today was 77 °F (ca.
25 °C).
August 28, 2025 -
Journal Post - Burning all the bamboo and 6 cubic meters of dirt
For most of the morning, dad and I worked on the bamboo in the other yard. All
we did was take it out of the pile, and then threw it on the burn pile we made.
In the process, we got bit by SO MANY ants.
Mom called the dirt place this morning, asking when they could deliver the dirt.
They said they would do it in the afternoon, but mom got a call saying they
would deliver it before noon, so mom accepted.
We got our first load dumped in the storage building, and then dad and I
frantically worked on raking back the pile for the next load, and then we got
one more load after that. The driver was shocked at how fast we raked back the
pile. In total 3 loads.
After a bit more raking, we headed back into the other yard, and finished
burning most of the bamboo, and that was it for the morning.
After lunch, I headed into the other yard to finish the bamboo, and dad and the
kids worked on the pile.
Once I was done with the bamboo, I headed over to the dirt pile. Because the dog
had somehow jumped over the wooden wall we made, dad and I had to do some work
to make sure once and for all he wouldn't get stuck. So we moved his chain, made
a new wall, and cleaned a large area for him to hang out in.
After that was done, dad and I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the
dirt pile, I raked it back, and dad rake sifted it. While we were working, Mr
Kuyama drove up and gave us a few pears!
While we were working, I saw Akane walk out of Mr Takahara's pathway, and I've
been wanting to talk to her for a long time to get some sort of contact
information with her, and I've always been too shy to do it. But I finally just
did it, and I'll admit it, it could've gone better, but it could've gone a lot
worse, and in the end, I did get her Line ID.
And that was it for today, the high for today was 98 °F (ca. 36.67 °C) and the
low was 78 °F (ca. 25.56 °C).
August 29, 2025 -
Journal Post - Just work more work on the dirt
This morning, dad and I headed out. We began to work on the dirt, doing the same
thing we did yesterday, dad rake sifting, and I raking it into the building.
Soon after we went out, mom headed to the farm. I went with her to bring the new
gate, and to bring the sifters back to the house. Once we set up the new gate at
the farm, I headed home with the sifters.
Dad and I spent the rest of the morning working on the dirt, and got a
considerable amount of it done. Because of all the rocks in the soil, dad had
made a considerable pile of rocks in the back. So he loaded up 30 bags with
rock, and I moved them behind the truck.
While we were working, Mr Hikaru walked up. Dad and mom had met him several
times, and I had seen him once, but this time I finally got to talk with him. We
talked for a while outside, but then dad invited him in! We talked for a long
time, and then he headed off. After that we worked a bit more on the dirt, and
then headed in for lunch.
After lunch, I got my letter for grandma ready. After that was done, I packed up
and headed out on my bike. I first mailed out the letter, and then rode around
for a while, checking out various parks. Somehow my bike seat cover fell off
while I was riding, so I had to back track to find it, and I found it laying in
the middle of a crosswalk. While I was taking a timeout near our house, Mr
Kuyama (the one with the peach farm) drove up and talked to me for a while.
After politely excusing myself due to the time, I headed home. While I was
heading home, I saw Mrs Irie walking her dog, I chatted with her for a little,
and then headed home.
In the time I was out, dad and the kids had made a ton of progress on the pile.
A ton of it was in the storage building, and even more of it was sifted.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 100 °F (37.78 °C) and the low was 78 °F (25.56 °C).
August 30, 2025 -
Journal Post - More work with dirt
This morning, the first thing we did was dad and I went out and loaded the truck
with 30 bags of rocks. After that, we did a little bit more work on the dirt
pile, and then headed in.
Then we all headed out in the truck and took a drive to the beach shack. At the
beach shack, we first weeded where the rocks were going to be dumped, and then
after the area was weeded, we dumped the rocks.
Once that was done, we headed back home. However, the fuel was very low on the
truck, so we had to drive to the gas station to fill up. After that, we drove to
the grocery store to buy lunch and groceries, but because of our disgusting
clothes, only mom went in. We then drove home, and that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I headed out. We spent a couple of hours working on the
dirt pile. I raked the pile into the building, and dad rake sifted it. After
that, we headed in for a timeout. And then headed back out.
Mom had called the dirt company, asking if they could come and deliver two loads
today. We waited for a call back, which mom got, saying they were coming soon.
So dad and I as quickly as possible moved a ton of dirt back. The truck soon
pulled up, and dumped the dirt. Then the driver headed back to get one more
load. Once he came back and dumped it, we talked for a little bit about where we
would need more dirt. Once he left, we now had an enormous pile of dirt. In
total 2 loads of dirt.
We kept working, and the kids came out to help too. And mom did some work on the
seedlings. Once it was 5:00 pm, they headed in. Once they headed in, I moved the
30 bags of rock dad had filled. And at 5:30 pm, we headed in.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 101 °F (ca. 38.33 °C) and the low was 78 °F (ca. 25.56
°C).
August 31, 2025 -
Journal Post - Even more work with dirt
This morning, dad and I headed out. We worked a little on raking the dirt pile
back, but soon after I loaded the 30 bags of rock into the truck. Once they were
loaded, we all got into the truck and headed to the beach shack. At the beach
shack, we dumped the 30 bags of rock, and then headed home.
We spent the rest of the morning working on the dirt pile. We tried out using
the sifters, but because it was too heavy for dad, I would use the sifter. So
while I dumped dirt into the sifter and sifted it, dad worked on raking the pile
back into the storage building, and bagging the rocks I sifted.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad finished bagging up 30 more bags of rocks.
I continued sifting for a while, but because we needed to pull the pile back as
much as possible, I helped dad rake it.
Around 3:30 pm, mom and the kids came out. The kids helped a bit, but mostly
played, and mom helped a lot by raking the pile back. Eventually, though they
headed in.
I spent the rest of the day raking the dirt, and dad also raked the dirt along
with bagging up a few more piles of rock lying around, filling up about 10 bags.
We raked the pile a bit more, and then headed in.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 103 °F (ca. 39.44 °C) and the low was 80 °F (ca. 26.67
°C). |
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