 Additional
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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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May 1, 2025 -
Journal Post - May motivation, and people around the entire day
The first and only thing we did today was work on the parking.
In the morning, dad began taking out a ton of dirt with the hoe, while I worked
on taking out the roots near the wall.
While we were working, Mrs Irie, and her granddaughter had come over to hang out
(uninvited, which we didn't mind at all). We went in with them, talked for a
bit, and then dad and I headed back out to continue working.
While we were outside, Mr Kuyama drove up, we chatted for a bit, and asked him
about the barrel of ether. He didn't know what it was, but said he would dispose
of it. We gladly accepted.
Around noon, Mrs Irie, and her granddaughter went back home for lunch, saying
that she would come back to hang out and brush Copernicus.
By lunch, I had taken out all the large roots, and dad had a huge pile of dirt
ready to be transported after lunch.
After lunch, dad and I went back out to work in the parking lot. I started
transporting the dirt to the path between the rock wall and the farm, while dad
continued to take out more dirt.
Around thirty minutes after we went out, Ayane came back with some supplies to
clean Copernicus, so she and the kids had a lot of fun with that.
Dad and I kept going, and to make things faster, he loaded up three pals so I
could quickly fill up the wheel barrow.
Eventually, Mrs Irie came back to tell her granddaughter to come home.
After they left, dad and I jammed, trying to finish the dirt pile, and we did!
Once the path was full, we used the dirt close to the wall to fill up near the
pond.
By the end of the day, we had finished moving all the dirt in the parking lot.
May 2, 2025 -
Journal Post - A slow work day and a bite from a centipede
It was raining early in the morning, so we got out fairly late.
Before we could even get to work, Ayane came over to hang out.
While her and the kids were playing with Copernicus, Lael was standing under the
bamboo, and from there fell a centipede. It landed on his ear, got stuck, and
fell off. But Lael soon realized that it had actually bitten his ear.
We got Lael in the house, and checked his ear. It was red and swollen.
Ayane had to take her dog home, but then came back later.
Lael wasn't feeling great. His ear really hurt, and the swelling creeped down to
his neck. But he took some medicine and an ibuprofen pill, and by noon he was
feeling much better.
While all that was happening, dad and I were outside working on the upper area.
We were making an area against the wall to put trees and poles for the
reflectors. Dad also moved all the bamboo poles onto the ground, further away
from the dog house.
We also noticed how bad the walls of the dog house were constructed...so we
started taking them out. We then started to burn them next to the wall, but due
to the rain from the previous night, and the porous concrete, chunks of the wall
started exploding off and hitting the storage shed.
Then, mom had to go shopping. So dad went in, and I stayed out and continued
working on the area next to the wall.
After lunch, dad and I went out and started taking the hard dirt out of the dog
house. We did that until about 3:45 pm.
Dad, Lael, Ethan, and I went over to the farm to play ball and possibly hang out
with the family's kids.
We stayed there for a while, and eventually the kids came out. We then went back
at 5:30 pm. Apparently while we were at the farm, Mr Takahara had come over to
the house and gave us a bottle of Coca-Cola, and some 竹の子.
It wasn't a super productive day, but it was pretty fun.
May 3, 2025 -
Journal Post - Happy Birthday Lael!
Today was Lael's birthday!
We hung out at home for a while, and then around 9:00 am, we decided to go for a
walk up the mountain trail.
We took the walk, clearing bamboo out of the way as we went along, and
eventually found our way to large flat areas, that we're suspecting used to be
houses or farms. We hung out there for a while, finding more of the spiky nuts,
and climbing bamboo. And then, we headed back home.
Dad went out to work while lunch was being made. While he was out there, he
raked the likes of rocks and dirt to dry out, set up a new swinging pole, put up
the play ladder, and set up a footswing.
After lunch, the kids went out to play with the new stuff for a while. Though
the swing didn't work out, so dad took it off.
The last bit of work dad did was build the table from the old house.
The rest of the day was just celebrating Lael's birthday!
May 4, 2025 -
Journal Post - A new dog house, and half a day of socialization
Today was a really busy day. First off, mom got a text saying that some time in
the morning Ayane's parents would come over and meet us.
Dad and I went out, and the first thing we did was move all the cut bamboo poles
next to the garden, and then we moved all the compost into the garden, and then
we started to move the rock pile next to the ramp onto the rock wall.
However, while doing that...we got a little sidetracked. We took out the dog
house. It was placed on stone, with deteriorating support beams, held together
with rusty nails and rotten notches. It didn't take much effort, and within
thirty minutes, we had razed the entire building.
Now, all we had to keep Copernicus in the shade were the two huge roof panels,
this gave us a big incentive to finish the new dog area.
While we were taking out the dog house, Ayane came over and hung out in the
house.
After we took out the dog house, dad and I continued on moving the rocks, but we
didn't finish. Instead we shifted our attention to the large boulders. We
started moving the largest of the rocks (possibly the largest on the property),
but just as we were about to get it in place, Ayane's parents came over.
They brought some snacks, and we hung out chatting for about an hour until they
headed home for lunch.
With thirty minutes until lunch was ready, dad and I got the boulder in place,
along with some smaller, but still very large rocks.
After lunch, Mr Irie came over and gave us some seedlings for broccoli, cabbage,
and spinach!
Then, dad and I got back to work on moving the rocks. While we were doing that,
Mrs Budo came over to give us the schedule for the town, and then we chatted
with her for a bit.
Eventually we got the whole rock pile moved. Dad also hung up the 鯉のぼり.
Then, we started to work on building a makeshift house for the dog. We started
with moving both of the roof panels to the new dog area. While we were doing
that, Mr Kuyama and his grandson came over to change the oil in the rototiller
they lended us. We continued working while they did that.
Dad and I realized that the panels were far too big to use to make for the dog
house, so we brought them back and leaned them against the storage building.
While we were doing that, Mr Kuyama and his grandson also put an off button on
the rototiller.
Eventually dad and I got together a makeshift dog house made with poles from the
old dog house, and a large wood tabletop looking thing we found in the storage
shed.
We did a little more work cleaning the dog area, and then headed in for the day.
I had to go back out during our showers to untangle Copernicus.
It was a busy day, we could've gotten more done, but we got a lot done.
May 5, 2025 -
Journal Post - A half day of work, and a half day of relaxing
Today we were to meet with Lael's friend's family at the park around 1:00 pm, so
dad and I had the morning to get some work done.
First off, dad and I tried to figure out how to make a proper dog house. First I
started with clearing an area next to the wall. While I did that, dad started to
rototill the farm.
He first rototilled it with ours, and then tried using the one Mr Kuyama lent
us. However, it wouldn't stay on. So we brought it out to the building to store,
but it turned it on one last time. The reason it wouldn't stay on was because
fuel wasn't flowing to the engine. So we flipped the switch, and it ran
smoothly.
I continued working on the dog house, but eventually realized that spot wouldn't
work out.
So when dad was done rototilling, we decided to try and set up the dog house on
the tree next to the ramp. This turned out to be a great idea. Within about an
hour of us working on it, we had a dog house ready for Copernicus.
Then, dad went to work on taking dirt out along the black tarp in front of the
house, while I began taking the hard dirt where the old dog house used to be and
began to move it into the farm.
We worked for a while, and then we got called in for lunch.
After lunch, we headed straight to the park. We got there before Lael's friend's
family, but they got there soon after. We all hung out, talked, and played until
about 4:30 pm, and then we headed home. While we were there, we also met a guy
who was born in Africa, but lived in France, who had two daughters and a
Japanese wife.
It was honestly a super fun day, and I hope we can hang out with them again
soon!
May 6, 2025 -
Journal Post - A lot of oddball work
Since it was raining, the morning was spent on inside work.
I was up in my room most of the morning, while mom and dad were moving tons of
stuff around downstairs. They moved all the dolls, statues, and random items
into the room behind the kitchen. I helped them by moving a dresser upstairs,
and a large cabinet into the room behind the kitchen.
When they were done with that, dad went out to work on the garage until lunch
was ready.
After lunch, before we could get to work, Ayane came over. We talked for a
little bit, and we also called her sister, and over the phone, met Kana's to-be
husband!
Once they left, dad and I got to work. The first thing we did was burn the
wooden parts of the old dog house.
After that, dad and I worked on separating the wood from the metal roof. Dad did
one, and I did the other. While I did one, dad went and took out a bunch of wood
doors, and other things and tossed them on the fire. We moved the metal sheets
into the storage building.
Later in the day, mom came out to sort out the glass bottles to be thrown out
the next day. In them we found seeds, soy sauce, honey, and plum wine. While mom
and dad worked on that, I was digging up the dirt in front of the pond.
Once mom went in, dad and I worked on the pond area together. We took out a
bunch of dirt, cut down the tree next to the storage shed, and uncovered the
faucet.
The last thing we did was take out some of the hardened dirt where the dog house
used to be and tossed it in the pond.
Considering the mediocre weather, we got quite a bit done.
May 7, 2025 -
Journal Post - A lot of work outside our land, and filling in half of the
pond
This morning, we got out super early.
The first thing we did was take out the glass bottles for trash. Mom and I took
them down to the trash, while dad raked out the burn pile from the previous day.
After that, we started the first project that wasn't on our land: cleaning the
corner of the road.
That took up nearly all morning. We first started with raking and weed whacking,
then got a burn pile going, and then raked even more on the driveway next to Mrs
Budo's shed. In the mess of leaves, I found three salamanders! I was extremely
surprised to find salamanders, let alone in that sort of mess.
Mom had to go on a digital call with a lawyer who was going to work on the
building issue at our house in Tanegashima.
Dad and I kept working until the corner was clean to our satisfaction.
After that, dad and I worked on where the dog house used to be. We took out the
chunks of hardened dirt, and tossed them into the pond. We did that until lunch.
After lunch, mom and dad went to talk to the owner of the land with the bamboo
next to us, and Mr Takahara to ask for permission if we could cut down all the
bamboo. We got an absolute yes.
So, dad and I started by weeding the area in front of the bamboo. We did that
until mom and Ethan had to go for Ethan's dentist appointment.
Once they left, dad and I kept working on moving the hardened dirt into the
pond. We did that for the rest of the day, and actually filled up nearly half of
the pond!
It was a super busy day (we literally worked like ten hours), but I'm glad we
got all that done.
May 8, 2025 -
Journal Post - Cutting bamboo...all day
Today, all the work we did wasn't on our land.
First, we went over to the burn pile on the corner to consolidate it.
After that, we started on the daunting project of cutting all the bamboo in the
property next to us.
But, before I began work, I finally took Copernicus for a walk! It wasn't a long
walk, but it was still really nice.
We started with cutting all the weeds. While we were doing that Ayane and her
grandmother came over and gave us some drinks.
While we were cutting the weeds, dad had left the Gomboy on the ground. It was
partially hidden in the grass, so neither of us could find it. And when dad went
through there with the weedwhacker, he sliced the blade off the Gomboy.
After dad and I were done with cutting the weeds, we began on the bamboo.
It was extremely difficult to even get out one pole due to the sheer amount of
vines winding their way through the canopy.
Dad and I worked on cutting them all morning.
After lunch, it was more of the same. We kept cutting and cutting, and
eventually...the bamboo was on the roof. It took about two hours to get all the
bamboo off the roof, and in the process, we scraped off some roof tiles.
We kept at it, getting another chunk of bamboo stuck on the roof.
Around 6:00 pm, we had gotten the majority of the bamboo off the roof, though
there was still quite a bit to get off.
It was a hard day, but I'm sure the end process will be worth it.
May 9, 2025 -
Journal Post - Bamboo in the morning, and inside during the afternoon
Dad and I went out that day with one objective in mind: cut as much bamboo as
possible.
The first thing we did was get all the bamboo from the house, and that took
awhile. In the process of pulling the bamboo off the roof, we also pulled off
the decorative tile from the second floor, making it shatter on the ground.
While we were working, mom went shopping.
After that, dad and I worked on making space to work in the bamboo by moving and
cutting it.
Then, we worked on the bamboo close to the hill next to the street. We cut it,
pulled it out, and cut the vines hanging over the road.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I went back and forth about whether we should go back out
or not. But due to the unfavorable weather conditions, we decided to do
different work.
Dad went out and worked on the garage, while I stayed in and sorted the mess in
the room behind the kitchen.
I finished before dad, and he came in around 5:00 pm.
At the end of the day, we realized we should've gone back out to work due to the
amount of vines hanging over the road that Mr Takahara can easily hit with his
car.
Despite our mischoice, it was still a really productive day.
As a result of us not going out to work in the afternoon, when Mr Takahara came
back, he cut the vines and bamboo hanging over the road, in the pouring rain.
Mom and I went out to profusely apologize and to try and help. By the time we
went out, he was nearly done, and he said it was no worries. It's been a long
time since I have felt this guilt.
May 10, 2025 -
Journal Post - Bamboo in the morning, and a party at night
Dad and I got out as early as possible that morning to get the bamboo off the
road.
Once dad and I had taken all the bamboo off the road, we continued to work on
all the other bamboo.
While we were working, Mr Takahara gave us Coca-Cola for taking the bamboo off
the road.
Dad and I spent the rest of the morning cutting and throwing bamboo.
By lunch we had cut nearly all the bamboo except for the ones in the far left
corner.
After lunch, Mr Takahara came to our door and gifted us some more 竹の子.
Dad went out and started clearing a spot for the burn pile, while I stayed in to
watch the kids so mom could clean and cook in preparation for tonight's party
with Ayane's family!
While mom was cleaning the toilet, she dropped a sponge into the toilet. She
went out and got to bamboo poles from dad to try and lift the sponge out. But in
the end she realized she could simply take off the plastic toilet seat and get
the sponge.
Around 3:00 pm, dad came into the house for the day.
Around 5:00 pm, Ayane and her family showed up! They brought incredibly
delicious food. We had a really good time with them. And they stayed until about
9:00 pm and had to go home because relatives had shown up at their house. Dad
got totally drunk, and I was pretty woozy after drinking a whole can of beer.
Mom was fine, as per usual.
It was a really fun get together, and I hope we can do it again soon.
May 11, 2025 -
Journal Post - Happy Mother's Day!
Today is mother's day!
Despite it being mother's day, dad and I put in a full day's work. And sorta so
did mom.
Dad and I went out to continue working on the bamboo.
The morning was dedicated to clearing a space so we could start a fire after
lunch.
Mom and the kids also came out to plant some seeds in pots!
While we were working, Mr Kuyama came over and gave us some special weed whacker
blades that could cut through bamboo!
By lunch dad and I had cleared a space large enough for a burn pile.
After lunch, dad and I started the burn pile. We kept it small, until Mr
Takahara left his house with his wife, so we kinda took advantage of it and
burnt the pile from that day and the day before.
Mom and the kids came out again to plant even more seeds!
By the end of the day, dad and I had cleared a huge area in the bamboo and
burned tons of vines and canopy.
After we were done working, Mrs Budo came over and gave us strawberries and peas
for cutting the weeds in the corner and taking the mess of leaves off her
driveway.
While I was up in my room, I heard buzzing noises and then saw a giant hornet
drop onto the shelf next to me. I ran downstairs and came back upstairs with dad
armed with a dustpan. We couldn't find it, so we went back down. When I went
back up, I found it behind my camera bag. Dad came back up, and after a couple
of whacks, had killed it. He threw it outside. We're speculating it came through
a gap in my ceiling, though we're still unsure.
It was...a strange day to say the least, but I hope it was a good mother's day.
May 12, 2025 -
Journal Post - Finished cutting the bamboo...sorta
Dad and I got out really early, around 7:30 am.
The main goal for the day was to finish cutting all the standing bamboo, which
the last of was in the corner.
While dad and I were working, Mr Takahara came over and chatted for a bit. We
had worried he might be a little upset with the giant mess we had made, but he
seemed pretty happy even with the mess, knowing it would be cleaned eventually.
When dad was cutting some bamboo poles that were bent over, one of them snapped
back in his face due to the tension. The pole had left a good sized gash right
over his right eye. It was bleeding pretty badly, and we needed to bandage it.
We also got a lot of visitors in the morning while we were working. First Ayane
and her grandmother came over to hang out for a bit, and then a guy who was
promoting a religion related to Shintō came over to talk, and he stayed for
quite awhile. While dad was talking to the guy, Mr Takahara introduced me to
this girl who I had said hello to a couple of times. Apparently, she was a
helper for him.
While Ayane and her grandmother were still here, mom got a call saying that the
mushroom substrate was to be delivered at the farm. So Ayane and her grandmother
headed home, while we ran over to the farm.
While we thought the truck might not be able to fit all the way to the dirt, the
driver was a great driver and dumped all the mushroom substrate directly into
the farm.
By the time that was all done, it was noon, and mom hadn't gotten any of the
lunch ready, so she went to buy lunch.
While she was buying lunch, dad and I continued cutting the poles in the corner.
While we were cutting them, for some reason (probably compression caused by me
throwing the poles), my back began to really hurt, especially when I breathed,
so that slowed me down for a bit.
Soon after, mom came home. Then we headed in for a sushi lunch.
After lunch, dad and I went back out to finish cutting the corner. And by around
4:00 pm, we had finished cutting all the bamboo in the whole area. All that was
left to do was to process it and burn the canopy and vines.
Once that was done, we headed in for a timeout. After the timeout, dad started
the burn pile again and continued processing the bamboo next to the house, while
mom and I headed into the garage to bag up the trash for the next day.
After mom and I were done bagging the trash, I went over to help dad.
I started clearing a spot next to the wall so we could pile the actual poles of
bamboo. We also continued clearing the spot.
Once it was 5:30 pm, we headed in for the day.
While we were in the house, Mr Takahara gifted us more 竹の子, but we didn't notice
until after he had rung the doorbell and left.
Despite our exhaustion and injuries, it was a really productive and nice day.
May 13, 2025 -
Journal Post - Clearing the bamboo canopy and some long social visits
This morning we woke up early. Around 6:00 am.
When we were done eating breakfast, mom and I took out the trash we had bagged
in the garage the day before. It was about twenty bags. When we were done, we
had a quick chat with Mrs Budo, who was also taking out the trash.
After that dad and I went out to work on...the bamboo.
The first thing we did was clear a path from the burn pile to the back. We used
our saws, rakes, and new weedwhacker blades that Mr Kuyama had given us. They
cut through the pole stumps, but it was still a fairly slow process.
Once a path was cleared, I went to take Copernicus for a walk, while dad
continued working. I took him for about a kilometer up the mountain all the way
to the yellow house.
Once I came back, dad and I worked together on clearing the back area. Mom went
out to go shopping and to mail out some samples of our wall to be tested for
asbestos. By lunch, we had moved the entire pile of weeds we had cut a few days
ago.
After lunch, dad continued working on the back, cutting the canopy and vines and
then burning them.
Around 2:30 pm, Mrs Yoshie came over to hang out a little bit. She also brought
cookies. Dad and I hung out for a few minutes and then headed back to work.
She then went home, and came back around thirty minutes later with lettuce. She
hung out for a while.
Around 5:30 pm, dad and I headed in for the day. We had cleared nearly the
entire back area and are planning to work on the middle area the next day.
We stayed in and talked with her for a while. While she was here, her two
youngest kids came over to play.
They left around 7:00 pm. Right after they left, Mr Irie came over and gave us a
sample of spinach he was trying to sell. And then after that, Mr Kuyama gave us
a whole Chinese lettuce.
It was a super productive and fun day. Despite the hours of work, I love it
here.
May 14, 2025 -
Journal Post - Clearing away the bamboo
Once again, we got out really early.
Before I went to walk the dog, dad and I cleaned along the area to enlarge the
burn pile using the saw and special weedwhacker blade. After that, I took
Copernicus for a walk.
Once I came back, dad and I worked on clearing an area to stack all the bamboo.
We started out with cutting and burning a bunch of canopy and vines. Then, dad
took the weedwhacker through the area, getting rid of the remaining vines,
weeds, and roots.
Once that was done, dad put in the poles and began to stack the bamboo, while I
continued cutting away at the canopy.
A few minutes after we finished the spot for the bamboo, it was lunch time.
After lunch, dad kept processing and stacking the bamboo, while I cut and took
out the bamboo from the mess.
While we were working, Ayane and her grandmother came over to hang out for a
bit. Her grandmother left, and she stayed for a bit.
While they were still here, Mr Kuyama gifted us some seedlings! We were given
eggplant, green onion, and watermelon seedlings!
After all that, dad and I kept at what we were doing. By the end of the day, we
had basically cleared the entire area where bamboo hadn't grown yet.
Yet another productive day.
May 15, 2025 -
Journal Post - More bamboo and trash
Before we went out, mom and dad had to move some stuff. They moved a lot of
stuff out of the room behind the kitchen, outside. And also moved some stuff out
of the garage into the room behind the kitchen.
After that, we went out to work.
First we talked about the plan for the day, and then I took Copernicus for a
walk.
Once I got back, I started working on the bamboo, clearing more of the canopy,
while dad worked on moving stuff out of the garage.
And that was pretty much it for the morning. We then headed in for our first
fish lunch in Okayama.
After lunch, we kinda relaxed/fell asleep for about thirty minutes. I was up in
my room, but once dad woke up, he and mom did some more work outside. They moved
a bunch of stuff around and sorted out some trash. After that, I headed back
out.
Dad was working on sorting the trash in and in front of the garage. While he did
that, I went in the back and took apart the chest and desk.
After that, dad and I worked on sorting the trash in the front, separating the
metal, plastic, etc...
The next thing we did was go over and cover the mushroom substrate at the farm
with a tarp. Right before we were about to go, Ayane came over, so we walked
with her to the farm, and then said bye.
Once we came back, mom, dad, and I all worked on sorting and bagging the trash
from in front of the garage and the trash in the room behind the kitchen.
Once it was all bagged, mom headed in.
Dad did a quick sweeping. Then the last thing was to smash up some clay drains
and then toss them into the pond, so that's what I did, and then we headed in.
Another productive day.
May 16, 2025 -
Journal Post - Going for it with the bamboo and owning a storage shed at the
coast
First thing today, mom and I took out the trash. While we were taking it out, so
was Mrs Irie, so we chatted with her for a little while.
After that, dad and I went out to work.
We started by getting a burn pile going, and then I went to move all the trash
out of the back into the front, while dad stayed to work on the bamboo.
After I was done with the trash, I took the dog for a walk. It was a bit longer
than usual, and I met the mechanic's dad. He was at his farm, and gave me some
garlic stems to eat. So that was very nice.
Once I got back, dad and I really got to work.
The entire morning we spent cutting, pulling, and burning the bamboo. I was
cutting, and dad was transporting.
By lunch, we had made a huge dent in the pile.
After lunch, it was more of the same. Except dad did more cutting, and I was
transporting.
While we were working, the real estate agents showed up to finalize the purchase
of the property. And once they left, we were officially the owners of the beach
property.
Once they left, dad and I got back to work. By the end of the day, we had made a
huge amount of progress on the pile.
A super productive day.
May 17, 2025 -
Journal Post - Party day
The only outside work we got done today was we took out the big trash.
After that, we spent the whole day in the house.
I was up in my room, while dad worked on unpacking more stuff in the music area
and play room.
Around 5:00 pm, Lael's friend's family showed up for the party. We had a super
fun time with them. Around 9:00 pm, they went back home.
May 18, 2025 -
Journal Post - Finished the bamboo... basically
The entire day was spent working on the bamboo.
The first thing we did was move everything out of the storage building. Which
included the drain pipes and metal sheets from the old chicken house.
Then I took Copernicus for a walk.
In the morning, dad was the one pulling everything out, while I sorted it into
piles. And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, we kinda switched. Since we had taken out so much in the morning,
we were able to get a burn pile going more in the middle.
Once it was going, dad put all the stuff on to burn, while I took more out.
Once all the piles were on, dad and I worked together on taking out the bamboo,
wood, and leaves out of the pile.
While we were working, Mr Irie came over and gave us some spinach! We talked for
a bit, and then he was off.
Dad and I continued until 5:30 pm.
By the end of the day, nearly everything was either in a pile or burned.
Tomorrow will be more nit picky work on the bamboo area.
While I was changing the dog's water and food, Mr Kuyama rode up on his bike and
gave us some baby peas!
This was by far one of our most productive days.
May 19, 2025 -
Journal Post - Taking the walls off the storage shed and more bamboo work
Today, dad and I had two separate projects. While I worked on cleaning the
bamboo area, dad was going to take the metal sheets off the storage building.
Dad first put on his ultrafine dust mask to clean up the roof mess he had made
when he put a hole in it with his body. After that, dad switched to the regular
mask and began to take off the metal sheeting.
While dad was doing that, I went to work on cleaning and clearing the bamboo
area.
When I was getting the burn pile ready for the day, Mr Takahara came over to
help for a little bit!
He first did some weedwhacking around the giant tree, and then he began cutting
some of the understory trees next to it. Dad came by to say hi, and when he was
there, Mr Takahara gave us some sun flower seeds.
We then worked together on taking out the larger understory trees. Two of them
were a bit of an issue due to the possibility of them damaging his wall. So we
wrapped a rope around the tree and hooked it up to his farm truck. He got in and
pulled while I cut them down.
After that was done, we did a bit of processing and some more cutting. Then I
told him I could finish by myself, so I thanked him and he went back to his
pottery shop.
Dad and I spent the rest of the afternoon working on our separate projects. By
lunch we had both made considerable progress.
Soon after lunch, dad got all the metal sheets off the building.
I then took the dog for a walk.
While I was walking the dog, dad took the metal shelf off the storage building.
Once that was done, dad and I sorted out the trash in the front, moving all the
metal to be easily picked up and taken away, and all the roof sheeting in the
parking lot into the now wallless storage shed.
After that, dad and I went to work on the bamboo area together.
Towards the end of the day, Mr Takahara came back and did some light trimming
around the tree.
Dad and I did some last raking and burning in the bamboo area, and that was it
for today.
A mega productive day.
May 20, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work at the farm
The main plan for today was to finish the farm, or at least finish making the
beds.
Dad and I did some work while waiting for mom to get ready to go.
Dad started on setting up to put the wood boards along the farm, while I was
going to rototill the garden. However, when I tried to turn it on, I
accidentally snapped the cord used to turn it on...'felt pretty bad about that
one. Though, dad said not to worry due to the age of the machine.
So I worked on cleaning it to give back to Mr Kuyama.
Once mom was ready to go, we all headed over to the farm.
The project for the morning was to spread all the mushroom substrate across the
farm.
At first we were all working, but then Lael got tired, and eventually so did
Ethan. Mom, dad, Lael, and Ethan headed back home. Dad came back soon with the
rototiller.
I continued to spread out the mushroom substrate while dad did the rototiller.
By lunch, we had finished spreading it out.
While we were working, Mr Kuyama drove up and asked if we would like for him to
take a tractor through the farm, we gladly accepted.
After lunch, before we could get to the newly tilled farm, Ayane and her
grandmother came over. So mom stayed at the house, while dad and I went over to
the farm.
After a bit of confusion with how to make the beds, dad and I sorta got into a
rhythm of making the beds. However, by the end, the beds looked a bit like
toothpicks. So the farm looks...a little funky.
We were planning to go back after our break, but mom said it was alright. So dad
continued work on the garden border, while I went to work on the bamboo area.
While I was over there, a bunch of stuff happened.
First, I saw that Mr Takahara had chainsawed off the stumps, so I asked if I
could burn them, and he said yes. We then chatted for a bit.
Then, Mr Irie came over and asked if he could cut some of the leafy branches off
the bamboo to use to keep away the wild boar. I said yes, saying it was also
helping with cleaning. When he was leaving, he had packed his farm truck off the
road, into Mr Takahara's yard. So first I tried to push him out, and that didn't
work. Soon Mr Takahara came over and pulled out Mr Irie's farm truck, with his
farm truck.
While all that was happening, Mrs Budo came over to give us onions, and chatted
with mom, dad, and Ayane for a while.
Once they all left, dad and I worked for a little more, and then headed in.
In the evening, Mr Irie came over and gave us some vegetables as thanks for
helping him and letting him cut the bamboo.
While it was an exhausting day, I really enjoyed talking and helping our
neighbors.
May 21, 2025 -
Journal Post - A day spent working on the bamboo area
All we did today was work on the bamboo area.
We got out a little late due to dad not feeling great. We spent the morning
working on the corner hill. By lunch we had made a considerable change.
After lunch, dad was not feeling good. He was aching, and felt feverish. So I
went out by myself to work.
I worked until 5:30 pm, and at that time I finished the corner, and got a bunch
of bamboo stumps cut, and a bunch of raking done.
Not the best day, but still fairly productive.
May 22, 2025 -
Journal Post - A lot to do with...metal
This morning, we got out fairly late.
Before I went out. Dad and mom unloaded the trailer in preparation for work
after lunch.
Once the trailer was unloaded, I came out. Right after I came out, Mr Kaku
showed up with his truck. He loaded up his truck with all our metal trash, which
took about thirty minutes.
Once he had left, dad and I did some work in the front.
I moved all the rocks that were in the parking, while dad started to cut up the
old drain pipes.
While we were working, mom went off to go shopping and to the post office.
By lunch, dad and I had cut all the drain pipes into pieces that would fit in
trash bags.
After lunch, we got busy. The plan was to move all the metal arches from the
storage building in Ushimado, to the farm.
We got there around 3:00 pm. It took us three trips, lots of tying, and around
two hours of driving, but we moved all the arches. We estimate that there are
around 340 arches. We finished around 7:00 pm, and I stayed at the farm a little
longer to move the metal arches to a better spot.
It was a long, long day, but we got a lot done.
May 23, 2025 -
Journal Post - The roof off the storage shed and getting ready for septic
work
This morning, WE didn't get much done, but the workers sure did.
Around 8:30 am, the workers came to take the roof off the storage shed.
They did some very interesting and amazing things to take off the roof. First,
they cut it to take it off, instead of unscrewing it. Second, they used rickety
ladders and platforms to reach the roof. And third, they didn't wear a mask.
Despite the chance of the roof being asbestos, and the sheer amount of dust they
made, they didn't wear a mask. But the way they worked in sync, it was like an
orchestrated ballet dance.
While they were here, Mr Watanabe (the septic estimate guy), came over to
discuss some stuff about the septic, and more estimates, including that of
knocking down the beach house.
Around 10:30 am, the workers finished the roof. They also climbed up the roof of
the house to assess the damage we had caused with the bamboo. And for only a
couple thousand yen, they'll fix the roof, and clean all the gutters.
Once they left, dad and I went out to take the wood off the rafters, but soon
after we went out, Mr Watanabe came back.
We got an estimate from Mr Watanabe for knocking down the beach house, and it
came in at around ¥500,000. And we also got some other estimates for the
interior work.
After that, we decided to just eat lunch.
After lunch, Mr Watanabe and the worker who had given us a previous estimate
came to do some final checks for the work. It was quite awkward due to the fact
that we were going with another company, when a company we got an estimate from
was doing the work for us.
After that was all done, dad and I went out.
First, dad and I got all the wood off the rafters, and moved behind the storage
building. Then, dad cleaned up the front of the garage, while I moved all the
tools and wood away from the pond. Then dad and I worked on moving the rocks
back away from the pond so the workers could dump the dirt into the pond.
Then, dad began to sweep the front of the garage, while I took the dog for a
walk!
Today is Copernicus's twelfth birthday! So for his birthday, he got some nice
food (chicken), and a special long walk along the river! While I was walking, I
saw the car mechanic's dad again and he gave me a ton of beans!
Once I came home, dad went in the house, and then so did I. And that was pretty
much it for the day.
Not exactly super productive, but we did still get a lot done, and a lot of
information about the cost of stuff.
May 24, 2025 -
Journal Post - A day in the house scraping off the walls
When we got up, it was pouring rain. So we decided to spend the day inside.
Except for the owner of the bamboo forest' wife coming over to thank us and give
us some beef, the morning was pretty uneventful. All the work that was done was
dad sorting out some of his books.
After lunch, mom got quite a bit of work done. She scraped all the sparkly
material off the walls where the new toilet was gonna be set up. Although, the
resulting look isn't very...desirable, to say the least.
While it wasn't the most productive day, it was fairly relaxing.
May 25, 2025 -
Journal Post - Community cleaning and filling up the pond
Today was the day for the community to clean the drains on the mountain.
It was to start at 7:30 am, mom and I got out at 7:20 am. Dad and the kids
didn't come because of two reasons: dad wasn't feeling great, and they didn't
want to come.
We first met at the trash cage, and then we headed up. There were quite a few
people, mostly older men. We cleaned the drains, road, and sides. It took around
three hours, but we got a huge portion of the road done. Mom went home slightly
earlier than me, but I stayed until it was done...sorta.
Once I got back, I took a quick timeout, and then went back up to crack up the
concrete floor in the storage shed.
When I went back out, they were still doing a little work along the street. I
offered to help, but they said it was okay, so I started cracking the concrete
floor.
While I was doing that, dad was in the house, taking off doors and handles in
preparation for the septic work starting tomorrow.
While I was doing it, a bunch of the neighbors came over, including Mr Kuyama,
who offered a jackhammer to crack up the floor. I asked dad, he said no, so mom
went out and politely declined.
Before lunch was even ready, I had cracked up the entire floor. So I started
tossing the chunks into the pond. While I was doing that, Mr Kuyama came over
asking if he could have one of the bamboo poles in the other yard to use for his
tomatoes. I agreed, and said he could take as many as he wants. He took one.
Soon after that, mom called me in for lunch.
After lunch, dad and I headed out.
We worked together on first getting all the concrete chunks into the pond. Dad
raked it up, and I transported it.
When we headed in for a break, dad went out first. While he was out there, Mr
Kuyama came over and gave us some Sky Peas as thanks for letting him have a
bamboo pole.
While dad and I were working, Mr Irie came over and also gave us some Sky Peas.
By around 5:00 pm, dad and I had basically completely filled the pond up with
rocks, dirt, and concrete chunks.
Before the end of the day, mom and dad moved the vehicles to get ready for the
septic work starting tomorrow. The truck and trailer were moved to the farm, and
the bus and the kayaks were moved into the storage building.
It was honestly a really enjoyable and productive day.
May 26, 2025 -
Journal Post - First day of septic work and setting up the farm gate
Today was the start of the work for installing the septic.
Dad and I went out to first assess the most necessary projects. Dad was going to
work on the front of the house in preparation for tomorrow's gutter cleaning,
while I worked on weed and taking out the potash along the storage building on
the street side.
About thirty minutes into working, the workers showed up. There was a lot of
talking, especially with Mr Watanabe. Some of the main things was finding out
that the new toilet room has no termites, that they messed up on the estimate
and may lose money, how we can get concrete poured along the storage shed, and
also what type of floor we want for the toilets.
Eventually, Mr Watanabe left, and then the workers really started.
Mom went out to go shopping and buy lunch.
While she was out, two of the workers left for the day.
By the time mom had come back, dad had taken out almost all the paneling off the
rafters in the front, and did a lot of sweeping along the windows, while I had
weeded and taken out all the potash along the building.
After lunch, after yelling through the floor to the worker to say where we were
going, we headed to the farm.
The main goal was to try and set up a metal fence with the metal arches we
brought back from the beach shack.
Surprisingly, it didn't take long to find a good system, and dad and I were
flying putting them in. While we did that, mom hilled up the beds.
While we were working, Lael's friend came out to play. And also, one of the men
I met at the street cleaning came over to talk to us. We talked for a while
about the farm. We needed to head back home though because they needed some
number from the city for permission to start on the outside work. So while I
stayed to talk about photos with the man, mom, dad, and the kids went home.
Once I was done talking to the man, I headed home. There were a few more workers
at home, discussing the miscalculated estimate and the possible extra work.
Because we had signed a contract, we don't have to pay any additional fees.
Dad and I got back to work, while I worked on taking out dirt along the storage
building and dumping it into the pond, dad continued on the front of the house.
While I was digging, I noticed a deep crevice in the rocks. Dad and I checked it
out, and after pulling out a rock, we realized we had found a huge hole. The
most likely reason for the hole: a drain, leading right into our pond. So that's
a tad bit concerning.
While today was a bit hectic, it was really productive.
May 27, 2025 -
Journal Post - Finishing the pond and roof repairs
The main project at the house today was to dig away the dirt wall in front of
the pond.
Dad and I started working on it, and while we were doing that, around 8:30 am,
the septic workers showed up.
While dad and I were working on the pond, we saw Mr Irie's daughter and her
American husband walk up the street. We waited for them to come back, and all of
us had a long conversation with them.
While we were talking to them, Mr Watanabe gave us a gift of some very delicious
small cakes.
After we were done talking, we all headed to the farm to continue putting in the
metal arches.
While we were there, Ayane's grandmother came over to talk and give us some
riceballs, which was really nice of her. We talked for a little bit, and then
decided to head home after the conversation.
While we were leaving the farm, Lael's friend's parents were walking back from
the sports event. We talked for a while, and then we both went home.
At home, while mom was making lunch, dad and I continued to work on the pond.
While we were working on the pond, one of the workers showed up and we talked
with him until lunch was ready.
Quite a few people already.
After lunch, dad and I headed back out to continue on the pond.
While we were working on the pond, the worker showed up to fix the damaged roof
and to clean the gutters. He was here for about an hour. While he was here, dad
and I continued on the pond.
Once he left, dad and I continued on the pond.
Mom and the kids came out after the worker left. The kids played while mom
worked on trimming the potatoes.
Near the end of the day, Mrs Budo came over and we talked with her for a long
time. By the time she headed home, we decided that was good for the day.
By then, dad and I had basically taken all the dirt we wanted out. So now the
pond is basically ready for the dirt leftover from installing the septic tank.
The septic workers worked on preparing for replacing the floor and setting up
some pipes.
It was quite a social day, but I think we got quite a lot done.
May 28, 2025 -
Journal Post - Fine tuning the pond, making a bamboo wall, and more work in
the other yard
The first thing I did this morning was fine tune the pond area. This meant
finishing the dirt slope, raking the dirt out, sorting the rock and root pile,
and making a trench to put the rocks in.
While I did that, dad finished up sweeping the window tracks and cleaning the
front.
While dad and I were doing that, the septic workers showed up.
After dad and I were done with those projects, we started working on other
things. Dad began to take the bamboo in the yard and make a bamboo wall/trellis
in front of the house, while he did that, I began working in the other yard,
again.
By lunch, dad had put in a few bamboo poles, while I had cut down a ton of
bamboo stumps.
After lunch, I first helped out dad by taking out rocks that he hit while making
the holes. When I was done with that, I went back to the yard.
Towards 5:00 pm, dad had finished the bamboo wall, and I had cut all the bamboo
stumps on the lower section of the other yard.
After dad was done with the wall, he worked on moving the bamboo poles to a
different spot, and then he hoed the entire path where the bamboo used to be
stored. While he was doing that, I worked in the other yard, taking metal out of
the ground.
The septic workers had completely replaced the walls, and put the new floor
boards in the new toilet room.
It was a tiring but super productive day.
May 29, 2025 -
Journal Post - A lot more dirt than expected and having the septic tank
installed
Dad and I got out early today. We needed as much time as possible to prepare for
the massive amount of dirt we were going to get.
Dad and I first used some of our largest rocks to build up a wall where the pond
used to be. We were able to finish the first layer before the workers showed up.
A team of workers came, including the woman who gave us the previous septic
estimate. They came with a couple of vans, a few dump trucks, and a huge
excavator.
They started out by planning out what they were gonna do. While they did that,
dad and I basically got the second layer of the wall in place.
Soon after that, they started digging the hole for the septic tank. They quickly
filled up the dump truck, which proceeded to dump all the dirt where the pond
used to be. Once it was dumped, dad and I got to work raking it across the pond,
and taking out as many rocks as possible.
While we were keeping up, once the second load was dumped, we couldn't keep up.
Even though they separated some rocks for us, raking the dirt across and
separating the rocks took way too long. They proceeded to dump two more loads,
making a total of four loads, including more scoops the excavator took out. This
created a huge pile of dirt.
The workers, dad and I worked on taking out as many of the rocks out of the pile
of dirt as possible.
They then proceeded to lower the tank into the hole, but only after they had put
gravel at the bottom to stabilize the tank.
This was all done before lunch.
After lunch, dad and I headed back out and started to rake the pile. We soon
realized this was useless due to the fact that the workers had offered to push
the dirt across the pond with the excavator.
So, dad and I continued to make the rock wall. We went back and forth about what
to do with the rocks, and how much we would spread the massive amount of dirt.
We eventually decided on making the parking a bit larger than we thought, and
not really worrying about the rocks. So while some of the workers were filling
around the tank with fine rock, a worker got in the excavator and pushed all the
dirt around, and made a slope.
At first, dad wanted the soil loosened so we could rake it out. We eventually
realized it would be a much better idea if the excavator packed it in and made
the parking. So we asked them, and they did.
While they finished up installing the tank, dad worked on smoothing out the
parking, while I continued making the rock wall.
Dad and I headed in for a timeout, which actually turned into the end of the
work day. While we were in the house, they began cleaning up the driveway. I
first went out to pick up the tools. Then we all went out to properly thank them
for the amazing work they did. We then headed in, and then mom and dad went back
out. Apparently, Mrs Budo and Mrs Budo were talking to each other and the
workers, saying they did enough cleaning. Once the workers left, mom and dad
stayed out for a little bit talking to Mrs Budo and Mrs Budo.
We had a slight disagreement whether we would go shopping tonight. But dad
spontaneously decided that we will. So in our dirty work clothes, we headed to
the store for dinner and drinks.
It was a super productive day, and the pond is completely filled. The pond will
now be referred to as the truck parking.
May 30, 2025 -
Journal Post - Moving the rocks and digging the farm
This entire day was dedicated to working around the parking lot.
Dad and I got out just before the workers showed up. Today he cut the driveway
to install the pipe, and we got our sink delivered. And he did a lot more.
First off, dad and I created the third layer of the rock wall. We used a lot of
the rocks the workers had pulled out the previous day.
Then, we moved all the rocks into the parking lot. I moved the big ones, and dad
moved the smaller ones.
Dad continued on moving the rocks, while I started on making the wall along the
parking that connects to the rock wall lining the farm.
Eventually dad had me move the largest rocks below the parking so he could make
the outline for where the parking would end.
Then dad sorted out the pile of tiny rocks, and then he began to hoe where the
huge rock pile used to be.
That was it for lunch.
After lunch, I continued on making the rock wall, while dad continued to hoe the
dirt.
Eventually we went in to take a timeout. Due to the fact the weekend was gonna
be super busy, dad decided mom should go shopping today. So she did.
Once we were back outside, dad had me help him take out some roots and stumps
where the rocks used to be. By the time they were out, mom was home.
I then hoed a bunch of the farm, because the hoe turns the soil far deeper than
any of the rototillers. While I did that dad raked some of the soil behind me.
We decided that I was going to hoe the entire farm.
It was a super productive day, and the projects today were honestly pretty fun.
May 31, 2025 -
Journal Post - Finished turning the garden and a full day at the beach shack
First thing of the day, dad and I headed out to work on the garden.
Within thirty minutes, I had hoed the entire farm, and dad had raked the top
layer of it into the path next to the rocks.
We also saw the workers on the septic bring out the smallest excavator we had
ever seen.
After that, we headed to the shack.
We spent a long time there, a lot longer than expected. We first scoped out the
other building looking for stuff we would want to bring home, then I brought it
all the entry of the shack, and dad transported it to the trailer. We had some
interactions with the neighbors, including one who has a pet crow, which was
really cool. We then loaded up the trailer with lots of wood, and farming
materials. And filled the back of the truck up with a net.
We then headed home. We left the trailer and truck loaded at the farm and walked
home. We then got on the bus, and headed to the store to buy lunch.
After lunch, we headed back to the beach shack, but this time in the bus.
We stayed there for a while. While dad swept up the main shack, I took all the
wood we would want out of the other building. By the end of the day, dad had
completely swept and cleaned up the shack. We had also collected a bunch of
plants to bring back home and plant.
After that, we headed to the beach for a walk. We met one of our new neighbors
who has a very big husky.
After the walk, we headed home.
A super productive day. |
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