…And Peanuts for All

Written by: adekun on 19 November, 2008 3:58 pm - Filed under: food — No Comments »

At the beginning of the month, the peanuts were lifted and left to dry in the sun. Toward the end of this period there was a lot less sun, so they were given a bit longer; I found that a previous sample batch came out soft even after half an hour at 200°C. (continue reading…)

Tags: garden, legumes, weather

Autumn leaves

Written by: adekun on 7 November, 2008 10:27 pm - Filed under: hiroshima, shimane — 4 Comments »

Wednesday began abruptly, if a little late. Although Kento begins sleeping alongside us, he soon turns 90 degrees (maybe it’s 270°) so he can stick his toes in my ear. After a disturbed night, I was looking forward to lie-in when Tsutomu called. The day was probably the last clear day for a while and a good one to behold autumnal colours.

Once we met up, it was a two hour drive to Mount Agatsuma (吾妻山). The mountain straddles both the prefectures of Shimane and Hiroshima. (continue reading…)

Tags: hiking, japan, off the beaten track, weather

Quiet October

Written by: adekun on 26 October, 2008 10:54 pm - Filed under: blog — No Comments »

Sorry it’s been a good while since posting. Not much has happened. It has turned wintry and rained. The winter jinbei and paraffin stove have been broken out. Over the weekend the usual Halloween party was held at HiHighs. A bunch of us dressed as the main characters from Reservoir Dogs. Mr Pink didn’t fell too well the next morning, but managed some raw fish for lunch.

Tags: weather

Rice harvest

Written by: adekun on 24 September, 2008 1:43 pm - Filed under: blog — 5 Comments »

Juggling people’s work commitments and the weather, meant it took a public holiday to harvest the rice. It was Autumnal Equinox Day and very overcast too. Shigeki-san had already harvested one of the smaller fields. This left the two large fields, one of which had a smaller adjoining counterpart. With a late morning start and the threat of rain, Shigeki spent most of the time at the controls. I was porter. (continue reading…)

Tags: garden, harvest, inekari, rice, weather

Mount Daisen: Utopia and Sankohou

Written by: adekun on 10 September, 2008 9:14 am - Filed under: tottori — 2 Comments »

Yesterday, I was fortunate to go walking with experienced Tsutomu around Mount Daisen (大山). He celebrated his sixtieth birthday this year and has recently retired.

We followed the usual course past Daisen-ji (a Buddhist temple) and Ōgamiyama Jinja (a Shinto shrine) to the Motodani dam. From there we took a steep, overgrown route toward Sankohou (三鈷峰). It was very much a clamber over moss covered rock, decaying logs, disguised deep under leaves.
There was some uncertainty in view of what lay before us. After some progress the nettles became less thick. I passed a discarded bottle of Pocari Sweat and an empty 35mm film canister. It was all the more unfortunate to see the matching top several paces ahead. Joining a path, Mount Sankohou was soon visible. Undulating and curling around were soon closing upon Utopia (ユートピア) lodge. (continue reading…)

Tags: hiking, japan, off the beaten track, weather

Cold, wet and miserable

Written by: adekun on 7 September, 2008 6:02 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »

The above could be a fair reflection of the weather for the second half of August. To be dispassionate, temperatures were in the mid twenties, there were no typhoons, and perhaps it is me being miserable.
I managed to get sunburnt in the September sun as the weather quickly changed. We have had week of warmer weather. It brought some relief, as I worried about the puddles forming above the potatoes and garlic. Although the rain has now returned, I’m pleased to have spotted that one of the garlic cloves has already speared it’s way through to the surface.

Tags: garden, garlic, weather

Bum Tomato

Written by: adekun on 17 August, 2008 7:05 am - Filed under: garden — 4 Comments »

On Friday we had a heavy downpour which is worth noting for my own benefit. With the ground being damp the crows returned to dig up more peanuts. Not much going on elsewhere in the garden. The unruly sweet potato vines should be clipped; there’s a chance they will turn out all vine and no tuber. I did spot a tomato (maybe it’s two) that looks arse shaped. Holding it in my hand it really looks like two tomatoes stuck together.

Tags: garden, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, weather