Dear readers, you may be wondering why so many of my recent posts have the same date, even though they are obviously about places and things that happened days apart.
I plead laziness.
After a two-week trip to Japan, I simply don’t want to take the time to figure out where we were when. . .
And for some reason, my Nikon DSLR transfer software dumped about 1,700 photos into one folder instead of separating them by date, though my Canon pocket camera did create a folder per day.
Likely my bad working with Nikon Transfer, but there it is.
So as time allows, I’ll keep adding photos and commentary from the trip, and let the dates fall where they may. . .
A pub in Himeji, Japan. As an editor, I like it. Clear, precise, plain language 
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Himeji Castle, the most magnificent original surviving castle in Japan.
I have had the good fortune to visit it three times since 1985, when my sister and I first saw it.
These shots taken the evening of April 9.
You have not fully experienced Japan until you have ridden the Hello Kitty shinkansen .
April 9, heading to Himeji from Tokyo.
While driving a remote mountain road in Japan’s northern Aomori Prefecture in early April we ran across this group of snow monkeys. I’ll throw in a heron for good measure. . .
Lunch at a roadside scallops and locally grown veggies place in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, a few weeks ago.
Scallops ramen, and an assorted everything scallops basket.
Japan has amazing food. Pride in quality ingredients, great cooking, and wonderful presentation.
A few weeks ago while in Japan we borrowed Yumi’s parents’ car and drove out to the mountains to check out the snow road. I think this was April 6. It did not fail to impress .
Walking the family dogs in the rice fields in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan a couple of weeks ago.
Jun, the little female, was new to the family and a bit uncertain about going for long walks far from her new home, but quickly warmed to the activity.
She got a tad freaked out a couple of times, and needed some reassurance, and Eito, the older dog, wondered why the heck she was getting special treatment.
Walking rain, sleet, snow, or sunshine!
Rewarded with a rainbow
We saw a few of these raptors soaring over the fields and forests. Got this shot at max zoom with my pocket Canon SX730HS.
Streamkeeping, sustainability, community, business, photography, books, and animals, with occasional forays into social commentary. Text and Photos © Paul Cipywnyk