Born in the USA!

8/28/08 This morning, I’m watching live the Democratic Convention from 7,000 miles away, and with tears in my eyes, I have to say I’ve never been prouder to be an American. No matter one’s political convictions, this is an historic moment in our history. Today we have shown a hopeful and positive message to the rest of the world. Listening to Melissa Ethridge’s amazing 8-minute medley, beginning & ending with God Bless America, made me weep . . . http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=tNgxdQkDcu8

Road Trip!

We're taking our first road trip in our "new" car. Leaving town on Hwy 188.


Speed limit of 50 is painted on the road here. That's km, not mph, so it's about 31.5 mph, which is fast enough on these narrow roads!


Out in the country, we see a couple working in a rice field.

Look at this beautifully-terraced farmland.


A business called, "Urban" out here in the country.


Lots of arrows & signs to remind us which way to go . . .

Outside a 7-11 after a spotlessly clean potty stop. See all the recycling bins outside?


Rice growing in nice straight rows.


Back in Iwakuni.

Petunias in front of a closed business.


Lots of folks playing in the river on this hot summer day.

Sushi

We couldn't wait to have sushi when we got back to Iwakuni! The first time we returned, all the chefs hollered the equivalent of "Norm!" when we came through the door, which made us feel very welcome. Our sushi chef is roasting pieces of seafood with a small blowtorch. You can't imagine how good this smells!


This is one of Stan's new favorites -- aburi hotate (roasted scallops). Yum!

One of my favorites -- aburi (roasted) salmon mayo. Delicious!


There goes tamago (sweetened scrambled egg), cut into a rectangle & tied onto rice balls with a strip of seaweed, and a sweet shrimp, slightly steamed. There are about as many cooked sushi choices as raw ones. What makes it sushi is that everything is placed on a sweetened rice ball or rolled inside seaweed & rice & cut into slices.

Around & around goes the sushi.


Lots of clean plates waiting for sushi, organized by color. That's because they're also priced by color -- from 220 to 500 yen (just about $2.20 to 5.00 US). See the big American flag? That means we are very welcome here. Even our Japanese friends tell us this is the best sushi bar in town.


This is my dessert of choice -- Anin Tofu (Chinese tofu). It's flavored with almond extract & topped with mandarin oranges. Delicious! And I like it with hot green tea.

Looking toward the kitchen. Lots of chefs working now -- it's getting toward the busy time.

Stan's soft cream. I love the little stands they come on!

Yow -- we ate THIS many dishes?

What an amazing moon the other night! View from our BR balcony . . .


Over our parking lot, that's the new bowling alley on the left side & the F-18 hangar on the right.


Looking inside the hangar. They're working on the jets tonight.

It's Lotus Time in Western Japan!

The lotus are always in bloom when we return to Japan at the end of July or early August . . . what a nice "welcome home"

A perfect bud, and pods.

See the shape of the lotus leaf? We saw a lady the other day, working in the lotus & wearing an upside-down leaf for a hat! (of course, I didn't have my camera . . .)


A lotus field that's been harvested.


Looking toward the south side of the base over a lotus field. (We live on the north side.)

Cute little equipment for harvesting lotus.


Cranes & egrets in a tree in a lotus field.

Lotus fields as far as we can see . . . Iwakuni is famous all over Japan for it's lotus.


While driving around the lotus fields, we ended up on a narrow road along the seashore.


Don't know what this says, but it's embedded in the seawall.

Hmm, not sure what this says either . . . along this seawall road.


Looking out at the Seto Inland Sea.


Some folks are digging clams during low tide.


And still this "road" continues . . . another adventure.

End of the road? Naw, just drive around the partial barrier . . .


Yikes! No guardrail or seawall here . . . but we found a little marina.


Oh, we're approaching a train bridge & crossing. See the cute old-fashioned steam train sign?

Boats in the river during low tide.


This train crossing is for bikes & pedestrians only.


Easter lillies (? ? ?) are blooming all over town.

A freight train passes by a lotus field.


Good luck cranes & egrets love the lotus!

Bright canna lillies next to a work shack in the lotus fields.

Shy, pale pink lotus blossom.

Look at the interesting cloud formations. Jet contrail?