I don’t have a lot new to report about our current events for the trip to Europe.  My new passport arrived finally which takes a real load off.  We are getting the clothes we need and finding luggage that will fit in the new restrictions for travel now.  It’s a far cry from the days of seventy plus pound bags we could bring to Africa back in the day.  Here is a matter for prayer on this current trip.  We are limited to one fifty pound bag…for three weeks in Europe that’s not much really and as we’ve checked it’s the same for Africa now.  Ghana had some of the strangest food I’ve ever tried.  It can be a challenge to manage with the limitations there are today.  I would appreciate prayers on this.  We did here from the pastor in Ireland and he sounds really great, I can’t wait to see him and African Joe…it won’t be long now!

I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish my series on Japan before we leave to Europe but I’ll keep plugging away.  I really enjoyed the pictures on the disk I copied today so let’s have a look shall we?  Japan’s love of all things floral shows everywhere and we were taking pictures all along any path we walked.  One day we walked to where my mother in law was working for fun and Gabby was in rare form keeping us entertained.  She had found her tongue and so we practiced raspberries for fun.  Hearing her laugh is still music to my ears.  Our kids hit it off really well with the neighborhood kids though they didn’t speak each other’s languages…smiles are universal.  Halloween had come along and though Japan didn’t really have a reason to celebrate such a holiday it had fallen into fashion at this point.  Hitomi and her children are here with Danielle and Mike…she was right next door to us.  One of my favorite places in all the world is surely Kyoto.  It was a very long drive with our friends but it was worth it.  I lost one of my contacts during the trip but saw all I could through the eye of the camera lens.  Such peace resonates here.  There are shrineswhich draw people to say a quick prayer for luck…many students seemed to be in need of something.  Gabby always drew people’s attentionand this opened up further photo opportunities.  The students wanted to see my pictures so I gave them a look.  Kazu who did the driving found his name on this panelalong our beautiful walk.  Tell me…does this say Japan to you?  Mysterious paths were everywhere.  Ancient and beautiful things were presenting themselves wherever we looked.  Law requires that the original style of home is still built here which kept it feeling like we were somewhere thousands of years old just as it used to be.  It is unusual to see statues to other gods if you’ve not traveled much.  I just love the architectureand didn’t get tired of feeling like I was so privileged to be here at all.  It was like a dreamI didn’t want to wake from.  Kazu and Anna were the best traveling companions everand the kids never once made us wish we could go homein fact it’s because of them I’m so thrilled about Europe.  Driving all night and exploring all day would normally have finished me off but I didn’t even feel it because the wonder that surrounded us.  Someday I want to go here for the cherry blossom season…even if it’s crowded.  I could handle a house like this!  Lovely can read more and more Japanese, it’s a beautiful language to hear and to see.  Me and the kids again.  Gabby had a wonderful attitude.  The narrow streets of Kyoto.  We met some young people visiting from Hokkaido so of course we took some pictures , they were really nice.  I don’t know if this is modern or ancient art.  This looks like a scene from a few hundred years ago.  Kyoto is filled with many little shops that seem more than a little whimsical.  We stopped to have something hot to drink and Gabby again managed to be the life of the party.  There were many good luck charms to be found and beautiful dolls.  Kazu graciously told us about everything we asked about.  So, what’s on the menu?  Danie takes a little breather while we wait for breakfast…it was like nothing I’d ever eaten or drunk before but I enjoyed this experience too.  This is for you cat lovers out there.  Aren’t these cool?  Word has it that if you stumble here you get terribly bad luck…no Kazu and I weren’t really stumblingLOL!  The streets were narrow though.  Anyone for a green tea or sweet rice ice cream cone ?  Back to the temples.  All of which take the breath awayespecially if you’re a tiny little girl on your first trip abroad.

I still can’t get over how blessed I am to have it be summer at last .  It has been one of the coldest winters I can ever remember and just being able to go out and watch the sun set is a real treat to us .  I don’t know how long it will be nice this year before the cold hammer falls again but I’m going to enjoy all I can for now….not one complaint about it being hot …not from me!  This is the dry season here normally but I never know if that will hold true one year from the next .  Storms pass by but don’t do much these days and so what should I do but take advantage of the wonderful light this leaves us with in the evenings ?  Why take multitudes of pictures of course !  The prairie behind our house seems to be really thriving right now with wild flowers and weeds being very green for this time of year .  Gabby loves to go and blow on the puff palls out there .  The lilies in our front yard are doing quite well and for once haven’t been eaten by the antelope…surprise surprise!

I have a few shots left to share from our camping trip so I’ll get right to it.  Our cabin was located near window rock…obvious to see why they call it that don’t you think ?  Near this cliff we had another wonderful walk in the mountains .  It was about two miles to hike into Grotto falls.  Along the trail window rock showed itself more than once .  We are known as the Big Sky country and up here the amazing blue of the sky is all the more evident .  I wasn’t sure how well Gabby would hold up for such a long hike..we were prepared to only go part way but she not only kept pace but led the pack with her sister .  The day wore on and the cool temperatures faded like the fog and it actually got quite warm .  I like this particular mountain range in the Galatin because I’m always reminded of the Yellowstone Park area that has so many good memories for me .  This trail could be so shrouded in trees that you couldn’t see much but the forest then it would open up to one spectacular view after another.  The kids never griped but thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the hike .  I like the interesting rock on the cliffs and the deadwood that also was never the same twice .  The trail winds on and always there’s something to see .  Finally we came to an opening where there were hundreds of pack rats to see…are they cute or what ?  Joining the excitement were many chipmunks .  Over the years hikers had built various sculptures of piled rock..some more unique then others but all of them were really cool .  Finally we came to the falls .  Mike felt that we’d really accomplished something !  These falls weren’t as tall as Palisade Falls but it was very vigorous and beautiful .  Finally it was time to head back to the car.  It’s the same trail but the different direction made everything look new all over again .  Look at the pac man cloud .  I saw this flower and entitled it “lonely” in my photo album…lonely it might be but it is beautiful still .  This was my favorite trail of the camping trip .  Lovely and I were falling behind taking pictures so a bit past this stump we took a well trodden short cut and got back much earlier then the kids and mom and dad.  These little daisies were near the beginning of the trail …I’ve seen daisies before but the wild ones are particularly special somehow .  An all time classic wildflower is of course Indian Paintbrush .  I hadn’t seen much of it where i could get to it on this trip but dad found this one so I got to make it the star of my little photo shoot on the last day of our trip.  Small wonder it’s a state flower in Wyoming.  It’s also called prairie fire in some places and that seems fitting.  It was a great trip and hopefully the first of many time come.  I hope you enjoyed the journey.  God bless.

We are finally back from our four day stay in the Hayalite basin in the Galatin National Forest area.  I’ve not been there since I was a kid about my ten year old son’s age.  Let me just say that it has not lost any of it’s beauty .  My dad found out that there are cabins that is used by the forest rangers that can be rented.  They are sometimes fairly rustic, this one had only a wood burning stove and no running water but the view right outside our door couldn’t be beaten ,  You can close the gate and then have so much of this wonderful area completely to yourself .  I was just glad to have a decent roof over our heads and then be able to walk a few feet and see things like this .  I am a detail man when it comes to nature so of course I noticed the little things like the awesome smell of pine and the finer things right under our feet .  We had a babbling brook right near the cabin that was from the snow melt…trust me when I say washing up here will wake you right up !  Each day we would look down the road that brought us here and wondered what adventure would await just around the bend .  There were trails everywhere to explore and each one held incredible beauty that evidences the Master's creativity .  I always remember my grandpa’s fascination with wildflowers…this has taken me and swept me away.  The kids didn’t have any computers or anything electronic (except my daughter’s i-Pod) but they didn’t care one bit .  It’s hard to think of such things when you can see this !  We enjoyed the bridge we had to cross to get to the cabin and visited it daily.  The first day we noticed that we had two visitors that were watching us curiously next to the water gauge measuring the stream’s ups and downs.  This was the first time I can ever remember the fire danger actually being low…it rained a lot and the storms were spectacular.  We witnessed actual lightning strikes but it only raised puffs of steam in the very wet conditions.  The rain has allowed many mushroom to thrive and the wild flowers were like nature’s own fireworks everywhere we looked  .  I had almost forgotten the wonderful smell of pine and the wide variety of spectacular trees there are here in Montana .  I guess it’s really true that the hills are alive with the sound of music !  If this green doesn’t strike a chord in your heart I don’t know what will !  There were some mosquitoes but really mostly the bugs we saw were interested in the same flowers we were !  The kids got to play with snake grass…this is an old tradition every kid should know about !  August might dry up the streams we were enjoying but for now they are flourishing .  Evenings often had terrific thunder storms and then in the morning you could watch the mist rise as things attempted to dry off some .  Once the rain stopped the promise of a new day beckoned .  I have to wonder if the greens of Ireland and Scotland will be more than this …not the rainbow…right near our front porch!  Having a cabin helped let us see the beauty in a way that sleeping in a tent would never allow .  I used to hate having only a tent to retreat to during a storm…the cabin changed all that .  Now when the weather got soggy we’d retreat to a warm refuge with a wood burning stove and lanterns to play games and laugh the day away and then venture out to see what artwork God had left for us to witness .  There was always something that captured our eye and filled us with wonder .  Sometimes it was “that” tree or the moon rising in just such a way or a magnificent peak that was giving glory to God with it’s snow capped peak .  I was surprised to see snow still there on these mountains and after some storms there would be a new skiff of snow .  The moon often could be found shinning brightly even during the day .  I never knew what this shack was really for near the bridge but no matter it still looked beautiful when the sun melted off the morning dew .  We actually did manage to have some nice camp fires though it sometimes took a bit for the wood to dry and actually burn .  I’m actually a texture man when it comes to photos…I like different looking textures that grab me though I’m not adverse to taking that classic shot either .  I like the moss that made some trees or rocks look like they had a green beard much like Tree Beard in “The Lord of the Rings” and I love the damaged bark on the trees that could be found because even that seemed to be the work of God’s creative hand .  Mushrooms could be tiny and still hold my interest .  Some were interesting for their unique shapes while others were beautiful for their uniformity and sheer numbers .  Walk with me my dear friends…what mystery will we see next ?  Will it be a white tailed deer in a thicket ?  Perhaps a fog encrusted peak with the sun making an angelic glow ?  Do we ever get tired of seeing these works of God ?  I don’t think so !  Each wildflower is unique and each angle of even the same object holds new wonder in it’s own right .

One day we hiked into Palisade Falls .  The basalt cliffs has lost none of their majesty and I was so grateful to God to be able to share this view with my family and now with you .  Each angle again held a new breathtaking excitement and I wouldn’t think of not sharing this with you !  The height of the falls allowed a person to turn around and also witness another amazing view and rockslides made for unique backdrops which had tenacious trees not just hanging on but thriving .  Can you imagine what the view must be on top ?  It was a trip that got us all rained on so we returned again another day and were not disappointed .  I actually climbed up to a shallow cave and took some pictures through the opening though it was hard to view the falls from in here, I still liked the shot and once I left the cave I got a shot of the top of the falls . 

We just can’t get enough of the mushrooms .  Some were actually brown while others looked like a sesame seed bun for a hamburger .  Walking the trail you can see mysterious thickets that pictures can’t seem to do justice to.  I can’t even describe the mysterious light that the fog could bring  or the incredible light a blazing blue sky could cause to make everything different yet again but whatever the lighting brought I was most glad to have my family along there with me .  We even found some wild roses that were blooming !  Remember I’m a texture man?  I like textures like this and I like textures in the variety of pine we had to see .

Our second trip had me messing with my camera settings to attempt to capture the beauty in a different way .  I love the angelic effect that was in the water even in the lively stream that cascaded from the falls themselves .  The trees stood as silent guardians of this place and in the midst of it all the falls roared on never silent yet never annoying .  Somehow it all reminded me of Japan…notice this bonsai like tree on the cliff side .  We finally came down from the heights taking pictures here and there as we went .  This mushroom seemed sad to see us go .

We got back to camp and noticed that some bugs have no shame at all .  I’d ask these long horn beetles to get a room but I think this is their room !  Dad caught only one fish worth mentioning…a beautiful cutthroat !  We ate it the same day with potatoes fried with sweet onions…a classic handed down from my grandpa on my dad’s side..oh my was it good!  I will continue the story next week…this is quite big enough for now!  I hope you enjoy the pictures…I love to bring you along!

Well, I know it’s a bit late but I want to say we had a rather bland 4th of July, the weather was really bad so we missed the firework show…well, we saw it from our house but it’s just not the same.  I saw that the violent storm that passed over before the show actually killed someone.  I lightning bolt struck a 27 year old guy and it was right in front of his kids.  The bolt hit him in the forehead in fact the picture in the paper showed his mother holding his baseball cap with the hole.  It was tragic and sad to have that happen.  He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.  I’m an avid storm watcher so it sure made me think…in fact I have some pictures of the storm.  The kids enjoyed lighting their own fireworks during the day .  The firework stand gave us lots of punks so for once we didn’t run out .  Gabby in particular couldn’t get enough of the whole procedure .  I was glad there was a breeze because if you’ve ever smelled smoke balls they…well, they stink !  We also had some parachutes… it’s fun watching the kids try to catch the falling parachute .  Mike had a smoke grenade that Gabby and he traded off and ran around the yard with .  There was also a good deal on firecrackers so we had some fun with that…hey, I had to get involved it says close adult supervision on the package !  Lovely bought some nice festive cupcakes that Gabby tested to make sure they were safe .  Don’t these look nice ?  Lovely added the cherries and put them on a nice plate and then Gabby and the kids dug in .  It was just as we were getting ready to go to the firework show that the storm warning came up .  You just never know how bad the storms around here are going to be .  This one had obvious rotation and there have been some funnels spotted at the airport…notice this swirling circle of clouds …that’s not the sun…that’s just a hole in the middle of the storm…this thing is the one that killed someone..I was glad we didn’t go to the show.  Nature provided quite enough fireworks this year .

Our trip has been coming along with slight changes being made here and there.  We are going to buy the equipment we can’t bring with us and donate that to any church in need.  I feel good about this plan actually.  We will only stop for about an hour in Paris and London but I’m still happy to just set foot there.  London is new to my family…not me but still it’s cool and Paris is new to all of us.  We are quite excited about this whole thing.  We will be at a rented cabin for four days as of Sunday and then just about one month to go before we leave to Europe…hard to believe!  Thank you to those that have prayed…it works!

Now I want to continue with the pictures from Japan…there are many gems here at least to me.  Please enjoy!  These next shots are from Kyoto…a very ancient and beautiful city.  We went with some dear friends we met named Kazu and Anna Takihashi.  They were our guides on this trip several…and I do mean several hours out of Tokyo.  They kindly offered to let us drive with them in their car and Kazu kindly used his company discount for the hotel or we never would have been able to afford such a trip.  This is the bamboo forest that we walked through…such amazing peace and beauty there .  There were many temples and fantastic buildings to see .  The drive was also wonderful though very long…there was much to see .  We never tired of seeing the sights and walked wherever we could taking pictures all the way .  It’s so incredible to see such an ancient culture still thriving to this day .  The buildings in many areas are kept as they were hundreds of years ago because zoning laws require it to be so .  Anna and Lovely got along very well .  We had no trouble hanging out together and seeing the sights .  I lost my contact and couldn’t find it for a whole day but we really prayed and finally found it but what I couldn’t see well I saw through the camera lens anyway and I still loved it .  There were prayer bells hung everywhere that you could ring for luck .  I couldn’t get over the bamboo that was everywhere .  There were shops you could buy really amazing things and temples and shrines around every corner .  There were many quiet paths you could follow and along a stream there was a sight that I felt fit Japan so very well .  I know we’ve got birds like that at home but this to me was just perfect.  I love the language as well, it too seems artistic and beautiful .  I love how you can walk along and never know what will be around the corner .  The Japanese love their tea (and so does Lovely).  We found many bushes picked clean…I wonder just how fresh the tea was we were drinking…after all this was freshly picked .  This picture is actually from our second trip to Kyoto with my mom and our friends …that’s Anna and Kazu in the front…Gabby absolutely loved Kazu and it seemed a very mutual thing.  He remains one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.  Often the crowds are everywhere but we arrived very early in the morning and the second time we went there with my mom it was raining enough to keep the people at bay…I didn’t mind the rain one bit .  This little shrine had a symbol that looked like a swastika to me but it had no relation to that .  Notice the crane on the end of this ancient temple .  There were fortunes you could pick up at certain places but many Japanese wouldn’t touch them because they aren’t always good ones …other times such places had prayers for health or financial gains or good luck with love etc.  These little birds had a nest that I noticed and couldn’t resist taking their picture .  I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a place any more exotic .  The flowers there are all lovingly cared for or are thriving in the wild .  These narrow alleys were very typical in Kyoto .  Detailing was evident even on the roofs of buildings .  There were graveyards everywhere and the atmosphere was always very solemn and peaceful .  Sometimes there were places near shrines that had access to cold, clear water that you could wash your hands with…another good luck symbol others just had fortunes you could take or perhaps requests or donations you could add to prayer boxes .  I love trees anyway but Japan had many that appeared to be large versions of bonsai trees  .  The second trip was very wet indeed but it didn’t dampen Lovely’s spirits one bit  .   Check out this interesting plaque and statue near this temple  .    There were secret gardens everywhere .  Lovely and I love doors too…so we have some pictures of doors…I like this picture in particular .  Here are some dippers at a hand washing area near a shrine .  This is a very ancient temple that we went to see .  I saw things like this along the side of the road often  .  Here’s another shrine…notice the heavy rain .  We walked through these “tori” gates and it was one of the most surreal feelings I’ve ever had  , this really was an amazing thing to walk through .  Gabby loved to meet new friends…she didn’t mind what language they spoke .  This was a sight I saw as we walked along…it remains one of my all time favorite pictures from Japan .  it was fall in Japan then…the weather couldn’t have been more perfect  .  There were stone lanterns everywhere…I would have loved to have walked this at night  .  Note the incense holder  in front of the grave stone .  The countryside was so very beautiful …these were tea crops again…it all reminded me of Switzerland with it’s incredible neatness with the flair of the Orient mixed in.   This place was known as the Golden Pavilion…it’s a wonder to behold as you walk along a forest path then come to a clearing and witness this …I couldn’t get enough of it …they neatly trim the trees and shape them so it’s like a huge bonsai garden.  Here is Kazu walking along the path with Gabbi, she loved to “march” with him , here’s the front view.  Somebody not to mention any names  was making quite the impression on the locals .  How would you like to walk down this path ?   Here’s Kazu and Anna again with Gabby .  Lovely and I were enjoying our trip too …to double your pleasure..divide it with someone !  Gabby was an excellent walking companion.  Fact is she liked to lead the crowd !  It was a place of exquisite beauty and we always wondered what was behind the closed doors what was hidden where we couldn’t see ?  This gentleman was selling mushrooms that he made of tissue paper…he liked Gabby too …it was really her trip…a wonderful first for her and a joy for us to witness such incredible grace.  You can witness traditionally dressed people everywhere and it really adds to the wonder of it all .   Here’s Gabby witnessing the Golden Pavilion …it was a very warm fall day. Note this phoenix on top of the Pavilion .  Kazu was a great guidebut an even better friend .  We left the wonders of Kyoto  and headed back to the city of Tokyo…none of us will ever forget the time we had. 

It has been a huge effort to get things in order for this trip.  The tickets are indeed purchased finally.  We were kind of excited to realize we’ll be landing in France before going on to Dublin.  I’ve never set foot in France and Paris is a great city from all I’ve heard.  The complication has arisen over our music equipment.  The times for huge suitcases has past and the expense of bringing equipment is so enormous that it’s put us in a quandary.  Right now we are trying to decide whether to just leave it or see what other options there could be.  We checked with every possibility and the real problem lies not just here but with the flight between Ireland and Scotland.  We have to take a smaller airline for that flight and every pound over 44 lbs. is five dollars…that adds up in a hurry especially since they made the requirement for their airline 6 lbs. lower then what every other airline is using so you get gouged big time as it is.  44 lbs. for an overseas trip is far lighter then any of us has ever traveled however this is not to a “third world” nation and the hotel we will be at has an iron and hair dryers for the ladies so we don’t have to bring that which helps.  Problem is it can be quite cool and rainy where we’re going and with space already limited there’s little room for extras and certainly not rain coats.  Yes, they say the devil is in the details but we’ve really had the favor of God and I believe that will continue.  It was an utter miracle that we got the tickets already.  God won’t bring us this far to drop us now.  We’ll be heading out on the 21st of August and be gone for three weeks, I’m stoked!

I was rather disgusted with myself because we went out and took some pictures and I’ve been messing with the manual setting on my camera.  I enjoyed going out with Lovely and Gabby to do this but after I looked at the pictures most were pathetically inadequate.  There was the usual flourish of activity by the pond with the red winged blackbirds.  I tried to get a good stylistic shot of this one with his mouth open singing his strange song but he was moving so much it blurred some.  Ah well, here it is anyway .  It’s been so cool with some bouts of rain so the prairie grass is beginning to look some like a vast green ocean.  The fuzzy grass out there is so beautiful in the wind .  There’s some beautiful flowers blooming out there…this is overexposed..ugh, but still an ice flower .  Even the buds are getting ready to explode like fireworks on the 4th of July that’s fast approaching .  The photo shoot ended with a glorious sunset…again I’m not quite happy with these pictures…it just doesn’t do justice to what it looked like in real life: , and lastly .

Now onto Japan!  I’ve been digging through archives and will sort of take you day by day through the photos.  We were so tired when we got to Japan, we had many miles to travel by bus and car still to get to my mother in law’s house but Tokyo is a fascinating city.  We gazed in wonder at it all.  Even the language seemed so exotic and beautiful.  We even took pictures of signs outside the little stores….Lovely couldn’t read it then…doesn’t this sign have personality ?  This was a burger place we visited…they were so amused with us taking pictures of them .  I thought of Bob when I got these shots…only he dresses his dog up like this right…right ?  Nope, there are other strange individuals that do this !  Mike loved petting this little dog and the Japanese seem to love their animals…there’s even wedding chapels for dogs…what next?  Gardens are everywhere, you can be in a very busy section of the city then round the bend to see a wonderful and very well cared for garden.  This plant had what looked like little paper lanterns on it , I know they may well have such plants here but it just seemed to fit there somehow .  This lazy looking Japanese kitty was actually quite mean, the owner warned us that he bites and scratches…who would have guessed ?  My mother in law lives in Kawasaki City a suburb in Tokyo…we all loved how they seemed to be a self contained city within a city.  This was a gardened area next to a graveyard not far from my mother in law’s house .  The children were impossibly cute but I’m not sure what they thought of us and I’m not sure what Gabby was thinking either !  Can you imagine using this writing all the time ?  This was a sign outside a kindergarten.  Little schools were everywhere .  Our kids really got a kick out of watching the children at play, they all had uniforms of course.  This little girl was on her way to school  I think…not yet old enough for a uniform .  This street crossing seems right out of a page of what I had always pictured Japan to be .  I love how there are still little mom and pop stores along the streets .  This is our friend Ate Ester, Gabby had just met her here…she’s actually a Filipino and not Japanese at all .  Wonderful gardens and streams with pathways near them were everywhere .  Fishermen were often beside these streams trying to catch fish .  I hope none of these signs were warning us of anything important .  I found so much peace walking these paths .  I felt at peace and truly happy there .  Tokyo remains one of my all time favorite cities.  Everyone had to go about their hustle and bustle but for me and my family we were enjoying one of the most pleasant trips we had ever been on.