Happy Halloween!

Purple Princess Natalie & Pink Princess Amelia visiting a nursing home with their church group.

Storm Trooper Andy meets a "real" one.

Singing for the elderly.

Charmer Princess Amelia . . .

Twins Go Apple Picking!

Received these pictures recently from Lisa's phone (thanks, Lisa!).

Amelia & Natalie -- Can we reach them?


Natalie & Amelia -- Whoa -- this is gonna be easy!

Amelia, with Natalie behind.

Natalie


Amelia

Natalie - Let's go home & make some pies!

New Look for the Blog!

The picture at the top is the famous Kintai Bridge, the 3rd most popular tourist destination in all of Japan, and located right here in Iwakuni! Read more here: http://web-japan.org/atlas/historical/his18.html I took this picture a couple of springtimes ago, when the cherries were blooming. Let me know if you like my new format -- and thanks for reading & your comments!

~ Margie

Train Trip to Hiroshima with Eldon & Nancy

It's Saturday morning & we've come out the North Gate, which goes directly to the back side of the local station. We may get home late, so we can park there all day for only 700 yen. Eldon has an afternoon dental appointment, but we're going to visit Shukkeien Gardens first & have lunch before.

We're crossing one bridge, looking over at the one on Hwy 188, still under construction.

Coming off the bridge, toward town.

Cosmos blooming by the parking lot.

One perfect rose at the train station parking lot.


Eldon & Nancy on the local to Hiroshima.


It's pretty crowded for a week-end.

Freight train at Hiroshima Station.

Although the Shinkansen only takes 15 minutes from Iwakuni to Hiroshima, the local takes between 40-50 minutes (faster on the Rapid, which only runs once an hour.) Local trains run about every 10 minutes.

At Hiroshima Station, we can board the trolley, which travels all around the city & stops about every block or so. No matter how far you go, you only pay 150 yen each time you depart. On the trolley now, we pass another trolley -- very close!

Shukkeien Gardens

Pretty flowers in downtown Hiroshima.


What a gorgeous day in this beautiful, clean, big city.


Entrance Gate to Shukkeien Gardens. This garden was first built in 1620 (yes, that's 1620!) & then rebuilt after the 1945 atom bomb.


Inside the entrance.



When you get to the bottom of the page, click "Older Posts" to continue . . .

In the peony garden.

Pink & white together in one flower.




Peaceful little stream.

And stone bridge.

That's a turtle enjoying a bath.

Stan & Eldon across the pond. They took off together & left Nancy and me on our own . . .

Perfect reflections.

Look at these interesting little bridges.

Wooden boat.

Looking across the calm pond.

Stone structure.

These bass (look closely) were swimming in a perfect chevron pattern, with their large mouths wide open.

I'm taking a picture of the man at the top of the hill who's taking a picture of me!


Shukkeien is a circular-tour garden, with different areas representing all the various scenery in Japan: remote mountains, solitary valleys, broad seashores, surrounding a central pond. Here's a mini-field of rice drying.


Bamboo forest.

Look at all the different colors.

Garden worker sweeping with a traditional broom.

Trees leaning into the Kyobashi River. After the atom bomb was dropped in August of 1945, many people came to this river to await help, which never came. Many died here, so there is a memorial walkway to commemorate them.


Nancy heads away from the river toward the pond in the center of the park.

Serene resting hut.

This sign says, "Please remove your shoes."

Close view of the thatched roof. It is very thick.


Turtles enjoying the sunshine.

One of the ten small islands (or islets) in this pond.

This is the Koko-kyo Bridge (Straddling Rainbow Bridge), centerpiece of the Takuei Pond and the only structure in this park to survive the 1945 atomic bomb blast.