Inspiration For Longevity

 These are some of my favorite photos from the recent trip I took with my friend Stuart to Oshima Island. A big thanks to Stuart as he made all the arrangements. Thank heavens he speaks good Japanese! It truly was an amazing trip! Highlights included going to the top of the crater and getting the most amazing panoramic views of the water and Mt. Fuji and some gorgeous islands.  We rented electric assist bikes two days and used those to go to the Oshima Zoo and hot spots around the island. What a treat! The pictured boat is the same model as the boat we took to make the two hour trip to Oshima Island.  Although it was chilly with temperatures getting down into the 30's, it was very sunny and warmed up during the day. The last morning I got up early and was out the door by 5:45. The views from the top of the crater were out of this world!   This experience gave me an opportunity to jump into the world of electric assist bikes for the first time. The day I returned from...

 The Japanese love their castles! These castle shots are all from Hikone Castle, one of the highlights from Lake Biwako. This is the final part of my five part series. The best for last? You decide! Those of you who know me well know that I am very committed to becoming a better and better person. This is definitely a work in progress as I will be the first to admit that I have a long ways to go! Below are the primary categories for my ongoing efforts. RELATIONSHIPS In many ways, this may be the most challenging area for me. I recently started re-reading the engaging book, Atomic Habits. The author, James Clear, has started an app that helps with the development and implementation of habits. One of the habits I am working on is keeping my cool when I get frustrated, especially when interacting with those closest to me. Sound familiar? BODY FAT PERCENTAGE With all the exercise I get, you would think I would not have to worry about what and when I eat. No such luck! I have had a tend...

  This is the fourth part of a five part series. Please see my other posts from the last few days for posts 1-3. Osaka Castle is one of those places that looks good morning and night and in any kind of weather. It is just a very scenic building with great surroundings! I feel badly that due to the demands of my current teaching job, I have not been able to devote much time and effort to climate change work. I am looking forward to getting back to that work this coming summer! Below is a summary of some of the information I have found about where we are at this point with climate change. On the United Nations news web site listed below, the following five issues are highlighted https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158446 1) Keeping the average global temperature within 1.5 degrees of pre-industrial levels.  According to this article from the Japan Times, (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2024/11/12/climate-change/global-warming-already-15c/), we may be failing that goa...

 This is part three of the five part series. The first part was published on 12/27/28 and part two was published earlier today. I am fascinated with water! As a photographer, there are so many possibilities when working with water and light and reflections and different objects and shapes. With the exception of the top Osaka Castle photo, the others were all taken at sunrise on Lake Biwako. It was gorgeous! I recently spent some time estimating how many years of full-time work I have done. My estimate is very rough as there were years when I worked part-time and/or went to school. Ball park estimate? 40 years! I guess I have earned the right to semi-retire, at least when it comes to full-time work! I have really enjoyed my special education and teaching work. That has included 14 years at North Eugene High School, 1 year at the American School in Japan, and 1 year at the Tokyo International Progressive School. Prior to that, I worked at least part-time as a tennis teacher and coach...