Week 36 - October 8-14, 2013

For the past couple of weeks our black taxi parking lot has been under construction.  Since we arrive in Japan we have enjoyed watching a driver, who rides a bicycle, parks his bicycle in the place of his taxi.  The bike stays put until the drivers day is done.  This picture shows what the lot looked like during the day time when the taxi's were at work (bicycle not visible).

 On October 2nd we noticed that the taxis were gone and the lot had become a construction zone.  The gravel was removed by excavators and dump trucks and was leveled out.

A brick wall was constructed on three sides of the lot. Dirt was brought in and spread over the lot.

Done for the day.

What looked like an office for a construction crew was brought in on a flat bed truck.

With the office in place, wooden stakes were placed around the lot evenly.

Flags were placed on each wooden stake.

The flags livened the lot.

A closer look at the brick wall and the flags that line it.

When we walked over to the flags we realized they were advertising  Kyuken home.  Thank you for the English words to help those of us who do not read kanji.  This must be a construction site for homes.

Watermelons are expensive in Japan.  I decided to try and grow my own.  Pictured is the third little watermelon from my patch after the last typhoon. The plant had been blown around a lot.

This is my patio now after cleanup.  I have a watermelon and a peanut plant that seemed to survive.  I hope the watermelon grows a little bigger.  

On Monday for preparation day Terry and I decided to hike Mt. Kinbo/Kinbo Yama (欽慕山).  It is one of the mountains we see from our patio window.  We are told on a clear day you can see from the Pacific Ocean to Mt. Aso.    The above picture was taken at the beginning of the hiking trail.  

This picture is taken from our balcony of a sun set this past week.  Kinbo has a total elevation gain of 1100 ft. in about a mile from the hiking trailhead.  The total height is 550.9 m (1807 ft.).  Many road bikes were making their way up and down the mountain.  It appears to be the Mt. Diablo of Kumamoto for cyclists.  It is the tallest mountain you see in this picture.

This is a picture of the view from the top of Kinbo Yama. You can see Kumamoto Port on the Shimabara Bay which is part of the Ariake Sea. This sea is between Kumamoto and Nagaski prefecture.  The ferry we take to Shimabara starts from this Port ending at the city of Shimabara.

This is looking toward Kumamoto on the other side of the Mt.  It was not clear so we can not see very far.

There is a Buddist Shrine between the two look out points.

The hike was a fun activity to end our busy week.

Scripture for the week:

8.  And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts: and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing.  For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray: for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

9.  But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint: that ye must not perform anything unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

2 Nephi 32:8-9