 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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 Using
Backhoe
September 30, 2025 - Our neighbor and friend
Kuyamasan let us use his backhoe to completely change the landscaping of the
adjacent property which used to be a huge bamboo forest. The forest was cutting
off the sunlight to our house and the neighbor gave us permission to do whatever
we wanted to the property. Our oldest son was able to learn to use the backhoe
in less than an hour and did fantastic work on changing the property into a pocket park. |
September 1, 2025 -
Journal Post - Just...dirt
This morning, dad and I headed out. For now, all we did was rake back the pile
of dirt as far as possible.
Around 8:00 am, the truck driver came with a load of dirt. While we originally
planned to get two loads, after he dumped the truck, we realized that would be
enough. So after talking to him for a bit on getting the dirt dumped at the
beach shack, he drove off. In total 1 load.
Once he drove off, dad filled up the last few bags, and I loaded them into the
truck. Once that was done, we all headed to the beach house. At the beach house,
we dumped off the 30 bags of rock, and then headed home.
At home, dad spent most of the morning raking the pile back, and I spent most of
the morning sifting it. Dad also loaded up 30 more bags of rock.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I just did more of the same, until mom and the kids came
out around 4:00 pm.
The kids helped for a bit, then went to go play. Mom had to water her farm, but
helped when she returned.
Dad and I worked on moving the soil back, while mom sifted. Between the three of
us, mom is the fastest sifter. By the time mom headed in, she had made a huge
dent in the pile.
Once they went in, I did a bit more raking, and dad bagged up all the rocks,
which I moved outside.
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).
September 2, 2025 -
Journal Post - More dirt and the first load dumped at the beach shack
This morning, dad and I quickly headed out. I loaded 30 bags of rock into the
truck, while dad did some raking on the dirt pile. After that, we headed in the
house, got ready, and we all headed to the beach shack.
At the beach shack, we first dumped the 30 bags of rocks, and then using rakes,
we began to smooth it out. Around 9:00 am, the truck driver drove up and dumped
a truck load for dirt into the beach shack parking. Once it was dumped, we
talked, and made plans to get another load dumped two days from now. Once he
left, dad and I got to work smoothing out the pile of dirt.
While we were working, a couple who often says "hi" to us showed up. We talked
to the for a while, and then they walked home.
Once we were done smoothing out the pile, dad used the truck to pack in the
dirt. After that, we drove home.
At home, dad and I worked until lunch. While I sifted, he raked and bagged the
rocks. Along with the extra bags he filled yesterday, he had another 30 bags
ready by lunch.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, mom came out to work. Mom and I sifted, while dad raked and bagged
the rocks. Around 2:30 pm, the kids came out. They worked for a little, but then
went to play. Because dad had not much to do, he went to hang out with them and
soaked the garden.
Around 4:00 pm, we headed in for a timeout, and then we all headed back out,
except for the kids.
Mom and I continued sifting, while dad worked on bagging all the rocks. While we
were working, Mrs Budo came up and talked to us for a while.
Around 5:00 pm, mom headed in.
Dad and I continued working. Once he had put all the rocks in bags, had filled
another 30. Once he was done with that, he and I worked on raking back the dirt
pile.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 102 °F (ca. 38.89 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
September 3, 2025 -
Journal Post - Two loads of dirt and a lot of work done
This morning, dad and I headed out. I loaded up 30 bags of dirt into the truck,
and then we did some raking on the dirt pile. Once mom and the kids were ready,
we drove to the beach house and dumped the 30 bags. Then we drove back home, and
I loaded 30 more bags into the truck, and then we drove to the beach house, and
dumped the 30 bags.
After that, dad and I headed out to work, and mom went shopping. In the time
that mom was shopping, dad and I got all the dirt past the roof of the storage
building, and I got a little sifting done.
Once mom came back, we headed in. And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad, mom, and I headed out. Mom and I sifted, while dad worked on
raking the pile and bagging the rocks. By around 4:15 pm, we had made a
considerable dent in the pile. We decided to take a timeout.
After the timeout, mom stayed in, while dad and I went back out. For the last
hour of work, I worked on sifting, and dad worked on filling the rock bags. And
just before 5:30 pm, dad had filled 30 more bags of rock to take to the beach
shack.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 99 °F (ca. 37.22 °C) and the low was 82 °F (ca. 27.78
°C).
September 4, 2025 -
Journal Post - Just...more dirt
This morning, after I loaded 30 bags into the truck, we all headed to the beach
shack.
At the beach shack, we first dumped the 30 bags of rocks, and then smoothed it
out. While we were waiting for the dirt to be delivered, we did some weeding
around the perimeter of the property where some weeds were encroaching. At 9:00
am, the driver showed up and dumped the load of dirt. After a quick chat, he
drove off. Dad and I worked on smoothing out the dirt, and then dad drove over
it with the truck to pack it in. When we were going to drive home, for some
reason it took a while to start the truck. It seemed like we blew a fuse, but
after dad tried a few things, he eventually got the truck running. Once it was
running, we headed home.
At home, dad and I spent the rest of the morning raking and sifting the dirt
pile. We also got a few bags ready, which I immediately loaded into the truck
due to the chance of rain.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, we all headed out. Dad and I continued work on the dirt pile, while
mom headed to the farm to tie up some stuff. While we were working, Mrs Budo
came up and talked to us for a bit, and then she headed down the street on her
bike because the food delivery truck was here.
Dad and I kept working for a while, and eventually mom came back. When she did,
we all went into the house to take a timeout. After the timeout, we all headed
out to work on the dirt pile. Mom and I sifted, while dad raked and bagged the
rocks. We eventually got the next 30 bags of rock ready for tomorrow.
Around 4:00 pm, we headed in for another timeout. After the timeout, dad and I
went out, while mom stayed in.
Dad and I spent the rest of the day working on raking and sifting. We also got a
couple more bags filled with dirt.
While we were working, in the rain, Mrs Budo came over to give us a snack.
Apparently she had bought it, but didn't want to eat it, so she gave it to us.
We thanked her profusely and then watched her nervously walk back down to her
house on the wet street.
Dad and I kept working until 5:30 pm, and by then the dirt pile was nothing more
than a medium-sized mound.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 88 °F (ca. 31.11 °C) and the low was 78 °F (ca. 25.56
°C).
September 5, 2025 -
Journal Post - Nearing the end of the dirt
This morning, because we had loaded 30 bags of rock into the dirt the day
before, so after just loading up the rakes, we all got into the truck and headed
to the beach shack.
At the beach shack, when we drove into the dirt "parking lot", we slid and got
stuck. Because we were getting a load of dirt delivered, the best we could do at
the moment was hope he had a rope to pull us out. While we were waiting, we
unloaded the 30 bags of rock and smoothed out the rocks. While we were doing
this, the neighbor that had complained about using their property was watching
us from the second floor of their house. Once the truck driver came, he dumped
the dirt, and then got out to talk to us. We showed him that we were stuck, and
thankfully he had a steel cable. So he hooked up his truck to ours and pulled us
out of the mud. We thanked him profusely, watched him drive off, and then headed
home.
At home, dad and I spent the rest of the morning working on the dirt pile.
Because of the rain the night before, some of the dirt was soaked, which made it
nearly impossible to sift. So dad and I worked on the middle section of dirt. He
raked, and I sifted.
And that was it for the morning.
The whole day, dad hadn't been feeling great. So mom and I went out to work. We
first headed to the farm. At the farm we put some arches over the beds, put in
some poles to tie up the plants to, planted some seeds (lettuce, carrots), and
did some weeding. And then we headed back home. Then for the rest of the day
until 5:00 pm, mom and I worked on the dirt. Shesiftedt and raked, while I
sifted, raked, and bagged the rocks. By 5:00 pm, we had 30 more bags filled with
rocks. At 5:00 pm, mom headed in, and I stayed out until 5:30 pm. Then I headed
in, and that was it for today.
The high for today was 93 °F (ca. 33.89 °C) and the low was 74 °F (ca. 23.34
°C).
September 6, 2025 -
Journal Post - Finishing the dirt pile!
This morning, dad and I headed out and quickly loaded the 30 bags into the
truck, and then headed back in. Then we all got in the truck and headed to the
beach house.
At the beach house, we parked the truck in the street and very quickly unloaded
the 30 bags onto the property. Then we drove the truck over to the piers. There
were some workers there, and we asked them if we could park there for 30 minutes
or so, and they said yes. Once we parked, we walked over to the beach shack.
First we dumped the bags, and then we raked and filled the divots in the dirt
made by the truck tires. We also put up another board on the wood wall to
support more soil. While we were working, a worker came over asking if we could
move our truck. So we quickly went over there and drove the truck over to the
beach shack. After a bit more work, dad packed in the soil with the truck, and
then we headed home.
We all went into the house to wash our hands and use the restroom, and then we
headed back out. First we went to the gas station to fill up the truck with
fuel, and then we headed shopping. Mom went in to buy some groceries and lunch.
When we got home, mom realized that she hadn't bought the right type of drink.
She had wanted to buy a pack of carbonated water, but instead she accidentally
bought a pack of mineral water. So we would have to return the pack tomorrow.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I headed out to work on the dirt pile. While dad raked and
bagged, I sifted. While we were working, there was this butterfly that literally
would not leave dad alone. It kept landing on his head, face or back.
Around 4:00 pm, dad headed into the house to work on his ingrown toenail. So mom
came over to help
Mom and I worked up until about 5:00 pm. And we were jamming. Just after 5:00
pm, we actually finished the dirt pile! Like all of it. So mom headed in, and I
stayed out to bag the rocks. Which gave us another 30 bags.
And that was it for this...interesting day.
The high for today was 95 °F (ca. 35 °C) and the low was 75 °F (ca. 23.89 °C).
September 7, 2025 -
Journal Post - The final rock load and smoothing out the dirt pile
This morning dad and I headed out. While I loaded 30 bags into the truck, dad
loaded up the last of the rocks into 4 more bags, making our trip a total of 34
bags. Once that was loaded, along with the rakes and some rope, we headed in.
Then we all got in the truck and headed to the beach house.
At the beach house, the first thing we did was unload the 34 bags. With all the
rocks we sifted from the dirt pile, the total of the bags we brought is 304 bags
of rock. And if we combine that with all the previous loads of rock, that makes
1054 bags of rocks and dirt to the beach shack. Wow.
Once we dumped the bags, we raked the rocks smooth. Then dad used the truck to
pack in the rocks in the dirt. After that, we used a board and the last of the
metal poles to raise the wooden wall one board higher. And finally we loaded up
all the two-meter wooden boards onto the rack of the truck. Then we headed home.
At home, I unloaded the truck, and then we all got into the bus and headed out.
First we filled up the bus with fuel, and then took mom shopping to return the
mineral water and also to buy lunch and groceries.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I headed out. The first thing we did was make the temporary
wall in the building. Using the wood boards previously used in the dog area, and
some metal poles from the garage, we had a sturdy wall within 30 minutes. While
we were working, this couple walked out of Mr Takahara's road and came up to
talk to us. We chatted for a little, and then they headed off.
Dad and I then started working on raking out the sifted dirt. Because Lael and
Ethan wanted to help later in the day, dad and I worked on getting the dirt away
from the sides.
Around 3:00 pm, mom and the kids came out. Mom spent up until 5:00 pm working on
her seedlings, Ethan helped and played, and Lael just kept working on raking the
dirt.
While we were working, Mr Takahara drove up. He got out of his truck and told us
that his friend had just gone fishing and had given him two Tai, he said he and
his wife couldn't eat them alone, so he gave us one of them! We thanked him
profusely and talked for a little, and then he drove off.
Soon after that, dad took the sheet off the building. This let in tons of
sunlight, and allowed mom's seedling area to get more sun and dry out. Dad also
got all the wood stored in the storage building into the garage.
Once it turned 5:00 pm, mom and Ethan headed in. Dad, Lael, and I stayed out
until 5:30 pm, and by then we had nearly all the dirt raked smooth.
And that was it for this super productive day.
The high for today was 97 °F (ca. 36.11 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
September 8, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work in and around the storage building and at the farm
This morning, dad and I headed out. The first thing I did was work on smoothing
out the rest of the soil in the storage building. While I was doing that, dad
worked on reinforcing the wood wall, swept up the driveway, and moved a bunch of
wood on the frame of the seedling area.
Once I was done with smoothing out the soil, I worked on getting the wood beams
off the top of the storage building. First I just cut the string holding it, but
for the higher beams, I had to climb up the storage building to cut the string.
Once the string was cut, dad and I got the wood beams off the storage building.
After that, we stored the wood beams in the seedling area, and that was it for
the morning.
After lunch, dad started working on taking out the bitter melon bush. Soon
after, mom and Ethan went to the farm, and dad followed. Lael and I stayed home
to do stuff together, but dad came back within 30 minutes asking us to come to
the farm to help Ethan catch frogs, so we went. We spent some time trying to
catch them, but barely caught any. Mom and Ethan also picked a bunch of bitter
melons from the farm. Eventually, dad, Lael, and Ethan headed back home, while I
stayed to help mom out. She put in some seedlings (brussels sprouts, napa
cabbage), and while she did that, I typed up some poles to the arches. When that
was done, we used the net mom bought and stretched it over all the arches, and
luckily it was just long enough. Once that was done, I made a few weights for
the net, and headed home. Mom stayed to do a bit more work.
While I was at the farm, dad and the kids had gotten a bunch of work done on
picking the bitter melon. Once I got home, Lael, Ethan, and I hung out and did
stuff together in the house, while dad went out. Dad spent most of the afternoon
working on taking out the bitter melon bush. Mom came back around the time he
finished.
When dad was done with the bush, he bent 4 metal arches into 16 posts, and that
was it for today.
The high for today was 94 °F (ca. 34.44 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
September 9, 2025 -
Journal Post - Two loads of dirt at the beach shack, and work on the
seedling area
This morning, dad and I quickly headed out to load the truck with rakes, metal
poles, and the axe. We then went in, and then we all got in the truck and headed
to the beach shack.
At the beach shack, the first thing we did was smooth out the dirt from the
previous loads. After that, dad used the truck to smooth out the dirt. Once the
dirt was smooth, using the metal poles and the wood from the property, we raised
the wood wall to accommodate for the dirt coming. At 9:00 am, the first load of
dirt was delivered. We talked to the driver, asking if he could deliver one
more, and he said yes and drove off. While waiting for the next load, we raked
out the pile of dirt that was just dumped, and smoothed it out with the truck.
Around 10:00 am, the next load was delivered. Once it was done, the driver came
out and talked to us for a bit, and then drove off. We then raked the pile out,
smoothed it with the truck, and then headed home.
At home, we stayed in until lunch. Dad shaved while I studied.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, only dad headed out. I got my haircut, and planned out with mom
what train route I'd be taking to Osaka on the 14th.
While I was inside, dad had done a bunch of work on the seedling area, like
cleaning it up and taking off the room, he also bent the arches into more poles,
and strung the rope across the top of the storage building.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 97 °F (ca. 36.11 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
September 10, 2025 -
Journal Post - Two loads at the beach house, and an afternoon off
This morning, after dad and I loaded the truck with the metal poles and tools,
we all got in the truck and headed to the beach house.
At the beach house, the first thing we did was build up another section of the
new wall. Once that was done, we just waited for the truck driver to show up.
Once he did, dad had him dump the dirt in the middle of the parking lot, where a
divot was. After the driver dumped the load, he drove off to get a second load.
In the time it took for him to bring the second load, dad and I had raked out
the entire pile he had just dumped, and dad even got to smooth it out with the
truck. Just as we finished, the driver showed up with the second load, which dad
had dumped in the back of the parking lot. After he dumped the load, he got out
and talked with us for a little. We gave him some bitter melon as a gift for the
work he was doing, and we also talked to him about the best ways we found to eat
bitter melon. After the chat, he drove off. After that, dad and I worked on
smoothing out the pile that was just dumped, picking up the trash, and adding a
few more boards to the wall. Once that was done, I got the bait container that
dad forgot out of his kayak, and we headed home.
At home, dad, the kids, and I hung out together, while mom went shopping to buy
lunch and groceries. Once she came back, we ate lunch.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, because of an approaching thunderstorm, dad decided to stay in. So
we all stayed in the entire afternoon doing our own things. Which was a nice
change of pace from the usual work we do.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 90 °F (ca. 32.22 °C) and the low was 76 °F (ca. 24.44
°C).
September 11, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work in the garden
This morning, only dad headed out. He spent the entire morning working on the
garden. That meant harvesting a lot of vegetables, moving all the pots out from
under the tree, weeding, and pulling out tons of the plants that were wrapping
up. This is all in preparation to begin growing winter crops.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, he headed back out. Most of the afternoon was spent weeding the dog
area and the upper area. By the end of the day, it looked like a new garden.
And that was it for today.
Because of being unable to check the temperature the next day, I do not have the
temperatures for today.
September 12, 2025 -
Journal Post - A day in Okayama City
Today's plan was to go out and spend the day in Okayama city! So after getting
ready, we left the house around 10:30 am.
Once we arrived at the train station, we got the tickets—from the ticket vending
machine—and then got on the train. The train ride into Okayama city took about
30 minutes. Once we arrived at Okayama Station, the first thing we did was head
out for lunch.
We took the underground route and went to a restaurant called Sizearea, which is
an Italian themed restaurant. We stayed there for a while, probably over eating,
and just relaxed. It was definitely a nice day off from yard work.
Once we were done eating, we took a stroll through Okayama city, and then headed
back to Okayama station.
Because the bullet train stops at Okayama station, it's a very large station, so
there was a lot to look at, and a lot to buy (the stationery store is
amazing...). The first thing we bought was some Okayama souvenirs that I could
give to my relatives in two days. After that, we went to one of the cafés and
bought boba tea! We sat down and talked and drank. After that, we went to a
bread shop and bought some bread, bagels, and cream cheese to eat tomorrow
morning.
Once we were done shopping, we headed back out for a little walk around the
city, and after that, we decided to head back home.
So mom bought the tickets, and then we rushed to the platform. We got on the
train, and rode home. Once we arrived at Osafune station, we got in the truck,
and headed home.
And that was it for this fun and exciting, yet tiring day.
Because we didn't check the temperatures yesterday for yesterday, we weren't
able to reset the thermometer, so I don't have the temperatures for today.
However, I do have the total for the amount of money we spent today. This total
includes train tickets, lunch, and the food we bought. However, I am excluding
the costs of the souvenirs we bought. The total is ¥12,310. Which is kinda
insane for just a day in a city. Of course, there are five of us, so I guess it
makes sense.
September 13, 2025 -
Journal Post - Working on the seedling area, cutting some trees, and more work with the
dog
This morning, only dad headed out. I stayed in to study and to get ready to go
to Osaka tomorrow.
This morning, dad cut all the leaves off the Japanese Persimmon tree, and cut
down some understory trees that were blocking sunlight from the seedling area.
Then he took all the compost, and spread it out in the garden, and fixed the
compost bin which was beginning to break. And finally, he moved some wood boards
over to the dog area so I could fix the floor when I got back from Osaka.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, dad headed back out. He got a bunch of work done in the seedling
area, filling up some of the raised beds with soil, adding some boards, and
moving some of the seedlings around. He also got some trash ready for the next
trash. And finally, he added a few more wood boards around the cypress tree in
the dog area to make sure Copernicus couldn't get near them.
Around 4:00 pm, mom headed to the farm. At the farm, she tied up some plants,
planted some seeds, did some weeding, and saw that her Brussels sprouts leaves
were completely eaten, which was very disappointing. She got back around 5:00
pm. Once she came back, that was it for today.
The high for today was 89 °F (ca. 31.67 °C) and the low was 78 °F (ca. 25.56
°C).
September 14, 2025 -
Journal Post - Osaka Expo, seeing relatives, and a day checking out some
parks
This morning, I woke up early. I paced around my room for a little bit until I
was called down by mom for breakfast. After just a slice of toast, I got ready
to go to Osaka! A few weeks ago, my grandmother invited me to come to see the
Osaka Expo, and after I got parental permission, I said yes! So not only am I
going to see my relatives, and go to the expo, but this will also be the first
time I really go out alone.
So once I was all ready, mom and I got in the bus, and drove to the train
station. Once we got to the train station, mom bought my ticket, and I headed
out onto the platform. At 7:57 am, the train bound for Banshu-Ako arrived. After
I waved profusely to mom, I boarded the train and was off.
Because the rest of the family and I did separate things, I will write out what
we each did in two sections, labeled by bold text.
FAMILY
The morning was just as usual. They just hung out together, and mom made the
usual lunch. And that was pretty much it for the morning.
In the afternoon, they headed out. First, they went to the campsite where you
could camp for free if you were a resident of Setouchi. After they checked that
out, they headed to a park along the river. There they saw a guy fishing who
they talked to. He told them about this other good spot, which they then drove
to. It was down a dirt path. Once they got there, they hung out for a bit. After
that, they planned to go home. But because the day hadn't been that great, dad
decided to take them to the usual playground they went to. There they had quite
a bit of fun, talked to some other families, and bought some drinks. After that,
they headed home. Mom made pizza for dinner, and that was it for their day.
The high for today was 95 °F (ca. 35 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
SHAI
The first train I boarded was bound for Banshu-Ako station. When I arrived
there, I switched platforms. Once I was on the correct platform—and after I
asked someone—I got on the train bound for Himeji station. Once I arrived there,
I stayed on the same platform and then waited for the train bound for Osaka. I
almost got on the wrong train, but I asked someone and checked the timetables,
and then got on the right train. When I arrived at Osaka station, I was greeted
by my grandmother, her step-sister, my aunt, and my two cousins. After a lot of
hugging and greeting, we headed off.
The first thing we did was go to some Italian themed restaurant for lunch. We
sat and ate for a while, and then headed off. We also stopped and checked out a
mall near the station, but didn't buy anything. After walking around for a
while, we boarded a train. The train took us near a subway station, which we
boarded. The subway was bound for the entrance to the Expo. So after we got off
the train, we walked to the entrance of the Expo. Because of the tickets we had,
and the time we arrived—2:00 pm—we had to wait two hours, in the sun, sitting on
concrete, to get into the Expo. At 4:00 pm, the sea of umbrellas began to move,
and we finally got into the Expo. Because we didn't have any pavilion
reservations, we mostly just walked around. The first thing we did was check out
the Grand Ring, which I have to say was very impressive. It stretched on so far
that all you could see at the horizon was the grand ring and the hundreds of
people on it. After that, we went into one of the common pavilions and checked
some stuff out. It was packed. Then we went to go buy some souvenirs, food, and
drinks. We sat around and talked for a while. While we were sitting, I gave
everyone the souvenirs mom had bought at Okayama. We then went to go see the
water show. The water show was okay, just a fancy way of using sprinklers and
light. Around 7:30 pm, we decided to go. We took the subway back to the station,
and then took a train back to the town my grandparents are living in. Near the
station was a restaurant which we decided to eat dinner at. Once we finished, we
took a taxi to my grandparent's house.
Once we got to their house, I greeted my grandfather, who was basically asleep.
We all sat around and talked for a bit, and then took a shower, and got ready
for bed. But before we slept, my grandmother, cousins, and I played some games
on their Nintendo Switch's. Once we were done, we went to bed.
And that was it for today. My first time sleeping away from home.
September 15, 2025 -
Journal Post - Dotonbori, coming home, and work in the garden
FAMILY
This morning, the kids were so tired that they just wanted to stay home. And so
they did. Dad went out and worked in the garden. He cut almost all the leaves
off the trees that were growing when we bought the property, and he took a
decent amount of mushroom substrate out from under the orange tree so we had
room to make a habitat for the turtle. In the morning, mom sent me a video of
Lael and Ethan. For lunch, mom went out and bought sushi.
After lunch, dad headed back out. He raked up the compost he had dumped a few
days ago, trimmed the turmeric leaves, and got a bunch of weeding done in the
upper area.
Around 5:30 pm, mom drove to the train station to pick me up and take me home.
SHAI
When I woke up today, only my grandmother and grandfather were already awake. We
sat around for a while, talking and watching the television. We had some
breakfast while waiting for the others to wake up. Once my aunt and cousins woke
up, they either hung out in their room, or came down for a small breakfast.
Around about 9:00 am, my grandmother's brother and step-sister came over. They
gave me something to give to mom, and we sat around talking until they left.
After everyone got up and got ready for the day, we headed out. My grandfather
drove us to the train station, where we said bye to him. We then boarded the
train to Banpaku. We then exited the station and walked towards Dotonbori. Once
we were there, we walked around for a while. The first thing I bought was
souvenirs for my family and neighbors. After that, we headed to a famous sushi
restaurant. Once we were done eating, we just kept walking. Eventually we went
to a famous takoyaki stand and bought some takoyaki. We then ate it in a
building, and then headed back out. We eventually finally got to the famous
street in Dotonbori with the giant crab. After even more walking, we went into
the girly shop to go into a photo booth, where we took a bunch of photos. After
that we headed to a mall where there was a café. We stopped there for coffee,
tea, cakes, and just to escape the heat. We talked for a while, and around 2:00
pm, we headed to the subway station to go to Osaka station. Once there, we
bought our tickets, and just waited for the train to arrive. At 3:00 pm, we got
onto the platforms. Once my train arrived at 3:15 pm, I hugged everyone and
thanked them profusely for everything. I then got on the train and was off. I
arrived at Himeji Station at 4:17 pm, and then departed from the station at 4:35
pm on the train bound for Banshu-Ako. I arrived at Banshu-Ako at 5:06 pm, and
got on the train bound for Osafune at 5:13 pm. And finally I arrived at Osafune
Station at 5:45 pm, where I saw mom waiting for me.
EVERYONE
I exited the station and saw mom waiting. We hugged and then got in the bus and
drove home. Mom and I talked about a bunch of stuff until we got home. At home,
I unpacked everything and gave everyone a hug. We then had a pizza and Coca-Cola
for dinner. After dinner, I gave everyone the souvenirs I got from Osaka, and
showed them the photos and videos I took. Everyone had quite a lot to say, so we
stayed up for a while talking.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 97 °F (ca. 36.11 °C) and the low was 77 °F (ca. 25 °C).
September 16, 2025 -
Journal Post - Fixing the dog house, finishing the weeding, and a load of
mushroom substrate
This morning we were back to work. Dad and I headed out, and soon after, mom
came out. Mom and I headed to the farm, but I only went to bring back 20 metal
arches. Once I brought those back, we got to work.
My project for the morning was replacing the floor in the dog house. So I spent
the morning cutting wood boards and screwing them in. While I did that, dad
weeded the upper area.
Once mom came back from the farm, she began to cook lunch. At the farm she put
in some cabbage seedlings, did some weeding, and gave Lael's friend's family
some bitter melon.
Once lunch was ready, dad and I headed in. By lunch, dad had finished weeding
the upper area, and I cut all the wood boards down to size and screwed a few of
them in.
After lunch, mom got a call saying that the mushroom substrate would be
delivered, and right after I went out, the truck drove up. It took the driver a
while to maneuver the truck into the right position to dump the substrate, but
he did it eventually. Once it was dumped, mom paid the driver and then he drove
off.
For a while, dad and I worked on the substrate. Once we had the first layer of
it in the storage building, dad used the rototiller to mix it in. While he was
using the rototiller, I worked on consolidating the pile and getting it off the
road. Once dad was done with the rototiller, we loaded up the storage building
with manure and chicken droppings. I brought the bags over, and dad dumped it.
Once that was done, we headed in for a timeout.
After the timeout, we all headed out.
Dad used the rototiller in the building and parts of the garden, mom worked on
her seedlings, the kids played in the yard, and I worked on finishing the floor
of the dog house. Once mom was done with the seedlings, she and the kids headed
in. When I finished fixing the dog house, I helped dad with the substrate.
Because it was the late afternoon, it was a lot cooler, so we wanted to move as
much of the pile as possible. So while dad waited in the upper area, I pushed
wheelbarrows full of substrate to the road along the upper area and dumped the
substrate in the upper area.
While we were working, Mr Kuyama drove up and offered us his rototiller to use
in the storage building. Dad gladly accepted, and within a few minutes, he
brought it over.
We worked until 5:00 pm, and before we went in, we covered the substrate with a
tarp just in case it rained.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 101 °F (ca. 38.33 °C) and the low was 79 °F (ca. 26.11
°C).
September 17, 2025 -
Journal Post - Last load of dirt (for now), and working on the substrate
First thing this morning, we all got in the truck and headed to the beach house.
At the beach house, the first thing we did was reinforce the wall with more
metal poles. Around 9:00 am, the truck driver came and dumped the first load.
Once it was dumped, the driver went off to get another load. It didn't take long
for dad and I to rake the pile smooth and to pack it in with the truck. When we
were done working on the first load, we decided to go for a walk. Dad wanted to
check out some of the piers nearby to see if they were good for fishing. While
we were walking, we unknowingly walked by the house of the couple who always
talks to us. We saw the husband outside and chatted to him for a bit before
continuing our walk. We made it to the end of one of the piers, and then headed
back to the beach shack because the dirt was about to be delivered.
Once we got back to the beach shack, before the next load was delivered, the
couple came over and talked to us. We talked for a while before they headed off
to the beach.
Once the second load was delivered, the driver came out to talk with us for a
little bit, and mom even got his phone number. Once he drove off, dad and I
smoothed out the dirt and packed it in with the truck. While dad was using the
truck to pack in the dirt, he drove the truck a bit too far forward. He drove
into the wood wall, pushing it forward and creating a bit of a hole in the dirt.
Luckily, the truck didn't go over the wall. Once dad was done packing in the
dirt, I filled the hole, and dad semi-repaired the wall.
We then drove home, but then got back in the truck to fill it up with fuel and
go shopping for lunch and groceries.
With these last two loads, the parking area—for now—is done! We will however get
more loads of dirt once the concrete wall is finished.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I got to work on the substrate. The first thing we did was
start up the rototiller Mr Kuyama gave us. While dad rototilled the building, I
used the wheelbarrow to move the mushroom substrate into the upper area of the
yard. Once dad was done with the rototiller, I used it for a bit while dad raked
out the piles I had dumped in the upper area. Once I was done with the
rototiller, we took it out of the building and I cleaned up the tines. While I
was cleaning it, dad worked on moving the substrate with the wheelbarrow.
Once the rototiller was clean, we worked together on the pile of substrate. For
a while, dad loaded up the wheelbarrow for me, but eventually he went up to the
upper area and continued to rake out the piles I dumped. We did this until 5:00
pm. Before we headed in, we made sure to cover the substrate with a sheet, just
in case it rained.
Before we headed in, Mr Kuyama came over to pick up the rototiller.
And that was it for this very productive day.
I don't know how this happened, but I do not have the temperatures for today.
September 18, 2025 -
Journal Post - Finishing the mushroom substrate and cleaning the road
This morning was all about working on the mushroom substrate. Dad and I spent
the morning moving, raking, and piling all the substrate. First, we worked on
moving a bunch of it to the upper area. It began to rain, so we had to really
quickly cover the substrate with the sheet and take a break. Once the rain let
up, we got back to work. While I consolidated the pile, dad took buckets full
and dumped them near the banana trees.
Mom went to the farm this morning. At the farm, she did some weeding and picked
more bitter melon. She had to come back sooner than she had planned due to the
rain.
After dad was done with the banana trees, I moved the rest of the pile to the
upper area. Once it was all moved, dad and I worked on cleaning up the road,
driveway, and storage building, which were all sprinkled with or covered in
mushroom substrate.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, dad headed out, and around 3:00 pm, so did mom. Dad spent the
entire afternoon spraying the road and the driveway.
Mom worked on her seedlings. She planted some cabbage and napa cabbage.
By the end of the day, mom had a bunch more seeds planted, and dad had made the
street practically shine with how clean it was.
The high for today was 95 °F (ca. 25 °C) and the low was 73 °F (ca. 22.78 °C).
September 19, 2025 -
Journal Post - Taking out the bitter melon, working in the yard, and...going
out...with a girl?!
This morning, dad headed out, while I paced nervously in my room, getting ready
to go out with Mr Takahara's assistant. By going out, I mean just as friends,
just for fun.
Anyway, before she came, dad had managed to take out nearly all the bitter
melon. Which meant picking it, and pulling out the vines.
Then around 11:00 am, she came and picked me up, and we headed off.
In the morning, dad took out all the bitter melons, and the poles holding them
up. While he was doing so, he got hurt pretty badly. One of the poles was stuck
in the dirt and in the eaves of the garage, and when he tried to pull it out, it
snapped and one of the pieces hit him hard in the forehead. Mom checked it, and
luckily no skin was broken.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, the first thing dad did was get all the mushroom substrate spread
out in the upper area. Then, dad cut the poles used to hold up the seedling area
to an appropriate height, and finally, he filled up the two raised beds he made
with dirt.
Around 5:30 pm, I came home.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 90 °F (ca. 32.22 °C) and the low was 72 °F (ca. 22.22
°C).
September 20, 2025 -
Journal Post - Propagating and cleaning the front
This morning, dad headed out and mom came out soon after. I stayed to study. Dad
stayed home and worked on cleaning the area outside in front of the living room,
while mom headed to the farm.
At the farm, mom weeded and planted some lettuce seedlings into the open areas
in the bed.
Dad spent the morning cleaning the front area, which meant moving the large pots
and sweeping. He also did a little work on the habitat, and moved the turtle
"tank".
Once mom came back, she harvested some crops with dad, and then cooked lunch,
and once it was ready, dad came in.
Dad spent basically the rest of the day propagating the Crepe Myrtle that was
growing in our yard.
And that was pretty much it for today.
The high for today was 92 °F (ca. 33.33 °C) and the low was 72 °F (ca. 22.22
°C).
September 21, 2025 -
Journal Post - Putting in the vines, working on the storage building, and
making the front look...better
This morning only mom and dad went out to work.
They spent most of the morning planting the grape and kiwi vines into the
storage building. Once that was done, mom headed in. Dad stayed out and began to
move some of the cycad trees around the parking area to make it look better.
While he was working, Mrs Irie came over and chatted to mom and dad for a while,
and gave us some food.
Soon after she left, a man came to see how many people were living in the house
for a census.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, dad headed back out.
He spent the afternoon moving all the pots to the storage building, making some
seedling shelves for himself, and working on the parking by adding more cycad
trees.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 94 °F (ca. 34.44 ° C) and the low was 68 °F (ca. 20 °C).
September 22, 2025 -
Journal Post - More work around the building
This morning, dad headed out, and mom came out soon after to go to the farm.
Dad spent most of the morning working on taking all the mushroom substrate out
from under the orange tree.
At the farm, mom did some weeding, and trimmed the bitter melon vines.
Dad also did some rototilling the building to loosen up the dirt.
Once mom came back from the farm, she cooked lunch, and that was it for the
morning.
After lunch, before dad went out, he took the window shades off from the window
on the landing on the second floor. When he went out, I took off the window
shades in my room.
Once I did that, mom headed out. Mom spent her time outside sifting soil for her
pots, and when she finished, she came in.
Dad spent the afternoon making a path in the storage building through the dirt,
and taking off the window shades from all the windows.
And that was it for today.
I do not have the temperatures for today
September 23, 2025 -
Journal Post - A day off
Today we all spent the day in. Even dad didn't go out, it was just a nice day in
the house.
I do not have the temperatures for today.
September 24, 2025 -
Journal Post - A lot of weeding
This morning, dad and I headed out. The project for the morning was weeding the
other yard.
Dad first weed whacked an area to make a burn pile. Once he was done with that,
he got a pile going, and then went back to weeding. I put all the stuff we threw
from our yard into the other yard onto the burn pile. Once I was done with
putting all that on, I raked wherever dad weed whacked, and threw the weeds onto
the burn pile.
While we were working, Mr Kuyama (the car mechanic's dad) came over and gave us
some jumbo garlic!
Around 10:45 am, dad and I headed in for a timeout, and then after that, Lael
came out, and mom took Ethan to the dentist and then shopping.
Once they came home, it was lunchtime. By then, dad and I had finished weeding
and raking most of the other yard.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I went back out. The first thing we did was finish weeding
the other yard.
Once that was done, we went and weeded and cleaned the road above our property.
Then dad went to weed whack the corner (the corner being the area off the side
of the main road), and I stayed behind and raked up all the weeds on the road.
When I was done with that, I went and began to rake up all the weeds dad had
whacked in the corner.
We spent the rest of the afternoon working on the corner.
While we were working, mom and the kids came out. Mom did some work on her
seedlings, and had a long conversation with Mrs Budo.
Around 5:00 pm—after we had a little talk with Mrs Budo—dad and I headed in.
The high for today was 86 °F (30 °C) and the low was 71 °F (26.67 °C).
September 25, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work in the garage
Much to our disappointment, when we woke up today, it was raining. Which means
all the weeds we cut the previous day were now all wet and soggy.
If the rain were to let up by the time we finished breakfast, we would still try
and work on the weeds. But the rain persisted, pretty much through the entire
day. So dad headed out and into the garage, and I stayed in.
In the morning, dad hammered in all the bent nail heads on the second floor,
vacuumed the second floor, set up some of the workout mats, and even got some of
his weight equipment set up. After lunch, dad continued vacuuming and setting up
the weight equipment.
And that was it for today.
The high for today was 80 °F (ca. 26.67 °C) and the low was 72 °F (ca. 22.22
°C).
September 26, 2025 -
Journal Post - Work in the corner
This morning dad and I headed out. The main goal for today was to finish, or
come close to finishing, the corner.
The first thing we did was start a burn pile, which went surprisingly well
despite how wet everything was.
Once we got the burn pile going, dad worked on putting the piles of weeds on it,
while I worked on cutting some trees and tree stumps.
Once I was done with the trees in the corner, I started working on the persimmon
tree on Mrs Budo's land. By work on, I mean take all the vines off, not cut the
tree down.
So I spent the rest of the morning working on the persimmon tree, and dad spent
the morning doing a detailed rake of the entire corner.
And that was it for lunch.
After lunch, we headed back out. I continued working on the persimmon tree, and
dad continued raking the corner.
Eventually dad and I began to work on the section where the property line of the
corner and Mrs Budo's land met. I worked on cleaning the driveway, which meant
taking out tons of dirt and weeds, while dad worked on cutting and pulling vines
off the wall and old storage building. That's basically all we did for the rest
of the day.
While we were working, Mrs Budo came over and thanked us for cleaning up her
land, and also gave us some grapes and popsicles for our work. We thanked her,
and then headed in for a timeout.
We then came back out, and kept working until about 5:00 pm, and then headed in
for the day.
And that was it for this productive, but very tiring day.
The high for today was 92 °F (ca. 33.33 °C) and the low was 67 °F (ca. 19.44
°C).
September 27, 2025 -
Journal Post - Almost finishing the corner with rakes and an excavator
This morning dad and I headed out. The main goal for today was to hopefully
finish the corner.
While dad worked on getting the pile going, I worked on doing a detailed raking
at the farm end of the corner.
While we were working, mom headed to the farm. At the farm, mom moved some of
the napa cabbage into a different bed, pulled out a few more bitter melon vines,
trimmed the sweet potato vines, and did some weeding.
Once mom came back, dad and I headed in to take a timeout. After the timeout,
mom headed out to go shopping and to mail something out, and dad and I went back
to work on the corner.
We spent the rest of the morning working on the vines near the property line.
Once mom came back, we headed in for lunch.
After lunch, we headed back out.
The first thing we did was decide what to do with all the roof tiles and rocks
on the property. We decided to just make a pile of them next to each other. So
while dad used the weed whacker to cut the vines in one section of the property,
I began to rake up the rocks and roof tiles.
While we were working, Mr Hamada came up and talked to dad for a bit, and then
talked to mom, who was outside working on her seedlings.
Around 4:00 pm, Mr Kuyama pulled up. He saw us raking the roof tiles, and asked
if we'd want him to make a hole and dump all the roof tiles into the hole. Dad
and I discussed it for a second, and then agreed. So Mr Kuyama went back to his
yard, and within 10 minutes, he was rumbling down the road in his "mini"
excavator. The first thing he did was make a huge hole. Once the hole was made,
he spent the rest of the time digging up and pushing rocks, roof tiles, and
trash into the hole. While driving over a particularly bumpy section, the tread
slipped off the gear, so Mr Hamada, dad, and I used our hands and crow bar to
slip the tread back onto the gear. While we were doing this, Mr Irie showed up.
Around 5:00 pm, Mr Kuyama had to head home. So he left his excavator at the
corner and said he'd come back tomorrow.
The rest of us talked for a bit, and Mr Irie asked if we'd want some seedlings.
So dad went to call mom and asked if she wanted some of the seedlings. Mom
looked and said she would like a few cabbage and broccoli seedlings when they
were ready. Eventually, Mr Irie drove back home. Mr Hamada stayed and talked for
a little more, and then also headed home.
And that was it for this crazy day.
The high for today was 86 °F (ca. 30 °C) and the low was 63 °F (ca. 17.22 °C).
September 28, 2025 -
Journal Post - Finishing the corner and some work on the roof tiles
This morning, dad and I got out super early to work on the corner.
We spent the entire morning raking and piling dirt, rocks, and trash.
Around 11:00 am, Mr Kuyama pulled up and continued the work with his excavator.
First, he leveled out the lower area of the corner, then he finished moving all
the roof tiles and rocks, and finally he filled in the hole and packed it in.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I headed into the other yard. While dad did a super
detailed raking, I worked on dumping the piles of dirt and trash onto the pile
of roof tiles. We also started to pull out some of the roof tiles from the mound
of roof tiles.
We kept working until 4:00 pm, by then a storm had rolled in, and it had begun
to rain.
And that was it for today.
I do not have the temperatures for today.
September 29, 2025 -
Journal Post - Working on the roof tiles
Before we started work on the roof tiles in the other yard, we briefly headed
over to the corner to do a light raking and to put the last bit of trash into a
pile.
Once we were done with that, we headed into the other yard.
First, dad got the pile going in the other yard. Then we worked on the roof
tiles the entire morning. Dad raked them out, and I threw them onto the pile.
Mom and the kids came out in the morning, Mom worked on her seedlings, and the
kids played together.
And that was it for the morning.
After lunch, dad and I headed back out. I headed in the other yard, while dad
quickly rototilled parts of the garden to dry out the soil a little.
Dad and I spent the afternoon doing what we did in the morning. Dad raked out
the roof tiles, while I transported them to the pile.
While we were working, Mr Takahara came over and talked to us for a while.
Dad and I finished up working around 4:30 pm, and we headed in for the day.
The high for today was 86 °F (ca. 30 °C) and the low 63 °F (ca. 17.22 °C).
September 30, 2025 -
Journal Post - A lot of work in the other yard
This morning, dad and I immediately headed into the other yard. Before we could
move more roof tiles, we had some other stuff to do.
Mom came out soon after us and headed to the farm. At the farm, mom pulled out
some more bitter melon, took the net off one bed, did some weeding, and moved
some plants around.
In the other yard, I spent basically the entire morning moving and positioning
large rocks. Dad helped with the larger ones, but he primarily spent the morning
doing a detailed raking in the yard.
Once mom came back and finished making lunch, we headed in, and that was it for
the morning.
After lunch, dad and I headed back out. We spent a good amount of time trying to
pull a few large rocks out of the ground.
While we were working, Mr Kuyama came over on his bike to talk to us and Mr
Takahara came out of his workshop to talk too. We talked about what we were
doing in the yard and our plans. Mr Kuyama asked about the roof tiles and bamboo
stumps and what we would do with them. We said we would take out the roof tiles
and cut the stumps to soil level. He knew how difficult this would be, so he
offered us his excavator. When he first said it, we thought he would dig them
up, but he told us he would let us use it. We were very surprised, but after dad
and I discussed it, we anxiously agreed. So Mr Kuyama went to grease up and fill
his excavator with gas, and within fifteen minutes, his excavator was rumbling
down the road. Once he parked it, he got out and began showing me how to use it.
Once I got an understanding of the controls, I got on and tried it. It is
definitely not easy. After making sure we knew what to do, Mr Kuyama left, and
we thanked him profusely.
Before we did any work—per dad's request—we sat in the excavator and took
pictures. Then dad got on and tried it out. Dad operated it for a while, but
eventually let me do it. I then spent the rest of the afternoon operating the
excavator. It took a while, but I eventually began to get the hang of it.
All I did was pull out the roof tiles and bamboo stumps and then piled them.
While I did that, dad worked on taking out the roof tiles around the big tree,
and also tried to get the burn pile going.
We kept working until about 5:30 pm, and then headed in after this crazy day.
The high for today was 88 °F (ca. 31.11 °C) and the low was 63 °F (ca. 17.22
°C). |
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