A Little Visit

 Today I went to visit my friend. She lives just  over an hour away but because we both have busy schedules it's difficult to get chance to meet. We talk a lot on the phone but meeting face to face sometimes is nice.

Mikey drove me! He decided to go through the mountains. I was hanging on to my seat most of the way. The road was very narrow, just enough room for one car, many times we had to pull over or reverse because cars coming in the opposite direction.

Even though it was stressful I enjoyed the scenery. Took some photos but as always they aren't that good. Getting good photos from a moving car is rather difficult.

Nice part of the road before it got narrow

Few houses nestled in the mountains

We went past a landslide. Mikey said that it happened last rainy season.

Landslide

Mikey said that the debris came up to road but didn't cover it!

Then there was this interesting house.

The "cow house"

We were wondering why they have this pattern on the house. I noticed that one of the trucks has the same pattern. Are they dairy famers? But there is no room to keep cows! 

After that we came into city. I'm always amazed at how quickly the scenery can change, from countryside plains, to industrial areas, to the mountains and back again to a sprawling city scape. All within an hours drive!

First glimpse of the city

Getting closer

Going to my friends house use to be an adventure as we always got lost or turned around. This time with google map and Mikey knowing parts of the city it was a lot easier. 

I had a good chat with my friend. Poor Mikey had to sit and listen to two old ladies chat, but he didn't mind, too much! He got some food and a load of coffee. 

We spent a couple of hours, I could of stayed longer but I was worried about the traffic on the way back. I didn't want to risk the mountains so we went through the city. It wasn't too bad, near the big shopping malls there was a bit of a delay, otherwise very smooth ride.

Tomorrow is back to work, just one lesson. Also the lesson is here, which helps. I hope I can get some things done around the house more. Plus I need to clean the yard a bit. There might be snow this week! I want to make sure things are safe outside, especially our water pipes!

January

 I think the theme for January was getting used to things. Getting used to this house, getting used to getting up early, getting used to going to the other city to teach, getting used to the community centers that we use.  At lot of things to get used to!

It's been a lot harder to get used to this house than I thought it would. Until we moved here we referred to the house as Oba Chan's, grandma's, then it was the house in the town where we live. I asked the kids to stop calling it Oba Chan's. I have to push to say "home" as it doesn't feel like home! It still feels strange! When we go shopping I still think we will be going back to the old house, so when David or Mikey turn to come here I wonder why, then realize that we no longer live in the old house!  

This house has a lot of problems still. We need a lot of money to make it really liveable. If I had the money I would take it down and rebuild but that is a pipe dream. One of my biggest worries is if the house is still sturdy. In the past 32 years, since the house was built, there have been a few earthquakes and even more typhoons, have these had an impact on the house. After the earthquake we had in January I checked the outside walls and foundations, there are a few cracks from before, fortunately they haven't got any longer but I don't know if they are any deeper!  

Then there is all the cosmetic things I would love to do. Changing the kitchen to make it more functional, having a bathroom that can be warmed up, finding ice crystals in the shampoo is not fun!  Also the toilet needs to be changed.  Plus the windows need to be updated, there is so much condensation in all the rooms!  

Getting up early isn't that hard, it's not really early, about 6:30. Christopher has started a new job, I know I don't have to get up and make his breakfast but I like to! The job isn't difficult but he has to walk 40 minutes to get there. Most of the roads are country roads, so no street lights in the evenings. It's a bit of a worry as there are no pavements either. He has a reflector strip but I'm wondering if he needs something more!

Then there is the commute to work. I don't have to go everyday, 3 or 4 days a week. But I only have one lesson each time. I sit reading or studying. But I feel it such a waste of my time. I would love to get some more students, try to fill up my time! If I don't then I'll try to put everyone on the same day!

February has come in with an awful rain storm, plus heavy snow is forecast for next week!  We need to get some of the land ready for planting. I'm hoping by the end of the month to have vegetables in, also I'm looking a growing herbs!

Couple of cat photos to finish!

Fluffy sitting on my cookbook, I had to keep moving her to read the recipe

Sam being cute!

Weather

 We have been lucky so far this winter. Only one really cold snap that resulted in snow for a day.  

The week has been bitterly cold, snow was forecast and it looks like the mountains got a good dusting.

on the way to the other city, cloudy mountains

near the other city, snow on the mountains

One of my high students told that her school had online classes one day because of the snow forecast.

We didn't get snow but freezing rain. 

The thing that gets me is the wind. It's not strong, not a gale but it is really cold. Looking out of the window today the sun was shining and I thought it was a good chance to get out, but the wind made me change my mind. We are sheltered by the mountains, I don't know if that is good or not. The wind doesn't feel so strong here, but I know that the mountains can become like a wind tunnel.

I was surprised at how the strong the wind was the other day.

city incinerator, wind was blowing the smoke

To see the smoke being blown horizontal was a sight.  It usually isn't that visible and goes straight up. Maybe the heavy cloud made it more visible.

February is coldest month, at least I always feel it is colder than the other winter months. On my weather app the forecast for next week is for minus temperatures and snow.  I hope that is the last of the really cold weather.  I need to get some of the land ready to plant. 

I've been watching the weather news from the UK. I feel so sorry for everybody caught in those crazy storms. 

I was watching the forecast for Storm Eowyn. The predicted hectopascal was 938hPa. That means very strong winds. When we get typhoons I always check the hPa, the lower the number the stronger the typhoon. We are in land so by the time we get hit the hPa is higher, so the storm isn't that strong.  A reading of 938hPa was very shocking. Also I was happy to see that people stayed home. One of my pet peeves with Japan is that people go out in these storms. I always think that by going out you are potentially putting others at risk.  Emergency services have to respond if you are injured while out, putting the personal at risk!

Also it seems that one storm passes in the UK and another is on it's heels! Stay safe, everyone!

A Kind Of Nothing Day

 It's 4:30 in the afternoon and I haven't really done anything today.

It was just one of those days that I couldn't find the energy to do anything. I tried, I went outside to see if I could clean up a bit more but the wind was so biting!  I thought about getting extra layers but then moving would be difficult. 

I moved some furniture around. I had a small desk in my room that I wasn't using, so I swapped an unused bookshelf in Christopher's room for the desk. Much better.

Other than that I've been in bed, reading and watching TV. 

I really wish that I had more energy. There is a lot to do. I would make a list but then I would just feel overwhelmed.

 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I'll be going to the other city to teach, so that is half of my day gone on those days. Then Friday is recovering from that, which leaves just a couple of days a week to work on the house and land. I need to get my health better so I can do more!  

Everyone is doing what they can to help out but we are all working. I just have to hope that we will have some land cleared by the beginning of March to start planting! 

David said that this is the hardest time, just clearing out years of neglect. I really hope that once everything is cleared it gets easier.

A bit of good news is that Hannah has started a new job, at an afterschool cram school. She has only done two days so far but she likes the other staff that she has met.

Of course there are cats next to the building, so Hannah is very happy. She looks forward to seeing the cats, not working!!!!

The cats near Hannah's new job

Doing Outside

 Trying to clean up this house and the surrounding land is like taking a cup of water out of the ocean. You know you've taken a cup of water out but you can't see any change!

Today I was determined to clean the passage between the house and storage area. There is space there for the trash but we need more bins. We've been putting the plastic bags out there but the cats and other animals get into them!

Before, bits of trash left lying around

The problem was the wind was rather strong today. Being between two building there was a wind tunnel effect. Plus the wind was very cold. I managed to pick up most of the trash, but there are a load of leaves that need to be swept up and I want to take down some of the trees there. I don't think having trees right next to the house is a good idea!

After, not much difference but a start.

Found that Fluffy was supervising from the window.

making sure the work is done

I then went into the storage place to see if I could do anything there. But boxes need to be moved, Christopher was helping but they are so heavy that they need two people to move them. I did manage to get some more books on the shelves and found a top I've been looking for!

After that I had a little walk round. The trees are starting to bud, I have no idea if this is early or not. I'm a bit worried as winter is far from over. The past week has been very mild. According to the weather reports the temperatures are similar to mid March! Next week it's going to get cold again!

A few early flowers and blossoms.

The yellow blossom is very beautiful

I hope to get out tomorrow, the weather should be alright. But from Monday rain and possible snow!!

Just A Cat Post

 The cats have really settled in.

I was worried because they were fighting so much in the other house. At night we used to separate them, keeping Fred away from Alan, Steve and Frodo. 

Fred

Alan and Steve

Frodo

I don't know why but Steve, Alan and Frodo would attack Fred. Some morning, if they weren't spilt up, I would come down to fur and blood all over the place.

This house has all sliding doors which we can't block. I've been so worried about night fights, but apart from a bit of growling we haven't had any major fights! So far!!

One big problem, though, is the night time zoomies. There's a long corridor down the middle of the house.  Almost every night at about 2am the cats start chasing up and down the corridor.  I hear them racing past my room, then smashing into the glass door, then racing back. If it was one cat, maybe it wouldn't be too bad but some nights it's at least six of them!!

Of course they have found the best place to hangout.

The window where my reading nook is faces the garden where there a few bushes and lots of birds. As the weather warms up I think this area is going to attract a lot of birds and maybe other wild life, although I have no idea what animals are around here.  I think it could be very entertaining for the cats.

Some of the cats looking through the window

Sometimes when I come home they are sitting there, nice greeting!

Another problem is finding space for more litter boxes. We have 7 out at the moment but it isn't enough. I'll have to figure out where to put a few more. One place would be in the bathroom, but I'm not sure yet!  

I'm glad that they have settled in okay. I was prepared for a lot of fights and a lot more spraying and scratching but so far, so good!

Commuting To Work

 Since I lived in Japan I have worked from home.

I have a little English school. In all the places we have lived I've always turned one room into a classroom so I could teach. 

I really liked the idea that my commute to work only took a few seconds. Sometimes  I would get upset at people coming in the house, especially kids. I really would have liked another building on the same land where I could teach but that never happened.

Now I have to commute to work. From here to where we teach is about 30 minutes, not too bad, most the drive is through the countryside. I can't drive so I go with Mikey, which means that I'm hanging around while Mikey teaches to do my one or two lessons.  

I've only been doing this for a few weeks now but I'm exhausted. I'm not sure why. Part of it might be all the work I'm still doing trying to set up this house and helping on the land, part might be that my insomnia has reared it's ugly head again, and part might be the fact that I only have one lesson but Mikey has 3 or 4, so I just sitting around waiting for him!

I try to make use of my time. I reading a lot, I download a lot of books on my Kindle, also I'm trying to write more, experimenting with poetry, also I'm teaching myself how to crotchet. But it is still a long time to fill. Also the places that we are teaching in aren't heated. We feed the meter to heat the one room, so I stay in there. It's big, so I can just sit in one corner. I hope that once the weather warms up I can use another room.

Yesterday I got to watch one of Mikey's classes. Most of our classes are one on one so it was nice to watch him teach 4 kids at one time. 

Mikey teaching

He has a list of verbs on the board and was practicing "can". One verb was hit, giving hints the kids had to make a sentence using the verb and can. One girl came out with "I can hit Mikey". Mikey's response was to run away screaming for help, of course the kids loved that!