Well, it’s time to say goodbye to Christopher.  It’s been a great two months and we’ll see each other in Seattle/Ashland for Thanksgiving.  So, here are a few memories of our last couple of days here in Iwakuni.

Yesterday we walked past some beautiful homes

and past the local pachinko parlor

to our local sake brewery.

It’s very old and they have a great display of sake containers.

and this cool wood carving

 

where we bought a couple of bottles of sake.  (Stay tuned Buckhorn!)

On the way home we bought some vegees at our little market

and then back over our little bridge

to our house where we dropped off the sake and vegges and hopped in the car and drove north to Otake to Chris’ favorite bike shop.

where he bought a new bike trainer to help him get through the cold winter months.

Then home to my last wonderful Japanese dinner with Chris.  (vegees from the little market and sake from the local brewery)  Great sake in our beautiful sake cups.

This morning we went for another walk along the other side of the river where we saw little plants and bonsai trees growing on the bulkhead

and boats rafted up with bamboo moorings.

Then there are all the vegetable gardens along the banks of the river.

And rice nearly ready for harvest.

At this park

we turned around but not before appreciating this little shrine.

This time we crossed the river and decided to check out a temple we’d never explored.  As always it was high atop a hill.

Check out the close up of this stone carving.

Beside the temple were many very small shrines.

Bruce, we thought you’d appreciate this construction.

In the back of the temple was a row of stone carvings.

This one’s for you, Yvonne.

Not sure of the Japanese significance of this one.

On our walk home

Chris discovered this little Austin Cooper.

So now it’s time to say Sayonara.  Until we meet again.