Hey Hey Ya'll!!!
So this has been a few weeks in coming now, summer has been so much fun I've had a hard time peeling myself away long enough to write about it and share pics! I've finally got a slow day so it's finally here! I've got nothing on my agenda but a few errands, this, and Guardians of the Galaxy in 3d tonight! I'm excited = ) I've got lots of pics for ya'll and some epic tails to accompany them so without further ado! So here's what I've been up to!
I went to an epic festival a few weeks back with the girlfriend! It was a great day out and I finally got to enjoy some clear weather fireworks!!! 5,000 of them to be exact. It's festival season here in Japan and there's lots to do and fireworks everywhere to see! What exactly is being celebrated beyond summer I'm not really sure, even my gal couldn't tell me. In addition to the fireworks and folks running around in traditional style dress like we did there where also big shrine float things people where parading around the city and towns accompanied with drums! Very fun and really kewl to see = ) Next I finally got my ass to a seasonally appropriate beach! It was great, though a little different than what I'm used to. The beach was definitely packed and crowded, at least by my standards, my gal said it wasn't too bad. I had a great time soaking up some sun, playing in the waves, and getting zapped by a jellyfish or three (crazy ocean!). It was great fun, I'll be going back next week, can't wait! = ) I also met her parents briefly, we made a pit stop to drop off stuff and resupply after the beach at her place. They sat us down for tea and grilled me a little bit hahahaa, really nice people, language barrier aside parents are really the same everywhere.
festival chow with my newest buddy fred
beach with my gal and her best friend
the most amazing ramen ever!
The Air Force Tops in Blue stopped through base and put on a really fantastic 60th anniversary show for us. I'm glad I went, nothing like some live music to boost the morale. They where really awesome and played a little bit of everything! I'll have to catch them next time too.
they had minions! = D
I also got up to some shenanigans at our training guy and deputy chiefs going away. Nothing like kickin it with the guys with food and bottomless drinks! = D
Then a couple of guys at work decided to hike nearby Mt. Mitake! It was really fun and the perfect getaway spot. One of the few places I've been so far that I actually went off the grid tron style and lost cell reception. It was really beautiful up there too, I got some great pictures but they don't reflect the half of it. I'll definitely be escaping back up there while I'm here in Japan. Getting here was quite the adventure, a decent train ride further out into the country, then a bus, and finally a trolley up the mountain at a horrifying angle. So glad I got to go for a ride instead of hiking it, would have been worn out by the time we got the trail start lol.
fuzzy caterpillar!
another ridiculously old/ancient tree...apparently super old trees on mountains is a thing hahaha
Mtn Herb Udon soup, it was good = )
saw this just before heading out from base, the things people do to their cars! lol
pic of the day on this trip! = ) These awesome flowers where scattered all over the mountain
guard lion, rawr
this crazy spider was spinning it's web in front of the waterfall in the middle of nowhere...it's really amazing where they put these sometimes. Some of the anchors where 50ft away at least and I'm still not sure what they where attached to.
I'm stealing my buddies reference for this, it's the road to rivendell = )
this little waterfall/pool is regularly blessed by the nearby temple monks so I'm standing in a heap of holy water! = D
ancient tree number 2
ancient tree number 3
So that fantasticalness was all just a warm up for Mt. Fuji! As some of you know @flowerbomb came up here to visit with her Beau and some of the other english teachers she works with. They went to Mt. Fuji on day one so I joined them for a very fun epic trip! = ) I met them at Mt. Fuji 5th station and we started our hike at 9 p.m. after some dinner. We went up the most popular Yoshida trail and it wasn't very crowded, I'd heard it can be stop and go traffic jam style sometimes. Climbing at night was really great, not having the sun beating down on us made it easier going and it was fun wearing a headlight. Plus the view was that much more amazing, being above all the city smog we could see the stars very clearly. I even spotted my favorite constellation Orion for the first time since coming here to Japan. I like to look for em wherever I am in the world, it's kinda fun to see where he'll be hanging out in the sky as it's always different in a new location. I thoroughly enjoyed the climb up and getting to know Flowerbomb and her Beau better, awesome people! = ) We didn't quite make the summit by sunrise but where about 200m away, and frankly it was just as amazing from there! We had drinks at the top and all had a shot of sake I'd brought to celebrate! Plus we got the final stamps on our hiking sticks it was an epic journey. It was really awesome having my head up in the clouds but without being in a plane for a change, plus there where clouds blowing up along the side of the mountain blocking out the sun and cooling us down, it was very refreshing. Going back down was never ending switchbacks, we finally made it back to the 5th station start point just after 3 p.m., it was nuts lol. The place was also uber packed with tourists 90% not there to climb the mountain. There where cameras pointed in every direction, it was so vastly different from the night before. Oh yeah I also rocked my mountain viking beard hat, it made lots of friends = )
underarmor ninja! = D with as hot out as it is I'm glad I had this underneath to keep me cool and warm depending on my altitude
Ready to rock! I over packed a little bit, but it's important to be prepared. Thankfully we didn't need any rain gear and I drank all 5 liters of water I hid in there. It returned a good deal lighter = )
Mt. Fuji from below at Fujisan train station.
The sunset from 5th station
Mt. Fuji summit from 5th station
the rest are somewhat out of sequence but eh, enjoy the awesome!
the gate to the summit, finally there!
sunrise! sun came up just a little before 5 a.m., soooo shiny! yay = )
into the crater!
the cloudscape on the way down was really epic
first official stamp on the way up
about midway with Flowerbomb and her Beau
the summit felt very much like the moon or mars, I had Total Recall flashbacks lol = )
you know you're in the military when you put a reflector belt on your pack...lol
Flowerbomb took a break while me and her Beau photogasmed (seperately! = P) on the sunrise
sunrises are awesome anywhere, but there's certainly something extra special about viewing them from a mountain that makes you feel a little more alive (probably the fresher air)
aw aren't they a good lookin couple! so glad I got to climb Mt. Fuji with these two = )
So that's my uber epic adventures these last few weeks!!! Life has been really good and I'm taking advantage of every minute I can while I can before Uncle Sam calls on me again. Ya'll have also been up to lots too and I haven't really been keeping up as well as I'd like to but that's ok. It's summer get out there and make your own adventures!!!
There's been lots of birthdays, blogs, and many many fantastic sets! Several of which hit front page! Grats again to @moon @emmameow @riae @flowerbomb @pebblezink @dimples @mel @maud @radeo @bob @vareon and @anabuhr it's always extra awesome seeing sets of gals you know make fp! @antigone @kattyfox @miabelle @flowerbomb @saria @voly @britttanyjeanne @setsuka @katharsis @pedruna17 @milenci @suttin all have sets out so stop by and check them out!
@miabelle answered my question in her Q & A vlog, best answer thus far = )
Best way to sum up SG for me the last few months has been @gemmaedwardsuk she has been a busy bee! Lots of her sets have come out the last few months, several graced the fp, and she's been shooting awesomeness for us like crazy! So click here to check it all out! She also does regular blogs of all the work she's doing so you can get a peak at what's coming soon, thanks for being awesome Gemma keep it up! = )
Ya'll have an excellent week/weekend, weather permitting me and the gf are going to Mt. Mitake this weekend so I can't wait!
Take care, be safe, and God Bless = )
~Pyrdaemon
