Shikanoshima - Sept. 5

Today's "GO SOMEWHERE" is Shikanoshima Island in Fukuoka Bay, seen on the left on the map below.  The reason this place is famous is that it is where a seal that has been designated as a National Treasure was found.  Behold the seal below.

Here we are at the harbor.

Here is the boat that we will be taking.

In the boat.  There were not many riding in this aquatic taxi, and we were wondering how it manages to keep afloat financially.

We have arrived at the fishing village.

We disembark, and what do we see but FISHING!! 

We just happen upon a group pulling in a net of fish!

The amateurs are getting instructions from the experienced fishermen.

Looks like they got a lot of seaweed, too!

OK, pick up those flippity fish and put them in the box.

This is a baby datsu.  These have been known to attack divers when they get bigger.

Today's catch - That little octopus is determined to get back into the water.

Now on to the main attraction, the site where the famous seal was found.

Above and below are souvenir sweets modeled after the seal, bean jam confections and sweet crackers.

This fruit had fallen from a tree near a bus stop.  I tried one and at first it was delicious, but then the stubborn aftertaste hit...   BLECCCCCCCHHHHH!

Did I say the aftertaste was stubborn??

Here is a topographical map of the area, with Shikanoshima Island in the center.

There were some surfers on the beach.  They were all kicking sand on the undersides of their boards.  There must be some logical reason for this, but I am not sure what it is.

They would all take short rides parallel to the shore.

Hubby wanted to go and check out the little shrine on the left until we got close enough to discover that we should have brought our bathing suits.

This is supposedly near the site where the golden seal was discovered.

This sign explains how the seal was used on important packages and papers.

Here is the local police box.  It seems that the family also lives here.

Our next stop

The shrine entrance is just down the street from the police box.  Walk straight for about 10 minutes.

We finally reach the shrine entrance.  Let's go up the stairs.

Look left to see a smaller shine on the way.

Up some more stairs and then a few more...

I guess that this little bridge over the empty pond must only be decorative.

Here is the main building, and a close-up of the altar shows a mirror, a symbol of the sun goddess.

Here are some more smaller shrines behind the main shrine.  Notice that the building to the left is damaged.  There was a large earthquake here a few years ago, and not all of the repairs have been made yet.  This shrine is a bit strapped for funds and was requesting contributions.

Here is a building containing deer horns, supposedly 10,000.  I didn't count them.

Our boat approaches for the return trip to Fukuoka.

from August 29

Today's "GO SOMEWHERE" is to the town of Kurume, the Ishibashi Art Museum.  Fortunately or unfortunately, all of the good pictures have been temporarily sent to the town of Miyazaki in an exchange program, so we get to see the pictures from the Miyazaki museum and will have to go again to see the pictures in the Kurume museum.  We will have to go the the Kurume museum again, but we won't have to go to the Miyazaki museum, which is not so easily gotten to.

This is a scene in Kurume Station - Sushi rolls!

A Kurume manhole.  Kurume is apparently famous for its woven fabrics.

It just happened to be election time, and here is Hubby with a poster for one of his acquaintences, Kunio Hatoyama, brother of the present Prime minister.

Now this was something different!  A name stamp (inkan) store had borrowed Mr. Obama's picture and made it to read, "Yes, Inkan!"

At the entrance to the Ishibashi Museum of Art in Kurume.

The museum in the background with scenery in the foreground.

Some flowers on the museum grounds

Some children had done some artwork of their own inside the museum and pasted it all on a window.

Back from Kagoshima-Miyazaki.  Visited with MIL and took her a few things that she needed.  The trip to Miyazaki was a bit of a luxury, but if we don't do it now, who knows when we could ever go?  There is a small town called Obi in Miyazaki Prefecture where hubby spent a year as a child, and he has always talked about wanting to go back and take a look at the old neighborhood.  We tried to find his old house, but considering fifty years have passed all we could do was to approximate possible locations.  We did find the old bank building where his father worked and the nearby church.  Hubby has always bragged that his school was on the former Obi Castle grounds,  and indeed it was. 

Gotta work on Pastor Nishida's sermons.

Luke 7

The Pharisees had no doubt about who Jesus claimed to be, because the understood that He claimed to be God.  Why didn't Jesus give John a direct answer other than "I am doing what the Old Testament prophesies"?  John had the evidence, and had to decide for himself, just as we all must decide.  Just as John was unable to ask directly, we also are unable to go directly to Jesus with questions about Who He Is.  But the ability to ask directly is not really the issue.  The issue is that we have the record.  We have seen Jesus exercising power over demons in the spiritual world, over nature in the physical world, forgiving sins and healing sickness, and raising people from the dead.  He did what Isaiah prophesied that He would do.  We must take care that we are not expecting a different kind of Messiah or Savior from what Jesus really is.  The more I dwell on my own expectations rather than reality, the easier it is to fall away.

Gotta Get a Life!!

Increased my yard space and added some trees.