Autumn hike

At the beginning of the month, I went on a two-day hike with my coworker. It's one of the most if not the most beautiful place I've been. We were the last ones to reach the hut as we kept stopping to admire the view. In the end we didn't take many pictures because the view was just to overwhelming and I knew it couldn't be captured with my photography skills. The first part of the hike was especially delightful, walking by the river, waterfalls, and beautifully coloured foliages. Such a stunning, isolated place. 

It's time for them okras again

It's the second year I've grown okras. Last year I just had one plant that survived so I just got to harvest one at a time. This year I sowed a few more seeds but at a later time so they haven't grown very big but still producing quite a few fruits so I could harvest a few at a time.

Heart of the home

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Cooking together and sharing mealtimes is such an enjoyable experience for me. I  like how conversation naturally flows when you sit at the table. Countless times I made up with my family and friends over dinner too. It's hard to refuse food and or stay being upset about something while eating something delicious. These days I've been making pickles.

This too shall pass

Yakushima

I made it to Yakushima this month. I actually wasn't really thinking of going there until a friend suggested going on a hike there. It was a place that looked nice on photos. Somewhere that maybe I'd visit one day. But we started planning and it turned out that it's pretty accessible and not that expensive to get to either. And the island is much bigger than I had imagined with many things to do and see.

What I liked about the island is that there are so many hikes you can go on. With high mountains and rivers and you are never far from the sea either. I imagine it could get a bit too crowded on the popular hikes during the holiday season but there are many others where you could stay away from it all.

My favourite part was of course wild swimming!

bateaux

It's been a little while since I last made a painting this size. It was challenging not being able to edit things on the computer but it gave me a chance to experiment with some new materials and it made me want to make more larger pieces of work.

久しぶりに大きめの絵を描きました。新しいクレヨンのセットを使って、楽しく描けました。

Winter cherry blossoms